A Visit with Susanne Dietze

Susanne Dietze, one of my more recent favorite authors, is celebrating a new release this month. Her book, A Mother for His Family is a lovely and heartwarming story. I thought it would be nice to have her stop by and share a little about this engaging tale. 


Susanne, congratulations on A Mother for His Family! I'm so excited for you. :) How did this story come about? Was there any particular inspiration?

Thank you, Karen! I appreciate you celebrating with me. 

I have always wanted to write a marriage of convenience story featuring a house full of children. I also wanted to write a story where the heroine struggles to see herself as Jesus sees her (which I confess is something I struggle with sometimes). Helena, the heroine, appeared as a minor character in my first Regency novel with Love Inspired Historical, The Reluctant Guardian (Helena is the cousin of the hero from that book). Her role is tiny in that story, but she comes across as cold and judgmental. One day I realized why she was the way she was, and my heart broke for her. I was honored to write about her overcoming her difficulties and stepping into her new identity in Christ. 

It sounds like a wonderful basis for a story. I'm glad you decided to tell it. Which character was the most challenging to create? Which was the easiest? 

In some ways, Louisa was both the easiest and most challenging to write. She is five years old, her personality, perspectives, and attachments (in this case, Tabitha, a sticky doll in need of a good bath), were fun to explore. 

Louisa is also blind, and I wanted to write about her blindness as accurately as possible. I researched blindness in the Georgian era—a time before Braille or much in the way of education or institutions to assist individuals or families. At the beginning of the story, Louisa is treated more like a doll or a baby than a little girl, which was not necessarily out of place for the times—although Louisa’s situation was heightened by her mother’s fears for her. 

I was blessed to ask a few authors with experience in the area of blindness and education for their advice: Laurie Alice Eakes and Kathleen Fuller. They graciously answered my questions, but any errors in the book are mine alone. 

It's interesting to learn how the sight impaired were treated back then. Society has made tremendous strides, hasn't it? Was any additional special research necessary for the story? 

In addition to learning about blindness (then and now), I spent time researching the Peterloo massacre of 1819 (when people in Manchester demanded better representation in Parliament), the death of King George III, and how peerage worked in Scotland during the Regency. My hero, John, is a Lord of Parliament, a Scottish title that, despite its name, doesn’t necessarily serve in Parliament. One of my favorite things to research, no matter the story, is the fashion of the times, and this was no exception! 

That detail about Parliament surprised me as well. I had no idea. And the Peterloo event, how terrible was that? I learned a lot from reading John's and Helena's story. So, what's next on the horizon for you? 

At this moment I’m working hard on proposals! However, I do have two novellas coming from Barbour this year. In April, my story First Things First will appear in First Loves Forever, and the heroine in that story, Georgie Bridge, first made her appearance in For a Song from The Cowboy’s Bride Collection! In the autumn, I’m thrilled to have a Christmas story out: Star of Wonder in Victorian Christmas Brides. Both stories are set in the 1870s: the first in Texas and the second in England!

I remember Georgie! Will look forward to reading about her story soon. Sounds like you've been super busy writing and editing these past months. Appreciate you stopping by this week. May you enjoy great success with all your books! :)

Thank you for having me, Karen! 


My Review of A Mother for His Family 

It’s July 1819, and Lady Helena Stanhope has a dilemma. Due to an interesting set of circumstances, her reputation is questionable at best. Her parents wish to remove her from society to avoid further scandal, so they arrange a marriage between her and a Scottish Lord of Parliament. John Gordon is a widower in need of a mother for his four children. With his busy schedule, he’s looking forward to having a responsible young woman assume the duties of caring for his family. 

Helena and John marry and become acquainted within the boundaries of friendship. They hit a few bumps in the road, but begin to earn each other’s trust. The children – twin boys, a blind little girl, and an orphaned niece provide ample mischief, which often complicates Helena’s and John’s growing relationship.

As if four busy children aren’t enough to test the newlyweds’ mettle, the author throws a little blackmail and a series of robberies into the mix. This isn’t your typical marriage of convenience story. The twists and turns are intriguing and entertaining. It was enlightening to watch the main characters evolve and work through the hardships and events thrown their way. The result is a captivating story that will make you stay up way too late because you just can’t put the book down. (This may or may not have happened to me.) 

Susanne Dietze is a wonderful storyteller, and has written another captivating and heartwarming tale. Helena learns that she is loved, and that God’s redeeming power can restore what’s been lost. I was challenged and able to identify with some of the main characters' inner struggles, and found myself considering my attitude and actions lately.  This delightful story will appeal to historical and other fiction fans, as well as anyone who loves a happy ending.

Find Susanne

Website
Books
Blog
Facebook
Twitter  - @SusanneDietze


What is your favorite genre to read in winter? Do you have any questions for Susanne? What type of research do you conduct for your writing?

Happy writing,

Karen

Miscellaneous Monday

What have you been up to so far this year? Any new projects on the horizon? Here are a few links that might help in your creative pursuits.

If you've been puzzling over how to create a good brand and platform, check out Jennifer Brown Banks' recent post, Is There a Disconnect in Your Brand Messaging? This award winning blogger has helpful insight for this important topic.

Want to write compelling dialogue? How to Write Dialogue That Captivates Your Reader, by seasoned author Jerry Jenkins, offers six no fail tips that will engage your audience.

Thinking about writing a memoir? Not sure how to begin? C.S. Lakin at Live Write Thrive offers encouragement and pointers in Important Considerations When Writing Your Memoir.

Looking to broaden your skills? Consider enrolling online at the Coffeehouse for Writers. Classes include How to Quit Your Day Job (Making a Living as a Full Time Freelancer), Blogging for Profit or Pleasure, Writer's Basic Boot Camp, Writing for the Chicken Soup series, and more.

If you need a little inspiration to get those cold weather cobwebs out of your head, check out Stimulate Your Mind with These Writing Exercises. They're quick and easy, and might give you the spark you need to light that writing fire.

 
Author Susanne Dietze stops by next week to discuss her latest book. Hope you can join us!

What's on your January reading list? Are you working on any special projects this month?

Happy writing,
Karen 




Photo credit: Pexels

Training Your Brain

How are you? Hope this finds you all doing well and settling in to 2018. What does a new year bring to you? A fresh start? Time to reflect, adjust, move forward? Yeah, me too. :) 

One theme that's been constant for me in 2017 and now this year, has been my thought life. What thoughts do I allow to dominate my days? Which ones are good, fruitful, and healthy? Which are of no value, unproductive, and even destructive?

I've long known that our thoughts can be a guiding force, forming patterns and contributing to our worldview in nearly every area of our lives. Our self talk - what we speak to ourselves, and thoughts we allow to roll around in our mind can often mean the difference between failure and success in even the smallest things.

Harmful thoughts - those we allow to reside in our heads, can be death to a healthy spiritual life, relationships, and life and success in general. Think about it, what kinds of thoughts generally trail through your mind? Negative? Positive? Or both, depending on the topic? Can they contribute to an overall mindset about your traits, relationships, situations, and worldview? We have been, and daily continue to train our minds based on the thoughts we allow and perpetuate. While knowing this is helpful, it doesn't always translate into better awareness or change.

Switch on Your Brain by Dr. Caroline Leaf, a book I read last year, offered great insight in this area. Dr. Leaf, a communication pathologist and audiologist, has worked in cognitive neuroscience for over 30 years. In a nutshell, her book explains the connection between our thoughts and physical bodies, and how altering harmful thought patterns yields healthy changes, mentally, physically, and spiritually. 

Dr. Leaf said, "When you think, you build thoughts, and these become physical substances in your brain." The best part is that negative, unhealthy thought patterns can be changed and yield positive results. Her extensive research illustrates the brain's function and capacity, from individuals in everyday circumstances to those with learning challenges and brain injuries. What I found most intriguing was how these scientific finds support Biblical principles of how our lives reflect our thoughts and mindset. What wonderful creations we are! Our God-given capacity to think and live is just amazing.

I was impressed and encouraged by her findings, and would highly recommend her book if this topic interests you. She does get a bit technical, so when I felt in over my head (no pun intended) I read the summaries at the end of each chapter to help process the info.

So how does this relate to writing and other creative pursuits? Our thoughts are key to peace, healthy function, and success. We can begin the year with a positive outlook, training our brains to do what they were created to do, flourishing with productive thoughts that translate into healthy living in all areas.

Although it is an intriguing book, it isn't necessary to read Dr. Leaf's book to begin. We often follow where our thoughts go, so we can start by tuning in to what's going on in our heads. Here are a few things I like to do to help with this process:
 
1) Actively replace negative thoughts with positive ones. My bottom line is this - I'm a child of God and a writer. No matter what's going on or how I feel, this is what God has called me to do. When I find myself being swallowed by the negative, I make an effort to replace lousy thoughts and regroup mentally. One question Dr. Leaf tells us to consider, "What thoughts do we want to become part of us?" (My paraphrase.)

2) Hang out with positive influences. In the writing arena, this includes all of you. Your support is a great treasure. You've been such an encouragement to me. This also includes other friends, like fellow church and other group members, etc. We cannot always avoid negative people, but we can be aware of this and set good boundaries.

3) Stay grounded by tapping into your faith. For me, this is being attentive to God's word and meditating on His principles. Our perspective is always better when focused on the right things.

4) Find good resources. From books like Dr. Leaf's to blogs, continued education, writer's  groups, etc. we can glean good things from seasoned creatives, teachers, preachers, and so on.
 
5) Heed sage advice. When my kids were young they watched a cowboy preacher by the name of Gospel Bill. GB told his young audience, "Garbage in, garbage out," Sowing negative things into our heads and lives causes us to reap the same. Sowing the positive and valuable reaps great long term benefits. Love this simple reminder.

Have you ever considered the impact your thoughts have on your writing and life? What steps do you take to stay positive and productive?

Happy writing,
 Karen






Image credit - Pixabay