Welcome, dear friends, to my blog. I’m thrilled to
interview you together. How did your story for the collection come about?
Cara: I’ve always loved Bing Crosby singing White
Christmas, and it was perfect that the song became an instant hit in 1942, the
year of my novella. I knew I wanted the heroine to work at the local candy
store/soda fountain, and Sarah found out the puzzle company had been in
business since long before WWII. But I needed a reason for my hero to work
there and not in the war effort. So that got my thoughts spinning to a
displaced farmer who suffered an illness as a child that keeps him out of the
service. But what made him leave the farm? That legal issue became the pivot
the story turned on.
Sarah: This
story idea flew together so quickly that it’s hard to track. A sentimental
Christmas song came on the radio, and it made me cry, and I hated that it made
me cry. So being a writer, I analyzed why the song had such an emotional
impact. A child in need…And suddenly little Linnie Kessler is looking in the
department store window, hoping to see her daddy, her daddy who was killed in
the war. Instead she sees Lt. Pete Turner, a fighter pilot running on empty.
When Pete takes Linnie home, he’s captivated by the child’s widowed mother—who
is not happy to see Pete. Her former bully.
What are you reading right now?
Tricia: I
just finished The Bridge to Haven by
Francine Rivers. It reminded me how much I adore her writing so I started A Voice in the Wind. It’s been about
fifteen years since I read Francine’s Mark of the Lion series and I’m enjoying
it!
Cara:
Currently I’m reading The Story Keeper
by Lisa Wingate and In Perfect Time by
Sarah Sundin…oh, and some really exciting statistics and project management
textbooks.
What other books have you had published?
Sarah: This
is my first novella, so it was a lot of fun! I have six novels published, all
set in World War II. My most recent release is In Perfect Time.
Tricia: I’ve
published a bit of everything. I have forty-five books published. Most of those
are historical fiction novels, but I’ve also written many Amish novels. I’ve
also written parenting and marriage books, and books for teens. So you can say
a bit of everything. This fall I also have a novella releasing in the Amish
collection An Amish Second Christmas.
Cara: This
is my 19th book, so I’m somewhere betwixt and between Sarah and Tricia. One of
those was the Complete Idiots Guide to
Business Law. The rest have been novels. A mix of WWII historical romances
and contemporary romantic mysteries. Readers can learn more about my books and
read first chapters at www.caraputman.com.
What is the hardest thing about writing a part of a
novella collection?
Sarah: The
hardest part was not “owning” all the characters. Both Abigail (Cara’s heroine)
and Merry (Tricia’s heroine) appear in my story. It felt strange writing about
Abigail and Merry—I wanted to capture them as Cara and Tricia had written them.
We had a lot of email conversations along the lines of “What would Abigail be
doing now?” “Would Pete really say that?” or “What is Merry feeling at this
time?”
Cara: The
coordination was a great challenge. Fortunately, Sarah is the spreadsheet
queen, so she kept us on track. This is my third collection like this, and I
love the collaborative aspects of working on collections.
How did collaborating with this team impact you?
Sarah: These
ladies are high-energy idea generators. I’m a sloth, and I get one good story
idea a year. Listening to them brainstorm taught me good lessons about letting
ideas flow and change and shift directions.
Tricia: I
was SO impressed by both of them. Sarah is so organized, and Cara is so fun and
passionate. Honestly I’d work with them all the time if I could. It truly was a
great team!
Cara: I’ve
long admired Sarah and Tricia, so when I decided I wanted to explore writing a
WWII Christmas collection, I knew I wanted to do it with them. I was THRILLED
when they said yes. It was such fun to work together.
How do you choose your characters’ names?
Sarah:
Linnie’s name came attached to her—I have no idea where it came from! For Pete
and Grace, I looked at names popular in the era. Pete has the strong,
no-nonsense quality, and Grace has such quiet beauty—and ironically my heroine
needs to learn to extend grace. Also, Grace was my grandmother’s name. She
passed away in March, long after I’d finished this story, but it was fitting to
dedicate this novella to her.
Tricia: I
chose Meredith because I wanted to use the Christmas song, “Have Yourself a
Merry Little Christmas.” I have a friend who was born on Christmas and her name
is Merry, so I thought Merry could be short for Meredith. As for the other
characters, I also looked for popular names from that time period. I had fun
looking up Dutch names, too!
Cara:
Abigail is my oldest’s name, and she wanted a book of her own. I also love the
meaning of the name: Fountain of Joy. Abigail has a bit of that personality,
though muted by a pain she has to overcome.
What did you want the reader to take away from your
story?
Sarah: That
God alone can fill the empty places in our lives.
Tricia: That
God can work all things out for good and our mourning can turn to joy!
Cara: That
God will lead us through the pain in our past if we’ll let Him.
Are you a member of American Christian Fiction
Writers? If so, why?
Sarah:
Absolutely! I tell aspiring writers that ACFW is like having a mini-conference
in your email inbox every day. The courses are excellent, the loop is a great
way to connect, the genre loops are fantastic for research help, and the
conference is top-notch!
Tricia: Yes,
although I’m not as active as I wish I could be. I highly recommend ACFW to
aspiring novelists. It’s an organization filled with amazing people!
Cara: Yes! I’m
published because of what I learned at ACFW and the people I’ve met at the
conferences. I’ve also been very active on the boards and in other positions
since 2006. I love this organization and giving back!
What is the best piece of advice you received as an
author?
Tricia: The
best advice I’ve received is to write from the highs and lows of your own life.
The emotional themes I’ve written about are similar ones that I’ve experienced.
This helps pack emotion into the story.
Cara: To be
disciplined. Keep writing even when you don’t feel like it. If you do, you’ll
have a book in a year. And be teachable. You can always learn more!
Where can my readers find you on the Internet?
Tricia Goyer
Facebook
www.facebook.com/authortriciagoyer
Twitter
www.twitter.com/triciagoyer
Pinterest
www.pinterest.com/triciagoyer
Cara Putman
Sarah Sundin
Thank you, ladies, for sharing this Christmas novella collection with us.
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