Hello Terri! I’m so glad you could join us today to talk about your new book and your writing journey. First, can you tell us a bit about your book and what inspired you to write this story?
The Lusitania has always fascinated me. The Titanic is so well known, but few people seem to know what happened to the Lusitania. Just three years after Titanic, it was torpedoed with great loss of life within sight of Ireland. In Roll Back the Clouds, I imagined what it would have been like aboard that amazing ship. The main characters, Geoff and Rosaleen Bonnard, survive, but have some difficult days ahead.
And is this the first book you have published?
This is my fifth. My first three are a World War II series, Promise For Tomorrow, and the fourth is a WWII standalone. I also have a short contemporary novella ebook, Where My Heart Resides.
How long has it taken you to get published?
I bought my laptop in 2008, and my first book was published in January, 2016.
What draws you to writing historicals as opposed to straight up romance?
I was a history major in college. I enjoy learning about life in different eras. I’m also into genealogy, and my first book was inspired by family history on the German side. I hadn’t planned on staying with historicals, but an editor told me if I hoped for a contract, I’d probably need a series.
Are there any authors who’ve influenced you in your writing? Do you have any favourite authors?
At my first conference, I met Mary Ellis, who was such an encouragement when I was feeling overwhelmed, intimidated. She’s been a cheerleader for me. I enjoy books by Robin Jones Gunn, Ann Tatlock, Sarah Sundin.
What advice would you give to other writers trying to break into the Christian market?
Be patient. It can take a long time to gain anyone’s interest. And join critique groups and local groups. I was in an online critique group for several years. My critique partner now was a part of that group. The local ACFW chapter meets monthly. It’s good to be with other writers.
What hobbies do you like to do when you’re not writing?
Reading, genealogy, cycling even in winter if the temperature is above 40º. I used to do a lot of needlework, but haven’t had the time, plus the walls are covered with my finished projects.
Do you have any quirky, must-have rituals before you get to writing? (candle burning, café latte, coffee shop only, etc.)
Before opening my WIP, I always play a game of Spider Solitaire, maybe Free Cell.
If you could have dinner with three famous authors, alive or dead, who would they be?
Walter Lord, whose books about the Titanic and WWII like Midway and Day of Infamy read like novels. Maj Lindman, whose Flicka, Ricka, and Dicka books hooked me on reading as a young girl. For the third, it’d be a coin toss between Janette Oke and Robin Gunn.
Where can your readers find you on social media?
Facebook: www.facebook.com/AuthorTerriWangard
Twitter: @terriwangard
Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/terriwangard
Instagram: @terriwangard
Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/terriwangard/
Website: http://www.terriwangard.com
Buy links: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1659679842
Large print https://www.amazon.com/dp/B085RNMBD9
And finally, how long do we have to wait for your next book?
My WIP is a companion book to Roll Back the Clouds, featuring the Bonnard’s neighbors. Hopefully it’ll be finished and ready to go in another year.
Thanks so much for being here, Terri! If you have any questions for Terri, just leave them in the comments.
Buy links: amzn.to/2Vavojh
Geoff and Rosaleen Bonnard embark on a once-in-a-lifetime voyage to England aboard the fabled Lusitania in 1915. Europe is embroiled in war, but that shouldn’t affect a passenger liner. As they approach Ireland, a German submarine hurtles a torpedo into the grand ship. Rosaleen makes it into a lifeboat, but where is her husband? She searches the morgues in Queenstown, heartsick at recognizing so many people. Geoff is finally located in a Cork hospital, alive but suffering a back injury. While waiting for him to recover, Rosaleen is thrilled to meet her mother’s family, but a dark cloud hovers over her. The battered faces of dead babies haunt her. She sinks into depression, exasperated by Geoff’s new interest in religion. Her once happy life seems out of reach.
