Critique
Founded in 1997, Word Weavers International is dedicated to providing a forum for Christian writers to critique one another's work in a face-to-face format, whether in a traditional chapter or in Word Weavers' unique online "pages," so as to improve craft. Writers of all levels are welcome.
Events
Each October, Word Weavers International holds an annual event, Florida Christian Writers Conference, for writers at every level. FCWC is held at Lake Yale Baptist Conference Center, which is nestled in the splendor and majesty of a large cluster of live oaks and a wide sparkling lake to bring not only writing instruction but spiritual refreshing. Word Weavers provides scholarships to members and nonmembers alike.
Community
By holding monthly meetings, providing constant contact through news blasts and our newsletter, and by use of social media means, Word Weavers offers its writers a sense of community. Word Weavers is highly recognized within our industry, its members respected for their professionalism and work.
I have always been a fan of Corrie ten Boom and have read all of her books. She exemplified what a heroine truly is. Corrie was a middle-aged watchmaker in Haarlem during the mid-forties when the passive Nazi occupation became aggressive. Corrie offered her home to Jewish refugees who needed a place to hide. After her release from Ravensbrück labor camp, she circled the globe proclaiming God’s love and presence even in the midst of horrific events such as the holocaust. She did this until her death in the 1980s.
My intention was to write a fictional book from the viewpoint of one of Corrie’s Jewish guests—what was it like for a Jew to hide out in a Gentile’s house? But of course, Corrie’s story is a true one, and as all the “guests” are long gone, I wrote my story about a different host, a violinist widow named Neelie Visser, and her guests, Tamar Kaplan, a young soprano with the Haarlem opera, and her boyfriend, Dr. Daniel Feldman.
So why did I write this book? For one thing, I hoped A Song for Her Enemies would be a gentle illustration of what the holocaust was like, and I hoped it would lead the reader to dig deeper. Many of the original holocaust survivors have passed on due to old age, so soon there won’t be any first-person accounts of what happened to them. I don’t want their stories to die with them. I want readers to know that God is with us in the hard times if we look for Him, and He can bring beauty out of ashes even in the worst circumstances.
I also want the reader to know that heroines are not born. They are not superhumans but normal people who are just willing to do the next thing asked of them. In my book, Tamar is a sheltered, naive girl in her early twenties, whose only wish in life is to become the head soprano of the local opera someday. But when the Nazis close the Haarlem opera house, Tamar’s life changes in a moment. Her blond hair allows her to bypass the guards of the Jewish ghetto she lives in, so she becomes a courier. She delivers messages to houses in neighboring villages where refugees are kept. In one such house, a woman is about to deliver a baby and the atmosphere is tense. The doctor asks her to sing a song to quiet the children who are becoming anxious, so she sings a simple children’s song. This is the mark of a heroine. She doesn’t have to slay dragons; she merely has to sing a children’s song.
Sometimes what might be considered a blessing can become a curse. That is how Tamar viewed her singing voice. The same voice that calmed the children later caused a Nazi officer to become obsessed with her, which led to her being sent to a concentration camp. Unanticipated events happen to heroines, but they press on, doing the next thing asked of them. That’s the mark of a true heroine.
Sherri Stewart loves to write a clean novel, sprinkled with romance and a strong message that challenges her faith. She spends her working hours with books—either editing others’ manuscripts or writing her own. She is a member of the Orlando chapter of Word Weavers International. Her passion is traveling to the settings of her books, sampling the food, and visiting the sites. She loves the Netherlands, and she’s still learning Dutch, although she doesn’t need to since everyone seems to speak perfect English. A recent widow, Sherri lives in the Orlando area with her lazy dog, Lily, and her son, Joshua, who can fix anything. She shares recipes, tidbits of her books’ locations, and pix in her newsletter. Subscribe HERE.