Welcome back to the Diamond Mine, friends and merry Christmas! This week, historical romance author Colleen Hall is stopping by for a visit.
About the Author
Colleen Hall wrote her first story in third grade and wrote as a hobby all during her growing-up years. She was born in New England but moved South to attend college. She married a Southerner and has lived half of her life in the South. This helped her to see both sides of the issues of the Civil War. In Her Traitor's Heart, she was able to combine her love of writing with her love of history. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her husband, horseback riding, reading, and browsing antique stores. She lives in South Carolina with her husband and family, three horses, and two spoiled cats.Suzie: Welcome to the Diamond Mine, Colleen. We are delighted to have you with us this week. I always like to start with a couple book- and writer-themed would you rather questions.
Would you rather write in a rooftop garden surrounded by city noises — or in a quiet studio with cows as your neighbors?
Colleen: I would definitely prefer to write in a quiet studio with cows as my neighbors.
Suzie: A good place to write, for sure! Would you rather read a book with no page numbers or no chapter numbers?
Colleen: Hmm. . . I think I’d rather read a book with no page numbers. I’d need chapter numbers to let me know where I am in the plot.
Suzie: Alright, that’s enough of those. Tell us a little about you—family, hobbies, day job, or whatever you’d like to share that’s not in your bio.
Colleen: Some things about me that’s not in my bio: I love chocolate; I’m a night owl; except for one cousin, I’m the shortest person on both sides of the family; I’m the oldest of three children; and yes, what people say about redheads is true—just ask me.
Suzie: What are three books on your current tbr?
Colleen: Three books on my TBR list are: Understanding Show, Don’t Tell—And Really Getting It by Janice Hardy, The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhor, and Sudden Sea, The Great Hurricane of 1938 by R. A. Scotti.
Suzie: All of those look fantastic. I am adding to my tbr now, too :)
What does your writing space look like?
Colleen: My writing space is a nook at the back of the house in the master suite. When I first set it up—complete with a “new to me” antique writing desk. After all, if I’m writing historicals, then I need an antique writing desk that will help set the mood.
Suzie: Yes, an antique writing desk is a must! Would you share with us a little about your road to publication?
Colleen: I’ve been writing almost as long as I can remember. My mother told me I wrote my first story in third grade. All through junior high and high school, I wrote as a hobby. I had to take a break from writing when I went to college. After I graduated from college and married, I picked up my hobby again. I wrote when the children went down for their naps and whenever I could find time. As the kids grew older and family life became more complicated, I had to once again put my writing away. Years later I had surgery and was out of work for several weeks. While I was at home recuperating, I pulled out a manuscript I’d written when the children were young. I reworked it, googled “Christian publishers that take new writers,” and Anaiah Press came up. I submitted to Anaiah, and as the saying goes, “the rest is history.”
Suzie: I love that God kept that writing dream alive despite the stops and starts.
What are some of your favorite things about writing historical stories?
Colleen: I love history, so writing historical novels seemed a natural thing for me to do. I love putting my characters in some of my favorite by-gone eras and creating worlds and challenges within those time periods. I even enjoy doing the necessary research.
Suzie: Tell us more about your newest release.
Colleen: Wild Heart is the fourth book in my Frontier Hearts Saga series and takes the Slash L Ranch family to the next generation. The Wild Wind brothers—they’re featured in books 4 and 5—leave the ranch to pursue their own destinies in uranium mining during the early 1900s.
Suzie: What are you currently working on?
Colleen: I’m currently working on a new Civil War series called Confederate Brides. I’ve just completed the first novel, Beloved Enemy.
Suzie: Oo, that title is intriguing.
Before we go, tell us how we can pray for you.
Colleen: Thank you. I’d appreciate prayers that I’d continue to get fresh ideas for stories, that I’d stay focused on the task the Lord has given me, and that I wouldn’t be discouraged.
Thank you for taking some time out during the busy holiday season to chat with us, Colleen. I've enjoyed getting to know you a little more.
Readers, let us know in the comments what you enjoy most about reading historical fiction.
About Wild Heart
What should a New York heiress do when her domineering father arranges a marriage for her with his banker business partner? In 1911, the heyday of the Robber Barons, women have little power over their destinies, but feisty Garnet Morrison is determined to chart her own course. In Cole Wild Wind, a uranium mine owner in Colorado who seeks to make her father an investor in his mine, Garnet sees freedom from the future her father plans for her.
What does a confirmed bachelor do when he meets the beautiful daughter of an Eastern financier? When Cole was looking for a businessman to invest in his uranium mine, he hadn’t expected to meet Garnet Morrison. Garnet was an Eastern socialite unsuited to life in a Rocky Mountain mining camp, but when her father brings Garnet with him on his business trip, Cole’s vision of his future changes. Forces beyond their control conspire to keep them apart. Can Cole and Garnet overcome the challenges that stand in their way of a life together?
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