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Kara Hunt

Tag Archives: California

Lost In Dreams

01 Monday Aug 2011

Posted by Kara Hunt in Interviews

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Tags

Adolescence, California, God, Harry Potter, Mexico, Shopping, YA Librarian, Young-adult fiction

Good morning, Roger and thank you for joining us today at Fiction with Faith.  First, let’s start with sharing with the readers who you are and where you’re from.

I’m just an almost sixty-five-year-old man who retired early to write Christian fiction.

Tell us about your latest release, Lost in Dreams.

Lost in Dreams is basically a continuation of Found in Translation, the first book in my Altered Hearts series.  Kim Hartlinger is returning from a life-changing mission trip to Mexico, only to face a major catastrophe that she thinks she’s responsible for.  She ends up with a major fatigue problem, but comes out of it at the prospect of a mission trip to California.  That trip has its own share of problems, though, and the ultimate question is what will free Kim from her guilt and allow her to live a normal life again.

Lost in Dreams is an interesting title.  How did you come up with it?

Thanks, Kara, but I have to be honest.  My editor came up with it.  The Barbour team didn’t think my original title, Prancing with Pebbles, would resonate with teen girls.  Even though I’d taken great pains to make Pebbles an irresistible title, I didn’t want to be a problem author—someone my publisher would find hard to get along with.  And I liked Lost in Dreams fine, so I didn’t protest.  It isarelevant title since Kim suffers periodic nightmares along with her fatigue.

Titles are not as easy to come up with as many may think.  How long did it take you to write this novel?

Asking that made me curious.  *G* I keep all of the old versions of my manuscripts and increase the version number by one every day.  It looks like Lost in Dreams took about five months.  That’s not taking into consideration the fact that I’d written the first chapter many months earlier.

What would you like the reader to take away from this novel?

I want teens to think about how important forgiveness is: God’s forgiveness, our forgiveness of one another, and—not at all least—forgiveness of oneself.  But I also want them to appreciate the importance of establishing and maintaining a good relationship with their parents—and keeping the channels of communication open no matter what.  Another important take away is the fact that jealousy not only hurts the individual, but can have a gigantic detrimental effect on a team.

This is your second novel.  Was there anything you learned from writing, publishing and marketing your first novel that made it easier this time around?

I learned a little extra patience.  At first, I didn’t fully appreciate the way an independent editor had edited Found in Translation.  But the more I thought about it, the more I realized he was just helping me avoid potential reader objections.  I also learned that it’s impossible to do enough marketing.  I have to do what I can—and what’s appropriate for me—and leave the rest in God’s hands.  That’s where it should have been all along, don’t you think?

  

Yes, the perfect place for all our concerns is in God’s hands, but oh, it’s so hard leaving them there!  But thankfully, our God is a God of patience.  Speaking of patience, writing for the young adult market has its challenges.  There are so many other types of media vying for their attention.  What would you say to urge them to read your novel?

That’s an interesting question, Kara.  And my answer requires a bit of explanation.

I didn’t really have teens in mind when I wrote the first book.  But because it had an eighteen-year-old protagonist, it couldn’t be marketed any other way.  Adults seem to enjoy this series just as much as teens.  I suppose I was a little more teen-conscious when I wrote Lost in Dreams, but I definitely didn’t and don’t write down to teens.

Neither do I worry about trying to capture or imitate teen culture.  So perhaps I would say this to young adults: “You’re adults in the making.  You’re almost there.  I’m not pretending to be a teen anymore, and I know things have changed a lot in the fifty years since I was one.  But we’re both human, and I want to share my humanity with you, especially as it relates to spiritual issues.”

I think the best answer to your question is not what I would say to urge them to read my books, but what other teens would say.  Word of mouth is a powerful tool, and—if my books touch lives the way I pray they will—teens will tell their friends.

What an inspiring answer.  One that I hope adults and teens alike will take to heart as they read your novel and share it with others.  What are some other novels that you’ve written?

I’ve written six other manuscripts.  I wrote one as a prequel to the Altered Hearts series but it’s not even really a Young Adult novel.  I have one other manuscript I consider strictly YA, one that’s kind of on the border, one that probably qualifies as speculative fiction, and several that probably fall into the category of general contemporary fiction.  One of those may even be women’s lit.  All of it is strongly Christian, of course.  I enjoy reading an occasional secular novel—I’m an avid Harry Potter fan (am I permitted to say that here?)  —but nothing else is important enough for me to write about.

Sure, you’re allowed to say that here!  Prayerfully, there are other Harry Potter fans reading this site.  Are there other projects you’re currently working on?

Absolutely!  Although I’ve plotted two more novels in the Altered Hearts series and written about 30% of the third book, Barbour hasn’t offered a contract on them yet.  However, they seem interested in a novel for teen boys that’s may be ten percent finished.  Because I’m a Preacher’s Kid and this book is about a pair of misfit PKs, it’s a lot of fun to work on.  I tried out the first few pages of it on a man friend recently, and he died laughing at all of the high school memories it brought back.

That sounds like a good read, so I can’t wait for that one to be released.  Some of the most recent books I’ve read have made me cry and I loved them, but I’d rather have a book in one hand while holding my stomach with the other.  Laughter truly is the best medicine.  How may our readers contact you?

I’d love to have your readers visit my website at RogerBruner.com or friend me at Facebook.com/roger.bruner.  I also have a Facebook author page.  One can never have too many good friends.  Especially if they’re big readers.  *big smile*

Thanks for stopping by Roger. Hope to see you here again soon!

Yesterday’s Promise

24 Monday May 2010

Posted by Kara Hunt in Interviews

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Tags

Bridalveil Fall, California, God, Grace Livingston Hill, Hantavirus, National Novel Writing Month, Yosemite, Yosemite National Park

A whirlwind romance, amidst the natural splendor of Yosemite National Park. A spur of the moment wedding near Bridalveil Fall. A young bride who awakens the morning after to find her new husband gone with the mountain wind.

Songbird Hannah Johns supports the child born of that ill-fated union by singing in a dinner lounge. Her dream of someday owning the elite establishment and turning it into a venue more suited to her Christian values is shattered when an unexpected transaction places it in the hands of Brock Ellis, the handsome biker who abandoned her in their honeymoon suite.

Ensuing sparks fly high, revealing buried secrets and forgotten pasts. Seeking to find peace in her painful past, Hannah returns to Yosemite, and Brock follows hard on her heels. Back where it all began, she finds herself in danger of losing of her heart yet again to the man who shattered it the first time around.

One of the first things I’m sure our readers would like to know – who is Delia Latham and why does she like to write inspirational romances?

Delia Latham is a California gal gone Okie. I was born and raised in the area in and around Bakersfield, California—or, to be more specific, a little agricultural community called Weedpatch. I love God and my family. I write romance because I just love love, and I write inspirational romance because it was God who gave me the talent to write. I kinda feel like He must have wanted my writing to glorify Him and to encourage and uplift His people…my readers.

“Just love love.” Not sure I’ve heard it put it that way before but I can’t think of a better way to describe it. Speaking of love, is Yesterday’s Promise your first novel?

Actually, it is, in a roundabout kind of way. It was published in 2006 with the title Almost Like a Song. For reasons I won’t go into here, that publishing experience (my first) was not a positive one. I was able to reclaim the rights to my book in 2008. It’s being re-released now as an electronic book through White Rose Publishing. New title, new cover, a great deal more editing, and voila — my first novel becomes my third release!

We’re glad that it’s being re-released and as I’ve mentioned before, I absolutely adore the cover art. Who or what was the inspiration behind Yesterday’s Promise?

I think this book was divinely inspired. Seriously, I had no plans to write it. I was deep into Goldeneyes (which would later become my second novel), and I had hit a seemingly insurmountable wall. I could not write the book! I’d been on my knees a lot, trying to find the inspiration to get on with it. One day, I came across an online advertisement for National Novel Writing Month (Nanowrimo), an annual event in which writers commit to writing 50,000 words during the 30 days of November. It caught my attention, and I decided to go for it, even though it was already very late in October. When November 1st rolled around, I laid aside my dead-in-the-water work-in-progress (Goldeneyes), opened a blank document and started writing. I had no plot, no storyline in mind, no idea what I would write about. But 30 days later, I had the barebones skeleton of Yesterday’s Promise. And when I returned to Goldeneyes, God broke down that immovable wall, and I finished it without a problem.

The “insurmountable wall” or the proverbial “writer’s block”. Many authors have talked about that struggle and how difficult it can be to climb out of. You’ve handled it well. Besides Nanowrimo, what else inspires you to write? (people, music, nature, Scriptures, art, etc)

People. Emotions. Headlines. Events in my life and the lives of others. Ideas are everywhere.

Speaking of ideas, Yosemite National Park has a crucial role in this novel, with vivid descriptions of its breathtaking scenery. Where did you get that idea and why did you choose this setting for the novel?

I didn’t think about it too much, as I said earlier. But a good friend of mine had recently moved to Oakhurst, which is pretty much the “gateway” to Yosemite. I was so impressed with the natural beauty of the area, even though I’d never actually been inside Yosemite National Park. That must have been on my mind, because somehow that’s where the story wound up going. (Incidentally, my friend invited me up to spend a week with her, and insisted on taking me to Yosemite. That visit made my descriptions in the book so much more vivid than I could have accomplished by researching online. I will be forever grateful to Reta Fields-Cortines for being my tour guide, and for relinquishing her pretty little office to me during that week.)

In Yesterday’s Promise, there is a character who suffers with amnesia. What made that condition of interest to you?

I’ve always been fascinated with stories and movies about amnesiacs. Can you imagine waking up one morning and not remembering a portion of your life? So. I had come up with this bridegroom who disappears without a trace after his wedding night. I needed a really good reason for him to have done such a horrible thing to his innocent little bride. Amnesia seemed like a feasible reason, and it gave me the opportunity to research a subject I was already interested in.

The bridegroom, Brock Ellis, is a very confident character despite his medical issues. Hannah and the rest of the clan are also memorable (my personal favorite is Hannah’s friend, Lori) and the dialogue flows smoothly. What is your secret?

Thank you. I try to write dialogue in a very natural manner, the same way I talk. Lori is one of my favorite characters as well—she has her own book coming up. She’s actually very much like a friend of mine who died of cancer several years ago. My friend Lori was a singer, as well, and quite the character. I adored her, and Lori Mahoney was created in her honor. I don’t know that I have a secret. I just try to create my characters as people really are—I don’t like cardboard characters.

I’m so glad Lori will have her own book coming out! The spiritual depth of her character left me wanting to read more about her. In addition, she was a great help to Hannah in the romance department, so Hannah had the best of both worlds. As an author, why is writing romance with faith important to you?

As I mentioned, I know that God gave me the talent to write. I certainly couldn’t do it without His inspiration. The least I can do in return is to use that talent as a ministry. There’s no law that says a reader can’t be entertained and ministered to at the same time.

Wow. I hope you won’t mind if I quote that from time to time. However, as far as entertainment and books go, I haven’t met an author or writer yet who didn’t have a love of reading or an appreciation for books. Is there one book out there (with the exception of the Bible, of course) that has totally transformed your life?

No, not just one book. I did read a lot of Grace Livingston Hill as a young girl, and her writing influenced me greatly. I wanted to be like her heroines, who were most often sweet Christian girls. In particular, I liked those sweet Christian girls who also had a generous dose of spunk. lol Though I don’t think any one book transformed my life, I do believe Grace Livingston Hill definitely helped mold it.

And Lori definitely had her own side order of spunk, which made it easy for me to connect with her. Besides her upcoming novel, are there any other projects you’re working on?

I’m working on a couple of follow-up stories to Yesterday’s Promise. Pru’s story is coming, and then Lori’s. And I’m working on a series of three books based around a Christian dating agency. The first one is finished, and I’m hoping to find a home for it very soon. Right now, I’m about halfway through the second book in that series.

My“stay curious” question of the day: There is a theory out there (okay, okay. Yes, it’s my theory) that you can tell a lot about a person by what they like to snack on. What do you like to snack on when writing?

Chocolate, of course! Actually, I don’t snack a lot when I’m writing, but I always keep a tall glass of ice cold Dr. Pepper nearby. When I do snack, it usually is a couple bites of luscious Dove milk chocolate, or Hershey Bliss. Mmmm!

Mmmm, is right! Let’s see. According to the my long held and well embraced theory (she writes, clearing her throat shamelessly) Chocolate lovers are warm and passionate people who also like to step over to the adventurous side of life every now and then  (skydiving, bungee jumping, kayaking down Niagara Falls). For me, a can of Pringles and a hot cup of Bigelow Blueberry tea. Sounds odd I know. But you mix those two ingredients with an early sunrise, and I’m inspired. Not exactly sure what digesting carbs that early in the morning says about me, but on with the interview…how may our reader’s contact you?

My website:  http://www.delialatham.net
My blog:  http://themelodywithin.blogspot.com
My newsletter:  http://bookshelfnewsletter.blogspot.com
Facebook
Twitter

I love to hear from my readers!

Kara, thank you for inviting me to stop in at your blog! I’ve enjoyed chatting with you.

Thanks for stopping by Delia. It’s been great talking with you!

My Fiction With Faith Review – Yesterday’s Promise is a very interesting and enjoyable read. Hannah Johns, a single mom makes the best of a very bad situation. Abandoned after a very romantic, but very brief marriage, she chalks it up to a lesson learned and strives to put the past behind her, but soon realizes that will be impossible. That impossibility comes in the form of Davey, a son born as a result of that union. Nevertheless for four years, she manages to take care of them both by singing in a dinner lounge, with the hopes of one day owning it and turning into a Christian cafe’ of sorts. But that dream comes to a screeching halt when the owner decides to sell it a lot quicker than she anticipated. The new owner? None else than Brock Ellis, her estranged husband and Davey’s father. And oh, by the way – he doesn’t remember a thing.

The word that stood out to me after reading this book was forgiveness. As Hannah and Brock’s paths come together, a lot of things are said and done that leaves them feeling frustrated and misunderstood. Though Brock had long ago let go of his faith, Hannah clings to hers which makes this whirlwind romance very inspiring right up until the end.

Yesterday’s Promise is laced with colorful characters, humor and Godly insight. If you like Inspirational Romance, you’ll love this book.

Recommended. I look forward to reading other novels by this author as well.

American Christian Fiction Writers Association

ACFW Genesis Finalist 2013

Kara Hunt - 2013 ACFW Genesis Finalist for Suspense/Mystery/Thriller

Mystery, Thriller and Suspense

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