Sherryle, tell us about Soon After.
Soon After picks up where my debut novel, Soon and Very Soon left off. In the first installment two pastors marry and decide to combine their churches. In this second installment the ministry birthed by one over at Harvest Baptist church is likely to be exploited by the minister left to run the church. With more than one who had an interest in the deed in the property and even more with an emotional investment in the church itself, it’s up to reporter, Alexis Montgomery and Chief Herbert Rich to solve the crime.
How did you come up with ideas for this book?
Being a sequel, this storyline was a natural progression from the first. In the first book I wanted the readers to take a peek inside the home of a ministry couple. In this book I wanted to take a peek inside the ministry. How are they different? How are they affecting the community?
Who are your main character(s)?
Soon After marks the return of my franchise characters, Willie and Vanessa Green who were and still are newlyweds and now Co-Pastors of a church. Deacon Charley Thompson, their main nemesis to the Greens and the merger of the churches in the first installment is the main suspect. Charley is instrumental in getting his nephew, Abe Townsend, the pawn shop owner and preacher, to take over as Pastor of the Harvest Baptist church. Rounding out the suspects is Roy Jones, the homeless renegade who found Christ on the streets outside the church and now is looking for a pulpit of his own and a willing ear.
Did you have a favorite character(s)? Who and why?
I have always loved Vanessa Green. She has amazing tenacity. We see a lot of her struggles being a female pastor in the first book. She has my temperament in a lot of ways, but she is bolder and more determined than me.
Did you have to do quite a bit of research for this novel?
Yes, more than ever before. This story moved into the classification of Christian Crime Fiction. I have much respect for mystery writers. They know their audience is the same group of people who love Crime dramas like CSI and Law and Order. You’ve got to have your facts straight. You can’t fudge an investigation. So, I had to study arson scene forensics, and read accounts from different Fire Chiefs in a book called Heat.
What do you hope readers will learn/discover from reading Soon After?
I wanted to show that ministry is a collective mindset. Churches may prosper and grow, but so should the surrounding community. Sometimes we try to stuff the arc of God’s influence inside the church house and leave it there. What better way to show that than by literally burning the walls down and exposing the turmoil from within.
Okay, a not-so-fun question. How important are reviews to you as a writer?
Reviews add credibility to your book. It also garners a lot of exposure. Most well known reviewers have their own readership. These readers come to rely on the thumbs up/thumbs down critique that helps narrow down their choices. A good book placed with key reviewers can create a buzz in that vital fist month of a book’s release.
About the Book
The Ministry birthed by one will be exploited by another. Can Willie Green stand idly by and let that happen?
When Pastors Willie Green and Vanessa Morton got married and moved to merge their churches, they never expected so much resistance. Now it seems someone is sending a strong message by setting fire to the Harvest Baptist Church building.
The newly unified Pleasant Harvest Baptist Church is no more than four months into business as usual before Co-Pastor Willie Green is drawn into the middle of an arson investigation. Alexis Montgomery, an overzealous reporter, sees the experienced pastor as a great source to latch onto as she tries to unearth the stories that might solve the crime. Instead of being bothered by the presence of this woman, Co-Pastor Vanessa uses it as a distraction to help conceal her own secrets.
Orchestrating the unification rift makes Deacon Charley Thompson a prime suspect. His unexpected silence only fuels the accusations of guilt, and his meek wife becomes his unlikely spokesperson. Meanwhile, his nephew, Abe Townsend, couldn’t care less about family allegiances. Led by an anonymous publicist, Abe and the remaining displaced members of Harvest Baptist Church gain notoriety when news reports garner an outcry of sympathy and support.
What should have been a simple unification of two churches has turned into something much more complicated, and it will take plenty of faith to hold it all.
Podcasts
Purchase the Book Online at:
• Amazon - http://www.amazon.com/Soon-After-Sherryle-Kiser-Jackson/dp/1601628676/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1281221062&sr=8-1
• BarnesandNoble – http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Soon-After/Sherryle-Kiser-Jackson/e/9781601628671/?itm=1&USRI=soon+after
• Borders – http://www.borders.com/online/store/TitleDetail?sku=1601628676
• Books A Million – http://www.booksamillion.com/product/9781601628671?id=4715246323067
• Indiebound - http://www.indiebound.org/book/9781601628671
For More Information
• Visit the author online at http://www.sherrylejackson.com/
• View the blog tour schedule at http://bit.ly/SoonAfterTour.
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2 comments:
LaShaunda,
Thank you for introducing your readers to SOON AFTER by Sherryle Kiser Jackson.
The research needed to pull off a story like this realistically is critical. I think some authors overlook it's importance.
And SORMAG has a great blog!
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