Tanya Eavenson is an ACFW author whose work I had not read until recently. Her book, UNCONDITIONAL, is a gripping tale of love and forgiveness that moved me to tears. Her main characters are a married couple with an insurmountable wedge between them, rather than the usual single guy and girl meeting and falling in love. This story called to mind another one I read years ago in the book of Hosea–a masterfully woven tapestry of the unconditional way God loves us and forgives us even when we are unlovable. I was drawn in by the tagline even before I read the first chapter:
He will fight for her at any cost…
With Valentine’s Day coming up, this book is one that I recommend for married couples to remind them of the UNCONDITIONAL vows they made before God and to each other. Welcome to my blog, Tanya. Tell us a little about your book.
Elizabeth Roberts can’t remember her past, and the present is too painful. She turns to nightclubs and drinking to forget her infant daughter’s death, her husband’s affair.
When his wife’s coma wiped out the memory of their marriage, Chris Roberts found comfort elsewhere. He can’t erase his betrayal, but with God’s help he’s determined to fight for Elizabeth at any cost.
She wants to forget. He wants to save his marriage. Can they trust God with their future and find a love that’s unconditional?
Tanya, I like to chat with other authors to get an insight into the way they approach writing a book. We all have different ways of preparing to get that story down. Some of us plot and plan, and others let the story take off and take the author along for the ride. Share with our readers where your writing journey takes you.
Do you have any favorite or unique ways of coming up with story ideas? It seems stories just pop into my head. The novel I finished a month ago is a Historical Romance set in 1889. The next book is a Contemporary Romance, the next in the series to my latest release UNCONDITIONAL. I have novels in almost every genre waiting in line to be written. Some are fun and light-hearted, but others like UNCONDITIONAL are dear to my heart.
Are your stories more character-driven or plot-driven? I’d have to say my stories are more character-driven.
How much time do you spend getting to know your characters before you actually begin writing the story? Not much. I have all these ideas in my head and my characters talk to each other at times so that helps, but I’m a “Seat of the Pants” writer. With more typing and less plotting, I learn about my characters as I go.
Some writers love research. Others, not so much. How do you approach research? I’m in the “not so much” side of things when it comes to research. My research for Unconditional mostly concentrated on gathering information for a cruise Elizabeth and Chris, my heroine and hero, took during the novel. I’ve never been on a cruise so I asked several friends about their experiences. I was grateful for them sharing their memories and pictures.
Has anything you’ve found during the research process caused you to make major changes in your story, or in your characters? I’m editing my Historical Romance right now and I’ve found that information in one location in 1889 might not be the same information in another. THE RESCUE takes place in two locations, Boston and Texas, so there are differences and I have to be careful to make details accurate.
They say to write what you know, but sometimes we’d rather forget what we know! Have you ever drawn upon your own gut-wrenching life experiences and injected them into your characters’ lives? Interesting question. I believe God allows us to go through things in our lives. Why? I don’t know. That’s for God to decide. But I know in my life, God has allowed me to experience hardships so I may help others, to be a witness, and to have a closer relationship with Him. So if God can use my life and my words for His glory, I should get out of His way and incorporate it within my stories.
Do your characters ever take over your story and do things you hadn’t planned? Yes, Steven in UNCONDITIONAL! Steven is a stranger to Elizabeth, but she actually knows him, she just doesn’t remember.
On several occasions Steven tried to tell Elizabeth how they knew each other, but he couldn’t. I finally had to put my foot down. I told him if he would do as I asked and wait to tell his story, the sequel will be about him. =)
LOL, I can relate. I’ve had characters run off in their own direction. I’ve had to run after them and haul them back into the story and insist that they behave themselves!
Thanks for visiting with us, Tanya.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Tanya Eavenson and her husband have been involved in ministry for fifteen years teaching youth and adults, and doing counseling. Tanya enjoys spending time with her husband, and their three children. Her favorite pastime is grabbing a cup of coffee and reading a good book. Tanya is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and writes for Christ to the World Ministries sharing the Gospel around the world.
You can learn more about Tanya and her books at the following links:
Website: http://www.tanyaeavenson.com/
Google +: https://plus.google.com/111621198804346509165#111621198804346509165/posts
Twitter: http://twitter.com/@Tan_eave
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Tanya-Eavenson/129609683872033
Blog: http://guidedgirls.blogspot.com/
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