fiction fridays: interview with lynn squire

I’m excited about having novelist Lynn Squire with us today. Lynn’s release, a historical mystery entitled Joab’s Fire will be released September 2011.

PW: Welcome to The Literary Mama. Tell our readers a little about yourself.

LS: I grew up on a farm in Southern Alberta. There I spent my days playing a pioneer or a character from a book (and every so often succumbing to my parents’ work ethic). My imagination would take me to faraway places and on grand adventures.

But the greatest adventure I embarked upon began when the Lord Jesus Christ set me free from the captivity of sin and all its entrapments. He put me on a different course with Him as my captain. While I admit to occasionally straying from His intended course, I work hard to let my faith in Him infuse my writing for His honor and glory.

Now residing in California with my husband and three children, I split my time between my family, my church and my writing.

PW: When did you get the writing bug…and when did you follow the call to write?

LS: I was about ten years old when I started writing crazy short mystery stories with my friends about our teachers. When I was eighteen and in Bible College I wrote a couple of stories and sense then that God might have that as part of His plan for my life. However, not until almost twenty years later did I start writing seriously. At that time I wrote primarily nonfiction in the field of horsemanship and horse husbandry.

I gave up horses to focus on raising a family, and then serving the Lord with my keyboard. I particularly desire to encourage others to stand firm in their faith against all odds, even in devastation and persecution. I’ve watched God shape and form my writing to this end. Since my writing focuses on faith, I also desire for others to know Christ as their personal Saviour. Most of my writing contains the Gospel message: the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ for the payment of our sins. I pray that the Holy Spirit will use this message to draw readers to Christ, and for those that are already saved, to a deeper appreciation and understanding of God’s tremendous love toward us.

PW: What is Joab’s Fire about?

LS: Joab Black and his wife Sarah overcame the worst of pioneer hardships in order to establish a prosperous farm in Alberta, Canada. But those challenges never prepared them for the tragedy they now faced—a staggering loss and intense pain causing them to doubt everything they had ever believed. In the midst of their sorrow, even their closest friends interpret their sufferings as a result of God’s judgment. Has God abandoned them?

Sergeant Dixon, the local North West Mounted Police officer, investigates the events leading to the Blacks’ plight. While his work gives them a ray of hope, his probing into the activities of a certain stranger possibly connected to the case may cost him his job and even his life.

Inspired by the Biblical book of Job, this novel includes a Bible study exploring the perfection of God’s plan and the bounty of His love even in the most inexplicable and intense sufferings.

PW: What type of research do you do for historical novels?

LS: My favorite form of research is reading diaries and memoirs. This gives me a feel for the people and their ‘voice’ for that time. I also use local history books put together by local historical societies. These give you a broader picture of the location and time, and you can find some really interesting stories in them. I also refer to government records. These tend to be factual and unbiased. For details, like dress, I use the Internet a lot but also rely on magazines or newspapers. Sometimes flyers or advertisements provide great information. I found a whole slough of scanned pamphlets promoting farming in Western Canada on the Barnes and Nobles online store. They were free, and I downloaded them onto my iPad.

PW: Do you have any other books coming up in the future?

LS: I have a couple of novels set in the 17^th Century Massachusetts and Rhode Island that will be out in the next couple of years. You can read more about them on my website: www.lynnsquire.com. These are redemption stories set in a time when the concept of religious freedom was just beginning to develop, and the belief in the separation of church and state was being formed.

This summer my booklet entitled A Week of Faith more Precious than Gold, will be released. This booklet includes short stories with accompanying devotionals that focus on standing firm in our faith no matter the fiery trials we face. Primarily historical, these stories contain characters who endured persecution, and they will encourage readers to remain true to God under any circumstance.

PW: Thanks for stopping by to visit to Lynn.