The author talks about her 3-in-1 romance collection
Connecticut Weddings (Romancing America): Travel through Connecticut with three women whose lives are on the cusp of change. Can God give each woman a new set of dreams fulfilled through romance?
Q: Your
‘Romancing America’ book started out as separate titles for
the Heartsong Presents readers. Tell us how the
individual novels are linked together into a larger picture.
My stories are linked both geographically and seasonally.
Each of the stories in Connecticut Weddings represents a different time of year
— A Still, Small Voice takes place in winter, A Whole New Light in the spring
and Leap of Faith in the summer.
Q: When you
were originally writing the series, how much were you
focused on each individual title — and how much were
your eyes on how each piece fit into the larger story?
I outlined each of these stories before I wrote them, so
I was conscious of how they would fit together as a whole, especially in
relation to the seasonal theme. However, once I started actually writing them,
I totally
focused on each book as an individual.
Q: What was
your inspiration for the original series? (And how much
did your original plan change over the course of the
arc?)
My inspiration for the series came from my own love and
knowledge of Connecticut. I lived there for a number of years, and my extended
family still lives there. Every summer we spend a week with my mom, who lives
in the middle of the state. She has an awesome house and barn on three acres
and keeps donkeys as pets. We have so
much fun up there, and I wanted readers to get a feel for how wonderful
Connecticut really is. As far as how much of my original plan changed. when I
initially proposed the three story series, two of the stories were immediately
accepted, but the third one didn’t quite work, so I had to come up with another,
which ultimately became Still, Small Voice. I actually like Still, Small Voice
the best, so I am so glad I had to dig a little deeper for the idea.
Q: How does your faith influence your writing?
Faith factors heavily into my writing. It’s scary
starting a new project — there’s always fears and doubts. But I believe God
uses us all to His purpose, and so I tell myself to be open to His will and to
try not to get in the way. Sometimes, like in prayer, writing is a matter of
being patient and listening. It’s hard to do, but always worth it.
Q: What do
you most hope readers get out of your fiction?
I hope readers get pulled into my fictional world and
enjoy being there. I want them to laugh at times because of something my
characters say or do.
Above all, I want my readers to be inspired in their
faith and know that God loves them.