Sherri Wilson

Today I'm so excited to welcome Sherri Johnson to my back porch.

Welcome, Sherri.

Tell us a little about yourself.

I am Sherri Wilson Johnson. I live in Georgia with my husband, our son and our two dogs. We’re half-empty-nesters since our daughter moved out in May. Of course, she comes home for a visit and one of Mom’s southern-cooked dinners at least once a week. I homeschooled my children for fourteen years and learned a lot about myself during that time. I learned you’re never too old to learn something new. I’m an extrovert most of the time but I am a wee bit of an introvert. That’s the writer side of me. I love to make people laugh and I talk a LOT. When I do speaking engagements, I definitely have to have a time limit. Writing is my favorite pastime and, fortunately, I have been able to see my dream of publication come true. My writing partner is my Chihuahua, Posey. She’s always by my side.

Tell us three things about yourself that would surprise your readers.

I am terrified of horses, which is kind of funny since my new book is about a cowboy and a ranch.
I have a bad habit of singing Christmas songs all year long.
I secretly dream of going on the show Wipeout, although my family has begged me to spare them the humiliation.

What is the quirkiest thing you have ever done?

I have a twelve year old Labrador who at times loves to bark like crazy. A few years ago I bought a bark collar for her to stop her from barking. It wasn’t working so I decided to see if something was wrong with the collar. I placed the little booger on my own throat and barked. To my horror, the collar worked quite well and shocked me ferociously.

Share something about your day-to-day life that might help readers feel as though they know you a little better.

In addition to being a writer, I also work part-time from home as a bookkeeper. Most mornings I start the day with Bible study and then do my bookkeeping work. After that if I’m not running errands or meeting with someone, I write. I would write all day and night if I could. I’m actively involved in church and love learning as much as I can about the Lord to help me through this crazy life.

How many books do you have published and where can they be found?

I currently have two published books. My debut novel, To Dance Once More (OakTara), was released in September 2011. Song of the Meadowlark (OakTara) released in September 2012. You can find links at my website, www.sherriwilsonjohnson.com .


How does your faith play into your work?

I’ve always said I would never write anything that shamed my dad. He was a Southern Baptist preacher. What it really boils down to is that I would never write anything that would shame my Lord and make a mockery of my faith. But other than that aspect of it, I can say that the struggles my family has gone through have tested and strengthened my faith and that overflows into my writing. When you have something so marvelous at your very core, it can’t help but spill out in your writing. It’s actually easier for me to write about my faith and demonstrate my faith through my writing than it is to show it sometimes.

As a speaker, what’s your favorite topic?

I love to encourage people along their journey—to spread the joy and fulfillment of living according to the Lord’s will for your life. Whether it is about homeschooling, writing and publication, or women’s issues, I always sprinkle in the wonderful news of God’s grace and forgiveness and try to encourage people to live according to their giftedness.

What is your favorite thing to write about?

I love to write about romance. That’s no surprise. In real life, I’m always trying to match-make. But you can’t build a story around just the romance. I love to write about change—some sort of forward movement for my characters. Life never stays the same and neither do people. Most of my characters need some sort of tweaking (like all of us) and so whether it is forgiveness, mercy, grace, acceptance, turning from a sinful path, I love to write about change.

What are you passionate about?

I am passionate about conveying the message of purity and sexual integrity to the world. I have worked with teens and women as a volunteer small group leader at church and I’ve seen the struggle people go through when faced with the temptations of this world. That’s one reason I write clean romances.


Where can fans find you or your books on the internet?
http://sherriwilsonjohnson.com
Twitter: swj_thewriter

Thanks so much for stopping by today! I enjoyed our visit.