Interview with Author Janet Dean

Janet Dean grew up in a family that cherished the past and had a strong creative streak. Her father recounted fascinating stories that instilled in Janet a love of history and the desire to write. She married her college sweetheart and taught first grade before leaving to rear two daughters. With her children grown, she eagerly turned to Inspirational historical romance. Today Janet enjoys spinning stories for Steeple Hill Love Inspired Historical.


Welcome to Favorite PASTimes, Janet! You come from a family of storytellers and sound like you’ve loved history since childhood. How long have you been writing historical fiction? What drew you to the genre?

I have been writing historical romances for twelve years. The stories my father and grandfather told about real people in the past fed my interest in American history. I love reading accounts of the strong men and women of faith who built this country.

Tell us a little about what you write and your road to publication.

It took nine long, sometimes painful years of rejection to sell my first book. God opened a door when Steeple Hill launched the Love Inspired Historical line. I write stories with strong heroines who live in our country’s past, yet deal with issues that women relate to today. My heroines overcome their pasts and the dictates of the society in which they live. Their tough choices are driven by their values and faith.

That's a long time to persevere! Tell us a bit about the main characters in your newest book, Courting the Doctor’s Daughter.

Mary Graves’s deceased husband drank and was lost to her long before his death. Left to rear her three sons, two of her own and one foster child from the orphan train, she resolves to become a doctor like her father and never rely on a man. Luke Jacobs is ashamed of his wild past and determined to make amends for his mistakes. He travels the country selling his remedy, while searching for his long-lost son.


Sounds like a great storyline. Some writers love plotting, some like writing that first draft, and others enjoying researching or digging into the revisions. What's your favorite part about writing a book?

I love all aspects of writing. I dislike all aspects of writing. It all depends on how things are going. :-) Seriously, I love writing the opening. I’m excited about the story and in my optimism I believe it will be a wonderful book. I love writing the end of the book when I give my mistreated characters the happy ending they’ve earned. My least favorite part is writing the middle when I lose my way for a while and I’m sure the story is terrible. I’m a perfectionist of sorts so once the story is written, I enjoy polishing it.

What historical time periods interest you most, and how have you immersed yourself in a particular time period?

The last decade of the 19th Century is particularly fascinating. It’s a time of immigration and invention, of extremes of wealth and poverty. Women are breaking through society’s boundaries, taking a stand on issues like suffrage. By concentrating on one time period, the research I did for the first book carries over to later books. Each story requires me to investigate particular issues important to that book. With Courting Miss Adelaide (September 2008), I researched the Orphan Train. I researched herbs/medicine for Courting the Doctor’s Daughter (May 2009). For The Substitute Wife (February 2010), I concentrated my research on mail-order brides.

When starting a new project, do you tend to begin with a time period or event and create the characters to live it, or do you start with characters and then find their story?

I usually start with a slice of history. The orphan train phenomena triggered my "What if" moment for Courting Miss Adelaide…What if a spinster saw the orphan train as her only chance for motherhood? For Courting the Doctor’s Daughter…What if an orphan train rider’s biological father arrives in town? For The Substitute Bride...What if a woman is so desperate she switches places with a mail-order bride?


What does your ideal writing day look like?

Come back tomorrow to learn about Janet Dean’s ideal writing day and to read the rest of our interview. Leave a comment anytime this week for a chance to win a copy of her debut novel, Courting Miss Adelaide.