Black Tiger : Interview with the Author, Sara Baysinger

LOOK AT THIS BEAUTY!

We have the amazing privilege of hosting novelist Sara Baysinger on our blog today. Her book Black Tiger is out soon! So exciting. I cannot wait to get my hands on this book.

And without further ado...

What is the Black Tiger’s genre/category?

Dystopian/Young Adult

What led up to this book?

I am obsessed with the dystopian genre. I read Divergent by Veronica Roth in two days, then went to an apple orchard that following week, AND took a trip to Kentucky around that same time. Between those three things, inspiration built until I HAD to put it all down on paper and form a story around what I had. A lot of readers compare the beginning of Black Tiger with Divergent, but don’t worry, it takes on its own form once the trigger is pulled. ;)

What was the time frame for writing this book?

I wrote the entire first draft in less than a month, with my first born nursing on my lap the majority of that writing time. (I usually write my first drafts quickly.) Of course, since it was written so fast, a lot of rewriting followed, along with trimming and re-plotting, etc. One of the key characters didn’t even make it into the book until around the 3rd or 4th draft. So total time between beginning of first draft and publishing is three years exactly. :)

What were your 1-2 biggest learning experience(s) or surprise(s) throughout the publishing process?

I think the biggest surprise was how easy indie publishing was. Maybe it’s because I built it up in my head that it was going to be incredibly difficult. I purposefully didn’t set a deadline until everything was ready to publish so I wouldn’t stress if I hit a snag. I took each step one at a time, not looking ahead to the next step because then I would freak out. Next thing I knew, the book was uploaded on Amazon and I was ready to recruit a launch team! Don’t get me wrong—there is a lot of work involved in indie publishing, but after thinking about going indie for two and a half years (when about three literary agents encouraged me to do so), it wasn’t as daunting as I expected.

What’s next?

The second book in the Black Tiger series, Ashen City, is currently being read by my first round of beta readers. I’m hoping to have it out before March, but anything could change!

Bio:

Sara Baysinger grew up in the heart of the Andes Mountains in Ecuador where she spent her time exploring uncharted lands and reading all things magical. She now lives among the endless cornfields of Indiana with her husband and two young children. BLACK TIGER is her first novel.

Sarah Monzon's Finders Keepers ~ GIVEAWAY

I had the opportunity to interview Sarah Monzon, bestselling author of The Isaac Project. She recently released her second novel, Finders Keepers (A Carrington Family Novel, Book 1) Trent Carrington and Summer Arnet stopped by too! =)

Sarah, we are delighted to have you, and congratulations on your second novel, Finders Keepers. Let's get started on those questions, shall we?

Lucy:     This is your second novel, would you mind telling us if publishing Finders Keepers was any different from publishing The Isaac Project? Was it easier? Any nerve-wrecking, nail biting experiences?

Sarah:            It was definitely different. Some aspects were harder and some were easier. The nausea induced from releasing the books into the big, wide world was the same for both, however. Worrying about how my baby was going to be received. Worrying if readers will love and relate to the characters, if they will be gripped by the story. I’m one hot mess of vulnerability.

           

Lucy:         We all need a hero! Tell us about Trent? Was there a real-life inspiration behind him?

Sarah:           Oh, Trent. Where do I even begin? He’s a heart stopper, that one. He has a laid-back, devil-may-care air about him with a hint of danger and adventure. His too-long hair, tattoo, leather jacket, and Harley encompasses his bad-boy, ladies’-man persona. Although he was raised in a Christian home, tragedy from his childhood has rocked his faith.

            Was there a real-life inspiration for Trent? No, not really. Although when I was writing a lot of the scenes between him and Summer, especially his flirtatious bantering, I would ask myself, “What would Jose have said?” (Jose is my husband and he was a HUGE flirt/ladies’-man when I first met him).

Lucy:        We love a heroine we can relate to! Any real-life inspiration behind Summer?

Sarah:           I think every character has a bit of me in them. Summer has a bit more than most. I don’t outline or have a complete story in mind as I write, it just comes as the story develops, so I was surprised when Summer was telling me her story (yes, my characters speak to me…don’t call the crazy house!).  I was surprised because Summer’s story is so similar to my own. Summer was conceived from a one-night stand and raised by an amazing single mom. She was grew-up with a daddy-sized whole in her life and that shaped a lot of decisions she made. For me, I was conceived from an affair my mom had when she was separated from a bad marriage (God’s grace from a mistake is what my mama calls me), and then raised me and my older brother by herself. While I at times yearned for that father-figure, I always knew I had a Heavenly Father who loved me and could literally feel his arms wrap around me in times of need and pain.

Lucy:         What was your favorite part to write and why?

Sarah:            Can I say all of it? Is that a cop-out? It’s true though. I had so much fun with Summer and Trent and their bantering. On the flip side, Isabella’s story is full of adventure and fast-paced and action-packed.

Lucy:         You obviously did a lot of research, anything interesting you want to share?

Sarah:           Google and YouTube are life savers. Seriously. I can’t imagine writing a book without those resources at my fingertips.

Lucy:        Is there a message in your novel that you hope readers will grasp?

Sarah:            God is your father. He has adopted you into His family. He loves you and He wants to call you son/daughter.

Lucy:         What are your future projects?

Sarah:            Finders Keepers is the first in a four book series. Each book in the series will feature on of the Carrington siblings. The next story, All of You, will feature Michael Carrington.

Hi Trent, so happy to have you here on our blog.

You’re a modern treasure hunter, any misconceptions you

want to clear about your career?

First and foremost, I am not a pirate. No matter how many times Summer says otherwise. No one benefits from artifacts that are hidden away. I find the treasure and people can learn more about past cultures and history. It doesn’t hurt if the finds line my pockets.

2.    Why did you choose your career?

I’ve always been interested in history and inspired by men like Ponce de Leon. Men who weren’t afraid to push boundaries, have adventures, and discover new worlds. Plus, it helps that I have won every scavenger hunt I’ve ever participated in. Drove my sibling crazy growing up.

3.    What’s been your favorite travel destination?

      I have a keen fondness for the Bahamas. I don’t kiss and tell.. oh, who am I kidding? The tropical moon is part particularly magic to steal a few kisses under.

4.    Are you an adrenaline junkie / daredevil?

I like to live life to the fullest. I work hard, play hard, and love hard. I don’t think that makes me a daredevil, do you?

5.    What do you like to do in your spare time? With whom? Trent your Harley doesn’t count ;)

I’ve been doing a whole lot more scuba diving than I ever have in the past. And I think you can guess with whom. ;)

6.   Are you in love with Summer Arnet?
      Does the sun rise in the east and set in the west? Does the moon control the tides?

7.    What does God mean to you?

Summer has come to show me that God is my heavenly Father. I’ve heard that phrase my whole life, and I used to roll my eyes whenever I heard my parents say it, but it’s true. I still have a long way to go, but instead of blaming God for some unfortunate events, I’m learning to trust Him.

And now, Summer's turn! (You look a little worried, Trent? Hehehe)

Summer, I’m so glad you agreed to this interview!

What are you most proud of about your life, personal and professional.

I must say I was fairly bursting with excitement to finally see my name with the photo credit in Our World. Years of hard work and dreaming finally paid off. Of course Trent’s sunken ship didn’t hurt either. Tabitha Michael’s really loved those pictures.

When you wake up in the morning, what’s the first thing you do?

Coffee. Must. Have. Coffee. I cannot function without it. Seriously. Don’t even try to talk to me before that first cup.

You’re taking a road trip – what music do you listen to?

Summer: I love some Adele and Michael Buble. Don’t judge.

What makes you angry?

Injustice. Human trafficking. Racism. Political corruption. Bullying. Child hunger. Oh, was I only supposed to pick one thing? I could go on and on.

Do you have any physical insecurities?

I never liked all my freckles. It’s a common companion to the red hair, but I always wished I had a less speckled complexion.

What was the first thing you noticed (physically) of Trent? (Heheheheheh)

Ugh. Is Trent around here anywhere? His ego is big enough as it is without hearing us dish about him. I can already picture his self-confident smirk. Oh well, he already knows when I first saw him I thought he resembled a Norse god. Let that one slip one time and he never lets me forget it.

What does God mean to you?

Because of my personal history, growing up without a dad in my life, the role of God as my father really resonates with me. After yearning all my life for that father figure, to finally have found one in the Creator…I’m sorry, can I have a tissue? *sniff*

 About the book:

​"1698, Spain The same evil that stole her mother’s life stalks Isabella Castellano. Afraid for her safety and with no one to help her, Isabella disguises herself as a cabin boy and hires on to one of His Majesty’s treasure fleet vessels. But has her flight from a known threat only led her to be ensnared in a sea of dangers? Present Day, Florida Summer Arnet will go anywhere to capture the perfect shot that will get her marine photography noticed by the prestigious natural magazine, Our World—even diving in waters haunted by Great White sharks. When a treasure hunter with a ladies’ man reputation approaches her about a sunken ship at one of her past dive locations, it might be the chance she’s been looking for to launch her career…if his charming smile doesn’t derail her first.

A past tragedy has left a hole in Trent Carrington’s life—a hole he’s tried to fill with women, money, and adventure. Could the feisty marine photographer be the missing piece or will Trent finally accept that the treasure he seeks can’t be found where rust and moths destroy? Three lives. Three hundred years. One ship that ties them together." 

Author Bio:

Sarah Monzon is a pastor’s wife and a stay at home mom to the two cutest littles in the world.  Playing pretend all day with them isn’t enough, she spends the evenings after their heads hit the pillow to create her own imaginary characters.  When she isn’t in the world of make believe, she can be found in a small desert town in central Washington taking care of her family, fostering friendships, and enjoying all the adventures each day brings.

Want to win a Kindle version of Sarah's novel? Of course you do!

All you have to do is leave a comment, with your email address to stand a chance.

Winner will be notified via email on June 18th.

Be blessed

~Lucy

To avoid spam, please leave your email in the following format : Name(at)gmail(dot)com

Lucy Nel chats with Deanna Fugett : Part 4 of 4 Interviews

1. You're a wife and mommy of four. Please describe a day in the life of Deanna Fugett, the wife, mother and writer. 

Chaos. What more need I say? Actually, I think we have it under control for the most part. We do have four very active and needy kids. So we've had to learn to adjust with each passing year. My husband and I are not super strict, so we let the kids 'do their thing' and encourage independence and a helpful attitude around our house. 

I drop kids off at school in the morning, hubby's long gone by then, and go home. I usually throw in a load of laundry, do a load of dishes and then get to my writing. I hate cleaning, and only do it when I have too. Most of my day can be taken up just with dishes, laundry (I'm in charge of SIX people's laundry. It's never-ending!) and writing and just taking care of my family's needs in general. There's always SOMETHING I should be doing. It's just a matter of doing it. 

2. What inspired you to begin with your current WIP?

Well...I'm not sure exactly. Honestly one day I just sat at the computer and said, "I'm going to write a story today," and it just kind of happened. Two months later I had my first rough draft. 

But I can credit my mom for my love of reading which inspired my love of writing, which also comes from my elementary school teachers, Mrs. Bholson and Mrs. Olson. 

Mrs. Bholson fostered a love of writing in me at a young age (I went to a small school, so I had her 1st through 3rd grade) and then in 6th grade Mrs. Olson challenged us to write a book someday. I already knew I loved writing and had been told I was decent at it, so I made a promise to myself that someday I would write that book. And here I am. 

3. Favorite place and time to write? 

Anywhere, anytime. Seriously, whenever I get a free moment, like when my kids are in school. Which only happens Monday and Wednesday, that all four of them are gone. So those are the two main days I focus on writing, or at least attempt too. 

They all know it's important to me, and there are plenty of times I will be typing away with my kids, while my youngest takes a bath, or when my daughter wants me in her room while she plays dolls. I try to not lock myself away and always be available to them, no matter what. It's not always easy. Sometimes if I'm really inspired, it's frustrating to get that "Mommy!" right in the middle of a big scene. But I have to make my family my number one priority and put my work down. They will always come first. 

4. You write Speculative YA fiction, with some of most interesting character names I've seen. What one message do you wish to portray with your current WIP?

My message is simply this. Even in a dark, wicked world we have to put aside our fears and be brave. 

Actually, I have tons of mini messages weaving throughout the entire series, but those you'll have to discover for yourselves. 

5. Name some of the biggest challenges, victories you've faced in your writing journey?

Challenges, PUBLISHING. Holy moly, I had NO idea what I was getting myself into when I decided to write a book. I had my nice little rose colored glasses on, thinking to myself. "Oh gee, this is going to be great. I'll write a best seller, give it to a publisher, they will love it and my life will be great." 

Oh my, how wrong I was. It's so much more complicated and difficult then I ever thought it would be. But I love it. And I'm not going to give up. Ever. I will make this dream happen.

Victories? Well, I guess my victory is the responses I have gotten from my story Ending Fear, which is the first in The Gliding Lands Series. People seem drawn to it. I'm not sure why, but it seems to hit a chord with a lot of folks so far. 

6. If you could have one quality of your main character, Fear, what would it be? 

Probably her ability to be passionate. She's a teen girl with lots of crazy hormones, she's kind of annoying sometimes, and she doesn't always think straight. But she's passionate about things. I never want to loose passion in my life. 

7. Do you have a favorite scripture?

My mom gave my the verse Matthew 5:9, "Blessed are the Peacemakers, for they shall be called the sons and daughters of God," when I was very young. I was a peacemaker growing up. 

I know I've changed a lot since then, and now I like to stir things up a bit. I don't always keep the peace, as it were. Maybe I've become jaded in some aspects. But I'd like to think that I still have the ability and definitely the desire to be a peacemaker. 

You can also add the entire book of Psalms. It's my favorite book of the Bible and any time I am distressed I can always find God's love, promises and beauty within those words.

Thank you Lucy, for the interview, it was a pleasure!  

Meet Ralene Burke AND a *Giveaway*

Check out this interview of author Ralene Burke! Also, make sure to comment below for your chance to win a kindle copy of her book Bellanok! 

Hi Ralene!

I just finished reading your debut novel Bellanok. It’s a story full of demons, dragons, unicorns and best of all, a faerie queen. Tell us what inspired you to write this creative story.

Honestly, I have no idea. I was in prayer one day--not even about writing if I recall correctly--and the story title just came to me. As I started letting the title roll over my tongue, the premise of the story formed in my mind. Before I knew it, I had written the first chapter. 

The main character in the book is Brian, who is a burnt-out pastor who has lost his spark. Bellanok is the first book in a series you will be putting out over the course of the next few months. Somehow Brian is going to be transformed into a hero at some point. Can you give us any clues as to how this may take place? Or would that be giving away too much?

We all know that part of growing is being put through the refiner's fire, right? Let's just say there's a lot of fire--literally and figuratively. 

I’m really curious about Brian’s transformation. I’m wondering how much Fauna’s influence on him is going to help push him into the person he’s supposed to become.

I believe they will influence each other, actually. Fauna may seem all put together--and for the most part she is--but there are lessons for her to learn throughout the story as well.

Can you reveal if Brian and Fauna will become an item? Would that even work- A human and a faerie?

What do you think? *wink* If a romance were possible, though, you're right. How would that work? One would have to give up the only life they've known for that romance. Would it be worth it? Would there be any regret? Only the story can tell . . . 

I’m also curious to know what Roman will look like as a dragon. That must be awful uncomfortable being a dragon in human form. No wonder he’s kind of grouchy.

The actual being in human form is not any more or less comfortable for this particular dragon. Once on Bellanok, he goes between the two quite easily and often. However, the frustrating part for him is the restrained abilities in human form: no flying, no fire-breathing, less strength. I won't tell you much about how he looks, but I will say that he is a crimson dragon. 

Considering the short length of the books, it makes for a nice, easy read. Would you consider these to be mini-books?

The plan is that all 5 books will be about 20K words, or about 70 pages. They're novellas/novellettes. However, because they are a series, they are also termed "serials." 

Tell us when your next book in the series will be coming out.

The plan was to release the next book, Bellanok: An Urgent Quest, by Black Friday, but I think it'll be more like the first week of December. 

Have you always enjoyed the fantasy genre? What is one of your favorite series?

Yes, I've always enjoyed the fantasy genre, but it is not something I really got into until after I had kids. More time on my hands, I guess. Right now, my favorite fantasy series is the Follower of the Word trilogy by Morgan Busse. 

One last thing, if you could be any creature in your book, which one would you choose and why?

Hmmm . . . good question. Probably a fairy. In my story, they are so versatile at what they are capable of with various gifts and specialties.

Thank you for having me, Deanna!

Thank you Ralene! It was a pleasure to have you on our blog, and it was a pleasure to get to know you at the ACFW Conference this year. Don't forget to check out Ralene's bio and the BOOK GIVEAWAY below.

RALENE BURKE BIO:

Whether she’s wielding a fantasy writer’s pen, a freelance editor’s sword, or a social media wand, Ralene Burke always has her head in some dreamer’s world. And her goal is to make it SHINE! She spins fantastical tales to encourage people to SHINE BEYOND. She has worked for a variety of groups/companies, including Realm Makers, The Christian PEN, Kentucky Christian Writers Conference, and as an editor for a number of freelance clients.

Her first novel, Bellanok, is being published as a 5-part serial starting in October 2015!

When her head’s not in the publishing world, she is wife to a veteran and homeschooling mama to their three kids. Her Pinterest board would have you believe she is a master chef, excellent seamstress, and all around crafty diva. If she only had the time . . .

You can also find her on Facebook, Twitter, or at her website. 

BOOK GIVEAWAY!!!!
Tell us you want Ralene's book below in the comments and you just might receive a free copy (kindle version). We'll be giving away one at the end of the week. Stay tuned for the WINNER. It might be YOU!

Part Three of Four Interviews

Welcome to part three of our four interviews. This week Robin interviews Lucy.

Take a look at the first here and second interviews here.

What made you decide to write a novel?

Is being crazy an answer? Probably not…Sigh. Writing a novel is hard work and time-consuming. But I find it challenging, terrific fun and satisfying. The sense of achievement when you type those two little words “THE END” is hard to beat.

How has God been faithful to keep you on that path over the years?

He gave me the most supportive husband on the face of the earth! There had been too many times that I’ve been on the brink of shoving this dream to the deepest, darkest pit in my heart, but he wouldn’t allow me to. I’m tremendously grateful for the man that he is.

What came to you first? Character, setting, or plot? How did the rest of the novel form around that seedling idea?

Definitely character. Basically, characters always seem to come to me first. I always tend to wonder why characters are where they are. Did what they did, and how will they fix it or live with it. I’m probably more of a character driven writer than plot driven.

What have you done since you started writing to hone your skills and get better at your craft?

I spent most of my early writing life as a “closet writer”. I told a selected few family members and friends that I dreamed of being an author… That was it. I wrote away in secrecy. Early on in our marriage my husband told me it was time to get serious about my writing. I don’t know if he was impressed by what he read or simply got tired of me whining about “dreaming of being an author”. I took his advice. I enrolled for some writing courses, attended writing classes and purchased a dozen books about the craft of writing.

Two years ago I gathered enough guts to become a member of ACFW’s and am still learning more and more about the craft.

You work full-time, care for your darling baby boy, and write historical fiction. How do you find balance in all these consuming tasks? Can you offer any words of encouragement to aspiring writers who are also employed at other jobs?

Yes ma’am, I work full-time as a bookkeeper. Numbers and words kind of the same thing – right? Hehehe. Just kidding.

I try to put my family first. Sometimes I fail, other times I succeed. I think it all comes down to prioritizing. Since writing is also important to me, I occasionally find myself writing late at night – when the rest of the house is asleep and I’m not too tired.  

I’m not going to lie and say it’s been easy, because it’s not. Weeks go by without me putting down one word, and it makes me feel anxious. But a quote I read some time ago really sums it all up. I want to share it with any other aspiring writer that finds balancing working full-time, family time and writing daunting. 

“If it’s important to you, you’ll find a way. If not, you’ll find an excuse.” (The author was unknown.)

What do you hope to achieve personally and professionally with regards to your writing?

I’d love to put a smile on someone’s face. God blessed me with a gift to make people laugh, if I can accomplish that with my writing, I’d be happy. I’d like to hope I was called to write to make my readers smile, perhaps even laugh.

Is there a work of fiction that has stuck with you over time? Why?

Hands down, Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers. 

I read that book the first time about ten years ago. And I've reread it numerous times since. 

The message that God’s grace and forgiveness is enough, remained with me all this time.

~Lucy

Hope you all join us next week when I interview Deanna.

Part Two of Four Interviews

This world is a remarkable place. We four writers met through ACFW, which is to say we only know each other electronically. Though our commonalities (the Lord and our passion for writing) brought us together, we are distinct. We live all over the world. Our paths to and through this writing life vary. You're invited to get to know us better as we get to know each other better through a series of four interviews. You can read the first here.

This week Jebraun Clifford is interviewing Robin Scobee.

What inspired your current project?

The group we now call Pilgrims always seemed cartoonish to me. Big black hats with yellow buckles above the round brim. White coifs, stiff collars, Puritan sternness. Only Squanto, with his fish and corn and generosity brought a warmth, a humanness, to this cardboard group of people.

That is, until I read a nonfiction book called The Light and the Glory by Peter Marshall and David Manuel, lent to me by a friend at church. I learned more American history in two days of reading that book than in years of public school and undergrad education.

I learned that these stalwart people were exiled first to Holland before they traveled on the Mayflower. I learned about one of their leaders, William Bradford, whose words are preserved in letters and journals. I read a portion of his letter in which he gave his reasons for leaving Holland in 1620. The hardness of the life they had chosen was so extreme almost none were coming from England to join them. Their labor was debilitating, especially for the aged, who were being so worn down, he feared they might not be able to physically remove when the time came. But most alarming (to me) is what this lifestyle was doing to their children. In Bradford's words, "many were being drawn away by the lures of the world around them." (p. 109)

I read that sentence over and over. How odd, I thought. How...human. That's my struggle as a parent.

What if...  Those wonderful words that are the foundation of all stories danced in my imagination.

What if...a young woman...raised by faithful parents (who were stern to a fault) found herself in Holland, but...but she didn't want to be there? What if she rebelled? What if she found love outside the fold of her faithful community? What would they do? How would she get free from them? What would become of her? Would she miss out on that wonderful destiny of being a Pilgrim?

And a story was born.

I understand your series is about sisters who came to American on the Mayflower. It must be challenging to write about a real event. What kind of research have you done for your novels? And are your characters built on any real person?

Research is difficult. Many traditional reference materials have been written with an anti-Christian bias, and I don't feel they accurately portray who these people were. I seek out materials that quote the journals and letters written by actual Mayflower passengers. There is a surprising archive of primary source writings; much of it accessible for free on the web.


The Smithsonian offers an excellent source of trustworthy information.
This website for the Pilgrim museum in Leiden is my absolute favorite. It is a dream of mine to visit Leiden and meet Dr. Bangs to hear him tell this history he knows so well.


I also like to study works of art painted during that time period. Jan Steen, who was born in 1626 in Leiden, and educated in Leiden University (as well as one of the fictional characters in my novel!) offers a fascinating picture of every day Dutch life. We can see the way people dressed, what they ate, what their musical instruments looked like, how their homes were decorated, what animals they kept as pets. He shows us people praying, sleeping, laughing, "merrymaking," even little boys getting their hands smacked by their schoolmaster. What a treasure! I use so many details from his paintings in the pages of my writing.

"Peasant family at Meal-Time (Grace Before Meat)" 1665

My main characters are not based on real people. I could have given them names of actual Mayflower passengers, but I chose not to out of deference to the estimated 20 million people who claim to be descended from them. My characters are complex, rife with flaws as well as strengths, and it seemed rude to ascribe imaginary flaws to ancestors of living people.

Real people do occasionally make appearances in the story (Bradford, for instance), and I generally try to make them seem flattering based on what I know of their actual character.

Are you a pantser or a plotter?

Definitely a pantser! I have paid for this in whole chapters having to be deleted during revisions, but I can't seem to do it any other way. My characters grow and change and surprise me during the writing, so I let them. Perhaps as I continue to learn about writing, and become more skillful, I may evolve into more of a plotter.

Describe your ideal writing environment (music you listen to, snacks to nibble on, at home? in a cafe? morning? evening? midnight, lol?)

Ideally, I like to have my mini-HP netbook in my lap, sitting in my cushy recliner, feet out, coffee on the bookshelf next to me, blinds raised so I can stare at the goings on outside, as I often do while I write. I can't have food near me. I munch instead of write.

When life is normal, I limit my writing to the quiet hours while my husband is at work and the kids are at school. My husband is in the Army, so he is away from home sometimes for weeks or months at a time. Although my life is better when he's home, I get a lot more writing accomplished when he's away because I can write morning, noon, or night. Or all three. Whatever. My muse is not picky. I have trained my mind to prepare for those quiet hours, whenever they happen to come.

Music is tricky. Sometimes it helps me know a character better. Sometimes it distracts. If I listen to anything, I pick an artist I like and listen to their playlist on Youtube, or their channel on Slacker Radio.

Who's an author who has influenced you?

I have to say Laura Ingalls Wilder. My mom read the "Little House" books to my sister and me when we were young, and I've read them to my daughters. I didn't realize until I was an adult that she lived in a small town not far from where I grew up. I had an opportunity to visit her home last summer when we went back to Missouri for a visit to my family.


I saw her writing desk, Jebraun. A little unassuming thing, probably built by Almanzo, with a tablet of paper and a pencil positioned on it, as if she had been just been there.


She was just a woman, like me, a former teacher, a Midwestern wife and mother, a nobody, who thought it would be a good idea to beginning writing things down. That makes me think maybe I'm not crazy to sit in my cushy chair, with my laptop open in my lap, staring out the window, imagining stories.

You write historical fiction, what's your favourite genre to read? 

I do love historical fiction probably more than any other. I grew up on it. My sister and I devoured historical romance during our teen years. I also tend to seek out literary fiction because I appreciate complexity and brilliance. I learn the most about writing from it.

Favourite scripture and why?

Ecclesiastes 7:13-14 "Accept the way God does things, for who can straighten what he has made crooked? Enjoy prosperity while you can, but when hard times strike, realize that both come from God. Remember that nothing is certain in this life."  I latched onto this verse during a difficult time for our family. My husband had lost his job 10 days before I gave birth to our third baby. A month later he wrecked his car on the way to a job interview. A month later my middle child was hospitalized with pneumonia. It seemed like everything was crooked, and I was weary from trying and failing to straighten things out. I couldn't make sense of the chaos. I found this verse, wrote it on a little white domino, and carried it around with me until that difficult season was past us. It did end, and God showed himself to us in remarkable ways. I still have the domino (it's faded now) displayed on a shelf near my writing chair.

Who are we? Part one of four interviews.

Since this is a brand new blog, we thought it would be fun to interview one another so you can get to know us better. And since we live all over the world and haven’t met one another except over social media and through ACFW, it gave us an opportunity to find out a little more about each other too. Deanna decided to kick things off by asking Jebraun a few questions about writing and life.

What inspired you to start writing? 

The question should be what inspired me to start writing again. After taking an almost twenty year break to raise a family, I thought it was time to rekindle an old passion and start writing again. I enjoyed writing short stories at college but always wanted to latch onto a great idea for a novel. I'm excited about the one I have brewing now. Storytelling is so important. Stories are such an amazing way to entertain, educate, and encourage. And we need that! There's a lot of negativity in this world, and sometimes the best vehicle to counter that is a story full of hope and promise. 

You write Speculative YA, what made you pick that particular genre?

I want to write about a world where anything can happen! I don't want to be limited by history, research, or even physics. And there are so many possibilities with speculative fiction. Steve Laube from Enclave Publishing describes the speculative genre, in particular science fiction and fantasy, as the one genre of all genres in fiction that reflect the creativity of God. Isn't that an amazing concept? And I want to write to a YA audience because that’s the age when we start asking those questions about why we're here, and what it all means. Madeleine L'Engle, probably my favorite author of all time, once said that some of those questions don't have finite answers, but the questions themselves are important. I hope to ask some important questions as well as provide a few possible answers to my readers.

Tell us the name of your WIP, and what is the message behind it?

Well, I entered a contest recently and can't post my title on social media. But the message is simple. My WIP is about family, loyalty, and finding our true identity. And it tackles the difficulties we can have when one or more of these ideas clash with one another. It’s also about staying true to who God created us to be in the face of adversity.

Who is your favorite character in your story and why?

My favorite character is my heroine, Tyrzah. I like her because she wants to do the honorable thing whatever the cost may be. She sees the injustices around her and wants to do something about it. And if someone has to take the hit for making the right decision, she'll accept that responsibility. Plus she has some mean skills with a sword!

Every story has to have a villain/a bad guy/an antagonist. Describe your villain.

Like in our world, the bad guys are behind the scenes. There are people in my story who look like the villains, but they're only pawns in the hands of the evil spiritual powers from my world. My heroine has to learn to wrestle against these powers to set things right.

Now just for fun, where is your favorite place to go on a date with your husband?

We love going to Leonardo's - this seriously amazing Italian restaurant - for our date nights. We take our time, eat, talk, and soak in the atmosphere. I love it! It's vital for couples to take time to recharge their relationship and have fun together. That's definitely one of the secrets for our 22 year marriage.

Check back next time when Jebraun poses a few questions to Robin.

As always, we welcome your comments. And if there's anything else you'd like to find out about Jebraun, ask away!