Today I'm featuring a new Barbour novella collection, The Quakers of New Garden. Two of the authors are visiting with us today.
Welcome, Claire. How did your story
for the collection come about?
I was invited to submit a proposal for a novella collection
after my story Equally Yoked appeared
in A Quaker Christmas (Barbour,
2011). I had to do quite a bit of research about Quakers and that led to a
plethora of story ideas. I’m hoping the Quaker series really takes off at
Barbour Books because that would mean the readers enjoyed the subject matter
and want to see more of the same.
What are you reading
right now?
I’ve been immersed in young adult books lately. I’m
currently reading Wolfsbane by Andrea
Cremer. A lot of the young adult books I’ve read have a supernatural bent to
them and Wolfsbane is no different. I’d
like to get into the young adult market, but I’d like to write something more
uplifting than a story about werewolves.
What other books have
you had published?
My first story, Fresh
Start, is a romance about a school teacher who’s been left at the altar. She
wants to get as far away as possible, so she takes a job teaching at a one-room
school in Montana .
Fresh Start is not a Christian
romance and readers should take that into account before buying it.
Equally Yoked is
featured in the book A Quaker Christmas
from Barbour Books. It is a Christian fiction book. My story involves a young
woman who helps a runaway slave.
What is the hardest
thing about writing a part of a novella collection?
Equally Yoked was
my first novella and I thoroughly enjoyed the format. Typically, when I finish
the first draft of a novel, I’m about 30,000 words short of my goal. So writing
a story that had to stay under 25,000 words was a relief.
How did collaborating
with this team impact you?
The best thing about collaborating with other authors was
the many tips they gave me about marketing. I love writing and can easily lose
myself in the story, but selling the book is a challenge. The other authors
have more experience with the marketing end of the business and they’ve steered
me in the right way.
How do you choose
your characters’ names?
If it’s a sympathetic character, one I want the reader to
like, I simply choose a name I like. I also keep a list of the names I’ve used
in a story so I won’t reuse them in another story. Likewise, if it’s a
character I don’t want the reader to like, then I choose a name I don’t like. Many
times, especially if it’s a minor character, I simply pause and wait for a name
to pop into my head.
What did you want the
reader to take away from your story?
One theme I see in all of my stories is a girl who doesn’t
know her true worth. In Fresh Start,
the major character was rejected by her fiancé and misunderstood by her mother.
She doubted her worth and her attractiveness. The same is true of Leah in New
Garden’s Inspiration. Leah has been told she’s unattractive and no
matter how hard she tried to help her uncle’s family, he made it clear that he
thought her a burden. Leah only discovers her worth when a new family shows her
how they feel about her.
Are you a member of
American Christian Fiction Writers? If so, why?
I am not yet a member of ACFW but I hope to join soon. I am
an active member of Romance Writers of America and serve as an officer in the West Houston chapter.
What is the best
piece of advice you received as an author?
Persevere. That’s a good piece of advice for many ventures,
but it’s especially true for those who wish to publish. Expect to receive
rejections and remember that rejections and negative critiques are about your
product, not about you.
Where can my readers
find you on the Internet?
Please visit my web site - www.clairesandersbooks.com and
visit me on Facebook.
About the book:
Join four Quaker women on a journey through the trials of faith and love.
Ruth Payne's bridegroom has cold feet. . .for the second time. Will their third try be the charm?
Ruth Payne's bridegroom has cold feet. . .for the second time. Will their third try be the charm?
Things get complicated for Underground Railroad worker Deborah Wall when she meets a bounty hunter head-on. Will love have them seeing eye-to-eye?
Leah hopes to turn a marriage of convenience into a marriage of love. But will letters be a firm enough foundation?
Christian Jaidon Taylor wants to win the heart of Quaker Catherine Wall. But will religion make them as incompatible as night and day?
Welcome, Jennifer Hudson Taylor. What other books have you had published?
Highland Blessings
and Highland Sanctuary, as well as
another novella collection entitled. Highland
Crossings.
What is the hardest thing about writing a part of a novella
collection?
I found it to be refreshing and interesting. The only thing
I worried about is if I could afford to take the time away from writing my
full-length manuscripts, but in both cases of my novellas, all moved forward
smoothly.
How do you choose your characters’ names?
My mother’s family was the Wall family of Guilford County , NC
What did you want the reader to take away from your story?
That things are not always as they seem and with a little
faith in what God can do with our loved ones, God can perform miracles.
Are you a member of American Christian Fiction Writers? If
so, why?
Yes, it’s been a wonderful organization and full of encouragement
to me. I’m not sure I would be published right now if not for ACFW. This is how
I met my agent.
Where can my readers find you on the Internet?
Twitter: www.twitter.com/jt4novels
Thank you, Claire and Jennifer, for stopping by to introduce us to your new book.
Readers, here are links to the book. By using one when you order, you help support this blog.
The Quakers of New Garden (Romancing America)
- paperbackThe Quakers of New Garden
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