Janna's 4th Most Entertaining Book of 2007

THIS CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED. THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO ENTERED.
The winner is auraliascolorsfan.

I love Sharon Hinck and her books, and so did Janna. The Restorer makes her top 7 list for 2007. And the sister she talks about below is none other than yours truly. Don't forget to jump over to Janna's blog to enter to win a copy of The Restorer. Leave a comment here to win a copy of The Restorer's Son.

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THE RESTORER by SHARON HINCK!

Wow! What a book! Ironically, "The Restorer" had a lot of people a little standoffish at the beginning because this book is not your typical woman's romance book. I was not one of those people, I devoured this book as soon as I got a copy in my hands. My sister however was one of those people - why be standoffish you ask? Well, not everyone is enraptured by the thought of reading a sci-fi/fantasy/fiction book. The incredible thing is that I think "The Restorer" has actually made a lot of converts! I have heard some readers say that while they didn't think they would ever read a fantasy book, now they can't wait to read the next books in this series. Now I hope that settles in some of your minds that weren't sure this book would be something that you would enjoy - that it might be worth your time to check it out and see! Now on to why I liked it so much...
The heroine is a regular wife and mother who when wanting to spend some devotional alone time with God goes into the attic. While there she gets sucked into a portal that zaps her into some alternate world where good and bad abound. She discovers that here she is no regular person, but she has an incredible call on her life to save people (she is The Restorer) but she doesn't exactly know what that is or how to go about fulfilling that call. Now I feel I can tell you all that without ruining anything for a new reader... what I can't tell you is about the twist that comes in the middle that will make you gasp and love the book even more or about how she comes to start fulfilling her role as The Restorer. I can tell you that this book is full of amazing spiritual truths and nuggets and that it will make you think, really think, about many things in your life. I can honestly say that if you read this book based on my recommendation, I think you will thank me when you are done! I have to say too that I believe I have found a kindred spirit in Sharon Hinck - in the process of doing this interview with her I discovered that she was involved in Christian dance for years (as am I) she has connections to not just Nebraska, but Seward, NE (I lived there for years when I was younger and you have to understand that Seward is quite small and not many people have connections there)! Now let's meet Sharon Hinck...

1) Sometimes people think of authors as being bigger than life and not "real", so I thought we would start off with a very important question, one that will show people just how real you are! "What dessert can you not resist when it is time to indulge?"

Embarrassing confession here. If I were at an all-you-can eat buffet with tons of choices, the one thing I’d go back for, for desert, would be mashed potatoes and gravy. But if I have to stick with the desert category, I’d go with angel food cake. My mom used to make it for my birthday.

2) The buzz on "The Restorer" has been amazing and well deserved. I actually could've put "The Restorer" on both the Most Entertaining and the Most Life Changing lists because of how much people are enjoying it and how much it is changing the way people think. Did you have any idea your book would have this kind of impact or be so well received?

I’ll let you in on a secret. God nudged me to pray about this series in a targeted and specific way for years. After I wrote it and put out my first feelers about publication, and heard that it would be a tough sell in the CBA, I explained that news to God and planned to tuck it in a filing cabinet and move on to writing other kinds of books. He simply didn’t let me do that. He stirred me to keep sharing the manuscript with friends, praying for people to be touched by the story, and praying for an open door so it could reach a wider audience. Then He orchestrated an amazing chain of events to answer those prayers. When I pray for the readers of these stories (and I still do that regularly) I continue to feel a sort of “holy yearning” that is hard to explain – and not at all a normal experience for me. Because of God’s persistence with me in asking me to pray, I suspected He was up to something...but it still amazes me when I get reader mail that shares how specifically He used these stories to impact someone’s faith-walk.

3) Some people are leery of "sci-fi" or "fantasy" writing. What made you decide to write in that style?

I love hero-journey stories, and fish-out-of-water stories, so as the elements of the story began to unfold, that’s what the genre ended up being. I have shelves full of sci-fi and fantasy books, (along with many other genres! My bookshelves suffer from multiple personality disorder) and have always loved the genre, but actually wasn’t sure what genre I WAS writing, because The Restorer was a blend of elements. Ultimately, setting the story in an alternate world gave me a chance to look at familiar concepts in new ways, and freed me to explore the passionate relationship between God and the individual in a unique way.

4) The enemy in "The Restorer", the people called The Rhusicans, were an interesting plot in the story because their weapon of choice is to poison people's minds. As humans we allow all kinds of mind poisons into our lives (tv, radio, books, bad associations, etc...), The Rhusicans were an interesting way to bring that up. How did you come to develop The Rhusicans?

I love that you mention the sources of mind poison. While writing The Sword of Lyric series, I actually kept in mind the whole mass-media marketing industry – the “create a need” mentality. “Your laundry isn’t white enough, your hair isn’t shiny enough, you won’t be loved unless you drive this kind of car” sort of messages. Rhus is the botanical name of poison (as in poison ivy or poison oak) and the Rhusicans became an embodiment of the whispers we hear from “the devil, the world, and our sinful nature.” Plus, as a neurotic aspiring writer, I am often pummeled by negative voices, so the concept hit close to home. :-)

5) The sequel "The Restorer's Son" has come out and I've even heard some comments from people that they like the sequel even better than the original. Now we are all waiting for the third book in the series... will this be the end or is there more to come in this series?
You never know. The characters and storyworld continue to live in my mind. I’ve been delighted by the response to The Restorer’s Son. It was definitely one of my favorite writing experiences; and if you’ve ever wrestled with God, you’ll enjoy watching God’s love unfold to one character in particular.

6) What projects can we be looking from you after this?
The Restorer’s Journey releases in February, as does Symphony of Secrets (a contemporary fiction set in the professional music world about a professional flutist and her teen daughter – with some light mystery and a hint of romance – published by Bethany House). Then in September of 2008, Stepping Into Sunlight releases from BHP, about a Navy chaplain’s wife who is recovering from a violent crime and struggling to heal from post traumatic stress while her husband is on his first deployment.

Thank you so much, Sharon - not only for being with us today, but for writing such a great book! How can readers get in touch with you if they would like to?

I love hearing from readers. You can contact me through my website. I also have fun extras to explore at my website, so please visit me!
www.sharonhinck.com.
I send out a regular ezine to my Book Buddies, and you can subscribe for free, and I also post musings at my blog on a semi-regular basis.
My books are available at
http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/search?action=Search&author=Sharon%20Hinck&detailed_search=1&event=AFF&p=1023817

Sharon has agreed to give away a copy of THE RESTORER so if you haven't had the pleasure of reading it yet, then remember to leave a comment and let me know you would like to be entered and how to get in touch with you if you win. If you are one of the many who have been fortunate enough to have read it already, then please leave a comment telling us what you thought about it!