by Crystal Caudill | Jan 28, 2025 | Author Interviews
I love introducing new books and authors to people. I’ve had the blessing of having Laura on here before, but she’s back to talk about her newest release A Hundred Magical Reasons. She is graciously providing a print copy (US Residents only) or e-book (anywhere) of either of her books, A Hundred Magical Reasons or All That is Hidden. Be sure to read all the way to the end to learn the details and enter. Now before we dive in, allow me to introduce you properly.
Laura DeNooyer thrives on creativity and encouraging it in others. A Calvin College graduate, she is a teacher, wife, parent of four adult children, and an award-winning author of heart-warming historical and contemporary fiction. Her novels are perfect for fans of Patti Callahan Henry, Erin Bartels, or Heidi Chiavaroli. When she’s not writing, you’ll find her reading, walking, drinking tea with friends, or taking a road trip.
You can connect with her through: Website | Newsletter | Facebook | GoodReads | BookBub
Now for the fun stuff! I have to admit I am partial to my Fast Five. 🙂 So settle in as I hit Laura with rapid-fire.
CC: Rain or snow?
LD: Snow–but only if I don’t have to drive in it!
CC: Makeup or no makeup?
LD: None whatsoever!
CC: Personal maid or personal chef?
LD: Maid–I don’t need fancy meals but I’d love to have someone clean my house!
CC: Arrive early, just on time, or late?
LD: Fashionably late–but not on purpose.
CC: Food fight or water balloon fight?
LD: Water balloons–it’s easier to clean up afterward!
I miss the days when I didn’t have to take clean up into consideration. LOL! But I’m with you on the water balloon fights. So let’s go ahead and dive in.
What kind of stories are your favorite to write?
LD: I love writing the kind of stories I like to read—complex and character-driven with complicated relationships and messy family dynamics. I like delving into the gray, murky areas of life, into false appearances and misjudgments. My stories serve food for thought as well as hope and second chances—tales that “redeem the years the locusts ate.”
CC: I love that, and yes! Writing the kind of stories I like to read is so important. Especially since we have to read them over and over and over and over during the writing and editing processes.
Do you read fiction while you are writing your own stories?
LD: I’m constantly reading, both Christian fiction and general market, plus non-fiction. My favorite genres are historical fiction and contemporary women’s fiction, but I read a variety which includes suspense, mystery, some romance, and occasional YA and fantasy.
Reading fiction keeps me tapped into the book world and also functions as a way to learn from other authors doing their craft. It’s nearly impossible to read a story for mere enjoyment without analyzing and dissecting it as a storyteller. How is the writer drawing me in? How does she raise the stakes? Why am I relating to this character and not that one? Where is she dropping hints that foreshadow? How is this story resonating with me and why?
While I was writing A Hundred Magical Reasons, I needed to be familiar with L. Frank Baum’s stories. He wrote over 70 books, most of them for children, including 14 Oz novels. I read all fourteen, plus several others, and all of his newspaper editorials. Besides the biographies I read, the editorials gave me much insight into his thinking. Then I was better equipped to write him as a character.
CC: I love how that also gives us a peek into your research process.
What is your favorite part about writing?
LD: I have a love/hate relationship with the editing process, especially if the manuscript has become long and unwieldy. I’ve definitely learned how to “slash and burn” my words on the page to cut the manuscript down to more manageable and effective proportions. It’s both painful and rewarding.
CC: There is something satisfying about making the story cleaner and better.
Do you have a general writing process you follow or does it change all the time?
LD: I used to be very organized and showed up with a plan. Nowadays, I only know the direction the story is headed, but am not sure how it will get there. Ideas start percolating when I’m actually sitting down writing a scene. I see connections to other characters and situations that will increase the stakes and further the plot.
I start asking, “What if . . .?” But I also brainstorm, considering which juxtapositions of characters and situations would cause the most tension.
For example, in A Hundred Magical Reasons, I had to consider what could make a good contrast or foil for L. Frank Baum. Enter eight-year-old Janie whose rigid parents have no use for fiction, fantasy, or fairy tales. But the inimitable L. Frank Baum knows how to draw out her imagination. This is a major tension throughout the story.
From there I planned out some basic scenes based on his own family and career timeline and worked the story around those. The details and dialog came as I wrote the scenes.
I do a lot of revising—first expanding, then cutting and/or rearranging. It’s accurate to say that I have revised this particular novel at least fifteen times! Revised not just edited.
CC: It’s definitely a process. I don’t know that I can actually put a number to my revisions. I’m constantly revising as I write.
Do you have any advice for those who want to write their own stories?
LD: Be teachable. Join a writers group that both stretches and encourages you. Improvement comes from getting feedback, then revising. Multiple times.
Read, read, read! Read books in and out of your genre. Read like a writer, not just a reader.
If you’re drawn to writing like bees to nectar, then persevere. If God has given you that desire and some raw talent, cultivate the gift. He’s the ultimate Creator and Storyteller, and He made us in His image. He delights in our creativity.
Meanwhile, keep reminding yourself that the joy is in the journey! It’s not just about the end product but about what we learn and who we meet along the way.
Now I’m excited to talk about A Hundred Magical Reasons.
Purchase your copy at Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Scrivenings
CC: What will fans of A Hundred Magical Reasons love about your story and characters?
LD: Whether readers are Oz fans or not, I think they will enjoy getting to know L. Frank Baum. Besides just getting the facts straight about his life, I wanted to create his essence on the page so that readers would experience what it was like to sit on the Baums’ Macatawa porch with him, whether running a printing press or drinking lemonade.
As a storyteller, actor, and author, Baum was constantly creating ways to tell new stories and engage children. I wanted to show how he would draw out Janie’s imagination. Which activities would they do together? What was life like around the dinner table at the Baum household? We know a bit about that from biographies, but I wanted to present Baum through the eyes of a fictional character who visits from year to year.
Additionally, I think readers will love the dialogs and growing friendship between twenty-two-year-old Carrie and eighty-eight-year-old Mrs. Gordon—one facing fears about her future, the other living with regrets about her past.
CC: I never actually knew anything about Mr. Baum, so now I’m fascinated to learn more about him and make him one of my fictional friends.
Why did you write A Hundred Magical Reasons?
LD: While reading a biography about L. Frank Baum, I learned that his family summered at the same lake where our family vacations yearly—at the other end of the Lake Macatawa near Holland, Michigan, and a century earlier. That was a fun little connection.
Additionally, as I learned more about his life, I was smitten. Baum was such an innovative, larger-than-life personality—no surprise there, given that he created the Land of Oz. He was also a family man with a keen understanding of children and a high regard for women. (His mother-in-law was a suffragist!) His humor and creativity gave him the capacity to bounce back from failure many times.
Having always wanted to write a novel set in the turn of the century, Baum fit perfectly into my plans.
CC: How fun! I’ve been to Holland, but I’ve never made it to the lake, now I’ll have to visit for sure!
What is the most fascinating piece of research that shaped your story?
LD: Baum’s life, family, and career ups and downs are the main things that shaped the story. I wanted my two protagonists, Janie (in both timelines) and Carrie (1980), to be impacted by his influence. I just had to figure out how. I wanted to spotlight the Baums’ summers at Michigan’s Macatawa Resort (1898-1910) and his friendship with young Janie. Janie takes on challenges inspired by some of Baum’s career choices.
In 1900, Baum turned 44 and published The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Decades later, Janie is all grown up as Mrs. Gordon in 1980, sharing her memoirs with twenty-two-year-old Carrie who has problems of her own. Carrie wants to run a literary-themed café against her parents’ wishes. The two women have more in common than they realize.
CC: A literary-themed café sounds wonderful. I can’t wait to see how Mr. Baum influences her decisions and creation of this magical place.
What is a fun fact about this story that readers might not know?
LD: Most people don’t know that Baum should be credited with the earliest documented original film score back in 1908-1914. Before Hollywood became what it is today, Baum dabbled in film and even created the very first scene of Dorothy stepping from black and white into color—thirty years before the MGM Wizard of Oz movie brought us technicolor.
With so many interests and projects claiming his attention, Baum wanted to be done writing Oz books. He wrote six Oz books, then closed off Oz from the rest of the world—supposedly forever. But thousands of children wrote him, clamoring for more Oz stories. He finally relented, and wrote eight more.
CC: Wow! I had no idea there were fourteen Oz books! I’ve not even read one of them, but now my interest is piqued.
What do you hope readers will take away from your story?
LD: Baum’s stories are all about stirring the child’s imagination, and that’s a key element of my novel. I firmly believe that since we’re all made in the Creator’s image, everybody is creative in his own way. I hope this story inspires readers to use their own imaginations.
Other themes are woven in too, such as learning to be yourself when others try to keep you in a box. A Hundred Magical Reasons would make a great book club book. I hope the story raises questions and encourages pondering.
CC: I am thoroughly entranced by this book. It’s not my typical read, but I’m picking up a copy now.
I always like to end with a fun question so . . .
You are in the back of a police car on your way to jail. What did you do, and is anyone with you?
LD: Due to daydreaming, I accidentally walked out of a store with merchandise without paying first!
CC: Oops! That sounds entirely too plausible! LOL Let’s hope that never becomes the case.
Readers, I hope you’ll check out A Hundred Magical Reasons and then leave a review on Amazon, Goodreads, and/or BookBub. You wouldn’t believe how important that is to an author.
Reader, have you ever read the Oz books or seen the movie? What was your favorite part of it?
Giveaway
Here’s your chance to win a copy of either A Hundred Magical Reasons or All That is Hidden. Comment on the blog and enter the Rafflecopter for your chance to win! Entries close at 11:59 p.m. EST on February 4,2025. Open to legal U.S. residents. See Giveaway Policies for more details.
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by Crystal Caudill | Dec 20, 2022 | Author Interviews
The Christian writing community is wonderfully supportive, and I met Laura DeNooyer when she hosted me on her blog in September. (You can read that post here.) She is a sweet and encouraging woman, and it is my pleasure to introduce you to her here.
Laura DeNooyer-Moore thrives on creativity and encouraging it in others. A Calvin College graduate, she is a teacher, wife, parent of four adult children, and an award-winning author of heart-warming historical and contemporary fiction. She is president of her American Christian Fiction Writers chapter. When not writing, you’ll find her reading, walking, playing pickleball, drinking tea with friends, or taking a road trip. For a FREE prequel from Laura DeNooyer, join her monthly newsletter: www.StandoutStoriesNewsletter.com.
You can connect with her through:
Website | Facebook | BookBub | GoodReads | Newsletter
Now for the fun stuff! I have to admit I am partial to my Fast Five. 🙂 So settle in as I hit Laura with rapid-fire.
CC: Milk or Dark Chocolate?
LD: Dark
CC: Print or E-book?
LD: Both. Two years ago I would have said print, hands down. But ever since my daughter gave me a Kindle, I’ve grown to love it.
CC: Cat or Dog Person?
LD: Dog.
Morning Person or Night Owl?
LD: Night Owl
CC: Spring, Summer, Fall, or Winter?
LD: Summer
I used to be a print-only person too, but having access on my phone has been pretty handy. Now onto the more in-depth stuff.
What is your favorite Bible verse?
LD: Ephesians 1:3-14 is a favorite because of the reminder of all God has lavished on His children, and the blessings of an unshakeable, undeserved inheritance in Christ.
Here are the verses for reader reference.
“Praise the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavens. For He chose us in Him, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and blameless in His sight. In love He predestined us to be adopted through Jesus Christ for Himself, according to His favor and will, to the praise of His glorious grace that He favored us with in the Beloved.
We have redemption in Him through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace that He lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding. He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure that He planned in Him for the administration of the days of fulfillment — to bring everything together in the Messiah, both things in heaven and things on earth in Him.
We have also received an inheritance in Him, predestined according to the purpose of the One who works out everything in agreement with the decision of His will, so that we who had already put our hope in the Messiah might bring praise to His glory.
When you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and when you believed in Him, you were also sealed with the promised Holy Spirit. He is the down payment of our inheritance, for the redemption of the possession, to the praise of His glory.”
What are you reading right now?
LD: I’m usually reading two or three books at a time, at least one paperback and one on my Kindle, at least one fiction and one non-fiction:
- Jesus through the Eyes of Women (Rebecca McLaughlin)
- I Never Promised You a Rose Garden (Hannah Green, 1964)
- Shadows of the White City (Jocelyn Green)
When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?
LD: In second grade. Our unconventional teacher had us writing and illustrating our own books, a remarkable feat for the 1960s. I discovered story writing was the way to go, and became prolific that year. I decided to be an author when I grew up.
CC: That sounds like an amazing teacher, someone who knew what was best for her students.
What is your Kryptonite?
LD: Wordiness. In the spirit of brainstorming, I used to pack every possible word into a scene, figuring I could cut it down later. But after spending multiple hours (weeks, actually) trying to winnow three ridiculously long novel manuscripts, I changed my philosophy. However, I can still be tempted into wordiness.
What has been your biggest challenge for you on your writing journey?
LD: Originally, my biggest challenge was learning how to accept criticism and separate the wheat from the chaff. Being in a writers critique group helped immensely in developing broad shoulders, and has been a vital part of stretching and growing as a writer. More recent challenges include having patience with the publishing process and jumping through the necessary (but not always so fun) hoops.
CC: I understand all of those things. This writing journey is no easy thing.
Now let’s talk about your book All that is Hidden.
Are secrets worth the price they cost to keep?
Ten-year-old Tina Hamilton finds out the hard way.
She always knew her father had a secret. But all of God’s earth to Tina are the streams for fishing, the fields for romping, a world snugly enclosed by the blue-misted Smokies. Nothing ever changed.
Until the summer of 1968. Trouble erupts when northern exploitation threatens her tiny southern Appalachian town. Some folks blame the trouble on progress, some blame the space race and men meddling with the moon’s cycles, and some blame Tina’s father.
A past he has hidden catches up to him as his secret settles in like an unwelcome guest. The clash of progressive ideas and small-town values escalates the collision of a father’s past and present.
Purchase your copy at Amazon | Barnes & Noble
CC: What was the most challenging character to create?
LD: The mother, Jennie. I knew what I needed the father, Drew, to be, as well as Tina, the daughter and narrator. But I couldn’t decide what kind of a woman Jennie was, couldn’t even visualize her—until one day when I was out to lunch with friends. The minute our waitress came to the table, I knew it was Jennie. This sounds weird to most people, but some novelists can probably relate. Suddenly, Jennie had a face, mannerisms, and a personality, full blown with quirks. I suddenly knew what kind of a wife and mother she was, and had no trouble writing her after that.
Which character was the most fun to create?
LD: Tina, the protagonist, was fun to create. In the story, she’s an adult looking back on one particular year of her childhood. So I had to think like a child, think of how she would perceive all the adult mayhem going on around her, and as a daughter how she would view her father’s decisions and idiosyncrasies. She’s also a tomboy and gets herself into scrapes.
What was some of your favorite research you discovered while preparing for All that is Hidden?
LD: Back in the 1980s without the benefit of the internet, I found a book of Smoky Mountain idioms. Reading through that was a blast—all the colorful phrases! I had to decide which ones to use in the story. Fortunately, I had a literary consultant indigenous to the area. He read the entire novel to check for accuracy of cultural details and language.
How did this story affect you as you wrote it? Did God teach you anything through the writing?
LD: My initial learning occurred when I first visited western North Carolina in college years ago. It was culture shock for a Midwestern kid who grew up surrounded by people chasing the American Dream. These mountain folks found happiness and contentment by different means, and it deeply touched me. That’s part of what I wanted to bring out in my story, with characters who had no trust in big cities or city folk who climb the ladder of success. I got to thinking: what would happen if one of their own people lived in the big city for a while and came back? As I wrote the story, I identified with these folks even more.
What do you hope readers will take away from your story?
LD: Misjudging others is a common theme in my stories. Besides peeling back the layers of a culture that might be unfamiliar to some readers, I hope people see the complexity of factors that lead a person down an unexpected pathway. I always want to encourage empathy over judgment.
CC: That peeling back of other cultures and not misjudging is so important in our culture, yet so often overlooked. I’m glad that is something you hope to help readers with. As my final question, I have my usual “Fun Question”.
If you could have any superpower, what would it be?
LD: Perhaps invisibility. Think of all the fascinating situations and conversations you could be privy to if you were invisible! Good storytelling material, for sure. But it could also get a person in trouble. So maybe I’d rather fly instead.
CC: Invisibility is definitely a troublesome temptation. But oh how much fun that could be.
Reader, what cultures have you discovered through reading that you might not have otherwise?
Most fairy tales have happy endings, but is it too late for this one? After all, Mrs. Charlotte Rose Gordon is eighty-eight. This disgruntled town recluse has grown weary of fighting the dragons of her past—including the desire to clear her husband’s name of a 1918 crime. 
