Welcome back,
Eleanor. Why do you write the kind of books you do?
My first novel, Appalachian
Spring, was “Can you do this?” Turned out to be my best-selling book.
Second, Wild Harvest, was, “Okay, you
can do it; now write what you know: tree farming.” That one was a good time
travel but had a bad ending. Number 3, Middle
Night, was a disaster (but had a good ending) and had to be
self-published—a fantasy dramatizing the gospel without the use of any
religious language. Too raw, and hardly anyone liked it. #4, The Stones, was the life of King David—a
joy to write because I have always loved David. Dynamo, releasing this
month, blends my dual passions for God and for horses. I write because I have
to, and I speak through whatever my perception of God happens to be at the
moment. Drama and strong characters are powerful voices in this regard.
Besides when you came
to know the Lord, what is the happiest day in your life?
Probably my wedding day, though it rained hard, and the
motel room we had been assigned that night already had people in it—still pouring
rain, mind you, and no interior corridors, with the clerk long in bed. I could
regale you with other honeymoon stories like a mountain climb and eating
gasoline-tainted food from a leaky Coleman burner; sharing a single down mummy
bag that got soaked from puddled condensation…. The marvel is that our marriage
lasted longer than one week. Yet it was a happy time and remains so to this day.
How has being
published changed your life?
My focus has reverted from parenting and considerable music
involvement to my early love of story. Life, however, has gotten increasingly
busy with today’s demands for hands-on author involvement in the selling process.
My first two books were fun because Zondervan did all the marketing. The
fantasy was not fun, but I learned a lot about writing. Good prep for writing
the David novel.
What are you reading
right now?
A book on abortion by R.C. Sproul.
What is your current
work in progress?
A novel called An
Unpresentable Glory, the title based on a verse in 1 Corinthians 12:23—“… the
parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty….” After drinking
water, the sick stranger in Linda Jensen’s guest bedroom has to “go,” and Linda
holds a jar for him. This hidden, caring act becomes significant when the
stranger’s identity is revealed and the awkward incident hits the headlines. It
is, she says, an “unpresentable glory.”
What would be your
dream vacation?
Another trip to Scotland
to visit friends there, then perhaps Iceland
and possibly Ireland .
How do you choose
your settings for each book?
The needs of my characters determine the setting. The
mountain man in Appalachian Spring required
mountains—thus West Virginia .
Our tree farm is in Vermont ,
so why not put the time travel there, using the topography I knew so well?
David, of course, had to be Israel ,
and I took the requisite trip. Dynamo with its horse shows had to
be centered in a horsey area.
If you could spend an
evening with one person who is currently alive, who would it be and why?
Eugene Peterson—a very kind man who writes stuff that fires
my brain and spirit. And he endorsed The
Stones, my David book!
He was at a church
where we attended a number of years ago, and we were there that day. What are
your hobbies, besides writing and reading?
I garden, my husband and I walk 2 to 3 miles a day, I do
some photography. I won’t go into all the things I used to do. Too long a list,
but it includes sewing a canvas, 15-foot tepee. Not surprisingly, my work-in-progress
has an American Indian thread.
What is your most
difficult writing obstacle, and how do you overcome it?
The lack of time, and it seems impossible to overcome, with
so many things of consequence to be done. I do what I can and trust God to hold
me together—with duct tape, if necessary.
What advice would you
give to a beginning author?
Read good literature. Make notes on clever phrases—not to
copy them, but to get patterns in your mind. Learn proper grammar and
punctuation. Learn to write tight—fewer words, more punch. Don't go all preachy
in your writing. That’s dangerous for me to say, in light of Dynamo’s
hefty spiritual component. I have tried, however, to let drama and strong
characters carry the weight.
Tell us about the
featured book.
Jeth Cavenaugh hires on with Rob Chilton at his stable of
show jumpers and a cranky five-gaited stallion named Dynamo. He studies Rob and
Katie’s spiritual commitment but doesn’t step over the line of faith until his
girlfriend Janni slaps him viciously. From then on, God begins to work in
unorthodox and unsettling ways. But he does have a church friend Maybelle who
serves as his interpreter in this foreign territory.
The three main characters in the novel are God (subject),
Maybelle (verb), and Jeth (object). The story is not about horses; it is God
acting sovereignly. Jeth takes Him seriously, and in return, God puts him
through spiritual boot camp to turn out a trained, disciplined, and effective
servant. I have tried to counter the common perception of a God who exists only
to serve personal needs, rather than the all-powerful God who is “greater than
our mind and heart and perfectly free to reveal Himself where and when he
wants.” (Henri Nouwen)
Maybelle, an old bit of lace, who serves as Jeth’s personal
prophet and God interpreter, loves Jeth and walks him through the spiritual
minefield of God’s unusual activity in his life. She sees, even before Jeth
becomes a Christian, that God has chosen him for a special purpose. Drawing on
the Old Testament prophets, she feeds him passages that strike terror in his
heart but that bolster him at critical moments. (She is, by the way, a favorite
character for all my early readers.)
The book is written from a unique perspective and carries
the sharp, clear message through a dynamic storyline, strong characters and
dialogue. I have basically laid out the classical understanding of servanthood.
And while the horse part is simply the setting, it does provide an effective
vehicle that powerfully communicates who God really is and what He asks of His
servants.
Scriptural Inspiration: The God of Ezekiel and Daniel; the sovereign God who pulls and shapes
and lifts Jeth into the unfathomably rich fellowship of suffering servanthood.
Please give us the
first page of the book.
One last kiss. Simple, unadorned, passionless; two seconds,
at best; and in a bottom-end motel parking lot. But kisses of any sort had been
long in coming, and this one, impoverished though it was, was the last touch of
love Jeth was apt to get for a long time to come.
After the quick kiss, Jeth stepped back and closed the door
of Janni’s powder-blue Acura. As he did, he noticed a thread of her dark hair
on his sleeve. He would keep that; he’d need it to warm his emptiness. As she
backed the car out, he clapped the hood and waved. His eyes hungered after her,
pursued her out of the driveway and into the stream of traffic. He looked at
the hair again and shivered in a breeze that couldn’t decide between winter and
spring. He turned and walked slowly around the faded, scratched trunk of his
own clunker. He was glad to have the heap. No money, no job, and a no-good
reputation. Basic transportation, yes—along with a full gas tank and a hundred dollars
that Janni had put in his pocket. Plus three pieces of cold pepperoni pizza.
“Don’t call me,” Janni had said. “If Daddy guessed I was
even talking to you, he’d ship me to Africa ,
or even the South Pole.”
“You’re a big girl now. Somebody once took horses to the
South Pole, y’ know.”
“Don’t change the subject. Daddy can do what he wants with
me, and you know it.”
“I called you yesterday and got away with it. Are you
sorry?”
“Of course I’m not sorry, but it’s not safe.”
“Why don’t you do the unthinkable and get a job—get away
from Daddy? Twenty-six is old enough to think and act on your own.”
How can readers find
you on the Internet?
Ellie Gustafson
Email: egus@me.com
Website: www.eleanorgustafson.com
Dynamo page: http://www.eleanorgustafson.com/dynamo-a-new-novel/
Amazon author page: https://www.amazon.com/author/eleanorgustafson
Author video: http-//youtu.be/jdEvOFyA#4F1238 Good for a laugh, anyway.
Dynamo:
Barnes & Noble— http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/dynamo-eleanor-gustafson/1118874786?ean=9781629110066
The Stones:
A Novel of the Life of King David http://www.amazon.com/Stones-Eleanor-Gustafson/dp/1603740791/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1366735533&sr=1-1&keywords=gustafson+stones
Thank you, Eleanor, for sharing this time with us today.
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8 comments:
A great interview, Lena. Thank you! I am intrigued by Dynamo and would love to read more.
Melanie Backus, TX
Like so many others, Melanie, I think you would find Dynamo a page turner! : )
I think you would find Dynamo to be a page turner, Melanie. Even men can't put it down!
Portsmouth, VA
Gorgeous cover. This sounds like a wonderful read.
Mary P
QLD AUSTRALIA
Glad you like the cover, Mary! I had trouble finding one out of the publisher's early options. It had to express Dynamo's personality. This option was one of those YES! moments. : )
Enter me!!
Sharon Richmond Bryant
Conway,SC.
sharonruth126@gmail.com
Thanks for the giveaway!
Sydney Harries GA
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