Your Book Questions Answered!!

OOPS!

I'm technically a day late (this post was supposed to be up on Saturday), but HEY, I'm on holiday!! It is sunny and warm where I am. LOVE IT!! Today was all about biking, the beach, the pool, and sunshine...my gosh, I love sunshine. But now back to business!

Here are some answers to the questions people have been asking me about the book! Thank you all for your questions, and for your support and interest. I can't tell you how much I appreciate it. Any other questions you all have, just leave 'em, and I'll answer 'em. LOVE!!!

1) What kind of book have you written?
     A) I've written a historical fiction. It's my favorite kind of book to read, so naturally its the kind of book I wrote.

2) Oh cool! So, what time period is it set in?
     A) It is set in the 1840's in rural England.

3) So, what's it about?
    A) Well, I can't really disclose the whole plot here, but I can say that it is about a fight for freedom. A young woman is born into poverty and desperate circumstances. She is taken from those terrible circumstances, only to find herself in  a place infinitely more dangerous and desperate. There is only one person willing to fight for her, but he will suffer horrendous consequences and lose everything if they fail. It is about freedom, justice, and what we are willing to do to achieve those things for others.

4) What inspired you to write this story?
    A) Honestly, I began writing this book because I was unemployed last year and needed something to do, but by October 2011 things had changed. As I wrote, these themes of freedom and justice kept popping up in my text, which was a little confusing for me. I've been aware of the modern slave trade since I was 14, but didn't think this new story I was writing had anything to do with slavery. Then in January 2012, I attended the Passion conference in Atlanta, GA. This conference gathered 43,000 college students, and the topic of the week was the modern slave trade. It was gutting to hear unspeakably tragic accounts from former slaves, just a few faces out of the 27 milllion slaves the U.N. estimates are in the world. 27 million is a big number until you meet one; then you realize how big it really is. I left that conference with new vision and focus, knowing that this issue would be something I worked on for the rest of my life. As I thought about the stories I had heard, I began to see parallels between their stories and the story I had already written. Even though my story occurs during the time of the Transatlantic Slave Trade, it addresses the modern trade. So, I never set out to write a book about how modern slavery ensnares people. It just kind of happened.

5) What are your goals for the book?
    A) Haha! Besides getting it published? I would really love to use the themes in the story to educate modern people about how young men and women are forced into slavery. When I say "slave" you probably think of people being herded onto boats in chains, and forced to work on cotton plantations. That was the face of slavery; it isn't anymore, and most people don't know what slavery today looks like. I also love how my main male protagonist is willing to sacrifice everything to save this girl. He has nothing to gain from helping her, he isn't her lover or her family, but he does the right thing anyway. I think that's inspiring, and I hope readers will as well.

6) What authors inspire you?
     A) Dickens. OH MY GOSH, Dickens, if I could write with just an iota of your talent...goodness. I love how he used his voice and art to address real world issues like child labor, the living conditions of the poor, etc. Also, his use of language and characterization is just....delicious. Shakespeare just makes me all melty and happy in my heart because NO ONE can touch his prose. No one.  I'm a huge fan of Lewis because his style is so humble and simple, but so deep. I like the Bronte sisters because they get a little dark and poignant.
      For modern authors, I like how Francine Rivers will dive right into an issue like child prostitution, and do it with such grace that you leave the story feeling emboldened for justice instead of stunned into apathy. I love L. A. Meyer's style with the Cockney dialect, and his stories are just too fun! And of course, Kathryn Stockett, for writing about racial injustices with so much grace, humor, and some serious skill with dialect...lawd!

7) Do you have a title?
     A) Yes, but I'm not thrilled with it, so its liable to change.

8) So what's next?
     A) My deadline for the final copy is August 4th. After that date, I'm not touching it until I have a professional editor giving me guidance. I'm in the process of soliciting agents, and I am meeting with a publisher in August to talk about the process/the book itself. After this book is finished, I have another one cooking in my brain that I will start in October. Actually, I have three stories in my brain right now, so I just better get back to work now!


Thank you all so much for your questions. Keep 'em coming! LOVE!!!