Inside the Storyteller Squad: A Writer’s Journey

Hi! I’m Jill K Willis, author of The Demons Among Us, a speculative young adult novel published in 2021. By God’s grace, it won the American Christian Fiction Writers Genesis Contest in the Young Adult category.

I grew up in Atlanta and, after graduating from the University of Georgia, worked for a newspaper, a magazine publisher, and a large telecommunications company. After that, I ran a public relations agency. I eventually quit corporate life to be more present with my growing family.

One summer before we left for the beach, I set out to buy some books for my two young teens. I struck out at the first bookstore. At the time, the most popular books featured werewolves, vampires, and lots of spice. I tried another bookstore. Same result. I then drove a little farther to a Christian bookstore. Nothing. Nada. Zip.

Disappointed, I reflected on God’s gift to me: writing. I’d done it all my life. Why couldn’t I write clean teen fiction to fill the void? So, while the kids were in school, I began work on a manuscript with supernatural elements that glorified God. I discovered that while I can churn out a solid press release in less than an hour, I’m a very slow, methodical fiction writer. It took five years of writing and revisions for me to gain enough confidence to send it to publishers. Finally, on Christmas Eve in 2020, I signed a contract with Redemption Press for The Demons Among Us.

I’m currently working on a middle grade historical fiction novel, tentatively named Leather City, set in Buford, a small town north of Atlanta. Male twins travel back in time to complete a history assignment. They solve a mystery about lost gold, survive a catastrophic tornado, pitch in during a devastating fire, and witness the groundbreaking of Lake Lanier, a manmade Georgia lake.

In my spare time, I chase my twin hellions cats out of my fireplace, tick off my bucket list of travel locations (one continent left to visit), and research my family’s genealogy. I also help prepare materials for our church’s elementary Sunday School classes. I live with my husband and the hellions cats, Daphne and Velma, in North Georgia.

Follow me and learn more on my social media pages:  Facebook and Instagram. If you visit my website, please note that I’ve devoted two pages to book reviews: Young Adult and Middle Grade. I also offer PDF resources for teens and their parents:

Scripture to Pray Over Teens
Scripture for Teens when the Demons Invade
Angels and Demons
Writing Prompts for Teens

A little Storyteller Squad backstory:

I’m a founding member of the Storyteller Squad. Since 2016, we’ve supported each other with chapter critiques, industry news updates, and prayers. Each year, we’ve added a new writer or two, and now we’re 17 members strong.

We met through the American Christian Fiction Writers online editing loop. The first year, our private group, auto-named Scribes 209, critiqued each other’s chapters. I sent The Demons Among Us through this loop . . . twice. The feedback was invaluable. If you’re a Christian writer, I highly recommend you join ACFW and participate in the loop.

In February 2017, Scribes 209 morphed into the Storyteller Squad, complete with a logo and robust website that featured three blogs a week by different writers. Readership peaked in 2021 and, since that time, has slowly declined as site visitors embraced short-form social media for writing news and book reviews.

Although we’re shuttering our blogsite in late Spring, we’ll still critique each other’s work and host the Storyteller Squad Facebook page. Members will continue to offer book reviews on our personal sites and answer any questions you may have about writing for kids, pre-teens, and teens. You may contact us through the following links.

Burton W. Cole
Gretchen Carlson
John Cheary
Leigh DeLozier
Julia Dittmaier
Carol Eaton
Julane Fisher
Laurie Germaine
Elise Haroldson
Kristen Johnson
Victoria Kimble
Michelle McCorkle
Tracy Popolizio
Sharon Rene
Michelle Kaderly Welsh
Jill K Willis
Candice Yamnitz

God has blessed the Storyteller Squad through our writing gifts and with our friendship. Please know how much we appreciate your support over the years. Do you have any questions for us before we close up shop?