Get to know Sherry…

Sherry Kyle is the award-winning author of The Christian Girl’s Guide to Style, a nonfiction book for 8-12 year old girls published by Legacy Press, as well as The Girl’s Guide to Your Dream Room. Her contemporary novels, Delivered with Love and The Heart Stone, are set along the California coast where Sherry lives with her husband Douglas and their four children. For more info, visit her website.

Quirky Questions 

If you could have a remote control for anything, what would you choose?

If I could have a remote control for anything, it would probably be a stop-the-clock button for those days when I don’t have enough time to get everything done, or when I need a couple more hours of sleep. Besides carving out time to write, life is hectic with four “almost” grown kids. 

What food do you not eat enough of?

Does anyone eat enough fruits and veggies? I strive to, but it doesn’t always happen. 

If you could change one thing about airlines to make your flight more enjoyable, what would it be?

I hate to fly. I get motion sick every time, not to the point of throwing up in that handy little bag they provide, but enough to make the flight uncomfortable. The ironic thing is that growing up my dad worked for United Airlines as a computer programmer, so our family frequented the friendly skies. Even though we flew standby, I was the child who had to sit by my mom, just in case. In college, because of my dad’s “employee passes” I flew first class all the time. Now that’s the way to fly! I haven’t sat in first class since. Personally, I think all seats need to be roomy and comfortable, don’t you?  

How would a dictionary define your writing process?

The dictionary would define my writing process as seat-of-the-pants, meaning that I write based on using intuition and experience rather than a plan or method. I write by instinct. It doesn’t mean I don’t have a plan, but I definitely don’t plot out every scene beforehand. 

What irritates you the most in a social situation?

When I see someone in a group not joining the conversation. It happened just last week. It makes me uncomfortable, and I take it upon myself to try to draw others in. I feel responsible to make everyone feel included and happy. 

If you opened the freezer right now, what would you love to find?

A gallon of Marianne’s ice cream, especially the flavor Heaven, a vanilla ice cream with brownie chunks, swirled fudge, and peanut butter. It’s dangerous!

Writing Questions

What do you do to keep yourself motivated and interested in your work?

I have the privilege to write in different genres, so I go back and forth between writing novels and books for tween girls. It keeps me energized and focused. Other than that, I attend writer’s conferences to help me keep my writing fresh and to continue learning the writing craft. 

Has rejection ever affected your desire to continue writing?

Writers definitely need to have a thick skin. Everyone has an opinion, and sometimes it’s helpful and other times it hurts. I received a rejection last year that flattened me. I cried for a couple of days. After the initial shock wore off, I looked at it as a new beginning, a freedom. As writers we sometimes feel that others are in control of our future, but really the author is in charge. 

What do you do to get into your writing zone?

I grab a SoBe Life Water, preferably strawberry dragonfruit, put on my reading/computer glasses (with blue tint), sit on the corner cushion of my couch with my feet propped up on an ottoman, say a prayer for God to help me put the words on the page (I need all the help I can get!), and open my laptop to my current work-in-progress. I close my eyes one more time, take a deep breath, and plunge in. After that, the next two hours fly by in a blur.

If your writing were edible, what would it taste like?

Dark chocolate covered cherries, rich and sweet. 

If you could change one aspect of our society, what would it be?

That it’s never too late to reconnect with someone. Forgiveness is only a phone call away. Getting to that point, however, takes more energy than most people are willing to give. I want to help change that through my books.

What made you decide to follow a creative career rather than something more stable?

I ask myself that question all the time. *laughs* The conclusion I’ve come to is that I’m wired to write. It’s my passion. When I think of cutting writing from my life, I get a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach. And when God blesses me with another contract, it becomes obvious that having a writing career is what I’m meant to do.