Mini-view with Denise Weimer (The Witness Tree)

About the Author

Denise Weimer holds a journalism degree with a minor in history from Asbury University. She’s an editor for the historical imprints of Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas as well as the author of The Georgia Gold Series, The Restoration Trilogy, and a number of romantic novellas, including Across Three Autumns of Barbour’s Backcountry Brides Collection. Represented by Hartline Literary Agency, Denise is a wife and mom of two daughters who always pauses for old houses, coffee, and chocolate!

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The Interview

1-What inspired the idea for The Witness Tree?
I enjoy writing historicals that take the reader to different locations and time periods in the history of my native Georgia. In looking for inspiration for a new story, I came across mention of the Moravian mission at Springplace, the school for children of Cherokee chiefs on the property of Chief James Vann. The Moravians in the early 1800s were a little-known sect of “plain people” born out of the resistance of Bohemian priest John Huss to the Catholic church. The focus that brought them to the New World was missions.  I had visited the Vann plantation as a child and even blogged about Moravian Christmas traditions, but I’d never realized the connection between the Moravians from Salem, North Carolina—like a cute, mini-Williamsburg—and the Vann house in Northwest Georgia. One of the things the Moravians wanted to do was to learn and record the Cherokee language. The Cherokees at this time were divided between embracing European ways and resisting change. Many opposed the writing down of their language. In this unusual intersection of cultures, I saw some great plot tension!

2-What did you as an author take away from writing The Witness Tree?
Haha, well, that ties into the last question, and the answer would probably be not to make it so hard on myself as a writer.  Properly and honorably depicting the two very different cultures, which could hardly communicate with one another at first contact, was extremely challenging. But to take that a step further, the story itself focuses on how we react when our dreams don’t flesh out as we’d hoped, and even when we fail. That’s something I’ve definitely walked through in my professional and personal life, but in the end, God always has a purpose and a redemption plan.

3-What top 5 books do you currently have on your TBR pile?
To be honest, I don’t actually have a physical TBR pile at the moment. I read a lot of books as I’m evaluating them for potential publication with Smitten Historical Romance and Heritage Beacon Historical Fiction, the imprints for which I serve as a managing editor. (Yes, The Witness Tree is releasing through Smitten, but it was actually contracted before I started as an ME. :)) I also read a number of novels for beta reading or author endorsements for my fellow writers. With four novels of my own releasing between now and March, plus a daughter becoming a high school senior and an older daughter getting married in December,  I don’t have much down time. But once I do, I have a whole list of Smitten back titles to choose from, as well as lots of novels by my dear author friends.