We're Going Home!

*I apologize! I just realized that this post got buried because I didn't change the date. I hope you all can find us now at the address below!

Our old site is finally available to us again. We'll be going back there now where most of our archives are and where Tiff/Amber Miller designed a great look for us. So if you came here looking for us, please go here instead: http://favoritepastimes.blogspot.com

Feel free to come back here to visit the archives posted from Jan. 01, 2007 to Feb. 15, 2007.

And the winners are...

We have two winners for Cindy Vallar's book The Scottish Thistle - one print copy and one e-book copy. I'll let Cindy decide who gets which one.

And the winners are...

Donald Cameron and Shauna

Would both winners please contact me at jill at jilleileensmith.com with your address and email address. I'll pass them on to Cindy.

Thanks so much - and Congratulations to both of you!

~Jill

Review: The Longing Season

Today my buddy Michelle Sutton is reviewing The Longing Season by Christine Schaub, a member of my local writers’ group, Middle Tennessee Christian Writers.

The Longing Season

From the Publisher

In the 1740s, British culture allows few options for the son of a merchant ship captain. And in a time of war, a man with John Newton’s experience must serve the king. But Newton, a man who quotes Virgil and curses God with equal fervor, is interested in serving only himself.

Mary Catlett simply cannot believe her childhood friend sailed away on a British warship and vanished in Africa. In desperation, she takes a step that will change her life and call her lost love home. But will he arrive in time?

Newton’s odyssey takes him from the West Africa gold coast to the banks of Newfoundland to the heart of the Atlantic before he finds what he’s spent his entire life longing for: deliverance. In an account that challenges popular myth, Schaub continues the Music of the Heart series with one of the greatest redemption stories of all time...the story of "Amazing Grace."

My review

Bottom line ... I enjoyed this book. However, after getting to know Mary Catlett so well and then not seeing their relationship develop (because the book was essentially over by then) was a bit of a bummer. I understand the focus of the book was on "longing," but come on, us romance lovers want to see what happens when they finally get the person they've been longing for!

On the other hand, I was impressed with how well the author showed John Newton's life while he was still living as an infidel. Sometimes the content was PG rated (but I liked that point because it gave me—the reader—a better sense of the character's view of the world) so I wouldn't want a bit of that content changed. John Newton was truly wretched, and I think the author was very effective in communicating that point. The scene where he was in the midst of that horrible storm and he started to remember what people told him about God ... and how he thought he was going to die, was very effective.

But then he FINALLY sees Mary after all that time, and that's it! I wanted to scream "wahhhh" over that point. I really liked Mary and actually hoped she'd end up with the Viscount Alexander Todd because he was such a fabulous man who loved the Lord. It made me sad when the Viscount finally realized she would never love him until her affections toward the missing sailor John Newton were resolved. I wonder if Mary would've married the Viscount if she'd known what John had been doing in the Ivory Coast prior to returning to England. I wish the story would have either left out Mary altogether, or showed at least one chapter of their reunion after he returned to England. That would've made it a five star story, but since that didn't happen, I'm ranking it lower. It was an excellent read otherwise.

The Longing Season was published by Bethany House and released in July 2006.


Michelle Sutton (pen name)
"writing truth into fiction"
ACFW Volunteer Officer
writer/book reviewer - check out my latest reviews!
http://edgyinspirationalauthor.blogspot.com
http://www.michellesutton.net

Ask HF Blog

What an exciting week to debut this new "column" here at the HF (historical fiction) Blog. At least here in the Mid-Atlantic region. :) Ice storms, snow, sleet, freezing rain, power outages, 40 mph winds. You name it, we've had it the past couple of days.

However, something to warm your thoughts is this new feature. Every Thursday, we'll be answering questions that YOU have submitted regarding historical fiction. Anything and everything that has to do with the topic, we'll consider. For now, we'll limit to 3-5 questions, but we'll see how things go as we get further into the schedule.

So, be sure and tell your friends (authors, writers and readers) to come here for all their HF questions. Encourage them to submit a question of their own, or you can ask for them. Only your first name and state/country of residence will be featured to help maintain your anonymity. You can submit your question by sending an email here.

Now, on with today's questions:

1. What is historical fiction?

HF Blog: There are several answers to this, and only a few will be used here, as there are several interpretations of the genre.

* Fiction that attempts to present an accurate, often critical, portrayal or imitation of a historical event.
* A long narrative of past events and characters, partly historical but largely imaginative. Stories set in the past and try to recreate the auro of a time past, reconstruct characters, events, movements, ways of life and spirit of days gone by.
* Works in which the characters are fictional, but the setting and other details are rooted in actual history.
* A novel in which the story is set among historical events, or more generally, in which the time of the action predates the lifetime of the author. As such, the historical novel is distinguished from the alternate-history genre. The historical novel was popularized in the 19th century by artists classified as Romantics. Many regard Sir Walter Scott as the first to have used this technique, in his novels of Scottish history, but it has grown and expanded from its original form since then.

2. What is the best way to conduct historical research? Do you use the internet or libraries or books?

HFBlog: All of the above. It's best to use whatever resources you have available. The Internet can be a fantastic research tool, but depending upon what information you need, it might be better to rely on periodicals, diaries, journals and personal accountings from a specific time period. Older or out of print books can be located at a library or used bookshop, and they provide documented details that can be quite difficult to find online. Even community newsletters or letters to the editor can be extremely helpful with grasping the "mood" of a certain time or place or event. The biggest problem with Internet research is determining the veracity of the information you find.

3. What responsibility do historical fiction writers have with maintaining the accuracy of the period, the people, and the events?

HFBlog: The fiction writer has a great responsibility to represent the truth. Because these works are clearly labeled "fiction," one can alter the chronology of events here and there, invent characters and dialogue, speculate on motives, and dramatize important points. But the fiction label doesn't give one the right to seriously distort historical characters or events. As it's been proven, readers of fiction still can be influenced by what they read, and if the truth is distorted, it can negatively affect their perception of reality of that time. You owe it to your readers to be as accurate as possible. If you don't feel that responsibility then you're not a historical novelist --- you're a fantasy writer. The story, of course, is paramount because a writer is a novelist before a historian, but also a historical novelist which suggests a certain love and respect for what actually happened. Sometimes, because the story demands it, a piece of history can be changed, but that is usually denoted by an author's note for clarification.

That's it for today. If you have burning questions you'd like to ask, don't forget email us. And don't forget to let your reader/writer friends who love historical fiction know about Ask HFBlog Thursdays.

See you next week!

Interview with Author Cindy Vallar - Part Two!

Happy Valentine's Day! And now...
CONTINUING THE INTERVIEW WITH NOVELIST CINDY VALLAR…(and don't forget to post a comment for either a print or e-book copy of Cindy's book - there will be two winners!)

You also have an interest in pirates. How did that come about?

While in college, I saw an episode of Walt Disney’s Wonderful World of Color. Disney always introduced the show and gave background, and this particular episode involved a gentleman pirate named Jean Laffite. Little was known about this man who played an instrumental role in helping the Americans win the Battle of New Orleans, and I’d never heard of him in any of my history classes. The unknown or mysterious always fascinated me, so I started researching Laffite and pirates. I had an idea for a novel, but needed more information. Many years later, I’m working to finish that story.

When I decided to pursue writing full time, I knew I needed some publishing credits. An online database was looking for people to write for them. I wanted to do a column on Scotland, but several other people were already doing that. The only other subject I knew about that allowed me to write for a long period of time was maritime piracy, so I became the editor of Pirates and Privateers. At the time I had no idea how popular a topic pirates were or that there was little reputable material available online about them. Six years ago, I moved Pirates and Privateers to my website for greater creative control without a lot of advertising. Since then, Pirates and Privateers has blossomed. I publish a monthly article on a piracy topic; I review the latest fiction and nonfiction books; I recommend the best pirate sites on the web; and I inform readers about places to visit that are tied to pirates. My readership is worldwide, and I’m asked to speak and teach about pirates to writers and readers throughout the U.S.

You also run an editing service. What advice do you have for writers?

I edit manuscripts for aspiring authors and authors already published. No matter how polished an author believes his/her work is, it usually needs an editor’s touch to make it the best it can be. When I look at a client’s manuscript, I do so through a variety of eyes – the editor’s, the writer’s, the reader’s, and the reviewer’s.

Active voice is essential in a story, but oftentimes authors aren’t aware that they write in passive voice until I point it out. A strong action verb is always preferable to a passive verb: “The horse galloped across the field.” versus “The horse was galloping across the field.” Which would you prefer to read?

Try to avoid head-hopping. This occurs when the point of view in a scene constantly switches between one character’s and another’s. It’s kind of like watching a ping pong ball during a match. For a reader, it’s disconcerting and annoying. Your writing is always stronger if you maintain a single point of view in a scene. If you must change that point of view, do so only once.

Always let someone else read your manuscript before you submit it to an agent or publisher. As a writer, you’re too familiar with the story and characters and even though a word may be missing, you tend to read that word into the sentence because it’s supposed to be there. A fresh pair of eyes sees what has become invisible to the writer’s eyes because of the number of times the writer has read the manuscript. Someone unfamiliar with the story will see things you won’t and that person can also point out where he/she doesn’t follow the storyline.

Any advice for aspiring novelists?

Never give up. No matter how rocky the road gets, if this is what your dream is, pursue it. Sometimes dreams do come true.

Develop a tough skin. All authors need to do this because you can’t take reviews and criticism personally.

So true. Any last words?

While you wait for your dream to come true, keep writing and do some research into the business side of writing. I learned this aspect after I got the contract and I wasn’t prepared for how much time marketing and business side of writing can take. Oftentimes writing takes a back seat once a book is published. If you know what to expect before it happens, you’re ahead of the curve and can budget your time and money accordingly.


Thanks Cindy! We appreciate you taking the time to talk with us.

(And don't forget to leave a comment to win a copy of Cindy's book!)

Interview with Author Cindy Vallar!

Born and raised in Pennsylvania Dutch Country, Cindy Vallar spent her formative years reading books and writing poetry. While in college, she saw a movie based on the life of Jean Laffite, a gentleman pirate who helped Andrew Jackson win the Battle of New Orleans in 1815. Intrigued by the mysterious, Vallar researched then started to write a novel about Laffite. Graduation, career, and marriage put that manuscript on a shelf where it remained until she began working as a school librarian for seriously emotionally challenged teenagers. She returned to writing to relieve the stress inherent in working in special education facilities.

Cindy Vallar holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree from Towson University and a Master’s Degree in Library Science from the University of Maryland. She is a member of Clan Cameron, EPIC, The Historical Novel Society, The Laffite Society, Scottish Clans of North Texas, the Texas Coalition of Authors, Texas Author Speak, the Louisiana Historical Society, and the National Maritime Historical Society.

Welcome to PASTimes, Cindy Vallar. Let's start by hearing a little about you and your road to publication. Your experience may be a unique one for our readers. Can you tell us a little about your publisher? Are they royalty paying?

My mother instilled the love of books and reading in me as a young child. I also researched subjects, like the Holocaust, that interested me but were rarely covered in school. As a result, I chose to become a school librarian for twenty years. When my husband’s job took us to the Midwest, I became a full-time writer. This allowed me to finish polishing my manuscript, which I then submitted to a publisher and received a contract.

That sounds like getting published was easy, but it wasn’t. I submitted to an e-publisher that also published paperback books. In spite of all my research, that publisher broke my contract several times, so I pulled my book, The Scottish Thistle, from them. A friend suggested I submit to her publisher, which promised to be a reputable business with a lot of novel ideas. The acceptance call came while I was in Scotland attending the International Gathering of Clan Cameron. (The Camerons and MacGregors are the principal clans in The Scottish Thistle.) Circumstances beyond my control eventually resulted in the demise of that publisher. Rather than resubmit to another publisher, I set the manuscript aside to work on other projects.

Last year, I received a request from Amber Quill Press to submit a manuscript. Since The Scottish Thistle was the only one ready for publication, I sent them that novel and they sent me a contract. I knew the head editor there and a number of their authors, so I think this time around The Scottish Thistle has found a good home. They do pay royalties, but they do not accept unsolicited manuscripts. AQP publishes the best in fiction, so they only consider novels from authors they invite to submit.

Do ebooks sell well? What do you have to do to promote them?

It doesn’t matter whether the novel is an e-book or a paperback. How well it sells depends on how much marketing and promotion the author does. The Scottish Thistle hasn’t been out long enough for me to answer how well it sells as an e-book, but I have sold quite a few paperback editions.

I make personal appearances at book festivals and organizations that invite me to speak. I maintain a website, Thistles & Pirates. I also take out ads and participate on mail lists. I conduct online workshops for RWA’s Hearts through History and Celtic Hearts Chapters, and I speak at conferences.

Tell us a little about your book.

In August 1745, Bonnie Prince Charlie came to Scotland to stage an uprising against the British Crown. The English had tossed out his grandfather, King James II of Britain, because they didn’t want another Catholic king to rule them. This is how the House of Hanover came to rule Britain. Prince Charles wanted to regain the throne, which he believed belonged to his father and him.

He sought the aid of the Highland clans, some of which felt that the House of Stuart was the rightful ruler of Scotland. Sir Donald Cameron of Lochiel brought out his clan and the Rising of 1745 began. His influence was such that had he not done so, historians believe the rising would never have happened.

I took this history and crafted The Scottish Thistle, a tale about loyalty and honor. A Highland warrior prizes both more than life, and when he swears his oath on the dirk, he must obey or die. Duncan Cameron heeds his chief’s order without question, but discovers his wife-to-be is no fair maiden. Although women are no longer trained in the art of fighting, Rory MacGregor follows in the footsteps of her Celtic ancestors. Secrets from the past and superstitious folk endanger Rory and Duncan as much as Bonnie Prince Charlie and his uprising. Rory and Duncan must make difficult choices that pit honor and duty against trust and love.

What kind of research did you do?

I do a lot of research into all facets of the time and place where I set my story. In the case of The Scottish Thistle, which took twelve years to research, I studied Scottish history, the uprising, the clans, the Camerons and MacGregors, food, dress, superstitions and folklore, folk medicine, customs, daily life, animals, geography, and many other subjects, including a bit of Gaelic.

My husband took me to Scotland to see the places I wrote about. Doing so helped me set the time and place far better, and I learned that some of my assumptions weren’t correct. The mountains were different and insects didn’t make noise at night like they do in the States. I visited Achnacarry, the estate of the Cameron chief and saw the only part of the house that remains from the one that stood during the ’45. It was eerie to walk where my characters and the real people who populate my story walked, but it brought me closer to them and their way of life.

Twelve years! I admire your perseverance. How and why did you pick your setting, one of the most tumultuous times in Scottish history?

During one boring staff meeting, I wrote a scene about a stranger riding across a windswept moor in a thunderstorm. I started researching Scotland and its history because I knew little about either and didn’t know when in time to set my story. The more I learned about Scotland, the more I fell in love with the country. One day I borrowed Sir Iain Moncrieffe’s The Highland Clans. There I read about the tragic history of the MacGregors, a clan that was proscribed and forbidden to use their name, and Sir Donald Cameron of Lochiel, who brought out his clan for the prince even though he didn’t think they could win.

You also have an interest in pirates. How did that come about?

Oh, I hate to leave you hanging, but...COME BACK TOMORROW FOR PART TWO OF THE INTERVIEW WITH CINDY VALLAR.

(And if you leave a comment, you'll be entered to win one of two copies of Cindy's book The Scottish Thistle - Cindy is giving away one print copy and one e-book copy.)

Trade Journals

Welcome to market information Monday! Today's post is not specifically related to historical fiction, but contains information that anyone interested in books will be interested in.

One way to keep up with what's happening in publishing, is to read trade journals. Today I'm posting an article written by Terry Whalin. Terry is now a literary agent and has been an editor and freelance writer for many years. His Web site has lots of information for writers.

What is a trade journal?

by W. Terry Whalin Question:

Why should I read trade journals? Where does a writer find trade journals with publishing news?

Answer:

You may be wondering, "What in the world is a trade journal?" To newcomers, publishing is almost like a secret society where there are code words and unwritten expectations about what to submit to magazines and how to submit your material to publishers. First, it is not a secret society--but there are expectations and specialized language that every writer who wants to be consistently published needs to learn.

One aspect of this business which is also eye-opening to newcomers is the constant changes in the industry. Publishers come and publishers merge and sometimes completely close their doors. Magazines have an extremely high turnover of editorial personnel and new magazines have a high failure rate. How do you keep track of who is doing what and when? New books and new magazines are constantly appearing. A working writer needs to read trade journals to continually learn about this type of information.

A trade journal is a publication targeted to a specific segment of the population and some of the language in the publication is specialized. In the publishing arena, Publisher's Weekly is a magazine that every writer should know about--and try to read the magazine on a regular basis.

You can see the online version at: http://www.publishersweekly.com. This publication is about the size of a news magazine like Newsweek or Time and is a weekly magazine. The publication is specialized and has a limited circulation and a large subscription price tag (currently $225 a year for 51 issues).

Before you totally discount my advice to read it on a regular basis, here's how to see it from time to time. Almost every public library in the U.S. subscribes to Publisher's Weekly but it is not a publication that will normally appear in the magazine section of the library. The librarians use this publication to read reviews of bestselling books and other types of books before they appear in print--then they order them for the library customers. That means when the latest John Grisham book appears in your local bookstore, your public library has a copy or two available for check out.

OK, back to your library issue of Publisher's Weekly. Ask the reference librarian if they have a copy that you can read. Usually the librarian has to look around to find it and will often require you to read it nearby then watch to make sure you return it. These magazines are librarian tools as well as tools for the writer. I suggest you make friends with your local librarian and read Publisher's Weekly. It's how I read it for many years until I became a subscriber.

Beyond Publisher's Weekly there are other specialized publications for different segments of the marketplace. For example, if you write for Christian magazines, then you need to be reading CBA Marketplace and/or Christian Retailing. CBA Marketplace is the official publication of the Christian Booksellers Association and also has a limited circulation (something like 3 to 4,000 issues). Almost every Christian bookstore in the nation takes this publication. The retailer may be behind on reading it, but they have a stack of them. If you stop by the store and politely ask for it, they will often let you stand in the store for a few minutes and read through an issue. Anyone can subscribe to CBA Marketplace and the non-member price is currently $59.95 a year for 12 issues. http://www.cbaonline.org/Member_Services/resmpsub.jsp.

Another trade magazine which follows the Christian retail business is Christian Retailing which has a subscription price of $75 per year but does give away free issues if you qualify. See the qualifications at: https://secure.strang.com/strang.com/cgi-bin/subscribe.pl?offer=cr

CBA includes a free online newsletter at: http://www.cbaonline.org/

Christian Retailing includes a free online newsletter at: http://www.christianretailing.com/

One note of caution: these online newsletters may tell you the highlights or breaking news but the in-depth reporting is in the printed magazine--not online. Many writers wrongly assume they can get all of their information online. They can't and it's something you should keep in mind--no matter how much time you spend surfing the Internet.

Change is constantly happening within publishing. New editors come on the scene and others fade. Some companies are purchased by other companies and that purchase normally means a transition and change for the authors as well. I learned about this acquisitions change first hand last year when the publisher where I worked purchased two lines of books from another publisher. Instantly it added over 300 books to our backlist and authors began to phone me from out-of-the-blue to introduce themselves and ask questions about their books. As an editor, I had a huge learning curve and worked to find answers to their questions. My lesson as a writer was that I should have been aware of this change in the marketplace from several years earlier. The parent company, Eagle Communications sold off one of their lines of books to Bethany House Publishers . I had heard some horror stories from other writers about their books but I hadn't paid too much attention--until the publisher where I worked purchased two of the lines from Eagle Communications. I was suddenly involved handling many transition issues. Authors received their royalty statements and wondered why their book hadn't sold as much as previously. In the transition, book sales will often plummet because the sales team has left the company or they are a change mode.

From a learning standpoint, you can get a lot of insight and this type of information about the constantly shifting industry--from reading trade magazines. Admittedly it takes effort on your part as a writer--but it pays off in your understanding about a particular area of the marketplace and who is doing what. A key factor in getting your material published is often simply sending your submissions to the right editor at the right time and place. Writers need to keep learning about the marketplace and one of the ways to track this information is through consistently reading trade journals.

__________________________________________________

W. Terry Whalin understands both sides of the editorial desk--as an editor and a writer. He worked as an editor for Decision and In Other Words. His magazine articles have appeared in more than 50 publications including Writer's Digest and Christianity Today. Terry has written more than 55 nonfiction books and his latest is The Complete Idiot's Guide to Teaching the Bible (Alpha Books). See more about Terry at:www.right-writing.com/whalin.html. For more than 12 years Terry has been an ECPA Gold Medallion judge in the fiction category. He has written extensively about Christian fiction and reviewed numerous fiction books in publications such as CBA Marketplace and BookPage. Sign up for Terry's free newsletter, Right Writing News.

© 2004 W. Terry Whalin

And the winner is...

Erica Vetsch is the winner of Randy Ingermanson's book Premonition. Congratulations, Erica!

Please email me privately with your snail mail address at jill at jilleileensmith.com.

Thanks!

Review: Petticoat Ranch

Happy Friday, faithful readers! If you’ve checked out our new schedule, you know that Fridays are the day for reviews. And as usual, Michelle Sutton, our lovely reviewer extraordinaire, has a great one for us today. Sounds like another one I’m going to have to add to my TBR pile!

Petticoat Ranch
By Mary Connealy
Barbour Books, February 2007
ISBN 978-1597896474

Book Description

Sophie Edwards is doing just fine, until a strange—yet oddly familiar—man rides into her life, insisting on rescuing her and her four daughters. Can she find a way to love a headstrong mountain man?

When Clay McClellan discovers his brother has been murdered, he’s bent on finding the killers and seeing them properly hung. But first his Christian duty demands that he marry his sister-in-law. After all, Sophie needs someone to protect her—right?

Faith and love help unruly wed newlyweds find common ground and a chance at love on the Texas frontier.

My Review

This book was FABULOUS!!! The story starts out with a bang ... as in non-stop action. I had to laugh at the girls fighting all the time and poor Clay not knowing how to handle all the woman “stuff” because he’d never been around them much. Ironically that primitive mentality made him all that more attractive as a hero. He’s a real man’s man and as such, the very tomboyish girls and his new wife go out of their way to perpetuate that belief ... by acting incompetent when they are just as good with a gun and lasso as any man on the frontier. Many of the scenes made me smile. Connealy is very witty and her caveman humor is to-die-for funny! Plus, she has the dialogue down to a science...even had me thinking like a western yokel. Hilarious!

A lot of times romantic tension in novels feels contrived and the animosity forced. Not so in this one. Sophie had every reason to want to chokehold the man and kiss him senseless all in the same breath. Wow. I loved that. She’s feisty and lovable without feeling forced by the author. Did I mention that I love marriage-of-convenience stories? The only thing in this one that made me snicker is the hero kisses her breathless a few times and later on she’s feeling faint! I had no idea they’d consummated their relationship. Made me go back and search for what I was missing. Must’ve been that warm snuggling Clay referenced in his thoughts that got her “in the family way.” I know, you’re snickering, too. Maybe it was the publisher’s idea to skip that, but it made me smile regardless.

The most satisfying of all was the culmination at the end. Without giving away the details I’ll just say that it reminded me a lot of the Home Alone movies. One exciting event after another. Tough girls who know how to survive and a momma who taught them well. In the end I felt just as proud of them all as if I’d been there myself. I’d totally bought into the plot, and my heart was with the couple through to the last page. Tender and sweet, tough and calculating, adventurous and passionate ... this story has it all. It’s now at the top of my list of favorite historical westerns. It’s the best one I’ve ever read, bar none.

Michelle Sutton (pen name)
“writing truth into fiction”
ACFW Volunteer Officer - voloff@acfw.com
writer/book reviewer - check out my latest reviews! http://edgyinspirationalauthor.blogspot.com
http://www.michellesutton.net

Interview with Author Randy Ingermanson Part Two

Welcome back to our interview with author Randy Ingermanson!

Jill: In the general market there are a number of Biblical novels written from what I call a “revisionist” point of view. These writers use the Scriptures as a back bone for their story but have no problem revising the traditional Biblical view of the characters. As a Biblical novelist, what is your opinion of revisionist Biblical writing? From a critic’s point of view, isn’t one opinion as good as another in how these characters are seen?

Randy: I’m all for revisionism—as long as it’s good history. My problem is that a lot of revisionism I see is bad history now, and it was bad history fifty years ago. A lot of the revisionist novelists I see are simply way far out of date, and so they look silly. On the other hand, that’s the case with certain traditionalist novelists too. If you want to write fiction set in Bible times, do your homework!

The problem is that what you learned in Sunday School is all too often wrong. So revising that is a good thing. What you often see, though, is a revisionism intent on demolishing faith. That’s a fairly stupid thing to do, too. What I would like to see is a revisionism intent on figuring out what really happened and why and what it means for us. That’s a good kind of revisionism. If that messes up the head of your Sunday School teacher, well then tough.

Jill: On the other hand, Christian Biblical fiction most often portrays the Biblical story in what I consider an “apologist” fashion, staying true to the Scripture where the Scripture speaks and only offering what might have been where the Bible is silent. In your opinion, how hard is it to keep to the text, yet weave in enough conflict to keep the story interesting?

Randy: That depends on which story you choose to retell. If you don’t have enough information, then you either have to make stuff up, or you end up telling a pretty sparse tale. I believe in telling a story that fits in with all the data we have, whether it comes from the Bible or not. So in my New Testament-era books, I have no qualms about bringing in things I know from Josephus, the Mishnah, archaeology, Tacitus, Philo, or wherever I can get it. And I have no qualms at all about making up stuff—as long as it fits with what I believe is the true historical account. A story needs conflict, and if you have to make up conflict, then that’s fine. Just don’t go off on some weird tangent and violate everything we know about the actual time period.

Jill: Do you have any concerns or opinions about the direction and future of Biblical fiction in the CBA? And is there anything writers who want to write BF can or should do to help promote this genre?

Randy: My concern is still that writers aren’t doing their homework well enough. Maybe I’m just grouchy, but it irks me to see bad history turned into sloppy fiction. So if you want to promote the genre, go do your homework! Then go do some more. You can never do too much research.

Jill: I read a quote once that referred to Biblical fiction as the “ghetto” of writing—as though it was at the bottom rung of the Christian fiction ladder. How would you respond to that thought?

Randy: Too true, too true! There seems to be an implicit assumption that “I want people to love the Bible like I love the Bible, so I don’t have to work hard to get the details right.” Baloney! When novelists lose that notion, then we’ll see progress. I was thrilled to see the research notes in Anne Rice’s book on Jesus, where she talked about all the books she read. She was reading the right authors and drawing the right conclusions. If you don’t like her story, go read the same books she read and tell your own.

Jill: How has God used Biblical fiction in your own life, personally speaking?

Randy: Every book I write has a personal impact on me. I live the life right along with my characters, and when they have an epiphany, it’s generally because I had one too. An example from my novel, Premonition: One of my main characters is a time-traveling physicist, Ari Kazan. Ari does not believe in Jesus, and he’s married to a woman who does. So they have their stresses. Ari does, however, believe in God—sort of. He’s very much a cerebral sort of guy. At one point in the book, Ari has a near-death experience and meets God.

The easy thing to do here would have been to have him meet Jesus and then become a Christian. I thought that would be cheating. If Ari is ever going to become a Christian, he needs to do so because he wants to, not because God pulls some magic trick on him. So in Ari’s confrontation with God, God doesn’t pull a power play on Ari. Instead, he asks Ari if he has any questions. Ari asks God about the Problem of Evil, which has troubled Ari all his life. God doesn’t answer him. Instead, God asks Ari a question of his own. I won’t tell you the question (go read the book!) There are no answers given here—but some hard questions are asked.

Now here’s the thing that had an impact on me. I wrote that chapter in a rush. I jammed it out in an hour and a half. When I started that chapter, I had been struggling all my life with fear of death. When I finished that chapter, it was gone. (Not that I want to die. I have a healthy respect for death, but death is not something looming over me anymore like it used to.) I’m not quite sure why that happened, but it did. Things like that happen when you write.

Jill: What one thing have you learned that you would pass on to writers interested in writing in this genre?

Randy: I learned that I know nothing. Research, research, research! Then go research some more.

Jill: When I’m studying the life of a Biblical character, I often wish I could transport back in time and view the scenes in real time as on a movie screen. Which Bible character’s life would you like to view in that way if you could?

Randy: Jesus.

Thank you, Randy, for taking the time to answer my questions and for being with us here on PASTimes!

Don't forget - leave a comment, enter to win the book Premonition. And don't forget to check out Randy's websites. If you're new to fiction writing or even been around awhile, he's got a lot of good resources to offer.

(Winner will be posted on Saturday.)

Interview with Author Randy Ingermanson

We're here today with author Randall Ingermanson, famous for the "Snowflake" method of plotting a novel. Also known for his "Mad Genius Marketing" E-zine and website and his "Advanced Fiction Writing" E-zine and website. Randy has six published novels and one non-fiction book Who Wrote the Bible Code?. Three of his novels, Transgression, Premonition, and Retribution are set in Biblical times, which is why I asked him to talk with us about Biblical fiction. (Be sure to check out all of his websites. Randy is very versatile and knows a lot of good stuff.) :)

Jill: Why did you choose to write Biblical fiction in addition to your other genres?

Randy: I write what I like to read. I’ve always liked historical fiction, and my special interest is Biblical history. I don’t particularly like the term “Biblical fiction” because it carries the connotation “badly researched and poorly written.” Of course, that’s not true of all Biblical fiction, but that’s the perception. So I avoid the term.

Jill: What Bible characters have you written about so far, and if you care to tell us, which ones do you hope/plan to write about in the future?

Randy: I’ve written three time-travel novels set in first-century Jerusalem. My main characters are modern folks who’ve found themselves unexpectedly stuck in the New Testament. They meet folks like the apostle Paul, and James, the brother of Jesus, but those are deliberately minor characters.

I’ve also recently written a novel about Jesus, and the main characters are the familiar characters from the Gospels—Jesus, Peter, John, Judas, Mary of Bethany, Mary of Magdala, Mary of Nazareth, and so on. I think this will someday be considered my best work, but I still need to sell this book. I’d like to continue this into a series and take it all the way through the New Testament.

Jill: What drew you to write about these characters?

Randy: Well, they’re darned interesting!

Jill: When you set out to write a Biblical novel, what steps do you take to research the story?

Randy: I don’t start researching when I start writing. I’ve been researching for 25 years. So when I sit down to write, I’ve already done massive amounts of research. I learned to read Hebrew years ago. I’ve read tons of books on archaeology and the New Testament world. I have a special interest in Jewish history, so many of the books I’ve read were written by Jewish authors. Some of my most valuable books are on cultural anthropology.

Jill: Some Biblical stories say very little about the characters and even the plot leaves many holes, giving the Biblical novelist much room to fill in the blanks. But others give us much detail, and we know how the story ends. How do you weave the tale so that it doesn’t come across predictable?

Randy: In my first three novels in the New Testament, that was easy because I had non-Biblical characters who had their own concerns (such as getting back to modern times!) and so they had their own story. Then the Biblical story interacted with the characters’ story (and generally screwed up their story badly). That way, even if you really know the Biblical story, you see it from an entirely different perspective and you are actually hoping the Biblical story will play out differently.

With my Jesus novel, I told the familiar Gospel stories, but always looked for what insights I could bring in from cultural anthropology, Jewish studies, and study of the secular history. For example, when I told the story of Mary and Martha (which nowadays gets a rather threadbare interpretation of “just relax and take time for your devotions”), I explained WHY it was so radical to allow Mary to sit there with the men while Martha was working. That violated a strong cultural taboo. It had nothing to do with taking time to smell the roses. It was about Jesus overturning cultural norms.

As another example, I took one of Jesus’ sayings about “going the second mile” and showed Jesus doing that—in a way that infuriated his disciples, and at the same time, saved their necks. As a final example, the familiar stories of Jesus arguing with the Pharisees has long ago gotten sidetracked into a set-piece starring freedom-loving Jesus smacking down the legalists. Yawn. The reality is far more complex, and I show the real story behind the story there.

Thanks Randy - those insights sound intriguing. I love understanding the cultural setting behind the scenes of Scripture!

Join us tomorrow for the second half or our interview with author Randy Ingermanson. And if you post one of those pesky comments, you'll enter a drawing to win a copy of Randy's book Premonition! (Which, by the way, gives a fascinating look at New Testament culture mixed in with the story.) :)

Market Monday with Cindy Thomson

Good morning, everyone. Today launches a new schedule for Favorite PASTimes. If you missed last Saturday's announcement, please scroll down to read it. We think the new schedule will help you, our readers, to anticipate what you will find when you visit this blog.

Today is my day. On Mondays I'll be bringing you market news, publishing house news, new releases--whatever I can find. You can help me out by sending any news you come across to cindy @ cindyswriting .com (don't cut and paste; I put spaces in there. And put PASTime news in the subject line, please!)

Today the news will focus on the Christian market because I've just returned from CBA Advance in Indianapolis. For anyone who doesn't know, that's me with Liz Curtis Higgs (great picture of her, not so great of me! Oh, well. I was thrilled to have my picture taken with her.)

What's the state of historical fiction in the Christian market? Well, my knowledge is limited, but what I can tell you is no one told me to forget it. Several editors were interested in my projects. One said, "We haven't published a lot of historical fiction, but we have published some." So writers out there, don't be discouraged. And if you're writing about Ireland, know that EVERYONE seemed to think that's the coming wave. When I first started the editors were saying, "No Celtic themes!" The best advice is to write what's on your heart, but keep readers in mind.

The show was small, smaller than last year I'm told. The exhibitors seemed to have trouble giving books away (with the exception of books by Liz Curtis Higgs, Francine Rivers, and Gary Chapman.) There were two historical movies screened at the convention. I saw one, Amazing Grace. It was wonderful. If you're not familiar with it, check this out. I thought it was well done. There were bits of humor added that were very "British." Without that, however, the movie might have been a little depressing. The descriptions of the slave trade was heart wrenching, as was the performance of Albert Finney as John Newton, the man who wrote the words to Amazing Grace. Historically, I thought they did a great job with the costuming. Wilberforce's wife's lipstick was a bit unlikely, as was the perfectly round and white loaf of bread a cook pulled from a blazing fire. But those are minor things. I urge everyone to see it when it releases Feb. 23. Wilberforce's story is inspiring and motivates us all to never give up on what we know to be the right thing to do.

I missed the screening of The Last Sin Eater, but I did read the book by Francine Rivers. You can watch the trailer here.
It's set in 1850's Appalachia. I'm not sure about those Welsh accents I'm hearing in the trailer, but maybe one of you knows better than I do. I'm thinking Appalachia had by that time morphed the dialect into something more American. I do have Kentucky relatives and I guess I expected to hear more of that twang. But the book was terrific and I'm sure the movie, directed by Michael Landon, Jr., is too. I plan to go see it when it opens this Friday.

New releases:

Borrowed from Brandilynn Collins's Sneak Peak newsletter:

The Reliance by Marylu Tyndall (Barbour)
www.mltyndall.com

Legacy of the King's Pirates #2. Tormented by his wife's apparent demise, Edmund Merrick sails away to drown his sorrows-only to find himself trapped in the dark world of a demented Frenchman. When his mind clears from its rum-induced haze, will Edmund find the will to escape? Seemingly abandoned by her husband, Charlisse is thrown into the clutches of the vengeful pirate Kent. Will she be swept away by the undertow of treachery and despair? Can Edmund and Charlisse steer their way to the faith-filled haven they so desperately seek, or will they ultimately lose their love and lives to the sea?

From the Historical Novel Society:

THE GENTLE WIND'S CARESS by Anne Whitfield

Robert Hale Ltd
ISBN 0709082282
February 28th

1870s Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire.
Isabelle Gibson escapes a life of drudgery in a workhouse and marries a moorland farmer she has never met, but not all goes to plan.


One last thing I wanted to tell you is that I received an advance copy of Jane Kirkpatrick's A Clearing in the Wild. Here's a teaser from her Web site: Jane Kirkpatrick discovered the grain of the story when she read that in 1853 Emma Giesy was the only woman in a party of ten Missouri scouts sent to find an Oregon site for their communal society. That got Kirkpatrick considering why a woman had the courage to make such a journey 150 years ago.

There are readers for these historicals out there. So the genre is alive and well!

Remember, if you have news, please send it to me as described above. Until next week, happy reading!

Cindy
Author of Brigid of Ireland

Exciting Changes on the Blog!

Hi Everyone!

I want to notify everyone about some changes to Favorite PASTimes that will take effect next week. Here are the details:

Monday News with Cindy Thomson:
Every Monday I'll bring you news on the historical fiction market, author news, publishing house news, conference reports, new releases--whatever I can dig up! (You can send me news at: cindy @ cindyswriting . com (put "PASTimes News" in the subject line, please!)

Tuesdays and Wednesdays with Jill Eileen Smith and/or Kaye Dacus:
Every Tuesday and Wednesday these ladies will post interviews with authors, agents, and/or industry professionals. These will be either interviews they have conducted or interviews conducted by the other hosts of this blog. Once a month Kaye will host a critique session as well. (Details are upcoming.)

Thursdays: Ask Me Anything with Tiff/Amber Miller. Send Tiff your questions relating to historical fiction and she'll research the answers and discuss them every Thursday. askhfblog@ambermiller.com

Fridays: Book Reviews!
Joan Hochstetler will be organizing book reviews that will be written by various people.

Occasionally, like today, we'll have special announcements on Saturdays, so don't forget to check!

We hope this new schedule will benefit you, the readers of our blog. Now you'll know what to expect when you drop in. Let us know what you think!

Blessings,
Cindy
Author of Brigid of Ireland

Gaining and Leaving a Legacy

I went to Celebrate Recovery at church tonight. A friend gave her testimony. As I listened, I couldn’t help but thank God for the legacy He’s helping her leave for her children. Especially when it could have been oh so different.

We’ve all received a legacy in one form or another—mannerisms, stories, traditions, faith, genetic make-up and tendencies—we’ve received a legacy and we’re building one as well.

You've probably gathered this week that I enjoy family history. I like to wonder if my finger shape came from my father’s side or my mother’s. I sigh with pleasure to hear my sister speak to her boys with words our grandmother said to us a millenium ago. And I still dream of my daddy telling stories of his childhood, picturing him getting into trouble almost as if I’m with him as he does.

History, His Story, isn’t just what happened way back when. We make history every day as we play our part in His Story. It’s all about Him and it all comes back to Him. Maybe someday I’ll have a great, great, great granddaughter who tries to imagine me. It could happen! Maybe. My prayer is that she never loses sight of the Creator of time and family and love—all those things God has blessed us with in His Story. That’s the legacy I want to leave--a mind filled with wonder and a heart flooded with gratefulness.

Thanks, Cindy, for letting me play. And thanks to all your readers. May you have a wonderful history-making day.

Abundant blessings,
Jenny

Not-So-Secret Love

I have a confession to make—I love trivia. I even tried out for Jeopardy once. Didn’t make it (and learned I’m far from the brightest crayon in the box) but I met Alex.

Over the years I’ve filled my brain with so many little known facts I’m surprised I don’t leave a trail of dropplets that won’t fit—actually a sort of a Hansel and Gretel kind of thing might be nice to help me remember what I was thinking when I veer off track.

I especially love learning about juicy tidbits of early American history. Things such as the fact that George Washington was not the first president of the United States. He was the first president under the Constitution but there was another man who had that title under the Articles of Confederation who even GW called “Mr. President.”

Okay, so I don’t know everything but that one stuck when I read it in a great book called One Night Stands With American History. I love that book and, if it weren’t for the candor in areas inappropriate for children, I’d make each of my fifth graders read it. Instead, I read selected passages to them and we discuss it.

A part of me is relieved to see people are people no matter the century. And a part of me is saddened that some things never change. But if you enjoy American history, and really who in their right mind doesn’t (I feel safe stating that opinion here), this might be a book worth your time. Authors working in that era of the historical genre would definitely find flavor jewels.

So, I pass on one of my secret trivia sources to you. Do you have any special places you enjoy for locating tidbits of history? Feel free so share. Oh, and by the way, anyone out there know the name of our first president (the one under the Articles of Confederation, not George)? I'll send chocolate to the first person to post a comment with the correct name.

Abundant blessings,
Jenny