Book Club Interview with Siri Mitchell & Aussie Giveaway

My Book Club's September selection was Siri Mitchell's Love's Pursuit. It is a poignant tale of tender love and God's grace and is highly recommended to other book clubs. Siri graciously answered our questions and I wanted to share her insights into Love's Pursuit, writing and much more. Be warned there are some spoilers if you haven't read Love's Pursuit yet.

Love's Pursuit is available now from Bethany House.

Enjoy!

Siri:~ First, thank you so much for choosing to read my book. I hope the time you spent between its pages let you immerse yourself in a different time and place. I also hope that it was thought provoking. Thanks too for forwarding all of these questions. I loved answering them because they made me think about the book in a different way, helped me to understand the ‘why’s of some of the things that I wrote (read on for surprising revelations!), and be more precise about what it was that I was trying to say (which can actually be very difficult for a novelist!) So, without further ado:

‘Love’s Pursuit’ is quite different from your other books to date, how challenging was it to write something with such a historical style of language, compared to the more contemporary language used in your other novels?

It’s always difficult to know exactly how true to the time to be. I agonized over A Constant Heart. Just how ‘Shakespearian’ did the characters have to sound, etc. I hardly used any contractions in that book in order to convey the more formal speech patterns. Love’s Pursuit was a bit more relaxed in terms of formality. And I had trouble in my next book (She Walks in Beauty) not making the dialogue sound too contemporary.

The most difficult part in writing historicals is limiting my words and my metaphors. In Love’s Pursuit, for example, I was writing about people who lived in a wilderness, who had limited interaction with the world at large. They didn’t have many past experiences to draw on. Think of things like describing a color. Turquoise is out. Garnets are probably out. As are emeralds. I definitely couldn’t use ‘sparkle like a diamond’ or ‘a pearl of a moon’. Imagine never having heard the sound of a piano or violin (which is something I tried to convey in one of the scenes at the Wrights’ house.) How do you describe the sound of a bird? Or the shape of clouds? And could thunder really sound like a cannon? (Maybe to people in Boston where there were cannons, but probably not to the people in Stoneybrooke. It probably just sounded like…thunder J) Most comparisons to machinery or the workings of such things were too modern to use. If the truth be told, one of the reasons I had Susannah be familiar with Boston was so that I could bring in some references and metaphors having to do with the sea.

Writing in contemporary language has its own problems. It’s always hard to know which words in current use will be later be seen as dated. ‘Groovy’ is pretty much tied to the 60s. ‘Hot!’ could also be ‘Cool!’ depending on the decade. Any references to popular culture will quickly date a book, but that’s also part of the appeal of contemporary stories – we relate to them so easily. The rhythms of modern speech, however, are much easier to come by.

One of the things I found challenging was the Puritan’s belief that one is best served by being busy all the time and that to rest during the day is squandering what God gives us, particularly when I spent a whole rainy Saturday curled up with this book! What kind of imprint did this part of the Puritan’s life make on yours?

I’m sorry I made you sin!

Honestly? I thought to myself, ‘What a bunch of hog-swallop! Those poor, deceived people!’ As a wife, mother, writer, daughter, and sister. Housekeeper, cook, taxi driver, grocery shopper, I feel like I deserve the breaks I take. And frankly, there aren’t enough of them! I went to an exhibit at the Smithsonian Museum lately on ‘The Art of Invention.’ They delved into the creative life of famous inventors. One of them came up with some of his best ideas floating on a lake near his house, on his back, cigar in mouth, staring up at the stars. I think when people are ‘doing nothing,’ they’re actually doing something, whether that something is contemplating theology or working out the solutions to their personal problems. In theory, the Puritan ideal sounds good. Especially as I contemplate raising a teenager (Idle hands, the devil’s workshop, etc.), but in practice, I think we all need to take breaks when we can get them. When else do we have the chance to appreciate the world around us and cultivate a sense of gratitude toward God?

You are quite open at the same time as being subtly tasteful about the intimate lives of the characters in ‘Love’s Pursuit’. While I felt that you handled the writing of those things beautifully, I suspect it has probably drawn a fair amount of criticism for you as well. How do you, as an author, deal with criticism of your work?

I have gotten some ‘Good book, but not for the single woman or teenager’ reviews. What I thought was interesting was how matter-of-fact people were about sexuality back then. It was just an expected part of life. I wanted to convey the idea that some things that we’re prudish about today were not at all looked upon that way back then. Not even by these pious, devout people that we can’t imagine ever doing (let alone enjoying!) such things.

How do I deal with criticism in general? It really depends on what the criticism is. Generally, I know where my books could have been stronger. If a review happens to mention those areas, then what can I say except that I’ll try harder next time. (Case in point: spring 2010’s book is going to be from one POV only. It will also have a happy ending J) Sometimes reviews mention something that surprises me. In those cases, if that comment keeps popping up, then I put in my basket of things to work on, whether it’s a technical issue or whether I just failed to communicate clearly. Sometimes reviewers seem to miss the point entirely. On one website recently, there were a whole host of reviews that criticized this book for completely lacking a Christian message. What else can I do with those but laugh? This is the most Christian book I’ve ever written. The whole point is Grace! Mostly, I just try to remember that everyone who reads my books has the right to have an opinion about them.

I felt very much for the character of Small-hope. It was a bold statement by her husband, Thomas, to buy her such a beautiful coat. The way her story unfolded was wonderful. It made me think of others who need a "red coat" when they feel they should stay in "gray". I am wondering where this character came from or how you found her.

I loved the character of Thomas. I considered, for a while, telling some of the story from his point of view; he saw Small-hope so differently than she viewed herself. But I decided, in the end, that hearing the story from her point of view would be more powerful. In giving her the red coat, I don’t think Thomas saw it as a challenge to her, I think he always saw her whole and he thought that she should have it. I love your statement, Jodie, about people needing a red coat when they feel they should stay in gray. I never really considered that scene from that perspective. But that red coat was such a dilemma for her. Should she stay the person she was or should she reveal herself to the world? It was one of my favorite scenes because Thomas didn’t realize what he was doing and Small-hope literally had to fight herself to accept that free gift. And, as happens when we accept grace, that gift changed everything. I wish I could tell you I set the whole thing up that way, but I didn’t really see it until right this moment.

Some other things I never really meant to write: Daniel as a Christ figure. My editor laughed when I told her I didn’t realize I had written him that way. I also never realized that Small-hope and Susannah were both really grappling with the same problem internally. Apparently this means that I have theme all figured out. (I wish I knew how I did it, because I might try it again some day!)

How I found Small-hope? Slowly. I honestly think she sort of shadowed me until I turned around and saw her. I wanted to have an insider’s and an outsider’s view of the community and she definitely fit that role.

The book was heart wrenching but I enjoyed it very much! What was the inspiration for this story and how did you come up with the names for the characters?

{I’ll answer the names question a bit later on…} My first contract with my publisher was for three historicals based on fashion elements. The first and third book ideas came quickly. A Constant Heart was written about the lead-based face paints Elizabethan women used. She Walks in Beauty (to be released in April) has to do with Victorian-era corsets. But I had to think up a third idea for the middle book. When I was shopping these ideas around, a different publisher said they wanted another American setting.

One of my favorite young adult books is The Witch of Blackbird Pond, set in Puritan New England. And one of the subplots involves an outsider dealing with the dress codes of the Puritans. I thought the dress codes would be interesting to write about. As I thought about creating a story around that, I knew I had to have a character get ‘caught’ wearing the wrong gown which would make the people in her town disbelieve everything they ever knew about her. The story specifics developed from there.

As far as the setting, I didn’t want to write about the Pilgrims (1620s) and I definitely didn’t want to write about the Salem Witch Trials (1690s) I didn’t think I had much to add to those two topics. I did want to use the colony’s Code of Laws which came into effect in the 1640s, but I didn’t want to set it during the period of conflicts with the Native American tribe in the area (1670s). I decided on the 1640s simply because it had what I needed: the Code of Laws and a point in time when the colony was still in its infancy.

Do you think it is a romance or a tragedy?

It’s such a hard question. That’s why I asked you guys! Can it be a tragic romance? That’s what my editor had in mind when he saw the proposal. He said he’d been looking for a good tragic romance. He thought the market was ready for one. So let’s go with that.

How did you come up with the characters names?

The farther back in history you go, the more limited the pool of names becomes. In England, at the end of the 16th century for instance, 72% of the women shared just 10 names: Elizabeth, Anne, Joan, Margaret, Alice, Mary, Agnes, Catherine, Jane, and Dorothy. In my historicals, I really try to be true to the times. For this book, I looked at digitized town and parish census records, ship logs, and other period collections of names. The Puritans had two main naming methods. Often, children were named after their parents (both mother and father). They were also named after people in the Bible (excepting the archangels or any name that Christ was called i.e. Michael, Gabriel, Emmanuel, etc.). Only those in the very strictest of Puritan sects named their children after extreme virtues (Fly-fornication, Search-the-scriptures, Fight-the-good-fight-of-faith, Makepeace, Helpless, No-merit, etc.). Small-hope’s name was one I actually discovered when I was looking through those old records. I thought it would be so sad to carry that name and wondered why anyone would name a child that. Much of her story was based on my imagined answers to those two questions.

Susannah, though not included in our Bible, is a name that would have been familiar to the English. It had long been part of the Roman Catholic Bible (Chapter 13 in their Book of Daniel). Although the Puritans would have had nothing to do with Catholics (they considered the story apocryphal since it had been written in Greek rather than Hebrew), the name had become part of English culture by then. Many artists during the Renaissance used Susannah’s story as inspiration for their art. Daniel is one of the people mentioned in that story. I didn’t start out trying to parallel it, but here’s the story in a nutshell (taken from Wikipedia):

~*~*~*~*~*

As the story goes, a fair Hebrew wife is falsely accused by lecherous voyeurs. As she bathes in her garden, having sent her attendants away, two lusty elders secretly observe the lovely Susanna. When she makes her way back to her house, they accost her, threatening to claim that she was meeting a young man in the garden unless she agrees to have sex with them.

She refuses to be blackmailed, and is arrested and about to be put to death for promiscuity when a young man named Daniel (our Protestant ‘Daniel and the Lion’s Den Daniel) interrupts the proceedings. After being separated, the two men are questioned about details of what they saw, but disagree about the tree under which Susanna supposedly met her lover. The great difference in size between the two trees make the elders' lies plain to all the observers. The false accusers are put to death, and virtue triumphs.

~*~*~*~*~*

I also decided to have Susannah be named after her mother to illustrate that naming tradition, since we rarely do that today. Another interesting tradition was to keep naming sons after their father until one of them lived past childhood. In the book I have Susannah noting that there had been several sons named John in her family before the baby had been born. In our modern era, we assign individuality to a child even before it’s born. During the Puritan era (and prior to it), child mortality was so common, that a child didn’t really assume an identity (or even their gender) until they were several years old.

Thoroughly enjoyed Love’s Pursuit. I was fascinated how you successfully entwined the different dialogues and views of Susannah and Small-hope without confusing the story or taking away from it. Did you write these at the same time or did you write the story about Susannah and then add Small-hopes thoughts later?

I’m so glad you liked it!

I wrote them at the same time. I wanted the contrast between how Susannah saw the village and how Small-hope saw it and also wanted a sense of immediacy between the two women’s points of view about the same situations. It seemed to work best when I wrote from the two points-of-view at the same time.

The Puritan belief that they must work to gain God's approval was very interesting. How did you research the Puritan church and was it difficult to do so?

I read quite a few books about the Puritans, examined their legal code, and read through court records. Two of my favorite books about them were:

Worldly Saints – The Puritans As They Really Were by Leland Ryken

Good Wives by Laurel Thatcher Ulrich

What really surprised me, as I read their own words, is how sweet and sacred the marriage relationship was to them. So many of their leaders were completely and absolutely in love with their wives. The Puritans always believed in spiritual equality, that men and women were equal before the throne of God. That didn’t stop them from assigning men’s work and women’s work, of course, and women never had equal rights under their code of laws, but that idea of spiritual equality was truly radical for their time. They really rescued women from the Catholic bias against the female and the idea that Woman was Man’s downfall.

In some respects, Puritan New England placed women on a more equal footing than they would achieve for several more centuries. Carving a life out of the wilderness was such difficult work that husband and wife viewed each other as teammates. After the Eastern seaboard had been settled and leisure time was more abundant for more families, women retreated to the ‘Ornamental and Pretty Pedestal’ where they stayed for the next 200 years. I suspect there might have been a similar cultural pattern in the settling of Australia.

Through my research, I came to respect the Puritans. They were really quite devout and truly wanted to serve God in every way they could think of. Their tragedy is that they over thought their theology. They just couldn’t believe that God actually loved them. And when you take away God’s love and can’t quite trust in His grace, then you have to come up with some way to make God save you. The Puritans decided they could do that through works.

I was listening to a pastor talk about the Pharisees once. He said that in Biblical times, we would have liked them. They were smart, they were earnest. They were devout. They truly tried to live out their religion the way they understood it. I think the Puritans were a lot like that. They were the intellectuals of their time. They really just wanted to reform the church. They were tired of the focus being on fancy priests’ robes and ornate trappings. They didn’t see the point in repeating meaningless prayers or listening to sermons that had no connection to the reality of life. They thought faith, real faith, had more to offer. They were right, up to a point, but unfortunately, they ran right past it!

What challenged you to write about the Puritan life style particularly the treatment of women? (NOTE: this question was asked several times and in broader terms (why do I write historicals with contemporary issues?); I’ll answer all of them here.)

I think history has so much to offer the modern woman. In reading about our historical sisters, I’ve realized that throughout history, women have shared the same problems. We may have come up with different solutions to solve them, but the core issues remain the same. Inadequacy (She Walks in Beauty), Shame (Love’s Pursuit), Peer Pressure (A Constant Heart), Self-determination (Chateau of Echoes), Belonging (this next book I’m about to start writing).

I’m researching right now for a novel dealing with immigration. I could lift, verbatim, text from anti-immigration speeches and pamphlets and it would sound thoroughly contemporary. The way with deal with ‘Others’ has always been to draw a box around them and label them as sub-standard or different. This has been true from the Jew during the Middle Ages, the Irish during much of Britain’s history, the Italian in 19th century, and, I hate to have to say it, the Hispanic in 21st century America.

Sometimes looking backward through history helps to illuminate our own culture…and in a less aggressive, provocative way.

In this book, I think I’m trying to say that, like the Puritans, if we only understood how much God loved us, we could release ourselves from all kinds of burdens and the strain of striving.

How do you develop your characters? Do you choose names first then assign personality or vice versa?

In the proposal stage, when I’m hoping a publisher will buy the story, I have to give a general of idea of who the characters are and what their storyline will be. At that point, I make my best guess in terms of personality and names. But my names have been known to change. The heroine I proposed for A Constant Heart was named Arabella (instead of Marget), but as I wrote, it became quite clear that Arabella was a blonde and I needed that heroine to have dark hair…so back to the name lists I went and came up with a better choice.

In Love’s Pursuit, Susannah was originally supposed to be named Felicity, but as I started in on the writing, it didn’t seem to fit her. So I guess, the short answer to the question would be, ‘Personalities first, names later.’

I note you have signed a new contract for three more historical novels - congrats! Do you have any ideas on storyline, series or stand alones, etc?

Thanks! I’m excited to start writing them. I have storylines for the first two and some wisps of ideas for the third. They’ll be distinct stand alones. At this point, I don’t even see any connection in terms of themes. But usually those don’t become apparent until after my first drafts are done. I might surprise myself! The first book will be set among the Italian immigrant population in Boston in the 1917/1919 range (I’m still trying to peg the right year). The second book is in the proposal stage, but I’m hoping I get the green light to set it in 18th century America. The third is still anyone’s guess!

Can you share a bit about your third novel in this series, She Walks in Beauty?

Sure! The book is set in 1890s New York City in the upper levels of society during the late-Victorian era. When Clara Carter is told she’s to debut a year early, her social education shifts to high gear. There’s more than dance skills and manners that she’ll have to learn. There are corsets to be fitted and bosoms to be enhanced, for a girl so tall and gangly as Clara could never hope to attract a man by simply being herself. But the more enmeshed she becomes in New York City’s social scene the more she begins to wonder if this is the life she really wants. Especially when she’s pitted against her best friend for the hand of the most eligible bachelor in town. When she does manage to find a kindred soul, a man who seems to love her simply for who she is, her heart begins to assert its case. But there’s more at stake this social season than just Clara’s marriage and the future of her family depends on how she plays the game.

The more research I did into corsets and late-Victorian culture, the more their problems seemed to mirror ours. Women still go to dangerous lengths to ‘fix’ the way they look. Media still creates a celebrity-focused culture. Advertising still perpetuates unreasonable standards of beauty for women that lead to anorexia-inducing behaviors, and we still grapple with our attitudes toward and treatment of the poor. Most books about debutantes focus on the glamour of the lifestyle or the cattiness of the girls themselves. This books looks at the huge spiritual, physical, and emotional costs these girls were made to pay.

But really, in true Victorian fashion, this book does have a happy, heartwarming ending and I think there are scenes that will make you laugh and others that will touch your heart and make you cry (happy tears only, please!).

Will we see any more contemporary stories from you? You know Kissing Adrien remains one of my all time favourite novels!

Thanks – I think it will always hold a special place in my heart too!

I have lots of ideas for contemporaries and I hope that someday I’ll have the chance to return to that genre, but for now I feel like I have to breathe life into a backlog of historical ideas that I wasn’t able to write earlier because ‘no one was buying historicals’. The publishing industry is so cyclical that I’m sure historicals will fall from grace at some point and opportunities will open up again for contemporaries.

How do you balance motherhood and writing (and all your other commitments!!)?

I honestly don’t know if I do! The thing that works best for me is reminding myself that I can really only do one thing well at any given time. When my family is at home, that means spending time with them. When I’m at the gym, that means focusing on my workout. When I’m at home by myself, that means either writing or cooking and cleaning. And really, that’s about all that I do. I’m pretty good at saying no. Well…now that I think about it, I must be good at looking like I’d say ‘No’, because I haven’t been asked to volunteer for anything lately. Huh. How about that!

If there’s any secret to my life at all, it’s that it’s been pared way down to the extent that we’ve chosen to live in a small house with a small yard and live quite close to where my husband works (less time spent in the commute means more time to spend together).

I am an American living in Tokyo. I have lived in Japan off and on for 4 years. I have had many funny experiences here with things getting lost in translation. What is the funniest experience you had living in Japan?

My funniest story is also one of mistranslation. I always had a problem distinguishing between kakigori (shaved ice snow-cone like treat) and gokiburi (cockroach). This provided ongoing hilarity every summer when I often suggested that we walk down the hill for some refreshing cockroaches. It’s not that I didn’t think (hard) about my word choice…it’s just that I always chose the wrong one… Readers of Moon Over Tokyo will probably recognize that mistranslation from a scene in the book J

Siri ~ you have our deep appreciation for the time and effort you took to answer our many questions. It added to our discussion of you book and was a wonderful way to end our evening! Thank you from all of us at the RBC Book Club!

Aussie Giveaway

I have a copy of Love's Pursuit to give away to an Aussie
reader!

To enter, post a comment before Sunday 27th September,
2009 and be sure you leave contact details and you have an Australian postal address.

Relz Reviewz Extras

Reviews of A Constant Heart, Chateau of Echoes, The Cubicle Next Door & Moon Over Tokyo

Character spotlight on Love's Pursuit's characters and A Constant Heart's Marget & Lytham

Visit Siri's website

Buy Siri's books at Amazon or Koorong

Book Club Interview with Sharon Hinck and The Restorer

Last Friday my book club had one of our best discussions with our selection of Sharon Hinck's The Restorer! Not only is it a wonderful tale but it is brimming with spiritual insights, challenges and encouragement. This story really spoke to some of our members in a unique way and I highly recommend it for book clubs looking for something that will spark great discussion.

The Restorer's amazing author, Sharon Hinck, graciously answered numerous questions from my members via email, the majority of which I am sharing here. Some special insights were just for us!! At the end of our discussion, we read our own questions aloud and shared Sharon's answers - it is a great way to learn more about your favourite authors and gain further insight into their stories.

A big thanks to my book clubbers who contributed to the questions for Sharon! And all our deepest thanks to Sharon ~ we so appreciate the time and effort you took to answer our questions, Shazza, which made our night fun and inspiring!

Sharon also has a YouTube video on her blog especially for Book Clubs and my DH set his laptop to run through our TV to show to us ~ it was great fun to see Sharon in action!

Check out the interview and others with Sharon here.


I hope you enjoy sharing our "time" with Sharon below:~

Were some of the spiritual insights that Susan learnt through her journey from your own faith experience?

Absolutely. I share her longing to be a faithful servant, and her awareness of her own frailty and utter dependence on God.

Did you have a name for the parallel world?

No, and I'm not sure why. I kept working around the issue . . . referencing the People of the Verses, the clans, the city of Lyric, the other place through the portal….but never had a name of the place as a whole. I still don't know why my creative subconscious was so adamant in not providing that… perhaps because the People of the Verses didn't name their world - didn't even think much in terms of “world” but simply their clans. Great question - one that still stumps me.

Do you have a belief that our God could also be the One in other worlds?

C.S. Lewis (after writing his space trilogy) was asked this, and I believe he said something along the lines of - God is big enough to do whatever He likes. It's a bit self-centered to think He DIDN'T possibly create others in other worlds. I liked that answer.

Where did the idea for the book come from, did she feel that she was shown the way to write this book?

I used to be the artistic director of a Christian performing arts group, and before I retired from that, was developing a script about a woman going into her attic and having devotions - and women from the bible (like Deborah) stepping out and interacting with her)… so that germ developed into a woman in her attic GOING somewhere (but I didn't want it to be Biblical times) and BEING a type of Deborah…and it just kept unfolding from there.

How long did it take to write?

Six months for the first draft…many many rewrites over several years.
I began writing it in October of 2002.

Who or what was the inspiration for Susan's character?

First - Deborah (a mother in Israel who rode into battle) from the book of Judges. Second - all the women I know who are literally “pulled into another world” when they get the news that a friend has cancer, or a parent has Alzheimers, or a child has a learning disability. They enter a place they never expected to visit, and are called upon to fill a heroic role they don't feel adequate to fill. And God equips them, sends them allies, and works through them.

And interestingly, in many ways, Susan's journey has been my experience in the world of being a published author. J But I wrote the book BEFORE that happened.

Where did you get the ideas for the town's names and what the other world looked like?

I didn't want to re-create Middle Earth or the Wounded Land, or Albion, or Narnia - things that were already done beautifully by the masters. I wanted to do some twists on the traditional fantasy setting. That winter, Minnesota was grey and overcast - gray snow, gray sky, no sun. I wondered what a world would be like where people never saw the sun, or moon, or stars…and where their technology developed in completely different ways.

As far as the names, I tried to play with the environment a little, and also the musical “sound” of various cultures. But I sneaked in Shamgar as nod toward the book of Judges (he was one of the minor Judges mentioned in the Bible).

What research did you have to do for this book?

Many trips to alternate universes.

(Hee hee! Okay, just kidding).

Swordwork, cultures without written languages, a little about technologies and physics… but it was predominantly spun out of imagination.

What type of books do you like to read?

Almost everything. I think that's why some of my novels combine more than one genre. I read general market novels, Christian novels, and a broad variety of genres.

I am interested to know where your idea came from for the Rhusicans. Have you had experiences where you've been amongst people who instil negative and evil thoughts?

Great question. I based the Rhusicans on our modern marketing industry…the folks who “create a need” by touching on people's deepest insecurities… saying “you aren't good enough” in whichever way their product can solve. I also have battled depression, so I know how difficult “mind poison” can be… how it can take hold, or dig in.

The challenge to go out of our comfort zone and face our fears is extremely daunting and requires us to put our trust totally in God. Have you found that by writing about Susan and her need to trust God to survive, has given you more confidence to step out and face difficult challenges that may arise in your life?

I think I'm actually more like a character in the third book, who is EAGER to jump ahead and serve - but then gets in over his head. I tend to shout, “Yes, Lord!” but then find myself asking Him to let me turn back.

I DID find that the release of the book and the challenges I faced that year gave me lots of chances to live out the sorts of opportunities to lean into God more, and dig deeper - just like Susan had to.

What was the inspiration for your imagination to come up with the parallel world that was the setting of this series of books?

I think I answered that earlier, but it was in part from my love of “fish out of water” stories, in part a very dreary winter in Minnesota where it stayed gray a long time, and in part from my love of the Old testament stories of the Judges.

Do you have a mental picture of the characters as you write?

I don't even carry mental pictures of my FRIENDS very well. I'm not big on facial recognition. But I had VIVID senses of their personalities. Each character was very very real to me. I even found myself praying for some of them during my devotions, when I forgot for a moment they were just characters in a story. J

How do you choose the names for your characters?

I wanted Susan to be an “every woman” and I'm part of a small group Bible study at our church. There are two Susans, and two Marks (none are married to each other)…. So I used those two names as good central names.

Rhus is the Latin botanical name for poison, hense the Rhusicans. Much of the rest - I just grabbed “place-holder names” to use until I could work out careful choices, but ended up keeping most of them.

What do you consider an ideal vacation?

Hiking in the woods.

Are you a morning person or a night owl?

Used to be a night owl, but lately am more of a morning person.

What is your favourite snack?

Mashed Potatoes and gravy. (does that count as a snack?).

Otherwise, a snack mix I make with Cheerios and Rice Chex and peanuts.

Rel:~ Sorry but the whole cereal snack thing doesn't work for us Aussies but our born and bred American book clubber, Misty, was drooling - LOL!!

Favourite flower?

Everything blue (forget-me-nots, etc.) and lily-of-the-valley. Oh, and lilacs and pansies.

How much of you is there in Susan?

See above…. A LOT… but in some ways, my spiritual walk with God has a LOT in common with Kieran's. I tend to wrestle with the One quite a bit.

I thought it was interesting that both the Restorers were people who struggled with their faith or felt it was all but gone. I'd love to know your purpose behind choosing those characters for the role

I'm in awe of how God chooses the weak to confound the strong. He uses broken vessels and even rebellious or disbelieving ones. One character is inspired a bit by Gideon - who when He received God's call said, “If the Lord is truly with us, why have all these bad things happened to us?” (I was astounded to find those words in the book of Judges - because they felt so contemporary to me, and I hadn't remembered that aspect of Gideon). As I wrote The Restorer's Son, I felt overwhelmed by God's heart of love even for those who are wandering or challenging Him. I saw the way He pursues us because of that love.

What do the organizers of retreats & church groups usually ask you to speak on?

Going Deeper With God
The Value of the Arts in the Christian Life
Finding Ministry in the Midst of Motherhood
How to be a Hero
The Writing Journey
Those are a few. J

If you were given carte blanch to speak to a group (let's say a group of women…like us!), what is the topic that you would most passionately like to deliver to them?

Going Deeper with God (what that means, what gets in the way, and how powerfully He is using each of you, even when it's hard to see it) J There, consider that said. J

Who is your favourite author?

Too many to name. I grew up cherishing classics – Twain, London, the Brontes, Austen, Dickens, Stevenson, Conan Doyle, Kipling. Discovered C.S. Lewis and love everything by him – my favorite book is Perelandra. In the fantasy genre, I was influenced by McCaffrey, Lawhead, Tolkien, Donaldson, and many others. But I also read a wide array of other genres...everything from literary to mystery, sci-fi to romance.

Was The Restorer an easy novel to write?

Yes and no. It was my first novel, so it was SO FUN because I totally didn’t know what I was doing, and wasn’t worrying about all the things I was doing wrong. Each book I’ve written has gotten HARDER to write, because I know more about the craft. It was difficult because in the other world, since they had to sun, moon, stars, or fire, it kept me from using LOTS of the common images and metaphors I was comfortable using when I wrote. And it took extensive “world building” that my women’s fiction doesn’t require in the same way.

Did you plan at the start to have a series?

I don’t remember. I think I just started writing and watched to see what would happen. When I got to the end, I knew it wasn’t over yet. :-)

In your everyday life do you wonder what it would be like to live like Susan? and do you reflect back over life like Susan?

My everyday life – when my four kids were young and life was a joyous chaos – was very much like Susan’s. I have a loving husband, yet often felt overwhelmed by life and wondered if my life was really making a difference. Parenting is TOUGH and definitely makes us feel like we’re drowning some days. :-)

What has been the most encouraging feedback you have received regarding this series, by someone whose life has been touched by your story of The Restorer?

SO many amazing stories - from a gal who heard from God during her prayer time to get the book - and then He used it to speak to her…. to a woman who at a certain scene in book two, put the book town, cried before God, and said, “I'm tired of fighting you. I give myself back to you.” To a mom in crisis feeling she couldn't go on, who suddenly remembered the Rhusicans, and recognized the mind poison, and was able to fight it off and get through another day. I'm in awe that God could bring comfort and encouragement to others through this simple story. He is amazing.

Rel:~I am really looking forward to reading Sharon newest offering so I asked her about it as well. Who knows it might end up as a book club selection for us in 2009! As you can see below it is garnering some great reviews :)

Please share a little about your newest novel, Stepping Into Sunlight, now available from Bethany House.

One tragic event.

One project of healing.

One step toward hope.

A story for every woman who has wondered where God is when life hurts.
Penny, a Navy chaplain's wife, witnesses a violent crime and struggles with post traumatic stress while her husband is on his first deployment. Far from family and friends, she fights to heal for the sake of her seven-year-old son, even though ordinary tasks take heroic efforts. She's haunted by flashbacks and is tormented by fear, so she designs a project to speed her recovery: doing one small, kind act for a different person each day. The results are sometimes funny, sometimes heartbreaking, and often used by God in surprising ways.

PRAISE for Stepping Into Sunlight:

“Hinck, a 2008 Christy finalist for visionary fiction, offers an
especially grounded tale of sudden trauma and slow healing.

Narrator Penny Sullivan witnesses a horrific crime shortly before
her navy chaplain husband is deployed, so she is forced to cope alone with the psychological fallout from what she saw. Family issues from her past complicate her struggle and enhance its credibility. Strong Christian themes form a natural part of the narrative. Penny Sullivan's faith is shaken, and she wonders why God would appear to permit evil and whether her emotional turmoil can be healed.

A supporting cast of characters, from a nosy neighbor to the busy
faithful servant to the downtrodden who heads a local mission, adds quirk and richness. Hinck is a mother of four, and it shows in authentic details in her characterization of the narrator's worried, loving seven-year-old son who gets his first pet in some cute comic relief. Hinck has done her homework on post-traumatic stress syndrome, and is not afraid to show readers that challenges can deepen faith.”
-- Publisher's Weekly

"In this uplifting novel set in Chesapeake, VA, Penny Sullivan is
losing her grip after witnessing a traumatic event. . . Well written and
compelling, this title will appeal to readers of Karen Kingsbury, Ann Tatlock, and Angela Elwell Hunt.”
-- Library Journal

“Told with humor and lump-in-the-throat insight, Stepping Into Sunlight
is a compelling story of learning to live again after trauma. This was my first Sharon Hinck novel, but it garnered her a permanent spot on my favorite authors list.”
--Deborah Raney, author of A Vow to Cherish and THE CLAYBURN NOVELS series

“For anyone who has ever been afraid of what life may hold (and who
hasn't?), Sharon's novel is a beacon of hope and healing. Kudos!”
--Roxanne Henke, author of After Anne and Learning to Fly

“With a deft hand Hinck ushers the reader into the frustrating, inward
world of the victim, challenging us to gauge the level of our compassion for those who walk a journey we can't adequately imagine and daring us to wonder if we, too, could flatten our fears and replace them with modest, indiscriminate kindness.”
--Susan Meissner, author of Blue Heart Blessed

“A beautifully woven story of one woman's desperation, determination .
. . and hope. A cast of oddball, but thoroughly charming, characters, make this book a delightful read from start to finish. Highly recommended.”
--Kathryn Cushman, author of A Promise to Remember and Waiting for
Daybreak

“After finishing it, I wanted to press it into the hands of everyone I meet
and say, 'THIS! This is what my God is like! This is where you can find hope! This is what it means to live for Christ even when things are horrifically ugly around you. This is healing. This is what it looks like to hurt and to heal.' No pious platitudes. Reality Faith.”
--Cynthia Ruchti, “Heartbeat of the Home” radio broadcasts

Book Cub with Karen Ball and What Lies Within

My book club met on Friday night to chat about Karen Ball's What Lies Within, the concluding story of her Family Honor Series.

At a comfortable 9.30pm for us Aussies, we called Karen at the unpleasant hour of 4.30am to talk with her about her book, editing, the publishing industry and her life! What a joy and privilege it was :) We decided she must be a little crazy, given she was so willing to get up at that hour to talk to us!

Karen is a compassionate and funny lady, whose love for her family, her passion for God and love of literature and the people who write it, is so evident in every word she spoke. She shared with us about the growth of Christian Fiction, the role of an editor, the joy of working with Francine Rivers, her faith journey and an insight into authors (including one Tamera Alexander - yes, I will take cash to keep my mouth shut, Tammy - LOL!!). Authors also can buy great hostess gifts - just ask Brandilyn Collins!

Karen has blogged about our chat too ~ what a sweetheart! Check it out here :)

Her Day Job....

Karen is acquiring some amazing books in her role at B&H. Be sure to check out these books:~

Coming Unglued by Rebeca Seitz (available now)

Shadow of Colossus by T L Higley (available now)

Forsaken by James David Jordan (available October, 2008)

Shade by John B Olson (available October, 2008)

Wind Dancer by Jamie Carie (available January, 2009)

Her Novels....

The only downside to Karen's day job is that we won't see a book from Karen herself until 2010 - sigh! I'm sure it will be worth the wait. All her books have a place on my bookshelves and have been read multiple times!

In the meantime do yourself a favour and read any or all of her amazing stories.


The Breaking Point

Gabe and Renee Roman are on the edge -- relationally and spiritually. Both consider themselves followers of Christ. But after years of struggling in their marriage, their greatest test comes in the most unexpected of forms: a blizzard in the Oregon mountains.

Their truck hurtles over the side of a mountain, and each encounters the realities of suffering, sacrifice, and service in Christ's name. It isn't until they surrender their last defenses that their surface understandings are torn away and all that's left is truth: only through obedience to God's call can they find true joy.



Shattered Justice ~ Family Honor #1

There’s no way sheriff’s deputy Dan Justice could have prepared for this. He spent a lifetime ensuring his actions and faith live up to the meaning of his name—Avidan: “God is just.” Then injustice invades his world, ripping away what matters most, forever robbing him of the life he once knew. Can his sisters and small-town community—especially one woman who loves Dan—help him overcome the horrors he’s facing? Or will bitterness and anger shatter him forever? What happens when justice fails the lawman?

Sanctuary, Oregon.

A town where the local diner owner makes you drink your milk—no matter how old you are. Where juvenile delinquency means blowing up outhouses. Where folks not only know their neighbors, but care about them. For widowed sheriff’s deputy Dan Justice, it’s a place where he and his kids can heal and grow.

Shelby Wilson loves Sanctuary and her work with troubled teens. Like Jayce Dalton. Sure, he’s as troubled as they come, but Shelby knows Dan is exactly what Jayce needs. She just didn’t expect that Dan might be what she’s always needed, too. But sleepy little Sanctuary has a dark side, steeped in pain and secrets. Secrets that could destroy everything Dan holds dear. Secrets that will one day have Dan groping through the fog toward a lifeless body—and faith-shattering grief.

Can Dan find sanctuary in the light of God’s justice?

Kaleidoscope Eyes ~ Family Honor #2

Annie Justice sees things differently. Her unconventional condition, synesthesia, helped make her one of the most sought-after stained-glass artists in the country. And teamed with her German shepherd, she’s just as successful in her work with the K-9 Search and Rescue Team, finding people seemingly hidden from others’ eyes. But no one knows her expertise for hiding the childhood insecurities that plague her—until Jed Curry comes along. Then the search for a missing child goes awry, and Jed must reveal his true identity. He’s prepared for Annie’s anger, but not the hurt. And neither of them is prepared for the real trial ahead—something far more sinister and dangerous than their search.

Can Jed and Annie overcome their unknown enemy—and the insecurities and secrets keeping them apart—before it’s too late?

Someone wants Annie to fail… either that, or he wants her dead.

Annie Justice has always been different, thanks to a rare condition allowing her to see things others do not. It’s a blessing and a curse. The blessing? Annie and her dog, Kodi, have become one of the most effective search-and-rescue teams ever. The curse? It’s kept her from the only thing she wants: to fit in. But she doesn’t. Not anywhere.

Jed Curry, a producer of hit reality TV shows, likes that Annie’s different. Different sells. Which is why he wants her on Everyday Heroes. But Annie has no interest in the show. Or the man. Then threatening e-mails kick off events that send Annie and Kodi—and the irritating Jed Curry—straight into the path of danger. Joined in a race against time and a cunning adversary, Annie and Jed struggle to work together. Because if they don’t, it could cost them—and a lost little girl in the Oregon wilderness—everything.

What Lies Within ~ Family Honor #3

Nothing’s going to stop Kyla… until the ground crumbles beneath her feet.

Kyla Justice has arrived. Her company, Justice Construction, is one of the most critically acclaimed, commercially successful companies in the Pacific Northwest. And yet, something is missing. Not until she’s called on to build a center for inner-city kids does she realize what it is: her sense of purpose. Now nothing can stop her, not the low budget, not supply problems, not gang opposition, not her boyfriend’s suggestion that she sell her business and marry him–and most especially not that disagreeable Rafael Murphy.

Rafe Murphy understands battle. Wounded in action, this Force Recon Marine carries the scars–and the nightmares–to prove it. Though he can’t fight overseas any longer, he’s found his place as a warrior in the civilian world. So he soldiers on, trusting that one of these days, God will reveal to him why Rafe survived the ambush in Iraq. That day has arrived. Kyla and Rafe both discover that determination alone won’t carry them through danger and challenges. When gang violence threatens their very foundations, there’s only one way to survive: rely on each other, be real–and surrender to God. In other words, risk everything…

Relz Reviewz Extras

Review of What Lies Within

In depth interview with Karen (see photos of who she imagines her characters to look like)

Visit Karen's website and blog

Buy Karen's books at Amazon or Koorong

My Book Club

My dear internet buddy, Cee Cee from Book Splurge and I had fun doing an interview about the Book Club I coordinate at my church.

Do drop by Cee Cee's blog and check out what we get up to down under! You can learn about some of the amazing books we have discussed, authors we have chatted to and much more.

And for my wonderful RBC Book Club members, Cee Cee is running a giveaway just for you and will send a copy of our July selection, What Lies Within to the winner! How's that for kindness?

Thanks so much, Cee Cee ~ hugs!!

Book Club with Splitting Harriet & Tamara Leigh

Friday night was Book Club night at my place and we had a fabulous time discussing the engaging Splitting Harriet, eating Jelly Bellys (read the book to know why!) and topped off the night with a wonderful chat to author Tamara Leigh!

Tamara is a real sweetie and we had much fun discussing Harri and her quirks, how Maddox McCray was "born", Tamara's wonderful story of coming to faith and a tantalising look at her upcoming release Faking Grace and a new series for 2009.

If you are involved in a book club, I really recommend you get some authors on the phone. It really adds so much to your discussion and you know, they are writers, so no need to worry about them not having much to say - LOL!!! Alternatively, especially for us Aussies, I have also organised for authors to answer my members' questions via email which we read out on the night. All great stuff!

Thanks so much to all my fellow book clubbers and especially Tamara - already looking forward to when we talk again :)