Saturday, June 6, 2009

Annointed Authors on Tour


Anointed Authors on Tour consists of seven award-winning, bestselling authors of Christian fiction and non-fiction publications with a commitment to write and/or publish integrity-based literature, touring as a testament to the power of using gifts and talents for God's glory. Over the next two weeks, plan to meet Kendra Norman Bellamy, Tia McCollors, Vanessa Miller, Michelle Stimpson, Shewanda Riley, and Dr. Vivi Monroe Congress. Each of these authors have current and upcoming book releases that are must-reads for your summer reading list.

The ladies join us today on Worth More Than Rubies to talk about balancing writing and family.

How do you balance your writing time and family time?

KENDRA-NORMAN-BELLAMY: It's a juggling act sometimes. I try to give every aspect of my life the attention it deserves, but for sure, there have been times that I've missed the ball. Either I've neglected to give family members the attention they need because I'm so immersed in work, or I've neglected to give work the attention it needs because I'm so busy with family.

It's basically trial and error, and each writer probably has his/her unique technique for holding it all together so that it is conducive to their own situation. In the end, it's all just a matter of scheduling and prioritizing. But sometimes life makes it easier to make the schedule than to stick to it. I've been doing this for a few years now, so I've gotten the hang of it. After a while, it all becomes a lot more natural, and the routine becomes easier to follow. Balancing it all was a lot harder when my children were younger. Now that they are 19 and 16, and the older one is away at college, it's a lot less taxing to manage the demands of family and work.

TIA MCCOLLORS: Good question! I think my family actually balances my time for me because with such young children, I’m pulled more to tending to their needs first. I can have the best intentions of waking up and knocking out 5,000 words in a day, but never get to it. But when there’s a deadline looming over my head, I take both of my children to child care during the week and call in my hubby and mama for back up during the weekend.

VANESSA MILLER: Somehow I find away to juggle it all in together. I’m not sure if I do the best balance act or not. I just make myself turn off the computer and spend time with my family.
MICHELLE STIMPSON: I do most of my writing when everyone is asleep, so I don't think I'm missing out on too much. I do get off the computer between 4 - 7 p.m. to catch up with the kids and the hubby, get dinner and such.

DR. VIVI MONROE CONGRESS: With great difficulty (smile). But in all honesty, writing always comes in second to family.

SHEWANDA RILEY: Since I’m single with no children, I’m able to use as much of my free time as I want to write.

RECENT AND CURRENT BOOK RELEASES

• The Lyons Den by Kendra Norman-Bellamy
• The Last Woman Standing by Tia McCollors
• Through the Storm by Vanessa Miller
• Trouble in My Way by Michelle Stimpson
• Manna for Mamma: Wisdom for Women in the Wilderness by Dr. Vivi Monroe Congress
• Love Hangover: Moving From Pain to Purpose After a Relationship Ends by Shewanda Riley

Follow the rest of the Summer Reading with Anointed Authors Blog Tour at
http://bit.ly/SummerReadingwithAnointedAuthors.

1 comment:

From Tia's Pen said...

Thanks for having us. It was neat reading the other responses from my sisters/authors. I don't think I've ever asked them that question in the past three years we've toured together. Tia