A: Fiction has the power to transport us to borders beyond our own, and teach us something about ourselves and about our relationship with God. Because fiction taps directly into our emotional landscape and paints lessons with a fine brush, each person will take away something different from the story. I love being a creative partner with my fiction readers, putting a story in motion for them, then later discovering through letters and emails the truths God has taught them. In the case of Thorn in My Heart, my hope is that you will examine your own heart for “thorns”—those painful, life-changing experiences that draw us ever closer to Christ—and take comfort in knowing that, just as God saw Leana’s needs, he sees yours as well.

A: The obvious answer is because I’m a woman! (smile) From as far back as I can remember, I was the kind of chick who hung out with female friends more than with mixed groups. I love guys, you understand—I’m the daughter of one, married one, and gave birth to one, so I think men are wonderful. Yet my calling is to encourage women’s hearts, so those are the readers I keep in mind as I’m writing. Having said that, many men write and tell me they enjoy my books, and I’m glad to count them among my readers.

I write very much from an emotional place, rather than a cerebral one. Even if I incorporate tons of research, it’s all filtered through my heart rather than my head. In the modern lingo, I’m a right-brain thinker. I get useful things accomplished with the left side of my brain—answering these questions, for example—but my bent is toward the emotional, relational side which is traditionally (though certainly not exclusively) identified with women.

A: Easy answer: too much time researching, not enough time writing! Research—whether on-site, online, in books, watching videos—so feeds my need to learn that I get carried away and forget to actually press on with the story. One of my fiction-writing heroes, T. Davis Bunn, earmarks just one day a week for research. Brilliant. I keep meaning to try that…

A: I am such a visual, tactile person that seeing, touching, and physically experiencing a place makes the rest of the story come alive for me. I’m happy to dream up the characters, but why not choose some interesting, real locations for them to live in? While I’m writing, I’m able to “go there” in my head because I’ve been there in person. I also buy books about the region, and do research online, but nothing beats standing on the same corner, sitting in the same room, or walking down the same street where your characters have stood, sat, or walked.

For example, I spent two long weekends in Abingdon, Virginia for Mixed Signals, and fell in love with the place. Lititz, Pennsylvania, the setting for Bookends, is my hometown, but I still went back and spent four days walking the streets of my childhood, updating my memories, choosing houses for my characters to "live in", and taking tons of photos. I keep those snapshots handy as I write, noting the small details and incorporating them into the story.

And then there’s Scotland. What can I say? One can never do enough research in so beautiful a place. After nine visits—seventeen weeks total—I have a map of the Lowlands permanently etched in my mind. My Heart's In the Lowlands, an armchair travel guide to Galloway, captures my love for the area.

Q: What’s the best cure for writer’s block?

A: I stand up, stretch, sit down, and start banging on the keys. If the prose is awful, I can edit it later, but the fact is, I have to write my way out of it. I also remind myself why I’m writing, and whose approval I seek. My writing sister, Donna Fletcher Crow, offered these words of encouragement: “We all pray for the flowing rivers, but sometimes all the streams in the desert have dried up. I recommend Psalm 42. All our writing has to flow from the Source. You can't have characters that are growing spiritually if you aren't growing spiritually.” So wise, that woman.

A: Some authors combine their fiction skills and their faith in God with such passion they nail me to my chair every time I read their novels. Francine Rivers, Robin Lee Hatcher, and Angela Elwell Hunt, are three such writers, though my list of favorites is much longer. I also love big novels in the historical fiction genre—authors like Rosamunde Pilcher, Diana Gabaldon, and Philippa Gregory, who write books that take me away to another time and place, peopled with interesting, often flawed characters. I also enjoy the smaller, more literary novels of Tracy Chevalier, Susan Vreeland, and Harriet Scott Chessman. Wonderful storytellers all.

A: The writer/editor relationship is unique to each situation. Some editors bleed red ink all over manuscripts, cutting and pasting until the authors barely recognize their work. Others make a few faint, penciled notations in the margins and expect the author to figure out what needs revising. Most editors land somewhere in the middle. I am blessed with the best editors in the world, who give me lots of input, then stand back and let me decide what needs changing and what will stay.

There are also multiple editors involved in any given book project—the in-house editor, the out-house editor (okay, freelance editor!), the line editor (who goes through, line by line, and makes suggestions), the copy editor (who looks for pesky grammar and continuity problems, i.e., “your heroine picked up a candle in the beginning of the scene, then hugged someone on the next page…when did she put the candle down?”), and finally, proofreaders, who make us all look more presentable.

A: Although I did have my own radio show for ten years—in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Indiana, Michigan, and Kentucky—since 1988 I've been on the other side of the microphone, being interviewed on various radio and television shows around the country,

A: How I wish I had the time to be more helpful in this regard. Alas, looming deadlines (mine always loom), a busy speaking calendar, and important family responsibilities make this an impossibility. But there’s another reason I’m not the best choice to read your manuscript: Let’s say you’re writing about a Victorian woman who witnesses a murder and flees to Cornwall, fearing for her life. And let’s also say I’d already started writing a novel about a Victorian woman who witnessed a murder and…well, you get the idea. There is no way it wouldn’t look like I’d stolen your idea, even if I’d come up with it long before I ever read yours.

Your best bet is to let a pro read it, someone who can really assess your work and offer expert guidance. There are many good services at a fair price; my favorite is the Christian Communicator Manuscript Critique Service. Check it out at www.christiancommunicator.com.

A: Depends on the market. To approach any of the big, general publishers, absolutely. For the bigger Christian publishers, a good agent would definitely speed things along. For the smaller houses, I’d try on your own first. After all, getting an agent interested in your work requires almost as much effort as getting a publisher’s attention! But it’s worth the effort in the long run. Literary agents not only handle negotiations and the business side of things, but also help guide your writing career and help you reach higher and stretch farther than you might on your own.

A: You’ll find those details elsewhere on my website. Click HERE.

A: It took my dear friend, Diane Noble—a wonderful fiction writer and savvy woman—to point out the obvious. When I finished my first novel, Diane said, “Liz, you write about grace!” Who knew?! Indeed, forgiveness and mercy are at the heart of all my books, no matter the genre. I never tire of sharing the good news of God’s grace!

For the other novels in the series, I chose the models and the backgrounds. Our art director created the images in much the same style. I've had all four photos in my writing studio for years now encouraging me as I write.

A: Here’s the truth: Nine out of ten books I read are historical novels! I love the opportunity, both as a writer and as a reader, to explore different times and places. To examine customs and manners from another era, to imagine what life was like in another century. As a child, my parents took me to Williamsburg, to Gettysburg, to Plymouth—places where history comes alive. Now my family and I live in a nineteenth-century farmhouse filled with antiques (in truth, glorified used furniture, but I love the simpler designs of the past!). We support Colonial Williamsburg and Shaker Village at Pleasant Hill because we’re committed to helping keep these gems going. And my writing office is crammed with old books, more than eight hundred on Scotland alone. History is simply in my blood. I’ve always known that historical fiction would be an important part of my writing career; it was only a question of when. And that answer is, now!

A: I immersed myself in Scottish history and culture, studying books on every subject—architecture and art, customs and folklore, food and gardening, music and literature—and made nine separate research trips to Scotland (those frequent flyer miles came in handy!). I tromped about the hills and gardens, visited libraries, snapped a gazillion photos, asked questions, took copious notes. Using my Random House Unabridged Dictionary, I made certain that even the words I chose were in use before 1790. (For example, wiggle came into usage about 1175, but wiggly doesn’t appear in print until 1900!)

Q: I would love to write about my great-grandmother who was a servant in a Cornwall, England home around 1875 till she moved to American with her father. I am having trouble know exactly how to uncover the details that fill a book and give it substance and richness.

A: First, I'd look for general books, something like "England in the 19th Century," though I really love very specific books, i.e. "Scottish Birds" or "Scottish Costume 1500-1900." I sometimes spend an hour researching one tiny detail. But it really matters to me!

A: It can be a challenge, which is why I usually buy books. TONS of them. You'll find my entire bibliography HERE, to get some idea of the kinds of books I look for. You might search www.Alibris.com for out-of-print books. And www.Amazon.com will have lots of in-print titles. In both cases, I'd simply type in "Cornwall" or "Nineteenth Century England" and see what you can find.

A: My 800+ books have their own shelves, divided alphabetically by subject—Art, Architecture, Birds, etc. I refer to them as needed, but I also am slowly but surely reading through the entire collection, and putting "sticky flags" at pertinent material, so I can find it more quickly. It's a painstaking process, but I love research, so don't mind a bit!

A: The poetry of Robert Burns and period folk music helped greatly. Also, I recorded interviews with native Scots, listening to the lilt of their voices and the various regional accents. I own several Scottish dictionaries and did my homework on each Scots word included in the novel, making sure to use it in the right context. I also had an antiquarian bookseller, whose shop is in the heart of Galloway, comb through the finished manuscript to be sure my Scottish details were accurate. I also have read quite a few Scottish novels written in the vernacular, books that were published a hundred years ago or more. I drive my family crazy because I drop in Scots words every chance I get. My favorites include swickerie, pernickitie, ugsome and flindrikin.

A: I spent two months immersed in the lives of Jacob and Esau, Leah and Rachel, doing my best to climb inside their hearts and understand their stories. I studied the Genesis accounts in 14 translations, and combed through 90 commentaries and other solid resource books, doing all the research necessary to write a nonfiction book. I kept those many pages of notes next to me as I wrote the Lowlands of Scotland series, praying as the story unfolded that it would honor God and his Word at every turn. Plus, I taught an 8-week Bible study at my church so I might truly grasp the power of the biblical material. No one tells a story better than the Lord does!

A: I chose the name "James" because it is the English version of Jacob and because there are about a zillion James/Jamies in Scotland! And I chose the name "McKie" because the particular corner of Galloway where my Jamie hails from is thick with McKies, including at least one James McKie buried in the kirkyard of the Monigaff Parish Church. I also love the fact that "McKie" is an ancient name, dating back to the time of Robert the Bruce, and the reality that our Jamie is the "key" to the story.

A: By setting this series in the Lowlands of 1788-1790, I had the freedom to explore all the “whys” and “what ifs” of Jacob, Rachel, and Leah’s stories without tampering with the Word of God. I also wanted to demonstrate that the stories in the Bible are so powerful they can be framed in any time or place—sixth-century Italy, eleventh-century France, or eighteenth-century Scotland—and the glory of God’s truth will shine through.

Q: Are people in Scotland reading this series?

A: Aye, and in many other countries as well. I spent three weeks one October on a special Heart for Scotland Tour in the United Kingdom, and have received many encouraging notes from Scottish readers. One of my endorsers for Thorn in My Heart was the multi-talented Sheila Walsh, who is from Ayrshire, Scotland.

A: Indeed it does! Just as Thorn in My Heart focuses on Leana/Leah’s story, covering Genesis 27-29, Fair Is the Rose continues the sisters’ saga with much more emphasis on Rose/Rachel’s story, taken from Genesis 30. Whence Came a Prince relates the stirring conclusion to Jamie/Jacob's story from Genesis 31-33 and 35. Grace in Thine Eyes is a single title, set in early 19th-century Scotland and based on the story of Dinah from Genesis 34.

A: Thanks for noticing them! I love choosing them and spend an inordinate amount of time trying to find just the right ones. I probably have twenty books of quotes. My favorite volume, copyright 1896, is one my mother-in-law gave me. I’m very careful not to choose any contemporary quotes—very jarring to the reader!—and stick to eighteenth-century or early nineteenth-century whenever possible.

A: Although you may find a VHS tape or two still lingering on bookstore shelves or on eBay, our publisher for those four videos, Nelson/Word, is no longer producing the tapes, originally recorded in January 1999. One Fun Day, the audio cassette series containing all four audio tracks from the videos, packaged in one bright yellow vinyl case, is also completely out of stock and no longer available. So sorry!

A: Eight of my older books—Does Dinner in a Bucket Count? (1993), “One Size Fits All” and Other Fables (1993), Only Angels Can Wing It, the Rest of Us Have to Practice (1995), Reflecting His Image (1996), its re-titled paperback version, Mirror, Mirror on the Wall, Have I Got News for You! (1997), Forty  Reasons Why Life Is More Fun After the Big 4-0 (1997), Help! I’m Laughing and I Can’t Get Up (1998), and the small gift book, While Shepherds Washed Their  Flocks and Other Funny Things Kids Say and Do (1998) are all officially out of print, meaning no additional copies will be printed by that publisher. 

Here's the good news: Rise and Shine combines the best material from all my earlier books, and is very much in print! 

Q: I already own several of your books, but they aren’t autographed. How can I get them signed?
A: I’d be delighted to personally autograph peel-and-stick bookplates for any books in your collection. Simply click HERE to sign up for our FREE once-a-year-newsletter, The Graceful Heart. Kindly indicate on the screen which books you already own, then tell us in the “Comments” section which books you want signed, and to whom. Already receiving our newsletter? Go right ahead and do all the same things, but simply note in the comments, “I already receive your newsletter,” and we’ll make sure you don’t accidentally get two copies next August.

A: Over the years, I’ve recorded audio books for my first book “One Size Fits All” and Other Fables, and for my second novel, Bookends, (both audio books are out-of-print now), and for Bad Girls of the Bible (that audio book is still on store bookshelves). Thorn in My Heart is available as an audio book from Brilliance, both in audio cassette format, and also as CDs, recorded by actress Laural Merlington.

However, I’ve never promoted or sold any of the above audio books for one very good reason: they are greatly abridged. The original novel, Thorn in My Heart, is 160,000 words in print. The audio book is only 35,000 words. As an author, I choose every word, every phrase, every scene, every character with great care. When a book is abridged, most of that crafting is left on the cutting room floor, as it were. Yes, you get the bare bones of the story—you find out “what happened”—but all the elements that make a novel “sing” are gone. Dialogue, description, and characterization suffer the most. The producers are real pros and do the very best job possible. But the finished product is not the book I wrote. So, if you want to read the book—please read the book!

A: You bet! I'm partial to the Ryrie Study Bible, the NASB translation. But there are newer ones that are also terrific.

A: Yes, it does! The most popular these days is the New International Version—the NIV. An excellent translation, if not the most lyrical. A new favorite of mine is the New Living Translation. The language is more contemporary than the NIV, yet it's still a solid translation. And then there is The Message. Not a translation, but a paraphrase by Dr. Eugene Peterson. This isn't designed for studying the Bible verse by verse (my favorite method), but WOW is it an amazing way to simply READ the Bible, chapter by chapter. I can't say enough good things about The Message. It's life-changing, an amazing work.

When I write my books, I use 14 translations, simply to keep myself from getting attached to a particular wording, and to get a BIG PICTURE look at what God is trying to say to us. You really can't go wrong with any of the ones I've mentioned above. Spend a few minutes at any bookstore and look for one that "sings" to you. The Holy Spirit is not limited to one translation. He will speak to your heart through any of them, I promise!

A: Scotland, of course; Kirkcudbrightshire in particular. In ths U.S., we think North Carolina and Oregon are especially beautiful.

A: Traditional Celtic music (are you seeing a pattern here?). The Tannahill Weavers from Scotland and the Chieftains from Ireland for in the car. Harpist William Jackson and guitarist William Coulter while I’m writing. For the complete list of music I love to write by, click HERE!

A: There are many books that have moved me, touched me, shaped me; The Bible is the only one that changed me, particularly the Gospel of John. A distant second, but still important book is C. S. Lewis’s, Mere Christianity. Click HERE for a short piece on how Lewis' book changed my life. And as a child, I loved Madeleine L’Engle’s A Wrinkle in Time.

A: The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Pride and Prejudice, Master and Commander, Sense and Sensibility, Little Women, Life Is Beautiful, The Princess Bride, The Count of Monte Cristo, The Rocketeer, Anna and the King, Ever After, First Knight, The Mark of Zorro, and A Knight's Tale are family favorites that stand up to multiple viewings. You might want to check the content before watching these movies at home to make sure they suit your own family's viewing preferences, as some films are rated PG-13.

Q: Who are your favorite characters in history?

A: Cleopatra. William Wallace. Robert Burns. Napoleon Bonaparte—not because they are heroic, but because they’re fascinating and complex.

A: Oo aye! It’s an emphatic Scottish way of saying “yes,” taken from the French, oui.

A: I plan my daily schedule three months at a time, deciding which days are writing days, which days are speaking or traveling days, which days are office days, and—most important of all—which days are family days. Those are the non-negotiable ones.

In 2004—my son’s junior/senior year of high school, my daughter’s freshman/sophomore year—I took a “radical sabbatical” from speaking to stay home and concentrate on mothering and writing. A big leap of faith for our family, financially, but we saved our pennies and trusted God to provide for our needs as he keeps our eyes on what matters most. I am so grateful to have had that year at home.

Now our nest is empty and our calendar is full of speaking and writing opportunities, thanks to your incredible support. May God bless you in all your own endeavors!