Volume 3 of the 2013 series of One comes from our friend Crystal Linn and Barbara Geer McCoy.
A portion of the author’s proceeds will be donated to World Concern, a Christian global relief and development organization. World Concern’s efforts reach deep into the most remote corners of the planet, where climate and geography, societal instability and scarce infrastructure create incredible challenges to the people living there, including disaster response, clean water, education, food security, child protection, microfinance and health. Visit WorldConcern.org for more information. The series creators and publisher are in no other way affiliated with this organization.Mark Miller’s One 2013 is a spiritual anthology examining True-Life experiences of Authors and their Faith. As the series evolves expect to discover what it means to have faith, no matter what that faith is and no matter where they live. Remember that we are all part of this One World.Story Three begins in the late 1950s as Jim McCoy, a pharmacist, and his wife, Barbara (Kenoyer) McCoy, a pharmacy technician, joined forces with several doctors and local businesses to start an organization to stop waste and to help the less fortunate.As a team, they collected leftover pharmaceutical samples and over-the-counter drugs, along with other health related products and bundled them in large shipping barrels, cushioning the items with blankets and baby clothes. These barrels where then shipped overseas to the mission fields.That None May Be Lost is the biographical story of Jim and Barbara McCoy’s involvement in the founding, and the early days, of Medicine for Missions before leadership was transferred and it became the world-renowned World Concern
Here is a fond retelling of the story of World Concern. A vital organization that is committed to serving the world were it is needed most. As a first time author, Ms. McCoy delivers glimpses into major and minor events of the organizations history almost as if we were looking at her memories. The gentle flow from one encounter to the next makes this a touching memoir.
Story Three: That None May Be Lost
Available on Kindle
Also on Nook and Kobo.
Please visit all of the Authors of One
Today I have here with me two very special people; Roger Rheinheimer and Crystal Linn who are Amazon top-ten selling Kindle authors, including their joint Amish romance series, AmishForever (http://goo.gl/JLWTY).
Welcome Roger and Crystal and thank you for joining us today. Tell me, how does it feel to be a successful author?
Roger: I’m still blinking! All I can say is thank you to our dedicated readers and the tireless promotional efforts of our amazing publisher, Trestle Press. Crystal: Thank you for having us, and thanks to our wonderful readers. To be honest, the reality of it all has not sunk in yet because my life has not changed. I still do normal things like cook dinner and walk my dog. I must stop and remind myself that I am indeed a successful author.
What made you decide to become a writer? I understand it is hard work with little pay, unless you get lucky.
Roger: Lucky is right! I feel we were just at the right place at the right time. Trestle Press has been a tireless advocate of the authors they represent. I’ve been writing all my life, and this is the most fun so far.
Crystal: There are important writers on both sides of my family. I grew up writing but thought nothing of it. Then, in the year 2000 we decided I would try to get my deceased mother’s stories published. In the process I became published and was stunned by the raving reviews.
Roger: Apparently Giovanni Gelati of Trestle Press had read my first novel, AmishSnow. He contacted me and asked if I would write an Amish romance novel.
Interesting, tell me Crystal how did you become involved?
Crystal: Roger felt to do a good job he needed a female co-author and he placed an ad looking for a co-author for an Amish romance series. I replied to that ad and, as they say, “The rest is history.”
What is it like to co-author a book?
Roger: First of all, I had never co-authored before and one of the reasons I chose Crystal is because she was an experienced co-author. It’s great. We complement each other well and even with the pressure of deadlines and outside demands on our respective time commitments, have not had any significant disagreements. It’s really been awesome.
Crystal: While AmishForever is my first novel, it is my fourth book to date. All four were either co-authored or collaborative efforts. It is like joint venturing where the key people sit down and discuss goals and game plans. Then they go to work, do what needs done, and communicate clearly.
Speaking of doing what needs done, who writes what and how do you get your writing voices to blend together so well?
Roger: LOL, good question! We actually sat down recently and had what we irreverently called a “board meeting,” and wrote out a pretty detailed outline of who takes the lead on what. I’ve always heard that there two things cause a partnership to fall apart: failure OR success. Thankfully we have completely avoided that and I think are more in tune than ever. I love the roaring engine, smoking tire scenes and Crystal conveys beautifully the teardrops falling on the vanity panel scenes.
Crystal: Before we start writing the next chapter, or volume, we email each other notes and ideas. I write the first draft and email it to Roger. He adds to what I wrote and writes more scenes then emails it back to me for editing. I edit and email it back to him. He then edits more and either sends it back to me for editing, if needed, or sends it to early readers. After that we give it a final edit and format it. When we are satisfied Roger emails it to Giovanni, our publisher.
Obviously you two are very organized? Tell me what it is you want your readers to take away from the story?
Roger: Ok, so here is where the guy chromosomes kick in. I want readers to feel like they got their money’s worth, that the characters came alive for them and, as the saying goes, the story carried them away to another time and place. I want readers to recognize the effort we have put into our craft and say to themselves, “That was a good story.”
Crystal: All of my books are about overcoming, in one way or another. The perfect example is my book: God’sCounterpoint, published in the ONE anthology by Mark Miller and published by Trestle Press. I want the readers of AmishForever to come away feeling good about the story and feeling encouraged that they, like Ava, can overcome the obstacles in their own lives.
What in your opinion, is the fascination that American readers have with these Amish books?
Roger: The Amish, I believe, appeal to that fundamental human desire for simplicity and goodness. I think a lot of us envy their unswerving belief in a higher good.
Crystal: I agree with Roger. I also believe that the reader can live the Amish life vicariously, to borrow one of Roger’s words, through the lives of the characters.
The two of you are obviously committed to your writing. What are your future plans? Will there be more books? Will we learn more about Ava and Zeke?
Roger: Early on when we realized how popular this series was going to be I commented to Crystal that if we don’t write more together we need to admit we’re not really serious about writing fiction. We already have several story spinoffs. I especially like the ones involving Abe and Bliss.
Crystal: I look forward to writing more with Roger and, in addition, I have my own writing career. Recently I sent two books to publishers. One is a short story that Giovanni, of Trestle Press, will publish as soon as I make it longer. The other is a non-fiction grandparent’s guide I sent to a publisher I know personally in the Seattle area.
Our time is up, unfortunately but again, thank you Roger Rheinheimer and Crystal Linn for joining us today – and again, congratulations on your success with the best-selling AmishForever. I look forward to reading more of your books. Roger: Thank you for having us.
Crystal: Thank you for inviting us, and for the good wishes.
We are talking today with the author of Story Eight: God’s Counterpoints of the One series. Crystal Linn writes both fiction and non-fiction, as well as being an award-winning poet. In her story she shares an emotional journey of her husband’s ordeal with Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma, a rare form of cancer.
MM: To start things off Crystal, what inspired you to share this story?
CL: There were so many people involved and so many miracles preformed that it was incredible.
MM: It was a harrowing journey, but I was touched how all those people came together right when you needed them most. I imagine they support you in your writing as well. How long have you been writing?
CL: I’ve written all of my life and in the year 2000 decided to get serious about it.
MM: I get your meaning. It takes a lot of discipline. You and I both know that writing is not always serious. We have to find outlets for our creativity. What is one of your writing habits that helps you deal with the work?
CL: I color-code my writing projects. Yellow is the color for my fiction projects, blue is for non-fiction, pink is for my children’s projects, purple is for my journal/memoir-type projects and my poetry projects are multi-colored.
MM: That sounds fun. Your writing space must be a rainbow even on dreary days! Speaking of your w