I usually write an inspirational post every other Friday. But today, I’m contributing an article about a dear friend who’s inspired me, Fay Lamb. This amazing author/editor has three book releases this summer. I’d like her to tell you more.

 Wow, a three book summer release. I know you’re walking about three inches off the ground. How did a triple release come about?

This is something I’ve discussed with my editor on a couple of occasions. I met Tracy Ruckman of Write Integrity Press last year at the Christian Author’s Guild Catch the Wave Conference near Atlanta. We were both teaching workshops. The atmosphere of that conference is so relaxed, and the mealtimes are such a pleasure, but for this particular meal (I don’t remember which one), I arrived late to the dining room. Tracy was sitting at a table, and I joined her and a few others. Eventually, Tracy and I began to talk about a number of things, and then she asked me about my writing.

Well, you hear how you should never ask some people how they’re feeling, because they will spend an hour telling you. That’s me with my writing. I mentioned the book now known as Stalking Willow (I had a less suspenseful name for it back then), and Tracy asked me to send it to her. The next thing I knew, Tracy called and wanted to contract the book.

It took me a while to get up the nerve to tell her about another series of books, and when I did, she invited me to send the two out of three novels I have completed. Tracy not only contracted the three books I had planned for the series, she wanted a fourth book for a character that most of my critique partners have also indicated needed her own story. The first book in The Ties That Bind series is entitled Charisse, and it will release late July.

Then my previous publisher announced that its doors are closed. This left my novel, formerly the first book in the four book Amazing Grace series, which also featured Stalking Willow, without a home. My wonderful editor is not only revitalizing that book, which is now out of print, providing it with a new title (Better than Revenge) and with a new cover and releasing it in September. We are also planning two other books in this series.

So, back to your initial question: Tracy and I both believe that God brought us to that table that day. We not only began an awesome editor/writer relationship, but I adore her as one of my most treasured of friends.

I’d like to hear about all three books. Could you offer a short blurb for each? I know Stalking Willow is first.

Stalking Willow: Bitterness, a stalker, and a neighbor to die for. What’s a girl to do? Trailed by a stalker in New York City, Willow Thomas, a young ad executive, scurries back to her small North Carolina hometown and the lake house where ten years earlier a scandal revealed her entire life was a lie, and a seed of bitterness took root in her soul. The cocoon of safety Willow feels upon her arrival home soon unravels when she meets opposition from her family, faces the man she left behind, and the stalker reveals he is close on her heels. Can Willow learn to trust God to tear out her roots of bitterness, unite her family, ferret out a deadly stalker, and to rekindle the love she left behind? Stalking Willow is available at http://www.amazon.com/Stalking-Willow-Amazing-Grace-Volume/dp/1938092368/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1367727068&sr=8-1&keywords=stalking+willow and at http://www.writeintegrity.com/

Charisse: Charisse Wellman’s husband has been gone a year, and she’s about to lose the only home her son, V.J., has ever known. She’s quit law school but the money just isn’t there. Her only option is to work as a law clerk for her ex-friend, Gideon Tabor. The only problem: Gideon is the judge who let her husband’s killer go free, and Gideon doesn’t know the connection.

Gideon Tabor can’t believe that the woman interviewing for the job is the girl he loved in high school. Charisse is hesitant about accepting his job offer, and when she does, Gideon makes every attempt to apologize for his relationship-ending blunder in high school. Charisse accepts his apology, but she keeps him at a distance. When Gideon learns that Charisse’s anger actually stems from his release of the man who ran down her husband, he tries to explain, but Charisse doesn’t want Gideon’s excuses or the love he has to offer. She wants her husband’s killer to pay.

Better than Revenge: Michael’s fiancée, Issie Putnam, was brutally attacked and Michael was imprisoned for a crime he didn’t commit. Now he’s home to set things right. Two people stand in his way: Issie’s son, Cole, and a madman. Can Michael learn to love the child Issie holds so close to her heart and protect him from the man who took everything from Michael so long ago?

 You are an acquisition editor for Pelican Book Group. How do you juggle all you do?

I’m so glad you mentioned my association with Pelican Book Group because both Pelican Book Group and Write Integrity Press exemplify the true spirit of Christian Publishing, as do so many other small presses in this industry. I don’t expect either Pelican or Write Integrity to be “small” presses for very long.

I have the honor to work for and to work with two of the loveliest Christian businesswomen I have ever known. They work hard. They expect their employees and their authors to work hard, and they are very gracious to allow me to do what I do. I love working as an author almost as much as I love to write.

I, too, work very hard to show both my employer and my editor the respect of keeping both of my chosen professions separate, except when it comes to singing the praises of their authors. I feel that some of the best authors in the industry are being showcased by small presses, and Pelican and Write Integrity have a lot of those authors writing for them. I’m proud to be a part of the Pelican Book Group family of editors and to work with those authors at Pelican, and I’m equally proud to be a part of the WIP family of authors.

And again, back to your question: The truth is, I work long hours. I never stay focused on one task for too long. It’s something I’m incapable of doing unless I must, so I “work around.” I have several tasks on my list each day, and I do a few minutes of each until they’re all complete. Of course, I do add in time to play—as anyone who’s seen me on FB knows I’m prone to do.

I know that you live near some dangerous alligators. I went to visit them with you. What do you love most about Florida? What do you love the least?

Now, June, just because I let you get out of the car because I thought that gator was far enough way, and it didn’t take to you, doesn’t mean they’re all dangerous. I would never have abandoned you. In fact, I think I was the one who screamed for you to get back into the car.

I do a lot of teasing about my home state. Growing up, I always compared it to Eastern Kentucky, where my mother’s family has deep roots. I was born and raised in Florida. What I love about it are my roots there. They run deep. I’m not only a multi-generational Floridian, my grandmother was born and raised in our town. My husband’s roots there run just as deep. Unless I’ve lost count, I believe my grandchildren are the sixth generation to be born and raised in that town.

Oh, and I cannot forget my favorite time in Florida: Hurricane season. I love hurricanes. I know Florida hurricane history, I’m fascinated by them, and unless it’s a Cat 4 or 5, I love the anticipation of the approach.

What do I hate most about? 1) It has no mountains; 2) it has only two seasons: hot and hotter; and 3) the state bird is the encephalitis-carrying mosquito.

Here’s a fun question. What’s the craziest thing you’ve ever done? And I know you’ve got a few stories.

Oh, my goodness, there are so many things I have done that border on or tumble over the abyss of the absurd. I think I’ll share one that actually turned out well for me—actually better than I could have ever expected. I am a fan of a young English actor/director and owner of a small film company. This fellow has a relative that is an actor/director/screenwriter, and also owns the small film company. I’m one of these people who doesn’t like to intrude upon others—whether you’re a celebrity or my next-door neighbor. I usually don’t invade people’s space, but I kept feeling as if I needed to contact my favorite actor’s relative. I needed a book video, and I wanted one that was filmed like a movie trailer.

So, I gave in to the impulse. I contacted this wonderful fellow (who is now one of my other favorite actors), thinking he’d probably ignore the crazy fan of his relative. But he wrote me back. Not only did he write me back. He wrote a script, gathered a group of actors, including himself and his talented son, and sometime between Wimbledon and the London Olympics, they filmed a book trailer in and around London for a novel set in Western North Carolina. The trailer turned out so awesome that fans of both actors thought it was an upcoming movie (The trailer will be re-released with Better than Revenge).

But that’s not the end of the story. We began a working partnership/friendship, and he is now writing the script for Better than Revenge, and our hope is to work together to produce or find backing for the project.

I feel that this absurdity was God-brought, and I adore my new friend, even if I can’t convince him that his relative should play the lead in the movie.

That, my friend, is an amazing story. Where can we find you on the web?

I love to be found online. Here’s a list, and I hope to meet your readers there:

On Facebook I have three pages:

www.facebook.com/fay.lamb (This is my personal page, but I love to make new friends here)

www.facebook.com/TacticalEd  (Yes, I’m the Tactical Editor. I share helpful editing tips during the week)

www.facebook.com/AuthorFay (This is my fan page. This one isn’t as active as my personal page, and I have it just in case my fan base gets so large that I need to have a place for more friends to go. **That’s a joke by the way. Or maybe I should say a dream I’m praying will come true**).

I also share in the blogging for Pelican Book Group: www.pelicanbookgroup.blogspot.com I generally bring the Tactical Editor to Tactical Tuesday: Advice for Self-Editing on—what day was that?—Oh, yeah. Tuesday, but Pelican’s other editors share some awesome advice for writing and other subjects.

I can also be found on Twitter at www.twitter.com/FayLamb

And I have a blog entitled On the Ledge which can be found on my website at www.faylamb.com.

 What can we expect in the future from Fay Lamb?

Wow, I feel as if God has opened the door, and I’m on a boundless journey. I’ve already mentioned the summer releases, but I have several upcoming releases, including the three other stories in The Ties That Bind series. The complete series includes: Charisse, Liberty, Hope…and my critique partners will be happy to hear this one: Delilah. Two other books will be released in the Amazing Grace series which includes Stalking Willow, Better than Revenge, Everybody’s Broken and Frozen Notes.

I have also been offered the opportunity to co-write a mystery series with some unbelievably awesome characters, created by a very talented author, and I can’t wait to delve into those.

And after that, I still have at least seven other stories waiting to be finished.

About Fay Lamb

Fay Lamb is an acquisition editor for Pelican Book Group. She also provides freelance fiction edits.

Her emotionally charged stories remind the reader that God is always in the details. Fay has recently contracted with Write Integrity Press for two four-book series. Stalking Willow, the first in the Amazing Grace romantic suspense series is currently available for purchase, and Charisse, the first release in her Ties That Bind contemporary romance series will be available in July, 2013.

Fay is a past-secretary for American Christian Fiction Writers. She served for four years as the moderator for ACFW’s critique group, Scribes. For her volunteer efforts for ACFW, she received the Service Members Award in 2010. She was also a semi-finalist that year in the ACFW Genesis Contest.

Fay and her husband, Marc, reside in Titusville, Florida, where multi-generations of their families have lived. The legacy continues with their two married sons and five grandchildren (with the sixth on the way).