Interview With Author Debbie Lynne Costello

A Cup of Christmas Cheer
Interview with Author Debbie Lynne Costello

Over the next several weeks I will be interviewing author friends of mine. Debbie Lynne and I have not ever actually met, but we are colleagues in a couple of online writing groups, and I feel as if I know her. Hopefully one of these days soon we will have the opportunity to officially meet. Don’t forget to leave a comment below and be entered to win a free copy of her latest publication! We will announce the winner next week.

Tell us a little bit about yourself and your family.

I’ve been married for 34 years to a wonderful man who puts up with all the hours of research, writing, and media. We have 4 grown children and 2 grandchildren. We live in South Carolina and have bought 22 acres for a hobby farm. My hubby and I love to ride our horses, an Egyptian Arabian and a Tennessee Walker.

Tell us about your book, and how it came about.

I’d heard that Guideposts Books was acquiring short stories for their Christmas collection. I’d read their magazine since I was a kid so couldn’t resist the opportunity to try and sell a story to them. I was extremely honored when they chose “The Letter”, a World War II Christmas story. If anyone would like to purchase the two-book set, A Cup of Christmas Cheer, Click HERE to purchase.

Share about your genre and why you write in this style.

My full-length stories are late 19th century mainly. I love this time period with the clothing, the way of life, and the cusp of change. I also have a medieval series. The first book will be released in February. There is so much to love in this time period—chivalry, knights, castles, kings, and the list could go on.

What inspires you?

I have to say that I do pray for God to speak through my words, so I hope He is inspiring me. But I can read something or watch the history channel or even hear news of today and catch a glimmer of a story in it. Then I just have to flush it out. However, I have to admit that when I get these glimpses of stories if I don’t write them down right then I often forget what they were!

Tell us about your writing process.

I start by doing a bit of brain storming and getting the basic story plot. I figure out who my characters are and where they are in their lives. Originally I was a seat of the pants writer.  I knew the basic story but I’d just write and my characters would take me on this wonderful journey. But when you write a proposal, often times they want to know what is going to happen in each chapter. That’s a bit of an issue with me because though I can try to map out each chapter, once I start writing the story my characters don’t always agree with where they are supposed to go and they take me in a direction I’d not expected.

What are your writing goals?

My goals have changed a lot since I first started writing. I knew what I wanted, but as time has passed I’ve learned that it isn’t about what I want, but what God wants for my writing. It’s taken a lot of trying to do things my way, but I finally have gotten to the place where I can say my goal is to be writing what and where God wants me to be. And if He tells me to lay down my pen tomorrow and do something else, I’m good with that because I know He has my best interest at heart.

What do you wish someone had told you about writing?

I think I was told everything I would want to know starting out. I had a terrific mentor in MaryLu Tyndall and she really did a great job preparing me for the industry. The one thing that she kept telling me and it is so true and so hard to do is you have to have tough skin. It doesn’t matter where you are in your writing career, just starting or publishing your 30th book, you need to be tough. If you are starting out you get all the rejections from agents, then come the rejections from editors. Then after your published it’s the 1 star reviews that hurt. It never stops so you have to be able to let the rejection roll off your back and know you are doing it for the Lord.

Tell us something about yourself that nobody knows.

This isn’t exactly about me personally, but my father-in-law would be 132 if he was alive today. He was an amazing man and died just before he turned 94.

What hobbies do you enjoy?

My favorite thing to do is horseback ride. But I also do hand smocking for my grandchildren. I sew, crochet, and knit. And I enjoy painting. You can find me lots of times trying out a craft that looked interesting. :o)

Thank you, Debbie Lynne, for being with us today. It’s always fun learning about the writing process and lives of other authors.

Every reader who leaves a comment in the next 7 days (Nov 11-Nov 17th, 2014) will be entered to win a FREE copy of ‘A Cup of Christmas Cheer’, courtesy of Debbie Lynne. The winner will be announced next week. 

Where can your readers contact you? Click any of the blue links below.

www.debbielynnecostello.com

www.theswordandspirit.blogspot.com

www.christianfictionhistoricalsociety.blogspot.com

http://cupofchristmascheer.wordpress.com/

https://www.facebook.com/debbielynnecostello

https://twitter.com/DebiLynCostello

https://plus.google.com/+DebbieLynneCostello/posts

Biography:

Debbie Lynne Costello has enjoyed writing stories since she was about eight years old. She raised her family and then embarked on her own career of writing the stories that had been begging to be told. She and her husband have four children and live in upstate South Carolina. She has worked in many capacities in her church and is currently the Children’s director. Debbie Lynne has shown and raised Shetland sheepdogs for eighteen years and still enjoys litters now and then. In their spare time, She and her husband enjoy camping and riding their Arabian and Tennessee Walking horses.

The post Interview With Author Debbie Lynne Costello appeared first on Golden Keyes Parsons.