A View from Gina Holmes' Window - Dry As Rain and Other Stuff

Dry as Rain is your second novel, and so far both novels of your novels have been  nominated for a Christy Award.  What do you think of that?    Before I was published I was a good writer and I had good advice for other writers and no one took me seriously. But post being published, post best-seller, post award nominations, suddenly I’m being taken more seriously.  I’m still the same person, I’m still the same writer, I still have the same advice – so the Christy nomination does validate my work as a writer. I still have to do the same work that God has called me to.

As Christian Authors we truly want to see books nominated for the Christy Awards that will change lives, whether or not it’s our book.  As authors we really support each other in our work. We are brothers and sisters in Christ. That’s as it should be.

What would you say to someone who has read Crossing Oceans and is approaching Dry as Rain as a second read? Are the books similar?  Everyone has favorite stories, and  my favorite is Crossing Oceans. I was going through a divorce when I was writing that book and the dying mother in that story represented my dying marriage.  With Dry as Rain, I tell the story of infidelity from the husband’s point of view.  My experience has been that there are very few marriages that survive infidelity, but in this case the marriage does survive because the man is truly repentant and is truly changed and truly finds God.  This book will ring true for those whose marriages survived infidelity, but for those marriages that didn’t, the book won’t be as well received. I’ve written two very different books,  and I used very different writing styles to tell very different stories.

The main difference is that I was telling the story from the man’s point of view.  For me I’m most comfortable exploring a story from a woman’s point of view.

Do you have another project coming out soon?  Yes.  My third novel, Wings of Glass is a story I’m really proud of.  This is a story that deals with a woman in an abusive marriage and how she finds her way out of co-dependency, and abuse and learns to set boundaries.  I’ve had to walk a lot of this same journey in my life, so I’m super proud of this book.  I think it will be a real ministry tool in the life of others.

Wings of Glass comes out in March 2013. If I could tell anyone with boundary issues…anyone who is exercising unhealthy control issues, unable to say no ect…Wings of Glass is a book that can help them. It is a book you need to hand them a copy of and share the information in that book.

Novel Rockets – your website dedicated to promoting Christian Fiction and helping authors become published - how is that going?  We’re still growing, promoting Christian authors and their work, we are still seeing steady growth for our site. We’ve added a few new services…Rocket Pages is a kind of Yellow Pages for publicists for authors who have that need.  We also have a critique connect page to help authors with critique partners.  This is a ministry for me that allows me to help other Christian authors.

What is your personal dream for your writing?  My ultimate goal with my writing is to one day support an orphanage. My dream has always been to help children with emotional detachment disorder. I don’t know how involved the Lord will allow that in my life, but my dream is to have a real hands-on involvement in ministry to children with this disorder.

Any parting words you want to share?

Writers…when you’re writing, pour your heart out. Don’t hold back.  Share your heart, dig deep, and put on paper where you are most vulnerable …that’s what ministers to others.

What is God doing in your life?

I’ve been remarried for the past three years…and that is such a special blessing.  I wish I could go back and tell the person I was years ago that the dark tunnel doesn’t last forever. There is light ahead, and there are good things ahead.  I wish I could have told myself that, and that’s what I want others to know. I’m the mom to two boys and three step-daughters and life is good. I’m getting ready to start meal-on-wheels with my husband.  I look forward to the years ahead where God asks me to do even more for Him.