Blessed Morning Gems!!!
Monday I shared the first part of this author interview with Connilyn Cossette in which she answered 11 questions surrounded around her upcoming release and her writing. If you don't know who Conni is please come from under the rock lol.
No, seriously! Connilyn Cossette is a biblical fiction writer and she currently has two series out titled Out from Egypt (a trilogy) and Cities of Refuge (a saga).
I have yet to read the first trilogy she wrote (though I have purchased them), but I am a MAJOR fan of the Cities of Refuge series. I have read the first two books (A Light on the Hill and Shelter of the Most High) and gave those both 5⭐ ratings. I am grateful to be apart of the launch team for the third book, so look forward to my review on Tuesday, July 2nd which is the release day for Until the Mountains Fall. P.S it was an awesome read!
I am back with part two of the author interview based on the upcoming release of Until the Mountains Fall. Here are the final 11 questions that Conni answered.
12. How do you decide what themes you will lift from the scriptures to place in your books?
Don't forgot: Tuesday, July 2nd Until the Mountains Fall releases. It's book 3 in the Cities of Refuge series. Pre-order your copy now...I can tell you it's an awesome read!!
Blessings,Monday I shared the first part of this author interview with Connilyn Cossette in which she answered 11 questions surrounded around her upcoming release and her writing. If you don't know who Conni is please come from under the rock lol.
No, seriously! Connilyn Cossette is a biblical fiction writer and she currently has two series out titled Out from Egypt (a trilogy) and Cities of Refuge (a saga).
I have yet to read the first trilogy she wrote (though I have purchased them), but I am a MAJOR fan of the Cities of Refuge series. I have read the first two books (A Light on the Hill and Shelter of the Most High) and gave those both 5⭐ ratings. I am grateful to be apart of the launch team for the third book, so look forward to my review on Tuesday, July 2nd which is the release day for Until the Mountains Fall. P.S it was an awesome read!
I am back with part two of the author interview based on the upcoming release of Until the Mountains Fall. Here are the final 11 questions that Conni answered.
With Until the Mountains Fall I’d decided from the beginning that Rivkah’s story would be inspired by the parable of the Prodigal Son in Luke but usually the themes of my stories develop as I write and sometimes it takes the entire book being nearly finished before I realize exactly which themes floated to the top. To me that is how thematic elements develop the most organically and avoid being “preachy” in the telling because they are related to the growth within the characters and not because I am trying to teach some sort of moral lesson to the reader.13. What percentage do you feel you are ancient historian, novelist, story teller, romance writer (or any other “hat” you wear as you write these books)?
What an intriguing question! I feel I am about 5% historian because really I am just someone who loves history and I have zero credentials to call myself anything other than a student. I am probably about about equal parts novelist and storyteller, maybe 40% each? Then perhaps 15% romance writer because I do love a good love story but it’s not my main goal as I develop my stories, and then I am about 10% just having a great time playing around with imaginary friends and making up stuff to entertain my own crazy brain. Is that 100%? I certainly don’t know because I am 0% mathematician.14. As a homeschool mom, how did you start and then balance homeschooling with your writing career?
I have homeschooled my kids all the way through (with the exception of one very stressful week of Kindergarten for my son) and now have a 9th grader and a 7th grader (yikes! Prayer appreciated). Balancing homeschool has become a lot easier in the past couple of years because my kids are increasingly independent in their studies, are really intellectually curious, and I have found awesome homeschool enrichment classes that have freed up some time and brainpower for me while giving my kids opportunities to meet new friends and expand their minds. This year my son is planning to write his own novel over the course of the year for a Creative Writing credit, since he has the perfect built in expert and we are looking forward to seeing how that develops. He’s already showing some intriguing talent for storytelling that I am hoping to encourage! For me the important thing is to schedule out my days well, keep to a reasonable word-count plan as much as possible, but also to be flexible and just know that some days school means spending the day (or a couple of weeks) exploring topics of passion instead of following a set curriculum. We love homeschooling and hope to continue it all the way through!15. How detailed is your research for each of your books?
I spent five years writing Counted with the Stars in which I did a lot of detailed research into the ancient world of the Bible. So now with that base in mind, I do my best to mostly research the history, archaeology, and the settings that pertain to each specific book as I go along looking at the broad view and then I concentrate on details that are pertinent to my character’s experiences as I write. If I am not careful I can get lost on historical rabbit trails while I am supposed to be writing, so if I have a question about something in particular I mark it with a $ sign in my manuscript and then research it later and plug it in. But I do my best to read as much as possible and spend lots of time on archaeological and historical websites soaking it all in. Youtube videos can be super helpful, as can podcasts from great Bible teachers and historians.16. Did anything happen during the writing of this book that changed the trajectory of the story?
I had a fairly firm grasp on this story from the beginning, when I was plotting it with my plotting group but I did find some fascinating research about Edrei, which is one of the cities in which a portion of the story takes place. I read about an amateur archaeologist and explorer named Gottlieb Shumacher who claimed to have visited the historical site in current day Daraa, Syria well over a hundred years ago with the help of local guides and discovered a series of tunnels and caves below the city. There is of course no certainty that this site he explored is actually the city of Edrei but the description was compelling to me and stirred my imagination. So the scenes that take place in and below that city are because of this captivating bit of information I just happened to stumble across.17. Did the story change at all during the writing of the book?
My stories always shift and transform in the writing because I am not a firm-structure plotter. I begin with an outline and a list of chapters but within that structure I give myself plenty of room to explore. However without giving spoilers I can’t divulge too much of those changes within Until the Mountains Fall, except to say there was a secondary love story that I didn’t plan that just appeared on the page, along with a shift in the outcome for one of the secondary characters involved, and a resolution to a larger-arc thread that became much more prevalent as the writing progressed.18. Will we see Rivkah and Malakhi again in future books?
We will definitely visit these two in Like Flames in the Night, which takes place eight years after the close of Until the Mountains Fall. There is more to tell about Moriyah and Darek’s family so fear not, I haven’t left you hanging without resolution to some of your burning questions.19. What is your favorite children’s book?
My favorite children’s book is probably Anne of Green Gables, since I was fairly enthralled with it when I was young and absolutely wanted to be Anne. Although the Narnia series is of equal value to me, and in particular the Magician’s Nephew, which is my favorite of the bunch mostly due to the enthralling description of Aslan’s creation of the world with song. To me those scenes had to have been divinely inspired and they give me chills whenever I read them, just as they did when I was a kid.20. What advice would you give to a young person who wants to write books?
Read. Read. Read. Read books that challenge you, that are a little bit tough to get through or are outside the style you might gravitate toward. Explore different genres. Write down and hoard lovely words and lines that capture your imagination. Don’t allow any negative self-talk as you are learning or tell yourself that you aren’t good enough, just enjoy playing with language and write stories and poems and lyrics that you want to read and connect with your own emotions. And don’t limit yourself to writing what is “popular” at the moment. There’s always room for interesting, out-of-the-box writing that breaks the rules or crosses genres. But above all, just write words, every day and in whatever form strikes your fancy. You never know how God will use your passion for writing in the future! I’m proof of that!21. Is there a secret to writing an emotional scene that makes the feelings jump off the page?
I think the most important thing to know about a character is their wounds. Understanding what hurts they harbor will affect how they perceive the world around them and how they will react in certain situations and if those things are explored effectively, the reader will feel the impact more deeply. Also, I draw on my own emotions as I write. Whether or not I’ve actually experienced a moment like the person on the page, I can always think back to a time I’ve felt pain or grief or joy or frustration or fear and remember the visceral reactions I’ve had to those emotions. Writing is much like acting in that way, so tapping into your own emotions and then applying them to whatever character you are embodying as you write is the best way to make your reader feel those things as they live out the story in their minds. Brain science has shown that we actually feel the emotions along with characters in well-written fiction, so if I find myself crying or laughing or sighing as I write out a scene, chances are my readers will too. And I’ll just tell you, I cried a lot during the writing of Until the Mountains Fall. Fair warning.22. Do you get a say in the design of your book cover? What is the process?
The first part of the process for me is creating a secret Pinterest Board with all sorts of images that relate to the story I am building. Characters, settings, details etc. When my editor asks for inspiration I can then share that board with her and the cover designer at Bethany House and I also include notes about the story and characters and any pertinent details that might be helpful. And then, I wait. And wait. And wait. And then one day I get an email with the subject “We have a cover!” and I squeal and gasp and hold my breath as I open the attachment and then I spend hours and hours staring at it and thanking the Lord that Bethany House is my publisher. Each one has perfectly captured the emotion of the stories and my heroines and I have adored each one. If there are little details that perhaps don’t quite fit I can always let them know and see if they address it, but honestly I’ve only done that once and I was super pleased with the result afterward. You can tell how much I love my covers because I put them on photo canvas and decorate my office with them, where I will continue to stare at them for years to come.If you enjoyed it please go connect with Conni on her different social media sites:
Don't forgot: Tuesday, July 2nd Until the Mountains Fall releases. It's book 3 in the Cities of Refuge series. Pre-order your copy now...I can tell you it's an awesome read!!
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