Love Inspired Historicals discussion

Welcome to our Q&A with authors who have books out in August 2012 - Bonnie Navarro, Cheryl Reavis, and Renee Ryan! Because I wasn't able to get in touch with Debra Ulrick, this week's Q&A will run from Monday to Wednesday. But special thanks to Renee, we will still have four books to give away. :)

Please give a big, warm, LIG Group welcome to Bonnie Navarro who makes her publishing debut this month with her book Instant Prairie Family!

Thanks for joining us, Bonnie! I never get tired of hearing "first sale" stories. Can you tell us a little bit about how you came to write Instant Prairie Family and sell it to Love Inspired Historical?

I love these Q&As each month! Congrats on the first book Bonnie! I checked out the back cover blurb and I really like the sound of your book. With all the different time periods in history how did you choose this time period?

Good morning, Deborah. Thank you for including me in your blog this month. It's always amazing the way God works in our lives and how He makes the impossible happen.
I've been participating in My Book Therapy for almost three years now and last year they encouraged members to go to ACFW conference - God made it happen with a bonus from work that I wasn't expecting. At lunch, on Friday, (I stayed an extra day because of another small act of God) I sat with Elizabeth Mazer, editor extrodinar. She and I had corresponded over the summer prior but she had regretfully turned down the same manuscript. While at the table, one of the other LIH writers turned to me and said, "you came to lunch today to talk with Elizabeth, why don't you come over here and do just that?" She switched chairs with me. I introduced myself and asked Elizabeth if she could give me some suggestions on what I needed to do/add/change on my story for it to be something she could work with. We chatted for the next few minutes and we learned that it was my proposal, not my story that had earned my the rejection letter. :0 Just over a month later, she called me to tell me LIH wanted to publish Instant Prairie Family. I'm not sure if my feet touched the ground for a week afterward.
It was all in God's timing. What an adventure. (I still pinch myself sometimes to make sure it's real)

Bonnie, isn't it wonderful how God works?

I would love to know what inspired your story.

Peace, Julie

How did you go about doing your research? Congrats on your first book! Blessings, Jenny

I think growing up reading Little House on the Prairie and then so many other good books to follow, the settlement of the prairie states post Civil War is easily one of my favorite time periods. (I also happen to live in Illinois and while it was farther along on the road to settlement, it's history also is fascinating.)
As to what inspired my story... I had decided to write a story for LIH and had read all their requirements and suggestions on their web site. I just needed a plot and some intriguing characters.
One afternoon, my daughters, (ages 15 and 11 then) were singing the Star Spangled Banner and I commented to my youngest son, 'I wonder if Francis Scott Keys ever got picked on for his name?' As a kid, I thought he was a woman. I then wondered if anyone else had made that mistake and what kind of disaster it could cause if someone corresponding with a man thought it were a woman? Maybe a single woman who wanted a job far away from a troubled home... someone who didn't want to be the mail-order-bride but who wanted to hide in the western prairies and find the safety of a Christian home. What if the man didn't realize the woman he was writing to was younger instead of the elderly aunt he envisioned...
And the rest, as they say is history... or at least my attempt to write a Historical novel. :-)

Hi Jenny,
I confess that I love this time period and have read tens (probably more like hundreds) of books set in this moment in time. I did some investigating on line about Nebraska in general and this area in specific. I also had two History teachers from the middle school I work at go over my manuscript to see that I had been faithful to the setting. (I realize that there may be errors we didn't catch, but if there are, I hope they are minor and not relevant to the story.) There is a town in Nebraska that was settled very close to the time 'Twin Oaks' was settled. The county of Harlan was established at that time as well. I used their on-line historical museum to create my own town. The introduction of the train to this area (circa 1870) was a boon to the development of the area. So that by the time Abby arrives, Will has been settled for almost ten years on his homestead. (the homestead act, signed by Abe. Lincoln during the Civil war also fueled the expansion into the prairies. by the 1880's most of the Native American's had been moved on to reserves or killed.)

Am enjoying the comments for this conversation. Instant Prairie Family sounds like something i need to look for! Thanks for sharing.

Marianne, I hope you will enjoy reading it as much as I did writing it. I'd love to hear back once you've read it so you can let me know how to make the next ones (always hopeful) even better!

Hi Renee, I'm looking forward to reading your latest book. It's humbling and a bit overwhelming to have already published and proven authors read my work!
bonnie

Good morning Bonnie I love the sound of this story, congrats on this debut book.
I like to read ones where a mail-order bride comes and just confuses everything when she is not as expected but soon becomes just what is wanted and needed to make a happy family. I am anxious to read this and find out how they work on this relationship from beginning to end.
thanks for sharing with us today.

Looking forward to reading about Cheryl and Renee,s books also as the week progresses...

Squee! It's so nice to see such a great crowd out to welcome, Bonnie.

What a wonderful first-sale story! Isn't it amazing to see the hand of God working in our lives? I've worked with Elizabeth and she is a marvelous editor -- LIH is so fortunate to have her and their other fine editors.

I read this book last month perhaps, or maybe in June. I get them early via Reader Service Book club. I really enjoyed this. The characters were great and I loved the story.

Prairie stories, mail-order brides, and mix-ups are all some of my favorite scenarios. Your book will go on my wish list to purchase soon. I think setting up the scenes and descriptions must be easier than the conversations among the characters. What inspiration do you find to create a back and forth of dialog that makes sense and carries your story along?

Deborah wrote: "Welcome to our Q&A with authors who have books out in August 2012 - Bonnie Navarro, Cheryl Reavis, and Renee Ryan! Because I wasn't able to get in touch with Debra Ulrick, this week's Q&A will run..."

Hello Deborah. Two friends forwarded an email to me stating that you had been trying to get ahold of me. I'm sorry I hadn't received any messages from you. I've checked all my email addys, Goodreads messages, and Facebook and nothing. I'm sorry I missed out on all the fun here. Drat, drat, and triple drat.

Debra Ullrick

I love prairie stories, and Nebraska is certainly a favorite locale. And mail order brides...be still my heart! It's kind of the eHarmony of the early days. I always hope the real brides had the happy endings they have in our books!

Congrats, Bonnie. Here's to a long and happy LIH career.

Hi everyone, I work as an interpreter in a local hospital so I've spent a few hours with patients and suddenly come back to see so many new comments. Thank you for your kind words and encouragements! I'm glad Dawn got to read Instant Prairie Family already. It means its actually out there. Paula, there is my contact info at the end of the book. Please take the time to just post me an emial and let me know if the ending meet your expectations. Thanks.

To answer Candle's question... dialog is often a challenge but it can also be one of the most entertaining parts to write. I've heard more than one author say that we're blessed to have a job where they pay us to listen to the voices in our heads, have conversations with them and tell them to others. I was always an imagintive child and if I just let myself close my eyes and pretend to be there, in the room, it comes. Little kids and miscommunication are so much fun to include. Let me know if I hit the mark.

I wonder the same things, Tanya. I hope they did get their happy ever after endings. Seeing as all of the mail-order-brides of yesteryear are no longer alive,I guess part depends on their perspective. We will all get our 'happily-ever-after' if we have a firm faith that this life is only temporary and that we have eternity in Heaven waiting for us, to be with God and Jesus our Savior. My prayer for each of my readers is that they can enjoy a fun, exciting story and maybe be drawn closer to God in the process.
All that said, I hope to be with LIH for a while. After all, there are many single, God-fearing men in Nebraska in 1880's who still need to find their helpmate. ;-)

Thanks to some help from the other LIH authors, Debra Ullrick and I have made contact and she's going to join us on Thursday! She's also offered to give away a book in either paper or digital format!

So be sure to tune in on Thursday as usual to ask your questions about Debra's August book Groom Wanted!

I've read her other books and loved 'em. I can't wait to hear about the newest! I guess we'll be making a bee-line for our local book store Thursday afternoon.

Bonnie wrote: "Hi Jenny,
I confess that I love this time period and have read tens (probably more like hundreds) of books set in this moment in time. I did some investigating on line about Nebraska in general an..."

Thanks Bonnie for answering my question. I so enjoy learning about history and reading. I'm so grateful for all the hard work writers do so I can read a great book! Jenny

amen to that jennifer, they work so hard doing all the research and we reap the rewards and a good story blesses our day...
I think I have learned a lot about different areas from the stories I read.
Thank you authors....

Congrats Bonnie on your debut book it sounds really good. I can understand names being confused. I guess in the time Francis would have been associated as a male name (thinking of Sir Francis Drake). A friend in Australia used the name Courtney as a male lead and several americans have commented that its a female name and makes the hero weak. For me the first real Courtney I heard of was an Male Cricketer from the West Indies and Alot of Aussies would relate to that. Of course my niece is now Courtney. Its the same with Shannon, most I new were girls and then when we had a new pastor come his son was Shannon.
I love this time era also.

How do you come up with names?

Bonnie, congratulations on your first book. It sounds really interesting; I hope to read and review it sometime soon. I'm sure it will be one I really enjoy.

Thank you all for including me in your day and hopefully in your 'to read list' as well. It's my privilege and pleasure to write for you.
Ausjenny, I get the name issue. I interpreter for those who speak Spanish only and there are a number of names that cross genders as they cross cultures. (Yoann is the name of the young man who just spent a month here visiting from France.) Renee is almost always a man's name in Spanish as is Ariel. Lupe or Guadalupe could be male or female because they are named after the patron saint of Mexico. Carmen is another name that ca be confusing... Shall I go on?
As to where did I come up with my names for the book... Well up above you can see how Will got his first name and I live on Williams Rd so it was a given that William would appear sooner or later in my work. Abigail is one of my favorite women of faith in the Old Testament. While still in the planing stages, I goggled 'top 100 names in 1880' and printed out the list. Then I referred to it as I created my characters and secondaries. I admit it gets hard because I work in a school and at a hospital and it's sometimes hard not to use names of the people around me.
Thank you again, Barbara for your words of encouragement. Can't wait to hear about Renee's, Cheryl's and Debra's books.

Thanks for answering all our questions Bonnie. What a great call story. I love the Little House on the Prairie stories. My mom named me after Laura Ingalls Wilder.

Bonnie, thanks for getting our August Q&A off to such a great start and thanks to so many of our members for dropping by yesterday!

cool about the names Bonnie. I know what you mean about names too. at Rock (reach out club for kids) we had 2 Ashleys, one boy and one girl, and an Ashlyn (girl) it was interesting.

Our Featured Author for Tuesday is new to LIH, but no stranger to readers of Harlequin's other lines! Cheryl Reavis Cheryl has written many books, both contemporary and historical and won RITAs (The Oscars of Romance!) for both!! Her books are on my keeper shelf because her characters never fail to touch my heart and make me want to be a better person. I am so looking forward to reading The Soldier's Wife.

Cheryl, can you give us a little introduction to Jack Murphy and Sayer Garth?

Love the sound of this book also love books set around the time of the Civil War. Next year when I come to America (I hope) I plan to go to Gettysburg.

Cheryl how did you come up with the name of Sayer? I always find some names in America interesting and unusual to an aussie that is.

I am looking forward to hearing all the questions and answers today on this book from Cheryl. Sounds like a wonderful story about a young man feeling honor-bound to help a former soldier, then meeting the wife and learning she needs help. Any redblooded young man would be up to this challange and esp a former soldier, Cheryl what made you choose a story with soldiers in it? I love to read historical books and with Inspirational also makes it even better.

I really like the sound of the book. I enjoy the Civil War time period. I like the name Sayer. It's different. After reading the blurb I had to ask if you are working on another book that features Sayer's sister-in-law?

Bonnie, welcome to our group. Your twist on the mail order bride story is definitely intriguing!

I just heard from Cheryl and she has been reading your questions, but for some reason (possibly the thunderstorms in her area) she's having trouble posting her answers. I've offered to post them for her if she can email them to me, so we'll see if that works.

Stay tuned... :)

Good morning, everyone. I'm later getting here than I intended -- thunderstorms and posting woes. I'm between storms now and I think the posting is working. I've very happy to "see" you all. Re: Jack Murphy and Sayer Garth. He was an orphan. He grew up in an orphanage in a strong and self-reliant "orphan family" and he's based quite a lot on children I knew as a child (I lived near a church-run children's home, and many of them were friends.) He feels responsible for his orphan family. They all look up to him, and when the boys who were old enough decided to go to war, so did he, mostly because he couldn't let them go into harm's way without him.

Sayer is rather based on children I've known as well--as a public health nurse (my other hat), those who grow up in a household but whose presence is merely tolerated rather than celebrated. She's an orphan as well, but Jack's "family" is much stronger and more loving than hers.

Hi, Ausjenny. I think you would find a visit to Gettysburg interesting. It's a very hallowed place--you can feel the sacrifice that was made there. Re: Sayer's name. I'm rather a collector of "quaint" names and I LOVE name books. I'm always on the look out for names. I find them on old tombstones, in obituaries, old lettes and diaries (I'm such an historical snoop) and I write them down. "Sayer," however, came from a name book. It's actually (according to the book) a boy's name. But she and I liked it a lot. (Characters won't behave if they're named wrong--or mine won't.)

Hi Paula-O. I often do stories with soldiers in it--I'm not sure why, unless it's because I grew up surrounded by World War II veterans. At family gatherings, I used to listen to them talk about being a soldier and their war experiences--I was such a quiet child, I don't think they ever realized I was there. The Civil War is of particular interest because I live in a very "historical" area. One of the inspirations for this LIH was a post Civil War ballad. In it, a fallen soldier is asking someone to please see his wife and tell her what happened to him and to say that he knows she's been praying for him, and that he was prepared to die. He knows they'll meet in Heaven, but O, he wishes he could see her just one last time.

So glad you were able to get here between storms, Cheryl. Your descriptions of Jack and Sayre make me want to hug them both!

Sayer's name reminds me of Sayward Luckett in the 70's mini-series The Awakening Land. I too have characters who won't behave until I discover their correct names.

Laura AKA Loves 2 Read Romance wrote: "I really like the sound of the book. I enjoy the Civil War time period. I like the name Sayer. It's different. After reading the blurb I had to ask if you are working on another book that features ..."

The sisters-in-law are a possibility, Laura. I think it will depend on how well this book does and whether or not I think they can carry a story on their own. Both have distinct personalities, so I think maybe they can.

Deborah wrote: "So glad you were able to get here between storms, Cheryl. Your descriptions of Jack and Sayre make me want to hug them both!

Sayer's name reminds me of Sayward Luckett in the 70's mini-series The..."

LOVED that mini-series. I always meant to read the books it was based on, but never got around to it.

Bonnie wrote: "Good morning, Deborah. Thank you for including me in your blog this month. It's always amazing the way God works in our lives and how He makes the impossible happen.
I've been participating in My ..."

Wonderful story, Bonnie. Welcome to the group.

Deborah wrote: "Our Featured Author for Tuesday is new to LIH, but no stranger to readers of Harlequin's other lines! Cheryl Reavis Cheryl has written many books, both contemporary and historical and won RITAs (..."

I just realized the incomparable Cheryl Reavis (the other Cheryl) was a LIH authors. Now I'm off to download her new book! She's an awesome writer!

Cheryl wrote: "Deborah wrote: "Our Featured Author for Tuesday is new to LIH, but no stranger to readers of Harlequin's other lines! Cheryl Reavis Cheryl has written many books, both contemporary and historical..."

LOL. Thanks, Cheryl! (You sweet thing, you.)

Cheryl wrote: "Bonnie wrote: "Good morning, Deborah. Thank you for including me in your blog this month. It's always amazing the way God works in our lives and how He makes the impossible happen.
I've been parti..."
Thank you, Cheryl. I'm so happy to be part of the LIH family.
Congrats on your new book. I think I'll be sitting up all night this weekend, reading. After all, who needs sleep? LOL

Our Featured Author for Wednesday is Renee Ryan whose 2011 LIH book Courting the Enemy recently won a prestigious Daphne Award! Renee's August book is Charity House Courtship.

Well-deserved congratulations on the Daphne win, Renee!! Like me, you've written books in a number of different time periods. Is there one that's your favorite? Is there a time period or setting you haven't written yet but would like to try?

Congrats on the Daphne win Renee!! I like the sound of your latest book. I can't think of any questions except the one Deborah already asked.

My question for Renee is this.

Which characters are your favorite? My personal favorite book of yours is Dangerous Allies that came a few years ago.