COTT: The Daughters of Jim Farrell by Sylvia Bambola
This week we’re proud to introduce Sylvia Bambola and her beautiful book,
The Daughters of Jim Farrell! With a wonderfully unique background
and several published novels to her name, see the advice she offers other
writers.
First, a peek at her latest book:
The Daughters of Jim Farrell by Sylvia Bambola
Pennsylvania 1873: When, in the harsh world of Pennsylvania coal country,
Jim Farrell is hanged for murder, his wife and three daughters must turn
their beautiful home into a boarding house in order to survive. But
struggling beneath the shadow of shame becomes too much for eldest
daughter, Kate, who resolves to clear her father’s name, and in spite of
her mother’s admonition to “let it go,” convinces her sisters to help. All
too soon their dangerous quest rips the family apart. Will it also cost
them the men they love?
Q&A with Sylvia:
Q. What are the main themes in your new historical novel, The Daughters of
Jim Farrell?
the most important, is the issue of forgiveness even in the face of the
ultimate sin—that of having a loved one killed unjustly. All of us will
have opportunities in our lives to forgive wrongs. And the importance of
doing so cannot be understated. Jesus says in Luke 6:37 “Forgive and ye
shall be forgiven.” That’s a stunner. And means what it says. So we cannot
afford to harbor unforgiveness of any kind. And forgiveness isn’t a
feeling, it’s an act of will.Another theme is the tension between labor and management. And this tension
seems to be intensifying as politicians seek to divide us by income and pit
us against each other. The Bible cautions us that “if a house be divided
against itself, that house cannot stand.” Labor needs management (and
entrepreneurs, etc) to create jobs and management needs labor in order to
make their companies successful. We are ONE nation under God. We need each
other to succeed.
Finally, what family hasn’t seen its share of sibling rivalry? The
Daughters of Jim Farrell touches on this as the three sisters struggle to
find their identity and place in the family.
Q. What is the one thing that influences your writing the most?
A. In a word—Scripture. The thing I love about writing fiction is that it’s
a nonthreatening way to share spiritual truths. Like the parables in the
Bible, story and characters can bring these truths to life.
Q. You now have eight published novels. What would you say to those writers
just starting out?
conferences and become an on-line member of associations like ACFW
(American Christian Fiction Writers) and others.
2) Learn your craft. Take no short cuts here. Learn and employ good writing
techniques and understand that good writing means LOTS of rewriting.
3) Learn about marketing. You the author will be required to do most of it
even if you are fortunate enough to be picked up by one of the Big-5
traditional publishers.
4) And finally, NEVER give up. This is generally a long and bumpy road full
of ups and downs. I personally don’t know any “overnight wonders” those who
have taken about a year to write their first book which then becomes an
over night success. Most published authors have written for years before
getting published. Remember, the spoils go to those who
persevere.
Meet the author:
Born in Romania, Sylvia Bambola lived her early years in Germany. At seven
she relocated with her adopted family and saw the Statue of Liberty and
America for the first time. But the memory of those years in post World War
Germany inspired her to write Refiner’s Fire, which won a Silver Angel
Award, and was a Christy Finalist. Her frequent moves as an “army brat”
gave her an opportunity to see America and fall in love with her new
country. Bambola has authored eight novels, has two grown children, and
teaches women’s Bible studies.
Connect with Sylvia Bambola:
website:
http://www.sylviabambola.com/books
goodreads:
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/83706.Sylvia_Bambola
facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sylvia-Bambola/78754640991
twitter:
https://twitter.com/sylviabambola
Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Daughters-Jim-Farrell-Sylvia-Bambola/dp/0989970787/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1435785514&sr=1-1&keywords=the+daughters+of+jim+farrell
Barnsandnoble.com:
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-daughters-of-jim-farrell-sylvia-bambola/1122239437?ean=9780989970785
