I’ve been writing a lot about the possibility of starting a podcast, not completely committing for fear it would be too big a challenge for me. Well, I’m committed now! The first episode of Between the Lines: of Contemporary Christian Fiction launched on October 6th. There have been a few glitches (and a huge learning curve) along the way, but I’m thrilled to announce that it is now available on Spotify, Apple, and many other podcast platforms. But here’s one caveat: I had no idea the title “Between the Lines” was so popular. Do I wish I’d have taken a little more time researching other possibilities? Absolutely. I struggle so much with titles, when I came up with one I liked, I jumped in with both feet and little thought! However, the cover art, which you see here, makes it a little easier to find. I will do a recap blog post covering the podcast interviews at the end of every month just in case you’d prefer to read about them rather than listen.
You might be scratching your head, wondering what the podcast is all about. I’m glad you asked! I am interviewing authors of contemporary Christian fiction to give listeners an inside look at their process, struggles, and celebrations along with tips and tricks for those of you who have kicked around the idea of writing a novel. I chose to focus on contemporary fiction for two reasons: It’s what I write, so I have a better feel for it; and contemporary fiction authors have a harder time finding a following than historical authors. I wanted to bless authors with a marketing opportunity they may not easily find otherwise.
That’s not to say that these authors write only contemporary. In fact, my first interview was with Carolyn Miller who writes regency novels as well. In fact, she has twelve with Kregal Publishing, but her heart is in the contemporary romance genre. She’s published books in Celebrate Lit Publishing’s Independent Island Series as well as her indie Muskoka Series. It was a treat discussing her creative process and busy life in Australia raising a family. Being an Australian, writing stories set in the U.S. can be a definite challenge. Rather than let it stop her, she takes every opportunity to come “across the pond” and visit America. Each trip is inspiration for her next book. See her show notes below:
Author Carolyn Miller is a prolific writer of both contemporary and historical Christian fiction. Although she resides in Australia, she is contracted with the Steve Laube Literary Agency, well-known in the Christian writing market here in the U.S. She publishes both traditionally and indie and has many of her novels in audio book.
In today’s episode, Carolyn shares personal tidbits, how she was able to write 80,000 words during NaNoWriMo (no, that isn’t a typo), and from where she draws inspiration for her novels. You can connect with her via Carolyn Miller Author website where you can find her social media links and books.
Access Carolyn Miller’s Interview here.
After a few back-and-forth emails with author Heidi Gray McGill, I was so looking forward to our time together. I’d heard from several individuals that Heidi is one of the sweetest people they’d ever met, and I found that to be true for myself as well. What I didn’t know until I accessed her website is that she has the added challenge of being visually impaired. How often have we used our deficiencies to excuse us from a challenging task? But Heidi was actually inspired by what others might call a handicap.
Her romance novels delve into characters who are not the perfect Barbie Doll-types we often find when reading these stories. Instead, they’re physically flawed individuals, which is truer to real life. I read in a book on the craft of writing that readers can more easily connect with people who don’t look perfect. Maybe you’re not old enough to remember this, but Fabio Lanzoni, the Italian model, became famous because his face and body was splashed over hundreds of romance novels. Would you believe he’s now 62, unmarried, and has yet to find the woman of his dreams? Fantasy is a far cry from reality.
Unlike me (oh, it’s sooo unlike me) Heidi’s best writing time is in the evening, and she averages about 1,500 words a day. That’s my average, too, but by the time 3:00 in the afternoon hits, I’m worthless. She has amazing organizational skills and charts her work every day—something I could benefit from doing myself—so that she can make the most of time management. See her show notes below:
Self-professed Curvy-Girl Heidi Gray McGill is an Amazon Best Selling author for both historical fiction and young adult romance. She writes stories that connect with readers in a real way, such as Dial P for Perfect starring a curvy-girl heroine who struggles to love herself the way God made her. She began her writing journey during Covid, and since then has completed several novels and novellas. Join me as we dive into the challenges she faces, such as being legally blind, and how she uses them to create real characters. You can connect with her at Heidi Gray McGill Website where you can view her books and access her social media links.
Access Heidi Gray McGill’s Interview here.
I encourage you to listen to these interviews and discover for yourself that writing isn’t as easy as you might think!
Comments 2
Thank you so much for sharing. Heidi is such an inspiration to me. God bless you.
Heidi has been an absolute blessing to me! I thoroughly enjoy her writing skills and books! God bless all of you who write Christian novels!