Meet Tyora Moody, author of When Rain Falls
Tyora Moody’s debut novel, When Rain Falls, is the first book in the Victory Gospel series. She owns and operates Tywebbin.com, a design and marketing company. Her company’s niche is assisting authors with branding and developing an online presence. Tyora served as a judge for the Christy Awards for three years. She is a member of Sisters in Crime and American Christian Fiction Writers. Tyora resides in South Carolina. Visit her online at http://www.tyoramoody.com.
Tyora, what inspired you to write?
What inspires me to write? Well, I can remember writing short stories in high school and college, but it seemed to be something I grew out of mainly because I started to pursue more of my love for design. The desire to birth a story returned in 2006. With my surprise, this became more than a short story but a novel. LOL!
What inspired you to When Rain Falls and to select this particular theme?
I love to journal. I don’t do use my journal as much anymore, but I do keep notebooks around when I want to map out ideas or plot a scene. In 2006, while writing in my journal these characters popped into my head. I was seeking new direction at the beginning of the year. Just really burned out and wanting something new to pursue creatively. God answered my prayer in the form of a developing story.
Well, once I got a small glimpse of this little girl in the back of a police car, I wanted to know more. What formed was a story of grief and loss surrounding a woman named Candace Johnson. Candace’s story is one of three stories in a series.
When Rain Falls is the first book in the Victory Gospel Series. The series introduces three women whose pasts insist on walking beside them like a maddening visitor, unwilling to depart. Through a series of twists and life-altering experiences, these women learn victory over pain truly only comes in developing a deep trust in God. I’m looking forward to having readers grow with me and the characters.
What advice would you give a writer about the business side of writing ?
Perseverance and patience are key elements. Whether you want to be signed with a traditional publisher or self-publish, this is not an easy journey. First, you have to be willing to put your manuscript through many types of edits so that the story really shines and attracts readers. Next, is the part that most authors don’t like, marketing. You have to be willing to stretch yourself so that readers are even aware of your book. You almost, well not almost, you are an entrepreneur. I was already an entrepreneur prior to becoming an author so I understood the need for a marketing plan. Book promotion is a business that most authors have to learn.
What advice would you give a writer about the process of writing?
Take your time and discover what works for you. I started out like most writers by writing what came to me. That didn’t work out to well for me. A few author friends described to me how they used outlines. With my analytical brain, an outline was the best thing for my writing process especially since I write mysteries. I spend quite a bit of time researching and developing an outline. After I start writing the scenes, sometimes I will see visually how one scenes works better earlier or later in the timeline, so I just adjust my outline.
About the Book
“Why does God keep taking away the people I love?” This is the lamentation of widow CANDACE JOHNSON when her best friend is brutally murdered. Ensnared by a deep-rooted bitterness, seeping her faith day by day, Candace is determined to seek justice.
Detective Darnell Jackson is in need of clues fast. The police captain is coming down hard on him and his partner to find out who murdered Pamela Coleman, the daughter of a high profile judge. Darnell confers with Candace to get the inside track on events leading up to the murder. As the investigation heats up, his growing attraction for Candace plays havoc on Darnell’s judgment.
Little does she know, Candace’s quest to find the truth has led her straight to the killer. She’s already lost loved ones. Now Candace must choose to completely trust God with her own life.
Book Review by Linda Fegins
When Rain Falls by Tyora Moody is a great who dunnit with an interesting plot and crossover appeal for readers, who do not normally read Christian fiction. This well written suspense ,with its twist and turns ,held my interest until the last page.
Ever question God about occurrences in your life? Some Christians may believe that you shouldn’t question God. But Candace Johnson, whose faith has grown weak in response to what she has suffered, poses the “Why God” question after tragedy strikes in her life when her dear best friend Pamela Coleman, a criminal attorney, is murdered. Pamela is the daughter of a high profile judge. Her death comes while Candace is still recovering from the heartache and tragedy of the murder of her police officer husband. As a child Candace was traumatized by the death of her mother due to domestic violence.
This romantic mystery addresses issues of loss and grief which we all have experienced. We observe Candace gain victory over her struggle with doubt, fear and bitterness to find love, family and a deep trust in God while she is determined to find justice.
Detective Darnell Jackson needs to find clues to the killer. The police captain is expecting the Detective and his partner to find out who murdered Coleman. Candace is bent upon doing some investigation on her own. As the investigation heats up, there is a growing attraction for each other that could complicate matters. This suspense novel, with its host of realistic characters, made it hard for me to put it down because I wanted to know who the killer was. This is the first time I missed all the clues. This was not a predictable who “dunnit”. I look foward to reading more from this author in the Victory Gospel Series.