Fabulous Friday Feature-Sherri Wilson Johnson

Today I welcome author: 

Sherri Wilson Johnson

To win a copy
of 
To Laugh Once More

Scroll to the end of the post 
to see how to get your copy.

Sherri had two books published then ran into a snag. The publisher closed down their fiction line. Her strength and courage to keep going is inspirational. I asked Sherri to share with us how God has led her on her writing journey. This is what she said:

The Right Door. The Wrong Way

Last winter, I went to downtown Atlanta with my son for an appointment and stopped in a public restroom beforehand. When I got into the stall, the latch bolt wouldn't slide across into the keeper because it was misaligned. I had no way to lock the door and wasn't doing my business with the door unlocked. So I decided to change stalls. However, the door wouldn't open!

I panicked!

I was stuck in the stall.

In a bathroom in downtown Atlanta.

With my son waiting out in the hallway.

How in the world was I going to get out? I pushed and pushed. Squeezed and squeezed. Finally, I made my way out of the stall and into the one beside it.

As I unlocked the door of stall #2 to exit, I realized something profound—the door opened by pulling it into the stall not pushing it out as I had done with door #1. It happened so easily without me even thinking about it. I just pulled and exited. I'm pretty sure I broke the hinges on door #1. You should've seen my son's face when I told him what I'd done.

Instead of feeling like idiots when we push through a door before God has opened it or assuming we're going through a wrong door, maybe we need to look at it like we're simply going through the door the wrong way. Maybe we don't need to push so hard (or at all). Maybe we're right where we're supposed to be for this season (the whole "God's timing is perfect" thing). Perhaps we need to change our approach to a situation.

The wonderful thing about God is that He's patient with us and waits for us to figure things out. He always gives instructions. We just need to listen. Had I not been in such a hurry to use the restroom, I'd have noticed that I was pushing the door instead of pulling it.

Most recently in my life, this has applied to writing. To Laugh Once More was contracted with a publisher earlier this year. My agent and I were very pleased about this. Then I got the email that they were closing down their fiction line and my contract had been canceled. That was probably the gloomiest day I'd had in a long time. I was ready to quit writing. I knew that success was never going to come my way. I was so tired of getting rejections. Most of the rejections had been based off the fact that publishers weren't giving out contracts to newbie writers, their lists were full, the story didn't fit what they were publishing although they liked my writing, etc.

A little voice told me that I'd given it my best shot and I just needed to hang up my writing hat, that since my kids are raised, it was time to get a job outside of the home and move forward. I was about to take a detour, but God rerouted me and showed me the way He wanted me to go. Part of that included stepping out in faith and going Indie with this book. A route I never thought I'd take. But He made it clear to me in so many ways that that was the way He wanted me to go with this project.

This door scenario applies to all areas of our lives. Jobs. Friendships. Ministry. Love. We need to keep our eyes open and look for the signs God is showing us so we'll go through the right doors the right way.

Sherri Wilson Johnson is an Inspirational Romance novelist, a speaker, and a former homeschooling mom who’d rather have laugh lines under her eyes than worry lines across her forehead. She lives in Georgia with her husband, her two children and her Chihuahua, Posey. Her favorite thing to do when she’s not with her family is to curl up with a good book or work on her current work-in-progress. She loves to dream of visiting romantic places and is passionate about the Lord, motherhood, homeschooling, and writing. Sherri is the author of To Dance Once More, Song of the Meadowlark, and To Laugh Once More. She is a columnist with Habits fora Happy Home and Choose NOWMinistries.

You can connect with her on: 

Facebook author's page Sherri Wilson Johnson 

Website http://sherriwilsonjohnson.com.

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To Laugh Once More is a Victorian Inspirational Romance set in Georgia in 1895. The War may be over, but the battles still rage.

A dissatisfied wife. A misunderstood husband. Three tragedies will alter their path forever. Will their choices tear them apart, or will they allow them To Laugh Once More?

Three years after her marriage to Hamilton, former debutante Lydia Barrington Scarbrough is dissatisfied with life. She has yet to have children, and she spends most of her days sitting in a circle of women chatting about homemaking. She thought life would be more than what it's turned out to be. Hamilton travels on business and never takes her with him. What's a lonely wife to do when she has no children to raise? She longs for adventure and romance, and really, she longs for the fulfillment of her purpose in life. A purpose beyond being a wife and raising children.

Lydia faces a series of hardships that stretch her faith beyond capacity. Leaving her childhood home in Florida for Georgia proves to be more difficult than she ever imagined, and her marriage may not survive the trials. Lydia’s own personal battles drive a wedge between them. What will it take to make Hamilton attempt to save their marriage and draw Lydia back to him?

As Lydia strives to etch out a place for herself in a new world full of unfamiliar prejudice and attempts to overcome her private battles, she must help Hamilton understand her deepest longings and learn the true meaning of joy. Will she surrender her will in order to find her purpose? Will her future hold a happier marriage, motherhood, and a calling greater than she could ever have imagined?

CLICK HERE to get your copy of To Laugh Once More

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Other books by Sherri Wilson Johnson:

All Lydia wants is to travel the world before she has to settle down with a husband. But she may not have that choice anymore.

April 1886 
Debutante Lydia Jane Barrington lives a carefree, protected existence on Live Oaks Plantation in Florida. But while her sisters happily learn the traditional tasks of women and talk of courting, Lydia dreams of adventure and independence. Even her friendship with handsome Hamilton Scarbrough isn’t enough to hold her back. 

Then one day Hamilton opens Lydia’s eyes and her heart to love. But before they can receive permission to court, Lydia overhears a secret conversation about an unscrupulous business deal. Worse, it has everything to do with her and her future. Now she’s faced with the biggest decision of her life—to concede or to fight. Either choice will require great sacrifice...and, perhaps, countless rewards. 

Plunge into pure romance. Passion. Friendship. A bitter enemy. A life-changing decision. Set in the charm of Victorian-era Florida.

CLICK HERE to get your copy of To Dance Once More

To enter the contest for  

Sherri Wilson Johnson's book: "To Laugh Once More"

leave a comment (and email address)

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Open to All- This will be an eBook give away

Winner announced on my facebook page.

Thank you, Sherri, for Joining us This Weekend!

Don't forget to comment!

Reader, What door might you be trying to push through that perhaps you're not doing it the right way or it's just not the right time? If you don't have an answer, that's okay, just say howdy-do in the comment section. I love chatting with you.

Thanks so much for joining our chat today.