Interview with Bonnie Leon

Bonnie Leon is the author of fifteen novels, including the popular Queensland Chronicles and the Sydney Cove series, plus the bestselling Journey of Eleven Moons. She’s excited about a three-book contract she just signed with Revell for a new Alaskan adventure.
Bonnie also stays busy speaking and teaching at writing seminars and conventions. She and her husband Greg live in the mountains of Southern Oregon. They have three grown children and four grandchildren.

Welcome, Bonnie! Tell us a bit about your newest release, Longings of the Heart (Sydney Cove #2). Did you conceive the whole Sydney Cove series in one fell swoop, or did you plan To Love Anew (#1) first and then figure out the others?

Thanks for inviting me to share. I love your questions. This has been great fun.

Longings of the Heart picks up one day following the last page of book one, To Love Anew. It is a story of betrayal and trust. Hannah keeps a terrible secret from John and the maliciousness of an evil heart threatens to expose that secret and unravel the couple's already fragile bond. Although a quieter story than book one, Longings of the Heart is full of tension and surprises.

To answer the second half of your question I contracted with Revell for a three-book series so right from the beginning I needed to know where the story was headed. I submitted a synopsis for each book to my publisher before I wrote even one page of To Love Anew. But as is often the case my characters surprised me with stories of their own.

What inspired you to write stories set in Australia?

In truth, I wasn’t inspired to write about Australia. Before I wrote my first Australian series, The Queensland Chronicles, my editor asked if I had a story that would work in Australia. The idea intrigued me and so I went to my idea file (yep I keep a file for everything) and found a story I thought would work. After doing a little research to reassure myself I could pull off the daunting task of writing about a place I knew almost nothing about, I told my editor. “Yes.” I’m so glad I did. It has been a great adventure.

After the first series I was hooked and didn’t want to leave Australia so I came up with another story—The Sydney Cove Series.

Some reviewers have noted that To Love Anew contains realistic depictions of the disturbing hardships of life on a prison ship. What prompted you to write so realistically in the romance genre, which is not always known for its realism? Is there similar gritty material in this second novel in the series?

I don’t write genre romance and so I try not to pay too much attention to the rules that apply there. I want to write real stories about real people, which means sometimes it’s not pretty. My books usually contain an element of romance in them; I love romance. However, the story and characters are the most important element to me, along with the history.

While doing research for To Love Anew I was astounded at what I discovered about the living conditions for London citizens and prisoners of England during the early 1800’s. In my mind if I was going to tell this story it needed to contain the truth of the time and place, which meant creating realistic scenes and story lines. If readers are going to be impacted by the story they need to feel what the characters feel.

The second novel is a quieter book, than To Love Anew. There’s plenty of drama, but the intensity is not at the same level as book one. This story delves more deeply into the emotional trenches of life when things go bad.

The heroine of both novels is Hannah, who carries with her a terrible spiritual burden related to an unwanted pregnancy. Did you deliberately design that story line with the idea of ministering to women who have faced unwanted pregnancies?

I did. It is a common hardship women face. And there are countless numbers in our population who have made the choice to terminate pregnancies. Many live with excruciating guilt. I once had a friend say, “Every time I think about what I did I want to scream.” She said this many years after an abortion. She could not find forgiveness and the sin pursued her every day of her life. And yet, God offers forgiveness.

I wanted to offer hope to women who live in this same place. To help them understand that God’s love covers all sins and that He offers redemption and freedom to anyone who turns to Him for help.

You are running one of the neatest author contests I have ever seen on your blog. Tell us about the contest and its prizes.

Thanks. I agree; it is a cool contest.

I wanted to do something different for this book launch, so with a little help from Kelli Standish, my web designer, we found some great gifts for the contest. I wanted them to connect to my story in some way.

I’m offering a first place prize of a didgeridoo (an aboriginal wind instrument) and a second place prize, a set of aboriginal clapping sticks. Both gifts are painted with unique and beautiful aboriginal designs.

In order to win readers need to go to my website at www.bonnieleon.com and go to my blog and answer a question taken from the book, Longings of the Heart. Those who answer correctly will have their name added to the drawing. But we’re running out of time. The contest wraps up on December 2nd.

What is your most memorable or humorous moment as a published author?

Come back tomorrow for the answer and part two of Bonnie's interview. And don't forget to leave a comment for your chance to win a copy of Bonnie's novel Longings of the Heart.