Interview with Holly Zachariah, Part 2

Back in February, 2010, I was interviewed by Holly Zachariah, journalist, blogger and romance reader. Here is another excerpt from that interview:

Holly: Why did you choose the English Regency time period for the setting of your books?

Me: The English Regency covered the years from 1810 to 1820 when the decadent Prince of Wales (who would eventually become George IV) ruled as Regent while his father, the king, was mentally ill. Lovely family. It’s the same time period we associate with Jane Austen. So think Mr. Darcy in a starched cravat—or better yet, in a wet linen shirt—and you’ve got the Regency. I’m forever fascinated by the ways of society from that time: the devastating trauma of misspeaking oneself in public, the shame of being an old maid by age 22, or being snubbed at the most influential ball of the season simply because one of your ancestors wasn’t genteel enough. With the backdrop of the Napoleonic wars, the birth of the Industrial Revolution, and clashes between the classes, it’s the perfect setting for romance.

Holly: You have a degree in theater and were a playwright. Do you still foster those loves in any way? Do you participate in community theater, for example? If so, how does that help you as a writer, if at all?

Me: I have elementary age children, so the time element hasn’t allowed for me to be as involved in community theatre as I would like. It has allowed me to be involved in children’s theatre, however, and recently I worked with a very creative group of young people writing and producing their own scripts. That was a wonderful experience.
I believe a lot of what I learned in the theatre has been a great help in my fiction writing. Primarily, I think I approach my characters the way an actor approaches a role. I don’t direct my characters; I act them in my head and then somehow translate that into prose. Every author has his or her own process, and this seems to work for me.

Holly: Ever thought of working on screenplays? What do you think would be different about those?

Me: That’s a completely foreign animal to me! The live stage is very different from the screen and books are their own industry altogether. I’d love to write a screenplay someday (I’ve got friends who do) so maybe one of these years I’ll dig into that. I need a fabulous idea first… how about big blue people on a planet with lots of trees?

Interview with Holly Zachariah, Part 1

Back in February I was interviewed by journalist, blogger and romance reader Holly
Zachariah (Columbus Dispatch). She asked some really great questions so I thought it might be interesting to post some of them here:

Holly Z: Has it been hard to be a romance writer and a pastor's wife at the same time? Let's face it, some people - whether we like it or not - call romance porn.

Me: I’m very sensitive to the fact that different people have different levels of comfort regarding sensuality in fiction. I never want anyone to be shocked or offended by the hot, sexy love scenes I include in my books so I’m careful not to promote myself as “the pastor’s wife” in case someone might accidentally mistake my work for something inspirational or sweet. Which is not to imply that there is anything shameful in what I write! I think the themes of honesty, forgiveness, commitment and love that are the very backbone of any romance novel are exactly the themes we wish to promote in our faith. I’m conveying this in my voice to my audience, and other authors are using their voice with their audiences. And that’s okay.