Author Lyn Cote was kind enough to post this little bit of mine last week. Enjoy.

My guest today is Love Inspired Author, Kit Wilkinson. Here’s Kit:

“Protector’s Honor released last month with Love Inspired Suspense. It’s my first novel and really is perfect for Lyn’s blog since we’re talking Strong Women.

Did you know that in the first chapter of Joshua God told Aaron three times in three different verses to, “Be strong and courageous.”? God does want us to be might warriors for Him. But sometimes we women are just too strong for our own good. You know what I mean? We try to do everything. Control everything. Our schedule. Our children. Our husbands. J We actually try to help God out with our life. We lead instead of follow. I don’t know about you, but I catch myself doing this all the time.

And my heroine from Protector’s Honor is just like that.

Tabitha Beaumont has her life all under control. She’s a successful lawyer with great family and friends. She leads a teen Bible study and runs triathlons in her spare time. Everything is picture perfect. Until—she’s attacked, followed, and hunted by two strange men and has no idea why. NCIS agent, Rory Farrell, wants to help, but Tabitha’s not sure she can trust him. A dark moment from her past leaves her thinking she can’t trust any man. In fact, Tabitha realizes she has some serious issues to deal with—that maybe she didn’t have things in such great control after all. This crisis has her turning to her faith and letting go of it all.

Ever had a moment like that? I have. I feel God is continually reminding me to let Him lead. And really, what am I thinking when I try to take control? That I’ll do a better job than the God that created the universe? Ridiculous.

So, I try to fix on His words from Matthew 6:33, a familiar but very powerful promise… “Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness and all these things will be given unto you…”

Being a strong woman is great when the strength comes from the Lord.

Tags: Lyn cote, strong women
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To celebrate the release of my first novel I did a video interview for the award winning blog Novel Journey.  It’s now posted on YouTube (and here). And the rest of the interview can be read below.

Kit Wilkinson is a former Ph.D. student who once wrote discussions on the medieval feminine voice. Now, she prefers weaving stories of romance and redemption. Her first inspirational story won the prestigious RWA Golden Heart and sold to Steeple Hill Books.

Welcome to Novel Journey, how long did it take you to get published?

From when I finished writing my first “salable” manuscript to when I received “the call,” it took exactly 14 months.

Do you think an author is born or made?

I haven’t been at this for very long, but my take is that very few authors could get along without the help of a savvy editor and/or without the help of critique partners. Writing is like playing the piano. You can have all the God-given talent in the world but without tons of supervised practice where techniques are developed and refined, your playing won’t be very interesting.

Any advice on maintaining a good editor/author relationship?

Kit answers this question (and many others) in a video interview here.

What is the first book you remember reading?

The first books I read were Winnie the Pooh and Paddington books. I suppose I had a thing for bears. The first book I fell in love with was The Call of Wild by Jack London. I read it in seventh grade English. I can vividly remember sitting in that classroom, devouring the story of Buck (which I, of course, named my dog), not wanting the bell to ring, and not wanting the book to end.

What common qualities do you find in the personalities of published authors?

All authors, even the extroverts like myself, enjoy spending time alone. Authors also tend to be driven, self-motivated people who don’t like “group” projects.

How do you know if you have a seemingly “stupid” book premise that is doomed to fail versus one that will fly high?

All stories must have certain elements or they are doomed to fail… For a story idea to fly high, I think it must have global appeal combined with superb writing and story telling.

What is the theme of your latest book?

I’m currently working on a story set in the Savannah area “low country,” which touches on the issues of Human Trafficking and self-forgiveness.

At what point did you stop juggling suggestions and critiques and trust yourself (as a writer)?

I don’t know because I’m not there yet. I greatly value the opinions of my critique partners—depend on them to make my story better, my characters deeper, and my writing smoother.

Are takeaway messages (in your book) important to you?

Absolutely. Although it’s hard in category to handle an issue with any serious amount of depth, there still must be a moment when characters are changed, touched, enlightened. If I’ve done my job as a writer and taken my reader into the fictional story world then that character moment should also mean something to the reader. That’s my hope…anyway.

When do you know you’ve got the finished product and it’s your best effort?

It’s finished when my editor says it’s finished. Until then I always feel like I can improve a story.
Kit did a great video interview for your pleasure. Be sure to watch as she answers the following questions: 1)How man drafts do you edit before submitting to an editor? 2) What mistakes did you make while seeking publication? 3) What projects do you have coming out? 4) Tell us about “the call”. 5) Any advice for aspiring writers?

Tags: Interviews, Novel Journey, Writing
Posted in Interviews, Writing | 2 Comments »

Here’s my first interview. It’s in this month’s James River Writers e-zine called Get Your Word On.

2008 Best Unpublished Contest Winner Will be Published!

Kit Wilkinson entered this year’s contest with her manuscript Running From Trouble and it was one of the two runner-ups. In September of 2009 her novel, now Protector’s Honor, is due to be published by Harlequin Enterprises! Laura Jones interviewed Kit about this success and summed up the highlights.

Q: Protector’s Honor is a double winner. It won both the Best Unpublished Manuscript Contest and the 2008 Golden Heart for Best Inspirational Romance. Now you have a contract for publication in September 2009. What has been the most unexpected benefit of these successes?

A: Actually, I was runner-up in the Best Unpublished Novel Contest, but that was great enough. I was pretty excited last April about my name printed in Richmond Magazine and my $200 winnings. And, now, yes, I just signed a contract with Harlequin Enterprises for this same story, which they are publishing next September in their Steeple Hill Love Inspired Suspense Line. I suppose my biggest surprise over this last year has been the supportive attitude of other authors, their willingness to answer questions and offer guidance as I take these first steps to becoming published. They’ve been encouraging and positive, always.

Q: How long did it take you to write Protector’s Honor and did you have help along the way?

A: It took me three or four months to write the first draft. Afterward, the manuscript underwent two major revisions, which took another two months with a long break between (as I wrote another story). So, altogether I spent at least a year working on it, off and on. And, help? Yes. I have an indispensable critique partner who’s not afraid to tell me when something doesn’t work. And, my retired parents also don’t mind reading for typos, which I greatly appreciate. Yes. Lots of help.

Q: What is your most productive time of day and why is it the best time for you?

A: I’m a morning person. I love to get in a couple of quiet hours in the AM. But, I also have two young children, so things don’t usually go like that. I often follow them around with my laptop. I’m definitely a mom first and a writer second. There’s not a lot of “me” time which is one of the reasons I choose to write category length fiction. But I suppose my schedule will change a lot in the next few years as my children become school-aged. Hopefully, I’ll gain some more mornings to myself.

Q: Any advice for new writers?

A: Get thee to a conference. This is something I waited too long to do. I’m not sure why. I guess I didn’t see the point until I actually went to one but there is a point. Not only do you get to learn good stuff and meet lots of cool people at these conferences, you also get the opportunity to meet agents and editors and very seasoned writers. It’s important to have these connections and to build these relationships. So go to a conference and when you’re there make the most of it, meet as many people as you can and go to as many classes as you can stand. Take notes. Keep in touch with people afterward.

Q: Can you sum up your life in six words?

A: Mon Dieu, mon amour, mes enfants.

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