INTERVIEW | Margaret Brownley
By editor on Jan 30, 2010 in Featured, Interviews
Margaret, describe yourself for our visitors.
That’s easy. I’m a natural blonde, willowy thin and gorgeous (that’s what you get when you ask a fiction writer to describe herself). Seriously, I love to read, play the piano, take long walks and travel. I adore young people because they’re so much fun, which is why I’m a Boy Scout Merit Badge Councilor. My husband and I live in Southern California and have three grown children.
How do you find time to connect with God?
I stay connected by putting God first. By this I mean first thing in the morning before I read the paper, deal with email or start working on a book. God and I do have an understanding, though. I get to have my morning coffee while He and I visit.
Do you have a favorite bible verse and or quote you wish to share?
My favorite Bible verse is a simple one but it’s seen me through some tough times:
All things are possible with God—Mark 10:27
A favorite quote of mine is from Erma Bombeck: When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left, and could say, "I used everything you gave me".
Who are your favorite authors? Favorite books?
Since I have so many author friends, I don’t like to mention favorites. The inspirational market has just exploded in recent years and it’s very exciting. I can’t read fast enough. I think one of the most amazing books I’ve read this past year was the classic Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers.
Tell us about your journey to publication.
It was a long and difficult journey. I wrote four books before I published my first one including the world’s worse romance novel. Trust me, sometimes it’s a good thing that our early attempts don’t get published. After selling my first book, things got even more difficult. It seemed like every time I sold a book, the publisher or line went belly-up. I probably own the record for having the most sold books that never got printed. Things got so bad that when I finally landed a contract with Harlequin, my writer friends begged me not to sign it for fear I would close its doors, too. My luck eventually changed and I went on to publish more than twenty books.
The road to writing inspirational novels was a painful one. Following the death of our oldest son, I honestly thought I would never write again. It took awhile, but I finally sat down to write a nonfiction book titled Grieving God’s Way. It was the most healing thing I could have ever done. It was as if God was reaching through the words on the page to heal my heart and soul. After that, I was undecided about which direction to take my writing. I was no longer interested in writing the books I once wrote.
A friend suggested I try the inspirational fiction. I didn’t think I could do it. We put a part of ourselves in our characters, and I wasn’t sure I was qualified to write Christian fiction. As it turned out, I was more qualified than I knew. In A Lady Like Sarah, both the hero and heroine are in a crisis of faith and are in dire need of a miracle. I don’t think I could have written this book without having gone through a similar crisis of faith in my own life. It’s funny how that works.
Tell us about your current book, A Lady Like Sarah.
A Lady Like Sarah takes place in 1879. Preacher Justin Wells leaves Boston in disgrace, and encounters a wounded marshal on a dusty road in Missouri. Justin promises the dying lawman to take his handcuffed prisoner to Texas. This proves harder than he thought, for the prisoner is a woman and she’s determined to miss the hanging party about to be held in her honor.
Justin’s faith is challenged in ways he never could have imagined. The west was so different than anything he experienced in Boston. Though Sarah has no church training, it’s ultimately her faith that sustains them as they battle Indians, gunmen, nature, an uncertain future–and their growing feelings for each other.
How did you come up with ideas for this book?
The story was loosely inspired by true escapades of Pearl Hart. Desperate to help her seriously-ill mother, she stopped a stage and, with the help of a loaded pistol, convinced its passengers to help pay her poor mama’s medical bills. (Bet you didn’t know that health care was highway robbery even back in the Old West.) The question that kept running though my mind was, how desperate would a person have to be to rob a stage? Suddenly Sarah popped up on the page and demanded in no uncertain terms that I tell her story.
What influenced you to write this book?
Sarah has a distinctive voice and it kept nagging at me but I was missing a vital element. So I kept playing with ideas. It was actually Justin who influenced me to write the story. He was a preacher from a church that catered to the upper class. The question that came to mind was how can a wild west Texas town turn a mediocre preacher into a man of God? Wow! I got goose bumps thinking about it.
Did you have a favorite character(s)? Who and why?
One of my favorite characters is Jo March. Growing up, I wanted to be a writer just like her.
From my own books, I have to say Sarah. She certainly is the most complex and demanding. Several readers wrote to tell me that they kept hearing her voice long after they finished the book.
What’s next for you?
I just finished the 2nd book in the Rocky Creek series. A Suitor For Jenny will be published in September. I’m currently working on the 3rd book.
Where can visitors find you online?
Oh, please do visit me at www.margaretbrownley.com
I also blog on www.petticoatsandpistols.com
If you want a smile, you might even check A Lady Like Sarah Presents Stagecoach Etiquette for Readers: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=prY2q9Oasp4
Thank you so much!
Don't Miss ...
Thank you for joining us today! Subscribe to Christian Bookworm Reviews & Podcast.
Post a Comment