Meet Author Sarah Sundin!

Who Are You?

I’m just your average author/pharmacist/soccer mom. All right, so that’s pretty strange.

I was raised in southern California in a home full of readers and always had my nose in a book. Although I flirted with idea of becoming a writer, I also wanted to be a ballerina and a protozoologist. When I learned I get seasick, I abandoned marine biology. When I grew hips (and hated pointe work), I gave up my ballet dreams. And as for writing…well, I kind of wanted to eat. My practical side won, and I majored in chemistry at UCLA, then went to pharmacy school at UC San Francisco.

My husband and I met at UCSF. We’re both pharmacists, and we live in a suburb in the San Francisco Bay Area. After our first son was born, I went down to working one day a week so I could stay home with him, fully intending to return to part- or full-time work once the kids were all in school. We had a daughter and another son, and I got involved teaching Sunday school and women’s Bible studies.

In 2000, when our youngest was a toddler, I woke up one morning from a dream that was so compelling I had to write it down. And it became a full-length novel. A really bad novel, but I didn’t know that at the time. I decided if I was going to dedicate so much time to writing, it had to be more than a hobby. I had to treat it seriously. So I started attending writers’ conferences and joined a writers’ group. In 2003, I submitted for the first time. Five long years of rejection letters later, and I received my first contract. My first novel, A Distant Novel, was published by Revell in 2010.

Where Are You Now?

In a state of transition, but aren’t we all. Our oldest son is away at college, and our younger two children are in high school, so the nest is slowly emptying. I still work one day a week as a hospital pharmacist, teach Sunday school, and lead women’s Bible studies.

My fourth novel, With Every Letter, released this month, the first book in the Wings of the Nightingale series. I just finished my publisher’s first edits on the second book in the series, On Distant Shores (June 2013), and I’m preparing to dive into the third book.

I’m still adjusting to the life of an author—the writing, publicity, speaking, blogging, Facebooking…and balancing it all.

Where Are You Going?

Wouldn’t that be fun to know? If only the Lord trusted us with that information. But He doesn’t, for a very good reason. So all I can say is, “Lord willing…”

Lord willing, the next two novels in the Wings of the Nightingale will release as scheduled. Lord willing, my kids will graduate and get married and have fulfilling jobs and give us adorable grandbabies. Lord willing, my husband and I will grow old together. Lord willing, I’ll get another contract, and another, until He decides I’ve told all the stories He wants me to tell. Lord willing, I’ll keep teaching and speaking and helping people grow in their walks with God.

About Sarah Sundin

Sarah Sundin is the author of With Every Letter, the first book in the Wings of the Nightingale series from Revell, and also the Wings of Glory series (A Distant Melody, A Memory Between Us, and Blue Skies Tomorrow). In 2011, A Memory Between Us was a finalist in the Inspirational Reader’s Choice Awards and Sarah received the Writer of the Year Award at the Mount Hermon Christian Writers Conference. Sarah lives in northern California with her husband and three children. When she isn’t ferrying kids to tennis and karate, she works on-call as a hospital pharmacist and teaches Sunday school and women’s Bible studies. Please visit her at
http://www.sarahsundin.com
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As part of a morale-building program, World War II flight nurse Lt. Mellie Blake begins an anonymous correspondence with Army engineer Lt. Tom MacGilliver in North Africa. As their letters crisscross the Atlantic, they develop a deep friendship. But when they’re both transferred to Algeria, will their future be held hostage by the past—or will they reveal their identities?

Titanic – Legacy of Betrayal – Paula Moldenhauer and Kathleen Kovach

This book was AWESOME! I’m so excited to have these two wonderful ladies to interview on the blog today!

Kathy Kovach

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Paula Moldenhauer

 

First of all, I have to say, I LOVED this book! I’m a sucker for history, and I loved the way you wove the past with the present. Just the right balance of intrigue and suspense, drama and romance. Beautifully done!

So how did this come to be – tell us about your relationship with each other and how/why you decided to become co-authors.

Paula says: Kathy and I met soon after my first writer’s conference, about ten years ago. I was invited to a critique group run by a delightful grandma type, Neva Andrews. I felt safe with her and was excited to join her critique group. The first time I attended she handed the baton to Kathy. I freaked out! But in the end Neva gave me a best friend and writing buddy. Some of my favorite memories are of Kathy, Neva, and me sharing a room at writing conferences. We were like teenagers—telling stories and laughing all hours of the night. From this firm foundation Kathy and I grew together, the most loyal of friendships. Ugh. Getting that lump in my throat.

Kathy says: Paula and I have known each other for ten years. Eventually we became prayer partners and that morphed into best friends. One drizzly evening a few years ago, while driving home from a writing event across town, we started talking about the Titanic. Realizing we both had an interest in it, we kicked around the idea of co-authoring a book. The concept finally caught hold, we ran it by our critique group, and suddenly there was flesh on the sparse skeleton of an idea that wouldn’t let us go. And finally, the week of the 100^th Anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic, our book went live on Amazon.

What inspired you to write a book about the Titanic?

Kathy says: I must admit, it was nothing in the history books that caught my eye, but rather a little musical called The Unsinkable Mollie Brown starring Debbie Reynolds and Harve Presnell. Even though the movie is grossly negligent in its research, just the idea that this woman from Colorado history was a survivor piqued my interest. I’ve visited her house/museum a couple of times. Then, another little movie, Titanic starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet (perhaps you’ve heard of it?) hit the big screen, and I was hooked. Now I’m not a historical writer, so the thought of writing a story about the Titanic seemed daunting. But once Paula and I began kicking around ideas, we realized we could get both historical and contemporary elements in.

Paula says: For me, it was happening upon the story of John Harper. I think it was in our homeschool curriculum and I read it to our children years ago. I was deeply impacted by the thought of this man swimming person to person, asking them if they knew Jesus, even as he was freezing to death. It was this story of faith that drew my interest into the history of the Titanic. And yes, I included it in our book!

Tell us a bit about this wonderful book’s journey to publication – I gather it was not an easy one.

Paula says: We almost didn’t write it. Wheels turn slowly in traditional publication, and we knew there wasn’t time to write the book, sell the book, and then wait for it to come out if we were going to tell our story for the 100^th anniversary of the Titanic. The story wouldn’t go away, though. At our local ACFW chapter meeting a manager from Barnes and Noble talked to us about the changing face of publishing, and we decided we could release the story as an e-book by the anniversary. (We did eventually release a paperback as well.) We were determined to do it right—a well-written story with a great cover and professional edit. The learning curve was greater than we expected.

Kathy says: We had a blast writing together. We met at Daz Bog coffee house at first until I moved into a new home closer to Paula’s neighborhood. Then, she would come over before our critique group, and we would write until everyone got there. It started out that she wrote the contemporary heroine’s point of view and the historical storyline, while I wrote the contemporary hero’s pov. When we saw that the historical part was going to be a lot bigger than we’d planned, I took over the heroine and Paula wrote solely the historical portion. Once we had a good, edited copy thanks to Marjorie Vawter and Lynnette Horner, we hired Kim Liddiard of Creative Pixel to design the cover. She used Paula’s daughter and elderly neighbor who performed beautifully as hand models. Then, we had to negotiate through the eBook formatting process which was challenging for me, but I learned some things that I hope I don’t forget should I write another eBook. And on April 14, 2012, our book was born.

Paula says: There were also some outside things that slowed us down—good and bad. Kathy and I were both contracted with Barbour books. We stopped writing Titanic to write those stories and meet our deadline. It was a good problem to have! Then we both taught at a writer’s conference.

The not so good? I’ve been in two car wrecks since January! The first slowed my ability to write, the second my ability to market. I’m definitely growing up as a writer—and as a person—as I learn to push forward despite the set-backs.

What did you enjoy most about writing this book?

Paula says: Collaborating with Kathy was a dream. We laughed and created together, delighting in the story and in friendship. That was the best part. I also had no idea I would love historical research as much as I do. Finding nuggets of beauty, of faith, of courage and then weaving them into the story was fascinating. I also really loved writing in Olive’s voice. Because she was an older, well-educated woman living in 1912, I was able to indulge in a higher vocabulary and slower cadence when in her point of view. That, and the fascination with the opulence of Titanic, allowed me to write with more description in a style slightly different than required by more modern story lines.

Kathy says: I loved working with the amazing Paula Moldenhauer. Anyone who has gotten swirled up in her creative energy knows what I mean. Once we recover. . .er. . .are ready to move on from Titanic: Legacy of Betrayal, there may be a sequel. I’d love to continue writing with Paula beyond Titanic. Up until this experience, I had a note in my mental “letter from school” that read: DOES NOT PLAY WELL WITH OTHERS. I’ve tried collaborating before, but it just resulted in tears. Okay, I was twelve, but still. . . Paula truly does practice what she preaches and whenever we wrote together, grace reigned.

Paula says: No fair! Kathy’s making me cry again!

You obviously enjoy working together. Can you give us a hint about the sequel?

Paula says: Charles, one of our historical characters who was on the Titanic, won Kathy’s heart. We can’t help but dream of giving him his own book.

Kathy says: Oh, Charles. How I love the bad boys. I don’t know why, but he came alive to me through a photo I found of a young man of that era.

We both have strengths to bring to the table. We joke about sharing a brain, but in our case, it’s true. Where I lack in one area, Paula excels, and vice-versa. We’ve found this even beyond the actual writing. I’m fine doing the detail work of formatting and administration while Paula loves connecting with people in the marketing process. We truly do make a good team.

Yup . . . maybe it’s time to start brainstorming that sequel . . .

What’s next for both of you?

Kathy says: We are both in a four-book novella anthology, titled Postmark: Christmas. My story is “A Blessed Angel Came” about a shy woman with an important message who meets a photographer bent on helping her find her voice—if his past doesn’t silence it completely.

Paula says: Mine is called, “You’re a Charmer, Mr. Grinch.” It’s pure fun! I’m also working on a non-fiction prayer book proposal I’m really excited about. My goal for the summer is to write a romance novel I have brewing. Unfortunately, I lost more than a month to the car wreck. I hope I get my concentration back and that sweet romance flows quickly! If it doesn’t, I’ll content myself with the joys of helping my newly engaged daughter, Sarah, plan her wedding!

About Kathy:

Kathleen E. Kovach lives in northeast Colorado where she leads a critique group and is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers, serving as Rocky Mountain Zone Director. An award winning author of Christian romance, she presents spiritual truths with a giggle, proving herself as one of God’s peculiar people. Visit her at www.KathleenEKovach.com

About Paula:

Author, speaker, and mom of four, Paula Moldenhauer has published over 300 times. Her first two novels release in 2012. She serves as Colorado Coordinator for the American Christian Fiction Writers and homeschools. Paula loves peppermint ice cream and walking barefoot. Her greatest desire is to be close enough to Jesus to breathe His fragrance. Visit www.paulamoldenhauer.com for devotionals, parenting articles and book info.

 

April 1912 - Olive Stanford boarded the Titanic determined to protect all she held dear. Her secret will go with her to the grave—but how can she face the afterlife carrying the burden of her actions?

 

April 2012 - Portland real estate agent, Ember Keaton-Jones distrusts men, with good reason. Ever since her great-great-grandfather, Thomas, deserted the family after the fateful sinking of the Titanic, every Keaton male has disappointed. Ember is on the brink of a huge sale when a stranger shows up with a key to a century-old secret challenging everything she believes. She meets forward-thinking Jeff Dawson who is working in the family’s musty antique shop and finds an unexpected ally in unlocking the mystery of her past. But can they undo the legacy of Thomas Keaton’s betrayal?

Where to find Titanic – Legacy of Betrayal

Website

Amazon

Kindle

Nook

Meet Author Elizabeth Musser!

I’m thrilled to have best-selling author Elizabeth Musser with us today! I read The Swan House  a while ago, and was completely captivated by Elizabeth’s writing. If you haven’t yet read any of Elizabeth’s books, you’re in for a treat! Let’s learn a little more about her today…

Who Are You?

 Bonjour!  I’m Elizabeth Musser, a Southern girl from Atlanta, Georgia who has lived almost half of my life in France.  I’m a novelist, a missionary, a wife and mother and even soon-to-be grandmother!  I consider it a delightful privilege to have two vocations—writing and missions—and to watch the Lord intersect these ministries time and again.  I’m married to Paul, the love of my life, and I’ve been writing ever since I was six years old when I penned this poem (and many others in a similar vein):

I have a little pony

I ride him all around

But when I take him over jumps

He throws me on the ground!

 Where Are You Now?

At this precise moment, I am sitting at my desk inside my little ‘writing chalet’—the tool shed in our front yard where I write.  We live on the northern outskirts of Lyon, France, in a little village of 1000 people.  One of my favorite activities is taking a daily walk by the Saône River, right across the street.  On those walks, if I’m alone, I’m usually talking with the Lord or dreaming up a scene for one of my novels; if I’m walking with someone, we are probably talking about our faith journeys and the challenges of living a Christ-filled life in a very secular society.

Where Are You Going?

 All over the world!  Literally!  Paul and I have been working in French churches for over 20 years, but just two years ago our mission gave us a new role as Pastors to Members, that is, we offer ‘soul care’ to our colleagues throughout Europe.  So we travel quite a bit.  I’m still figuring out how to write ‘on the go’.  Never a dull moment with our Lord!

I’m also thrilled to be going ‘back’ in time to the first novels I wrote back in the 1990s, Two Crosses, Two Testaments and Two Destinies.  The Secret of the Cross trilogy is historical fiction, taking place in the south of France and in Algeria, and these novels have quite a history of their own, which you can read about on my website.  The wonderful news is that Two Destinies, the final book in the trilogy, is at last going to be available in English.  Written 14 years ago, it has been a best-seller in Europe.  The complete trilogy will be available in 2012—Two Crosses and Two Testaments are in bookstores now, and Two Destinies is coming in September.

Two Crosses

 In late 1961, as Algeria’s war for independence from France is coming to a close, two crosses, symbolic of another time in history, draw together a host of characters in an unforgettable story of love and war, revenge and forgiveness.

When Gabriella Madison arrives in France in 1961 to continue her university studies, she doesn’t anticipate being drawn into the secretive world behind the Algerian war for independence from France. The further she delves into the war efforts, the more her faith is challenged.

The people who surround her bring a whirlwind of transforming forces—a wise nun involved in the smuggling, a little girl carrying secret information, and a man with unknown loyalties who captures her heart. When she discovers a long hidden secret from her past, it all leads to questions about trust, faith in action, and the power of forgiveness to move beyond the pain of the past.

 

Two Testaments

 Love for war’s victims keeps them apart.  Will love for each other see them through?

The slightest spark will ignite an explosion.. The tinderbox of broken political and racial relations in France and Algeria provides plenty of kindling. In the midst of the chaos, Gabriella Madison guards the orphans in her care, while battling jealousy with Anne-Marie Duchemin, David’s former flame who has recently arrived in Castelnau, France. Even more problems arise when the townspeople start expressing their discomfort with the multi-cultural orphanage.  They want it shut down…permanently.

Meanwhile, David is trapped on the other side of the Mediterranean, caught in the turmoil of a country gone mad. He seeks a way to guard his life and, at the same time, protect the refugees he came to help.  But even if he accomplishes his mission, can he get out of Algeria alive?

 

About Elizabeth:

Elizabeth Musser, a native of Atlanta, Georgia now living in France, is a novelist who writes what she calls ‘entertainment with a soul.’  Her novels have been acclaimed in the United States and in Europe.  The Swan House (Bethany House, c2001), set in Atlanta in the early sixties, was named as one of Amazon’s Top Christian Books of the Year (2001), was an ABA and SEBA bestseller and was recently named one of Georgia’s Top Ten Novels of the past 100 years, right behind Gone with the Wind (from Georgia Backroads, Autumn, 2009).  Her Secrets of the Cross trilogy, which takes place during Algeria’s War for Independence from France and also in present day Algeria and France, (Two Crosses, Two Testaments, Two Destinies) has been a bestseller in Europe and will be republished this year in the America (David C. Cook, 2012).  Elizabeth’s other novels The Dwelling Place, (Bethany House, c2005), Searching for Eternity (Bethany House, c2007), Words Unspoken (Bethany House, c2009), and The Sweetest Thing (Bethany House, 2011), all set in the South, continue to examine themes of brokenness and healing, faith and forgiveness, surrender and sacrifice.

Elizabeth’s books have been translated into German, French, Dutch and Norwegian.

For over 25 years, Elizabeth and her husband, Paul, have been involved in mission work with International Teams.  They presently live in Lyon, France. The Mussers have two sons, a daughter-in-law, and a fourteen-year-old mutt.

To learn more about Elizabeth and her books, please visit her website at www.elizabethmusser.com.

Or connect with her on Facebook!