Sometimes, as an editor, I get to edit a whole series. And sometimes, I don't. I was blessed to edit Donna Wichelman's first book in her Singing Silver Mine series last year, but she didn't fit my schedule this year. Even though I haven't read her newest book yet, I know it's going to be just as beautiful as her first. If you love historical romance set in Colorado, you definitely need to get to know my friend Donna. Read on!

What is it about historical romances that made you want to write them?
 
I’ve loved telling stories since my early days in elementary school, when I wrote poetry, short stories, and articles for the school newspaper. Also, because I lived in Ohio, my parents took road trips every summer to visit family in Washington State. We would take various routes across the United States and Canada, and I learned the value of understanding history and geography. That set the stage for the rest of my life.
In high school, a unique opportunity allowed me to attend the United World College of the Atlantic—an international high school in Wales. While most of the students lived in dormitories on the “hill,” I lived in a two-room, ten-girl dorm inside St. Donat’s Castle outside Llantwit Major on the Bristol Channel. Though the castle has none of Hogwarts’ magic, it does have a legendary ghost, Lady Anne, who roams the halls.
As you can imagine, the setting at Atlantic College provided plenty of fodder for the imagination, and focusing on English Literature allowed me to develop a taste for the classics. I particularly liked Jane Austen and Charles Dickens for the themes that touched the human spirit. Since living in Wales also enabled me to travel throughout Europe, I became fascinated by its history and culture.
So, with all the travel I’ve done and my love of books, I eventually realized historical romance best fit who I am as a writer. Even my contemporary romantic suspense novels unfolded because I became fascinated with the dramatic history of the Waldensians, a persecuted sect of Protestants throughout the Middle Ages, and their story of faith and valor touched me.

Dark and light are a part of life, but how is that reflected in fiction? Author Rachel D. Lyne is here today to tell us how it works into her stories, how she lets go of perfectionist tendencies, and what she's working on next. Check it out!

Rachel, you have an eclectic repertoire of artistic abilities! Do you tend to prefer one medium over another? Music, design, writing?

It is true that I love all forms of art and connect with them on varying levels. I wouldn’t, however, say I “prefer” one medium over another, but I would suggest that each medium has its own “season.” I used to believe I was a “Jill (instead of Jack – ha!) of all trades, master of none,” but what’s helped encourage me is that I don’t have to master one to feel like I’m using God’s gifts. I can enjoy all forms of creativity in undulating seasons for what God’s already prepared in advance. Thinking of it this way alleviates my perfectionistic tendencies. 

Today, we have the blessing of getting to know Sue A. Fairchild a bit more. She's an editor as well as an author (as am I, so excited to find out there are more out there!) and has a heart for God. And she's giving us a peek into her newest release--perfect for this time of year.

We're so glad to have you here today! Can you tell us how you got started writing?

A church friend told me that a story I told in Sunday school would make a good devotion, but I didn't know what a devotion even was! She invited me to her writing group and taught me how to write it and get it published. Since then my group has helped me publish numerous devotions, newspaper articles, and six books, the sixth of which is an Advent devotional coming out soon. 

I know you're an editor too. What are some ways that being an editor makes your writing stronger? Does being an author make it easier or harder to be an editor?
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Being an editor has definitely helped me with my writing because I am constantly learning about writing rules to help my clients. I take what I've learned and apply it to my writing. I know it's helped me be a better writer. But it can also make it harder to be a writer because I'm quite meticulous, some would say a perfectionist, which can cause me to stall my writing endeavors.

I had no idea that other people started college as art majors and ended up authors too. But apparently, Patience O'Brien also started college as an art major. Want to know more about that as well as her gorgeous new Historical Romance? Read on!

1) Pat, your cover is beautiful. What moved you to write historical romance?

Thank you for your cover compliment--it's so appreciated! 
I've been reading historicals since grade school and enjoyed books like Jane Eyre and Little Women--their sweet touches of romance inspired me.

 2) As an artist, do you find the creativity from one part of your life meshes with the other? Does one feed the other?

At one time it was all about art. I graduated with a Masters in art & education; but in college I also enjoyed writing stories and poetry for campus publications. I won a few prizes in writing and one professor told me outright I'd chosen the wrong field to pursue. (he told me this in my 4th yr. 🙄 )  ​

I've been blessed to know Mary Pat Johns for a couple of years now online. And last November, we finally got to meet in person. She's just as lovely in real life as she is behind the screen. And I'm thrilled to help you get to know her a little better today too. Not to mention learn more about her super cute romances.

​Mary Pat, congrats on the release of your fourth book. How does it feel to have your series complete now?

It’s a mixed bag! I’m thrilled to have completed a whole series. Each book brought tears of anguish and joy, and I miss the daily interaction with familiar characters. It’s daunting to think of writing another series. That said, I’m writing a short, fun Christmas novella. It’s helped me come up for air between mammoth projects.   
 
We've grown to love these characters through the first three stories. Was it harder or easier to write their story? Why?

The male point of view is usually easier to write for me. Maybe because the males in my life aren’t complicated. What you see is what you get, without drama. Women are different. Brenna, the main character in Book 1, Countin’ On Jesse, was a total head-banger to write. It took me a long time to figure out what she was all about and longer to know what motivated her. 

One of the many perks of being a content editor is getting to know the other authors--and reading their stories before anyone else gets to. With Teresa Wells, I also got to meet her in real life last November, at ScrivCon. She's such a sweet woman, and I was thrilled to be able to help her polish up her first novel. It's a great story and I can't wait for you to learn more about it and Teresa.

Congratulations on your first book, Teresa! What made you decide to write about crazy quilts?
 
Thank you, Amy! I’m thrilled to be here on your wonderful blog.
 
I’ve always been fascinated by crazy quilts. I inherited a small one from my great-grandmother on my dad’s side, a woman I never met named Sarah Lora Martin Green (1870—1930). However, because of her crazy quilt, I have a glimpse into her life and what she held dear, proven by the names she stitched onto velvet, silk, and satin. This 3 x 3 crazy quilt contains the names of her husband, seven children, and one adopted nephew.
 
Seven children! I’ve always wondered where she found the time to make one of these, since crazy quilts take time, precision, and a knowledge of fancy stitches. Not exactly the stuff of a harried housewife. I mean, I could barely keep up with three girls—but five boys and two girls? Wow. Sarah Green probably had lots of help (the hired variety), freeing her up for endless hours of embroidery. According to my research, crazy quilting was a rich woman’s hobby. So, just like my fictional Truitt family, my great-grandparents lived a very comfortable life. But hard times were just around the corner. 

Do you love stories with a bit of heartache and a whole lot of triumph and love? Well, Kimberly Banet has what you're looking for. Check out this fun interview to find out where she found her inspiration, her location, and even HOW she wrote her first book. You might be surprised!

​Kim, congratulations on your newest book. Can you tell me what inspired you to write about foster families? 

Thank you, Amy! I had a coworker who always fostered teens, and I found that fascinating. She portrayed fostering teens as heartbreaking at times, but also very rewarding at times. Although her stories were nothing like my main character Sam’s experiences, bits and pieces of the heartache and the triumphs became part of Sam and the Grayson family’s story.

We're here today to chat with delightful author Sarah Hanks. She just might be busier than I am as she has five times as many children (if you're bad with math, just keep reading and you'll find out how many that is). Her books sound just as delightful and I hope you'll check them out after getting to know her here today.

 When you write, is there a genre you gravitate toward more than another? Why?

I write split-time because I can’t seem to decide whether I enjoy historical or contemporary better. It’s fascinating to me how history impacts the present and I love to explore those connections in my novels. Nothing happens in a vacuum. My stories show how history inspires people in modern-day to make either similar or different choices.

Which of your characters is most like you and how?

That’s a hard one because there are pieces of me in every story I write. I will say that Amber’s journey with POTS in Fall Back and Find Me closely mirrors my own. I’m not Amber—Our personalities are a bit different—but the experience she goes through and how she deals with it reflects my own personal experience.
This is hard to admit because Amber is not always the most likeable character. When I went through 7+ years of chronic illness, I probably wasn’t the most likeable person either. Though I tried to display a tough and positive front, I was struggling big time with discouragement. The lesson Amber learns about her identity not being in what she does but in what Christ says about her is powerful. I know this first-hand as it truly changed my life to ask Jesus each day what He says about me. I’m thankful that readers tend to stick with Amber through the bumps and come out on the other side with a newfound understanding and appreciation of those who struggle with chronic illness.

While I haven't lived in Texas for almost eight years now, I did live there for eleven, and I am always excited to find another author from there. It's like a friend, even if we've never met. Though, after getting to know Allison Nance through her interview questions, I feel like we could be friends. Maybe we need to plan a family vacation to Galveston. See what you think and check out her gorgeous cover for her soon-to-be-released debut novel!

Congratulations on your first full-length novel. What first inspired you to write this story?

Thank you, Amy! Whew, we are diving in deep with this first question. The answer starts about nine years ago, when my husband and I were first given a heart for cross-cultural ministry, specifically for the people of Japan. Beginning in 2016, God impressed Japan on our hearts, and from that first prompting, we prayed and began learning about how we could best serve overseas. We joined a sending organization and were set to be in Japan in the summer of 2020... and we all know what happened that year. Japan's borders remained closed to non-citizens for almost two years, and finally in 2022, we made it to Sapporo, where we joined some friends who had an English cafe ministry. Approximately five months into our time in Japan, I started developing severe anxiety and insomnia, as well as several other physical effects related to these things. As a typically laid-back person, this was highly unusual for me, and I began seeking medical counsel. None of the doctors had any answers for me. Eventually, my anxiety became so intense, my husband and I decided it was best for our family to move back to the US so I could heal. 

Even though I write romance, I love a good fantasy novel every now and then. And Dawn Ford writes a good fantasy novel (or six). She has two different series for different age groups, and they're both wonderful. I can't wait for you to learn more about them as we chat with my friend Dawn in the monthly author interview today.

How do you find a balance between the light and dark in your fantasy stories?

The balance between light and dark was the central theme to my current series’ overarching story and character arcs. Our heroes are charged with the mission to balance good and evil—light and dark, in their story world that is being besieged by an evil pied-piper character. Each book in the Band of Unlikely Heroes four-book series focuses on one hero/heroine and their struggles to overcome both their own shortcomings and fears. In the end, it will take them all, working against the big bad, to set the balance of good back into place and dispatch the evil that has been plaguing their kingdom for generations. I kept the ending in mind as I wrote the darkest scenes, pulling the guts out of my characters and then helping them learn invaluable lessons along the way—becoming an indomitable force when they finally come together. Light always wins over the dark, good triumphs over evil.