WHAT LED YOU TO WRITE SUMMER OF PROMISE?
When we moved to Wyoming, my husband and I needed a break from unpacking, hanging curtains, planning landscaping and all the other activities associated with a new house. We knew we couldn’t play hooky for too long, so we limited ourselves to a day trip, but what a day trip that was. When we set foot inside Fort Laramie, it was love at first sight. The fort was very different from my mental image, but that was part of its appeal. And when I discovered how genteel life was at the fort during the 1880s, I couldn’t stop thinking about the people who might have lived there. Summer of Promise is the result.
STARTING OUT, WHO WERE THE AUTHORS WHO INSPIRED YOU? WHO INSPIRES YOU NOW?
I wrote for the secular market for many years until the death of a close friend made me reevaluate my writing goals. At that time, I found an article about Christian fiction authors and ‘discovered’ Lynn Austin and Stephanie Grace Whitson, both of whose books inspired me to try my hand at writing for the Christian market. I’m still inspired by Lynn and Stephanie, as well as Tamera Alexander, Delia Parr, Kim Vogel Sawyer and Kathleen Morgan. There are so many good Christian authors!
HOW DOES YOUR FAITH INFLUENCE YOUR WRITING?
It’s part of who I am, and so it colors my characters and the stories I tell. That was true even when I wrote for the secular market, but now that I’m writing Christian novels, I don’t have to censor myself. What a relief!
HOW LONG HAVE YOU KNOWN YOU WANTED TO BE AN AUTHOR?
For almost as long as I can remember, books have been a major part of my life. I love the fact that in addition to teaching me things, they can transport me to a different time and place. As a child, I decided that the most wonderful thing in the world would be to be a writer and give others the pleasure that I found in books. Of course, even then I somehow knew that it would be a difficult way to earn an living, so I took a “real” job, and writing became my second career. I used to describe it as a case of “for love or money.” Writing was what I did for love; the day job helped pay the mortgage.
WHAT DO YOU MOST HOPE THAT READERS GET FROM READING YOUR WORK?
My prayer as I write each book is that my stories will touch readers’ hearts and strengthen their faith.