Fay Lamb - Storms in Serenity

Good Monday Morning Readers!

Today, Fay Lamb visits Lagniappe. 

See why she likes a Southern Heroine over a British one.

Her book, Storms in Serenity is featured today.

Welcome, Fay!

1.  Tell us a little about Storms in Serenity.

Storms in Serenity is the novel of my lifetime. It’s the first book I ever wrote—and it took me nearly thirty years to publication. The story is a modern-day retelling of the aftermath of David’s sin with Bathsheba:

Jake New has a secret that no one else in the small town of Serenity Key knows. When two men arrive on the island, Jake fears his life is about to become unraveled, but he could never have imagined the devastation his thirty-year-old indiscretion could have on everyone he knows and loves.

When the daughter Jake has never met is reported missing, possibly a victim of foul play, and the lives of others around him begin to unravel, Jake realizes that his “personal” sin has unleashed a spiritual storm whose winds match the physical hurricane barreling down upon the island. In the aftermath, will anyone be left standing?

2.  Tell your readers about your brand and how you came up with it?

I have two brands that actually lend to the same truth: I write fiction with a Romans 8:28 attitude that shows that God is always in the details.

One day when I was bemoaning the fact that I didn’t have a rich Christian heritage to lean upon, God reminded me that I had the heritage that He had prepared for me, and I realized that if I had not gone through some of the tough things in life, if my parents hadn’t been two of the strangest, wonderful people in the world, if I had grown up with my father versus my mother, I would never have walked down the aisle of a church and accepted Christ as my savior when I was twelve years old. Yes, it could have happened in another way. God always makes a way, but would my heart have been so open to Him? God’s like that. His way is perfect. And God the Father actually faced a difficult hardship to remind us the truth of Romans 8:28 when He sent His only begotten Son to the cross and had to turn His back upon Him. God’s sacrifice of His son shows that all things do work for good for those who love God.

3.  If you could spend the day with a famous author, whom would you choose and why?

James A. Michener. I started reading his books when a history teacher made me do a book report on Centennial. It wasn’t until after high school that I realized how much I loved the book. Every year around my birthday, Mr. Michener released a new book, and I always thought of it as a special present from him. I’d love to sit with him and just talk to him about all the events in history he experienced both in real life and through his research.

4.  What do you enjoy doing when you are not writing? Hobbies, etc?

I collect salt and pepper shakers and have over 500 sets of them, but I have slacked off on my search lately. I also love to tat.

5.  Are there any new authors that have grasped your interest?

Oh yes. I’m very fortunate as an editor to read many of the newer authors before they are published, and I am always letting readers know about them. I’m thankful for the opportunity to list their names and works here: Elizabeth Noyes (Imperfect Wings); Betty Thomason Owens (Amelia’s Legacy); Julie Arduini (Entrusted); Jerusha Agen (Sisters Redeemed series); Victoria Buck (Wake the Dead). And there are authors to be looking for: Kathleen Friesen (Nila’s Hope) and Joanie Deneve (Saving Eric). There is so much talent in the Christian writing industry, it’s hard for me to list them all.

6.  Where is one place you want to visit that you haven't been before and is it a place you'd set a story?

My publisher, Write Integrity Press will be releasing a multi-author collaboration novella this month entitled The Love Boat Bachelor. You can imagine this is about a man on a cruise. Actually, Brent Teague will be familiar to readers of A Dozen Apologies, last year’s Valentine’s novella. Brent has taken a job as a cruise ship chaplain, and I got to send Brent to shore on Barbados. I have always wanted to visit that tiny island, which is so rich in history, but I absolutely enjoyed my virtual visit via research.

7.  What can we expect from you in the future?

I’m currently writing the third book in my Amazing Grace series. That romantic suspense novel is entitled Everybody’s Broken. And I’m continuing to write the third novel in my The Ties that Bind series, Hope. These will both be released in 2015.

LIGHTNING ROUND   

Pride and Prejudice or Gone with the Wind?

Oh, Gone with the Wind of course. It’s the difference between proper and respectful versus determination and grit. I’d take a Southern Belle heroine over an English heroine any time, even if she does have some antagonist’s tendencies.

Laptop or Desktop?

The only reason I’ve sat at a desktop in the last five years is to help my mother-in-law with her continual computer problems. I have to have a laptop. I can’t be confined to one space.

Steel Magnolias or Fried Green Tomatoes?

Really? Can you have one without the other? Well, if I think about it, I’m partial to Steel Magnolias. I love the laughter in the midst of tears. You can’t get past that funeral scene without crying and laughing at the same time. “Take a whack at Weezer” is one of my favorite movie lines.

Sweet Tea or Unsweetened Tea?

Ha! My car pulls up to the local drive-in five days a week (every night they are open) for a jumbo sweet tea with extra ice. Each week, I brew tea in the hopes of having it taste as good as the Moonlight Drive-In’s, but I can’t do it. I just thankful that I finally got it drinkable.

More important: Plot or Characters?

In my opinion, you need both for a good novel. However, I start with character, and the plot builds from the conflict I decide to give them.

Vacation: Beach or Mountains?

I live on the east coast of Florida. We have a beach, but it’s a few miles out from our town, on the Merritt Island Wildlife Refuge, which has been taken over by Kennedy Space Center. I much prefer the lapping waters of our Indian River that separates us from the barrier island. We also have a home in the mountains of North Carolina. While I prefer Florida in the winter (can’t do the gloomy, hemmed-in mountain skies), I’m much happier in the mountains, especially in the spring when I can watch the dogwood blooms fill the mountains with nature’s lace.

            Fay Lamb is an author, editor, and writing coach. Her emotionally charged stories remind the reader that God is always in the details. Fay has contracted three series. Stalking Willow and Better than Revenge, Books 1 and 2 in the Amazing Grace romantic suspense series are currently available for purchase. Charisse and Libby the first two novels in her The Ties That Bind contemporary romance series have been released. Fay has also collaborated on three romance novellas: The Christmas Three Treasure Hunt, A Ruby Christmas, and the newest A Dozen Apologies. Her adventurous spirit has taken her into the realm of non-fiction with The Art of Characterization: How to Use the Elements of Storytelling to Connect Readers to an Unforgettable Cast.

Storms in Serenity (release January 2015), is the first novel in her Serenity Key series.

Future releases from Fay are: Everybody’s Broken and Frozen Notes, Books 3 and 4 of Amazing Grace and Hope and Delilah, Books 3 and 4 from The Ties that Bind.

Fay loves to meet readers, and you can find her on her personal Facebook page, her Facebook Author page, and at The Tactical Editor on Facebook. She’s also active on Twitter. Then there are her blogs: On the Ledge, Inner Source, and the Tactical Editor. And, yes, there’s one more: Goodreads.

Fay, thanks so much for sharing with our readers!

Readers, thanks for visiting Lagniappe.

I pray you find 

"a little something extra" 

in each of your days.

Marian