Vonda Skelton - Christian Speaker, Author, and Funny Lady

Today is a fifth Thursday, and with my new blog schedule, that allows me to post whatever I want, so we’re going to talk with author, speaker, and social media guru, Edie Melson!

Edie needs no introduction on this blog. As you know, we started out together after meeting as conferees at Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference back in 2001 and have worked on many projects together. You can read Edie’s complete bio below, but I just want to say here that she has become the go-to person for social media and her book, Social Media Marketing for Writers, has been an Amazon #1 Bestseller. Way to go, Edie!

But today I want to introduce you to Edie’s newest book, this one from the heart of a mom. Fighting Fear, Winning the War at Home When Your Soldier Leaves for Battle, debuted on Veterans Day, 2011, and is a devotional book for those with family members in the military.

And readers, be sure to leave a comment for Edie and you could win a copy of her new book!

Welcome to the Christian Writer’s Den, Edie! I love to hear this story, but for those who haven’t heard, tell us why you wrote this book.

Our oldest son decided to bypass college and go straight from graduation, to Marine Corps book camp, to Iraq. I struggled with fear during his time in the military – especially during the deployments. I looked for resources for families and only found things written for military wives. I decided that if I survived his time in the military I’d write about how God had kept me sane.

What do you hope the readers get from this book?

I hope they realize they are part of a community. They aren’t alone. So many of those families struggling with deployment don’t live on a military base. That can cut them off from a group of people who understand the experience.

I want this book to be a resource and to point loved ones to the ultimate help, God.

What held you together during his times of deployment?

I have to give all the credit to God. He surrounded me with family, friends and an amazing church, to give me the support I needed.

How can other families dealing with this issue find help?

I have a great community blog with tips and encouragement from others who are and have experienced the deployment of a loved one. It’s also important to let those around you know what you’re dealing with. Our church family was a great resource for prayer support during Jimmy’s deployments.

My website is www.WinningTheWarAtHome.com

Also, for moms of active-duty or honorably-discharged kids there is an organization called Blue Star Mothers of America. This is a 501(c)3 organization and there are chapters in most cities and areas of the US. I’m a member and they helped me immensely by providing a place where everyone understood what I was going through.

As a matter of fact, my publisher and I are donating a portion of every book sold to the troops through the Blue Star Mothers organization.

Speaking of Jimmy, is he out? How is he doing?

He does have some disability from the time he served, but he’s doing really well. He and his wife live about three and a half hours from us and he’s in college full-time right now. He wants to go into teaching – but I suspect he may turn out to be in denial about his own writing abilities.

So, how long have you been a writer?

I’ve been a writer as long as I can remember. I was in denial for a long time, but I actually wrote my first novel – long-hand – when I was in eighth grade.

What pulled you out of your writing denial?

A lot of things helped. But the defining moment for me was feeling like God was calling me to share His message through the written word. At that point writing became less about me and more about obedience to Him. Soon after that I began attending writing conferences and as they say, the rest was history!

So you don’t have any kind of writing degree?

Nope, I started the hard way. I learned the craft of writing by attending years of online classes and workshops as well as writing conferences and reading writing books. And…most important…by WRITING!

If someone wants to be a writer and they don’t have a degree, how do you recommend they get started?

I think it’s vitally important to take classes and attend conferences. It’s also important to be part of a growing community of writers – like an online or in person writers group.

I think you also have to ask yourself if you could be happy doing anything else but writing? If you could – go do it! This is a great business, but it’s also brutal. You’ll never survive if you don’t love it.

Do you have any conferences you recommend?

One of my favorites, of course, is the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference. It was one of the first I attended, back in 2001. Now I’m the co-director, along with Alton Gansky.

Why are conferences important?

They give you the opportunity to learn the craft, network with industry professionals, and meet other writers.

If it hadn’t been for Blue Ridge, I might not have ever gotten published. It was the mentoring of faculty and opportunities presented by editors that gave me my start.

Back to your book. How can someone get their own copy?

They can order it online from Amazon or Barnes and Noble or they can have their local bookstore order it. It’s available as an eBook or a traditional print book.

Or, if you want an autographed copy, I’ll be happy to arrange that through either my writers website: www.theWriteConversation.com or the book’s website: www.WinningTheWarAtHome.com

And as I mentioned earlier, Fighting Fear: Winning the War at Home isn’t your first book.

I do have another book out, Social Media Marketing for Writers. And as you said, it actually hit #1 in its category on Amazon this past summer. It’s available on Amazon or Barnes and Noble as an eBook.

Thanks again for joining us, Edie! What a personal joy it is for me to see all your successes…and to know first hand that they didn’t come easy. Writing is hard work, but so worth the effort!

Readers, be sure to check out the rest of Edie’s bio here: Edie is a freelance writer and editor with over 16 years experience in the publishing industry. She’s a prolific writer, publishing over 700 articles in 2010. She also has a popular writing blog, The Write Conversation and is a frequent contributor to many others. In keeping up with the leading edge of all things digital Edie has become known as one of the go-to experts on Twitter, Facebook, and social media for writers wanting to learn how to plug in. Her bestselling eBook on this subject, Social Media Marketing for Writers, is available on Kindle and Nook.

As a sought after writing instructor, her heart to help others define and reach their dreams has connected her with writers all over the country. She’s the co-director of the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference and Southwest Christian Writers Studio, as well as a popular faculty member at numerous others. Edie is also the Assistant Acquisitions Editor for www.ChristianDevotions.us.

Fighting Fear, Winning the War at Home, is Edie’s latest project. This devotional book for those with family members in the military debuted on Veterans Day, 2011. www.winningthewarathome.com.

She’s a member of numerous professional writing organizations, including the Advanced Writers and Speakers Association, The Christian Pen, The Christian Writer’s View I and American Christian Fiction Writers. She’s also an assistant copy editor for the Voices E-zine, a publication of My Book Therapy and a part of the My Book Therapy Special Teams Blog and The Social Media Coach for the My Book Therapy Core Team www.mybooktherapy.com .

Married 30 years to her high school sweetheart, Kirk, they have raised three sons. You can contact Edie directly at ediegmelson (at) gmail (dot) com.

And readers, don’t forget to leave Edie a comment below and you’ll be in the drawing for a free book! Don’t forget to check back next Thursday to see if you’re the winner!

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You Have TWO More Days To MoGo! 

That’s right! The 2011 MoGo7000 Challenge will end at midnight, December 31 and someone is going to win $100–it could be YOU!

I’ll ask for your totals next Thursday and those who wrote at least 7000 new words on a book project will get another entry into the drawing. The winner of the $100 cash prize will be announced on January 12.

But don’t stop writing! The new 2012 MoGo7000 will begin on January 1, so be sure to keep a record of your word count. Check the MoGo7000 guidelines here and then get to work on your new goal.

I can’t wait to see who wins!

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What a joy to meet up with you each week. Thank you for your encouragement and support, not only for me, but for writers, like this week’s Dianne Matthews and Edie Melson, who share their knowledge–and their books–with us!

Write on!

Vonda

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