WELCOME AUTHOR BARBARA BRITTON

WELCOME AUTHOR BARBARA BRITTON
Thursday, March 16, 2017 by Patti Shene

FEATURED BOOK: Providence: Hannah’s Journey

AUTHOR: Barbara M. Britton

PUBLISHER: Harbourlight Books

GENRE: Biblical Fiction

SERIES: Stand Alone Series: Tribes of Israel

TARGET AGE: Thirteen and up

I AM EXCITED TO WELCOME AUTHOR BARBARA BRITTON TO THE OVER 50 WRITER TODAY. BARBARA SHOWS US THAT GRASS DOES NOT GROW UNDER THIS EMPTY-NESTERS SHOES!

BARBARA IS OFFERING A GIVEAWAY! SIMPLY LEAVE A COMMENT BELOW TO ENTER THE DRAWING FOR A PRINT OR EBOOK (WINNER’S CHOICE) COPY OF PROVIDENCE: HANNAH’S JOURNEY.

Grass Doesn’t Grow Under These Orthopedic Stilettos

Barbara Britton

What are you going to do with all the time you have on your hands, Mrs. Britton? I heard this question a lot when my sons left for college. Friends thought I would be bored and possibly go into empty-nester depression. My response to all those concerned people was that I didn’t have time to be bored. Life was getting crazy as I reached the half-century mark.

Several years before, when I was in my early forties, I had started writing. I knew nothing about the publishing industry or how to craft fiction that sells. I had a huge mountain to climb, and climb it I did. I joined professional writing organizations, volunteered for board positions, and attended writing conferences. I had to juggle all these commitments while raising a family and volunteering in ministry.

How did I stay motivated to keep writing? Looking back, life would have been simpler if I had just stopped trying to get published. But, I loved writing stories, and I believed God had placed this desire in my heart. So I continued to meet with other writers and fill my kids-in-school hours with writing stories. I claimed Ecclesiastes 3:1A as my dream verse: “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven.” I knew that I would not be published one day sooner, or one day later than God ordained.

When I reached that “nifty” age of fifty, I received my first book contract after creating stories for eight years. I had amassed over two-hundred rejections over four books by the time my debut was snatched up. Some of those rejections were for the book that finally saw the light of day-- Providence: Hannah’s Journey. I was fifty-one when Providence released, and I had just battled breast cancer, and thankfully won.

The more years you live, the more experiences you have to put into a story. I like to think I understand people better than I did when I was twenty, and that meeting so many diverse people over the years has helped me draft more realistic characters.

I am grateful that now when my house is a bit quieter and I don’t have to run off and pick my boys up from basketball practice, that I have a passion to keep me busy. A passion that keeps me creating “what if” scenarios, and makes it possible to interact with readers from all over the world.

May you never give up pursuing your dreams. Your “season” might be just around the corner.

Blurb for Providence : Hannah’s Journey

As the sole daughter of the chief priest, Hannah is publicly shamed when the prophet of Israel refuses to heal her.

Determined to restore her family’s honor, Hannah escapes Jerusalem in hopes of finding the prophet and convincing him to heal her deformities. Gilead, a young Hebrew guard sympathetic to her plight, willingly accompanies her. On their way, they are captured by a band of raiders.

Hannah is forced to serve in the household of the commander of the Aramean army, an officer who is in need of healing himself. Meanwhile Gilead is being used as sword practice for the Aramean soldiers.

Hannah must act fast to save Gilead and herself. But survival means coaxing the prophet of Israel to heal an enemy commander.

Purchase links: Amazon, B&N, Walmart

DON’T FORGET TO LEAVE A COMMENT TO BE PLACED IN THE DRAWING TO WIN A COPY OF PROVIDENCE: HANNAH’S JOURNEY BETWEEN NOW AND SUNDAY, MARCH 26TH AT MIDNIGHT MDT.

Barbara M. Britton lives in Wisconsin and loves the snow—when it accumulates under three inches. She writes Christian Fiction for teens and adults. Barb has a nutrition degree from Baylor University but loves to dip healthy strawberries in chocolate. Barb kicked off her Tribes of Israel series in October with the release of Providence: Hannah’s Journey.

Connect with Barb:

Comments

Barbara M. Britton From Wisconsin At 3/26/2017 4:53:16 PM

Hi Rory, Thank you for your kind comments. I like my cover too! I have little input into the cover, but when it comes to my e-mail it''s pretty well set in stone. I love my publisher''s designs.

Patti Shene From SE Colorado At 3/25/2017 3:23:12 PM

Hi Rory. Thank you for stopping by. I agree that the cover art is beautiful and quite intriguing. This looks to be a very good book.

Rory Lynn Lemond From Hopkins,Michigan At 3/25/2017 2:32:12 PM

This is a story I would love to read and then pass onto my granddaughter who I am trying to get closer to God and the bible. She believes some but I know stories like this enhance your curiosity. Cover art is gorgeous and I enjoy the premise of the story of a disfigured girl.

Barbara M. Britton From Wisconsin At 3/19/2017 8:30:20 PM

Thank you, Cleo. Blessings to you, too. I appreciate you stopping by.

Patti Shene From SE Colorado At 3/19/2017 5:02:42 PM

Hi Cleo! It''s always good to see you here. Thank you for stopping by and letting us know you visited.

Cleo Lampos From Oak Lawn, IL At 3/19/2017 4:00:07 PM

Loved your bio. Blessings on your writing.

Patti Shene From SE Colorado At 3/19/2017 10:50:38 AM

Hi Raechel! Thank you so much for stopping by!

Raechel L. From At 3/19/2017 10:37:00 AM

That is a gorgeous cover! And the book sounds very good too. :) Would love to read it!

Barbara M. Britton From Wisconsin At 3/17/2017 12:35:22 PM

Hi Clarice, Congratulations on your novel. You''re right. We shouldn''t give up. Like Dory, ""Just keep swimming."" Thanks for joining us.

Patti Shene From SE Colorado At 3/17/2017 10:52:40 AM

HI Clarice! Thank you so much for sharing with us! Just goes to show that the plans God has for us cannot be stopped. Congratulations on that first release!

Clarice G James From Hudson, NH At 3/17/2017 9:58:03 AM

The main reason I got for my first book, Party of One, being rejected was: ""The protagonist is too old."" She was fifty (and I was older). But everyone who read it liked the story, so, like Barbara, I pressed on. Party of One will be out in a few weeks. Yay! Love this Over Fifty group!

Barbara M. Britton From Wisconsin At 3/16/2017 11:02:59 PM

Hi LoRee, I might have to take over one of those unused bedrooms for my office. I''m in a very cold sewing room and I''m running out of space. Thanks for stopping by.

Patti Shene From SE Colorado At 3/16/2017 6:02:06 PM

Hi LoRee! I also am an ""older"" writer who unfortunately has nothing to claim at this point other than unfinished manuscripts! Thanks for stopping by.

Patti Shene From SE Colorado At 3/16/2017 5:59:47 PM

Hi Kathleen! Thank you for stopping by. So glad you enjoyed Barbara''s post and took the time to let us know.

LoRee Peery From Nebraska At 3/16/2017 3:46:33 PM

Hi Barbara, I''ll just say I was a decade older at the time of my first contract. My son came and left home a couple of times after high school. The last time he left, and we inherited his dog, I took over his room and made it my study.

Barbara M. Britton From Wisconsin At 3/16/2017 3:16:52 PM

Hi Kathleen, Thank you for the well wishes. You know all about this publishing business. Thanks for joining us.

Kathleen Friesen From British Columbia, Canada At 3/16/2017 2:55:42 PM

Great interview! I love hearing authors'' stories of perseverance and publication. I wish you all the best, Barbara, with your new book and all the others to come.

Barbara M. Britton From Wisconsin At 3/16/2017 1:53:06 PM

Hi Carlene, Texas is my old college stomping ground. Ya''ll have much warmer weather than we Cheese Heads. Thanks for joining us today. Here''s to all the years I was gaining character building information.

Barbara M. Britton From Wisconsin At 3/16/2017 1:50:47 PM

Hi Janice, Thanks for stopping by today. I enjoyed writing this book , but I don''t think I''ll be doing another enemies-to-lovers story for awhile. They take a lot of work to make them convincing. But...I love Naomi and Eliab.