An entire labor unit worked alongside me to birth this book!
It began with my friend Ann Menke urging me to check out the story behind a
series of mines in The Netherlands. Then the courageous Johan van Hulst who was
107 when I wrote this book and many other Dutch friends who contributed by sharing
the history of their family or helping me straighten out my facts. My critique
partners gave me honest feedback as I rewrote this novel and then the editorial
team at Tyndale House who was phenomenal at helping me sort through my many threads.
If you teach or
speak. What’s coming up on your calendar?
I love to teach! I’m speaking in two weeks at a chapter of
the Pacific Northwest Association of Church Librarians and then on October 1 at
the ACFW group in Vancouver ,
Washington . In November, I’ll be
speaking at the Olympic Peninsula Christian Writers Conference (https://www.opcwc.com/).
If you had to
completely start over in another place, where would you move, and why?
My husband and I did this exact thing almost twenty years
ago as newlyweds. Before we had children, we decided to move from Virginia to a mountain town in southwestern Colorado . Just for fun.
In hindsight, it was a bit crazy, but we had a wonderful year. I was just
building my PR and writing business, and Jon wanted to launch an animation
company. We hiked to multiple ghost towns during our year and dreamed about the
future and worked like crazy. God used this season in the Rocky
Mountains to grow our marriage and launch our dreams.
Sounds wonderful. If
you could only tell aspiring novelists one thing, what would it be?
Years ago, I watched an interview with a bestselling
novelist, and I was shocked when the woman said she was a “horrible” writer.
She quickly followed up this up by saying that while she was a horrible writer,
she was a fabulous re-writer.
At the time, I was talking frequently about writing and
thinking about it even more. The problem was that I was not actually doing much
writing because I was terrified I would fail. And if I failed, it would be the
death of my dream. Once I realized my first draft didn’t have to be perfect, I
let go of my fears and began scribbling down my thoughts and eventually scenes
onto paper. Then I reworked and polished for several years until I had a clean
manuscript to send off to a publisher.
So my advice to aspiring novelists is to write! Study the
craft and then sit down with a computer or laptop or device and begin pouring
out the first draft. Later you can think about the editing and ultimately
publishing of your manuscript.
You’ve been asked to
be in charge of a celebrity cruise. Who would you ask to take part, and why?
(AS in what program, singers, etc. [it doesn’t have to be writing related])
Almost everything in my life is writing related. J
I would probably organize a cruise to ports across Europe
and invite writers and locals to share the history and stories of each city that
we visited. My idea of a perfect cruise would be endless pots of tea and a
quiet space with an ocean view to write so I wouldn’t be much of a help in
coordinating any shows!
Tell us about the
featured book.
Memories of Glass is a time-slip novel inspired by the Dutch
men and women during World War II who rescued more than six hundred Jewish
children from a deportation center in Amsterdam .
Almost eighty years later, Ava Drake, the director of the prestigious Kingston
Foundation, begins to uncover the devastating story about her family’s role in
financing Hitler. As she and a child advocate named Landon West dig into the
past, Ava discovers that her story is intertwined with the West family and an
elderly Dutch woman who has spent a lifetime remembering a boy who was lost
during the war. A boy she never expected to find.
I have a time-slip novel percolating in my brain right now. Please give us the
first page of Memories of Glass.
Brilliant color flickered across her canvas of wall.
Sunflower yellow and luster of orange. Violet folded into crimson. A shimmer
like the North Sea with its greens and blues.
Most of the walls in her bungalow were filled with treasures
of artwork and photographs and books, but this pale-cream plaster was reserved
solely for the light, a grand display cast through the prisms of antique
bottles that once held perfume or bitters or medicine from long ago.
The colors reminded her of the tulip fields back home, their
magnificent hues blossoming in sunlight, filling the depths of her soul with
the brilliance of the artist’s brush. Spring sunshine was rare in Oregon , but when it
came, she slipped quietly into this room to watch the dance of light.
Sixty-eight bottles glowed light from shelves around her
den, their glass stained emerald or amber or Holland ’s
Delft blue. Or
transparent with tiny cuts detailing the crystal.
These wounds of an engraver—the master of all craftsmen with
his diamond tools—made the prettiest colors of all.
Only one of the bottles was crimson. She lifted it carefully
off the shelf and traced the initials etched on the silver lid, the ridges
molded down each side, as she lowered herself back into her upholstered chair.
All of them she treasured, but this one . . .
This bottle held a special place in her heart.
I’m eager to read
your book. It will go at the top of my to-be-read pile when it arrives. Where
can we find you on the Internet?
I really enjoy connecting with readers. The best places to
find me are on Facebook and Twitter (@MelBDobson) as well as on my website— http://www.melaniedobson.com.
Thank you, Melanie,
for sharing this new book with us.
Readers, here are links to the book.
Memories of Glass - Christianbook.comMemories of Glass - Amazon paperback
Memories of Glass - Kindle
Memories of Glass - Audiobook
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.
If you’re reading this on Goodreads, Feedblitz, Facebook,
Twitter, Linkedin, or Amazon, please come to the blog to leave your comment
if you want to be included in the drawing. Here’s a link:
Hello from Central Texas where we’re hoping for some fall weather and some much needed rain. I have only enjoyed Melanie Dobson’s Catching the Wind and I thought it was incredible. I’m looking foward to this newest book and really admire the way she writes her time split novels.
ReplyDeleteperrianne (DOT) askew (AT) me (DOT) com
Perrianne Askew
Oh, Melanie ‘s book sounds like a must read! Thank you for a great interview.
ReplyDeleteMelanie Backus, Texas
I love Melanie Dobson’s books. Thanks for the interview and the chance to win the book.
ReplyDeleteMindy from NJ
I would love to win a copy of Melanie's book, thank you for the chance.
ReplyDeleteWendy in Nebraska
wfnren at aol dot com
I have Memories Of Glass on the top of my wish list. I love Time Slip novels especially if they are WWII related. Thank you so very much for the wonderful chance. Blessings from sunny WV.
ReplyDeleteMemories of Glass sounds like a fascinating book filled with inspiring events in history. Love it.
ReplyDeleteSandy Q TX
I love reading stories set in WWII. The courage shown in the face of great evil is always amazing to me! I have this book on my NetGalley account, but would love to win a physical copy!
ReplyDeletePam in OH
I love dual time novels and reading about this historical time period. Memories of Glass sounds like a great book.
ReplyDeletemarypopmom (at) yahoo (dot) com
Maryann in New York
I enjoy dual time books. It’s time for me to read another Melanie Dobson book. I’m Paula from Missouri.
ReplyDeleteMelanie Dobson writes such well researched and well written time slip novels that I find very interesting and hard to put down. Memories of Glass is a book on my "want to read" list. Thanks for giving away a copy.
ReplyDeletepmkellogg56[at]gmail[dot]com
Kansas
I would totally go on that cruise!! Thanks for sharing! Jacinta from VA
ReplyDeleteThank you for this interview, Lena, and thank each of you for your gracious comments! Jacinta--I wish we really could do this cruise!! :)
ReplyDeleteEnter me in your awesome giveaway!!
ReplyDeleteConway SC.
I always enjoy World War II stories. Thanks for the chance to win this book!
ReplyDeleteBeth from Iowa
I'd love to read this one! Thank you for the opportunity.
ReplyDeleteCaryl K in TEXAS
This book sounds wonderful.Pa. Thank you for the opportunity to win.I enjoy reading your books.
ReplyDelete