Art In Life

Because of my current stage of life, mother to an infant, I’ve been devising different methods to find time to write. Right now, my best time is early in the morning before the day starts. The house is quiet and I have ample time for my brain synapses to fire their sparks. So now, after I spend time with Jesus, I turn on the laptop and start writing. After writing early in the morning, I feel like I’ve satisfied my creative itch, had ‘me’ time and can now face the daily life of being a SAHM with peace and confidence.

Getting up early can be uncomfotable. Every time the alarm goes off, I have to tell myself why I’m getting up so early. To motivate myself to do something I wouldn’t naturally do, I have to think far ahead into the future and see where my NOT performing the action today would lead. I’ve done that with exercise, cleaning the house, reading the Bible, prayer, writing, marriage and parenting. I keep these negative consequences in mind whenever I decide not to perform a beneficial activity.

I’m more motivated by the pain of regret than the pleasure of achievement. Funny huh?

If there’s something you’ve always wanted to do but never done, take some time out and perform this exercise. With a pad and pen write what could happen if you never performed that activity. What type of person would you be one year from now? Five years from now? Ten years from now? Twenty years from now? What things would you regret?

Then, with those potential consequences in mind, get started on your goal. Getting started could mean make a plan of action, making a phone call, gathering research or reading a book.

Also, anytime you decide not to do something towards your goal, think back to what you wrote about your potential regrets. That’s enough motivation to get you going!

I’m psyched about today’s author interview on The Literary Mama. Amanda Stephan is the author of The Price of Trust. I’m pleased to welcome Amanda to The Literary Mama.

Amanda, thanks so much for taking the time to chat with The Literary Mama. Tell us a bit about yourself.

Thank you, Preslaysa for having me on here today! I’m a homeschooling, Christian romance author that loves to do many different things, but I’d have to say my passion is writing.

Where did you get the inspiration for The Price of Trust?

I got the inspiration for my book from some incidents in my life before I met my husband, and I built a fictional story around them.

What theme(s) did you explore while writing The Price of Trust?

The main theme of my novel is learning to trust when your past experiences with people have taught you otherwise. What do you hope readers walk away with knowing? When people are done reading my book, I hope they know that God will help them through even the most difficult times in our lives ~ if we just let him.

How do you balance writing with your daily life?

My writing schedule is very eclectic. Being a homeschooling mother, it’s rather difficult to find time to sit and write down my thoughts, so I usually wait until the kids are in bed.

How did you know you were called to write?

I’ve been writing stories since I was young, but never considered trying to have anything published. I only sent The Price of Trust in because my husband asked me to. That was a very big, scary step for me.

What did you do to learn the craft of fiction writing?

Read! A LOT! Then, when I finished a book, I would dissect it. What did I like about the writer’s style? What didn’t I like and why? But I’d have to say, the thing that helps me the most while I’m writing is Easy Grammar by Wanda Phillips. Without a good grammatical foundation, the rest is going to be difficult – to say the least!

Do you have any other titles currently available for readers?

I’m currently working on my fifth and sixth novels, but I don’t have any more out yet as I’m seeking representation for them. I’m actually writing a sort of sequel to The Price of Trust, but both are going to be stand alone novels.

How can readers get in touch with you?

You can find me on my website, www.thepriceoftrust.com, my blog – http://thisnthatnthose.blogspot.com, and twitter – http://www.twitter.com/amandastephan

Thanks so much for chatting with us today Amanda. Thank you again for having me here, it’s been a pleasure!

You can order copies of Amanda’s books on:

Amanda’s Website, Christianbook 

I’m thrilled about today’s author interview on The Literary Mama. Andrea Boeshaar’s latest novel Unexpected Love (Seasons of Redemption, Book 3) releases this month. I’m pleased to welcome Andrea to The Literary Mama.

Andrea thanks so much for taking the time to chat with The Literary Mama. Tell us a bit about yourself.

Me in a nutshell:  I’ve been married for almost 33 years to my hubby, Daniel. We have 3 grown sons and 4 grandchildren.

I’ve been writing since I was a little girl; however, it wasn’t until 1991 that I answered God’s call to write for the Christian market. Since then I have penned and published more than 25 novels as well as numerous novellas and nonfiction pieces. I’m represented by the Steve Laube Literary Agency

In addition, I served on the Advisory Board of the American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) and I am one of its cofounders.

In addition to writing, you’re also a Christian Life Coach. What motivated you to become a life coach and what does your work entail?

I have a heart for other writers, especially those just starting out and wanting to get published. This is one of the reasons I co-founded ACFW. The organization is a boon for all writers! But as a life coach, I can help writers identify their goals, organize their time, and make decisions toward that goal so it’s ultimately reached.

Do you see any correlations between life coaching and writing fiction?

Absolutely. I’m a writer, so I can use my experience to help other writers.

Where did you get the inspiration for the Seasons of Redemption series?

My inspiration, I think, came from my love of history. Researching one book led to writing another.

You are noted for writing strong female leads in the Seasons of Redemption series. How do you go about creating your characters?

I really don’t know my characters until I reach about chapter 3 of my stories. I do, however, create character sketches, but even then I don’t intimately know them. Once I do know them, I go back and revise the first three chapters. As for strong female leads – I grew up surrounded by strong females and there are strong females in my lineage. They are women who migrated to America from Norway. They worked alongside their husbands, clearing the fields and growing potatoes and other crops. With babies perched on their hips, they used their other hand to cook meals and serve them up on the dinner table. Again, I suppose it’s my love and knowledge of history – mine included – that enables me to create strong characters.

Who are your favorite characters in Unexpected Love (Seasons of Redemption, Book 3) and why?

Well, Renna, of course. She’s strong and hard working, yet extremely vulnerable.

And Captain “Blackeyes.” He was so much fun to create and write about!

Unexpected Love is set in 19th century Chicago. What do you like about this particular time and place?

The year in my book is 1866. This was Chicago before the Great Fire, which occurred in 1871. What I found fascinating is that most of the city had been constructed in wood, including many streets, which were constructed with wooden blocks. Little wonder it burned like a tinderbox!!

Historical fiction involves quite a bit of research. How did you go about researching Unexpected Love?

I try to find out as much as I can online. I use what I feel are credible sources. Chicago’s Historical Society, as an example, has a site that offers free information, accompanied by pictures of the city, and sites like that were a big help to me. I’m a visual person. I also go to the library and find books. I buy volumes as well, although I’ve run out of room and my husband has forbid me to collect any more books. L

What do you want your readers to walk away with after finishing Unexpected Love (Seasons of Redemption, Book 3)?

I hope the truth that “man sees the outward appearance, but God sees the heart” (1 Sam 16:7) rings true. Women who feel less beautiful, less thin, etc. than those they see in magazines and on TV need to realize that physical appearances don’t matter to God. He’s concerned with your heart (your attitudes, opinions, etc.). And godly men will be attracted to your beautiful heart as well, if its molded after biblical principles.

What’s the next book in the Seasons of Redemption series?

The next book in my series is called Undaunted Faith. It features Luke and Jake McCabe and Bethany Stafford – characters that readers met in  Uncertain Heart (Seasons of Redemption, Book 2).

How can readers get in touch with you?

Readers can reach me via my web site: www.andreaboeshaar.com  Just click on the “Contact Andrea” button.

Thanks so much for chatting with us today Andrea.

Thank you for the interview. It was fun!

My review of Unexpected Love (Seasons of Redemption, Book 3) posts next week, Friday, Jan 28^th. You can order copies of Andrea’s books on Amazon, Christianbook or Barnes & Noble.