I'd like to welcome award winning writer, Deena Adams, to my blog. She's been a great encouragement to me on my writing journey through her Facebook group—MARATHON. If you’re a Christian Fiction writer, she’d love for you to join the group! Click here for the link, and be sure to answer the membership question.
Deena, I
love that you focus on hope in your writing and in your life. What motivates
you to have such hope?
I’ve
experienced some rough times over the years and every time I felt hopeless, I
knew I had to shift my focus back to the Lord. I think about the story of Peter
in the Bible. When his eyes were on Jesus, he walked on the water, but when he
looked at the storm raging around him, he sank.
Keeping my
eyes on Jesus and believing God’s promises is where my hope comes from and is
the only way to not only survive the hard times, but to find joy in the
journey.
Women’s
fiction is probably my favorite—and it’s what I write—because I love stories
that tackle gritty, true-to-life issues and focus on the character’s spiritual
transformation. Of course, I love to be entertained when I read, but I don’t
read for pure enjoyment alone, but to be challenged in my faith.
The beauty of God’s work in a person’s mess and bringing them to redemption and healing encourages me in my spiritual life. It helps me know I’m not alone and if others can have victory in their trials, maybe I can too.
You've
written a short story, Behind the Scenes. Can you tell us a bit about
the story and the novel you are working on?
Behind the Scenes is a prequel to my novel and features the childhood story of Clayton, my novel’s hero. The short story opens with seven-year-old Clayton searching the house for his parents and realizing they’ve left him home alone again. He tells no one when his parents leave him because he’s afraid of being taken to a terrible place, like kid jail or an orphanage.
Camille and
Raymond Richards are medical missionaries who work at a nearby clinic. As they
walk the roads of a poor community in the Mississippi Delta area of Memphis,
Tennessee, she senses God may have more in store for them than their current
ministry.
While
passing out toys to children, they meet Clayton, and Camille is immediately
drawn to him. She envisions him as their son, but keeps that to herself because
that’s just crazy. He has parents, and she’s pregnant with their first child.
Their paths cross several times, intensifying Camille’s prayers for the boy.
You’ll have
to read the story to hear how God works behind the scenes and find out their
journey’s outcome.
In the novel
I’m working on, Clayton is twenty-eight, loves Jesus, and works as a behavioral
psychologist and homeless shelter manager. But he’s still single and longs to
get married and have a family.
He meets
Amanda Wright, who is a hot mess. She has a sordid past she keeps buried at all
costs because when she told her mayor husband her secret, he stormed out angry
and died in an accident.
Amanda’s
abusive stepfather shows up, threatening to expose her past unless she gives
him money. She agrees to his demands but determines to pay penance for her past
sins, protect innocent children from the childhood she endured, and honor her
late husband’s community service legacy by becoming a court-appointed special
advocate for foster children.
She and
Clayton meet and learn they are working on the same court case. As their lives
intertwine, a shelter resident uncovers a link to Amanda’s past through a
carved angel keepsake, and Amanda is thrust headlong into the past she seeks to
escape.
Aspects of
foster care, adoption, addictions, abuse, abortion, death, and an interracial
relationship bring real issues to the surface. You’ll find God’s love, grace
and forgiveness throughout and, of course, hope.
I’ve worked
on this story for the past three years and have fallen in love with these
characters and their journey. I hope readers will too.
I've read Behind the Scenes. It's a wonderful, uplifting story readers will enjoy. I look forward to reading your work-in-progress. How can folks get a copy of Behind the Scenes?
Thanks so
much for your kind words. I’m so glad you enjoyed Behind the Scenes. I offer
the story free as a thank you to my newsletter subscribers. The Hope Collective
newsletter contains lots of hope-filled fiction content and giveaways and goes
out once a month, so it won’t overwhelm your email inbox. Readers who are
interested can subscribe here.
You've won some awards. Can you tell us a bit about those and why it's important for writers to enter contests?
Contests not
only build a writer’s confidence when we place or win and give us a positive
addition to our writing resume, but the feedback and critique from experienced
authors and other professionals is invaluable in helping us grow and better
learn the craft.
With no
idea what I was doing, I started writing my first novel in the fall of 2018
during Nanowrimo. In about three months, I had finished the first, very messy
and way too long, draft. A couple of months later, I signed up for my
first writer’s conference and entered their contest for unpublished writers. To
say it shocked me to win second place is an understatement.
I met with
an agent at that conference who looked at a sample of my writing and encouraged
me to keep entering contests. His praise for my writing, and the second-place
win, gave me confirmation to keep moving forward and keep entering contests.
In the fall
of 2019, I was a double finalist and winner of the ACFW First Impressions
contest, another shocker.
I entered multiple contests in 2020 and didn’t place in any of them. It was a discouraging year in a lot of areas of my life, so maybe God allowed me to be a Genesis finalist in 2021 for a boost to keep plugging onward in this publishing journey.
Where can
people find out more about you?
Social media
is great, and I love interacting with people there, but because of the
algorithms, most of my followers and friends never see my posts. The best way
to learn more about me and keep up with my writing journey is through my
website and newsletter. If you’re interested in connecting, you can find and
follow me at the links below.
Thanks for having me on your blog, Penny. I appreciate your support and friendship. God bless you and your readers!
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As a Jesus girl for more than thirty years, Deena understands how important hope is to daily life. That’s why she’s passionate about inspiring others through writing hope-filled fiction and highlighting other Christian authors on her blog.
Deena is an active member of ACFW and two Virginia writer groups, board member of ACFW Virginia, founder of the Marathon online writer’s group, 2019 Foundations contest finalist, 2019 First Impressions contest double finalist and winner, and 2021 Genesis contest finalist.
She lives with her husband near the coast in beautiful Virginia. When she’s not writing, reading, or serving in her church, you’ll find her hanging out with family and friends and doting on her seven grandchildren.