SW: Welcome back to the Diamond Mine, Abigail, and congratulations on your debut release.
AW: Thank you, Suzie! I’m so glad to be here.
SW: Let's get to know Abigail a bit more.
Abigail Wilson combines her passion for Regency England with intrigue and adventure to pen historical mysteries with a heart. A Registered Nurse, chai tea addict, and mother of two crazy kids, Abigail fills her spare time hiking the National Parks, attending her daughter’s gymnastic meets, and curling up with a great book. In 2017, Abigail won WisRWA’s Fab Five contest and in 2016, ACFW’s First Impressions contest as well as placing as a 2017 finalist in the Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery/Suspense. She is a cum laude graduate of the University of Texas at Austin and currently lives in Dripping Springs, Texas, with her husband and children.
SW: OK, there are the basics, now it's time to get down to some smaller details. I always like to get started with a few “would you rather” questions as an introduction. So…
Would you rather be completely invisible for one day or be able to fly for one day?
AW: I would much rather be able to fly. What an amazing experience that would be to zoom over all the places I’d love to visit. I’m pretty sure being invisible would just get me into trouble.
SW: Oh, yes, flying around the world would definitely be better than eavesdropping. Would you rather always be 10 minutes late or always be 20 minutes early?
AW: 20 minutes early. To some extent, I tend to already do that now. I hate being late.
SW: Me too. Running late makes me feel like I'm running behind. This one is a tough one for authors: Would you rather live without the internet or live without AC and heat?
AW: If you only said AC, I’d have picked that in a heartbeat, but I absolutely hate being cold. So, I guess I’d say I would choose to live without the internet, but I’d have to spend my writing time at the university library for research.
SW: Good to hear you have a backup plan. You’d like to visit everyone one of our national parks. Of the ones you’ve seen already, which is/are your favorite(s)?
AW: This is seriously a tough question because they all have their unique characteristics that make them special national treasures—each an amazing creation from God. I’ve been to about 20 from Denali National Park in Alaska to Big Bend National Park in Texas. Glacier National Park, however, is just the prettiest place I’ve ever been. From hiking in the snow to swimming in a glacier-fed lake—all in the same park. Redwood National Park would come in a close second. Towering, ancient trees are just awe-inspiring.
SW: This is a two part questions regarding your preferred hot beverage. As a chai tea connoisseur, do you drink coffee? And what is your go-to chai drink?
AW: I am not a coffee drinker; however, I do consume tons of hot tea with chai being my absolute favorite. If I could pick any variety of chai tea, I would recommend the regular one at the Coffee Bean and Tea leaf. So good!
SW: I'm not a coffee drinker either but chai tea is my go-to hot drink. What are you currently reading?
AW: I just finished an advanced copy of Sarah Ladd’s next book, The Governess of Penwythe Hall. LOVED it! Next up is Pepper Basham’s My Heart Belongs in the Blue Ridge. It looks so good!
SW: Tell us a little bit about your journey to publishing. What surprised you?
AW: So many things have been a surprise, but just how long and how much was involved in learning the craft of writing and later selling my story has been an eye opening experience. And now that I have gone through launching a book with a publisher as well, I am amazed at how many moving pieces had to come together to bring my book to the shelf, from marketing and editing to graphic design. It has all been an adventure.
SW: The author community is fantastic when it comes to encouragement and support of up and coming authors. Tell us about a few of the people who have cheered you along.
AW: What an awesome question.
Megan Besing has been my critique partner for some time, and this book would not have been the same without her writing wisdom. She’s been my biggest encourager and such a wonderful friend. Here we are at the Romance Writers of America Conference last summer.Dawn Crandall and Rachel McMillan have also been fantastic supporters. They both took time out of their busy schedules to encourage, answer questions, and help promote. I’m just blown away by their kindness.
SW: Love that! Megan and Dawn have both visited the Diamond Mine. Now I feel like I need to get Rachel here too!
People have strong opinions about the first-person point of view. What drew you to writing a regency with this type of POV?
AW: I’ve always loved first person POV. I gravitate to books written this way, so I was shocked when I met with my agent at the ACFW conference and she told me first person historicals can be a difficult sell. She encouraged me to rethink my book at the time. This was before Dawn Crandall and so many other great historical writers had been published using first person POV. She suggested writing a suspense book instead. I’m pretty sure she meant contemporary suspense, but I ran with it. The last thing she said to me at the conference was to write what you love because that is what people will want to read, and that is just what I did.
SW: Well, it worked for your debut! What are you currently working on? What’s in store next for your readers?
AW: My next book will release on July 2, 2019 titled Midnight on the River Grey. I’m working on the galley edits now. It follows another member of the highwaymen in the area, who’s tragically been involved in the death of the heroine’s brother. Romance and mystery take center stage and with a feisty heroine I absolutely loved writing, I cannot wait to share this story with you all in July!
SW: Oh, sounds like another fabulous read! Can't wait! Thanks for spending time with us this week, Abigail! It’s been a pleasure having you back and we wish you all the best.
Thank you, Suzie! It was truly an honor to be on the Diamond Mine again.
About Shadow of Croft Towers
When fellow passengers of the robbed coach are later murdered, Sybil’s hunt for the truth takes on a new urgency. The only person she can rely on is Mr. Sinclair, Mrs. Chalcroft’s godson, but under all his charms he too leads a double life. Sybil must decide if he is the one honest voice she can trust, or if he is simply using her for his own advances.
With murderers, smugglers, and spies on the loose, nothing—and no one—in Regency England is what they claim. Can Sybil even trust what she knows about herself?
Purchase: Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Christianbook.com
4 comments:
It’s always fun to discover a new author! I have been reading a good bit of regency fiction lately and really enjoying it.
pattymh2000(at)yahoo(dot)com
ps. Sorry if this comes through twice!
Hi Abigail! That was fun reading more about you.
To answer the question in the rafflecopter I guess I don't have strong views about reading first person POV or not. To me, as long as a book is well written, I'll read any POV!
-Laura
LLWaltz [at] gmail [dot] com
Abigail is new to me also. We joke in our family that every vacation has to include at least one state/national park. That's the first thing my husband researches. Some have been duds but others have been gems.
I would love to read this book. I have not read anything by this author yet. She is new to me. Thanks for the chance to win.
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