Today we meet Shannon McNear, author of the debut novella, “Defending Truth” in A Pioneer Christmas Collection. For more information about Shannon, visit her website at www.shannonmcnear.com. You can also find her monthly on the Colonial Quills website  and weekly at The Borrowed Book.

      1. Shannon, what made you write about your period in time?

I’ve been researching on the Revolutionary War era off and on for about seven years now. The time’s political and cultural currents are fascinating to me, and it’s a natural setting for the emotional conflict inherent in good romance.

      2. How is Christmas celebrated in your family and what effect did it have on your writing this story?

We try to go as non-commercial as possible, with a pretty even balance between spiritual focus, family time, and gift giving. We have our traditions, but they aren’t terribly elaborate. I used that as a starting point, of course, but I’d learned that Christmas celebrations tended to be more austere in certain regions for this time period. Just as our family is rather matter of fact about what we do, I could imagine that other families would be, as well.

 

3. What research did you do to authenticate Christmas celebrations in your story?

Lots of digging around online, with as many primary sources from the time period as I could find. I belong to an online community comprised mostly of 18^th century researchers, reenactors, and living history experts, and they helped me tremendously!

      4. When you dreamed up your story idea, what came first, the time period, the story, the location?

The time period, because I’d been researching it already. Then the story (there’s much about the loyalist plight that grabs my imagination), and the location soon followed.

      5. What was the "germ" of your story idea and how did you flesh it out?

A few years back, a couple of other writers suggested I change the premise of a full-length novel I wrote, set in the same time period, from its focus on British/loyalist characters to a romance between a patriot girl and a loyalist boy, or vice versa. I didn’t follow through on that suggestion, but tucked it into the back of my mind, and it sprang to life for this story. :-) It’s a great concept: huge conflict, huge stakes. I also wanted to incorporate a battle I was already familiar with, and explore all the seeming contradictions in the behavior of the participants as they related to politics, since a study of real-life accounts doesn’t really support the whole “righteous patriot and heathen British” stereotype.

6. Would you like to have been there?

Um, no. It was a harsh, terrifying time. It’s much romanticized now, or softened by political correctness—for instance, the issue of the conflict between Native Americans and European settlers—but the reality was that these people were all just struggling to live their lives, and the politics were as upsetting and confusing as today.

7. What aspects of your characters are reflected in yours?

I can relate to Truth’s difficulty in accepting help, her struggle with pride. I also relate to Micah’s sense of unworthiness.

8. Have you been to the locations in which your story is set?

Not the exact location, but I’ve visited east Tennessee several times, including a cavern that provided just a wee bit of inspiration for Micah’s hiding place.

9. What surprised you the most about your story?

How much the characters came to life for me. How much fun it was writing a novella, when I’ve always favored longer stories. How difficult it could be to track down one single research factoid, like whether settlers of the time cultivated apples, so I knew whether Truth could offer one to Micah.

10. Would you have made a good pioneer?

I like to think I would, but I rather doubt it. Although I always enjoyed camping and exploring when I was growing up, I’m very much a pampered modern. I’d probably have always been in trouble for dawdling and dreaming, when there was work to be done. :-)

      11. Were any of your ancestors pioneers? If so, where and when?

I’m still in the process of tracking that down, but I’m sure they were. One branch of the family were Mennonites from West Prussia, who fled to Ukraine in the early 1800’s, stayed there for about 60 years, then came to Kansas in the 1870’s. My roots are also anchored firmly through Virginia, North and upstate South Carolina and Tennessee, and then into Texas and Oklahoma. I wish I knew some of those stories!

12. What spiritual themes did you deliberately incorporate into your story? Which ones did you discover later?  :-)

The main themes of forgiveness and grace were deliberate, of course. Others popped up—the real nature of courage, humility, and hospitality. If I wanted to dig really deep, I’d say the ethics of war and self-defense, and by extension, defense of family.

A Pioneer Christmas Collection Giveaway!
Comment below to enter. Every day that you leave a comment is a new entry. At the end of our 12 Days of Christmas Promotion, two winners will be chosen at random. First prize is a $50 gift certificate from Amazon.com. The second prize (but best in my opinion) is an autographed copy of A Pioneer Christmas Collection signed by all 9 Authors!  

Each day you have a new opportunity to enter! You may comment all you like, but only one entry per day will be counted.

 

In celebration of the release of A Pioneer Christmas, I'm hosting talented author, Michelle Ule today. I will be giving away a copy of the book signed by all nine authors!!! Leave a comment below for a chance to win.

 

 

Michelle is the best-selling author of several novels and novellas, including Bridging Two Hearts and “The Dogtrot Christmas” from the NYTimes best-selling A Log Cabin Christmas Collection. Here, she talks about her upcoming novella “A Gold Rush Christmas” from A Pioneer Christmas, releasing September 1, 2013. For more information about Michelle and her books, visit her website: www.michelleule.com.

 

What made you decide to write about your period in time?



Miners climbing Chilkoot

 

When I heard the collection's title, I tried to think of a time period that would appeal to readers. I figured many writers would write about the Oregon Trail.

 

I remembered, though, how fascinated I was by the Alaskan Gold Rush stories when my family traveled to Alaska. In particular, I thought of that horrific photo of the line of men climbing over Chilkoot Pass. I imagined a story about a family caught in that line, stepping out on December 25 to celebrate Christmas. "The Gold Rush Christmas" didn't quite turn out that way!

 

How is Christmas celebrated in your family and what effect did it have on your writing this story?

 

My husband is a retired naval officer, and we've celebrated Christmas in a number of different cultures. We liked to use aspects of the local customs when we lived in different spots--Christmas in Hawaii, for example, included a crèche made of a coconut shell. While composing The Gold Rush Christmas, I tried to find an element of Alaskan culture people would recognize, but which could tell the Christmas story. I found a fantastic one!

 

What research did you do to authenticate Christmas celebrations in your story?

"The Gold Rush Christmas" includes a Christmas totem pole. I explored the Internet for information, and discovered a missionary in Alaska had actually made one! We corresponded and he asked me to used his description because he'd spent years ensuring it was culturally accurate.

 

When you dreamed up your story idea, what came first, the time period, the story, the location?

 

The Alaska location.

 

What was the "germ" of your story idea and how did you flesh it out?

 

I wanted to write about the gold rush and I liked the idea of a pair of boy-girl twins and the boy next door sailing to Alaska and accidentally ending up on a ship filled with gold seekers. I had to come up with a reason why they'd be sailing, and turned it into a quest for a missing missionary father.

    

Would you like to have been there?

 

No. The conditions were awful, the con men were terrible and many people suffered.

 

What aspects of your characters are reflected in yours?

 

My brother is very tall and pushy. He likes to order me around and I've often resented it.  :-)

 

Have you been to the locations in which your story is set?

 

Yes, my family sailed on the Alaskan ferry to Skagway out of Washington 22 years ago. We even slept on deck in our sleeping bags! I pulled on our experiences and the stories we enjoyed while traveling there.

 

What surprised you the most about your story?

 

The wonderful surprising story of how God worked in the prostitutes of Skagway! I incorporated it into my tale.

 

Would you have made a good pioneer?

 

While I am the mother of three Eagle scouts and have spent a lot of time camping, I'm a coward. I don't sleep well on the ground and I don't like to be dirty. So, no.  :-)

 

Were any of your ancestors pioneers? If so, where and when?

 

Many. I'm in awe of the strength of character they exhibited. Most were on the north American continent by 1701 and moved west until they reached the Pacific Ocean. I'm thankful for their sacrifices. My first book, a family history, is called Pioneer Stock in their honor.

 

What spiritual themes did you deliberately incorporate into your story? Which ones did you discover later?  :-)

 

I've always loved the story of Nehemiah and the famous line "I am doing a good work and I cannot come down." I liked the idea of someone going off on an adventure and sacrificing for their family, but being determined to stay in that work even when things became difficult.

 

In writing the story, I learned much about the fortitude of a young man wanting to prove himself, even when he discovered his own prejudices. I love how even a seminary graduate needed to be reminded, gently, that he sometimes needed to be discomforted to do the job God called him to do. I love the spiritual growth going on in "The Gold Rush Christmas."

A Pioneer Christmas Collection Giveaway!
Comment below to enter. Every day that you leave a comment is a new entry. At the end of our 12 Days of Christmas Promotion, two winners will be chosen at random. First prize is a $50 gift certificate from Amazon.com. The second prize (but best in my opinion) is an autographed copy of A Pioneer Christmas Collection signed by all 9 Authors!  

Each day you have a new opportunity to enter! You may comment all you like, but only one entry per day will be counted.

Log Out. Sign Off. Unplug.

Hubby planned a wonderful weekend getaway for the two of us. He bought tickets for last Friday’s performance by the amazing gospel quartet, Ernie Haase and The Signature Sound in Bismarck, North Dakota. These guys are fabulous, especially in concert. I’m not the only person to think so—they just picked up a Grammy at the 52nd Grammy Awards ceremony.

After the concert, Hubby and I spent the night in Bismarck then drove west to Medora, a wonderful little town cuddled up next to the Montana/North Dakota border. Medora is billed as North Dakota’s #1 vacation spot, and after spending two days there, I heartily agree.

I’m a Texan and filled to the brim with Texas pride. I love the grandeur and variety of our landscape, from the Red River to the Rio Grande. But what I saw this weekend was a visual feast for these jaded old eyes. If I close them now, I can still see the painted canyons of the Badlands, the rocky crags of Theodore Roosevelt National Park, and the rolling emerald hills of the Little Missouri National Grasslands.

That said, I nearly missed a good portion of this wonderful scenery until I got a lesson from above on the importance of living in the precious present moment. It happened like this:

My husband Lee is the busiest person I’ve ever known. The man juggles the overwhelming demands of his life with one hand tied behind him and never seems to break a sweat. Yet when his Energizer Bunny ears start to sag, he’s smart enough to get away for a while and recharge.

Me? Not so smart. Several times on our journey, Lee would say, “Look at that” or “Wow, did you see that?” I’d glance up from my iPhone, too late, and he’d state the obvious: “Aw, you missed it.” I’d wonder briefly what I’d missed then shrug and dive right back into reading my email. Then it hit me like a message from above. My husband sought to share something with me, but I’d been too distracted to see.

This thought slid effortlessly into the next. How often does God desire to share something with us, but we’re too busy? How many times has He nudged our shoulders, but we’re so buried in emails, tweets, or status updates we fail to raise our heads in time? The heavenly reflection, gift, or insight whizzes past, and just that fast, we’ve missed it. Perhaps forever. This stuck me as achingly sad.

I put the phone away.

I’m a huge fan of technology and the Internet. I consider them gifts to writers, like cheesecake and chocolate. But with every gift comes the temptation to overindulge.

Who me? Guilty as charged.

So this distracted writer has officially placed herself on a www-diet. Not cold turkey, you understand, but I’m cutting down. Most importantly, I’m going to strive to live in the moment and recognize when it’s time to unplug.

The cheesecake and chocolate? Well. . .the Lord’s not finished with me yet.

The two pictures below are of our Sunday morning outdoor worship service. Awesome! Those that follow are examples of what I nearly missed with my nose buried in my iPhone:

Looking for just the right book but not sure where to look? Check out The Borrowed Book, a website designed specifically for readers and writers of fine books and devotionals! On Mondays, meet the finest debut authors Christian fiction has to offer. Wednesdays and Thursdays, read interviews with your favorite authors or browse excerpts from many of the latest books. Not into fiction? Then stop by on Tuesdays when writers of non-fiction and devotionals will be the featured guests.

Created by award-winning author and speaker, Elizabeth Ludwig, The Borrowed Book offers readers the chance to meet some of their favorite authors, catch up on the latest books, and sign up for weekly drawings and prizes. Rest assured, this isn’t your average writer’s blog. The Borrowed Book was designed with the book-lover in mind…you.




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