Pump Up Your Book Chats with Jonathan Williams

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Jonathan Williams served as a missionary with the International Mission Board’s Xtreme Team in the jungles of Peru for two years. It was there, lying under a mosquito net in a hut in the middle of the Amazon Jungle, that Williams began to write his first novel, Jungle Sunrise.

Living with a previously unreached indigenous tribe, the Amarakaeri, Williams experienced first-hand the beauty and danger of native life as he had the opportunity to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ, hunt with bows and arrows, fish with spears, navigate the rivers, and encounter every aspect of the tribe’s culture. This breathtaking scene of the Amazon serves as the backdrop for Jungle Sunrise. Williams, 30, writes and lives in North Texas with his beautiful wife, Jessica, where he pastors Body Life church and serves as the Campus Pastor for Trinity Christian Academy as he pursues a Master of Divinity degree from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. His passion and desire is to inspire readers with creativity and truth.

You can find Jonathan online at www.JungleSunrise.com

About Jungle Sunrise

A unique and captivating novel by a member of the Xtreme Team, who risk their lives and endure unthinkable physical deprivation while assisting native people in the most remote areas of the world. This novel has been written out of the rich background of that experience. It is evident the author has been there!

He unlocks the secret of how to begin life anew, as the book’s central character moves from a depressing, directionless life to a rewarding and incomparable adventure, discovering the ultimate meaning in life through trials and tragedy.

………………………………

Thank you for this interview, (Jonathan). Do you remember writing stories as a child or did the writing bug come later? Do you remember your first published piece?

My parents still have some short stories that I wrote as a little kid, and I remember enjoying writing more than any other aspect of high school, but it wasn’t until I entered college that I began to actually try to develop my writing. My first published pieces were news articles that I wrote while working as a staff writer for the university newspaper. Since I had to write several articles a week, writing became a part of my life. I soon found, though, that I would rather focus on creative writing than the journalistic style that my newspaper job demanded.

What do you consider as the most frustrating side of becoming a published author and what has been the most rewarding?

To publish a book, to see it go from the first draft to available in the bookstores, requires patience. This process, from writing and editing to securing representation, more editing, and publication, took several years. It’s easy to become discouraged along the way, but as they say, the joy is in the journey. It’s fun learning the process just as it’s rewarding seeing the results. The most rewarding side of the whole thing is getting to talk with people who have read the book. Whether they’re just telling me what they thought about it, which character they related to, or asking questions about the story, I love sitting down and getting to hear how others have stepped into this story that’s been a part of my life for so long.

Are you married or single and how do you combine the writing life with home life? Do you have support?

I’ve been married to Jessica for four years now. We just had our first baby this past year, a beautiful baby girl, Gracie. My wife is more than just supportive of my writing, she’s my biggest fan. She helps me make time to write when things at home are busy. She’s also quite inspiring. In fact, when I was struggling with the title of my first novel, she’s the one who named Jungle Sunrise.

What do you like to do for fun when you’re not writing? Where do you like to vacation? Can you tell us briefly about this?

I love to read, run, travel, and date my wife. We’re both beach people and would rather vacate on just about any beach than anywhere else.

If you could be anywhere in the world for one hour right now, where would that place be and why?

Answering these questions about the book make me want to be back in the jungle right now with the Amarakaeri in one of the villages, Masenawa. It’s a gorgeous, unified community with several of my friends who I have not seen in quite sometime.

Who is your biggest fan?

My wife.

Where’s your favorite place to write at home?

My porch.

Do you have any pets?

No.

Tell us a secret no one else knows.

I people watch, paying attention to those with unique jobs, like the guy who fills the vending machines at the mall, in case I want to use that occupation with a future character in a story.

What’s on your to do list today?

Take our daughter to the park, meet for coffee with a friend from church, and finish this interview.

Now I’ve got a couple of fun questions for you. If Tom Hanks, in the movie Cast Away, unearthed a copy of your book, how would that help him find a way off the island?

I don’t know if Jungle Sunrise would help him escape the island, but it might give him tips to survive the island. He could probably pick up some ideas on how to fish, hunt, start a fire, or build a hut.

You have a chance to appear on the hit talent show for authors, American Book Idol, with judges Simon Cowell, Randy Jackson, Kara Dioguardi and the newest addition, Ellen DeGeneres, to determine whether your book will make it to Hollywood and become a big screenplay where you’d make millions of dollars. What would impress them more – your book cover, an excerpt or your author photo – and why?

I would read the judges an excerpt from Jungle Sunrise, hoping that they would be inspired by the story.

You just got word that your book has received the 2010 NY Times Bestselling Book Award and you have to attend the ceremony to give an acceptance speech. Anyone who’s anyone will be there and it’s your shot for stardom. What would you say and who would you thank?

I would thank my wife, family and friends for their support, I would thank my agent, publisher, and the entire Nordskog Publishing team, and I would let everyone know that Jungle Sunrise is the result of countless answered prayers.

I understand that you are touring with Pump Up Your Book Promotion in (August) via a virtual book tour. Can you tell us all why you chose a virtual book tour to promote your book online?

The web is one of the quickest, most powerful ways to promote anything. Books are bought online, read online, and promoted online. I think that a virtual book tour will expose Jungle Sunrise to new readers quicker than any other media.

Thank you for this interview, (Jonathan). Good luck on your virtual book tour!

Thank you for this opportunity to talk about my first novel, Jungle Sunrise. A synopsis, author information, a video trailer, and reviews can be found at www.JungleSunrise.com. The book can be purchased at Amazon.com.

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Question of the Day

How do you make sales happen for you?

A lot of hard work! I sponsor a lot of on line parties, festivals and contests. Book sales don’t magically happen, believe me. An author has to work hard to earn her readers. And then she has to work hard to keep them by giving them something they’ll enjoy reading. I try hard to make my books worth a reader’s time.

-- Sheila Roberts, Author of Winter at the Beach