The View is Amazing...

My review of the WOMEN OF VALLEY VIEW: TERRI...

When I first heard of the "Women of Valley View," I wondered what could be so interesting there. Was it a neighborhood? Was it a home for women? Was there something mysterious going on? Well, sort of. You see, Valley View is a church, and the women are a circle of friends who attend there.

Each book spotlights one of the women, and Terri's story gives us an excellent look at what is most special about this series. It's the way all these women react to each other. They hold each other up during hard times, do fun things together, and they are best friends. The stick-by kind. The kind you wish you had more of. 

Terri is a single woman looking for "Mr. Right," and has been looking for him so long that she begins to go ahead with her plans in spite of not having found him, yet. There's someone on her mind, of course, but he has older children and a granddaughter, already, while Terri wants very much to have babies. So, she becomes a foster parent. In hopes that this will fulfill some of the desires of her heart whether she finds a husband, or not. 

That's the premise. A lot of things happen to both thwart and encourage her, and one finds themselves reading to the last page just to see how everything turns out for everybody. It's a good read based on that alone. Very well-written, too. Ms. Srock brings people and place alive so vividly that you will actually recognize people you know there. Or at least wish you knew. But that isn't what makes it special.

What sets this book apart from most is the perspective. I might even go so far as to call it "the view." Like a movie running across the window of your mind, it gives you a front row seat to not only observe how Terri works out her problems, but how we can possibly apply those same methods to work on ours. Because that part of the story is real. Something you can take home with you.

Would I recommend the WOMEN OF VALLEY VIEW: TERRI? You bet. Because in my opinion, anytime you can walk away with something that valuable from an enjoyable piece of entertainment makes it priceless. Which is why I think everyone should meet the "Women of Valley View." By the way, you can get a delightful little introduction to them by visiting http://bitly.com/SmQmUs

Meet Sharon Srock...

Click here to find out about Sharon, read 
excerpts of  her books, and much more!

After I read the WOMEN OF VALLEY VIEW: TERRI, there were a few questions I just had to ask Sharon, myself. The first was: How did you come to choose foster care as a background for this book?

Well, Lilly, Terri is a baby person. I wanted her to have a child. As an unmarried woman, foster care seemed the fastest way to get that done for the sake of the story.

It worked because foster care will definitely take a person right to the heart of the matter, ready or not. Speaking of which, you seemed to know a lot about youth and family services and the entire foster care system. Have you ever had any personal experience with it, yourself?

Not personal. But I have good friends who fostered 3 sisters just about the time I started on Terri's story. I picked her brain about the parenting side and I contacted a social worker to get some input about the administrative side. By the way, my friends adopted those three little girls to go with their 3 natural sons. It's nice when there's a happy ending to what is often a sad situation. 

I think that's what makes it so rewarding for those who are willing to share their homes in that way. Having good friends around can really be a help, too. Your "women of valley view" seemed to be the kind of friends we would all like to have, is this group based on special relationships you have enjoyed in real life?

I've worshiped at the same Pentecostal church since I was 14. These people are my "forever" family. I have been on the giving and receiving end of the very relationships Terri and her friends portray.

A "forever family" is a wonderful way to look at it. I like that. And you did a great job of showing us just how that works. Besides being an example of Christian community, what do you hope readers will take away from Terri's story?

I think it would have to be that God keeps his promises. Terri feels like God made a promise to her. That if she gave her life to Him and folowed His direction, He would give her the desires of her heart. Sometimes it might look like God is taking us in the opposite direction, but if we'll trust, we'll end up where He wants us. I hope that's the message in Terri's story. Turst.

Watching her find her way was a strong thread in the story, and it was fascinating. Now, I'm wondering if, after spending so much time with your characters during the writing process, do you ever miss them when it's time to go on to another story? Will you be writing other books about these same women?

The WOMEN OF VALLEY VIEW: TERRI is the second in the series. The WOMEN OF VALLEY VIEW: CALLIE was released last October. The WOMEN OF VALLEY VIEW: PAM is under contract and I'm expecting an early 2014 release date. I'm about half done with The WOMEN OF VALLEY VIEW: SAMANTHA, and  Kate and Karla will also have stories.  So you see, I haven't had a chance to "miss" them.  (SMILE)

Well, they're easy ladies to get attached to, that's for sure. Thanks so much for visiting with me here, today, Sharon. I'll definitely be looking forward to meeting more Women of Valley View! 

Thank you for having me, Lilly.

Could I interest you in staying for some seaweed tea and mermaid cakes?

Sure... what are they made out of?