Interview: Frances Hunter, Part 2

We’re back for part 2 of my interview with Frances Hunter (aka Liz and Mary Clare), author of To the Ends of the Earth: The Last Journey of Lewis and Clark.

Liz and Mary, what themes were foremost in your minds when you began to write Ends? Did any surprising themes emerge as you were writing, and if so, why do you think these themes are meaningful to you?

Liz: A theme that emerged almost immediately as we researched and began to write was celebrity. Meriwether Lewis was one the most famous and successful man in America, or so it seemed. But what happened to him was a very typical celebrity story in many ways. He achieved his dream, and he didn’t know where to go from there. So there is the sadness and tragedy of what happens to heroes sometimes.

Mary: I think one of the strongest parts of the book is the depiction of the relationship between Clark and his slave York. Here are two men, about forty years old, who have been companions since boyhood. By all rights there ought to be a deep friendship there, but it’s impossible, because one’s the master and the other’s the slave. York accompanied Clark across the continent. He suffered the same hardships and saw the same wonders as everybody else, but he is not free to speak his mind or choose his own destiny. When he tried, Clark literally beat him back into his place. Some of our readers have been uncomfortable with this part of the book, but in my opinion, it is one of the most compelling themes. Clark and York have a true love-hate relationship.

Liz: The most meaningful theme to me is embodied in the title of the novel, To the Ends of the Earth. The people in this novel do a lot of hurting. But they keep reaching for something nobler—for love and friendship and honor. The fact is that Lewis and Clark needed each other, and would have done anything for each other. They shared a command in a way that is almost unheard of, in the military or anywhere else. By the end of their journey across the continent, they were more than partners. They were alter egos. They realized that they were stronger and smarter together than either was alone. This is a deeply personal theme to Mary and me. We are bonded together in much the same way as Lewis and Clark were. There was a strong identification there.

The strongest theme of the book became the ennobling power of love, courage, and honor, versus the corrosive power of hate, vengeance, and despair. This is something that we all ultimately wrestle with in our lives. We all have to deal with the dark side of life and what’s dark in ourselves. What Clark learns in his search for meaning is that we can survive the blows that life hands out and even our own self-inflicted wounds.

Those are profound insights that add considerable depth to Ends. What especially helpful historical resources did you come across in your research—Web sites, books, videos, etc.?

Mary: The first book everybody turns to is Stephen Ambrose’s Undaunted Courage. It’s a great overview of the expedition and a good character study of Meriwether Lewis in particular. We also read the DeVoto and Moulton editions of the Lewis and Clark journals. The Great Journey West movie is fun and gives you a good idea of the challenges Lewis and Clark faced and the beautiful country they traveled through.

For old St. Louis, we found a wonderful book called St. Louis: An Informal History of the City and Its People by Charles Van Ravenswaay. It was indispensable, along with the great National Park Service Web site A 19th Century Slang Dictionary on the Camp Chase Gazette Web site and the book Tailor Made, Trail Worn, by Robert J. Moore Jr. and Michael Haynes. This is an exhaustively researched and wonderfully illustrated study of the clothing worn by the men of the Corps of Discovery. And no historical novelist should be without The Book of Insults Ancient and Modern by Nancy McPhee!

I definitely need to add that last one to my personal library! You can’t beat an authentic, well-turned insult in just the right place. So ... what new projects are you working on now?

Mary: We have a first draft of a “prequel” about Lewis and Clark that deals with how they met and became friends when they were young officers in Anthony Wayne’s army in 1796. We are also developing an idea for a mystery about Robert E. Lee, who came to St. Louis in 1838 as a young officer in the Army Corps of Engineers. His task was literally to move the Mississippi River. And he did.

Wow—those sound like intriguing story lines! As you’re beginning a new project, which comes first—characters, plot, era, theme?

Mary: First, you have to know the basic story you want to tell, and why you want to tell it. You have to feel a compelling emotional pull towards the story and the characters. What is it about these people that will make readers want to spend time with them? What human truth are you trying to get across? Once you know these things, you can begin your research and start fleshing out the characters, the plot, and the setting.

Our original idea for Ends was pretty simple. The story became much more rich and complex as we fleshed it out, but the basic theme was still there: How far would you go for friendship?

Liz: For me it all starts with an unanswered question. Who killed Meriwether Lewis? There’s an unanswered question. How did Lewis and Clark get to be such extraordinary friends? There’s another, and thereby hangs a tale. Also, I have to love the characters. After all, I’ll be spending the next few years with them!

Excellent points. Are you going to concentrate on writing books together, or does either of you have any solo projects in mind?

Liz: Definitely together. I really enjoy writing something that I know Mary will get a kick out of. Writing is a pretty lonely business, and the world remains largely indifferent to your genius! With Mary to write with, there’s someone else right by my side, even during the long and difficult times when success seems most elusive. Just like Lewis and Clark.

Mary: For us, it is much more fun writing together than apart. It’s more satisfying and easier to stay motivated, because you make faster progress and get immediate feedback. We’ve really enjoyed the experience of sharing this project. I can’t wait to collaborate on another project soon.
Who would you say has influenced each of you the most as a writer and why?

Mary: My biggest influence as a writer is John Jakes. No one would argue that his books are great literature, but he knows how to tell a ripping good story. If you look at the structure of The Bastard or North and South, you see how Jakes drops you back in time, with a sense of immediacy and authenticity surrounding the historical conflicts that are taking place. His characters are both flawed and sympathetic. And his cliff-hangers are amazing—you just can’t put the book down! I would be thrilled to be compared to John Jakes one day.

Liz: When we were stuck, we’d ask ourselves, “What Would John Jakes Do?” There’s a great book by Dwight Swain called Techniques of the Selling Writer that embodies a lot of what you can learn from a writer like Jakes or Ken Follett as far as how to bring life to your writing and tell an exciting and emotionally compelling story.

I can tell the two of you really enjoy what you do. What do you like best about writing and/or being an author?

Liz: I like the times when the research and the characters and my own life experience come together and the writing just flows. Some days your fingers can barely disgorge a word onto the keyboard, but there’s nothing better than the times when you visualize a scene in your mind’s eye, and it’s as if you’re a reporter, simply writing down what you see.

Mary: Being able to create a great story that’s exciting and fun to read, and that maybe touches the reader in a deeper way. All you really want is for your book to be read and enjoyed.

I know every writer will agree with those goals. Okay, what do you struggle with the most as a writer, and what have you learned from it?

Liz: I struggle with research paralysis. Sometimes I feel that I can’t go on until I have every detail in place. I’ve wasted whole writing sessions surfing the net trying to find out what kind of shoe laces they had or what they ate in roadside taverns. Obviously, it would be much better simply to flag those questions and get on with writing a good scene. That’s something that I have to get better at.

The good news is that when you overcome research paralysis, you end up with placeholders that end up being some of the funniest things about the whole project. For example, I once had Clark think of his hometown—Louisville, Kentucky—and yearn for a Hot Brown sandwich. Too bad he missed it by another 120 years.

Mary: The hardest part is realizing that you can’t wait for external validation to believe in yourself and your work. Like most new writers, we got endless rejections from literary agents, and then when we finally found an agent, a whole new round of rejections from editors. It’s hard to know what to do when one publishing house says your work is not commercial enough, another says it’s too commercial, etc. You get beaten down by your own lack of control over the process.

In the end, we decided to form Blind Rabbit Press and publish the book independently. It’s been a wonderful experience. The book is exactly the way we wanted it in every way. We’ve gotten a great response from readers and reviewers. I’m glad that we kept believing in the quality of our book and didn’t give up on ourselves. It’s vindicating to take a risk and feel like you made the right decision.

A big amen to that. Ladies, thank you so much for sharing your experiences and insights with us. It's been a gas getting acquainted with you and learning about To the Ends of the Earth. I wish you the greatest success with Ends and with all your upcoming projects!

Be sure to comment on this post today to be entered in the drawing for a free copy of To the Ends of the Earth. Up for tomorrow is Michelle Sutton’s review of The Begotten by Lisa T. Bergren, and I’ll announce this week’s winner tomorrow as well.

Interview: Frances Hunter, Part 1

Frances Hunter is the author of To the Ends of the Earth (Blind Rabbit Press, Sept. 2006), a novel about Lewis and Clark, the adventurous duo sent out by President Thomas Jefferson in 1803 to explore the Northwest Territory. But surprise—in reality, Frances Hunter is the pseudonym of two sisters, Liz and Mary Clare, who joined forces to write this exciting and compelling story set in 1809 about the latter days of two great American heroes.

Ladies, tell us a little about yourselves, including a brief overview of how and when you began to write.

Mary: Liz and I grew up in Austin, Texas, and both went to school here at the University of Texas. My day job is being a senior systems analyst at the University of Texas, writing software for university students and staff. Hook ’em Horns!

As far as writing goes, I was a small business columnist for the Austin Business Journal in the early nineties and have always enjoyed writing both fiction and non-fiction. My article “A Dark and Bloody Ground: The Incident on the Nueces” was published in the May 1998 issue of Civil War Magazine. In 2000, a poem I wrote was selected as a winner in the Austin American-Statesman’s Yeats of Austin poetry contest. I guess I dabble a little in everything.

Liz: I knew I wanted to do something related to writing, so I went into technical writing in the software industry and did that for years. But my first love was American history, and I kept my hand in writing about various topics for hobby publications and eventually, web sites. About six years ago I got a job creating web exhibits on historical topics for the Texas State Library and Archives.

I have enjoyed creative writing ever since I was a small child. I remember putting together little books and magazines. Often this was something that Mary and I did together, so in a sense we’ve been co-authoring a long time! But in high school, I had an unfortunate experience. I showed some of my fiction to a writing teacher at the school and he advised me to stick with non-fiction, such as writing for the school paper. Dumb kid that I was, I was crushed and took it to heart—even though other teachers had encouraged me! Go figure. I didn’t write any fiction again until I was past 30. Then I discovered fan fiction on the Internet and I couldn’t resist. I got back into writing fiction and got a really good response to my stories. It was really gratifying to entertain people and to create an emotional response in the readers.

I know your readers are sure glad you got back to fiction. I’m curious—how do the two of you manage the process of co-authoring?

Liz: A lot of people want to know about that! We came up with the characters and plot together.

We love to tell each other stories and act them out, and many a key scene was developed at that early stage. We divided up the research, and that generated many more ideas. Because this book involves several characters making separate journeys, figuring out all the transportation logistics was a bear! We had calendars and maps everywhere.

Mary: As the story began to take shape, we produced a comprehensive master outline, which described in detail what was going to happen in each chapter. It helped us discover all the holes between scenes and forced us to think of how they might be bridged. Then we each picked a chapter and started to write. I believe I took the first chapter, which was hard, because we really didn’t “know” the characters yet—as is typical with the beginning of a book, we ended up re-writing it a couple of times. But our story was started, and Liz was excited about the result, which inspired me even more.

When Liz finished a chapter, she’d hand it over to me to read, comment, and edit, and vice versa. That way, any differences in our style were smoothed out in the editing process. It helps that our writing styles are very compatible, and that we’ve been best buddies all our lives. Most readers would never know the book has more than one author.

What led you to write To the Ends of the Earth? Which of you came up with the idea? And why start where you did—after Lewis and Clark’s famous journey?

Mary: We got obsessed—not too strong a word—with the story of Lewis and Clark in 2003. We were enthralled by the IMAX movie The Great Journey West, and shortly after that, we started planning a trip to Montana and Idaho, some of the most spectacular sites on the trail. In preparation for the trip, we began reading the Lewis and Clark journals. It’s quite something to get to know these men in their own words.

But as you know, the ending of the story is unsatisfying and tragic. Lewis died only three years after the journey, in despair and alone. One of the most poignant aspects about the last days of Lewis’s life is that in his darkest moments, he kept insisting that Clark would come to set things right. But of course Clark never did. He was delayed by his own affairs and learned of Lewis’s death in Kentucky, on his way to help Lewis argue his case in Washington.

As a novelist, you’re always looking to improve upon reality. So we thought, wouldn’t it make a better story—a great mystery, and a great story about the two men’s friendship—if Clark had realized the depth of Lewis’s trouble, and if he had come after him on the Natchez Trace? And what if the trouble was even more sinister than Clark realized? The urge to tell the story was irresistible.

Liz: I really missed Lewis and Clark when we came to the end of the journals. We joked about doing a sequel where they undertook a second expedition to the Southwest. We really weren’t ready to let go of these two men and their remarkable partnership.

The murder mystery became the sequel idea. Eventually the book evolved out of the mystery genre and into a historical novel with larger themes, but that was the genesis.

You did extensive research on Lewis and Clark and on the period. What parts of the story are factually true, and what parts are a product of creative invention?

Liz: The basic premise of the novel is true. Lewis died of gunshot wounds along the Natchez Trace on October 11, 1809. It’s still a controversial topic whether he killed himself or was murdered, and an extensive literature exists detailing various theories of Lewis’s demise, ranging from simple highway robbery to a high-level conspiracy reaching up to Thomas Jefferson himself.

It’s also part of history that Meriwether Lewis’s life became a disaster after the expedition, both personally and professionally. As a reward for his success as an explorer, Jefferson had appointed him governor of the territory of Upper Louisiana, which encompassed most of the Louisiana Purchase. But Lewis was no politician. He made a lot of enemies, and finally he was recalled from St. Louis back to Washington, D.C., to answer questions about possible wrongdoing. He was facing disgrace, dishonor, and bankruptcy, plus he’d managed to get himself hooked on alcohol and drugs and make a complete hash of his love life. Poor Lewis was a mess.

The suspect that we seized on and made the villain of our novel is James Wilkinson. This guy is one of the great unsung traitors and scoundrels in American history. He was the commanding general of the United States army. He was also a spy in the pay of the Spanish. This would be the modern-day equivalent of the head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff being in the pay of Iran or North Korea. Wilkinson played both sides for years, and was a pivotal conspirator in all of the intrigues that swirled through early America, including the Burr conspiracy. Some historians have proposed that Lewis somehow got mixed up with Wilkinson and ended up losing his life over it. This was the theory we chose to research and run with for the novel. Wilkinson is a wonderful villain and some readers have told us that he’s their favorite character in the book. He’s outlandish, yet we portrayed him very much as he was in real life.

Mary: And of course, Clark didn’t go after Lewis in real life. Too bad. I wish that he had.

In the novel, he follows Lewis along the Trace, and his wife Julia also becomes involved in the drama. This gave us a chance to have some romance in the story. It also gave us a chance to introduce another conflict that is very much supported by history, the tortured relationship between Clark and his slave York.

What did you want to accomplish by writing this novel?

Mary: Foremost, we wanted to tell the story of their friendship, because that was the most compelling aspect of the Lewis and Clark story to us. It seems amazing that two headstrong frontier army officers could’ve formed such a partnership—sharing command of a dangerous and difficult expedition without serious conflict for two and a half years. And they stayed friends afterwards!

As Liz mentioned, when we finished the journals, we didn’t want to let them go. Lewis and Clark had become an important part of our lives. We wanted to contribute something of our own understanding to their story. It’s our tribute to them.

Liz: As a writer, my primary goal is to entertain. I want our readers to laugh at the funny parts, thrill to the exciting parts, and cry at the sad parts. My other goal is tell a story that’s real. I want readers to see Lewis, Clark, and the other characters as real flesh-and-blood human beings. Take Meriwether Lewis. When you look at what happened to him, you almost can’t believe it. How could a hero end up that way? But it’s much more compelling if you turn that around, and ask yourself how this desperately lonely man accomplished so much while battling such frightening personal demons.

By the way, I’m always puzzled when historical novelists or their readers talk about an educational purpose for the books. I love reading history and biography and turn to them when I want to learn historical facts and context. I read fiction when I want someone to tell me a good story. That said, obviously I’d love it if reading our book inspired people to find out more about the real story or to visit the Natchez Trace or the Lewis and Clark Trail.

Be sure to join us tomorrow for the conclusion of my interview with Liz and Mary Clare, aka Frances Hunter! And don’t forget to post a comment to be entered in the drawing for a free copy of To the Ends of the Earth. To purchase a copy, go to http://frances-hunter.com.

Some People Don't Like Historicals

I recently took part in a discussion by several readers and a few writers about why people do or do not like reading historic fiction. What I found most interesting was how many of the comments I’ve found myself thinking of other genres—that it really is a matter of personal preference. But some of the points did make me question elements of my own writing.

1. Too Much Detail. “Do we really need to know how many different food dishes were served, or exactly what is on every shelf of the dry-goods store?” This seemed to be one of the major complaints about the genre. They felt that the stories move too slowly, that they as readers have to commit too much attention/brainpower to read a historical—and pointed out how most historicals are longer or are broken into multi-book series. Most felt the pacing is too slow and the story takes too long to develop. Some of the writers felt that they don’t find the same deep POV that the contemporaries they enjoy have.

But, we lovers of historical fiction argue, we love the slower pace; we revel in the details—we want to see it all in our imaginations.

The questions this raised for me in my own WIP are, “Is every detail, description, historic tidbit important to the story? Or is it in there because it’s interesting to me?”

(In defense of historic fiction—ours is not the only genre with the too much detail problem. Have you ever read Tom Clancy or Michael Crichton? Do we really need to know how many rivets are in the hull-plate of the Red October submarine?)

2. Characters. “The women in historicals are too good, too soft, and are always victims waiting to be rescued by the strong alpha male,” OR, “The characters act too modern—heroines break every rule of society and are not censured; heroes are too in touch with their feminine side or have invented some kind of amazing device that is too modern for the setting to make things easier.” I actually agree with both sides of this argument—which are the stereotypes of the genre perpetuated by old genre norms and poorly written examples. A balance must be struck in creating compelling characters modern readers can identify with while also keeping them true to the era.

I picked up a book by a mainstream author because it is set during the Napoleonic war (my time period) and sounded like a fun premise. I don’t have a problem with light, humorous historical fiction—it’s what I write, after all. Unfortunately, the heroine turned out to be Bridget Jones in a costume—from her attitude toward others to snarky remarks to the language and cadence of her internal monologues. The hero is a James-Bond-meets-Tom-Cruise-as-Maverick type of guy—seducing every woman who crosses his path, angering matrons and aristocrats, and breaking every rule of gentlemanly behavior while still being loved and adored by the ton. I threw it across the room after about five chapters.

So, I must ask myself, “Are my characters compelling and realistic? Are they accurate for the time in which they live? Are they too modern? Are they complex enough to not be seen as the stereotypical damsel in distress and alpha-male warrior?”

3. Inaccuracies in Research. I don’t think I need to go into great detail on this one, as we’ve all experienced it. The best thing we can do is to not only commit to our research, but to find readers and critiquers who know the era well to read our WIPs to make sure we haven’t overlooked anything.

Like me, most of you could easily apply these issues to any other genre as reasons why we don’t enjoy reading them. And we would be correct—just like these readers were spot-on in their observations about historical fiction. Will these detractors ever be converted to lovers of historic fiction? Probably not. Can we overcome these sweeping generalities and stereotypes of the genre? Yes, by paying attention to the criticism and through its fire, refining our writing to the best it can be.

Kaye Dacus is an author, professional copyeditor, and freelancer who has been writing fiction for more than twenty years. She is a long-time member and former Vice President of American Christian Fiction Writers and currently serves as the ACFW Online Courses Coordinator. She lives in Nashville, Tennessee, and writes contemporary and historical romances.

Are Historicals in Yet Another Slump?

For those who aren’t aware of it, I recently made the decision to establish my own small press, called Sheaf House, in order to publish the works of some excellent authors I know—and some I’m not acquainted with yet—who are finding it difficult to get their projects into the marketplace. Sheaf House is going to concentrate on fiction, and one of the genres I’m going to give the most priority to is historicals. If this venture sounds interesting and you’d like to learn more, I’m blogging the process of getting Sheaf House into operation. To check it out, go to Publishing Dream.

One of the comments I received on a recent post came from a reviewer who said she was surprised by the lack of new historical fiction releases right now. While she found newly published volumes in several existing series, she couldn’t find even a handful of historical novels she was interested in reviewing. That backs up what I heard recently—that historicals are in another sales slump. I was also told that a couple of years ago and never heard that sales subsequently rebounded. I’m beginning to think that historicals in the CBA market are always either heading for a slump or actually in one.

A major motivation for me in establishing my own small press is to try to keep historicals in the forefront of the market. I suspect there are a lot of good authors out there who aren’t getting worthy projects published just because traditional publishers don’t think their books will sell enough copies to benefit their bottom line. With all the overhead a traditional publisher labors under, that’s an understandable concern. But I’m convinced that with the technology available today, it’s possible to slash overhead costs to the point that an individual book can make a profit with much lower sales figures than the levels traditional publishers need. At least I’m going to test that theory.

Another of my theories is that it’s less that the audience for historical fiction is shrinking at any particular time, and more that the variety, quality, and/or quantity of historicals being published rises and falls for the above reason. It’s more of a publisher-driven occurrence. But I’m convinced that if you publish well-written, entertaining, out-of-the-ordinary historicals, they will find an audience whether the genre is “hot” at that particular moment or not. The trick to getting sales is to think outside the traditional bricks-and-mortar-bookstore box and figure out how to reach the niche markets where many readers of historicals hang out. There are a number of ways to do this, including the Internet, which is becoming an increasingly important marketing tool for all kinds of products.

So what do you think? Have you found a number of excellent new historicals on the market? Do you think the genre is on an upswing or a downturn? Let us know how you feel!

Coming Up

Up tomorrow is our regular columnist, Kaye Dacus, who is going to explore a related topic: why some readers don’t like historical fiction. Kaye has a number of thought-provoking insights to share with us. Be sure to drop by and join us in the discussion.

On Wednesday and Thursday, I’m going to do something completely different to give us a fresh perspective on what’s new on the horizon for historical fiction. Instead of interviewing the usual well-established, best-selling author, I’m going to be talking to two brand-new, independently published authors whose novel just released in September.

Frances Hunter is the author of To the Ends of the Earth: The Last Journey of Lewis and Clark (Blind Rabbit Press, Sept. 2006) a novel about Lewis and Clark, the adventurous duo sent out by President Thomas Jefferson in 1803 to explore the Northwest Territory. But, surprise—in reality, Frances Hunter is the pseudonym of two sisters, Liz and Mary Clare! These two young women joined forces to write this exciting and compelling story set in 1809 about the latter days of two great American heroes.

I got acquainted with Liz Clare after she made a comment on this blog a couple of months ago, and after a short correspondence, I knew I just had to interview her and her sister Mary. I found Liz and Mary to be quite engaging, and I know you’re going to enjoy getting to know them better! Check out their Web site at: http://www.frances-hunter.com.

At the end of the week, we’re giving away a copy of To the Ends of the Earth, which I found to be a terrific read! One caveat: Some of the language in the novel is a bit on the—shall we say—earthy side. The characters talk like real people of the era, with some vulgarities and mild profanity. There’s nothing here that put me off, though, of course, I might be a tad more tolerant than some of you, dear readers. So if you fear you might be offended, simply request in your comments to be excluded from the drawing. Otherwise, as usual, if you post during this week, you have a chance to win a copy of the book—in which case, you’re in for a treat! And if you don’t win, I invite you to follow the link and order a copy of your own. I suspect we’re going to be hearing a lot more from Frances Hunter!

And on Friday, my writer buddy Michelle Sutton is going to contribute another of her stellar reviews on The Begotten by Lisa T. Bergren. If you're looking for a great read, be sure to check in to get the scoop on a hot new historical!

An apology

I'm sorry, I promised Kathy I'd fill in on the blog for three Fridays, but I was called out of town for an unexpected funeral. I suppose most of them are unexpected. At any rate, perhaps I can make up for it by posting now.

We've talked about libraries here before, but I'd like to add my two cents worth on the library as a promotional tool. I believe strongly in libraries. As a youth I read many more books than we could afford to buy so I solved the problem by hanging out at the library most days after school. There are a lot of people who read more than they can afford to purchase, that's why libraries came into being.

Some writers don't really like for their books to be shelved in a library, thinking every one that is checked out is a lost sale. I don't see it that way. I see every checkout to be one more person to help me build that all important word of mouth that is the greatest single promotional tool. A book that is purchased is generally read by 4 or 5 people. Over its life span in a library a book may be read 100 times or more. For a Christian writer this is a terrific leveraging of the number of people that might see the message we put in a book.

If a patron checks out a book and really likes the writing, there is the tendency for them to go to their local bookstore and find more writing by the same author. If the book is not stocked, this can lead to it being stocked. If the book isn't in the local library they may ask it to be brought in through inter-library loan. Most libraries offer this, yet it costs some ten bucks to bring one in that way, so they will simply buy it and shelve it rather than borrow it from another library. Why pay to borrow it if you can pay a similar amount and own it?

Maybe the most important thing of all, libraries are one of our most important tools to build literacy and increase readership. We're seeing an increase in Christian titles being added to the collections, and if we ask for them more and more, we'll continue to make that increase happen.

Did I mention that I believe in libraries?

Terry
www.terryburns.net
www.hartlineliterary.com

Part 2 Interview with Lisa Harris

I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving! Thank you for joining me for the second part of my interview with Lisa Harris.


BG: You’ve taken a new direction, veering a bit from historicals to mystery writing. Tell us why you’ve pursued this new direction.


LH: I admit to being the kind of writer who wants to write everything! While they haven’t all sold (yet!) I’ve written chic lit, gothic mysteries, and am now in the midst of an international suspense. My new cozy mystery series with Barbour started as an idea about three years ago. By the time I found out that they were looking for cozy mysteries, I already knew my eccentric heroine, Pricilla Crumb, and was able to bring her to life on paper.


BG: Can you share more about this new mystery series?


LH: Here’s a blurb from book one, Recipe for Murder, that will come out sometime next year. Heartsong Presents: Mysteries will release four fabulous cozy mysteries every six weeks. Check Barbour’s website at www.barbourbooks.com in the next few weeks for an easy way to sign up online!

Here’s my blurb for book one: Pricilla Crumb’s guest list has just turned into a suspect list. . .for murder. Pricilla never expected to be involved in a real life mystery, but that’s exactly where she finds herself when one of the guests at her son’s hunting lodge is found dead after sampling one of her salmon-filled tartlets. Certain she’s the one to blame for the man’s demise, Pricilla is determined to save her reputation--and that of her son’s--and find out the truth.


BG: You share a blog suspense blog featuring mystery and suspense writers. Tell us about that.

LH: Www.keepmeinsuspese.com was the idea of Wanda Dyson and Candice Speare. The idea is to help suspense writers through interviews, articles, and resources. We also offer a monthly contest with free books and often a free critique of a chapter.


BG: You live in South Africa now with your husband and children. Share with us about your ministry there as missionaries.

LH: With three young children, I find that right now my greatest ministry is my children. We are involved in work all over southern Africa, mainly in the areas of church planting, leadership training, and orphan work. Personally, I train teachers, lead Bible studies, and this summer organized a medical clinic in Zambia. You can find out more about our ministry at www.africanoutreachministries.org.


BG: I know that you have stories set in Africa you’d love to be published one day. Would you say these came to you before you lived in Africa or afterward?


LH: My love for Africa began in collage when I spent a summer in Kenya. We’ve lived in Africa for a total of almost six years now, and the longer I’m here, the more I want to share with others about the people, culture, and needs. I do have several stories set here that I’m waiting to hear from publishers on.


BG: What is the best and worst part of living in SA?


LH: The best is the people and the natural beauty. I love the bush. ☺ The worst is the poverty, crime, and helplessness I feel at times when I can’t make it all right. Jesus is truly the only answer.


BG: Of the three, which do you enjoy writing the most, historicals, mysteries, or SA settings?


LH: Again, no fair. ☺ I love them all as they each have their own challenges.


BG: What would you say your biggest struggle in life has been and how has it affected your writing?


LH: One of the first things I ever wrote was a Bible study that evolved from losing our first child due to a miscarriage. After dealing with years of infertility, it came as a huge blow that challenged my faith. During that time, a friend told me to take the time to search out who God really was. Either he was in control of my life and I needed to follow him no matter what. Or he wasn’t in control and nothing I was doing really mattered. So I did exactly what she said and it changed me like nothing ever has. For the first time I was able to hold on to God “no matter what.”

I’ve used this study here in SA with a group of women and hope to one day get it published so it will encourage other women as well.


BG: You’ve been such a blessing to so many writers with your encouragement and support. I can say this from personal experience. What would you say is the mantra you live by?


LH: You’re sweet. Two things come to mind. One, I want to live my life without any regrets. I don’t want to look back one day and say “if only I’d written that novel, or spent more time with my kids, or told someone I loved them. . .”

Second, I want everything I do to be for Him and His glory!

Lisa, those are words to live by, indeed. Thank you so much for sharing with us. You're such a blessing to so many people.

To wrap my week up I'm inviting you to visit my blog at www.bethgoddard.blogspot.com to read mini-interviews with both Lisa Harris and Lena Dooley about the upcoming suspense series set in Massachusett!

Thank you for joining me!
Beth.

Happy Thanksgiving and a recipe from Lisa!

Happy Thanksgiving! Enjoy this recipe from Lisa and be sure to join us again tomorrow for the second half of my interview with Lisa Harris.

For a twist on pumpkin pie, try this mouthwatering pumpkin cheesecake from Better Homes and Gardens!

1 ½ c graham cracker crumbs
1/3 C sugar
3 T butter, melted
2 8-ounce packages cream cheese, softened
1 c light cream
1 C canned pumpkin
¾ c sugar
3 T flour
1 ½ t vanilla
1 t ground cinnamon
½ t ginger
½ t nutmeg
¼ t salt
4 eggs
8-ounces sour cream
2 T sugar
½ t vanilla

For the crust, combine the graham cracker crumbs, 1/3 C sugar, and melted butter. Press the mixture onto the bottom and two inches up the sides of an ungreased 9 inch springform pan. Bake for 5 minutes at 325 degrees.

For the filling, beat cream cheese, light cream, pumpkin, ¾ c sugar, flour 1 ½ t vanilla, and the spices and salt with an electric mixer until smooth. Add eggs and beat on low until combined.

Spoon the filling into the crust-lined pan. Place in a shallow baking pan in oven and bake for one hour, or until the center appears nearly set when gently shaken, at 325 degrees. Combine sour cream, 2 T sugar, and ½ t vanilla and spread it over the cake. Bake another five minutes.

Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Loosen crust from the sides of the pan and cool thirty minutes more. Remove the sides of the pan and cool another hour. Cover and refrigerate for at least four hours.

Enjoy!

Massachusetts, Thanksgiving, and Lisa Harris!

Okay, I'm posting early because tomorrow is a big baking day!

What do Massachusetts, Thanksgiving, and Lisa Harris have in common? Well it's almost Thanksgiving (depending on when I post this) and where did it all start--for us here in the U.S. of America, anyway? Plymouth, Massachusetts.

Now, what does this all have to do with Lisa Harris? Lisa has a three-book historical series set in Massachusetts so I've interviewed her about the series as well as her other endeavors. Here's a little mini history of the Pilgrim's in Plymouth taken from Wikipedia (I love that site!), then enjoy the first part of my interview with Lisa.

The Pilgrims set apart a day to celebrate at Plymouth immediately after their first harvest, in 1621. At the time, this was not regarded as a Thanksgiving observance; harvest festivals were existing parts of English and Wampanoag tradition alike. Several American colonists have personal accounts of the 1621 feast in Massachusetts.

The Pilgrims did not hold a true Thanksgiving until 1623, when it followed a drought, prayers for rain, and a subsequent rain shower. Irregular Thanksgivings continued after favorable events and days of fasting after unfavorable ones. In the Plymouth tradition, a thanksgiving day was a church observance, rather than a feast day.

Gradually, an annual Thanksgiving after the harvest developed in the mid-17th century. This did not occur on any set day or necessarily on the same day in different colonies in America. The Massachusetts Bay Colony celebrated Thanksgiving for the first time in 1630, and frequently thereafter until about 1680, when it became an annual festival in that colony; and Connecticut as early as 1639 and annually after 1647, except in 1675. The Dutch in New Netherland appointed a day for giving thanks in 1644 and occasionally thereafter.

BG: Lisa, thank you so much for joining me at Favorite Pastimes. As an introduction tell us about yourself and your writing journey.

LH: My mother tells me that I began dictating stories to her before I could write, but I didn’t start seriously writing until my oldest son was born. I was a stay at home mom without a car and a baby who slept a lot, so I decided to use my time doing what I’d always dreamed about. It took me about nine months to write my first book and receive my first rejection, but I was hooked. Through two more kids and the need to work full time, I continued to write at least a little bit everyday. Almost six years later I sold my first book.

BG: That first sale is always a memorable one. Tell us more about your first book published and how did that come about?

LH: I met DiAnn Mills at a writer’s conference, and she graciously became my first mentor. A year later I had an idea for a Barbour novella, so I gathered up my courage and asked her what she thought. That book, To Catch a Thief, was bought a few months later and was released in December of 2003!

BG: I remember when I first heard your good news as well. I first met you in 2001 when we joined a critique group together. At the time you were working on the first book in your Massachusetts series, Michaela’s Choice. How many books do you have published now?

LH: It’s hard to believe, but I just sold my twelfth book!

BG: That is amazing! You obviously have a formula for success. Can you us tell how you go about choosing what you'll write? Why did you select Massachusetts to set a story?

LH: I found out from Tracie Peterson, during a meeting at an ACRW conference, that Heartsong was interested in Michaela’s Choice, but she wanted me to change the setting to a state where they hadn’t yet repackaged in a series as a three-in-one. She gave me a couple options and I chose Massachusetts. I have to confess that I have never been to Massachusetts, but in doing my research I became completely captivated by the rich history of the state. One reader told me that I must have lived in Massachusetts because my descriptions were so real, so hopefully that holds true through the series.

BG: You can't ask for a better compliment than that. Tell us about your other books in the series.

LH: Rebecca’s Heart was released last February and Adam’s Bride, the last book in the series, comes out this month. Adam’s Bride deals with the serious subject of prejudice and redemption. Here the back cover blurb.

Adam Johnson’s brother was killed by a Polish man, and he judges an entire people based on one man’s actions. But when he falls sick and is forced to rely on the kindness of two Polish immigrants, will Adam realize his prejudice is wrong?

Lidia Kowalski knows the New World is filled with prejudice. She’s done her best to hide her Polish heritage, and yet she knows she can not change who God made her to be. After finding Adam half-dead in the snow outside his door, she helps harvest his maple syrup. Once he recovers and they share a stolen kiss under the stars, she realizes that she’s losing her heart.

When Adam leans that his brother’s killer and Lidia’s brother are the same, will intolerance and loathing steal away Adam and Lidia’s future?

BG: It sounds like you have serious conflict in this one. Which of the three in the series do you like best?

LH: That’s so not fair! ☺ I loved Michaela’s Choice because it was my first full length novel to sell. Because of the difficult subject matter in Adam’s Bride, I think I found writing that novel the most rewarding. I wanted to deal with the issue in a realistic way without making the book too heavy and hopefully I was able to achieve that. On a side note, all three books will be repackaged together next fall. I just saw the cover for it, Massachusetts Bride’s, and it’s beautiful.

BG: Lisa, that's more great news! You've already told us that you've never been to Massachusetts. So, what resources did you use to develop a realistic setting of the New England region?

LH: I learned so much about Massachusetts in the process of writing this series, though the internet, videos, books, and their tourism office. The backdrop of Adam’s Bride resolves around the harvest and production of maple syrup which was another fun historical learning curve for me. Yum!

That wraps up Part 1 of my interview with Lisa Harrs. I've got something special for you this week. Thursday I'll post a recipe shared by Lisa -one of my partners in the new contemporary Massachusetts Suspense Series. I have mini-interviews with both Lisa and Lena Dooley over at my blog this week as well. Be sure to come back on Friday to read Part 2 of my interview with Lisa Harris.

Blessings!
Beth.

Interview with Author Francine Rivers - Part Two!

Welcome back to part two of our interview with author Francine Rivers

Jill: In the 1980s Biblical fiction was bigger than it is today, though the market seems to be changing in its favor, especially in the mainstream market. How do you see the market in term of this genre both in the general and Christian markets, and what can writers and readers do to bring it more into the focus of the reading public?

Francine: I have no idea about the market. I made a decision a long time ago to pay no attention to the trends in publishing. If writers try to write what is selling, chances are the trend will have changed by the time they finish a manuscript. I write what I need to read. Writing has become a form of worship for me, a way of going before the Lord and asking questions. The characters in each novel voice the various points of view about the question. The goal is to find God’s perspective. Once I turn in a manuscript (after the revision/editing process), I leave the rest to the Lord. Each book is a quest. When I reach the end and find the jewels God has given me, it’s time to go on. I need to focus on the next quest (question) the Lord has given me.



Jill: As mentioned above, the general market seems to have no problem publishing a variety of Biblical novels, though most of them are not written from a Biblical worldview. What strategies might a Christian Biblical novelist take to get their novels into the hands of readers – to show them the other side of the story – the one that stays true to the Biblical account?

Francine: I’m not sure I understand this question. The best way to get a story into the hands of new readers is to write a wonderful story with realistic characters. Readers tend to pass along recommendations. A writer’s readership grows in this way. It’s slower, perhaps, than having hundreds of thousands of dollars in publisher advertising, but it builds a loyal readership. The more a writer focuses on selling or promoting their story, the less attention they can give to making the characters come to life. The most important thing is to write the best possible story you can. Keep improving your craft. Read the classics. Read books that greatly impact people. Study great authors. Always immerse yourself in Scripture so that it will flow into your writing in a very natural way. I still consider myself an apprentice. Writers are never finished growing. Don’t give up. This isn’t about how many books we sell. It’s about being faithful to the call of God. It’s about pleasing our audience of One. Trust God to take care of the rest.

Jill: Please tell us about your latest Biblical novel and what drew you to write about this/these characters?

Francine: My latest biblical novella is The Scribe (Silas) which I just turned in to Tyndale House in mid-September. Silas fascinated me because there is so little said about him, and yet he traveled with Paul and Peter and wrote letters with Peter. He was on the Jerusalem Council. Paul asked him to accompany him on his second missionary journey. Silas was called a prophet. Yet, we know nothing of his personal life. Because of this, I was able to let my imagination run with him. One day I hope to meet Silas in Heaven and hear the real story behind this humble servant of God. I hope my story honors him.

Jill: How has God used Biblical fiction in your own life, personally speaking?

Francine: Biblical fiction was what first inspired me to write Christian fiction. I had been an historical romance writer for a number of years in the general market before becoming a Christian. One of the first Christian books I read was from the Zion Chronicles by Bodie Thoene. I loved her “visual” style. She’s a marvelous writer. (I think her books would make wonderful movies.) I also attended a conference and heard her speak. At the time, fiction was not yet “big” in the Christian market. Bodie opened the door for many of us. She continues to be an inspiration.

Jill: What one thing have you learned that you would pass on to writers interested in writing in this genre?

Francine: Writing Biblical fiction will bless! You will learn more than you can ever impart to your readers. The study of Scripture will enrich your life in so many ways you won’t be able to count them! Enjoy! Also, you will feel a very heavy responsibility to “get it right.” It is a huge responsibility to write as accurately as possible. Submit yourself to the Lord. Study the Scriptures daily. Read through the Bible at least once a year. Be involved in Bible study classes or home group studies. (Bible Study Fellowship has a seven year course that’s wonderful! Precepts is also a great method to study Scripture.) If you are going to be a Christian writer, you must be at the feet of the Master and in conversation with Him constantly. But, I ask you, what greater blessing is there than being in His Presence? We were created for a relationship with Him.

Jill: When I’m studying the life of a Biblical character, I often wish I could transport back in time and view the scenes in real time as on a movie screen. Which Bible character’s life would you like to view in that way if you could?



Francine: I would want to watch the life of Solomon from birth to death. I can see him as a boy, listening to his father’s great God-given wisdom. I can see him as a young man full of faith and hope for God’s people and leaning on the Lord for every decision. I can see him as a middle-aged man mired in the pleasures of the world and in the power of his position. “Vanity, vanity…all is vanity.” And finally, I can see him as an old man who is living with the errors of choices, a man who has come to understand that unless the Lord builds the house, it will not stand (words from his father, King David). In the end, the old king gives the wisdom of the ages to his son and grieves because he knows the boy will not listen.

Thank you, Francine! We appreciate you taking the time to answer our questions on Favorite Pastimes.

Tomorrow join Beth Goddard for an interview with author Lisa Harris.

Interview with Author Francine Rivers!

This Thanksgiving week Beth Goddard and I are splitting the days - I have Monday and Tuesday and she is taking Wednesday and Friday. On Thursday we will not be posting but we want to wish you all a wonderful Thanksgiving Day with your family and friends!


Today we are privileged to interview author extraordinaire Francine Rivers Francine has written in many genres but much of the time they have either reflected Biblical stories (as in Redeeming Love, a type of Hosea/Gomer tale) or are traditional Biblical novels. I hope you enjoy these next two days - Francine has some wonderful insights you won't want to miss!

Jill: With so many genres to choose from, why did you choose to write Biblical fiction? (Or why did you choose to write Biblical fiction in addition to all of your other genres?)

Francine: One of the editors at Tyndale House approached me with the idea of writing novellas about the women in the first chapter of Matthew. I thought the idea wonderful. These women have fascinated me for years, and I wanted to explore the reasons God had in naming them specifically in the Scriptures. Three, perhaps four, were not Hebrew. One was from the lineage of David. All of them faced great obstacles and became women known and honored for their faith. I believe these women who lived thousands of years ago have many lessons for women of today. The same is true of the men of the Sons of Encouragement series which grew out of writing And the Shofar Blew. What I realized in writing that novel was how important the faithful men behind the scenes are to the leader. These men of faith who receive very little notice or praise uphold the leaders in prayer and also hold them accountable. Unless the Lord builds the house, it will not stand (Ps. 127:1) This is true of a church. It is also true of a believer’s life.

Jill: There is an element in Christendom that would say that any fictional version of a Bible story is wrong. How much criticism, if any, have you faced for fictionalizing Biblical tales?

Francine: The only criticism I have received had to do with Unafraid (Mary) and came from several who view Jesus’ mother as a co-redeemer. It gave me an opportunity to talk about what the Scriptures show about her. Scripture is what’s most important! I have always tried to make it clear to readers that the purpose of fiction is to whet the appetite for the real thing: a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and a passion for His Word: the Bible. Fiction should never replace Scripture. And it is a tremendous responsibility for a writer to attempt to bring the Scriptures to life in a new way that will have people eager to dive back into the Bible to seek and find answers for their own lives.

Jill: Along that same line, how do you answer people who might have a problem with Biblical fiction, even more so that fiction in general?

Francine: If people have a problem with fiction, if it tends to draw them away from studying God’s Word, then I would advise them to stay away from novels. Sometimes people feel convicted about what they’re reading. Each of us needs to be sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit. God knows best what we need to grow in faith. For some, fiction may be a temptation. For most, it is encouragement to return to the Word of God and study it more deeply.

Jill: What Bible characters have you written about so far, and which ones do you hope/plan to write about in the future?

Francine: I have written about Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, Bathsheba, and Mary. I’ve also written about Aaron, Caleb, Jonathan, Amos and Silas. I can think of many I will study, but whether I will write more Biblical fiction is entirely up to the Lord. I never know from one year to the next what He will have me do.

Jill: When you set out to write a Biblical novel, what steps do you take to research the story?

Francine: My primary source is the Bible. There is so much information in the Scriptures about the way people lived thousands of years ago, the way they thought, the consequences of their actions. Our pastor said: “A text out of context is a pretext.” I’ve never forgotten that. I know I must read the chapters before and after the story I’m studying in order to see how events worked together. I have other reference books, of course, on manners and customs, ancient history, but the most important source for what I need is in the Bible. The prayer is always: “Lord, what are You trying to teach me through this person’s life? Show me the lessons here. Give me insights into this person’s life and how it reflects life today.” As believers, we have God’s promise that the Holy Spirit is our personal instructor; He brings things to light as we read and study.

Jill: Most Bible stories that have been written already have the plot all there – we know how the story ends. How do you weave the tale so that it doesn’t come across predictable?

Francine: The most gripping part of any story is the people. What problems did they face? How did they deal with difficulties, sorrow, joy, jealousy, hard-ship, triumph? It is the exploration of the personality I find so fascinating. I tend to write “character-driven” stories and want readers to become involved in the person’s life—to feel their feelings, to hear their thoughts, to see possible reasons for their actions, and the effect of the consequences, good and bad, of their choices. Plot can hold interest for a time, but people come to life in our minds and remain there for a long time after the book is closed.

Great advice! Come back tomorrow for part two of our interview with Francine Rivers. Hope to see you then!

A Few Words with Tracie Peterson

It is my distinct pleasure to introduce to you (although I have a feeling many of you here already know her) a top favorite historical fiction author. Every single one of her books graces my bookshelves in an honored place, taking up two complete shelves! One of the highest compliments I received from a reader of my writing was it reminded her of Tracie Peterson. And that's who we have as a guest here today, taking time out of her busy schedule to answer a few questions.

We might even be lucky enough to have her visit and respond to questions or comments you wish to leave for her on this blog. So, comment away!

I hope you enjoy learning more about a beloved author and good friend.

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1. You have published over 70 novels. How long have you been writing historical Christian fiction and what got you started on this path?

I've wanted to write since I was young. I read a great deal when I was a child and that passion poured over into wanting to write. Writing for the Lord was something I was very excited to be called to do. Christian fiction wasn't a regular genre when I got serious about writing in the 80's, but it was fast becoming one with authors like Janette Oke and the Thoenes. As I read these authors along with others, I knew this was where the Lord was leading me. I started small with a volunteer column for a Christian newspaper, as well as a few articles for magazine and Sunday School take-home-papers. My passion, however, was full length novels and that came about in late 1992 when I got my first contract with Barbour Publishing for a historical romance called A Place To Belong.

2. A lot of authors or writers steer clear of historical fiction because they don't want to spend the time doing the research. On average, how much research do you put into each of your books? Or do you research and write simultaneously?

I do some research ahead of time. After years of loving to write Americana stories set in the 1800s, I have a lot of research already done - at least when it comes to some of the basics and general information. When I pick a particular location as setting for a story, I generally try to visit that location as part of my research. I also read as many books on the area, the people and events of my time period, as I can lay my hands on. For instance, right now I'm utilizing about 2 dozen books for the series I'm currently working to write. Research for me is an on-going thing as I write, but I also am blessed to have a historian for a husband. Jim does some of the research for me and this helps a great deal, as you can well imagine. I'm generally researching one book while writing another, but will often research as I write in order to make certain I keep everything accurate. I still make mistakes, but I do aim for accuracy.

3. Readers of historical fiction can be quite harsh on authors who include inaccurate details in their books. How do you safeguard yourself from making these mistakes? What steps do you take?

As I mentioned, I do make mistakes - we all do. I recently read a book by a well-known historical author and there were several mistakes related to the setting. I know I'm disappointed when this happens, so I try hard to keep my facts accurate. For this, I generally try to make sure I use the historian rule of three and find three separate sources for information that might be controversial or questionable. Often this isn't possible, but I do strive to accomplish this.

I also try to refresh my knowledge constantly by reading historical accounts, diaries, texts, etc. Often a person can get a thought in their mind that something absolutely existed at a certain point and time, when in fact it didn't. So refreshing your memory is a good idea.

Also I try to steer clear of writing anything based solely on one person's memory or stories passed down through generations. I've seen way too many times when someone quoted as accurate face a story given by their great-grandma so-and-so and then when I check it against other historical archives, find that it is completely inaccurate. We love our grandparents' stories, but need to remember they are altered with time, often seen through rose colored glasses and sometimes just didn't have the accurate information they needed at the time. A good example is my grandmother used to tell me how they practiced black-outs in Kansas during World War II because they were told bombers could fly all the way from Germany to Kansas. We know now that they couldn't, but that's what they were told then. So while I could have a character believing that in a story, I wouldn't quote it as a historical fact.

Either way, mistakes will happen and I try to practice grace when it comes to other authors and hope my readers will do the same.

4. What do you feel appeals to historical fiction readers more: the settings and time periods that tend to be loved by many or the obscure and not often covered ones that provide fascinating insight. Why?

As a reader of historical fiction, I find that one of the things that attracts me most is the way it pulls me out of the present and takes me back in time. I find it fascinating to see the way certain things were developed to change our lives for instance going from candles and oil to light a room, to gas and electricity. I love to see how fashion changed and why people wore what they did. I think historical readers enjoy the break from our daily contemporary lives, but also that we can see that nothing really ever changes. Problems that were endured on a personal level in the 1800s are the very ones we endure today. Relationships might have been surrounded by different cultural rules and regulations, but people are people.

I think readers of historical fiction enjoy both the common, fairly well known stories of history, but also crave the ones that are not so prominently given. When writing books about Alaska or the Harvey Girls, I've heard from so many people that they enjoyed the series because they had never known much about the topic or setting. Often I get letters from readers saying that my setting has sent them on vacation to the same locale in order to experience it for themselves, because they loved it so much in the book.

5. Unearthing little known facts about a specific area can result in a fantastic story, educating readers with more details about a specific event or people from actual history. Your books seem to primarily have that type of focus. What do you use as your starting point and how do your stories evolve?

Sometimes my stories are born purely out of a scene that comes to mind. That one scene leads me to build around it and pull events and settings that will fit it best. Other times I read historical accounts and feel confident the events would be a fantastic backdrop to a fiction series. One of my favorite things to come across is a historical event that happens and the historians all agree that how these things came about are unknown or obscure at best. That's always fun to take and run with, imagining for myself how those events might have come about.

6. What is next on your plate or to-be-released pile?

I'm very excited to announce that I have two books releasing next summer. First is a historical set in the 1850s in Philadelphia. This will be the first of three stand-alone titles in the Ladies of Liberty series. Book one is titled A LADY OF HIGH REGARD. The stories are romantic and each deals with a fiercely independent young woman who works in various ways to secure her future and grow in her knowledge of the Lord.

Next is a project that I've co-written with Michael Landon Jr. The story is titled ONE MORE SUNRISE and will release next summer. The story is set in the late 1950's in Kansas.

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Thank you, Tracie, for dropping by our blog. We hope you readers enjoyed it as well. Don't forget to participate in the contest from yesterday's post about mistakes in historical fiction novels. Winner will be announced on Monday. Enjoy your weekend!

Monday, you'll get to meet another beloved author...but I won't ruin the surprise hers. :) Stay tuned!

Glaring Mistakes in Historical Novels

Below, I'll review three (3) EXCELLENT books which successfully accomplish the factual accuracy necessary in historical novels. Right now, though, I'd like to put out a challenge for you to post about one of the most humorous or most glaring or most outrageous *MISTAKES* you've found in a historical novel you've read.

Answer the challenge and enter for a chance to win your pick of these 3 books FREE!

Feel free to omit the title and author if you feel uncomfortable stating that and just write about the "whoops" instance. Make us laugh, cringe or shake our heads. But most of all, have fun!

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Now, to give you an example of yesterday's ramblings on the importance of actual events in historical fiction, here are the 3 latest novels I've read:

UNDER THE NORTHERN LIGHTS
by Tracie Peterson

Book 2 in the Alaskan Quest series

Leah returns to her native village of Last Chance, Alaska, only to be kidnapped by her husband's twin brother, Chase Kincaid. She is thrown together with the prickly Helaina Beecham, whom Chase has abducted as well. Leah's husband and her brother Jacob are on their trail, but an early winter makes passage difficult. Will the two women be found in time? Helaina Beecham was sent north to track down Chase Kincaid, only to be kidnapped by him. Will she ever have the opportunity to tell Jacob how she feels about him? Even if she has the chance, could she really abandon city life for Jacob’s beloved Alaska?

* * * As you'll find out tomorrow, Tracie is well-known for her attention to detail and historical accuracy in all of her novels. Reading her books is like getting a history lesson...only you get intriguing characters and a compelling story rolled into it as well. Better than any history book I've ever read. :) This second book doesn't disappoint either. I recall going from ultimate highs of rejoicing to lows of despair and hurt for the tragedies and struggles the characters faced. Set against the glorious and treacherous backdrop of the Alaskan wildnerness during a time when exploration and anxious interest could be found in just about anyone heading west, Tracie weaves an intricate plot that is sure to please.

REVEALED
By Tamera Alexander

Book 2 in the Fountain Creek Chronicles Series

Words, once spoken, can mend a broken life...or cripple it. But words left unspoken
can haunt the soul, inflicting a far deeper wound.

Annabelle Grayson has been given a second chance at life, but she can’t claim it with the cloud of her past still hanging over her in Willow Springs. After her husband dies, she advertises for a trail guide to accompany her to land waiting for her in Idaho—and a most unlikely candidate applies for the job.

Matthew Taylor is a man on the run, with consequences of past mistakes pursuing him at every turn. Meeting Annabelle Grayson the first time was unpleasant enough, but when she crosses his path again, her presence in his life—and what she reveals—is devastating. If given a single wish, Matthew would turn back time and right a grievous wrong. If given a second wish, he would make Annabelle Grayson pay.

* * For a new author with only her second book out, Tamera is quickly rising the charts and becoming a best-selling author. Not only that, but her books are compelling and engaging while presenting you with characters who make you love, rejoice, celebrate and cry right along with them. Her depictions and depth cut right to the heart and provide you with a story that engages you right to the last page. And when you've read that, you find yourself wanting more. More than that, though, her details along the westward route to Idaho make you feel as if you're traveling along the trail right with her characters. And considering how much is written about these travelers over the course of "Oregon Trail" adventures, getting the facts right is of the utmost importance. Tamera pulls it off with style.

WILLIAM HENRY IS A FINE NAME
by: Cathy Goelke

A brand-new author with her first book from Moody Press.

Coming of age is never easy, but in the pre-Civil War South, it's especially confusing. Thirteen-year-old Robert must grapple with his father's involvement with the Underground Railroad, his mother's anti-abolitionism, and the fact that his own best friend---an African American---is subject to the effects of slavery. Can he take a stand for justice?

A compelling coming-of-age story about a 13-year-old boy in the pre-Civil War south attempting to make sense of the surrounding chaos. As he comes to terms with his father's involvement in the Underground Railroad and his mother's antipathy toward abolitionism young Robert finds himself at a crossroads. His best friend is a black boy named William Henry and the dehumanizing effects of slavery are unquestionable in Robert's mind – he realizes he cannot just sit idly by. His family is pitted against him and Robert's feelings of justice and family loyalty have enough conflict to start a war of their own...

* * * Although this book seems to be targeted at a younger audience, the facts and character presentation make it enjoyable for historical lovers of any age. It would make an excellent supplement to instruction about the Underground Railroad or even the abolitionism and slavery. Of course, my own connection to Cathy is that she lives just 10 minutes away and the setting of her book is right here in Delaware. :) Outside of that, though, is a book that whisks you away to another time and another place where the truths of an organization that is well-known but not often detailed in many places is revealed in this engaging tale.

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Now, send in those mistakes.

A Step Beyond the Basics

Well, my cohost this week has gotten y'all started with some building blocks of fiction and ideas for writing when you're stuck. I had planned to do a treasure hunt of clues for some of my favorite historical novels, but Cindy did a hunt last week, so I'll save that for December. Instead, I have a special interview on Saturday with an author who was instrumental in getting me started on my own fiction writing career and whose friendship has meant the world to me.

Tomorrow, I'll highlight the 3 historical novels I've recently read and offer a chance for someone to win one of them for FREE! That will give you three (3) whole days to answer the challenge I'm going to attach to the giveaway. The winner will be announced on Monday.

Today, though, is a day to go one step further from the building blocks of fiction and ideas to get started. Once you have the foundations to get moving, you need a focus. After I got past the fear of the blank page, I had to figure out how to get all the ideas and characters in my head into some semblance of order. If not, I would have had a jumbled mess.

One of the top tips given by writing professionals in all venues is to "write what you know." Although the 1800's and the West have always appealed to me (and I had already written 1 book with that setting), I decided to start a little closer to home. So, I narrowed my focus even more to a time period that had always appealed to me: Colonial times and the early beginnings of the United States. The fact that the house I used for my central location in the first 3 books is just 2 miles away helped quite a bit. :)

With the locale selected, the real work began. With any fiction writing, the author needs to do thorough research. However, when you select an actual location vs. creating a fictional town or place, you're more duty-bound to get the facts straight about the area and the locale because real people lived there. And when you include historical events in your books, the challenge is that much harder...especially if that event is documented in common research materials and resources.

Thankfully, though, you still have some creative license and leeway since even with real-life, not every second is documented. So, you can include conversations, encounters between your fictional characters and actualy historical figures, and additional details without the fear that it didn't actually take place. But for that to work, you'd better get your facts straight on everything else. Otherwise, your fictional elements will take a crashing dive into the pit of unbelievable stories.

Now, what are some instances in books you've read where you had a hard time believing what the author wrote? (feel free to be general in referring to the storyline if you don't want to give away the book title or author's name) What are some books where the author did a fantastic job?

Discussion Questions for Historical Novels

I love reading (and writing!) historical novels. I also love discussing them with friends. Today's post is a list of discussion questions you can use to talk about your favorite stories with others. They can be used with an formal group or just with you and a friend over coffee. Our family also enjoys talking about books we read together.

Print them up, save them, use them!

Discussion Questions for Historical Novels

Who was the most realistic character and why?

Share your favorie passage form the book.

Which character, major or minor, would you like to have as a friend?

What line caused the greatest reaction in you, whether positive or negative?

Which character grew the most? (either for good or evil)

What did you learn from this book?

If you were the author, doing a rewrite, what would you change in plot or format?

You have been asked to make a movie verison of this book, which stars would you use in the cast?

Who would you suggest this book to?

What other author would you compare this writing to?

Would you read anything else by this author?

Happy Reading!
Tricia Goyer

Ideas

Wanna know a secret?

For me, one of the hardest tasks in writing is looking at the blank page. The ideas are in my head, the question is: How do I get them on paper? Whether you are writing magazines articles, story stories, or historical novels—here are some ideas for beginning.

Sift Through Your Ideas. Realize some ideas will remain just that . . . ideas. When I first began writing in 1994 I wanted to use everything. Every anecdote from my children, each Scripture verse that stirred my heart, and every flash of inspiration.

I soon realized that though my ideas were good ones, I didn’t have enough time in the day to use them all. So what did I do? I begin by keeping a journal. It’s just for me, and I don’t worry how it looks. I use regular, spiral bound notebooks. I have them on hand to write down my prayers, favorite Scripture verse, to-do lists, (I always start these on a clean page in case I need to tear them out) and writing ideas.

Sometimes the words stay in there, as just ideas. Other times I’ll go back to them, think about them some more, and keep jotting down notes. If I find an idea coming to me over and over again, THEN I know it’s time to take a closer look, and I ask these questions:

 Is this something God wants me to write about?
 Who would be my target audience?
 What are the needs of this audience?
 What would be the best format for my message?

As much as we don’t like to think of “publication” at these early stages, this is an important step. To be effective, we need to mold our message into a medium that will reach people.

Sometimes I can’t think of a way to use my message (yet). Other times I think of two or three different avenues that I could take my message to such as how-two articles, personal experience articles, or books.

The next step is to prayerfully consider where God wants me to share my message. And when. I still have ideas that God gave me years ago that I hope I’ll use some day. Some, perhaps will “come to life” after the long hibernation. Others may not, and instead they may just be message that God speaks to my own heart.

Open the Page and Start Writing. Once you know you have something you want to write—or have to write—the next step is to begin. Yes, that means opening a blank page and just start to write. Many times, I’m surprised how much is already in my head. This first step is good just to “clean the pipes” and pour everything in my head and heart onto the page. For fiction, it may be character description, story ideas, research notes, or any combination of the above.

Most people want “perfect writing” from the moment they start typing or writing in a notebook. This just doesn’t happen. Instead of striving for perfection, give yourself the freedom to “just play around with the words.” Your first draft will NOT make it to publication. You don’t need it perfect when you begin. Don’t think about grammar, about your theme, about crafting perfect sentences. Instead, just let the ideas take you where they will.

Write Fast. Once you allow yourself to start writing, keeping going and don’t stop! I find my best writing comes when I just let the ideas flow. I don’t stop to read what I’ve just written. I don’t pause to think. I don’t worry what an editor would think about my grammar. I just let the thoughts continue on uninterrupted. The funny thing is . . . this writing usually ends up as my best stuff!

After you get all your thoughts on paper. Close your document (make sure to save!) and give yourself a break. Refuse to go back and read what you just read . . . instead carry around your notebook or journal and write down any ideas that you can add to your work-in-progress.

Think of this process as a pot of soup simmering on the stove. Like any good cook, feel free to toss in whatever flavor comes to you during the day.

I get ideas when I’m in the shower, while I’m driving, or when I’m cooking dinner. The ideas will do their own work in your head. Just make sure you’re ready to jot down further thoughts. (This also may mean keeping a notebook and pencil beside your bed!)

I hope these ideas help you. PLEASE feel free to ask any questions you have!

Ideas from other writers:

Tamela Hancock Murray, author and agent:

I write from start to finish myself, but here are some techniques I've seen offered by other writers:

1) Write down the theme of her book. What is your overarching message? Then go from there.

2) Write the climatic scene and go backward from there.

3) Another way is to begin with the characters themselves, then work on putting them in the situation that will be your story.

Rachel Hauck, author:

Start with a good synopsis, character sketch, back story and time line. Maybe a setting description. Get to your setting and characters.


Pamela Hatheway, author:

Natalie Goldberg wrote a book called Thunder and Lightning about "writing practice". She suggested doing timed writing practice on a variety of subjects. i.e.. write 15 minutes about school lunches 20 minutes describing your first kiss, describe the way your grandmother's kitchen smelled.

I have a book where I write a verse of scripture at the top of the page and write about it for 15-30 minutes. I allow myself to go where ever I feel like going with the thought. I am surprised sometimes at what comes out.

I suppose it is journaling of sorts ... but more than that, because there are some real gems that may actually become an article.

Paula James, author

I have a notebook that I write my random ideas down in. Then when I get the serious idea--the one I want to write the book about--I get another notebook and write down a sketchy plot, using the notebook with the random ideas in it.

Other than that I usually just sit down and start typing. :0)

Nikki Arana
Two years ago, I had never attempted to write a book. I sat down at the computer several times and tried to start. Finally I found a book that really helped me called Beginnings, Middles and Ends. Basically it made me think of my book in three parts. I could do that. I could think of the beginning of my story. I then began to lay it out. Just the beginning. And of course, before long a middle started to emerge.

Eva Marie Everson
My "getting started" typically comes from a single line. That opening "hook" line just comes to me out of nowhere. I have an "idea" in my mind for plot and character ... but wait on the first line. That's how it works for me.

The Building Blocks of Fiction

When I first started writing, I knew nothing about the world of publishing. Over the years I've attend Mt. Herman Christian Writer's Conference twelve times. In addition to that, I can't count the number of books and articles I've read on the subject of Christian publishing. I've also learned a lot from the numerous writer's organizations I've been a part of.

And what I learn has worked! Currently, I have eight books published--four of them historical novels. I'll also have four more books hit store shelves next year!

It's my goal today to give you a brief overview of this world, by sharing two building blocks of fiction.

The Building Blocks of Fiction

Building Block #1--Understanding the Market

What do writers need to know to succeed in the world of CBA Fiction?

CBA stands for Christian Booksellers Association. The best way to understand CBA fiction is to visit your local Christian bookstore and study the type of books being published. There are many types: Historical, Romance, Fantasy/Science Fiction/Spiritual Warfare, Nostalgia, Westerns, Mysteries, Suspense, International Intrigue, Gothic, and Contemporary Character Novels.

The difference between writing for CBA and ABA (American Booksellers Association) is:

1. The CBA market is open to spiritual (Christian) truth.

2. The CBA market is also much smaller than the ABA market and the atmosphere is warmer and more intimate. (Hopefully, this means that CBA companies tend to give more attention to their writers.)

3. In general the CBA market is more open to new writers who produce quality work.

If you wish to write for the CBA market:

1. Your book will most likely have to have a strong "take-away" value--which means your readers will come away with a spiritual lesson.

2. Your characters are identifiably Christian or they come to Christian faith in the story.

3. The representation of God biblically-based.

4. Good guys are rewarded and evil ones are punished.

What are the CBA publishing houses looking for?
1.CHRISTIAN WORLD-VIEW: In her book Essentials of Quality Fiction, Penelope Stokes says, "A Christian world view is based on the assumption that God is in control of the universe, and true meaning and fulfillment in life are based on a relationship with the Almighty. This does not mean that bad things never happen, but that evil will be punished in the end, and good will prevail--either in this world, or the world to come. A Christian world-view offers a perspective of a universe that includes spiritual vision, order, and moral resolution. Christian writers do not have to blind themselves to reality, but their writing must hold out the possibility of hope."

2. A FAMILIAR BUT INTRIGUING SETTING/TIME FRAME: CBA readers seem to like settings and time frames they already feel they know something about.

3. UNIVERSAL THEMES/SUBJECT MATTER: CBA novels work best when they connect with some issue of current interest or universal appeal . . . BUT you must approach controversial issues with care lest they become extended sermons.

**NOTE: Francine Rivers has done a great job with controversial issues in her books, The Atonement Child, and The Scarlet Thread. Another book that I enjoyed is Deadline by Randy Alcorn, but IN MY OPINION this is also an example of trying to squeeze in too many controversial issues into one book.**

4. ACTION ORIENTATION: Something has to happen for a book to be successful in the CBA market, such as intrigue, movement, suspense, danger, and ultimate resolution.

5. VIABLE CHARACTERS: The characters have to be people we can relate to. They will also have a spiritual journey. Main characters must grow in this area. Some characters may pray, see answers to their prayers, make decisions based on Scripture, and as Stokes says, "have significant changes wrought in their lives and attitudes by the power of God working in difficult circumstances."

Building Block #2
CHARACTERS AND DEVELOPMENT

SHELBY HEARON, author & speaker gives this advice, "Forget everything else and create a character the reader has never met before . . . I'd start with the idea of someone doing something we' d never encountered before, would never have imagined, and can't forget once we've read it . . . but it is not enough to make your character unusual; your character must also teach us something new."

**Notes below taken out of the book The Fiction Writer's Silent Partner. The questions in italics are ones you can take out and use for your own fictional story.

The type of character you choose to put your book will determine how the plot must be structured and how that character will handle the situation.

Main Character/Protagonist (Must be someone the reader likes or cares about.)

Name:

Age:

Where was the character born and raised?

Who were the parents?

What was the character's childhood like?

What members of a family does the character have?

What kind of student was the character?

What special skills or knowledge does the character possess?

What hobbies did or does the character have? What are the bad habits of the character? What are some of the traits of the character--emotional, mental and physical?

What kind of job or profession is the character occupied with, past and present?

What are some of the character's past and present relationships?

Things to consider about your character: In this section you start joining the character with the story:

A character with a college education will think and behave differently than a high school dropout. Someone who has always known wealth will think and behave differently than someone who has always been poor. A character who has grown up in a happy household will think and behave differently than someone who was abused as a child.

What are some of the behaviors of your character?

No matter how harsh or seemingly uncaring your protagonist may appear at the beginning, there must be some redeeming feature that you will ignite at some point. Usually that point is the protagonist's "moment of truth," when he or she decides what the right thing to do is and then does it. Your protagonist's moment of truth:

The protagonist in your story is, naturally, the hero. How is he/she the hero?

The protagonist should have a weakness and most important, and Achilles' heel. He or she must be vulnerable and must be able to lose, be hurt, or even die, depending on the story.

What is the protagonist's weakness?

The three basic elements of storytelling are to get your protagonist up a tree, throw rocks at him or her, and then get your protagonist safely down the tree.

1. Get the protagonist into some kind of problem either directly or indirectly by putting him or her in conflict with an antagonist.

What is the protagonist's problem?

2. Place obstacles in the way of the protagonist as he or she attempts to resolve the problem, and then get your protagonist to resolve the problem, achieving his or her original goal.

What obstacles get in the protagonist's way as he or she is trying to solve her problem?

3. How does he or she solve these problems?

Examples of purposes might be to live, to love, to be happy, to prosper, to recover, to discover, to reach a goal, for the protagonist or another.

What is the protagonist's purpose?

In developing your protagonist, bear in mind your protagonist's purpose. Who that protagonist will be dictates how that protagonist will accept the challenge, deal with obstacles, and how he or she will reach a satisfactory conclusion.

How does the protagonist accept the challenge?

How does he or she deal with the obstacles?

How does he or she reach a satisfactory conclusion?

How does the protagonist differ from other characters in the same situation?

Suppose the protagonist is someone who loved the great outdoors and had camped, hunted, hiked, etc. Wouldn't that individual have a better chance of surviving in the wilderness than a character born and bred in the city, and whose closest encounter with a tree was in a local park?
Second Protagonist

Usually the first protagonist's love interest or a character with another relationship to the primary protagonist.

Also should be fully drawn for change and growth to take place. At some point in the story, something important happens to further the relationship with the protagonist or conclude it for better or worse.

What growth takes place in the second protagonist to further the relationship?

What is the second protagonist's weakness?

Antagonist

In order to create conflict, there must be someone or something working against your protagonist, and the antagonist should always be a worthy adversary.

The competition and conflict should not be easy to overcome for the protagonist.

Although we often refer to our protagonist as the one in the "white hat," and the antagonist as the one in the "black hat," the more human the antagonist is, the more real that antagonist becomes.

Also, all protagonists and antagonists are human. (Flipper, Lassie, the Bear . . .)

Although many times the elements are considered obstacles in the path of the protagonist, there are stories where such obstacles are the antagonists. (The Old Man and the Sea, The Birds, Jaws)

Other nonhuman protagonists or antagonists:

What is the nonhuman antagonist in this story?

LAST QUESTION:

Does the situation decide the characters or do the characters initiate the situation? Explain.

I'll briefly expound on this last question. A plot-based story is one where the action moves the story down a particular path, and the character reacts. A character-based story is one where the character moves the action. The character ACTS and the story situation follows.

I hope this information was helpful to you. Please feel free to comment on anything you don't understand. I know it probably took me two years to apply all the information above. And six more years to practice applying them. But it is these building blocks that will get you started in the right direction!

The Treasure Hunt Winner Is...

Sorry to be so long in posting today. I just got back from the Louisville Slugger Museum where I signed copies of Three Finger: The Mordecai Brown Story with my cousin and co-author Scott Brown. Not historical fiction, but historical. What fun!

The winner of Francine Rivers's The Prophet is...........




Rachelle! Rachelle, please contact me through my site: www.brigidofireland.com within one week to claim your FREE book.
Thanks for playing everyone!

Yesterday's Answers:

Whose novel was named Junior Library Guild selection in 2005? (Sally Pearsall’s Crooked River, September 5.)

Which author said, “Today, those of us living in our comfortable homes in the U.S. feel few affects from the war in Iraq or the war on terror and can easily give it no thought at all unless we know someone serving in the military. Which is another reason I wanted to honor the families of our brave servicemen and women.”? (Robin Lee Hatcher, August 3)

Interview with Sarah Johnson/Last Chance for the Treasure Hunt!

Photo from a past Historical Novel Society Conference
Pictured l-r: Sharan Newman, Clyde Linsley, Albert Bell, Louise Hawes, Stephanie Cowell, and Rosemary Poole-Carter, talking about genre vs. literary historical fiction.

I hope you're having fun, and I hope that some of these topics have encouraged you to go back into the archives and read posts and interviews that you may have missed. Once again Deborah and Becky were 100% correct! Great job!

Yesterday's answers, the short version:

*Tricia Goyer, September 13. She's a great teacher.

*Juilene Osborne-McKnight, August 9—I discovered I spelled her name wrong in her interview. My apologies. I was hoping I would have stumped you on this one since this could have been said by a number of us!

*Katie Hart, on June 26—our first day. We have yet to cover this subject, but I have some ideas!

*Stephen Lawhead, September 29. I think we would all like to have said this.

*J.M. Hochstetler, July 8. It's great to have readers identify with a character that you can carry across to another book.

*me again, August 11. It's a passion for me that people not take everything they read on the Internet as gospel.

TODAY'S QUESTIONS:

Whose novel was named Junior Library Guild selection in 2005?

Which author said, “Today, those of us living in our comfortable homes in the U.S. feel few affects from the war in Iraq or the war on terror and can easily give it no thought at all unless we know someone serving in the military. Which is another reason I wanted to honor the families of our brave servicemen and women.”

INTERVIEW WITH SARAH JOHNSON FROM THE HISTORICAL NOVEL SOCIETY

Thanks, Sarah, for joining us on PASTimes. Tell us who the Historical Novel Society is for?

And thanks for the invitation! The HNS is geared toward any and all
enthusiasts of historical fiction. This includes, but isn't limited to,
authors (published and not), general readers, publishers, agents, and
librarians. With our publications, conferences, discussion list, etc., we
try to offer plenty of content for everyone.

How did you become associated with the society?

Eight years ago, I saw a Usenet post in which Richard Lee, founder/publisher
of the HNS, mentioned the Society. As an avid historical fiction reader, I
was curious to learn more, so I emailed him for details. At the time, both
the Historical Novels Review (HNR) and Solander, the two HNS publications,
were pretty UK-focused, so I saw it as a good way to learn about novels and
authors I wouldn't have heard of otherwise. A couple years later, when
Richard began looking to expand the HNR's coverage to the US, I officially
signed on as American coordinating editor.

Who are some of the better known names among your members?

We do have a fair number of well-known author members, but to answer this
question as comprehensively as possible, I'll point PASTimes readers to our
member websites page at
http://www.historicalnovelsociety.org/member-websites.htm. We have about
900 members in all, so this is just a small portion, mainly those with
websites we know about.

About what percentage of members are in the US as compared to the UK? Is the
society focused on one country more than the other?

About 90% of the members are from the US or UK, with a pretty even split
between them. We also have smaller contingents in Canada, Australia, New
Zealand, and elsewhere in Europe. The staff at both HNS magazines reflects
the international focus. HNR's editors live in England, Scotland, and the
US, and Solander's editors reside in Canada, the US, England, and Australia. Having members around the world gives us a large "panel of experts" to draw from.

That said (and as you mention in the next question) HNR aims for
comprehensive book review coverage only for the UK and US. At the moment,
we're reviewing more US-published novels than British, simply because the
genre's undergoing a renaissance here.

The society publishes the Historical Novels Review magazine. The magazine's aim is to review every new work of historical fiction published in the US and the UK. How is that achieved?

Each of the nine review editors for the HNR works with a specific group of
publishers. Based on the catalog descriptions, we request review
copies/ARCs of everything relevant. We also keep an eye out for novels from
new publishers. I regularly scan Amazon and Amazon UK, pre-pub review
sources like Kirkus, Publishers Marketplace, blogs, etc., for mentions of
other new or upcoming novels, so that we can try to obtain review copies.
This system has been working pretty well.

Besides a subscription to the Historical Novels Review, what are some benefits to being a member?

I'd be lax if I didn't mention Solander, HNR's sister publication, which comes out twice a year (the HNR is quarterly). While the HNR has book reviews and short interviews/features, Solander includes lengthier profiles, interviews, articles, industry pieces, and short fiction.

I already spoke a bit about HNS's international focus, which to me is a great benefit. The Internet makes it easy to purchase novels from around the world, and personally, if I hear about a book I want to read, I don't care where it was published. We also review many small press and self-published novels (the latter, in our online review annex) that people may not see in stores.

But perhaps the greatest benefit is being part of a wider community with a shared set of interests. I've met a number of wonderful people through the Society, and many have become good friends. I think many of our members can say the same.

This is a great benefit of Internet groups in general. Do you know of any other organizations like yours?

No, not really - there are smaller groups that focus on individual historical novelists, but HNS is the only organization focusing on historical fiction as a whole that I know of.

Tell us a little about the society's upcoming conference in Albany, NY.

I'm very excited about our Albany conference, because our last event was incredibly energizing. It will be held on June 8-10, 2007, and we'll be offering a diverse program. We'll have over 60 speakers and panelists, including our author guests of honor, Diana Gabaldon and Bernard Cornwell. For writerly types, we're bringing in editors and agents who'll be available for appointments. A new feature for 2007 will be our Saturday night historical revue, with novelists as performers. Complete details can be found at the conference website,
http://www.historicalnovelsociety.org/albany/conference.htm .

Cindy: The conference registration is now open. I'm still waiting on a couple of things in my schedule to work out, but I'm hoping to be able to go. This conference happens every other year. Anyone else planning on going?
Don't forget to check back tomorrow to find out who won the autographed copy of Francine Rivers's The Prophet. If the winner doesn't contact me, he/she will not get the book. Don't let that happen!!

Digging Deeper!

At least, I hope so!

Congrats, Deborah, Becky, and Rachelle--all correct answers.

Yesterday's answers:

Which host was inspired by a workshop given in 1998 by Robin Jones Gunn?
Tricia Goyer, August 4. It's good to know that mentoring works!

What author said, “My best resources have been historical societies and their superb collections of old maps, phonebooks, photos and documents; and libraries with old issues of big-city newspapers, like The New York Times and The Chicago Tribune, which are wonderfully melodramatic and heavily editorialized.”
Christine Schaub, August 23. I love this stuff too!


Which host blogged about favorite childhood books?
me, September 7. That was a popular topic!


Which host blogged about villains?
J. M. Hochstetler, September 21. Good stuff. Joan, I think we'll have to do this again.

Who said, “My job is to write the best novel I can write . . . and demonstrate that the Bible is a living book filled with flesh-and-blood characters who were far from perfect, yet never far from grace.”
Angela Hunt, Oct. 24. Terrific focus from a terrific author, huh?

Who listened to Jane Austen novels (audio books) to get a feel for the language of the era she was writing in?
Kaye Nell Dacus, Oct. 19. What a great idea!

Tomorrow I'll have just two questions and an interview with Sarah Johnson from the Historical Novel Society.

TODAY'S QUESTIONS:

Which host suggested that writers get to know their main character in these ways?
-Interview the character. Ask him questions as if you’re a reporter for People, New York Time, Daily Interlake.
--Ask about himself/herself. Let him/her speak.
--Ask other characters in your story about your main character.
--What do they think about that person? Do they see him/her differently?

What author said, “For me, something serendipitous and magical is moving under the terrors of the world and that probably comes out of my own Celtic background.”

From the comment section, who said, “One thing I'd like to see covered is the unique challenges of presenting historical novels/series to publishers via queries or proposals.”

Who said, “For those without faith, I hope that they will read my books and be confronted with the power of real goodness in the face of evil.”

Who published novels set in the period of the American Revolution with a character named Elizabeth Howard?

Which host blogged about Urban Legends?

Try this!

Hmm. Were those questions too easy? Or are our bloggers really sharp? Congrats, Deborah and Becky who got all six questions correct. Even if you don't want to play, go ahead and make a comment to be entered in the FREE book contest! Here are the answers from yesterday:

Who said, “Without the Internet, I would not be a published author?”
That was me. I hope it was a little bit of an exaggeration, but I'll never know!

Who said, “I miss Boots.”?
Terry Burns, Oct. 31. He blogged about his cat loving treat-or-treat. If you missed it, you can go back and read it.

What author has going to Disney World on her to-do list?
Linda Wichman, July 27. Was she kidding? With Linda, you never know.

Which host said, “Of course, sin and evil are part of every era, and a lot of things that are common today went on behind closed doors throughout history. Yet the Bible says: “And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret.” Which tells me that some things are better left unsaid.”
Jill Eileen Smith, September 27. Good point, Jill.

Which host blogged about the Black Death?
Beth Goddard, August 31. Interesting stuff.

Which host reviewed Liz Curtis Higgs’s Grace in Thine Eyes?
Tiff/Miller Miller, September 15. Go back if you missed it.

TODAY’S QUESTIONS:

Which host was inspired by a workshop given in 1998 by Robin Jones Gunn?

What author said, “My best resources have been historical societies and their superb collections of old maps, phonebooks, photos and documents; and libraries with old issues of big-city newspapers, like The New York Times and The Chicago Tribune, which are wonderfully melodramatic and heavily editorialized.”

Which host blogged about favorite childhood books?

Which host blogged about villains?

Who said, “My job is to write the best novel I can write . . . and demonstrate that the Bible is a living book filled with flesh-and-blood characters who were far from perfect, yet never far from grace.”

Who listened to Jane Austen novels (audio books) to get a feel for the language of the era she was writing in?

Buried Treasure on the Blog!

If you consider a FREE book to be treasure, then that's what we're doing this week, hunting for buried posts that can lead to the treasure, an autographed copy of THE PROPHET by Francine Rivers. In any case, this should be fun, so please play along. Here's how it will work:

For the next four days, I'll post a few questions. If you're a regular reader of PASTimes, some of the answers will be easy--but not all! If you're not a regular reader, or if you just plain don't know the answer, you can find the answers in the archives. Go ahead and post the answer in the comment section. Don't cheat by looking there first, but even if you do, I might be nice about it! ;-) The following day I'll post the answers and some new questions. For every day that you comment (limit one per day) you'll be entered into the contest. The more days you post, the greater your chances. Sometime on Saturday (I'll be traveling, doing a book signing at the Louisville Slugger Museum, so I'm not sure what time I'll get to my computer) I'll post the winner. It's very important that you check back if you want to win the book!

TODAY'S QUESTIONS:

*Who said, “Without the Internet, I would not be a published author?”

*Who said, “I miss Boots?”

*What author has going to Disney World on her to-do list?

*Which host said, “Of course, sin and evil are part of every era, and a lot of things that are common today went on behind closed doors throughout history. Yet the Bible says: “And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret.” Which tells me that some things are better left unsaid.”

*Which host blogged about the Black Death?

*Which host reviewed Liz Curtis Higgs’s Grace in Thine Eyes?

This Week on PASTimes

Greetings! Just to bring everyone up-to-date, last week we had a guest host (Terry Burns--thanks, Terry!), this week is my week (Cindy Thomson), next week is Tricia Goyer and Amber/Tiff Miller, the following week is Jill Eileen Smith and Beth Goddard (we may take off for Thanksgiving), and the last week of November, moving into December, will belong to Joan Hochstetler. (Joan switched this month with Jill and Beth.)

Okay, now that I've totally confused you, let me just say that whoever hosts is sure to bring some fascinating insights and interviews (and FREE books!) to PASTimes. Be sure to check everyday to see what's happening!

This week, I'm going to bring you something a little different than what we've done on the blog thus far. I have some great historical trivia questions given to me by our hosts, but I'm going to hold on to them and dish them up another week. This week we're going on a treasure hunt. Starting tomorrow I'm going to post questions that relate to previous PASTimes posts. Hopefully, you'll remember the answers because you've been a regular reader, but even if you haven't been, you can play by looking up the answers in the archives. Those who post correct answers each day will be entered in the FREE book drawing this week (if you get it wrong, I might be nice and let you in anyway!) If you post a comment each day, you will have FIVE chances to win! The book I'm giving away is autographed by the author and is pictured here:

And that's not all! I have an interview for you with Sarah Johnson, the Book Review Editor for the Historical Novels
Review, a publication from the Historical Novel Society. Sarah wears a few other hats with the organization too. If you haven't heard of the HNS, you will want to be here on Friday to learn more. Sarah will also tell us about the HNS's North American conference which will be held in June next year in Albany, NY.

I think it's going to be a fun week and I hope you'll join me!

Blessings,
Cindy
www.brigidofireland.com

Do men read?

Over on a list of western writers they're lamenting that it's the women who buy all the books. Sure, a lot of them are buying for hubby or other males in their lives, but the lion's share of books are bought by the ladies. One of them said, "If I had a dime for every time I've heard 'My Grandmother loves your books' I wouldn't have to work any more. I've got the grandmother market covered."

Is that true, or is the person buying the book just disclaiming responsibility for buying a >>> shudder <<< western? And how about kids? They say the children's market is good, but once again it's said to be because mothers buy them and read to them. Takes a lot of books if they are read to every night, not because the kids tire of the stories because they don't; but mom and dad get tired of reading the same old stories over and over.

Older kids? Hard to get them off the iPods and video games long enough to read. My grandkids read and enjoy my books, but it's mostly because they're mine, I don't have a feel for how much they read outside of that. They all swear they love to read, but I love to read and I don't get to do it as much as I'd like. Maybe I'm the case that proves the point.

How about historicals? Who reads them? Romance is the fastest selling market and it's obviously female. So many are produced there that a romance won't even be shelved much over a month before the new one takes its place. Christian is the fastest growing market, again very female-driven.

It seems like those who do read, read a lot. Librarian friends tell me couples often come in together but the guys tend to go over and get on the computers and the ladies head for the stacks.

I know when I post this that I'll hear from my friend Les. He's a voracious reader and has a warehouse full of westerns plus a generous sampling of other genres. Are there more of them out there than we think? Or are people like Les the exceptions that prove the rule?

Whatcha think?

Branding Time

Branding. It seems to be the hot topic, seems like every list I associate with is talking about branding. For an old cowboy like me that means put it on straight, not too light or you'll get a "hair brand" like rustlers used to use that would be easy to eradicate and not too deep or the animal could actually be injured.

But these people are talking about writers being branded. OUCH! That hurts just thinking about it.

There has been some really good discussion on the subject, a lot of it over this old country boy's head. But I wonder if sometimes we don't overthink a problem. Branding in the first paragraph is a mark put on the animal so anybody that comes along knows who that cow belongs to.

Seems to me that's what branding of an author should do as well. When people come across a book in a store and see our mark on it (our name) they should know what to expect. Some folks want that mark to be very specific so people will know exactly what kind of book, genre, voice and style the reader is going to find on the inside.

Some want it to be more general because they write in more than one genre, do some different things, and don't want to be tied down that much. Stephen King writes all kinds of things, but even though he does, wouldn't we know it was him even if there was no cover on the book?

People shop for a book either by subject or by author, or by both. A book reviewer gave me my brand some time ago and I like it, "Inspirational fiction with a western flair." I can live with that. My voice and style is going to reflect my western upbringing no matter what I try to write. Just don't burn that brand in too deep because my hip is kinda tender.