Amy Wallace is married to a God-honoring hunk, a homeschool mom of three (ages 9,6, and 3), writer, Bible study teacher, and chocoholic. Some of her favorite moments are the ones she spends laughing, reading, and being goofy with her family. Amy loves writing stories, teaching teenagers, scrapbooking, playing basketball, and taking walks with her family. The beach is her all-time favorite place to be, and she collects teddy bears, tons of books, and dust on her furniture. Amy is the author of Ransomed Dreams, book 1 in the Defenders of Hope series, a contributing author of God Answers Mom’s Prayers, God Allows U-Turns for Teens, Chicken Soup for the Soul Healthy Living Series: Diabetes, and A Cup of Comfort for Expectant Moms. But getting to the heart of who Amy is can be summed up in a few short words: Amy is a daughter of the King learning to live and love with laughter.

Tell us a little about your family and your call to write.

I’m the proud homeschool mommy to the three most awesome kiddos I know. My husband and I share teaching duties, and if not for his and our girls’ prayer and practical support, I wouldn’t be writing.

My call to write is an extension of my husband and my desire to see the Body of Christ walk in healing and hope. It’s our dream to share the hard-won healing we’ve received in our hearts and our marriage in the ways God opens up for us to serve.

How did you get your first “writing break?”

As I waited for more rejections on my first book, (I was up to ten and waited 18 months before The Contract Call) I started writing creative non-fiction and was so excited to be chosen as a contributing author with the book, God Answers Mom’s Prayers.

What do you write and why this genre?

I write romantic suspense because that’s the first novel idea God sent by way of a dream and also because suspense seems to be the way my mind works, which is a little scary.

Do you have any recent contracts and up coming releases?

My first novel, Ransomed Dreams, just released in April and the following two books in the Defenders of Hope series will come out in April 2008 and April 2009. This week the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing RANSOMED DREAMS

Chained To Yesterday

When tragedy struck and Gracie Lang lost everything, her faith crumbled, and nothing but the drive for justice propelled her forward. But after two years of dead-end searching, the truth Gracie seeks is the very thing her stalker will stop at nothing to hide.

Forgiveness Unlocks the Future

An FBI agent in the Crimes Against Children Unit, Steven Kessler spends his days rescuing other people’s children and nights caring for his son. He’s through with God, embittered by his ex-wife who abandoned them both, and definitely doesn’t expect what’s coming next.

The Past Is the Key

A plot to kidnap a British ambassador’s daughter dangerously intersects Steven and Gracie’s worlds–a collision that demands a decision. But are they willing to pay the high ransom required to redeem dreams and reignite hope?

Here’s what others have to say about it:

Steeped in police intrigue and rich characters, Ransomed Dreams entertains, educates, and captivates. Amy Wallace is a fresh, vibrant voice in the Christian market~Mark Mynheir, Homicide Detective and Author of The Void

Ransomed Dreams had me hooked from the start and didn’t let go until the deeply satisfying ending.

~Kristin Billerbeck, Author of What a Girl Wants

What do you hope to accomplish through your novels?

I hope to raise some deep questions about forgiveness, justice, and the sovereignty of God in the face of difficult circumstances. And instead of simply answering the questions, I hope Ransomed Dreams encourages people to seek God for their own answers.

And now for the tough questions…

How do you balance being a mom, wife, and writer?

Yep, that’s a tough question with a multi-layered answer. Easy answer is I get up, pray, fail, get up again, and do what needs to be done by the grace of God. But that’s an iceberg answer. So much more goes on in my heart with every little choice that adds up to ending the day balanced or not. Another layer to this answer is the way my family rallies when it’s time for me to go to work. My husband takes over child duties and cleaning, with my kiddos all doing their parts, so that I can spend Saturdays working a typical 12 to 15 hour day. Monday through Friday I’m mom, teacher, and cheerleader for my hubby and daughters. We schedule in time to pray together, exercise, and laugh together, as well as time to relax and just be. I do other writing-related work during naptimes and at night. Then on Sundays, my husband and I teach and make resting our minds and bodies a priority.

Do you think it’s possible to give yourself fully to raising children, homeschooling, writing, and keeping in shape? If not, which one for you has to take a back seat?

Yes, I think it’s possible. But for me it takes scheduling, working together with my family, and some dogged determination to choose best over good day after day

When do you find the time to write, and do you ever feel like you’re neglecting your children when you write?

My actual writing time is on Saturday, and other writing work like marketing, email and various odds and ends things get done during naptimes and in the evenings. If I didn’t homeschool, I doubt I’d be writing professionally while my kids are this young. But because we spend the majority of our weekdays together in school and play, I don’t feel like I’m neglecting anyone when I head to my office to work. Writing, like homeschooling, is part of the fabric of our family and something we all work together to make happen well.

How do you handle interruptions in your writing life?

This was my first year to have a book out, edit a second, and write a third. There have been plenty of interruptions and lots of time spent crying out to God for how in the world to survive it. I learned last year through lots of painful trials that God is in control and what I deem an interruption is often God working something out that I needed but didn’t see. This year, we’ve done a better job of planning our schedules with some flex time and choosing not to buck the Lord’s changes to our plans.

How do you get back into the flow of writing after you’ve been interrupted?

Pray. And pray some more until I’m willing to rest in the fact that God’s schedule is far better than mine, and if I trust Him, all He has planned will be accomplished for His glory and our good.

On a practical note, I don’t write when my kids are up or not with their dad, I don’t answer the phones, and I try hard to stay away from email when I’m into my story and typing away.

What do you do to encourage yourself during those stormy days every homeschooling mom has?

I cry, decide to quit homeschooling, talk it over with God and my husband, and in the end always come back to the fact that, good or bad days, this is the life we have and I’m getting to do what I was created to do. I also talk often to my best friend who reminds me that poopy diapers and short attention spans are not the end of the world and these too will pass into another stage with its own unique drawback and highlights.

How do you position yourself to HEAR God’s voice when all the noises of life are swirling around you?

I shut out a lot of those noises with doing only the things I know God has directed me to do. We’re home a lot and not involved in tons of activities. We don’t watch TV and we make time to play. All those things help. But what opens my ears most to my Daddy’s voice is simply curling up alone with Him and letting the things in my heart spill out. Then I listen. That’s when I hear Him speak words of healing, freedom, hope, and joy. It’s in that place that the cares and busyness of life is silenced and I find myself filled and renewed.

If you do feel your priorities slipping, what do you do to get back on track?

When I start getting crabby about little things like a few missed answers on a test or one too many marketing issues to deal with, that’s when I have to run back to God’s arms and admit I can’t do any of it without Him. It’s then that I see any slipping of my priorities can be traced back to me trying to do things on my schedule in my power. God is so loving that He never lets me “do it by my own self” like a two year old for very long. And as soon as I run to Him, He’s there to forgive, heal, and walk with me into the next day with hope.

Has there ever been a time God told you to set aside your writing to focus on other areas of your life? If so, how did you handle that?

There was a time right before my novel contract came where my husband and I were separated and God was hard at work on our hearts. I didn’t write for a long time then, but sat instead at Jesus’ feet and let Him do some major surgery on my soul. It was one of the most painful times of my life, and yet, looking back, I see God’s hand in it all and am amazed at what He’s done to heal me and restore my marriage and my home.

Did you ever feel like you’ve “missed” God in regards to writing, that maybe you should be doing something else?

No. Writing is such an act of worship and pure obedience and so much a part of who I know God created me to be, that I don’t think I missed His direction to walk this path. Right now, I love that I’m getting to do three of the things I know without a doubt God called and created me to do: be a mommy, teach, and write.

What advice would you give to writing moms who are have their hearts set on publication?

My advice is to set your eyes and heart on Christ first and on being a wife and mom second. Those three relationships are what matters most for eternity. Pray hard. And then in the energy and open moments God gives, that’s when you give your best to the work, to the obedience of worshiping God as you write the stories He’s placed on your hearts.

Is there anything else you’d like to share?

Something important to remember is that none of us succeeds in anything we do alone. First and foremost, if we walk with God in obedience to His direction, He will accomplish the good things He already has planned for our life. Then, when we involve our families in prayer and practical ways, partner with others to spur one another on toward love and good things, then we’ll celebrate the victories together and feel in the core of our beings God’s “well done.”

Thanks for having me on Writer Interrupted! Your questions were very thought provoking, and I pray the answers will encourage the moms and writers out there to dream big and keep walking the path they’re on with hope. God does indeed have much good ahead for His children.

Amy, you are an inspiration to homeschooling moms everywhere! Thanks for sharing today at Portrait of a Writer…Interrupted.

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