by Crystal Caudill | Nov 19, 2024 | Author Interviews, Uncategorized
I pray that you have friends in your life who have become like family. Voni Harris is one such friend. She’s part of my core group of friends, which we have fondly named the Masters of Mayhem, or Mayhemmers for short. She is an amazing woman, friend, wife, mother, and Christian. It is such an honor to finally introduce you to her with an additional title: author. Voni’s debut novel, Surge, releases TODAY, so after you finish the interview, pop over to Amazon and grab your copy! (Voni will also graciously be giving away an e-copy from the A Breed Apart Legacy series, as well as bookmarks and stickers.)
Before we go in too deep, will you introduce yourself, Voni?
Hello! Waving hi from Alaska! It’s no surprise I grew up to write suspense novels. Dad was a law enforcement instructor. Mom was a newspaper editor. And God wove a love of words and story into my DNA.
My legal eagle hubby and I make our home on an Alaska island. We live with two dogs: Stingray, an Australian Shepherd, is obsessed with playing tug, and Kip, a Boston Terrier is obsessed with food. They all conspire to get me away from my computer and out into the real world of this beautiful rainforest in which we live.
Living in Alaska is truly the stuff of dreams. Winter days of darkness, summer nights of sunlight. Mountains, ocean, forest. Rain, snow, clouds, sun. Even earthquakes. These all meet here on the island in infinite variations. In the same way joy, music, fun, tears, laughter, fear, and surprise meet in life in infinite variations. Through it all is woven the light of hope in Christ. This is what I hope to catch in my writing … The darkness of suspense, the light of Christ.
You can connect with her through: Website | Facebook | Instagram | GoodReads
Now for the fun stuff! I have to admit I am partial to my Fast Five. 🙂 So settle in as I hit Voni with rapid-fire.
CC: Pineapple pizza or candy corn?
VH: Candy corn is gross. Pineapple pizza!
CC: Test the waters or dive in the deep end?
VH: Ahem. I’m 4’6″, so I’m not diving in the deep end, lol.
CC: Guacamole or salsa?
VH: Salsa–as long as it’s mild.
CC: Silly hats or silly socks?
VH: Silly socks, of course!
CC: Passwords or secret handshakes?
VH: Handshakes aren’t that secret, LOL. Passwords!
Awwww, come on, Voni. Just because you’re short doesn’t mean you can’t dive into the deep end. 🙂 You’ve got the three of us (Angela, Liz, and me) to come after you. Although . . . maybe that isn’t such a good idea either. Liz might be the only one actually able to haul you out while Angela and I sink to the bottom.
When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?
VH: Age 5. I loved finding out that Highlights published poems and short, short stories from kids. Plus, Laura Ingalls Wilder was a writer. L.M. Montgomery was. Ronie Kendig is. They all motivated me.
CC: I remember Highlights! Who didn’t love getting their hands on the magazine? Of course, my favorite part was the kid-submitted jokes. But that fits us, doesn’t it? LOL
What does your writing process look like in general from beginning to end?
VH: Plan the characters. Plan the plot. Write out a chapter by chapter synopsis. WRITE THE BOOK. Connect the dots and fix on my re-read. Rewrite and edit. Content edits. Line edit. Proofreading edit. Galleys. DONE!
CC: It is a process! My favorite process is the brainstorming with you how to connect those dots. 😉
What is your writing Kryptonite?
VH: Planning is great … unless you spend time in planning like you sank into quicksand.
CC: It’s definitely easy to overplan rather than get the words down.
What has been the biggest challenge for you on your writing journey?
VH: Like I said above, moving forward instead of wallowing in writing quicksand.
CC: Wallowing is so easy to do. I’m so glad we have each other to be blunt and say that’s enough, move on, and then to help in the pulling out of the quicksand.
How have you seen God work through your writing journey?
VH: He has worked through writing partners and mentors who have done nothing but encourage and push me (as did deadlines, lol).
CC: I agree. Having you as a writing partner has been a gift and definitely the hand of God. I am so glad that He has given you so many people to pour into you and motivate you.
Do you have any advice for those who want to write their own stories?
VH: Pray, pray, pray. Always, always ask “why” as many times as it takes to understand where your story is going. And friends, friends, friends who won’t just pat you on the head emotionally about your writing because they want to help you level up your writing.
CC: Great advice and SOOO true.
Now I’m excited to talk about Surge.
Love and Betrayal in a Race Against Time
Delaney Thompson isn’t just a dog trainer—she’s the key to preventing a disaster. With loyal Military Working Dog, Surge, by her side, she’s ready to prove herself on her first mission…even without military training. Her goal? Help the intense Belgian Malinois track down a specific chemical linked to a dangerous terrorist group before it reaches American soil. But to succeed, she must navigate unfamiliar terrain and an even more unpredictable partner.
Garrett Walker is a seasoned military operator, driven by duty and haunted by tragic losses. Reluctantly, he teams up with Delaney, whose lack of tactical experience makes her a liability as he leads them across Southeast Asia. Yet Garrett knows that mission success and the safety of countless lives back home hinge on his leadership, the Malinois’s special scent training, and Delaney’s unique skills.
The stakes couldn’t be higher: if Delaney and Garrett fail to locate and secure the toxic chemical, hundreds of thousands of Americans could die. As they hunt down the terrorists, their objectives are clear—find the stash, neutralize the threat, and try not to get killed. But with mutual distrust simmering between them, their greatest challenge may be learning to rely on each other.
A gripping tale of suspense, betrayal, and unexpected romance. Dive into this high-stakes adventure where every moment counts…and falling in love might just be the most perilous move of all.
Purchase your copy at Amazon
CC: Who was te most challenging character to create?
VH: Garrett was the most difficult. He has to, at some point, give up his frustration with Delaney, so it was a hard balance.
CC: I can remember many discussions about Garrett and finding the right pacing for his growth. Enemies to lovers can be such a hard trope to make believable.
Which Character was the most fun to create?
VH: Delaney was fun as a maverick, as well as her love and understanding of Military Working Dogs.
CC: She certainly liked to stand on her own and not have to rely on someone who acted like he didn’t even like her.
How did this story affect you as your wrote it? Did God teach you anything through the writing?
VH: I learned to push ahead on the writing God prepared me in advance to do, as Garrett and Delaney and Surge learned to push ahead on their mission God called them to do. Garrett didn’t want to be called, and Delaney was afraid of being called … but they both learned from this mission. We all have both callings and things to learn, which is why God calls us.
CC: Yes. He definitely has dual purposes in his calling us.
What do you hope readers will take away from your story?
VH: “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” –Ephesians 2:10 What has God prepared you in advance to do? Or what is he preparing you to do?
CC: Such a great verse for readers to walk away thinking about.
I always like to end with a fun question so . . .
What animal is most like you? Why?
VH: A Military Working Dog, of course. Like an MWD, it is in my heart to do exactly what needs to be done, exactly right.
CC: Why am I not surprised by this? LOL And yes, the aim for perfection is a great description of you!
Readers, I hope you’ll check out Surge and then leave a review on Amazon, Goodreads, and/or BookBub. You wouldn’t believe how important that is to an author.
Giveaway Info
Voni is graciously giving away a bookmark and sticker, and an e-copy of any of the A Breed Apart Legacy books. They are each stand-alone books; you do not have to read the others in order to read Voni’s.
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Reader, what other books can you think of that have a dog?
by Crystal Caudill | Nov 15, 2024 | Writer's Life
I’m writing this post on the Saturday before the Christy Awards, so at this moment, I have no idea how “last night” went. At this moment, all I know is I am beyond grateful to have been a finalist for the Christy Award. It was a moment of redemption from a very difficult year with my family. Last year, 2023, Counterfeit Love was a finalist for the Carol Awards, and I didn’t find out that much until I was at the American Christian Fiction Writers Conference and coping with the shock of my MIL having fallen and broken her neck while I was on my way to the conference.
My family told me not to come home, that I should enjoy this time because I would have to be managing a lot of things when I got home–including one of the most difficult caregiving seasons of my life, which is REALLY saying something if you knew some of the things we’ve walked through with my MIL. Even with my decision to stay at the conference (because I really felt like God was telling me to), I was coordinating lots of things at home with getting meals to my family, friends and family reaching out to me to let me know they were praying and wanting updates, and honestly the whole weekend was a blur. I couldn’t enjoy the Carol final or celebrate it with my family. And when I came home, the next six months were focused on my MIL’s recovery. The Carol final kind of got lost in the shuffle, and while I wouldn’t change anything, it was a wounding point for me. Because the Carols were such a big deal, and yet in my own family, it felt like it never happened.
When I learned about the Christy Award Final, it was a redemption of that chaotic time. A sense of healing that I didn’t realize I still needed. I thought I had let it go and moved on, but y’all. Not only did I get to celebrate with my family, my husband came with me this weekend on a rare weekend alone and I got to bring him into the crazy writing/reading world that I love. He only sees my life behind the computer and hear about bits and pieces of my conference experiences. Last night, I got to introduce him to the people whom I’ve formed amazing relationships with, and I got to have him next to me at this big fancy gala where we got to celebrate God’s redemption and great love shown in a way I didn’t know I needed.
I was a finalist among many amazing authors who I have such a great respect for, and I fully anticipate it was one of them to have “won” the category last night. But I truly feel like I was a winner, as you can tell from the story above. But since I went through all the trouble of actually writing a thank you speech, I thought maybe you’d like to see what I would have said if I had won. (And if by some blow me away extra blessing I did, then here’s the written version of what I said.)
(Note to self ONLY: Holy cow girl, if you are reading this in front of people, then pull yourself together. God has blessed you beyond measured and redeemed the year behind you 100-fold to what you went through. Give Him all the glory. Praise His name. Give your speech, and remember people are more important that awards, but this is an honor and a blessing you never expected and should be celebrated.)
I never expected to be up here reading this speech, but I give all credit to Rhonda Dragomir for the impetus to actually write a speech despite my expectations. I’m thankful to even be nominated for a Christy. I’ve read many of the authors nominated here tonight, and I’m beyond honored to be listed among them. Truly, it is one of those dreams you tell God but don’t actually expect to receive. These men and women are people I’ve long looked up to and whose books I’ve lost many nights of sleep over and will continue to lose sleep over. Thank you for writing your stories and inspiring others to follow your lead in writing for Christ.
I want to thank my God and my Jesus first and foremost for this unmerited gift. This award represents God’s redeeming of a really hard year for my family. I cried when I heard the nomination, and it was enough for me. But in His abundant grace, He has done what is above anything I ever imagined. May all I do and write always point back to Him.
Thank you to Travis, my amazing husband who has supported me and encouraged me to write even before I knew this would be the journey God called me to. Thank you Malaki and Nehemiah for putting up with your scatterbrained mom and providing endless fodder for her stories. Thank you to Mom, Dad, Matthew, Ramey, Linda, and Noah for your never-ending enthusiasm and support. You make the hard days better.
Thank you to my amazing agent, Tamela Hancock Murray, who was the first one to take a chance on me. Janyre Tromp, your mad editing skills were invaluable. Thank you, Kregel and the entire team at Kregel. It has been a true blessing to work with each one of you. Thank you to my co-authors of the collection, Cara Putman and Angela Ruth Strong. You are amazing women who have taught me so much, and I am one lucky ducky to have worked on this project with you.
Thank you to the judges and coordinators and many others involved in the running of the Christy Awards. What you do is a blessing to authors and readers alike. I appreciate the honor you have bestowed upon me with this award.
Thank you to my fellow Mayhemmers, Liz Bradford, Angela Carlisle, and Voni Harris and to Lucy Nel. I would never have survived the trials of a writing career and plain ol’ life without you. To all those who have encouraged me, prayed for me, read my books, and joined me on this writing journey, whether you be an author, reader, and/or friend, may you be blessed a hundred-fold for the blessings you have poured upon me.
To everyone in this room, thank you for being here and celebrating the wonderful way God works through fiction. May each of you use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace.
by Crystal Caudill | Nov 12, 2024 | Author Interviews
It is an honor to introduce you to Christy Award winner, Katie Powner. I met Katie for the first time a few years ago at a reader event, and her down-to-earth manner struck me. She is a fantastic author, foster mom, and Christian. I am so blessed to get to have her here today for an interview. Katie is graciously offering a copy of The Wind Blows in Sleeping Grass, her latest Christy Award finalist novel, to one lucky person. Check out the details and restrictions at the end of this post. Before we dive in, here is a bit about her.
Katie Powner is a Christy Award-winning author who lives in rural Montana, where cows still outnumber people. She writes contemporary fiction about redemption, relationships, and finding the dirt road home. She’s a mom to the third power (biological, adoptive, and foster) who loves red shoes, Jesus, and candy–not necessarily in that order. Learn more at KatiePowner.com.
You can connect with her through: Website | Newsletter | Facebook | Instagram | X | BookBub | GoodReads
Now for the fun stuff! I have to admit I am partial to my Fast Five. 🙂 So settle in as I hit Katie with rapid-fire.
CC: Pineapple pizza or candy corn?
KP: The two absolutely worst things I can imagine.
CC: Test the waters or dive in the deep end?
KP: Dive in, baby!
CC: Guacamole or salsa?
KP: I love guac too, but I have to go with salsa because there are so many varieties and it has way fewer calories, haha.
CC: Silly hats or silly socks?
KP: Socks
CC: Passwords or secret handshakes?
KP: What?! Is this something people are doing? I feel like I’m missing out, I want both!
Ha ha! Yeah, I don’t know anyone who actually uses secret handshakes outside of elementary school, if they even do it there now. And I’m so with you on the guac. I love it, but not the calories.
What fiction book has most impacted you?
KP: Summer of Light by Dale Cramer changed the trajectory of my life because it showed me there was room in Christian fiction for a wider variety of stories than what I had been exposed to. When I read Summer of Light, I suddenly had hope there were publishers out there interested in writing voices like mine.
CC: Oh, I’ve never heard of that one. I’ll have to go look it up.
When did you first realize you want to be a writer?
KP: It’s all I ever wanted to do. Aside from briefly entertaining the idea of becoming a naturalist when I was in fifth grade, all I’ve ever wanted to be was a writer. I never imagined myself as a nurse or ballerina or astronaut or whatever. Writing was it for me.
CC: I love how you had that yearning from the very beginning!
How have you seen God work through your writing journey?
KP: Here’s a funny thing. I always knew I wanted to be a writer, but I figured it would happen after my kids were grown up. I wanted to give my time and attention to them, and I figured writing could wait. But here’s what God knew that I didn’t: Writing makes me a better parent. Having a creative outlet and a way to set personal goals for myself, as well as a way to have success and identity outside of my children, allows me to find greater joy in being a mom and gives me more energy and life to pour into parenting.
CC: Oh wow! I love that. I’d actually never thought of it in that context, except that writing saves my family’s lives sometimes. LOL
Do you have any advice for those who want to write their own stories?
KP: The one piece of advice I always give to people just starting out or thinking about starting out is WRITE THE SECOND BOOK. I’ve seen too many people write one story and then spend years and years revising it, passing it around for feedback, revising it again, and basically just fiddling around with it forever when they should be working on their next story. Yes, take all the time you need to write your book. Yes, revise it and get feedback and revise it again. But then submit it and move on. Start something new. Don’t get stuck on one story for ten years.
CC: That is very sage advice. It’s easy to get hung up on perfection. We grow and change with each book we write.
I’m so thrilled to get the chance to talk about your book that is currently up for a Christy Award, and even more thrilled I’ll get to cheer you on in person! Before we talk about it, here’s what it’s about:
The Wind Blows in Sleeping Grass by Katie Powner
Purchase your copy at Amazon | Baker Book House (30% off and free shipping!) | Barnes and Noble | Books-A-Million | Bookshop | Christianbook
CC: Where did you get the idea for the story?
KP: My brother drives the garbage truck for the city of Cut Bank in northern Montana. He would tell me sometimes about things he would observe while driving the truck and things he learned about people based on their garbage. I found that fascinating and that’s where The Wind Blows in Sleeping Grass was born.
CC: That is so cool! I never thought about that aspect of his job.
Which character was the most fun to create?
KP: Pearl the pot-bellied pig was really fun to write because pigs are such smart and unique and curious creatures. Also because she was always getting into mischief and revealing people’s true character.
CC: Ha! I love it when animals bring more to the story than just being there for the main characters to love on.
What was some of your favorite research while preparing for the The Wind Blows in Sleeping Grass?
KP: I learned that pot-bellied pigs are good at recognizing danger and have been known to save lives. They’re so much smarter than people realize!
CC: I’ve heard that pigs are extremely intelligent, but I’ve never put a lot of thought into what that might look like.
What do you hope readers will take away from your story?
KP: That everyone has value and their value is determined by the Creator, not by the world. Not based on human standards.
CC: Amen. That is such a hard thing to learn and hold on to, especially with our world and society’s pressures.
I always like to end with a fun question so . . .
You find a genie in a lamp. What three wishes would you make?
KP: I wish ice cream was a low-calorie food. I wish it was easier to go to bed before 10:30pm (It’s not. It’s impossible). And I wish my chickens would stop laying their eggs beneath their roost.
CC: ha ha! I can commiserate with the first two, but I don’t have chickens. However, my brother does, and I’m sure he can agree on that third wish!
Readers, I hope you’ll check out The Wind Blows in Sleeping Grass and then leave a review on Amazon, Goodreads, and/or BookBub. You wouldn’t believe how important that is to an author.
Giveaway
Katie is graciously giving away a print copy of The Wind Blows in Sleeping Grass to one lucky U.S. resident, 18 or older. Entries are collected until 11:59 p.m. EST on 11/18/2024. The winner will be contacted by email.
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*Contiguous U.S. residents only, 18 and older. Void where prohibited or restricted.
Reader, what is something the garbage man might learn about you when they see your trash?
by Crystal Caudill | Nov 5, 2024 | Reading Challenge
It’s another month our challenge: Unlocking Ecclesiastes 3. I’m so excited to join you again this year with guest reviews from our reading challenge participants. If you want to submit a review for upcoming months, feel free to email me using my contact form. If you are looking for suggestions as to what to read each month, may I recommend joining my Crystal Caudill’s Reading Friends Facebook group, or visiting Avid Readers of Christian Fiction or Inspirational Historical Fiction Index. I’ll also include a short list at the bottom of this post.
Don’t forget to comment at the bottom of the post for your chance to win a book off my prize shelf. *The list of prizes available from my prize shelf can be found here.*
Unlocking the Past: Ecclesiastes 3
Just as Ecclesiastes has two opposites in each verse, most months will leave you with two options to choose from.
“For everything there is a season,
a time for every activity under heaven.”
October Verse: A time to be quiet and a time to speak.
Challenge Theme: A mute/deaf character or a character who advocates for others
November Verse: A time to love and a time to hate.
Challenge Theme: An enemies-to-lovers book
A Thieving at Carlton House
by Erica Vestch
Review by: Crystal Caudill
The delay in this review just proves how crazy my reading life has been, but after many interruptions and long periods of not getting to read, I FINALLY FINISHED A THIEVING AT CARLTON HOUSE!!!! And I should have tossed aside all my responsibilities sooner. LOL Who needs clothes, food, doctor appointments, rides to and from school, or any other thing that stood in the way of my reading pleasure?
Sigh. I absolutely adore the fact that this new series is following Bertie and Philippa. Philippa is a former courtesan (aka prostitute who serves high-class clientele) who is working through the challenges of running a growing ministry that helps rescue women from a similar lifestyle. I love Philippa and her heart for women, and my heart aches as she wrestles to realize her worth not only as a person who can be loved, but as a child of God. Her struggle with forgiving her father is one that I think many of us can identify with, at least in the forgiving of someone who has done us harm–not for their sake but for our own. It’s a hard and difficult road to walk, and I loved walking that road with Philippa.
And then there is Bertie. Oh, good ole loveable Bertie, who has pulled the wool over everyone’s eyes. I am thrilled he gets his own series. That man has so much depth and it was good to see his internal struggle as he begins to come into his own and build his own team. I cannot wait to see how he grows and develops over the next two books . . . and, let’s be honest, how his relationship with Philippa will grow. I’m in a season right now where I am enjoying the romances that actually take several books to build, and this series is top of my enjoyment list. 🙂
I highly recommend this series from Erica Vestch.
Genre: Regency Mystery
Plot Overview:
The Home Office has asked Sir Bertrand Thorndike to head an investigation into stolen royal jewels. And as with everything concerning the Prince Regent, discretion is paramount.
It’s the perfect chance for Bertie to step out of his brother’s long shadow. Unfortunately, his superior, the Duke of Haverly, has a plan that makes him balk. In order to sell his cover, Bertie must play the part of a man looking for love, ready to reform his rakish ways.
Philippa Cashel escaped a life as one of society’s best-known courtesans and now devotes her time to helping other women in dire straits. Her hope is that laboring hard enough at her charity work will allow her to feel worthy of God’s forgiveness of her past. So when Sir Bertrand Thorndike approaches her about becoming an agent of the Crown, she is skeptical. Why her? She’s focused on getting her school for underprivileged women up and running, not on cloak-and-dagger skullduggery.
But when two of Philippa’s rescued girls become targets, Philippa risks partnering with Bertie to find the loot and stop a killer.
Purchase Links:
Amazon | Baker Bookhouse | Barnes & Noble | Christianbook.com
Giveaway
For your chance to win a print copy, comment with what book YOU read for this month. Use the Rafflecopter below for extra entries and to mark that you left a comment. Entries end on the 7th of each month at midnight EST, and the winner will be drawn sometime that week and notified by email. The winner will be announced on the Rafflecopter widget.
*Open to all residents of the contiguous USA, legally able to enter, and an e-book format or Amazon Gift Card will be awarded to those outside that range who are legally able to enter.
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Recommendations for November:
- The Letter Tree Rachel Fordham
- Counterfeit Hope by Crystal Caudill
- The Hart of Christmas by Latisha Sexton
- Red Siren byMaryLu Tyndall
- Dauntless by Dina L Sleiman
What did you read for the challenge? What were your thoughts on it? Would you recommend it?
by Crystal Caudill | Oct 22, 2024 | Author Interviews
Liz Tolsma is one of those amazing women that you don’t realize JUST how amazing she is until you get to know her. It’s been a rough year or two for her, and it’s been an honor to pray for her over that time. Just as is her generous nature, Liz is offering a copy of What I Left for You to one lucky person. You can find out the details on how to enter for your chance to get a copy at the end of this blog post. Now I’m glad to give you the chance to get to know this wonderful author, mother, Christian, and friend.
Liz Tolsma is the author of several WWII novels, prairie romance novellas, a romantic suspense, and an Amish romance. She is the host of the popular podcast Christian Historical Fiction Talk and is also an editor. She resides next to a Wisconsin farm field with her husband and their youngest daughter. Her son, daughter-in-law, and daughter are all U.S. Marines. In her free time, Liz enjoys reading, walking, working in her large perennial garden, kayaking, and camping.
You can connect with her through: Website | Newsletter | X | Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest | BookBub | Goodreads
Now for the fun stuff! I have to admit I am partial to my Fast Five. 🙂 So settle in as I hit Liz with rapid-fire.
CC: Pineapple pizza or candy corn?
LT: Is neither an option? I really don’t like either one.
CC: Test the waters or dive in the deep end?
LT: Test the waters
CC: Guacamole or salsa?
LT: For this one, I’d like both!
CC: Silly hats or silly socks?
LT: Silly socks. I can be silly, but I do it in private rather than in public, so the socks make sense.
CC: Passwords or secret handshakes?
LT: Hmm. Probably passwords, especially if I can use face recognition because I can’t remember my passwords.
CC: I am so thankful for password apps and face recognition. LOL, so let’s dive in to getting to know you a little better.
What fiction book has most impacted you?
LT: “Love Comes Softly” by Janette Oke. It’s the first Christian novel I read, and it opened my eyes to the genre. After I discovered it, I read all I could find, and one day, decided maybe I could write a book too. It’s the one that got it all started.
CC: Janette Oke has had such an impact on so many. She to had a major impact on my life and my eventual writing journey.
What does your writing process look like from beginning to end?
LT: It depends on the book. Sometimes I have no deadlines or longer ones, so that allows me to do more research and story and character development on the front end. When I have a tight deadline, I have to do all that on the fly and often have more rewrites. Overall, I don’t work off an outline. I love to see what develops much the way a reader would. That’s the most fun part of writing to me.
CC: I admire you for being able to do it that way. I used to be like that, but I feel like I prefer to have an outline more often than not, even if very loose.
What has been your biggest struggle on this writing journey?
LT: The marketing part of the job has been the hardest. I never went to school for it and never took any classes. I’m learning as I go, and I’m still learning, especially with the way marketing and social media are ever-evolving. Sometimes I wish I wrote forty years ago when the publishers did all that for you!
CC: Boy do I feel you on this one. It all feels like so much and so overwhelming. There just aren’t enough hours in the day.
How have you seen God work through your writing journey?
LT: He has always brought the right story and the right publisher to me at the right time, even when I doubted it would ever happen. Throughout, he’s taught me to rely on him more and more and less on myself. It’s a lesson I have to keep learning. Trust isn’t an easy thing, and letting go of the way I have my life laid out so God can work is difficult. But he has proven himself faithful, and that’s what I lean on.
CC: I feel like I must not be learning this lesson very well, because I have to keep learning it over and over and over and over again. LOL but He has and does prove Himself faithful.
Do you have any advice for those who might want to write their own stories?
LT: Write. This is supposed to be a longer answer than that, but that’s the first step. You can’t learn how to be a better writer unless you’ve tried it, just like you can’t learn to be a better skater if you’ve never stepped on the ice. So get out there and write. And work hard to improve. This applies to aspiring authors and those who are already published. Even the world’s best figure skater continues to go to practice and work with a coach. So it is with writers. We can always strive to be better.
CC: I agree! May we always strive to be better and grow as writers.
Before we dive into your inspiration, etc, for What I Left for You, allow me to introduce my readers to the story itself.
What I Left for You by Liz Tolsma
A Family’s Ties Were Broken in Poland of 1939
1939 Helena Kostyszak is an oddity—an educated female ethnic minority lecturing at a university in Krakow at the outbreak of WWII. When the Germans close the university and force Jews into the ghetto, she spirits out a friend’s infant daughter and flees to her small village in the southern hills. Helena does everything in her power to protect her family, but it may not be enough. It will take all of her strength and God’s intervention for both of them to survive the war and the ethnic cleansing to come.
2023 Recently unengaged social worker McKenna Muir is dealt an awful blow when a two-year-old she’s been working with is murdered. It’s all too much to take, so her friend suggests she dive into her family’s past like she’s always wanted. Putting distance between herself and her problems might help her heal, so she and her friend head on Sabbatical to Poland. But what McKenna discovers about her family shocks everyone, including one long-lost family member.
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CC: Where did you get the idea for this story?
LT: The idea came to me when I was doing research for my family tree. I had discovered that I’m descended from an ethnic minority living in what is today southern Poland, northern Slovakia, and western Ukraine. Originally, it was supposed to be about a Jewish woman who fled Ukraine and found refuge in the area my family is from, but the current state of affairs in Europe prevented me from traveling there for research, so I changed it to focus more on what happened to my people, and I found a treasure trove of little known information there.
CC: I love (and sometimes hate the personal process of) when God changes our stories so completely from what we thought they should be. He really does some amazing stuff when we give Him that room.
Which readers will be the ones to most love this book?
LT: Anyone who enjoys war or WWII novels will love this, and anyone who enjoys genealogy, because it delves into that. Since it’s dual time, set both during WWII and the present day, readers who like historical novels and those who like contemporary will enjoy it. It would also be great for anyone who loves little known facts because this book is filled with them.
CC: I love how this book appeals to so many people. You just can’t go wrong.
Who was the most challenging character to create? What made them so difficult?
LT: Helena was the hardest character to put together because she is so different than I am. From the time she was little, she wanted a different life than what she had, and she wasn’t afraid to go and get it. She fought for those who were marginalized, even when she was one of those people, as she often was. She was tough. I don’t know if I could survive what I put her through. It would only be by God, that’s for sure.
CC: I know there are people who say the same thing about you when they see and get to know you.
What was some of your favorite research you discovered while preparing for What I Left for You?
LT: My daughter and I were blessed to be able to travel to Poland to research What I Left for You, and it was an amazing experience. We visited the villages where my ancestors were from and saw the church my great-grandmother was baptized in. In the strangest way, I felt so much like I belonged there, that I had come home at last. Having my daughter along made the entire experience that much sweeter. And then we spent time researching in Krakow and eating plenty of really good Polish food! I could go on and on, but you can read more about my trip at the end of the book. If you ever have the chance to go to Poland, jump on it.
CC: I am more than a little jealous tha you got to travel to Poland and do all that amazing research. I look forward to reading more about your trip in the back of the book.
How did this story affect you as you wrote it?
LT: Because I was writing about my people, it definitely affected me. It was so deeply personal, and I cried for all they suffered when they wanted nothing more than to be left in peace to live the lives they had for over six hundred years. God showed me all my ancestors endured, and I’ve come to appreciate all they fought so hard for to give me the life I have. They would stare in amazement to see my “big” house (all that room for five people) when they lived with as many as eleven people in a two-room house. I try not to take my life and my blessings for granted.
CC: It is SO easy to take what we have for granted. I know I do.
What do you hope readers will take away from your story?
LT: I hope that I will learn where “home” is, and that is with the Lord in glory someday. This earth and its charms are fleeting, but that is where our permanent residence will be.
CC: Amen and praise the Lord for that. This poor broken world is not what I want for my home.
I always like to end with a fun question so . . .
You find a genie in a lamp. What three wishes would you make?
LIT: 1. A few million dollars so I could take care of my parents, my kids, me and my husband, and my sisters and their families. 2. A lab puppy. I miss my labs and want another one so much! 3. A private island just for me and my family to vacation on and get together in one place.
CC: I love each one of those! You are definitely very family-oriented.
Readers, I hope you’ll check out What I Left for You and then leave a review on Amazon, Goodreads, and/or BookBub. You wouldn’t believe how important that is to an author.
Reader, do you know any little known historical facts?
Giveaway
Liz Tolsma is generously giving away one copy of What I Left for You to one contiguous U.S. resident, 18 years or older. Just complete the Rafflecopter entries below for your chance. Entries close 11:59 p.m. EST on 10/29/2024.
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