Author Interviews
Check out the author interview index HERE.
Interview with J.A. Myhre
10/31/2015
About the AuthorJ. A. Myhre serves as a doctor with Serge in East Africa where she has worked for over two decades. She is passionate about health care for the poor, training local doctors and nurses, promoting childhood nutrition and development, and being the hands of Jesus in the hardest places. She is married to her best friend and colleague Scott, and together they have raised four children for whom many of her stories were written as Christmas presents. Find out more about J.A. at http://paradoxuganda.blogspot.com. The Interview1. How did you get started as an author? What or whom inspired you? I have always loved words. All my life I have devoured books and felt an urge to describe and process the world through writing. For many years, this was limited to letters, journals, and blogs. My friends and family would often say, “You should write a book.” My children, however, finally inspired me to become an author. When they were ages 7 to 12, I wanted to write them a story as a Christmas present. In the books we read together, their world was noticeably absent. We lived on the Uganda-Congo border, and I wanted them to have a story with African characters and texture. So I wrote them one, and they loved it so much I continued for four years writing a young adult novel to be opened on Christmas Eve as a present. We would start the story reading aloud under the tree, and continue for the week of Christmas. I believe story is the primary way God has communicated truth to us, and the best way to explore that truth with others. 2. How many books have you written and in what genres? I have written 4 novels in the magical-realism genre of A Chameleon, A Boy, and A Quest, all loosely connected by characters and all dealing with particularly relevant themes for our area of the world: orphans, child soldiers, deforestation, rebel groups, wildlife preservation, ebola, corruption, evil. However, all have a strong undercurrent of redemption. I followed those with a lighter, more fantasy-allegory short novel, and I have a draft of a somewhat autobiographical book about our work in Uganda. 3. What writing projects are you currently working on? What can you tell us about these projects? This year I want to get back to the book I drafted on a short sabbatical a few years ago, Clouded Mercy, to explore themes of evil and suffering and how we can respond. This is the auto-biographical work I referred to above. In the meantime, I blog about current life. 4. What does your writing process look like? I think through my fingers, so I prefer to type on a computer. My ideal is a quiet space, so for most of my life that’s been early morning or late at night. I generally do not lack for words, so I just try to get things out and down, then edit later. 5. Where is your favorite place to write? We are on a one-year sabbatical again from Africa, after 22 years in Uganda and Kenya. So at the moment I have a lovely place to write, in a hundred-year-old farmhouse in West Virginia that I inherited from my parents. Up until now most of my writing was done on my porch, my kitchen table, my bed, my lap, anywhere I could prop up a Macbook. 6. How important are the names in your novels? How do you choose names for your characters? Do you have any name resources you would suggest? The names in my stories have meaning in the local language where we worked. In the first book, the main character knows his name as “Mu” which he later finds out is short for something important that reveals his purpose. The other names are common names from our area, and remind me of some of the kids we know. The animal names also derive from local words for that animal. 7. What authors/novels that you enjoy would you recommend? My absolute favorites are Tolkien and Lewis, for putting truth into gripping, well-written tales. I call my preferred movie and book genre “dark and redemptive,” which means stories that deal with the reality that this world is broken but that the story has an ending we can only glimpse. In the young-adult world, my recent favorites are the Grisha Trilogy by Leigh Bardugo and The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins. The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo is a family favorite as well. And the Madeline L’Engle books. For general adult reading, my favorites this year have been: All the Light We Cannot See (Doerr), Lila (Robinson), The Orphan Master’s Son (Johnson), Americanah (Adichie), and The Sparrow and Children of God (Russell) (this last one is a two-book series, and old, but I just found it). I found The Bone Clocks (Mitchell) intriguing, and intense. Historically, I’m a fan of great old sprawling Russian and French novels (Les Miserables, The Brothers Karamazov), as well as Graham Greene. I would like to have read more articulate and true African voices, but some that stand out are Ngugi wa Thiong’o, Chinua Achebe, and Elspeth Huxley’s Red Strangers. 8. Where is your favorite place to read and why? Anywhere. The car, standing in line, lying in bed, sitting on the porch. . . I used to climb a tree and read as a kid. Right now, I’d say the front porch in an old rocker, but much of my reading is in bed as I go to sleep. 9. What period of history interests you the most? The so-called Dark Ages, the time of plague and war and art and resilience in Europe. I think that books written about that time period deal with clashes of culture and religion in the face of overwhelming suffering, and that resonates with what we have experienced in two decades in Africa. 10. If you could choose someone famous to star in one of your books made to a movie, who would you choose and for which character? I honestly have no idea. I think my books would not lend themselves to the kind of famous actors I can think of, so we would need to find new stars! One of my absolute favorite movies is Blood Diamond with Djimon Hounsou as the dad and Kagiso Kuypers as the kid, but he would be too old now. 11. What inspired the idea for A Chameleon, a Boy, and a Quest? We often had chameleons as “pets.” Our kids would find them or their friends might point them out. They were considered dangerous and untouchable because people believed they had spiritual indwelling. Sometimes the kids would walk around with a chameleon on their shoulder or ear, which gave me the idea of a chameleon as a guide. The setting of rebels, conscripting vulnerable children, the traditional religious practices, the mountains, the animals all came from our surroundings and life. 12. What other hobbies do you enjoy when you are not writing? I love to hike, run, bike, anything that gets me out in the woods and wilderness. I love watching my kids play sports, cooking big meals and having a large eclectic group around the table. We built our own pizza oven in Uganda, and again in Kenya, for fellowship and food! Check out my review for
A CHAMELEON, A BOY, AND A QUEST Interview with Rachelle Rea
10/21/2015
About the AuthorRachelle Rea plots her novels while driving around the little town she's lived in all her life in her dream car, a pick-up truck. An Oreo addict, she is also a homeschool graduate and retired gymnast. She wrote the Sound of Diamonds the summer after her sophomore year of college. The Interview![]() 1. How did you get started as an author? What or whom inspired you? Reading. :) I remember reading those thin Love Presents books when I was in middle school and loving the love stories. It was about that time that I started penning stories...I'm always inspired by a good love story because they remind me of the greatest love story between Christ and His church. 2. How many books have you written and in what genres? Ah, confession time! I've written four inspirational romances, the three in my series and one more mysterious project. ;) I've also written two medieval fantasies that will never see the light of day! And I may have dappled in the dystopian genre once... 3. What writing projects are you currently working on? What can you tell us about these projects? Besides prepping the novels in my series for release? ;) I'm working on my next historical of course--but in a different time period, which can be equally frustrating and fun! 4. What does your writing process look like? I outline. I plan. I plot. Then I put pen to paper and watch my characters stubbornly refuse and resist my every effort to make them behave according to my wishes. ;) 5. Where is your favorite place to write? Definitely at my desk! There's a forest outside my window. :) ![]() 6. How important are the names in your novels? How do you choose names for your characters? Do you have any name resources you would suggest? Baby books and those sites where they divulge the meanings of names are my favorites. I chose Gwyneth's name because of the meaning (Happiness), even though she's Dutch and the name Gwyneth is Welsh in origin. I also chose Dirk's name because it sounds like a dagger and that plays an important part in the story--but no spoilers! 7. What authors/novels that you enjoy would you recommend? My favorite question! I love the writing of Roseanna White, Laura Frantz, Dawn Crandall, Joanne Bischof, and Lisa T. Bergren's River of Time series. 8. Where is your favorite place to read and why? I read everywhere! Perhaps my favorite place to read is in bed at night or over breakfast (like my chocolate-chip pancakes here with Roseanna White's The Lost Heiress). ![]() 9. What period of history interests you the most? The Elizabethan era. Because Elizabeth is indomitable, and the political intrigue of the time fascinates me. Thus The Sound of Diamonds happened in that time period. :) 10. If you could choose someone famous to star in one of your books made to a movie, who would you choose and for which character? Hmmm. Maybe Amanda Seyfried from Le Mis as Gwyn. :) They look alike. 11. What inspired the idea for the Steadfast Love series? How many novels do you plan on having in this series? The idea for the series came about when I was finishing up the first draft of Diamonds and discovered, to my frustration, that the story was not done. I slapped an epilogue on the end and determined I would not write a sequel. I didn't want to write a sequel; I wasn't a series novelist. This was my first historical romance attempt and I didn't know how to write a sequel or a series! Alas, my characters wouldn't shut up. So I wrote two more books and agonized for months over a series title until I found Steadfast Love. To answer your last question, there are three books in the series (releasing in October and February, the day after Valentine's Day!). 12. What other hobbies do you enjoy when you are not writing? Reading. ;) Bicycle-riding (at a very leisurely pace). Watching Once Upon a Time. Pinterest (that counts, right?) Check out my reviews for:
THE SOUND OF DIAMONDS THE SOUND OF SILVER Cover reveal for: SOUND OF EMBERALDS Interview with Carrie Turansky
10/20/2015
About the AuthorCarrie Turansky has loved reading since she first visited the library as a young child and checked out a tall stack of picture books. Her love for writing began when she penned her first novel at age twelve. She is now the award-winning author of fourteen inspirational romance novels and novellas. Carrie and her husband, Scott, who is a pastor, author, and speaker, have been married for more than thirty-six years and make their home in New Jersey. They often travel together on ministry trips and to visit their five adult children and four grandchildren. Carrie also leads the women’s ministry at her church, and when she’s not writing, she enjoys spending time working in her flower gardens and cooking healthy meals for friends and family. She loves to connect with reading friends through: FACEBOOK | TWITTER | PINTEREST | WEBSITE You can also connect with Carrie on: GOODREADS | AMAZON The Interview1. How did you get started as an author? What or whom inspired you? Our family spent a year in Kenya, and when we came back to the US I missed Africa so much I decided to write a story set there as a way to relive some of my experiences. I’d written reports and papers for college, but I’d never written fiction, so I just jumped in and poured out the story. That was a lot of fun, but writing fiction requires a unique set of skills, which you learn through reading and lots of writing. They say it takes 10,000 hours working on a skill to become an expert, and I agree that’s true, especially of writing. 2. How many books have you written and in what genres? I’ve written nineteen books, and fourteen of them have been published. The first five were my learning-how-to-write novels, and they are filed away. I’ve written both contemporary and historical romance, and all my stories have faith elements woven into them. 3. What writing projects are you currently working on? What can you tell us about these projects? I’ve just turned in A Refuge at Highland Hall, the third book in the Edwardian Brides Series. It releases October 20. I’ve loved writing these books set in England in the early 1900s. The popularity of Downton Abbey has inspired a lot of interest in English society during that time period. I was able to tap into that interest and give readers stories with family drama, romance, and a happy ending. I’ve proposed a new English historical series to my publisher, and I’m waiting to hear back from them on it. The working title for the first book in the Morningside Manor Series is Shine Like the Dawn. I’ve done quite a bit of research about Northumberland and found a great estate for the location. I’m excited to start working on it and bring the characters to life! 4. What does your writing process look like? I start by researching the time period and looking for a location. Reading biographies and searching online for books and articles is helpful. The plots and characters rise out of the research. Then I use Randy Ingermanson’s Snowflake Method to build the story, starting with one sentence and then step-by-step adding more to it. I like to use Pinterest and Google search to find images that stimulate my imagination and help me move ahead with my stories. 5. Where is your favorite place to write? I use a laptop computer, so I can move around the house and write in indifferent places. My two favorite places are at my corner desk in my dining room or in my favorite chair in the living room. 6. What authors/novels that you enjoy would you recommend? Some of my favorite authors and novels are Cathy Gohlke novels: Promise Me This, Band of Sister, Saving Amelie, and Secrets She Kept. I’ve also enjoyed Jan Karon’s Mitford Series; Julianna Donaldson’s, Blackmore; Lori Benton’s Burning Sky; Varina Denman’s Jaded and Justified; Julie Klassen’s The Secret of Pembroke Park. 7. Where is your favorite place to read and why? I like to read just about anywhere! My couch in my living room is very comfy, and I also enjoy reading outside on my patio in the back yard. 8. What period of history interests you the most? I’d have to say Edwardian England is the most interesting to me now. I’ve loved researching that time period and learning about the relationships between the aristocracy and their servants, the customs and the fashions. 9. If you could choose someone famous to star in one of your books made to a movie, who would you choose and for which character? I enjoy finding images for all my characters, and I post those on my Pinterest board for each book. Sometimes I find actors and other times they are models or just regular people. Follow this link and you’ll see whom I have in mind for my characters in A Refuge at Highland Hall. It’s an exciting World War 1 story with a brave British pilot as the hero. I would love to see it made into a movie! 10. What inspired the idea for your Edwardian Brides series? The inspiration for the series is a mixture of several things - my love for Downton Abbey, reading Amy Carmichael’s biography, watching The Sound of Music, reading Jane Eyre, and stirring it all together in my imagination! 12. What other hobbies do you enjoy when you are not writing? I love flower arranging for weddings and special events, cooking healthy meals for friends and family, traveling for research and ministry trips, and spending time with my family, especially my grandkids. Check out my reviews for the books in the Edwardian Bride series:
THE GOVERNESS OF HIGHLAND HALL (coming soon) THE DAUGHTER AT HIGHLAND HALL (coming soon) THE REFUGE AT HIGHLAND HALL + release day giveaway Interview with Candace Robb
10/19/2015
About the AuthorGrowing up, Candace Robb wanted to be a ballerina, tap dancer, folk singer, journalist—but on the day that she walked into Liz Armstrong’s undergraduate class on Chaucer’s Troilus and Criseyde, that all changed. A gifted teacher, lively, witty, always laughing even when cringing at a lazy response, Dr. Armstrong launched into the opening stanzas, and within a few lines Candace’s ears adjusted to the middle English—and she was hooked. Chaucer’s psychological study of the two lovers was a revelation to her. The next quarter was The Canterbury Tales. That clinched it. Candace went on to graduate work in medieval history and literature, and ever since she’s been engaged in bringing to life the rich culture of the period, from the arts to the politics. She is the internationally acclaimed author of thirteen crime novels featuring the sexy, brooding, clever Owen Archer, who solves crimes for John Thoresby, Archbishop of York and Lord Chancellor of England, and the young Margaret Kerr, searching for her missing husband and her role in a Scotland overrun by English soldiers. Candace is currently under contract with Pegasus Books for a new crime series set in 15th century York, the Kate Clifford mysteries, which will debut in 2016. Writing as Emma Campion, Candace has published two historical novels about the women of the English court in the 14th century, A Triple Knot and The King’s Mistress. Born in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, Candace grew up in Cincinnati, Ohio, and has lived most of her adult life in Seattle, Washington, which she loves for its combination of culture, natural beauty, and brooding weather so like Yorkshire, Wales, and Scotland, which she visits as often as possible. She has taught the art of writing the crime novel in the University of Washington’s certificate program, and offers workshops in writing the historical novel and in creating and plotting the crime series. Candace (and Emma) blog about writing and medieval topics at A Writer’s Retreat, ecampion.wordpress.com. The Interview![]() 1. How did you get started as an author? What or whom inspired you? I’ve always been a storyteller. As a child I entertained my mother with convoluted stories that shifted and changed, much as dreams do when we remember them. She enjoyed them, but worried that I might someday forget what was true and what was fiction. As a teenager I wrote songs that were usually modern variations on the Child ballads (Francis James Child, collected in The English and Scottish Popular Ballads), popularized by Joan Baez. At university I began my lifelong, so far futile attempt to write a haunted house novel. I can’t tell you have many I’ve begun and abandoned. My first published novel was The Apothecary Rose. I wanted to bring to life the 14th century that I glimpsed in the poetry of Geoffrey Chaucer. Anya Seton’s Katherine inspired me, and Daphne Du Maurier’s My Cousin Rachel and The House on the Strand. As far as crime writers, I was reading Colin Dexter, PD James, and Martha Grimes to get a sense of how a mystery worked. I especially liked how Grimes injected some humor into the story. When the book sold to St. Martin’s Press I was in York double checking some of the locations. They wanted my assurance that it was the first in a series, so I started researching The Lady Chapel while I was still in the city. Such an exciting time! 2. How many books have you written and in what genres? I’ve published 13 crime novels (all historical mysteries), and 2 historical novels about the women at the court of King Edward III. 3. What writing projects are you currently working on? What can you tell us about these projects? I’m currently working with my editor to polish the first book in a new crime series, The Service of the Dead, a Kate Clifford mystery. And I’m writing the second book in the series. The Kate Clifford mysteries are set in York slightly later than the Owen Archer novels; the conflict between King Richard II and Henry of Lancaster/ Henry IV provides an edgy political climate in which the citizens of York become deeply, and tragically, involved. But the focus is on Kate Clifford, a young widow with a background on the Scottish borders that has prepared her for trouble. She’s handy with knife, axe, and bow. And she’s found a rather unorthodox way to pay off her late husband’s debt—running what might be considered a high-end brothel. I think her Irish wolfhounds, Lille and Ghent, will steal the show. 4. What does your writing process look like? I’ve come to think that the way I write is rather like playing Dungeons and Dragons by myself. I begin with an ensemble of characters, give them powers/social status, skills/professions, personalities (including passions), then I create a crisis and watch them deal with it. It’s so much more fun than when I outlined every chapter and then despaired as my characters resisted all attempts to keep them in line. 5. Where is your favorite place to write? The office my husband built for me out of two small rooms and a short hallway. I look out into a lovely garden, my books surround me, my desk is large, I have a reading chair and space to keep a yoga mat at the ready for unwinding. ![]() 6. How important are the names in your novels? How do you choose names for your characters? Do you have any name resources you would suggest? When writing historical novels, much research goes into the names. For fictional characters, I use poll tax lists, wills, and other public records. I spend a long while trying out names for my main characters—they need to feel right. So the research comes first, and then I live with the names, trying them out. For the period in which I write—14th/15th century—the names of male historical figures can become confusing because of the proliferation of Williams, Johns, Edwards…. It’s challenging to devise ways to distinguish them—Earl William vs Will, Edward vs Ned, etc. 7. What authors/novels that you enjoy would you recommend? Such a broad question! How to answer? It’s so difficult recommending books in general—I tend to have quirky taste. But you can’t go wrong with Ursula K LeGuin or Daphne DuMaurier. I love Donna Leon’s characters. This past year I discovered to my delight Robin Hobb’s Farseer Trilogy (her world building is so richly textured, her characters engaging and believable). I’ve featured Patricia Bracewell’s first two novels in a trilogy about Emma of Normandy on my blog: Shadow on the Crown and The Price of Blood (both highly recommend) and Susan Signe Morrison’s Grendel’s Mother (a retelling of Beowulf from the women’s perspective—brilliant!). Chris Nickson writes several excellent historical crime series set in Leeds and he’s written two medieval mysteries, The Crooked Spire and The Saltergate Psalter (which will be published in the new year). 8. Where is your favorite place to read and why? I have a comfortable reading chair in my office that I love because of the light from the garden during the day and the books within easy reach. I also love to read in bed before sleep—doesn’t everyone?! ![]() 9. What period of history interests you the most? That’s easy, late medieval (late 13th through the 15th centuries), which is why I write about it. But I love to read fiction set in early 20th century history through WWII—less of a busman’s holiday than reading fiction set in my period of expertise. 10. If you could choose someone famous to star in one of your books made to a movie, who would you choose and for which character? For Christiana, Margaret Kerr’s mother, I can see Michelle Fairley in the part. She plays Catelyn Tully Stark in Game of Thrones. She is a perfect mixture of strength and gentle beauty and yet seem to one who holds secrets—that’s Christiana. ![]() And for Hal, Sam Heughan (Jamie in Outlander) because—well, you can guess why! Though he’d need to go blonde to play Hal, he’s done it before. He can seem at once youthful and powerful, with a quiet strength. That’s Hal. 11. What inspired the idea for the Margaret Kerr Historical Mystery Series? My interest in Scotland in the late 13th century was sparked by research for the 7th Owen Archer novel, A Spy for the Redeemer. It involved some back-story for Lucie’s aunt, Philippa. Dipping into the history of the Scottish Wars of Independence, I was struck by how the people of Scotland suffered under the hands of both the enemy and their own army. Their crops and livestock were burned in order to starve out the invading English. I wanted to write about them. It reminded me of the haunting images in the news of ordinary people trying to go about their lives in the war torn areas today. It all came together around the character of Maggie Kerr: newly married, she thought she’d escaped her dysfunctional family and would now enjoy a normal, respectable life as a prosperous merchant’s wife; but within a short while her husband goes missing. As she searches for him she learns she knew very little of his history or his character. It’s a universal story, isn’t it? The war complicates and darkens it. 12. What other activities do you enjoy when you are not writing? Gardening relaxes me. Long walks inspire me. Yoga unknots me. Check out my reviews of
A TURST BETRAYED THE FIRE IN THE FLINT A CRUEL COURTSHIP Interview with Carol Ross
10/16/2015
About the AuthorCarol Ross lives with her husband and one loveable miscreant of a dachshund in a small town in Washington close to both the ocean and the mountains. She adores the Pacific Northwest because it provides her with endless opportunities for the activities she loves—hiking, running, skiing, and spending time outdoors. Although she enjoys reading in many genres, she writes what she loves the most—romance, especially light-hearted stories about the fun, flirty, and often-tumultuous path toward a happily ever after. For a complete list of her books, social media links, giveaways, and other fun stuff stop by and visit her new website: carolrossauthor.com. The Interview1. How did you get started as an author? What or whom inspired you? I literally owe my writing career to a few editors at Harlequin, and what I like to call “a series of fortunate events.” A few years ago, before I was published, I sent a query to Harlequin’s American line. An associate editor contacted me and I sent a partial, and eventually submitted the full manuscript. The senior editor ultimately declined the story for American, but I was thrilled to receive the nicest, most encouraging letter from her. Later, I was contacted by the same associate editor who was now working for a new line (Heartwarming) to see if the story was still available. Under yet another editor (who is fabulous and, thankfully, remains my current editor) and with some revisions this story became my first published novel, Mountains Apart. A three book contract followed, and here I am. Humble and very, very grateful. As far as my inspiration to become a writer in general, I would have to give the credit to all the amazingly talented romance authors I read as a teenager. Jane Eyre, Jude Deveraux, Julie Garwood, Colleen McCullough, Penny Jordan, LaVyrle Spencer, Danielle Steele, and Nora Roberts were some of my favorites. I was the kid who would hide my book inside my math text during class. 2. How many books have you written and in what genres? I have written four books for Harlequin, all for the Heartwarming line. If Not for a Bee is book three in the Seasons of Alaska series. Book four is done and I’m waiting on revisions. I have a few manuscripts gathering dust in my computer as well. All romance - I’ve only ever written romance. I like to read in just about every genre (except horror). Along with romance, mysteries and legal thrillers are my favorites. I can’t imagine writing anything else. 3. What writing projects are you currently working on? What can you tell us about these projects? I just finished a Thanksgiving short story for Harlequin that will be available as a free read some time in November. The story is set in Rankins, but with some never-before-seen characters that I love. Oh, and a dog! Book four in the Seasons of Alaska series, A Family Like Hannah’s is finished and will be out February 1st. I’m hoping that readers will be excited to learn that Hannah, Shay’s sister in A Case for Forgiveness is getting her own story. Excited to be working on a proposal now for some new Heartwarming books. 4. What does your writing process look like and where is your favorite place to write? Imagine a hurricane… There you go. That’s pretty much my writing process. I’m kind of messy. I throw everything out there and then clean it up. But I always start with the characters. They form and grow in my head until they become like real people. I know their personality traits, how they’ll react in situations, and most importantly, what they want. Then I’ll write some dialogue and a scene or two. The story evolves as I write, which means I go back and layer things in as I figure them out. My process is probably slower than most. I’m a little jealous of those writers who plot out the story before they ever write a scene. I do most of my writing sitting on my sofa with my feet propped up on the table in front of me. My dachshund Lucky is glued to my left hip. And I drink coffee by the pot. (I take my coffee black, but my tea with cream and sugar. I have no explanation for this.) I dream of having a “real” office someday, but for now this is it. I just got up and took this embarrassingly honest photo of what my work space looks like… (Please excuse Lucky’s inattentiveness - he’s recovering from the surgery he had a few days ago.) 5. If you could choose someone famous to star in one of your books made to a movie, who would you choose and for which character? (Possibly share an image of this famous star.) Normally I’m not one to picture famous people when I write. I know authors who create collages or Pinterest boards around their Hollywood-looking hero and heroine. I can see how this would be helpful, but I always feel like I should be writing instead. Not that I am writing necessarily, just that I feel like I should be. But Aidan, the hero from If Not for a Bee is an easy one. He’s Matthew McConaughey. He’s a bit older than Aidan, who is in his early thirties in the book. Imagine Matthew in the films Sahara or Fools Gold. Even his personality reminds me a bit of Aidan. Matthew as “Aidan.” (His hair a tad blonder, like it was in Fools Gold.) 6. What other hobbies do you enjoy when you are not writing? I love to be outside. I enjoy hiking, running, fishing, snow skiing, kayaking, and walking with my dog. I really enjoy exercise and would consider it a hobby. It’s my anxiety reliever. I attend piyo (a cross between pilates and yoga) classes at a studio in a little neighboring town. I also love to read. I would spend hours every day reading if I could get away with it. (Okay, sometimes I do this anyway at the expense of less important things like house work, grocery shopping, or cooking dinner.) I also like to cook, travel, and spend time with my family. Check out my review for IF NOT FOR A BEE.
Interview with Trudie. L. Hayes
10/12/2015
About the AuthorTrudie L. Hayes’ personal story and family life influenced her mission to spread the core values of self-acceptance, self-esteem, and self-love to children and persons of all ages. An affiliation with physically and mentally disabled adults and children spanning many years is a major contributing factor. The caregiver role has been paramount throughout much of her life, even while furthering her education or working full-time in a corporate setting. These experiences have given her a deep understanding of the trials and struggles associated with a compromised existence. As well as the inspiration and joy derived from living life to one's personal best. It is through these myriad life experiences that Hayes began writing and registering several related trademarks. With a grander vision of promoting confidence and self-worth. Born and raised in Connecticut, Hayes still calls the Nutmeg State home. The oldest of two children, she remains close to her siblings. When Hayes is not writing or managing her business, she dedicates her time to other creative outlets and artistic pursuits. Hayes has a deep appreciation and passion for music in its many forms; she enjoys writing song lyrics, performing, and has an affinity for Jazz. The Interview1. How did you get started as an author? What or whom inspired you? I have always been that proverbial fly on the wall. Watching, listening and feeling out others. Able to interact with them on the surface, while simultaneously crafting scenarios in my head; a participant observation sort of thing. I would concoct stories given things that were actually happening. With that vivid imagination, I decided to try executing to pen and paper. Where it became an entirely different thing. 2. How many book have you written and what genres? Thus far two: Young Adult-Convergence, just released; and a children's book in 2008, Of All The People In The World To Be...I Am Glad That I Am Me!"®, which I have just re-released. 3. What writing projects are you currently working on? What can you tell us about these projects? I have begun a sequel to Convergence; my plans are for it to be a trilogy. And I have another idea I have been mulling over for a few years. It is more controversial than anything I have done previously; and of a adult nature. I have a quite a few copyrighted poems I am considering compiling into book form. 4. What does your writing process look like? It's really not all that complicated and it depends on the type of writing. I rather like to place myself in the context of what's being written. For a light, happy fun piece. A bright, quiet, pleasant setting. For a more complex, complicated piece--a dark, barren, lonely setting. While I may not physically go to these places, I can spend time there in my head. 5. Where is your favorite place to write? This may sound odd, but it's in my head. There I can take myself wherever I want to be; and I prefer to be alone. If there are others around I can also take myself to an alone place in my head. 6. How important are the names in novels? How do you choose names for your characters? Do you have any name resources you would suggest? The names are important in that I know they are right. It's simply a feeling and pretty spontaneous. I generally feel grounded with the names I choose. There are occasions, however, after going deeper with writing, something does not feel proper. When this happens I may change a name. Fortunately, this is more rare. 7. What authors/novels that you enjoy would you recommend? Oddly, my reading tastes are of a spiritual and metaphysical jag. I love anything pertaining to the mind and its vastness. That includes the greats of yesteryear, 'til today. The greatest book I have ever read is Shakti Gawain's Creative Visualization. 8. Where is your favorite place to read and why? I have no favorite place to read, but I relish the alone time. As I mentioned, if I am not afforded the luxury of alone time when I wish to read, I take myself to that place by way of my imagination. 9. What period of history interest you most? I am fascinated with all time before today. Any period when man exercises his will to overcome adversity with sheer determination and resilience. While the advances and inventions of modern day have done much to make existence less stressful an safer, there's something about using one's own ingenuity for survival I find appealing. 10. If you could choose someone famous to star om one of your books made to a movie, who would you choose and for what character? From the beginning I have felt Angelica Huston or Glenn Close as Euphira. Given many of the roles they have created; Morticia Adams and Cruella Deville respectively, I feel they epitomize Euphira at her best or worst. 11. What inspired the idea for the story for Convergence. The idea of a parallel existence for me is remarkable and the storyline has been approached more times than there is count. As has the good vs. evil theme. Once I began I could not stop. One way out storyline created another and the domino effect was off and running. 12. What other hobbies do you enjoy when you are not writing? I love mind exploration; forms of meditation and increased awareness. A jazz aficionado, I intend to be an accomplished singer and piano player when I grow up. Oh yes, that will not be for a very, very long time! Check out my review of CONVERGENCE.
Interview with Terry Montague
10/9/2015
About the AuthorWhen I was about three, my mom said, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” I think she was expecting me to say, “A mommy, like you.” Instead, I popped off with, “I want to be a writer.” I can still remember her face. She said, “Well, don’t you think you need to learn to read first?” I didn’t think so. Terry Bohle Montague is a BYU graduate and a free-lance writer, having written for television, radio, newspaper, and magazines including The Ensign and Meridian Magazine. She has also been published as the author of book length historical non-fiction and fiction. Her non-fiction work includes the book, Mine Angels Round About, the story of the LDS West German Mission evacuation of 1939 which occurred only days before the Nazi invasion of Poland. Her LDS fiction, Fireweed, is loosely based on her interviews with the evacuated West German missionaries and their families. Terry studied with Dwight Swain and Jack Bickham, as well as David Farland. Her writing awards include those from LDS Storymakers, Idaho Writers’ League, and Romance Writers of America The Interview1. How did you get started as an author? What or whom inspired you? I’ve always known I wanted to write stories. Even before I could read I knew I wanted to write. But, being a published writer is a different thing. I didn’t think about that very much until I was listening to an interview with a well-known author. She was interesting and made her professional life sound interesting so the next time I looked for something to read, I picked up one of her novels. I think I made it almost to the second chapter. I was seriously disappointed in the lack of craft and thought, I’ll bet even I could do better than that. So, I decided what I’d like to write and checked out a lot of books of that genre. Then, I joined a writers group and started attending conferences. 2. How many books have you written and in what genres? For the LDS market, I’ve written two. One is a primary resource, non-fiction historical called Mine Angels Round About. It’s about the evacuation of the West German Mission in 1939 which was one of the events that incited World War Two. The other is Fireweed which is about an LDS German family trying to survive in Nazi Berlin. What writing projects are you currently working on? What can you tell us about these projects? I’m trying to finish a piece of Women’s Fiction that is not Romance. Only a couple chapters left to write on that one. Briefly, it’s about a family renovating an old farm house in a quirky, rural town. The one I’m researching is loosely based on my grandmother who practiced a form of healing/midwifery called Baruche. It’s considered a matriarchal calling from mother to daughter and is quite old. These are the women who were burned as heretics in Germany, deemed inappropriately religious by Russian authorities, and labeled as witches by their Protestant congregations in America. It hasn’t quite yet taken shape in my imagination which means I haven’t done enough research. 3. What does your writing process look like? I begin with a circumstance and setting. Then, I shape my main characters according to what would most dramatize the backdrop. I create a chapter-by-chapter outline which becomes my working synopsis. I outline each scene in a notebook, beginning with a statement about what I want to achieve in that scene, were it is set, and who needs to be in it. Then I write the dialogue, add the emotional markers, then the sensory information. Every day, when I begin, I go back and read the scene I’ve written the day before. If I find I’m blank about what I need to write, I go back and read the previous ten pages or so. Usually, I find I’ve made a misstep in part of my process so I fix that and get back to work. In revising, I scrutinize the adverbs (especially “to be”), adjectives, and the qualifiers. I read out loud. Then, I ask my husband or our daughter to take a look for continuity and engineering. I do a little more revising and then pass it on to some trusted writer friends. Sometimes I ask for help from beta readers. Then, I let the manuscript cool for a while before I submit. 4. Where is your favorite place to write? When I’m doing the background research, sometimes I write (long-hand) at my kitchen table. The table is next to a large picture window and I can stare out at the back yard where there are lots of plantings and birds and animals. When I’m working on the story, I’m at my desk where my chair is more comfortable and the desk is turned away from window so I’m not distracted. I’d like to opt out of the photo here because I currently have piles and piles of research stuff all over the place. 5. What authors/novels that you enjoy would you recommend? I really wish people would read Gone with the Wind. It’s so easy to assume you know the story from watching the movie. The book is so much richer in setting and character and plot. Rather than the story being a romance, as the movie depicts, it is more the story of Scarlett and Melanie. A wonderful contrast of complicated characters who have a hugely complicated relationship. I loved it in the book when Scarlett caught on fire and Melanie smacked her with a rug hard enough to knock her down. Where is your favorite place to read and why? (Can I get a picture of this?) Anyplace I can sit down! Ha. 6. What period of history interests you the most? Whatever period reflects a lot of change in a society. Like 18th Dynasty Egypt. And of this country, I enjoy reading about the second half of the 19th Century and the first half of the 20th. The pilgrim era is also interesting to me because my mom’s family came to the Massachusetts and Chesapeake Bay Colonies in the 1600s. She also is a descendant of Boleyns so I feel I can talk somewhat knowledgeably about that period, too. Then there are the Hugenots who are also relatives. I also enjoy learning about Celtic Europe (not just Britain). My dad’s side of the family were Germans who colonized what is now Ukraine. I have a stack of material on that group and am considering doing something with the women healers of that time and place. 7. What inspired the idea for Fireweed? Usually, I just give people a standard response about growing the story out of some research from Mine Angels Round About. But since your questions are somewhat more searching, I’m including something I wrote several years ago. It is below. Except for the time I spent at school (I graduated from BYU) I’ve spent my entire life in Rupert, Idaho. I grew up in a small German community here. The community is descendant of the German colonies founded by Catharine the Great in Ukraine, along the Volga River and on around the west shores of the Black Sea. About the time of the Bolshevik Revolution, the anti-German sentiment forced many Germans out of Russia. They came to America, looking for homesteading land, settling on the plains. Our family followed the railroads into the Dakotas. Though our German family spent more than 100 years in Russia, they never referred to themselves as Russian. Some of our old-timers were heard to say, “Just because a cat had her kittens in the oven, doesn’t mean they are biscuits.” They were fiercely German. Our grandparents, aunts and uncles, and the neighbors next door and across the street were Russian-Germans. Everyone spoke German. The church we attended had services in German. As more and more homestead land opened, our family moved west, to Montana, Washington, California, and onto the fertile Snake River Plain of southern Idaho. My dad was a young man when they came to the Rupert area. Like all the rest, he was snapped up by the draft during World War II and sent to Europe. He was injured in the Battle of the Bulge and left behind to die. It was so cold there, the blood from his head wound froze before he bled out. He stumbled around the Ardennes for several days, sometimes crossing enemy lines before he found an American radio hut. It’s only since he’s gotten older that he’s felt like talking about those experiences or the confusion he might have felt having an enemy to whom he was so closely connected. While I was growing up, we watched a lot of tv. Old war movies, Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck cartoons, and shows like Combat. I remember that, often, characters who barked out German were referred to as “dirty Krauts”. My grandparents spoke German in their home and I refused to believe my tiny grandmother was a “dirty Kraut.” I was in the sixth grade when I started reading about Nazi Germany and the history of World War II Europe. Even at that age, I’d begun the attempt to reconciliate my decidedly American heritage and my German (“dirty Kraut”) lineage. From before I could read, I knew I wanted to tell stories and later my husband, Quinn, encouraged me to write. As I was trying to find an engaging subject, I met Norman Grant Seibold who was then one of our County Commissioners. His experiences as a missionary in Nazi Germany inspired me to research the West German Mission evacuation of 1939. Over a five-year period, I tracked down nearly sixty of the almost eighty missionaries involved in that dramatic and historically significant incident. Often, I traveled to a former missionary’s home to find he had family members, some of them German, sitting in on the interview. If, during the interview, the missionary had to retrieve a journal or set of letters from another room, his German family members would say to me, “Now let me tell you what happened to me.” When my research was as complete as I could make it, we released it as a piece of primary resource historical non-fiction, titled Mine Angels Round About. Then, because I knew I needed to tell another part of the story, one from the German point of View, I began writing Fireweed. This is where Lisel, Marta, Papa, Frau Heidemann, and Kurt were created. It wasn’t easy writing a full-length novel, but my characters helped me by showing up in my dreams and talking to me about themselves and what they were doing and what they should be doing and what I should be doing. All of them were real to me. So real that now, sometimes, I miss them and have to go back and read a part of my manuscript just to reconnect with them again. I wanted to make their experiences real for the reader too. So I did something a lot of my friends had fits over. For the last several chapters of the book (about six weeks’ worth) I decreased my calorie intake to less than 800 a day to be able to realistically describe the hunger the characters felt and what that hunger did to them. I was careful, though. I drank adequate amounts of water and took some heavy-duty vitamins. The first effects showed up in my verbal skills. Often, I couldn’t finish the sentence I had started. This was particularly troublesome when I was invited to speak to a writers’ group in Cache Valley. I’m still embarrassed about that. Another phenomenon was that I didn’t seem to have any emotional control and spent a lot of time crying. I had no particular reason to cry but I did anyway. I was also angry and very pessimistic which is not like me at all. Another revelation was that if you’re hungry over a long period of time and bend over, you see bursts of light and that standing too long makes you really dizzy. That was a miserable learning experience but I think it made a better story and that’s what mattered most to me. What also matters to me personally is that through this writing experience I’ve bridged that gap between my American and German heritages. And now I think I understand with even greater clarity how suffering and joy and hate and love is the same for all humans no matter what language is used. 8. What other hobbies do you enjoy when you are not writing? I don’t have a lot of time for hobbies, right now. Our daughter is struggling with cancer, her husband is in China, and we’re looking after their two little girls and their puppy. (Can laundry and dishes be a hobby?) In the past, however, I’ve enjoyed doing family history research and, sometimes, my husband buys me a beat-up house to renovate. That’s every woman’s fantasy, isn’t it? Check out my review for FIRE WEED.
Interview with Kate James
10/8/2015
About the AuthorKate James spent eight years of her childhood living in foreign countries as her professional parents travelled on business. She lived in four countries and spoke five languages before settling down in Canada again to attend university. After graduating with a degree in civil engineering, she held a variety of positions in the field of real estate development and operations, and ran three substantial organizations. While her writing during this period was mostly business related, including presentations and speeches she delivered both nationally and internationally, her passion is and always has been fiction. Kate's business and personal experiences enable her to write fiction with a deep, often first-hand knowledge of what she is writing about. This approach makes Kate's stories richer and more vivid. Kate’s goal is to entertain you with well-written, engaging stories, set in intriguing places and with strong, likeable characters. “I hope my stories bring you pleasure and entertain you. Nothing pleases me more than receiving feedback from people who have chosen to spend their valuable leisure time with one of my books,” notes Kate. Kate married her husband, Ken, in an elegant, ocean-front wedding on a tropical island. When they are not traveling, they split their time between their properties in southern and central Ontario in Canada. The Interview1. How did you get started as an author? What or whom inspired you? I always wanted to write. While I was attending university, I started two manuscripts, but after graduation, my career took off. Those partial manuscripts were relegated to a storage box in my basement. Fast forward a number of years. I discovered a notice for a short story writing competition. I wrote a story, entered it in the contest and placed 52 in my category. That might not sound like much of an accomplishment, but the contest received over 12,500 entries! Still, I didn’t pursue writing at the time. A few months later, I was opening birthday gifts from my husband. I’m a very hard person to buy gifts for because there’s not much that I want or need. Yet, my husband always finds the perfect presents for me. On this particular occasion, one brightly wrapped package contained a beautiful white laptop. I smiled graciously and thanked my husband profusely, all the while wondering why I needed another laptop, when I had a perfectly good one from work that was with me nearly 24/7. But my husband knew better than I did. Because I did spend so much time on my work laptop, the last thing I was inclined to do was use it to write. The fact that my personal laptop was white instead of the normal business black made a world of difference, too. It didn’t look or feel like my work computer, and it created an entirely different mindset. My husband continues to inspire to this day, as do a number of wonderful Heartwarming authors! 2. How many books have you written and in what genres? My debut was Silver Linings and it is women’s fiction. I am on my third contract with Harlequin. I have three Heartwarming books already released, two more in the editing stages, and a novella that will be released as a special on-line promotional download as part of a Heartwarming Thanksgiving promotion. The Harlequin books are mostly romance. 3. What writing projects are you currently working on? What can you tell us about these projects? My current project is the K-9 trilogy, set in San Diego. My October 1st release, When the Right One Comes Along, is the first book in the trilogy. The second book, When Love Matters Most, is scheduled for release on January 1st and will be available in select Walmart stores in February. The third book is tentatively titled When the Sky's the Limit, and is planned for release in June 2016. The trilogy tells the stories of three San Diego K-9 unit officers, their love interests and their dogs. When the Right One Comes Along is the story of San Diego Police K-9 search and rescue officer Cal Palmer, his dog Scout, and trauma surgeon Jessica Hansen. Cal and Jessica meet in the aftermath of a deadly earthquake. Their shared concern for Kayla, a young girl orphaned by the disaster, and for Cal's canine partner, Scout, allow them to see things from a fresh perspective and discover the difference love can make. When Love Matters Most is the story of Rick Vasquez, a K-9 unit sergeant, who fled drug-related violence in Mexico as a boy. Madison Long is the new primary veterinarian for the SDPD’s canines. Rick’s dedicated his life to curtailing cross-border drug trafficking and preventing other young boys from being drawn into the dark world of the cartels. But all that Rick and Madison value, including the growing love between them, is threatened by the dangers of Rick’s job, and the risks he’s determined to take… The third book, When the Sky’s the Limit, deals with a possible terrorist threat at the San Diego airport, and involves K-9 Unit Captain, Logan O’Connor, his dog Boomer, and chief of airport security and loss prevention, Ariana Atkins. 4. What does your writing process look like? Although I have general ideas about the characters and plot of the story when I start, they evolve as the writing progresses. The only guide I use is the book proposal or synopsis. Writing about what I know or have experienced leads to a more genuine, believable story in my opinion. But to write credible, diverse stories, there is always an element of research that’s necessary. Research is often fun, as it was for the K-9 trilogy. After obtaining the requisite security clearance and approvals, I had the pleasure of spending a considerable amount of time with PC Jim Hilton of Ontario’s York Regional Police. PC Hilton is a K-9 expert and trainer, and is partnered with explosives detection dog, Max. PC Hilton was extremely generous with his time, knowledge and expertise, and I loved meeting Max. 5. Where is your favorite place to write? Where I write is partially weather dependent. I enjoy the outdoors, thus if Mother Nature is cooperating, I will take my laptop outside. One of my favorite spots to write is the gazebo in the backyard of our house. Often my “critique team,” black Labs Harley and Logan, join me, as they did when this picture was taken. In the winter, I like to write in my office. Especially with snow falling outside, I love to curl up in a comfortable recliner facing the fireplace with my laptop actually on my lap. As you can see in this picture, my trusted critique team is again close by, even if they’re less engaged! 6. What other hobbies do you enjoy when you are not writing? When not writing or doing other work, I love spending time outdoors with our dogs, hiking, bicycling or working in our gardens. When I’m not working or outside, I love to read. I also paint, although I haven’t done much of it over the last few years. Check out my review for WHEN THE RIGHT ONE COMES ALONG.
Interview with Rick Barry
10/8/2015
About the AuthorRick Barry is the author of The Methuselah Project, Gunner's Run, Kiriath's Quest, plus over 200 published articles and fiction stories. In addition to being a World War II buff, he is the director of church planting ministries at BIEM, a Christian ministry operating in Eastern Europe. He holds a degree in foreign languages, speaks Russian, and has visited Europe more than fifty times. Rick and his wife Pam live near Indianapolis, Indiana. The Interview1. How did you get started as an author? What or whom inspired you? My path into writing for publication began as a whim. During Spring Break of my sophomore year in college, I noticed an ad for a writing contest in a magazine. I’d always enjoyed writing college papers. Something about arranging words and linking them together in fresh, new ways had always appealed to me. So I decided to write an article and entered the contest. I didn’t win. But imagine the pleasant surprise when the editor wrote back and wanted to buy rights to print my piece anyway. It was only $35, but for a college guy in the 1970s, earning my first byline was still a big deal. 2. How many books have you written and in what genres? I’ll limit my reply to published books, since I have a few manuscripts languishing in a file drawer. (Many novelists need a practice novel or two in order to get a feel for how to write one.) My first novel was Kiriath’s Quest. That’s a YA fantasy. Novel #2 is Gunner’s Run, which is historical fiction starring a young American airman in World War II. My third and newest release is The Methuselah Project, which is adult suspense with a good dose of romance in the mix. (The protagonist is a P-47 pilot in WWII.) 3. What writing projects are you currently working on? What can you tell us about these projects? Contrary to some fine writing advice, in addition to novels, I continue to write short pieces for Focus on the Family and for a few other places. Novelists are supposed to specialize, but it’s truly fun whipping out short fiction of only 1,800 or 2,000 words instead of a 90,000-word tome. Clubhouse magazine just bought my story of a sixth-grade boy who finds a metal box under the roots of a fallen tree. In the box is an invisibility cloak. But going back to novels, my current novel manuscript is a sequel to The Methuselah Project. I purposely left plenty of loose ends to continue the story. 4. What does your writing process look like? It looks like lots of short spurts strung over many months. I’ve had unpublished writers eye my published works and conclude, “You must have big blocks of writing time.” Nothing could be further from the truth. I don’t have time for writing, so I keep adding to each project in spurts of 15 minutes here, 30 minutes there. Sometimes in the morning before heading to the office, often during the last half of my lunch break. In time, those spurts amass to hundreds of pages, but it takes persistence. 5. Where is your favorite place to write? Because of my answer to Question #4, I have written in more places than I can count, including in my car and on airplanes. But at home, my favorite place is my small home office. It has a Medieval décor. Definitely different, but it suits me. (If anyone has a suit of armor just gathering dust, I’d be happy to give it a new home!) 6. How important are the names in your novels? How do you choose names for your characters? Do you have any name resources you would suggest? Interesting that you ask, especially since most interviewers don’t. Years ago at a writers conference, Dr. Dennis E. Hensley encouraged students in his workshop not to pull random names from a telephone book. Instead, he discussed names as literature and encouraged us to select names that are symbolic or contain a hidden meaning. I often do that. For instance, my new release The Methuselah Project stars Captain Roger Greene of the U.S. Army Air Corps in WWII. In the Bible, Methuselah is the man who lived the longest. In my book, Roger lives a long time too (although not as long as Methuselah). Because in literature the color green symbolizes life, I added an “e” to the end and made Roger’s family name “Greene.” Probably some readers have figured out the connection, but no doubt others don’t. Another character is a German scientist, Sophie Gottschalk. She helps Roger to escape. Because her aid is an answer to Roger’s prayer, I chose the surname Gottschalk, which means “God’s servant.” 7. What authors/novels that you enjoy would you recommend? I’ve read a wide variety of authors, including John Grisham, Robin Cook, and Clive Cussler, and Michael Crichton. I especially appreciate books by Angela Hunt and Alton Gansky, since they develop interesting themes and unique story lines that incorporate a faith element. 8. Where is your favorite place to read and why? There’s nothing like ending the day in bed with a great book. My wife Pam and I both enjoy reading in bed. ![]() 9. What period of history interests you the most? Definitely the 1940s. World War II caused an upheaval all around the globe. Normal men and women—soldiers and civilians—were literally thrown into a wide range of experiences. Plus, there were fast advances in aircraft designs, shipbuilding, new weapons, and other innovations. 10. If you could choose someone famous to star in one of your books made to a movie, who would you choose and for which character? Hmm.... Some authors will clip faces out of magazines to represent their characters as they write. I didn’t do this. Yet, as I reflect on the question, one face that comes to mind for my character Roger Greene is Keith Harkin, a member of the Celtic Thunder singing group. Of course, Mr. Harkin has an Irish accent, which would require major explaining if he played Roger, who was raised in Indianapolis! 11. What inspired the idea for The Methuselah Project? Although I’m not a huge fan of time-travel stories, during my reading of WWII biographies, the idea kept returning of taking a character—maybe a pilot?—from the past and transplanting him into our present day. However, I didn’t want to create a strictly science-fiction yarn that leaned on space ships or a time machine or suspended animation. What my imagination concocted was a secret Nazi project that never ended after the war. So, although The Methuselah Project is tinged by science, it’s primarily a suspense novel with a generous helping of romance. 12. What other hobbies do you enjoy when you are not writing? I like antiques, especially from the 1940s that I mentioned above. I can’t afford even a fraction of the antiques that appeal to me, but when I do acquire one, it goes into one room of our house decorated all in 1940s furniture, etc. I’m not sure that it qualifies as a hobby, but it’s been a fun project. Check my review of THE METHUSELAH PROJECT.
Interview with Myra Johnson
10/7/2015
About the AuthorMyra Johnson’s roots go deep into Texas soil, but she now enjoys living amidst the scenic beauty of North Carolina. Myra’s debut novel, One Imperfect Christmas, was a September 2009 release from Abingdon Press. She has also written six novels for the Heartsong Presents line. Her 2009 release, Autumn Rains, won the 2005 RWA Golden Heart for Best Inspirational Romance Manuscript, and she is a two-time ACFW Carol Award finalist. Most recently she has completed a three-book historical romance series, “Till We Meet Again,” for Abingdon Press. The first book in the series, When the Clouds Roll By, won the historical fiction category of the 2014 Christian Retailing’s Best Award. Book 2, Whisper Goodbye, and book 3, Every Tear a Memory, both received 4½-star reviews from Romantic Times. Myra and her husband, Jack, have two married daughters and seven grandchildren. The Interview![]() 1. How did you get started as an author? What or who inspired you? I’ve been writing stories for almost as long as I can remember! In high school I kept a notebook of stories that I’d add to when I finished class assignments. These were long, rambling, never-ending “epics” written mostly for my own entertainment and the very few trusted friends I shared them with. I credit a couple of favorite high school English teachers for their encouragement and for instilling a love of good stories. It wasn’t until 1983, after I was married and had two daughters in elementary school, that I got serious about learning to write for publication. That’s when I enrolled in the Writing for Children and Teenagers course with the Institute of Children’s Literature. Before completing the course I had already sold two short stories, which got my hopes up for ongoing success. However, even with regular magazine sales, it took 25 years of persistence and lots of prayer before I signed my first book contract. In August of 2008, Barbara Scott, who had recently come onboard to edit the new fiction line at Abingdon Press, called to offer a contract for One Imperfect Christmas, which became my debut novel. 2. How many books have you written and in what genres? Well, first we need to differentiate between “written” and “published”! Tucked away in a file drawer are maybe a dozen completed manuscripts that will never, ever see the light of day. Those I consider my “practice” books, not wasted effort but valuable training ground. Beginning with One Imperfect Christmas, which came out in the fall of 2009, to my latest release, The Sweetest Rain, I now have twelve published novels and three novellas. My thirteenth novel, Rancher for the Holidays, will release in November from Love Inspired. I write both historical and contemporary romantic fiction with a Christian/inspirational worldview. 3. What writing projects are you currently working on? What can you tell us about these projects? I’m continuing to develop my historical romance series, Flowers of Eden, for Franciscan Media. Book 1, The Sweetest Rain, has just released. Two more books are planned for the series, which tells the stories of three sisters who grew up on their grandfather’s tenant farm in Depression-era Arkansas. I also contribute to novella collections by The Seekers as time permits, and I hope to write more for Love Inspired. 4. What does your writing process look like? My work week is pretty much Monday through Friday, with weekends reserved for household chores and family time. Mornings are set aside for the “busy work” of writing—email, blogging, keeping up with social media, and anything marketing-related. After lunch with my husband, now retired, I spend 4-5 hours most weekday afternoons working on the current writing project. I’m an incurable pantser, meaning I cannot for the life of me plot out a book before I write it! Even if I am able to develop some semblance of a plot outline, the characters usually sabotage me and insist on doing things their way. However, I always begin with a very general concept for who the central characters are, where they live, and what they want most in life. From there, they “tell” me how the story is going to unfold, and I’ve learned to shut up and type! 5. Where is your favorite place to write? My office is a converted spare bedroom overlooking a wooded backyard. I have a “real” desk and rolling ergonomic office chair, but I’m much more comfortable in my IKEA high-back armchair with footstool. I write in Scrivener on a MacBook Pro on a wonderful tilting laptop desk with cooling fan. Usually our two dogs are sleeping somewhere nearby, the smaller one most likely curled up on the footstool between my ankles. 6. How important are the names in your novels? How do you choose names for your characters? Do you have any name resources you would suggest? I really need to know my characters’ names before they start to become real for me. A favorite resource is The Writer’s Digest Character-Naming Sourcebook, which groups names by nationality and provides the name meanings. I’ll read through the lists until I find one that rings true, not only the sound of the name but with a meaning that is somehow significant to the character or story. In my novel A Horseman’s Heart, for example, the hero is Kip Lorimer, a horseman and saddle maker. “Lorimer” is an occupational name for a maker and seller of horse tack. I also use websites like Behind the Name for both given names and surnames. 7. What authors/novels that you enjoy would you recommend? There are so many I admire that I’m afraid of leaving someone out! I would highly recommend books by any of my Seekerville friends, so I hope your visitors will look up a few of them. Another personal favorite is Lisa Wingate. I also enjoy the Christian legal novels by Robert Whitlow. And my absolute all-time favorite books are Tolkien’s The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. 8. Where is your favorite place to read and why? Most of my pleasure reading takes place during the hour or so before lights out each night. If the weather’s nice and I have some time to read on weekends, I may take a book out to the screen porch and enjoy the sounds and scents of nature. 9. What period of history interests you the most? The research for my Till We Meet Again series (Abingdon Press) fostered an interest in the World War I era. I can’t say I recall much of the dry facts from high school history classes, but getting into the personal stories of soldiers and their families made that time in history come alive for me. The same is true of my research for this current series, Flowers of Eden, as I’ve delved into the effects of the Great Depression on those who lived through it. 10. If you could choose someone famous to star in one of your books made to a movie, who would you choose and for which character? I’ve always harbored secret hopes of seeing One Imperfect Christmas made into a Hallmark movie, and I can picture Reese Witherspoon in the role of Natalie. Well, I can dream, can’t I? 11. What inspired the idea for the Till We Meet Again trilogy? What inspired your idea for The Sweetest Rain? Till We Meet Again was inspired by a song by the same name that my mother used to sing in the car on long trips. The titles of each of the three novels in the series, When the Clouds Roll By, Whisper Goodbye, and Every Tear a Memory, are variations on the song lyrics. Each phrase in its own way provided inspiration for what happened in the story. The inspiration for the Flowers of Eden stories is harder to pin down. A former editor asked if I would submit a proposal set in the 1930s, so I began reading about the era and brainstorming some ideas. Though editorial changes prevented that publishing house from taking on the project, by then I was invested in the characters and fully immersed in the story possibilities. I’m so grateful to my agent, Natasha Kern, for finding a new home for these books with Franciscan Media, and I have to say the folks at Franciscan have been pure delight to work with! 12. What other hobbies do you enjoy when you are not writing? With writing as a full-time career, I don’t have a lot of time left over for hobbies. However, I do love pampering our two rescue dogs, very special members of our family. My husband and I also sing in our church choir, and we spend what time we can with our grandchildren (at least the four who live closest). I love books, certain favorite TV shows, and movies. If there’s a compelling story with intriguing character development, I’m in! Check out my reviews for:
WHEN THE CLOUDS ROLL BY (coming soon) WHISPER GOODBYE (coming soon) EVERY TEAR A MEMORY (coming soon) THE SWEETEST RAIN |
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May 2021
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