Birthday Bash Day Two: Stephanie Grace Whitson

Hello Faithful Readers! I have fun news. My lil' ol' blog passed 1300 page views today. That's not Seekerville caliber or anything, but I feel like it's not too shabby for a year old blog that was sadly neglected for much of that year. And it's all because of you. Thank you all, so very much!

Now on to the reason we all are here: Introducing Stephanie Grace Whitson!

Click here to read my review of A Most Unsuitable Match

What is something about you that is little known to your readers?

That I’m an introvert … and that a few years ago, when I was in my 50s, I took a class to learn to ride a motorcycle, bought one, and like nothing better than riding a few hundred miles … on a whim. 

A few hundred miles? On a whim? You are far braver than I!

What was it that made you start writing stories?

I don’t honestly know. One of my first memories is of my mother reading Pinnochio aloud to me when I was sick as a child. My older siblings used to get a kick out of “teaching the baby” new words. So I’ve been a book-lover and a “word person” for as long as I can remember.  Writing is something that I’ve always done. I loved getting writing assignments in school, loved writing letters home (in the days before computers), loved putting my thoughts down on paper. Story-writing came as a natural outgrowth of learning Nebraska history so that I could home school my children in the subject, being amazed at 19^th century women’s perseverance … and then starting to wonder “what if …. ?”

What inspired this particular story?

I’m working on my master’s degree in history. As part of a summer class, I visited the DeSoto Bend Wildlife Refuge in Nebraska, where the cargo from the Bertrand, a steamboat plying the Missouri River in 1869, sank. The cargo included calico fabric, and items belonging to the few women on board. I was immediately fascinated by the idea of women being stranded on the shores of the Missouri River in 1869 (no one perished in that event). As I went looking for answers to the “what was that like?” question, my fascination grew, and from there characters and scenarios emerged.

What scene in A Most Unsuitable Match stands out as your personal favorite?

That’s a very difficult question to answer. I don’t know that I’d say it was my favorite scene, but I had fun putting a curtain rod in Hannah’s hand and then seeing how she and Fannie would handle the intruder’s threat (obviously I knew nothing too horrible was going to happen, so I could enjoy creating that scene). Samuel’s sermon in the saloon was inspired by a real event, and I enjoyed the idea of paying tribute to Brother Van (a beloved missionary from early Montana days) by having Sam follow in his footsteps in that moment.

Hannah is a lovely character. That scene shows her spunk. She's fearless there.  And the sermon scene was remarkable to me because of the reactions from his audience. Both were beautifully written.

Among your body of work, what would you recommend to readers as your favorite novel or your best work?

Walks the Fire will always have a special place in my heart because of the memories associated with writing it and because of the way that Lonnie Hull Dupont nurtured my fledging writing through the process of that first  book. 

Karyn’s Memory Box continues to be a favorite because of my personal fascination with sod house homemaking. 

Sod house, huh? I'll have to check that one out. It sounds fascinating indeed.

From the viewpoint of craft, A Garden in Paris was the most challenging. Thanks to the help of wonderful editor Ann Parrish, I think we did well. It seems that nearly every book teaches me something new, either about myself as a writer or about the way God invades human history. For readers, it truly does depend on what era of history or what setting and/or genre appeals to them, so I don’t think I can answer that part of the question. 

I love the cover on this one. It's beautiful. --------->

Readers who love antiques or quilts or who wax nostalgic about family heirlooms might enjoy knowing that Sarah’s Patchwork, Karyn’s Memory Box, and Nora’s Ribbon of Memories are now available as ebooks. They’ll soon be back in print as paperback, too.

As a multi-published author, what words of wisdom do you have for those of us trying to break into the writing industry?

“The word” in publishing these days seems to be that it is so difficult to get published. The thing is, that was “the word” back in 1994 when I sent out my first query letters, too. I absolutely expected rejection, and was astounded when that didn’t happen. However, even after 20+ book contracts, I still have to remind myself that “success” does NOT equal “published.” For those of us who love Jesus, success = obedience. Obedience takes on all kinds of shapes, but the truth is that what God is doing in me may have very little to do with whether or not I get published and everything to do with what He is doing in me through the process. I know that seems so easy for me to say because I’ve gotten that contract, but it never gets easier for me when it comes to “remembering the primary purpose.” There is always a new rung of the ladder to climb. Once the publishing contract arrives, there is the wondering if there will ever be another one, and the potential to stress over sales numbers. So, for new writers and old writers and writers in-between, I think the fundamentals remain the same. Work and pray. Repeat. That’s where I was in 1994 before my first contract, and that’s where I remain today. Working, praying … and working and praying. That is simple, but it isn’t easy. Ever. 

Those are certainly wise words, and ones I'll strive to keep in mind as I make my own journey.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Stephanie~

Thanks so very much for helping me celebrate my blog's birthday!

Okay readers, the comment section is officially open. 

Leave a comment to be entered in the drawing. You can get an extra entry by following my blog or subscribing by email.

If you choose the extra entry please leave a separate comment. The giveaway closes at 11:59 pm on October 16.