Professional Bio
Certified through the American Association of Christian Counselors, Barbara Shoner also holds a Master’s Degree in Theology, a Bachelor’s Degree in Biblical Studies, a Paralegal Associate’s Degree, and is a member of Word Weavers International. She enjoys motivating herself and others through the writing of inspirational books and is also the screenwriter and producer of the feature film, Steadfast. Barbara resides in sunny Florida where she collects sand between her toes. When she’s not typing away at the law office or her writing desk at home, Barbara likes to escape outdoors and participate in any adventurous activity as long as it concludes with eating ice cream.
Going a little deeper
(probably TMI, but if you like reality shows and have a few extra minutes, here you go!)
In elementary school when the teacher assigned the class to create sentences using our spelling words, I always wrote stories and even won the Young Author’s Award in fourth grade for my inspiring story, How the Giraffe Got His Long Neck. After traveling to a university to represent my school on stage and accept my award, stage fright got the better of me and I spent the entire time hiding in the bathroom!
During my teen years, I filled notebooks with dark poetry reflecting the meanings of life (or lack thereof) in great Ecclesiastes-style musings. In my early 20s, I scribbled ideas on napkins or scraps of paper whenever I had an epiphany. I started writing books and dreaming of the day I would be a published author.
And then came marriage and kids.
A New Adventure
Instead of writing about life, I was immersed in it. A life of messy diapers, refrigerator drawings, and spaghetti noodles stuck to walls. The greatest life adventure of all.
With absolutely no time to write.
Dreams of leisurely writing under a tree while birds sang, turned into the noisy reality of single motherhood and homeschooling three children. I colored in the lines and wrote with a red pen. Stories became bedtime tales told in animated voices.
In what seemed like forever and yet only a day, my three beautiful, talented, God-loving children took off to discover their own meaning in life. One daughter is a teacher in Japan, another spent time abroad in Costa Rica and El Salvador and is now living in Florida with my baby granddaughter, and my son finished his journey at the university, is married and working remotely while traveling the U.S. in an RV. In the silence that followed, I heard the faint whisperings of long ago storylines.
It’s now time to rekindle a love of writing─to fill the void with new life: a life of adjectives, similes, and metaphors. Of typing into the wee hours because a character won’t let me sleep.
A trip delayed, but now this journey begins again. Won’t you join me?
Books, Movies & Music…oh my!
While I love the world of fiction where anything is possible and the writer breaths life into characters, nonfiction holds life-changing potential. My book, Umbrella in the Storm: How to Successfully Weather Life shares biblical insight, practical advice, and some personal testimonies. This motivational book will help you deal with the many challenges of life. Visit the Books & Movies page for a more detailed description and to order on Amazon. Let’s learn to dance in the rain – a rainbow is on the horizon!
A story I wrote called “Attack of Minimalism” has been published in a Chicken Soup for the Soul book. What an honor to be featured in such inspirational work. This story details my desire to own less so I can be free to do more, and how I went about it. View pictures from the nursing home where I gave away collectible dolls to the residents here.
Lights, Camera, Action!
I raised my children to be adventurous and never worried about skinned knees. But I overprotected their hearts. When I learned an 18-year-old boy liked my 14-year-old girl, even though they met in church, I lost it a little…well, maybe a lot. After quashing any notions whatsoever of my daughter being available for many years, a friend who I shared the drama with wrote a poem. After reading I Won’t Compromise by Douglas Mursu, I realized all teens would benefit from hearing a message like this. And it needed to be in a medium that would reach them the most–a movie. Having no screenplay experience, I quickly learned Final Draft and set about writing the movie script.
Then came another thought: I needed to produce this movie. Mind you, I knew nothing about that either. Thankfully, the Lord blessed this project and brought together a great director, cast, and crew. Filming the movie, Steadfast, was one of the best times of my life. It was also one of the most stressful times with little sleep, but overall an incredible experience and a lot of fun. Steadfast is sort of a blend of The Breakfast Club meets High School Musical with a Christian message and filmed to give it a real-life feel rather than a Hollywood production. A coming-of-age movie about ordinary teens facing everyday struggles such as bullying, purity, cutting, substance abuse, etc., this movie highlights how to run with endurance through life’s trials and temptations.
Steadfast the Movie is recommended family entertainment by The Dove Foundation and was awarded the “Faith-Friendly 12+” and “Family-Approved 12+” Seals of Approval. It also won three awards at the Florida Movie Festival. Steadfast has been subtitled in Japanese, and Spanish subtitling is in the works for even greater evangelizing opportunities. Study guides for both teens and parents are based on the movie and provide deeper insight into dealing with these relevant, hard-hitting issues. To find out more and to watch the trailer, visit www.steadfastthemovie.com or check out my Books & Movies page.
School, School & More School
Okay, so I am one of those freaks who loves to learn. I feel if I’m going to read I might as well earn degrees while I’m at it! With a master’s degree in Theology, a bachelor’s in Biblical Studies, and an associate’s degree in Paralegal Studies, I currently work in a law office by day and write by night. I’m also a certified counselor with the American Association of Christian Counselors, a certified travel agent, a certified TESOL (Teaching English as a Second Language) teacher, and a licensed real estate agent! All very useful in the writing world, by the way.
Future Works (and late nights)
I’m currently working on a suspense novel, a children’s book, and also a devotional (I tend to bounce around, working on whatever project inspires me at the moment). Subscribe to my newsletter to receive updates on a “great to know” basis.
For those of you who are travelers, stay tuned for my soon-to-be-released travel site (Joyful Globetrekker) that’s filled with ideas for fun places to visit and detailed information on what to do and how to get there on the cheap.
And if that wasn’t enough-check out 10 fun FAQS!
Thank you for spending time with me. I’d love to get to know more about you, so please feel free to message me.