Interview with Tamela Hancock Murray

Tamela Hancock Murray has been interested in writing all her life. She interned on Capitol Hill and at the U.S. Department of State before graduating with honors in Journalism from Lynchburg College in Virginia.

Tamela has over 20 fiction and nonfiction books to her credit, and has written for magazines and newspapers. Her credits include periodicals such as The Dollar Stretcher, Pockets, Decision, DevoZine, Virginia Country, the ezine Folksonline, and The Washington Times. She has discussed her work on radio and television. She is married to her hero, John, and they have two lovely daughters. The family lives in Northern Virginia and enjoys visiting museums, art exhibits, and traveling together. Future travel dreams include Europe and a Mediterranean cruise.



Tell us a little about your road to publication.

I have always enjoyed writing and appreciated the encouragement of my teachers when I was in grade school. From there I held editorships on my high school and college newspapers, and part of my college coursework included working as an intern for the Bureau of Public Affairs, Editorial Division. After graduating from Lynchburg College with honors in journalism and then marrying a week later, I worked at office jobs for three years. After John and I decided I would stay at home to care for our newborn, I wrote newspaper articles before venturing into fiction. I have written many books for Barbour Publishing over the years, and enjoyed creating each one.

When you first entered the publishing world, what surprised you the most? Was there any aspect of the business that caught you off guard?

During my senior year of college, I took a course where students were tasked to write articles and submit them to magazines. Naively, I figured they would all be published. Those first rejections stung!

Why historical fiction?

This is an excellent question, although I’ve written a number of contemporary stories, too. As for historical fiction, I do enjoy taking readers to another era. While we read in the Bible the eternal truth that each day has its troubles (Mt 6:34), as recently as the mid twentieth century in the U.S., rules for conduct and behavior were generally agreed upon. For instance, businesses and performances could once be banned if they didn’t uphold “community standards” but now this term is obsolete because fewer people will stand up for what is right and how God wants us to live. Today’s reader of Christian fiction wants to see stories that support the Christian worldview that was so prevalent in our country’s past. By taking readers back in time, I feel that I can present a compelling story with characters living their faith in a natural way.



What are you working on now that you’d like us to know about?

My novella, Fires of Love, will appear in Snowbound Colorado Christmas with Darlene Franklin, Lena Nelson Dooley, and Susan Page Davis this winter. I am currently working on a new historical novel for Heartsong Presents, tentatively titled The Master’s Match.

Do you have a favorite historical novel?

There is so much talent in CBA that I can’t choose just one! In ABA, I would have to name The Wheel of Fortune by Susan Howatch. Her characters are compelling, engaging and complex.

Is there anything or anyone that inspires your writing?

I want to honor the Lord so if He gives me a story to write, I do my best to obey. I praise Him every day that He has put so many people in my life who support my efforts.

What do you enjoy most about reading historical fiction?

Much the same as why I enjoy writing it. I like escaping to another time and place.



Once we become writers, we read with a critical eye. For some grammatical errors in a book are like fingernails on a chalkboard. For others weak plots cause them to lay a book aside without finishing it. What, if anything, annoys you about some historical fiction? (Without naming names!)

Come back tomorrow for part two of the interview with Tamela Hancock Murray. Leave a comment to win either The Music of Home (Heartsong Presents) or Virginia Hearts (Contemporary Romance novel collection). Yes, Tamela is donating TWO books, so you have double the chance to win!!