Rose McCauley, Christian Author

Today's Spotlight is on Sidney Frost, another member of the John316marketingnetwork.

Good morning, Sid. Thanks for stopping by. Can you tell us about your favorite books as a child and now and any connection you see between the two? 1. My favorite books are Christian fiction. The main connection between the books is that they are clean and usually have happy endings. I like books that are tied to scripture in a subtle way. My favorite authors are Jan Karon and Dee Henderson. I love both of those authors, too, Sid. In fact, I have an 80,000 word novel looking for a home that is written in a small town imaginary setting similar to the Mitford books.

Please share with us your favorite Scriptures both for your life and your writing. 2. My favorite scripture is 1 Corinthians 13:13 – And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. The scripture that got me busy writing is Psalm 37: 4. Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart. My pastor said something like this one Sunday when I had been debating with myself about taking on the task of writing a first novel. I took it to mean that God would help me achieve my dream. I wrote a prayer and read it every day before I began to write. Six years later, I had published Where Love Once Lived.

Any favorite vacation spots you have been to or would like to visit in researching a book? 3. My wife Celeste grew up spending the summers on a lake and now we have to opportunity to have a place on the lake here in Texas. This is my ideal place to write. The sounds of nature are enhanced and the sounds of industry are non-existent. Cell phones don't work so great there and so far we have no TV or other distractions. However, I should say I can write most anywhere. I wrote most of my first book during office hours at school or in coffee shops all over the world. The only time I can't write is when someone is talking directly to me.

Technology can be both helpful and frustrating to me! Do you feel technology has enhanced or hindered your writing.? 4. I just recently retired from a career working with and teaching about computers and all things technical. In fact, my latest novel, The Vengeance Squad, includes a computer science professor who uses technology to solve crimes. However, it took me a long time to switch from handwriting to typing directly into the computer. I still have a sort of shorthand I use to write, pencil on paper, to get started. I can write fast that way. Sounds like a very interesting concept. Here is a copy of the cover.

How has becoming a writer stretched you? 5. I am, or was, shy. I say was because I've somehow grown out of it. I don't know when it happened actually, but one day I reached an age where I didn't worry so much about what others thought. That freed me up greatly from a certain nervousness I always had in dealing with people. This shyness didn't keep me from teaching, because in the classroom I knew more than anyone about the subject matter. And, it didn't keep me from singing in 45 different musical productions over a number of years, mostly in the opera chorus. The only concern there was doing an audition and they usually held them privately with the chorusmaster. But it is a stretch for me to publicize my books. I do okay with signings, but I prepare for days before I give a talk. It's getting easier.

Do you have any words of wisdom you would like to share with aspiring writers that you wish you had known before you started? 6. The reason it took me six years to finish my first book was because I didn't know how to write a novel. I took online classes and I recommend that to anyone interested in writing. I was lucky to get a great instructor for all my classes. One thing I missed and wished I had known was about genre and what publishers are looking for.

Thank you for allowing me this platform to talk about myself and my books. If anyone is interested in more information, they may go to http://sidneywfrost.com/. Also, I'll be glad to answer any comments and will check in when I can. Thanks, Sid. I have enjoyed getting to know more about you through John316 and through your blog and now your visit to mine. I hope my readers will check out your sites.