I may have projected the most of myself into the
lightly-fictionalized story of my father in Tobias of the Amish. Since an auto
accident snatched him away from our family when I was only three years old, I
have no memories of him. I told the story of his life based on research and
communal memories shared by his peers. But I imagine that if someone else had
written the story based on those same interviews, my father might have looked
less like me.
On reflection, I’m sure that I write far more of myself into
my fictional characters than I realize. Without giving it much conscious
thought, I draw on my Christian worldview and aging white male perspective in all
of my stories, even when I’m writing the POV of an Amish woman or a Native
American. I couldn’t divorce myself from those influences regardless how hard I
tried.
Nevertheless, I love the challenge of putting myself into
someone else’s shoes, and telling the story from their perspective. My favorite
compliment regarding my recent Return to Northkill series was from a Native
American Delaware descendant, who told me that the spirit of his ancestors were
living in me. He was excited about the way I had captured the thoughts and
feelings of the Native American tribe, including those of a widowed woman who
adopted a captured Amish boy.
What is the quirkiest
thing you have ever done?
I’ve always been very curious about how mechanical things
work and love to tinker with or repair broken gadgets. As a young adult, I
owned a 1940 Chevrolet coupe which I “converted” into a street rod. To improve
the safety and ride, I cut off the frame near the firewall and “grafted” on a frame
assembly from the front of a 1972 mid-size Chevrolet. Pronto! Now my old car
had coil suspension, power steering, and disk brakes.
And just for the fun of it, I adapted the power window
mechanisms from a wrecked Cadillac to open and close my front windows. There’s
a lot more I could say about the mental value of tinkering, but no one has said
it more eloquently than philosopher/mechanic Matthew R. Crawford in his book, Shop Class as Soulcraft: An Inquiry into
the Value of Work.
When did you first
discover that you were a writer?
I learned the basics of writing in a demanding high school
English class, from a teacher who drilled us on the parts of speech via the
discipline of diagramming sentences. I first experienced the satisfaction of
creative writing in a college composition class, where I was taught that “the
pen is mightier than the sword.” I started to claim that power by writing
articles as a twenty-something, and published my first book (a study guide) when
I was thirty-two.
Tell us the range of
the kinds of books you enjoy reading.
I’ve been a reader for as long as I can remember, with shifting
interests over the years. As an adolescent, I read lot of sports and adventure
books, as well as biographies of well-known people. As I grew to adulthood, I
became a bibliophile, purchasing volumes for my growing library via book clubs
and visits to various bookstores. I browsed the stacks in a bookstore as
eagerly as a kid in a candy shop. I even enjoyed the obligatory texts and companion
volumes on the curricular journey from a small Bible institute to a doctorate
in rhetoric from a major university.
Later, as an ordained minister and the dean of a seminary, I
read books on theology, Biblical studies, church history, rhetorical theory,
and leadership studies. More recently, I enjoy reading historical fiction, memoirs,
and biographies, as well as history.
In recent years, I tend to buy books, including fiction,
after hearing the author speak, reading a positive review, or receiving a
recommendation from a friend. A few months ago, I forced myself to weed several
hundred books out of my bulging library. It was a painful parting with old
friends; I felt I owed some of them a eulogy.
I totally understand.
I’ve always had a hard time parting with books. But now I have a ministry of
giving books I’ve finished with to people who haven’t learned about the author’s
writing. How do you keep your sanity in our run, run, run world?
I follow a rather disciplined “rhythm and rule” of life
which includes a daily walk and other physical exercise, along with devotional
reading. This rhythm is like a gyroscope to keep me balanced in the face of a
heavy travel schedule and demands on the administrative front. Sabbath is
essential too, along with monthly retreats for prayer and planning, lest my
priorities get swept away by a flood of opportunities.
How do you choose
your characters’ names?
In my recent series of historical novels, nearly all of my
main characters are named after the people they represent in real life. In Christian’s
Hope, I made two exceptions in order to avoid duplicate names. I dubbed
one of my substitutes with the Biblical name Hannah. But just days before I
sent the manuscript to the publisher, a friend suggested that “Hannah” sounded
too much like “Anna,” one of my two POV characters. So I searched for a
different name in the index of a genealogical family tome, searching for another
common eighteenth-century woman’s name. I narrowed it down to three and then consulted
my wife about it. She liked “Orpha” best, since she had an aunt by that name.
So I did a “search and replace,” and Hannah became Orpha just minutes before I
submitted my manuscript to the publisher.
What is the
accomplishment that you are most proud of?
This may seem a little strange, but the thing which makes me
most proud is when a self-identified “non-reader” tells me about reading one of
my books. One 64-year-old man phoned me to say that Tobias of the Amish is the
only book he had read since high school. A middle-age woman told me that she
was “fighting” with her husband, a non-reader, over reading time for one of my
books. I felt like shouting “Yeah!”
If you were an
animal, which one would you be, and why?
I think I’d be a Golden Retriever, since I’m at home in the water
as well as on land. I’d be a friendly dog, romping with children and canine companions.
I’d probably chase cats and entertain my owner with antics that would reward me
with favorite doggie snacks.
What is your favorite
food?
I love ice cream topped with crumbles of homemade cookies
made of peanut butter and oatmeal. This preference is but partly based on
taste, and mostly on the pleasant at-home memories it evokes in me. As a child,
I cranked the ice cream freezer, which meant that I got the first taste when it
was finished.
Oh, yes, getting to
eat the ice cream off the paddle was such a treat. What is the problem with
writing that was your greatest roadblock, and how did you overcome it?
I suppose my biggest barrier to writing fiction has been to convincingly
portray the emotions of my female characters. I’ve benefitted immensely from
the candid feedback of two women in my monthly writers group. I’ve also learned
a great deal from a fiction writing coach and an editor, both excellent female writers.
Perhaps most importantly, I’ve learned a lot from reading good fiction written
by women.
Tell us about the
featured book.
Christian’s Hope is the story of Christian Hochstetler, a young
man who is forced by a British treaty to return home to his Amish community
after eight years of living in an Indian village following his capture as a
child. He struggles to fit back into a community where many things have
changed, including his own sense of identity with the Shawnee captors who taught him to love their
Native ways. He resists his father’s well-intentioned efforts to make him a
part of the family farm, preferring to hunt and fish in the woods.
However, a visit to his Native village brings more
disappointment than joy, forcing him to face the prospect that he may not fit
into either the world of the Amish or the Natives. A growing relationship with
his stepmother, along with the guidance of a Dunker preacher and a friend named
Orpha, eventually help him discover hope and a third way.
Please give us the
first page of the book.
August 1, 1765
Christian reluctantly forced one foot ahead of the other as
he walked the road toward the Hochstetler farm—his childhood home. He shifted
his bag on his shoulder and smoothed his scalp lock.
The fields of wheat, spelt, and rye were mostly stubble on
the rolling hills of northern Berks
County , Pennsylvania .
The sound of the soft ripple of the Northkill Creek flowing over the rocks
permeated the air. He reached down to adjust the tomahawk dangling from the
belt that secured his breechcloth at the waist. This hardly looked like the
place he’d left many moons ago.
At long last, Christian knew that his father was alive. Sir
William Johnson, the Superintendent of Indian Affairs, had told him so when he
arrived at Johnson Hall in Johnstown ,
New York , with other captives who
were being returned. Even though the British had signed peace treaties with the
French and Indians, the war still raged in his heart and soul. Against his
wishes, he would now be expected to live on land that had been taken from the Shawnees , the people he
had come to love. He would be forced to live with the people of his childhood,
who thought of the Shawnees
as uncivilized heathen.
On most of the trip to Berks
County from Johnstown , he’d been escorted by Esquire
Samuel Weiser, who lived a half day’s walk from the Hochstetler farm. Weiser
had lived among the Indians as a child and understood their ways. He said he
trusted Christian to walk the final leg to his home by himself. Despite his
unwillingness to leave the Shawnees ,
his eagerness to see his father after eight years of separation kept him
walking homeward.
How can readers find
you on the Internet?
You can find information about me and my books at http://www.ervinstutzman.com/. You can
see a sample of blogs or interviews at https://themennonite.org/?s=ervin+stutzman
Thank you, Irvin, for sharing this book with us. I'm eager to read it.
Readers, here are links to the book. By using one when you order, you help support this blog.
Christian's Hope
Christian's Hope (Return to Northkill) - paperbackChristian's Hope (Return to Northkill) - Kindle
Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. You must follow these instructions to be in the drawing. Please tell us where you live, at least the state or territory or country if outside North America. (Comments containing links may be subject to removal by blog owner.)
Void where prohibited; the odds of winning depend on the number of entrants. Entering the giveaway is considered a confirmation of eligibility on behalf of the enterer in accord with these rules and any pertaining local/federal/international laws.
The only notification you’ll receive is the winner post on this blog. So be sure to check back a week from Saturday to see if you won. You will have 4 weeks from the posting of the winners to claim your book.
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16 comments:
I enjoyed reading the first page of Christian's Hope. Thanks for sharing!
Connie from KY
cps1950(at)gmail(dot)com
New-to-me author and I do love discovering them! This books sounds really good, a man caught between two worlds, if you will, trying to find his way :-)
Thank you for a fun interview and giveaway chance!
Trixi in OR
I am certainly intrigued by this book. Thank you for for a great interview.
Melanie Backus, TX
A great first page thank you.
Mary P
QLD AUSTRALIA
I was reading about this series on litfuse and I immediately put purchase requests at my local library for the whole series.
Terrill - WA
A new to me author - interesting interview and glimpse into the book. I greatly enjoy historical fiction. Thanks! Cathy - TX
Your book looks so good! Please enter me.
Abigail in Clarksville VA
Book sounds good. north platte nebraska.
Wow! I can't imagine what it would be like to be abducted then have to try to get reacclimated to your old life! CHRISTIAN'S HOPE sounds like an exciting page turner! Thanks for sharing the interview, excerpt & chance to win! rw620 AT aol DOT com
New author to me. I will be adding the series to my wish list. Looking forward to reading this book. Thank you for the chance to win a copy.
Karen G. in NY
New to me author. Great first page. Will have to put this on my wish list. Thanks for the chance to win.
Beth in Montana
Enter me!!
Conway SC.
This was an interesting interview. I enjoy reading historical fiction and this book sounds like one I would enjoy. Please enter me in the drawing.
Please enter me. I am glad to see more books in the Christian genre being written by men. Thanks for introducing us to Ervin Stutzman.
Edward A in VA
angela in ky won love to win
I love Amish books and this would be a different twist in an Amish book that I would love to read! Thanks for the opportunity.
Beth from IA
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