Welcome, Dina. Tell us how much of
yourself you write into your characters.
I think it’s hard not to include a little of yourself in
your characters, especially your heroine. I imagine we all secretly dream of
living a life as big as our heroines. On the other hand, I make a conscious
effort to always give my characters a distinctive Meyers-Briggs personality
type. So far in all of my novels, I’ve only written one character with my exact
personality. Constance Cavendish in Love
in Three-Quarter Time shares many of my interests, but she is much more
extroverted than me, which makes a significant difference in her personality
and choices.
What is the quirkiest
thing you have ever done?
Hmm…you’re talking to a fairly quirky person here. I love to
act and dance, and while I can be shy, I’m not afraid to dress up in funny
costumes and be silly in public. My friends know not to put anything past me. I
regularly sing while shopping at the grocery store. It’s a form of
self-preservation and makes people smile. Is that quirky enough?
You sound to me like
a wonderful, fun person to be around. When did you first discover that you were
a writer?
I’m not one of those people who always knew I would write. I
enjoyed writing but had a broad variety of interests. Somewhere around late
high school, I added writing a novel to my list of dreams. But it wasn’t until
college that I discovered I had a real love and talent for writing. I then went
on to study writing in grad school.
Tell us the range of
the kinds of books you enjoy reading.
My reading tastes are very eclectic. I’ve always read some
romance for entertainment. But I also adore more literary and issue-driven
novels that really make you think. Science fiction and fantasy are fun for
switching things up. And while I don’t particularly like to mix my romance with
my suspense, I can occasionally enjoy a good psychological thriller.
Many of my recent
novels have a strong romantic thread but deal with very serious issues as well.
How do you keep your sanity in our run, run, run world?
I mentioned in a round about way that I’m very introverted.
I need a lot of quiet time alone. For that reason, I value my long walks, quiet
days, and prayer times with God. To me, prayer is more about listening,
meditation, and soaking in God’s presence than talking at him, and I need that
time of refreshing. Getting outdoors and dancing are also huge sanity savers
for me. The beach and the mountains are my happy places.
How do you choose
your characters’ names?
Usually I have an idea for the main characters name and then
build the others around it. In this novel the main character’s name, Constance , is meant to be somewhat ironic. Her nickname,
Gingersnap, is more true to her character. Much of the book is about her
struggle against her own nature, and what God reveals to her through that
struggle.
What is the accomplishment
that you are most proud of?
Being a published author certainly ranks way up there. But I
think I’m most proud of the fact that I’ve raised three, wonderful, godly
children. Although I don’t know if “proud” is the right word. Often I look at them
and shake my head in wonder. I’m sure I couldn’t have done that on my own. They
are the result of prayer, God’s grace, and many wonderful influences in their
lives.
A large part of
raising children is spending a lot of time in prayer. If you were an animal,
which one would you be, and why?
I would want to be some sort of bird so that I could fly and
sing all day long.
What is your favorite
food?
Just one food? To quote a sign I saw on facebook, “My life
is a constant battle between my love for food and my desire to stay thin.” I
probably most enjoy grilled tuna, sweet salads, and organic baked goods because
those foods appease both sides of this battle.
What is the problem
with writing that was your greatest roadblock, and how did you overcome it?
In the beginning, voice, character, and description came
easily to me, but my novels moved too slowly and weren’t very story oriented. I
had to work harder on things like plot, conflict, and motivation. And I didn’t
understand how to write strong scenes in the beginning. The two biggest helps
to me were Angela Hunt’s plot skeleton and Writing
the Breakout Novel by Donald Maas. Ron Benrey’s description of the
fictional dream world really assisted me with writing strong scenes. Good (hand
selected) critique partners were a blessing too.
Tell us about the
featured book.
I call it my Scarlett O’Hara meets Jane Austen novel, but
here’s the official description:
In the style of
Deeanne Gist, Dina Sleiman explores the world of 1817 Virginia Charlottesville
Please give us the
first page of the book.
“Gingersnap”
Cavendish waltzed her way through the scandalous steps, tilting her head back
to giggle prettily as she’d practiced in the mirror. If all went according to
plan, her copper curls would bounce and catch the firelight just right.
“It doesn’t
look so scandalous to me.” Robert Montgomery—the man of her dreams—leaned
against the rich mahogany bookshelves of Papa’s library as music drifted in
from the enormous marble foyer beyond.
“That’s because
you haven’t joined me yet.” Humming along to the tune, she continued to glide
and twirl, brushing her stocking-clad feet against the plush carpet. She lifted
the silken, rosy skirt of her high-waisted gown for him to better watch the
pattern of her steps. “One, two, three.
One, two, three. Down, up, up. Are you grasping it? I’ve never attempted the
man’s part, but you are an expert dancer. I’m certain you’ll manage.”
“All right. I
shall give it a try if you insist. We can’t hide here much longer. How did you
persuade me of this?”
“Excellent!” She clapped her hands and rocked on her toes
to set her curls bouncing once again. “Come close.” As if he needed such an
instruction.
“Gladly, my
princess.”
Pleasure
bloomed warm in her chest. She loved it when he called her princess, as she
certainly planned to reign over Robbie’s kingdom at the Montgomery family plantation soon enough.
How can readers find
you on the Internet?
https://twitter.com/DinaSleiman1
Thank you, Dina, for spending this time with us today.
Readers, here’s a link to the book. By using it when you order, you help support this blog.
Love in Three-Quarter Time
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