Meet Jo Huddleston
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Jo
Huddleston's debut novel, That Summer, released in December
2012 as the first book in The Caney Creek Series. Book 2, Beyond the Past, released April 2013. Book 3 is scheduled to
release September 2013. Jo holds a B.A. degree with honors from Lincoln
Memorial University (TN), and is a member of their Literary Hall of Fame. She
earned a M.Ed. degree from Mississippi State University. Professional
membership: American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW).
Jo’s career has spanned a variety of work. She was
a high school teacher and guidance counselor, a political campaign secretary,
two-time business owner and a real estate agent. Her writing career includes more than 200
articles and short stories, which have appeared in over 50 well-known Christian
and secular publications such as Guideposts and The Upper Room. She contributes to ChristianDevotions.us.
Jo loves spending time with her children and
grandchildren, visiting the beaches of the Gulf of Mexico, and reading.
Website: www.johuddleston.com/p/home.html
Blog: www.johuddleston.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jo.huddleston.hope
About the book:
Emmajean Callaway’s life in Atlanta plummets from bad
to worse.
Can big brother, Jim, lead her back to the
family who loves her
and also hold the imploding
Callaway family together?
Jim Callaway looks forward to
1951 and the chance to forge a relationship with Caroline after twenty years
apart. He’s sidetracked when his sister and his best friend need his help. His
baby sister, Emmajean, skids into jail on drug charges in Atlanta. The ordeal
of incarceration and trial diminishes her and she needs rescuing, not only
physically but spiritually. She struggles toward recovery and restoration with
her lawyer’s help as he champions her inside and outside the courtroom. Jim’s
nephew Art is one step ahead of the
truant officer, wrecks his car, and officials suspect alcohol is involved. Art
awaits his fate at the hands of the juvenile court judge. Jim and Caroline
continue their bumpy journey as they seek realization of their dreams,
wondering if they really can overcome obstacles to their being together after
so many years.
Jo, tell
us what you love about your books.
What I love the most about my books are
the characters. Perhaps all authors feel this same way but I know these people
to their core. Most of them would be welcome to my dinner table any time. While
writing this series, I have cried with them, laughed with them, struggled with
them when their faith faltered, cheered with them in the happy times and prayed
with them in sorrowful times.
Introduce
us to one character from the latest book, please.
The basic premise of this series and
this book is that whatever decisions we make, they will have consequences. This
is so true for several of my characters in this series. Let me introduce you to
Emmajean Callaway. She grew up dirt poor on a rented farm. Before her poppa
came to know Jesus, he was mean to her brothers and even she and her sister
became afraid of him. As soon as Emmajean finished high school, she took money
she’s saved from part-time jobs, bought a bus ticket to Atlanta, and headed for
a career in the fashion industry. Never having been in a big city, Atlanta and
the people there overwhelmed her. She worked two jobs just to pay her rent. A
man offered her a lucrative job, which she accepted in her naïveté. That
decision, although made innocently, put her in great trouble. She has no one in
Atlanta and needs her family that she discarded many years ago. Will they help
her when she asks them for help?
Share
your best three marketing tips?
Some beginning authors incorrectly think
that once they get a publishing contract for their book, it’s fun time from
there on. No, they have to slay that dragon called marketing. Marketing is not
like cooking spaghetti—take a noodle, throw it at the refrigerator and if it
sticks it’s done. I find marketing harder than writing. One of the three
marketing things I’ve used to my best advantage is a virtual blog tour—setting
up dates to visit other blogs with either being interviewed about my book or
writing an article related to my book. Another is interviewing a character from
the book, either on my blog or elsewhere online. A third one that’s worked well
for me is announcing and talking about my book in my newsletter. Subscribers to
my newsletter are people who, by giving me their email address, already want to
hear from me about my books. I haven’t found a magical bullet for marketing. However,
you do have to start with a great book to market.
BUY THE BOOK:
Signed paperback copies available in left sidebar at www.johuddleston.com
Paperback copies available at publisher’s website
Paperback and eBook copies available at Amazon
Lisa, thanks for having me on your blog to visit with your readers. I'll be checking in to read comments as we go along. Thanks again.
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