I try to
think about what personality traits my characters will need to reach their
goals in my story. I might have some of their traits, but my heroines are
braver and bolder than I am—or the story would be boring. Since I write
Christian fiction, my characters and I share a faith in God.
What is the quirkiest thing you have ever
done?
I love music,
but I don’t sing very well, so I lip sync. My family and I performed in a lip
sync competition as the Partridge family. I was Lori Partridge on keyboards.
When did you first discover that you were a
writer?
I came to
writing later in life through teaching chapel lessons. I taught kindergarten
through fifth grade—all at one time—so I had to revise curriculum or write my
own. I prayed for the Lord to give me creativity to craft my lesson plans and
He prompted me to start writing novels. I was in my forties with children still
at home, but I managed to get a few books written. As long as God keeps putting
ideas in my head, I will keep writing. I enjoy bringing little-known stories in
His Word to light.
Tell us the range of the kinds of books you
enjoy reading.
Most of the
books I read are written by my friends, so they are Christian fiction or sweet
romances. I enjoy a happily-ever-after. I do venture into the Young Adult
genre, but most of those characters do things my parents would never have
allowed—and I don’t allow as a parent!
How do you keep your sanity in our run,
run, run world?
It’s getting
more and more difficult. I turn off social media and avoid computer screens
when life gets stressful. It helps that I draft my novels on notepads. I like
to walk when the weather is nice here in Wisconsin ,
and listen to music. My writing and weekly Bible studies keep me digging into
the Word of God for refreshment.
How do you choose your characters’ names?
I scan the
Bible looking for names that my readers can pronounce. I try to avoid names
that sound alike or start with the same letter.
What is the accomplishment that you are
most proud of?
I’ve been
married for 29 years and have two wonderful sons who love the Lord. None of the
men in my life are perfect, but they’re forgiven and loved.
If you were an animal, which one would you
be, and why?
I would be
our cat—the one who won the lottery. She was a stray we adopted. She isn’t very
nice, but she is so cute! Everyone loves her even though she hisses at them. Go
figure.
What is your favorite food?
Chocolate. I
wish it was calorie-free.
What is the problem with writing that was
your greatest roadblock, and how did you overcome it?
’m still
battling my problem. Even though I have three books written and contracted (two
are out), I doubt my writing ability. I believe Satan doesn’t want me to write
about how amazing God is, so he plants doubt in my head. I tell myself to write
the book I want to write, and if no one sees it, then that’s okay. I work on
this issue with every book.
I was reading
through the Bible and came across crazy events in Judges that I had no idea
were in the Bible. The book of Judges ends with a war between the tribes of Israel . The
tribe of Benjamin is almost wiped out. Only 600 men survive, and they have no
women or children. What are the men going to do? They abduct unsuspecting girls
from the other tribes so the tribe of Benjamin will survive. My book follows
three girls who are kidnapped from a festival by these Benjamite men. The tribe
carries on and gives us the first king of Israel and the apostle Paul. Here
is my blurb:
Love Grows Where God
Grafts the Tender Shoot.
Naomi desires
to dance well enough to catch the eye of a wealthy landowner. Her father needs
a substantial bride price due to the deaths of her brothers at the hands of the
tribe of Benjamin. But when Benjamites raid the Ephraimite feast and capture
young girls, Naomi is bound and carried from her home by Eliab, a troubled
shepherd who needs a wife.
As Naomi
awaits rescue, she finds Eliab has a strong faith in God and a just reason for
abducting her. A reason that affects all the tribes of Israel . The
future of the tribe of Benjamin hangs in the balance, but if Naomi follows her
heart and stays with Eliab to rebuild his lineage, she must forfeit her family
and become a traitor to her tribe.
Please give us the first page of the book.
In those days Israel
Shiloh, in the land of the tribe of Ephraim
Naomi peeked
from behind the tent flap. Girls emerged from scattered booths, illuminated by
the flames of the bonfire. The beat of a timbrel echoed over the vineyards
while tambourines tinked in thanksgiving to God for an abundant crop. Naomi’s
stomach hollowed at the thought of joining in the revelry at the harvest
celebration. She had never danced before at the feast in a manner to seduce a
husband.
Her palms
dampened. It was almost time. Time to twirl and catch the eye of a landowner.
With two of her brothers slain by the Benjamites, her father needed a bride
price.
Movement in
the moon-shadowed vineyard caught Naomi’s attention. Had a goat gotten loose
among the vines? She squinted into the darkened rows of naked stalks. No leaves
shook. No trellis gave way. No bleating rang out. The smoke is deceiving me. She
blinked and retreated from the open flap. Cuzbi, the merchant’s daughter, came
close as if to share a secret. Naomi’s reflection widened in the gold of
Cuzbi’s headband. “Do not worry,” Cuzbi whispered. “Follow me and the men will
line up to give our fathers gifts.”
Naomi prayed
this was not a lie. Cuzbi had danced the previous harvest, and the one before,
but Cuzbi’s father had not received a single shekel.
How can readers find you on the Internet?
Readers can
find out about me and my books on my website (www.barbarambritton.com), or on Facebook,
Goodreads,
and Twitter @Barbara M.
Britton.
Thanks for
having me on your blog today. I’m curious if your readers were familiar with
the ending of Judges.
Thank you, Barbara, for sharing this book
with us.
Comment Question to answer: Were you
familiar with the ending of Judges before this interview?
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Building Benjamin: Naomi's Journey (Tribes of Israel)
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