Q&A with March 2014 authors!

[Melody]

Thanks so much for being here, I enjoyed reading all your answers. :)

[Karen]

Today’s author, Christina Rich, is celebrating her debut novel The Guardian's Promise.
A Kansas native, she loves to travel, has an obsession with maps and enjoys watching modern takes of fairytales and mythologies on the big screen. She also enjoys research, photography and knitting.

The Guardian's Promise

A Kingdom in Jeopardy

An evil queen and her royal guards will stop at nothing to find—and kill—the rightful heir to the throne of Judah. When their pursuit leads them to Mira's village, only her father's bond servant, Ari, a man shrouded in secrets, can keep Mira safe.

Abandoning his life as a temple guard and becoming an indentured servant was the only way Ari could protect young Joash, the true King of Judah, from Queen Athaliah. But his sacred duty prevents him from confessing his feelings for his master's daughter. With the future of their nation on the line, Ari and Mira will risk everything to save their people.

*Christina has graciously offered to give away a copy to one lucky commenter. The winner will be announced at the end of the week.

Welcome, Christina! How exciting to have you here talking about your debut! Can you share your call story with us? What has been the most thrilling aspect about publishing your first book?

[Sarah]

Your book sounds wonderful, Christina! I love biblical fiction! The stories, which I know are mostly from the author's imagination, bring the Bible to life for me.
May I ask what inspired you to choose this story? How long did it take you to write? I'm assuming there was much research involved, so how long did you to amass the information you needed?
I've always wondered how authors find the details they need about the ancient world. :)
God bless,
~Sarah

[Laura AKA Loves 2 Read Romance]

Hey everyone! First off Jo Ann I can't wait to finish the Sanctuary Bay series. I have read the first book and the other two are currently in the TBR pile. Your new series sounds very interesting as well.

Christina congrats on your first book!! Will The Guardian Promise be the start of a series or are you working on something totally different right now?

[Britney]

Hi, Christina!

Congratulations on the release of your debut novel! How exciting!! What has been the hardest part of your writing journey? What surprised you the most about the process?

Britney

[Christina]

Sarah wrote: "Your book sounds wonderful, Christina! I love biblical fiction! The stories, which I know are mostly from the author's imagination, bring the Bible to life for me.
May I ask what inspired you to c..."

Hello, Sarah, it's so nice to find someone who loves biblical fiction. This book came from a question I heard in my head while sitting in church. "What would happen if a bondservant fell in love with his master's daughter? What if that bondservant wasn't really a bondservant but a commander of the temple guard protecting something (which turned out to be a child king.)

It took me 55 days to write this story. It was the fastest book I had written at the time. It took me a year after that to research and pray over it.

[Christina]

Laura AKA Loves 2 Read Romance wrote: "Will The Guardian Promise be the start of a series or are you working on something totally different right now? "

Nice to meet you, Laura. The Guardian's Promise is the first of at least two books. The second, The Warrior's Vow, comes out in July. I hope to write at least two more stories, but we'll see.

Right now, I'm working on a story set a little bit later in 668 BC about a Greek merchant and the daughter of a Hebrew slave. I'm really excited about this one.

[Melissa]

Its so much fun meeting all of these Authors! =)

What is the most difficult part of the writing process?

[Brittany]

Hi Christina,
Congratulations on your debut novel! It must really be an exciting time. I enjoy biblical fiction, too, and your storyline sounds really good. Two questions I have are: How long have you been writing? and How long did it take you to get published?
Brittany

[Christina]

Melissa wrote: "Its so much fun meeting all of these Authors! =)

What is the most difficult part of the writing process?"

Hmmm, I would say the most difficult part of the writing process has to be the waiting, the second most difficult part, at least for me, is writing the middles.

[Christina]

Brittany wrote: " How long have ..."

Hi, Brittany. Let's see, I started writing seriously in the fall of 2006, but I didn't start submitting anything until 2008, and even then I only submitted a little here and there to agents. I wrote The Guardian's Promise in November of 2009, polished it up in 2010 and submitted to a few contests for feedback. In 2011, due to a pitch contest, I submitted to Love Inspired Nov and signed a contract in 2012. By the way, Love Inspired was the first publishing house I had submitted The Guardian's Promise to.

[Karen]

Christina, do we see the hero and heroine of The Warrior's Vow in The Guardian's Promise? Or are they not related at all?

[Christina]

Karen wrote: "Christina, do we see the hero and heroine of The Warrior's Vow in The Guardian's Promise? Or are they not related at all?" :)The hero from The Warrior's Vow is in The Guardian's Promise. The heroine will is someone unexpected.

[Karen]

Wonderful. I like those titles, too. The Warrior one, especially. :)

[Christina]

Karen wrote: "Wonderful. I like those titles, too. The Warrior one, especially. :)" Yes, I love the titles. And since I'm so awful about picking them out I'm glad LI is good at them.

[Britney]

Christina, what surprised you most about the publication process?

[Paula-O]

Hello Christina since you have started with bibical fiction do you see yourself writing historical fiction later or will you stay with the bibical theme? I too like to read this type of book but historical fiction is one I love best. Does your story stay pretty close to things in Bible?

[Jennifer]

Jo wrote: "Jennifer, I grew up on a farm as my parents' families had for many, many generations. I think that's why I like to write about smaller towns and outlying areas rather than London. Though the Beau M..."

I love small town or the boonies and being able to see the stars so bright.

[Jo]

Laura AKA Loves 2 Read Romance wrote: "Hey everyone! First off Jo Ann I can't wait to finish the Sanctuary Bay series. I have read the first book and the other two are currently in the TBR pile. Your new series sounds very interesting a..."

Just popping in here to reply -- don't want to get in the way of Christina's day.

Thanks, Laura! My TBR pile is Everest high.

And, Jennifer, you put her finger right on it. I miss not being able to see all the stars and the Milky Way at night now that I live near city lights. One of these days, I'd like to get back to the country...

Jo

[Jennifer]

Hi Christina, Welcome and congratulations. My favorite stories in the Bible are Esther and Ruth. Are these ladies stories in your thoughts as far as book possibilities?

[Jennifer]

Jo wrote: "Laura AKA Loves 2 Read Romance wrote: "Hey everyone! First off Jo Ann I can't wait to finish the Sanctuary Bay series. I have read the first book and the other two are currently in the TBR pile. Yo..."
My to be read pile is never in order and is way out of control.

[Ausjenny]

Congrats Christina, The way you came about the story is interesting. Did it take much research to get the era right and the biblical component right?

[Christina]

Keli wrote: "Congratulations on your debut, Christina! What I'd like to know is how long and how loud did you squeal when you received The Call?"Ummm... this is kind of funny. I didn't. Not at first. I texted my mom, hubs and closest friends. My friends started calling me back and one said, I'm so happy for you I'm crying, and I was like oh, this is a happy moment. ;) You have to know I was in another state with other people, and not my family and I think being away from home kept me on the down low.

[Christina]

Britney wrote: "Christina, what surprised you most about the publication process?"
:) How much I really love my book cover. I've heard horror stories and worried mine would be one, but it wasn't. I love it!

[Christina]

Paula-O wrote: "Hello Christina since you have started with bibical fiction do you see yourself writing historical fiction later or will you stay with the bibical theme? I too like to read this type of book but ..."


Paula, I actually started out writing Scottish historicals and then I have a western romance that is currently looking for a home. So, I definitely see myself writing all over historically, and I might even write a few contemporaries.

[Melody]

Sounds great Christina! What a great time period to read about.

[Winnie]

Hi Christina - your book sounds fabulous! I'm always interested in the research process. Did you stumble on anything fun or unexpected in your research that set your story or scene in a different direction than you'd anticipated?

[Christina]

Jennifer wrote: "Hi Christina, Welcome and congratulations. My favorite stories in the Bible are Esther and Ruth. Are these ladies stories in your thoughts as far as book possibilities?"

Hi, Jennifer! I love both of those stories. I have thought about Ruth. If/when I write them most likely they will be supporting characters. I actually have one that I started plotted a while back with Abram and Sarai as supporting characters.

[Christina]

Jenny! My favorite Aussie! I can tell you there was a lot of reading and back and forth on which research I should go with. In the end, I took some creative license and went with where I felt God was leading me.

[Christina]

Thank you, Melody!

[Britney]

Christina wrote: "Britney wrote: "Christina, what surprised you most about the publication process?"
:) How much I really love my book cover. I've heard horror stories and worried mine would be one, but it wasn't. ..."

:) LOL! Your cover is beautiful and I love it too!

[Christina]

Hi, Winnie. Actually one piece of research that really surprised me and helped me make my decision of setting the story outside of Jerusalem was the fact that the high priest did not reside within or near the temple.

[Christina]

Britney wrote: ":) LOL! Your cover is beautiful and I love it too! "


Thank you!

[Karen]

Great conversations today, everyone. Thanks Christina for taking part. Don't forget tomorrow we will be talking to Penny Richards about her book Wolf Creek Homecoming.

[Jennifer]

Thanks and goodnight Christine!

[Christina]

Thank you to everyone for stopping by. It was fun.

[Karen]

Today’s author, Penny Richards, has written 36 books for various imprints at Harlequin, Silhouette and Harper Paperbacks. Her books have made many bestseller lists and she has been nominated for, or won, many industry awards including the RWA RITA, Lifetime Achievement award from Romantic Times magazine and Storyteller of the Year. She currently writes Love Inspired Historical romances for Harlequin.

Wolf Creek Homecoming

All Roads Lead to Home
Gabe Gentry used to live entirely in pursuit of carefree pleasure. It cost him his relationship with his brother, and with the one woman who believed in him. Now, with newfound faith, he's coming home to Wolf Creek, Arkansas, hoping to find redemption and forgiveness, and maybe even a second chance at love.
Physician Rachel Stone never thought she'd lay eyes on Gabe again. After their brief time together, Gabe disappeared, leaving Rachel devastated and secretly pregnant with his son. His return stirs up her bitterness…and her attraction. But Gabe's already burned her once; how can she trust him again, now that her son's heart is on the line, as well?

*Penny is giving away a copy to one lucky commenter (U.S. and Canada). The winner will be announced at the end of the week.

Welcome, Penny! First off, I really enjoy secret baby stories. They make for such intense emotion. And this is yet another lovely cover! So realistic I can imagine drinking lemonade on that porch. Can you tell us about your Wolf Creek series? Is it a fictional place? Are we going to see familiar characters from the first book Wolf Creek Wedding?

[Laura AKA Loves 2 Read Romance]

Jennifer wrote: "My to be read pile is never in order and is way out of control..."

I know the feeling Jennifer. My TBR pile is actually several shelves and depending on my mood depends on what I grab to read next. LOL

[Laura AKA Loves 2 Read Romance]

Morning everyone! Penny what are you currently working on and how many more books are you planning for Wolf Creek?

[Penny]

Karen wrote: "Today’s author, Penny Richards, has written 36 books for various imprints at Harlequin, Silhouette and Harper Paperbacks. Her books have made many bestseller lists and she has been ..."

I've always loved secret baby stories, too. There are so many variations on it, and it always packs an emotional punch. I live in Delight, Arkansas, a very small rural town that was once, yes, Wolf Creek. In fact, Wolf Creek runs through the land directly across the highway from my property. So the place is real, as are the other places mentioned. I am, however, taking the liberty of adding businesses and characters as needed. Isn't that part of the fun of being a writer? Yes, you will see definitely see characters from WOLF CREEK WEDDING, including the nosey Sarah VanSickle. In fact, Gabe is Caleb's "prodigal" brother, and Rachel is the doctor friend who got Caleb and Abby together. I love weaving all the characters, old and new, throughout the main storyline.

[Penny]

Laura AKA Loves 2 Read Romance wrote: "Morning everyone! Penny what are you currently working on and how many more books are you planning for Wolf Creek?"

Good morning, Laura. Thanks for joining us. I hope to finish the third Wolf Creek book this week, (Allison Grainger, the schoolteacher who helped decorate for Abby's wedding, and the sheriff, Colt Garrett.) I'll take a short break and dive into book four which will deal with Meg Thomerson, a walk-on character in all the books and Ace Allen, a half breed) Lord willing, I hope to have six books in the series. And yes, Ellie (cafe) will find love.

[Brittany]

Hi Penny! I love the fact that it is a secret baby story. They are one of my favorite types! I love knowing that the series is set in a real historical setting, as well. My question is: When you set out to do this series, did you have a bit of an outline or idea of the various characters or books that could be a part of it, or do the books and characters develop as you go along and then you see where you should go with the next book? Whew! Sorry for the run-on sentence!

[Jennifer]

Hi Penny, I'm glad you are here! That would be a shocker to find you have a baby and it would be even harder to make amends for leaving them high and dry, intensionally or not.

[Britney]

Hi, Penny! I adore a book series! I love meeting and falling in love with characters and then being able to revisit them and their stories in multiple books! I can't wait to visit Wolf Creek and meet its residents! When you are writing a series, how do you keep all of the little details straight?

[Christina]

Good morning, Penny!Love the premise, especially the female physician. With so many books, how do you keep things fresh in your stories?

[Penny]

Brittany wrote: "Hi Penny! I love the fact that it is a secret baby story. They are one of my favorite types! I love knowing that the series is set in a real historical setting, as well. My question is: When you se..."

Hi Brittany. Good question. I had ideas for the first two, and once I got so involved with Wolf Creek and saw the potential in some of the other characters, I decided to explore other possibilities. Note to self: make sure you like the names of your secondary characters, since they may become the main character in another book, or have a name that's confusing. EX: When I did the first book, I had no idea that Allison Grainger would be one of my heroines. She insisted. Then when I got into her story, I realized that she and Ellie ARE SISTERS! Who knew? So I had Allie and Ellie, and that's pretty confusing, so I've had to call her Allison throughout, except for a few places. Also, I've always used my grandkids' names as heroines and heroes, and I've used them up, so now I'm working on the "greats," thus we have Colt Garrett who cannot possibly be anything but the sheriff, right? Also, Ace Allen, part Irish and part Cherokee. The challenge becomes finding traits that fit the names. It's all a big puzzle and I love putting them together. Thanks so much for the interest.

[Penny]

Jennifer wrote: "Hi Penny, I'm glad you are here! That would be a shocker to find you have a baby and it would be even harder to make amends for leaving them high and dry, intensionally or not."

Yes, Jennifer, people can get themselves into serious binds, can't they? I always try to motivate the actions of my characters, by telling the things that happened in their pasts that shaped them into the people they become. Not to excuse it, but we are all products of our environments and the things we experience growing up, and that impacts us throughout our lives. Thank goodness there is a God who offers us peace and love. Thanks so much for your comment.

[Penny]

Britney wrote: "Hi, Penny! I adore a book series! I love meeting and falling in love with characters and then being able to revisit them and their stories in multiple books! I can't wait to visit Wolf Creek and..."

Hi, Britney! Thanks for joining us. The answer to your question is "not very well." LOL I have pages filled with names of people (mostly secondary characters and walk on characters) and I jot down hair and eye color and that kind of stuff, but inevitably, I forget something--or more often, I don't consult the list. (Sigh.) I have an 80 something friend who has macular degeneration I read something to every day. When I get my books, I read her a chapter each day. When I got to a mention of Ace in book 2, it didn't work with what was going on in book 3 which influences book 4. (Panic time!) Well, it's pretty clear where the changes had to take place! I think I fixed it okay, but another note to self: write down everything about upcoming main characters. Thanks so much for the question.

[Penny]

Christina wrote: "Good morning, Penny!Love the premise, especially the female physician. With so many books, how do you keep things fresh in your stories?"

Good morning, Christina. Thanks for joining us. To answer your question about freshness, I reached a point where I wasn't fresh anymore, so I took a break (LONG) and when I decided to try to come back, I decided to switch from contemporary romance to historical Christian romance. I am loving the historical period of the 1880s. The things I find in research are fresh and new to most of us. As for keeping story lines fresh, I believe every writer has a different take on situations (as do their characters) and they all bring those viewpoints and flaws and character traits to the table, so to speak. (writer and characters) There are only so many plots out there; it's the way the writer handles them that makes each one new and different and fresh. Thanks.

[Paula-O]

hello Penny, looking forward to this story, I love a second chance and they both look like they need it. a secret son, OH MY. you sure put a good twist in on this second chance. Was there a special reason for this?