COTT: Clash of the Titles Welcomes New Staff Member

Clash of the Titles is excited to announce
that we’re adding a brand new
staff member to our leadership board. 🙂

Bio:

With a journalism degree from Trinity International University, Joanna
served as a medical writer in the pharmaceutical industry before branching
into freelance work. She then accepted a writing and editing position with
a Christian publishing company in Chicago, and currently serves as the
editor for their Junior High Sunday school publication. She lives with her
daughter and husband in Indiana, where she writes novels based on true
stories.

Joanna is a current Double Genesis Semi-Finalist in the Historical
category! Asked about her writing journey, this is what Joanna had to
say:

“I’ve been writing since I could read, but I can pinpoint the exact moment
I began novel writing. It was when my grandma shocked me with the story of
our family’s past. How could this have happened in our traditional,
predictable, church-going family? At the time, I worked for a
pharmaceutical company writing package insert material, but this family
story drew me to my computer every night for a year, rattling around in my
head until I’d written out the whole novel. I simply couldn’t stop thinking
about it. I eventually moved to a job at a Christian nonfiction publisher,
but I still spent hours absorbing the stories of the shut-in elderly, or
nursing home residents who had lived through eras in our history I could
only read about in books.

Fascinated by World War II love stories, family secrets, and amazing
stories of God’s sovereignty, I kept returning for more. But I was not just
interested in finding book ideas. Honestly, what drove me to write these
novels was more than a simple love for story—it was a tenderness I felt for
people overlooked by everyone else. These fascinating stories came from
nursing home residents who had no visitors, or people confined to their
home by age or illness. They’d been brushed aside by everyone—even the
families they’d raised.

After introductions and polite small talk, I delved into the question that
transformed these visits into unforgettable experiences—“what’s your
story?” Their faces lit as they told me stories so rich in detail and
real-life experiences it beat out any movie or book.

So yes, I write novels. But really, I hear people’s stories and then write
them down to be remembered long after the story teller is gone. When God
called me into this life of novel writing, He didn’t promise publication or
to impact thousands with the words I wrote. He simply wanted me to see the
forgotten people He loved, and to appreciate their lives.”

Doesn’t that make you want to know their stories too? Joanna also talked
to us about her sweet family and what’s going on in her writing life
currently:

“My husband has been my biggest supporter in the whole process. Mainly
because he’s blunt enough to tell me exactly what’s great and what’s not,
and because he pushes me to finish what I start. We currently live in our
house in the woods with our new baby daughter Elena and will be celebrating
our two-year anniversary next month. I have no doubt he’s a blessing from
God.

I’m currently working on a novel about a finishing school teacher who
teaches her students about men rather than elocution. When she realizes her
students are headed for the controlling, male-dominated marriages that
characterized the times, Orla sets out to teach these girls the truth about
how to understand men and how they think. Armed with knowledge, they have a
chance at choosing the right man—although not always the wealthiest, as the
school boasts—and surviving marriage happily as part of an equal team. But
this local expert on men is hiding her own complicated, broken love life to
keep her job.

I can’t wait to dive into COTT. With all the contests out there, I love the
uniqueness of having readers judge the work. After all, they’re our real
audience! I hope to help further the mission statement of glorifying God
and to make COTT even more helpful to those who love Christian fiction—both
the readers and the writers.”

We are so blessed and excited to have you on board, Joanna!

You can leave a message welcoming Joanna in the comments below. And feel
free to check out her website at Joannadavidson.com