Author Joy DeKok writes:
My writing dream started when I was around four years old. The words in my story books fascinated me, and even newspapers were recreation.
Perhaps because of my age, I thought I’d write for kids. I do have three children’s books out there and loved the process, but after writing the last one, I was done. Then, writing mentors encouraged me to write non-fiction. So, I wrote a devotional and a book on writing memoirs. And blogging about my life, faith, nature, and books is one of my favorite things to do.
But along the way I caught the novel-writing bug.
It started out with Rain Dance – a contemporary, issue-based, Christian novel for women. When the idea came, I prayed someone else would write the book, and I promised that if they did, I’d buy it. Instead, the story grew in my heart and demanded to be put on the pages. I obeyed the growing desire, wrote it, and published it.
For a while, I thought I might be done writing. Except for this other idea that started the same way Rain Dance did. I could see the characters, knew their names, voices, hearts, habits, and story. There were a few days I resisted writing a mystery with an unlikeable main character, but again the only way to get the story out of my head was to put it on the pages. I was sure there was only one book in Olivia Morgan’s story.
I was wrong. There will be at least three in The Northern Lights Series. The raw draft of Behind the Lies is done and I’m editing as fast as I can while outlining book three, Beyond the Lies.
And there’s another mystery series (five or six books) in the works too. They’re all outlined which is a good thing because not long ago, another novel idea crossed my mind the same way all of the others have.
This time, I’m not resisting. Instead, I’m diving into each story idea with enthusiasm and am outlining, writing, editing, and rewriting with more excitement than ever.
I was asked what I was doing when my ideas came. With Rain Dance, I was doing dishes. With The Northern Lights series, I was vacuuming. Louisa Mae Alcott wasn’t kidding when she said, “Housekeeping ain’t no joke.”
With the new series, The Mississippi Queens, I was in a coffeeshop working on Between the Lies. The newest idea crossed my mind and made itself at home there on a walk near one of our wildflower gardens.
You’ve probably heard the saying, “Life happens.” For me, ideas happen followed by books.
I hope you’ll stop by my website and find out how you can get a free copy of Between the Lies for your eReader.
About Joy:
Joy prefers writing in the solitude of her office, but can also be found in area coffee shops now and then where the voices and energy of the real world infuse the words on the page.
She’s been married to Jon for 39 years. They live on 35 acres of woods and field between Pine Island and Rochester. Joy loves riding their John Deere Gator with her dogs, Sophie & Tucker, taking pictures and enjoying God.
Website: www.joydekok.com
See one of Joy’s books on PWP’s Featured Books Page
Author Lillian Duncan:
Potter's Word Publishing 
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