Saturday, January 27, 2018

Interview with Author Emily Conrad




Emily Conrad lives in Wisconsin with her husband and two rescue dogs. She loves Jesus and enjoys road trips to the mountains, crafting stories, and drinking coffee. (It’s no coincidence her debut novel is set mostly in a coffee shop!) She offers free short stories on her website and loves to connect with readers on social media. www.emilyconradauthor.com 



Welcome! We're so glad you could visit us today. 
Thank you! I’m excited to be here!
What is your favorite thing about being an author?

My very favorite thing to do is write stories, and I’m so thrilled to get to spend my time doing that! There are hard parts, of course, but when I wrap up a good day of writing, I have that just-walked-out-of-a-movie-theater feeling.

That is a fun way to put it.
Where did the inspiration for your latest book come from? 

Initially, I started writing Justice to explore how a close, long-term friendship like Jake and Brooklyn’s would be affected by the aftermath of a sexual assault. Brooklyn and Jake’s circumstances are very, very different from the Biblical account of Mary and Joseph, yet both couples are faced with an out-of-wedlock pregnancy they didn’t cause. When I noticed that similarity, I borrowed further inspiration from Mary and Joseph to flesh out Jake and Brooklyn’s story.
  
What do you want readers to come away with after reading your books?

The verse that stands out to me the most is Zephaniah 3:5, which one of the characters quotes in Justice. One phrase of it, from the King James, goes, “The just Lord is in the midst thereof.” Jake and Brooklyn suffer wrongs, but even when it looks like God has allowed evil to go unchecked, He is present, just, and at work. I hope readers come away from Justice assured of that.

 I love that!
What is one of your favorite scenes in Justice?

It’s hard to decide, but I think I have to say the fire escape is my favorite scene. Brooklyn’s history affects how she interacts with Jake and prompts her to limit any physical relationship. I hope I’m not giving too much away here… But I when I wrote that scene, to me, it felt a lot like writing a kiss even though that’s not what happens.


If time and money were not a concern, what one skill would you like to learn?

Only one? I’d love to improve my painting skills. When I was a child, art was more of a draw to me than writing (though I did some of that, too). I still dabble in art occasionally, though. I have a mental image of a painting I’d like to do, but I haven’t started it in part because of time, and in part because I’m not sure I have the skill to make what I see in my mind appear on the canvas. Other skills I’m interested in are violin and Italian, but I think I would use painting a lot more, so if I can only choose one, that’s it!

You and I should get together. We share a lot on our "to do" list!
What is your favorite thing about where you live?

Spring! I live in Wisconsin, which means we have a decent winter with snow and cold weather. That’s fine for a while, but when the snow starts to melt, the smell of damp earth and the ability to walk outside in a light jacket just makes me so very happy. Plus, it means my favorite flowers—peonies—aren’t far from growing!

What are you working on next? 

I’ve already written three manuscripts since completing Justice, and I’ve started a fourth. I don’t have contracts for these manuscripts, so it’s hard to say which will make it to readers first, but most of them take a seed of inspiration from a Biblical account—Abraham and Sarah, Joseph, and David and Bathsheba. As with Justice, the stories aren’t simply retellings of Biblical stories in modern times, but in some ways, the characters’ situations are meant to explore a some of the same questions and difficulties our Biblical heroes faced. Whichever finds its way to publication first, I hope readers take away from the stories that though our times may have changed and though our lives have different circumstances, the God of the Bible is still the same. He is a God who pursues us despite our sin, who is faithful, and who redeems.

Well, all the best in your future writing and books. I am very intrigued by your story and hope sit down with it soon! Thanks for joining us!


Jake thought he was meant to marry Brooklyn, but now she's pregnant, and he had nothing to do with it. Brooklyn can’t bring herself to name the father as she wrestles with questions about what her pregnancy means and how it will affect her relationship with Jake. If Harold Keen, the man who owns the bookstore across from Jake's coffee shop, has anything to do with it, the baby will ruin them both.





21 comments:

  1. Lovely interview with Emily Conrad. It's always nice to met new authors and learn about them. Congratulations, Emily on your book Justice. Sounds like anice one to read.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you so much, Marilyn! It's such a joy to introduce the story to readers!

      Delete
  2. I'm so excited for your book to release, Emily. Congratulations!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Barb! I really appreciate the wisdom and support you've lent me through this process!

      Delete
  3. Thank you for sharing your great interview.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you for stopping by, Melanie! I hope you're having a great weekend!

      Delete
  4. Hi Emily. It is nice learning about you and your book. Justice sounds like a very interesting story.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Thank you for the interview! Emily, congrats! Your book sounds very interesting!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Natalya! I'm very excited and hope you enjoy Justice if you decide to read it! :)

      Delete
  6. Emily, peonies are one of my favorites too. We have two in our garden. I admire your willingness to tackle tough issues. I hope Justice does well.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Aren't peonies gorgeous? I wasn't really aware of them until I bought my first house and discovered one bloom in an overgrown flower bed. I couldn't believe a flower that large and gorgeous grew in Wisconsin without my knowing about it--I've lived here all my life! Thank you for your well-wishes about the book. I certainly hope it does justice to the issues--no pun intended!

      Delete
  7. Congrats on your new release!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Your book sounds wonderful, Emily!
    Reminds me of The Atonement Child by Francine Rivers
    Good luck and God's blessings
    PamT

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Pamela! Yes, there are definite similarities between Justice and The Atonement Child, and it's an honor to follow such a wonderful writer's footsteps. I read The Atonement Child after I finished Justice, a little panicked that mine was just a retelling of hers, but we took different angles with our stories. Whew! Just goes to show that you really could give the same basic idea to a bunch of writers and come up with many different end results. :) I love how unique we all are! Thanks so much for your encouragement!

      Delete
  9. Great interview! I love your remark about writing on a good day feeling like just walking out of the movie theater. What a great image! And I love that feeling. :) Fun to hear more about you and your writing. I hope everyone pre-orders a copy of JUSTICE--it's phenomenal!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Jerusha! That post-movie-theater feeling never gets old :)

      Delete
  10. Great interview! The book is wonderful!

    ReplyDelete
  11. How cool! I am loving Justice and knowing these tidbits add to the story. Thanks! :)

    ReplyDelete