Monday, February 6, 2012

SPECIAL GUEST, ANN GABHART

It is my pleasure to have Ann Gabhart as my special guest this week. Next Monday, a name will be drawn from the comments for a free autographed book. Ann will be sending you her latest book, Words Spoken True. I haven't read it, but I'm anxious to. I like Ann's writing style. Here's the blurb from the back of the book. Just be sure to put your name and email address on the comment.Words Spoken True: A Novel

Adriane Darcy was practically raised in her father's newspaper offices. She can't imagine life without the clatter of the press and the push to be first to write the news that matters. Their Tribune is the leading paper in Louisville in 1855. Then Blake Garrett, a brash young editor from the North with a controversial new style of reporting, takes over failing competitor the Herald, and the battle for readers gets fierce.

When Adriane and Blake meet at a benefit tea, their surprising mutual attraction is hard to ignore. Still, Blake is the enemy, and Adriane is engaged to the son of a powerful businessman who holds the keys to the Tribune's future. Blake will stop at almost nothing to get the story--and the girl. Can he do both before it's too late?

Set against the volatile backdrop of political and civil unrest in 1850s Louisville, this exciting story of love and loyalty will hold readers in its grip until the very last page. Bestselling author Ann H. Gabhart once again delivers an enthralling and enduring tale for her loyal and ever-expanding fan base.



Now you know what the book is like, so here are some answers to what Ann H. Gabhart is like. I think you'll like meeting her.



1.      First, tell us a bit about yourself – your personal and writing background. The usual bio stuff.

I’m a country girl, born and raised in Kentucky. I grew up on a farm, one of three sisters, no brothers. That meant Dad had to make do with us girls helping him with the crops. I married very young and picked a farm boy. So, of course, the first thing we did when we could afford it was buy a farm. We still live on that farm but our farming these days is limited to a few beef cows. I’ve known I wanted to write since I first discovered storybooks, so that’s always been my focus along with raising my family and being a farmer’s wife. Always, always I was writing that next story. I have worked some temporary secretarial jobs along the way, but only until the need to write overpowered the need for the extra income. Our three children are all married now. They’ve blessed us with nine beautiful grandchildren.

I’ve published twenty-two books with four more contracted to come out in the next few years. My first Shaker book, The Outsider, was a finalist in the fiction category for ECPA Book of the Year.  The Scent of Lilacs was selected as one of Booklist’s Top Ten Inspirational novels for 2006. The Believer and Summer of Joy were ACFW Carol Book Award finalists. Angel Sister is a RT Book Reviews Magazine nominee for best inspirational novel of 2011.

2.      What do you write?

I’ve written a lot of different kinds of books. My first published books back in 1978 and 1980 were historical romances for the general market. Then I published eleven books for young people. These were mostly coming of age stories with maybe something a little spooky or mysterious and a dollop of romance. Now I’m writing for the inspirational market, but I’m still writing different types of books. I’ve written family dramas, such as Angel Sister, and historical stories set in a Shaker village, most recently The Blessed, and novels with other historical backgrounds. My new book, Words Spoken True, February 2012, is a historical romance with some suspenseful elements. So you can see I like to keep my writing options open. My goal is to claim the genre of a good story, but I do enjoy writing for the inspirational market where I can explore my characters’ faith journeys no matter which type story I’m writing. What we believe or do not believe is such an important motivator in our lives.

Tell us about your new book, Words Spoken True.

I’m excited about this new story that isn’t all that new to me since I actually wrote the first version of it years ago. After many rejections, I rewrote it, shortened it, and added the suspense thread. After many more rejections, I stored it away until a couple of years ago when I decided to rewrite it for the inspirational market. It’s so much fun to take a book that hasn’t quite hit the mark and to rewrite it until it does finally become a story that readers are ready to read.
Words Spoken True is the most romantic book I’ve written for the inspirational market. My other books have romance in them. The Shaker books are definitely historical romances, but because of the beliefs of the Shakers – they didn’t believe in romance or marriage – I had to sneak romance into those stories without much opportunity for romantic scenes. Angel Sister is a family story with a romantic thread but it’s only one of the ingredients in the whole. The Hollyhill books are about a family in a small town with a romance thread throughout, but the romance is not the most important element of the story. Oh, but in Words Spoken True, romance jumps up on the center stage and demands the floodlights. The background history is eventful and has some timely themes that relate to some of our issues in America today, but it’s the romance that lights up every scene. 

Here’s the back cover copy.
Adriane Darcy was practically raised in her father’s newspaper offices. She can’t imagine life without the clatter of the press and the push to be first to write the news that matters. Their Tribune is the leading paper in Louisville in 1855. Then Blake Garrett, a brash young editor from the North with a controversial new style of reporting, takes over a competing paper and the battle for readers gets fierce. When Adriane and Blake meet at a benefit tea, their surprising mutual attraction is hard to ignore. Still, Blake is the enemy, and Adriane is engaged to the son of a powerful businessman who holds the keys to the Tribune’s future.

I hope readers will like Adriane and Blake and will be cheering for them to figure out a way to overcome the many obstacles in the way of them having a happily ever after ending. You’ll have to read it to see if they succeed.

4.      Who has been the most difficult character for you to write?

I don’t know that I’ve had one particular character who was difficult, but when I first began writing Angel Sister with a background lifted from the stories my mother told about growing up during the Great Depression, I had to find a way to separate my fictional characters from the real people in her stories. While I did base much of the background on Mom’s memories and even gave one of my main characters Mom’s can-do attitude, my characters and their actions had to rise up out of my imagination. I left just the whisper of the actual people in my fictional characters.

5.      What characters are lying on your "office floor"? Why didn't they come to life on the page and do you think they ever will? Or why not?

I’m sure I have had characters who didn’t come to life for me, but if so, they’ve not hung around in my memory. I think I’m more likely to have story ideas that fail to come to life on the page and a few that are still lurking in my computer saying maybe someday. Most of the time, I’m so stubborn that if I think up an idea I stick with it and work through the times when I seem to be in the doldrums. And eventually the wind of storytelling starts up again and the characters get on with their stories. That’s a good answer for me to remember right now as I try to dig a new story out of my reluctant mind.

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22 comments:

  1. This book looks so good!!! Please sign me up.

    Salena
    srstormo at yahoo dot com

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    1. Thanks, Salena. I hope if you win, you'll enjoy the story. I appreciate you reading my interview or this first part of it. I'm looking forward to reading everyone's comments all week.

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  2. I like that you write in different genres. And especially the late 1800s. Those are my favorite. I would love to win your new book.

    Linda at: desertrose5713 at gmail dot com

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    1. I've jumped around to all different time periods in my writing. I enjoy looking at different times in KY history. All my books are set in KY because that's the setting I know best. Good luck in the giveaway.

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  3. This sounds like a good book! I've only read your Shaker books, and they were awesome! :)

    marissamehresman(at)aol(dot)com

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    1. Thanks so much, Marissa, for reading my books. Hearing that always makes me smile. I hope if you get Words Spoken True you'll like this story too.

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  4. I love the premise of the dueling newspapers... competition creates great sparks! Thanks for entering me in the drawing.
    twinwillowsfarm at gmail dot com

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    1. Hi, Pegg. Thanks for your comment. There were some sparks flying in my book. In fact one of the titles the publishing company suggested was "When Sparks Fly." A great title, but it didn't work for Words Spoken True because there are some tragic fires in the historical truth of the book.

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  5. I am drawn to this time period and a journalist finding more than news, sounds wonderful. Please include me in the drawing for Words Spoken True.
    worthy2bpraised at gmail dot com

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    1. Thanks, Merry, for reading my interview. I enjoyed coming over to visit with Katt and scribbling along with her. The actual historical background is very dramatic and something that is not as well known as some eras of our nation's history. Hope if you win or get the book, you'll enjoy the story.

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  6. enjoyed the conversation with Ann--love her writing!

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    1. Thanks for commenting, dstoutholcomb. And for the great comment about my writing!

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  7. Loving her book, "Angel Sister" and would love to win this giveaway.

    Carmee Ross miaross1961@yahoo.com

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    1. So glad you enjoyed Angel Sister, Carmee. I enjoyed my Rosey Corner characters and I'm trying to revisit them with a new story now. We'll see how that goes. Thanks for your comment.

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  8. Ann - It's fun hearing about your new book! Both my father and husband are printers. Looking forward to reading Words Spoken True.
    Thanks for the opportunity to win a copy of the book.
    Sharon
    smoore at tcq dot net

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    1. Hi, Sharon. Hope you'll enjoy the newspaper background on the story. Putting out a newspaper in those days was a lot of work. Setting the type by hand and cranking the presses.

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    2. Ann - My dad retired about 8 years ago, and his print shop ended up in a printing museum. And yes, sometimes we set type by hand - especially the headlines. His proof press was a hand crank. I remember as a little girl trying to turn the press over. Dad always had to come over and help.
      Looking forward to reading your book.

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    3. Sounds like you know a lot about the newspaper business of old. I hope I got enough of the facts right that you'll be smiling and not shaking your head. :)

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  9. This book sounds awesome! I would love to win a copy. Sherri
    www.sherriwilsonjohnson.com
    igottawrite [at] bellsouth[dot]net

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    1. Good luck, Sherri. Like your e-mail address. That me too. Gotta write, but lots of time I put off the hard work of digging out the words for a new story.

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  10. Sounds like a very good book..it is going on my 'list'. angadair@nwcable.net

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    1. Glad I made your list, Angie. Hope when you read the story, you'll like my characters.

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