Interview with Sharlene MacLaren

Sharlene,

Before we start our questions, please tell us a little about yourself. I'm a retired schoolteacher who, after 31 years, decided to say, "Bye-bye, Students!" and "Hello, Writing World!" It's been an interesting, exciting, challenging, heart-wrenching (AT TIMES), and inspiring adventure to say the least. One thing I know--God dropped a seed of passion for writing in my heart back in the summer of 2000, and He's been growing it ever since. (Who else in her right mind would jump out of bed in the middle of the night just to run to the computer and finish a scene that all of a sudden comes together in her head?)

I have two wonderful daughters and two handsome sons-in-law, but the joy of my life (besides my sweet, darling husband) are my adorable grandsons, Dylan, born March 21, 2006 and Gavin, born March 3, 2008. AND GUESS WHAT ELSE!!! I'm expecting a GRANDDAUGHTER in June '08. Does life get any better than this? Grandma and Grandpa MacLaren just love their babies!

I’m an occasional speaker for MOPS, am involved in KIDS’ HOPE, USA, a mentoring program for at-risk children, counsel young women in the APPLES OF GOLD program, and attend two weekly Bible studies. I also enjoy my involvement in church choir and worship team. My darling husband, Cecil, and I live in Spring Lake, MI with Dakota, out loveable collie, and Mocha, our lazy fat cat.


Could we have a brief synopsis of Courting Emma?
Twenty-eight-year-old Emma Browning has experienced a good deal of life in her young age. Proprietor of Emma’s Boardinghouse, she is “mother” to an array of beefy, unkempt, often rowdy characters. Though many men would like to get to know the steely, hard-edged, yet surprisingly lovely proprietor, none has truly succeeded. That is, not until the town’s new pastor, Jonathan Atkins, takes up residence in the boardinghouse. After a stunning, unexpected turn of events, will Emma risk removing her protective shell to accept the love of God—and the love of a man?



1. Now for our questions…“Emma” has to go through an interesting journey of forgiveness where her father is concerned. Can you tell us what prompted you to write about this particular father/daughter forgiveness issue and any responses you've received from readers. Oh, I have no doubt there are numbers of readers out there who’ve suffered from abusive relationships in their growing-up years. It’s a sad reality. Along with that reality comes a ton of baggage, which, unfortunately, follows most people into adulthood. It’s my belief that oppressed, broken, weary people can lay their baggage down, literally drop it to the ground, with the help of our loving Heavenly Father. I simply wanted to convey this message of love, hope, forgiveness—and ultimate healing to my precious readers. I have heard from a number of sweet sisters in Christ who, after reading about Emma’s journey to wholeness, decided to make amends with, or at least forgive, their offenders.

2. The character of Jon Atkins is different from most "traditional" pastors. Why did you give him the traits you did, and what motivated you to write about a pastor with a heart like his? Ah, I love Jonathan Atkins, primarily because he isn’t afraid to show his humanness. His profession did not make him spotless in nature, nor any less ‘normal’ than the rest of us. Too often, we’re tempted to place clergymen on pedestals of perfection. I wanted readers to see that, while Jon loved and served his Lord with passion, he still felt all the impulses of nature—which for him included a strong attraction to a woman who didn’t know his God personally. This created real struggles in his life, but not insurmountable ones, as anyone will see if they pick up the book. No spoilers here! (grins)

3. I was particularly fascinated by the character of Billy Wonder. Why did you add this character and who/what does he symbolize/represent? It doesn’t go any deeper than I wanted to ‘layer’ my story with some interesting, if not quirky, characters, and Billy was definitely one of them.

4. Your book had some great mystery elements in it! (You really kept this reader guessing.) Have you ever given thought to writing cozy mysteries? Ha! I don’t think I have the mind for writing mysteries, cozy or not. I had to work at the small element of mystery I inserted in Courting Emma. I can’t imagine an entire manuscript of nothing but mystery and intrigue. Although, I do enjoy reading the occasional well-written mystery.

5. It's clear from reading this story that you have a great relationship with the Lord. How do you feel about the ministry aspects of writing? Can you talk a little bit about the call God has placed on your life to minister through your books? My heartfelt, deepest prayer has always been, and will continue, to be that the love of Christ will shine through my feeble, inept words, that my readers will come to know Him in a personal way. It’s a humbling thought that God would choose to use me in this way, but it’s my longing and desire. I know He placed this passion in my heart, and so I’ll carry on with it as long as He lends me strength!

6. You’ve written both contemporary and historical fiction. Do you prefer one over the other? I enjoy both genres. My first two books, Spring’s Promise (2002) and Through Every Storm (2006) are contemporaries. And I’m releasing another contemporary, Long Journey Home, this September. But I also LOVE writing historical books. I love the period between, say, the 1880s up through about 1910, and I think it’s because my own grandparents were born in the 1880s. Because my memories of them remain fresh, that era especially appeals to me.

7. How did you go about developing the character of Emma? I introduced her in the first book, so her story sort of evolved as I wrote books one and two. She is a feisty character, a bit on the hardnosed side, and rebellious toward all things Christian. It is the handsome young preacher who moves into her boardinghouse who will eventually soften her around the edges and show Christ’s love to her. But I’ll admit I didn’t truly get to ‘know’ her myself until I started writing the book.

8. How did you come to decide on Kentucky for your historical series? My daughter and son-in-law lived in Kentucky for about six years, so my husband and I drove down often to visit them. I fell in love with the beautiful, rolling, bluegrass hillsides, white wood fences, and lovely farms. I began to imagine life in Kentucky in the late 1800s, and from there, my series took flight.

9. Can you share with us your secret to developing such realistic characters? It’s difficult to explain how this happens except to say I love reading fiction with true-to-life characters, the kind that simply crawl into my heart and stay there. Since I love to read books whose characters appear so real to me, it stands to reason I would strive to write the same way. When someone tells me one of my stories brought her to tears, I’m thrilled. Not because I love making people cry (ha-ha), but because I’m achieving what I aim to do—reach into my readers’ very core and touch their emotions.

10. What are you working on now? Will you be taking us somewhere other than Kentucky? Currently, I’m working on my next 3-book historical series, which has a 1904-06 West Michigan setting. (I don’t think we’ll be going back to Little Hickman Creek, but you never know.) It’s titled The Daughters of Jacob Kane and will start releasing in January ’09, the first in the series being Hannah Grace. ***But, don’t miss my upcoming contemporary romance coming this September titled Long Journey Home.

11. How can your readers stay in touch with you and also keep abreast of your upcoming releases? Thanks so much for inviting me to do an interview for your blog. It’s been a great pleasure. Please feel free to visit me at any of the following places.

Also, drop me a comment, and I’ll be sure to respond! May the Lord bless you in bountiful, wondrous ways!


www.sharlenemaclaren.com www.sharlenemaclaren.blogspot.com
www.shoutlife.com/sharlenemaclaren

*****BOOK REVIEW: COURTING EMMA

What a blessed life I lead! I just turned in a book today (a romance). I met my deadline! I also just finished editing some devotions, which I hope to turn in tomorrow. After that, I'm turning my full, undivided attention to my Revell book/comedy, BOOT SCOOT'N D.J., which I hope to finish by July 1st. (It's well underway and I'm having a blast writing it!) In the meantime, I'm still reading plenty of great books for review. The lastest is COURTING EMMA by Sharlene MacLaren. What a darling book! Here's the synopsis:

Twenty-eight-year-old Emma Browning has experienced a good deal of life in her young age. Proprietor of Emma s Boardinghouse, she is mother to an array of beefy, unkempt, often rowdy characters. Though many men would like to get to know the steely, hard-edged, yet surprisingly lovely proprietor, none has truly succeeded. That is, not until the town s new pastor, Jonathan Atkins, takes up residence in the boardinghouse, affecting not only her with his devout faith and strong convictions, but her clientele as well. Emma clings desperately to her stubborn ways, refusing to acknowledge God s love until all of Little Hickman witnesses a miracle the conversion of her abusive and alcoholic father, Ezra! Only then will Emma begin to experience God s transforming power at work.

I haven't read anything by Sharlene MacLaren before, but I can hardly wait to read her next book. And the next. COURTING EMMA was beautifully written. Best of all, it wasn't predictable. In fact, there were quite a few twists and turns that kept me guessing all the way up to the end. And the writing! Wow! Sharlene has such a great way of saying things. As I read, I paused to ask myself: "Who SAYS things like that?" It's quirky. Cute. Poignant. Funny. Clever. Unpredictable. Deep. Spiritual. These are all words that describe Sharlene's brilliant writing. And the romantic tension. . .wow! I wanted the hero and heroine to end up together, of course, but it was almost as much fun watching them "try" to dislike each other. What fun! And the characters in Emma's boarding house were a nice distraction, too. I particularly loved the mended relationship between Emma and her father (been there, done that in my real life). Sharlene handled that beautifully.

Though I haven't always been a lover of historicals, I LOVED this book (like PROMISES, PROMISES, the book I read before this). I'm on a roll with historicals!

Good going, Sharlene. I'm so proud of you and your lovely book. Can't wait to tell others about it!

*****BOOK REVIEW: Promises, Promises

Hi everyone!

Well, I've got another great review for you tonight. I just finished Amber Miller's first book, PROMISES, PROMISES and I'm thrilled with it! I told a friend, "It's the perfect blend of story, history and spiritual truth" and it's beautifully written, to boot! Here's the back cover copy:

Raelene Strattford knows God has promised never to leave or forsake her. But after the catastrophic deaths of her parents, she doesn t believe it. What kind of God would take a girl's family and leave her alone in a wild land where women have no voice? Gustaf Hanssen has admired Raelene from afar for a while, but his poor attempt at courting her in the past has made him unwelcome in her life. When Gustaf promises Raelene's dying father that he will take care of her, he finds himself bound to her happiness, her success, and her well-being in ways he never imagined. To keep his word must Gustaf really oversee all of Raelene's affairs, find her a husband, and maintain her farm, while she does nothing but scorn him? Can God reach through Raelene's pain and self-centeredness and give her the love that awaits, if only she will accept His will?

Here's an interesting tidbit... I don't usually read the Heartsong historicals. I'm more interested in the contemporaries, since that's primarily what I write. Sometimes historicals (as a whole) don't hold my attention, or the reader tries to hard to impress with historical lingo/tidbits. But in this case, I found myself caught up in the action right away and also found the story very believable. I could relate to both the hero and the heroine. As I mentioned, it's the perfect blend of story, history and biblical truth. And I love the way Amber presents the spiritual elements. She uses analogies. Great symbolism. Very subtle, and yet very effective. The heroine is led (quite gently)to the Lord by the hero. It's not at all manipulative. Believable. Real. And poignant.

I can't say enough about Amber! Wow! This is her first book?! Pretty amazing, when you think about it. Some of us write for years to get to this quality. Kudos, Amber! I can't wait to read your next one. And your next. And your next! May God bless you with contract after contract. You deserve 'em!

*****BOOK REVIEW: THE GUY I'M NOT DATING

Oh, what fun! I get to review a book that absolutely made me laugh out loud several times over! Those who know me, know I love a great comedy! Trish Perry's fabulous romantic comedy THE GUY I'M NOT DATING is one of the best books I've read in awhile. It's filled with light-hearted fun, but at the core of the story is a biblical principle also found in Josh Harris's non-fiction book, I KISSED DATING GOODBYE - a "must read" in my house when my girls were in their teens.

Here's a blurb about the story:

"Yowza!" exclaims Kara Richardson when she sees the handsome proprietor of the new delicatessen in town, Gabe Paolino--who soon expresses mutual interest. This would be the start of a perfect love story, except for one thing--Kara has vowed to stop dating until she feels Gods leading. But when humorous circumstances send Kara and Gabe on a road trip to Florida, hope springs anew. Even with Kara's flirtatious coworker Tiffany--a hyena in heels--along for the ride, the uncouple begins a lively journey that could change their paths forever. This memorable, charming story of love's persistence captures the honor of waiting on Gods timing, and the adventure of finding the perfect guy to not date.

The comedic timing in this story is excellent. The book really delivers. (You know how some books promise to be funny, but they're really not? There's a big build-up for nothing?) Well, this book IS funny. And clever. And has spiritual depth, to boot. I could relate to Kara in many ways, in part because I'm single and contemplating the whole "dating" thing. (It's tough to contemplate when it's been years since you've been on a date.)

The characterization, as I mentioned above, is excellent, but my favorite character of all is Aunt Addie. (At one point I even wondered if Aunt Addie really WAS Kara's aunt. You'll have to read the story to know why I pondered that question.) Anyway, Addie is a hoot. She's quirky, forgetful, fun-loving, to-the-point, and all around lovable. And there's a section of the book (my favorite) where Kara and Aunt Addie take a road trip with the hero and many other off-beat characters. Talk about fun! I felt like I was in that van with them! What a blast we had, driving to Florida together with Aunt Addie's crazy antics providing the humorous elements necessary to pass the time!

More than anything, this was a truly romantic book. Trish really captured the heart of this reader with her gentle tale of romance "God's way." I could sense the growing affection between Kara and Gabe, and yet it was so gentle, so true to life - and true to the way things should happen in a bibilical relationship - that it literally swept me away.

And speaking of being swept away... I guess I should mention that I almost turned into a prune reading this book. See, I do all of my reading in the tub. I'm so busy with my own books that I just don't have the time, otherwise. Last night I was in the tub for two hours and fifteen minutes. I completely lost track of time AND I had to re-heat the water. (Now there's the sign of a great book!) I made it to the last line of the story (and what a wowzer of a last line!) then finally crawled out of the tub onto dry land. Oh, but what a great time I had reading. This was the sort of book you hate to see come to an end.

I wrote to Trish this morning and shared my thoughts with her privately, but for the rest of you... RUN (don't walk) to get a copy of THE GUY I'M NOT DATING. You will not be sorry! Oh, and by the way... the first person to leave a comment on this post will win a FREE COPY of Trish's book! I'm not giving mine up (sorry, folks), but she's agreed to send one to the winner. So, c'mon! What are you waiting for?

Coming Soon... A Review of "The Guy I'm Not Dating"

Welcome to a new week! Just wanted to let you know that I'm reading Trish Perry's book, THE GUY I'M NOT DATING and will post a review within the week. It's based on the principles found in Josh Harris's book, I KISSED DATING GOODBYE (a book my girls read in high school). Trish's book is a real winner with me because of the humor elements. I'm a sucker for a funny story and I'm a real sucker for a romance. Oh, and about the whole "kissed dating goodbye" thing... It's been many, many years since I've dated, so the whole idea of starting up again is terrifying! Still, I'm open to romance, so reading Trish's book is giving me a good/God idea of how to merge the two worlds. Stay tuned for another great review!

***BOOK REVIEW: ANOTHER STAB AT LIFE

Hi everyone!

Well, I finally got around to reading one of the mysteries from the new Heartsong mystery bookclub. Ironically, I didn't start with one of the ones in the first batch. I started with Anita Higman's, which recently arrived in the mail as a gift. The book is called ANOTHER STAB AT LIFE and takes place in the Houston area, (my stomping ground). Though not a "traditional" cozy (there's not a major off-stage crime at the onset), it does contain mysterious elements throughout and (in some sense) puts one in mind of an old Vincent Price movie. (Think HOUSE ON HAUNTED HILL.)

The story centers around a creepy/gothic house that the heroine's (deceased) grandmother has left to her. Many strange and suspicious things happen in this house (and clues are planted to let the reader know the house has a story of its own). The heroine has some threads to unravel. In the process, she meets and falls in love with the hero. I should mention that the "romance elements" in this story are very strong.

Here's the book's back cover copy:

Bailey Walker has just lost everything--her family, her job, and her home. She has nowhere to go except the dilapidated mansion she's just inherited from her granny Minna. Unfortunately, Bailey discovers that the house has a history as shadowy as its hidden passages and finds the neighborhood overflowing with some rather quirky folks--as well as one particularly appealing bachelor. Bailey feels like she's trapped inside the pages of a gothic novel but with a comedic twist. In order to honor her grandmother's wishes and stay at Volstead Manor, Bailey must unravel a string of mysteries and secrets, which all seem determined to stay happily ever buried.

Anita is a very strong writer, and I enjoyed her eclectic choice of words in several of the scenes. Here's a great example of her work:

Like fine car wax, the moisturizer that I slathered on my face gave it a nice glow. Then I applied everything else in my makeup case to give my face an overall showroom finish. I stared at my reflection and decided to bring out the big guns. Or should I say, "turbo engines"? I revved up the curling iron and my superhold hair lacquer. When all was creamed and preened, I thought I looked like a pretty decent display model. Perhaps a little yellow convertible coupe. Too bad Max wasn't a car dealer. I chuckled at my little joke. Is Bailey in a good mood, or what?
I grinned, wondering what had happened to me and what sort of mind-bending fairy dust had been sprayed on me to make me so intense about my appearance and so goofy in the head. Those ethereal creatures must have skipped the sprinkling and decided to drop a cargo load on me with a crop-dusting plane. In short, I'd become a hopeless emotional pixie.

Doesn't that just make you smile? I love clever wording, and Anita's great at it! She uses creative images to draw the reader into the scene. I'd quote more, but doing so would probably put me over the copyright limit (and I can't afford jail time right now because I'm on a deadline). If you want to know how quirky/fun/gothic/clever/romantic/mysterious Anita is, you'll just have to buy the book and read the rest for yourself.

To learn more about Anita, visit her site at: www.anitahigman.com. Have a great week, everyone!

****BOOK REVIEW: SEARCHING FOR SPICE

Hi everyone! It's been a long week! I've had bacterial pneumonia and some lingering symptoms of bronchitis/upper respiratory infection. I'm finally up and running (even writing again). It's about time for another book review! This week I read Megan DiMaria's delightful book, SEARCHING FOR SPICE. I must admit, I was a little hesitant at first because the book is written in first-person, PRESENT tense. While I love first-person, I've never actually made it through a present-tense book before. Never! So, when I opened this book and saw it was in present tense, I had a small panic attack. (For those of you who don't pay much attention to book tense, writing in present is TOUGH. Most writers can't keep up with it.) I'm thrilled to say I not only made it through this present tense book, I thoroughly enjoyed it. Here's a synopsis of the story:

Linda Revere longs to have a sizzling affair. . .with her husband—a practical, no-nonsense community college science teacher. Unfortunately, life isn't scripted, and nothing goes according to plan. From having a demanding boss and at times a frustrating job to helping her family and friends with their troubles, life seems to be preventing Linda from achieving her goal of an exciting and passionate marriage. Linda hopes God will answer her prayers to jazz up her marriage, but is she ready for what happens next?

SEARCHING FOR SPICE is Megan's debut novel and I'm SO proud of her! She's got an amazing sense of humor and writes in such a realistic way that you feel as if you're peeking in on her real-life story. This novel presents a fascinating look at modern Christian marriages (and one woman's attempt to jazz hers up). It's so realistic in parts that I found myself laughing out loud. (How many of you women have ever attempted a special "romantic" night with your husband, only to fall asleep before things started sizzling?) Yep. Reality. She also does a great job of showing the balance of work, family and marriage. The story bounced back and forth from work scenes (always fascinating) to home scenes (equally as fascinating). All in all, I'd have to say Megan has stumbled onto something here! She's captured the "average" American wife/mother/employee and added a bit of spice. Well done, Megan!