Dear Readers, tiny
houses are a new concept. They’re featured on a TV show, and there’s a lot
of buzz about them. Now this tiny house romance collection is available. And
Mike Ehret’s novella is his debut book. So I’m interviewing him about the book
and introducing you to him. I've known Mike a long time and worked with him on the ACFW Journal.
Bio: Michael
Ehret has accepted God's invitation and is a freelance editor at
WritingOnTheFineLine.com. In addition, he's worked as editor-in-chief of the ACFW Journal for the American Christian
Fiction Writers (ACFW). He pays the bills as a marketing communications writer
and sharpened his writing and editing skills as a reporter for The Indianapolis News and The Indianapolis Star.
How did I come up with the idea? You’re asking a Seat Of The
Pants (SOTP) writer how he came up with the idea? I sat down at the computer,
opened a Word document, and started writing. Okay, so there’s a little more to
it than that.
When we knew we wanted to do this novella collection idea
centered around tiny houses, my wife and I had just finished touring the Tiny
House Road Show when it stopped here in Indianapolis .
On a subsequent weekend trip to Cincinnati ,
we brainstormed a couple ideas about how it could be approached.
What if? What if the man in the story was a writer for an
architectural journal who thought himself too sophisticated to do a story on
tiny houses? What if the woman was the president of a company building tiny
houses with the idea to use the proceeds to battle homelessness (and who also
provides tiny houses, at cost, to those who need a place to live off the
streets)? Then, what if both of these people had experienced homelessness in
different forms and it had drastically affected their lives, but in different,
opposite ways?
But I still couldn’t seem to get the story started in a way
that fired my imagination. Then one day, I’m driving around the Northside of
Indianapolis (where my place of work is located) and I spot a street sign for Timberly Drive and
the voice of my female character just pops into my mind and starts talking.
I’m just going to put it out there. My name’s Timberley.
Yeah, Timberley. Get over it; I did long ago, okay? What can a girl say? My
father the dealmaker cut what he called a “win-win” with my mother. Trouble is,
there were three people in the deal and only two of them “won-won.”
From there the story began to unfold.
Homelessness expanded her world and constricted his. Now she
needs his help, but he only remembers the pain. Can they find big love in a
tiny house?
Are these stories
connected in some way? If so, how?
The only thing they have in common is that all involve a
tiny house in some way.
What are you reading
right now?
James L. Rubart’s The
Long Journey to Jake Palmer.
I loved that book. How
many other books have you had published?
This is my first.
What is the hardest
thing about writing a part of a collection?
Truthfully, finding the time to write is the hardest thing.
My job is very demanding, and I have other commitments that are important to
me. But when God personally invites you into “a new season of writing” it’s
hard to say no.
How did collaborating
with this team impact you?
It was interesting. Particularly being the only male in the
collection. My story definitely fits in the collection, but it is also
definitely different. One great thing about the collaboration is that all of
the other authors are great encouragers—and good friends.
What did you want the
reader to take away from your story?
Two things. Don’t let the world define your life. Don’t find
your identity in the things of this world. Second, the importance of personal
integrity.
Please give us a peek
into your story.
(This is a bit from the middle that’s part of my favorite
scene. To set it up just a little, Rafe and Berly are about to have their
second “date”. They are still feeling each other out and looking for common
ground. There is attraction, but they’ve only just met so there’s also tension.)
Rafe saw Berly pull into the parking lot. Honda Accord, newer
model. It looked like the Touring version, so a confident V6. He rose, trashed
his cup, grabbed the notebook, and headed for the door. He didn’t want her and
Carl coming into contact. Carl’s too chatty. Though he had seemed rather
intimidated by his encounter with Berly and her determination.
Still, better to not risk it.
Ah, but Berly’s no-holds-barred confidence was a primary
driver of his own interest. After the curly auburn hair, fair skin, blue eyes,
and that laugh—the one that started in her eyes and ended in his heart.
He had to make this work.
He popped down his shades as he exited the shop. The sun was
bright—plus he was feeling a little exposed.
“Nice car,” he said as Berly stepped out of the vehicle and
closed the door.
“Oh, you startled me!”
His laugh must have amused her, because she looked at him
sideways for a moment, as if measuring him. It seemed her glance lingered
briefly on the notebook. “Thanks, it’s the touring model.”
“V6?”
“Of course.”
Rafe nodded and walked around the car, checking her tire
choice, running his hand over the hood. Trying to think of how to start.
“It’s not for sale,” she said.
“I’m not in the market … for a car.”
Was that a step too far? Maybe, but he didn’t think so.
“Some days I live in that thing, traveling from site to
site,” she said, choosing to ignore the line.
Rafe nodded. “I’ve found you can tell a lot about people by
the cars they choose to own. This one tells me you’re safe, reliable. Close to
staid, but not quite. Not with the six. You have your lead foot moments.”
Her hands on her waist issued a challenge of their own. “And
yours?
”
“Black Beemer.” He tilted his head to her left.
“Ah. Well, to me that screams, Ostentatious. Overrated.
Overpriced.” And after a brief pause, “Compensating.”
Rafe fought down a laugh and forced a frown. “You didn’t
even look, Ms. Charles.”
I love that scene,
too. What is the best piece of advice you received as an author?
It came from Allen Arnold: He taught me the importance of
writing with God and not for him. His class on this was a turning point for my
writing.
Where can my readers
find you on the Internet?
I have a rather inactive site for my freelance editing
business that I now need to revamp. You can look for me there (https://writingonthefineline.com/).
Alternately, I’m really active on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/michael.l.ehret.7)
and fairly active on Twitter (@WritingFineLine).
Thank you, Mike, for sharing this new book with
us.
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