A Cup of Tea with Rachel Fordham

Welcome back, friends!! I'm so glad you've come for a cup of tea (or coffee) and a chance to meet Rachel Fordham! As always, I have a pot of hot tea and platter of fresh scones with jam and clotted cream to offer you. Go ahead and curl up in a wingback chair or if you want to get fancy, I have a couple beautiful antique Victorian chairs and a settee. 

I had the blessing of meeting Rachel Fordham in person at the last ACFW conference and couldn't wait to interview her for the blog. 

Rachel Fordham is the author of The Hope of Azure Springs. She started writing when her children began begging her for stories at night. She'd pull a book from the shelf, but they'd insist she make one up. Finally, she paired her love of good stories with her love of writing and hasn't stopped since. She lives with her husband and children on an island in the state of Washington.

You can connect with her on Facebook at facebook.com/rachelfordhamfans or her website rachelfordham.com.

 

Thanks so much for joining me here today, Rachel! I am so honored to have you. So let's dive in!

Crystal: What are you reading right now?

Rachel: I just picked up Jane Kirkpatrick’s latest but haven’t started yet. Soon…I hope!

Crystal: What do you like to do when you aren’t reading or writing?

Rachel: I have six kids and we foster so sometimes we have seven. I spend a lot of time at sporting events and church activities for my kids. As a family we love playing board games, going to the beach or working on our yard. We also love taking road trips together.

Crystal: What was the best advice someone ever gave you about writing, life, or anything that strikes your fancy?

Rachel: One thing I always think of when I feel like my plot seems unbelievable is that you can make any character do anything you want as long as you give them a reason why. Often going back and giving them better cause for their actions solves my believability problems.

Rachel has a new book releasing soon called Yours Truly, Thomas. So let's talk about that for a minute. 

Yours Truly, Thomas

For three years, Penny Ercanbeck has been opening other people's mail. Dead ends are a reality for clerks at the Dead Letter Office. Still she dreams of something more--a bit of intrigue, a taste of romance, or at least a touch less loneliness. When a letter from a brokenhearted man to his one true love falls into her hands, Penny seizes this chance to do something heroic. It becomes her mission to place this lost letter into the hands of its intended recipient.

Thomas left his former life with no intention of ending up in Azure Springs, Iowa. He certainly didn't expect a happy ending after what he had done. All he wanted to do was run and never look back. In a moment of desperation, he began to write, never really expecting a reply.

When Penny's undertaking leads her to the intriguing man who touched her soul with his words, everything grows more complicated. She wants to find the rightful owner of the letter and yet she finds herself caring--perhaps too much--for the one who wrote it.

Crystal: Who was the most challenging character to create? What made them so difficult?

Rachel: Eliza Howell is a secondary character in Yours Truly, Thomas. She has a lot going on in her life but doesn’t get a ton of page time so trying to give readers a real sense of her was a struggle. I wanted them to sympathize with her and root for her without having her storyline take over. It was tricky but in the end, I think it came together.

Crystal: Which character was the most fun to create? What makes them fun?

Rachel: Margaret Anders runs a boarding house in Azure Springs and is a dominant secondary character. I LOVE writing her because she’s full of wisdom but delivers her speeches in quirky ways. It’s fun pretending like I have a lot of answers!

Crystal: What was some of your favorite research you discovered while preparing for Yours Truly, Thomas?

Rachel: Researching the dead letter office was so much fun! I had a really hard time not including more details and trivia about the office. I loved reading about the random things that came through the mail, the skills the employees possessed to be able to redirect so much mail (can you imagine all that research with no internet) and I loved reading tidbits about the real-life employees.

You can check out Yours Truly, Thomas at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Christianbooks.com, or your favorite retailer. (I highly recommend you pre-order your copy!)

Those who leave a comment with their email address will be entered to win a copy of Rachel's first book, Hope of Azure Springs. There must be at least five different commenters for the giveaway. Comments will close June 5th at 11:59 pm EST.

A Chat with the inspiring, Elaine Stock!

I'm am so happy to introduce Elaine Stock to the Diamond Mine! I've known Elaine for many years, having first met her through our local Romance Writers of America chapter meetings. It's been an absolute pleasure watching Elaine's career grow from that of an aspiring to a published author. Elaine will be offering one Kindle digital giveaway of her book, Always With You, to one luck commenter. 

Elaine Stock is the author of Always With You, which released in January 2016 and has made the Kindle bestseller list. Her novels fuse family drama and psychological suspense. She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and Women’s Fiction Writers Association, and contributes to the international “Happy Sis Magazine.” In addition to Twitter, Facebook, and Goodreads, she hangs out on her active blog, Everyone’s Story, dedicated to uplifting and encouraging all readers through the power of story and hope.

Tracey: Elaine, tell us a bit about how you got started writing fiction.

Elaine: The two big influencers to the love of story were my mother and my aunt—both named Sandra. My mother was a voracious reader (and lover of all arts; she also dabbled in poetry writing) and my aunt told the most wonderful, entertaining stories. A taste of writing came in third grade when an article I wrote was published in the school literary paper (sorry to say, I have no recollection of any details)—and I was hooked! I started writing stories, loving the feel of creating different worlds and characters. In junior high I wanted to be the next playwright of comedies that made people laugh like crazy. Life 101 and interest changes occurred, like in anyone’s life, and here I am today, writing inspirational contemporary fiction.

Tracey: I know you and your husband live in an historic building. Would you care to share a little bit about your lovely home?

Elaine: Aww, thanks so much, Tracey. My husband purchased for cash years and years ago this shack of a dilapidated railroad station because we were young and the banks didn’t want to give us a mortgage. So, with much grit and determination we started out having my husband’s piano restoration business in it for 3 years while we continued doing the majority of building repairs ourselves and living elsewhere. When we decided to make it half home-half business, and needed to add plumbing, well, and septic, we finally succeeded in getting a mortgage and moved in, living wise. The place is paid off now—thanks be to God!—but LOL, we’re out of room and the place needs spiffing up like a new kitchen, refinished floors, too many etc’s. We’ll get there, eventually. But, a home is a home and I’m thankful for it.

Tracey: How did you come up with the story premise for your novel, Always With You?

Elaine: Tracey, remember out Saratoga RWA local chapter days? One summer meeting, during the racehorse season (note: I do not attend the races or bet), a list of racehorse names was distributed and we were asked to write a premise about the horse. My “horse” was named Don’t-Tell-Isabelle, which became my original title for Always With You. Right away I wanted to know who Isabelle was, what she wasn’t supposed to know, and why. The story stewed for several years. Then 9-11 happened. The concept of hatred settled heavily on my heart and led to Always With You, a story of how faith and love can overcome hatred and evil.

 

Tracey: Can you tell us how your faith journey is reflected in the stories you tell?

Elaine: Ever since I can remember I believed in Something/Someone bigger than me, bigger than all of life surrounding me. However, I did not grow up in a family or surroundings of faith. Hindsight shows me that perhaps this is why I searched for the One who wanted me, and I accepted Christ into my heart and was baptized at the age of 22. And baptized a 2^nd time (by immersion) 3 years ago. But, life isn’t easy, even for the believer. It wasn’t meant to be! That’s why my stories, so far, all have characters, especially teens and young adults, who come to embrace God despite their struggles.

Tracey: What is one thing readers don't know about you?

Elaine: I love to cook and bake. For one week back in my early twenties—a time when one doesn’t worry about the how-to’s—I went into the cheesecake business, offering to bake cheesecakes for private use and parties. Well, I did receive 1 order! Truthfully, I’m so glad that profession ended before it ever took off!! Ironically, between working a day-job and writing, I manage to cook simple and nutritional meals, but haven’t baked in years.

Tracey: What's next for author Elaine Stock?

Elaine: My stories are leaning more toward the fusion of family drama and psychological suspense. Family complexities fascinate me. I’m finishing up a story of how an 18-year-old girl may have her future ahead of her, if only she can survive to embrace it. And, lured by my own family mystery, I’m researching a story that will be my first venture into a time-slip structure, going back and forth in narrative between the present and past.

Always With You

Can she move forward without knowing her past?
Will he enjoy his present if he can’t free himself from what he left behind?

In the heart of the Adirondacks, Isabelle lives in the shadow of a dark family secret whose silent burden strips her family of emotional warmth and faith in God. Tyler belongs to the religious sect called The Faithful, which Isabelle’s father dislikes immensely. Yet, because Tyler belongs to this group, Isabelle sees only a man devoted to his family and faith.

She wants it; she gets it; they marry.

And when the truth comes out, Isabelle faces two choices:
Staying could endanger her child.
Leaving could cost her life.

 Out now: ALWAYS WITH YOU, a Kindle best-sellerAmazon: http://amzn.to/21uGtGF  
Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/1PfRyXX

website/blog: Everyone's Story  http://elainestock.com
Twitter  http://www.twitter.com/ElaineStock
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/AuthorElaineStock
Goodreads  http://goodreads.com/ElaineStock