Today we're visiting with Christian fiction author, Linda Brooks Davis.
Born and reared on a farm in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas,
Linda earned Bachelor's and Master's degrees from Abilene Christian University
and Houston Baptist University. She devoted 40 years to students with special
needs and reared a daughter and son who are now veterinarians practicing
together.
When
she isn't writing, teaching 4-year-olds at church, reading, or researching her
genealogy, she's doting on six beautiful grandchildren, three of whom arrived
in triplicate form in 2005. In her first published article, "The
Choice", which appeared in LIVE, a 2011 publication of Gospel Publishing
House, she chronicled her daughter's agonizing at-risk triplet pregnancy and
the heart-wrenching choice her medical team placed before her. Linda also has published articles in two other collections of
stories about God's grace.
Welcome
Linda! We're so glad you could visit us today.
What
made you decide to become a writer?
I
have been a lifelong voracious reader but haven’t
always enjoyed writing. I think I feared the critiques in my early school days.
It wasn’t until I entered high school that I
learned there was something inside me that longed to put my thoughts and
emotions onto paper. During my first year of college, a daily delight was
writing letters home to Mother and Daddy and little brother Dale and imagining
their vicarious enjoyment of my college experience. I was a bit stunned when a
creative writing English professor asked if I’d
ever considered writing for a career. The thought of putting my thoughts and
emotions “out there” for
anyone to see was way too intimidating at the time. And then life happened. It
wasn’t until 50+ years later when my
at-risk triplet grandchildren were born and survived beyond all odds in 2005
that the old longing returned. I knew I must pass along the legacy of faith my
ancestors handed me. And I must do so through Christian fiction.
Where
did the inspiration for your latest book come from?
Sitting on my
grandmother’s lap
and hearing her tales about life in Indian Territory prior to 1900 is among my
earliest memories. I was fascinated. My mother continued the tradition through
her own passion for her family’s
history in the early decades of the twentieth century in Oklahoma and Texas. I
couldn’t count how
often someone in the family would say “Someone
ought to write a book about that”
when referring to family lore. So it came naturally to return to my
family legacy for the basis of The Calling of Ella McFarland.
Your
website says you write historical fiction that inspires. What does this mean to
you?
The
historical fiction I write is both romantic and inspirational. The heart beat
of a good story is love. But the tale that includes spiritual elements
breathes. The inexplicable grace and love of God that is woven into a story
makes it a worthy read to me.
How
does your faith and spirituality work in with your writing?
I’m in the latter season
of life. Perhaps it's late fall …
or it could be winter, judging from all the gray hair atop my head. I
have no time for writing fluff. Faith in God, love for my Savior, and
dependence on the Holy Spirit flow naturally into my stories. I could not write
otherwise.
Tell
us about winning Jerry B. Jenkins’ Operation First Novel contest.
I first became
acquainted with Jerry Jenkins in 2007 when I won an essay contest offered by a
local radio host whose program was sponsored in part by the Christian Writers
Guild. My prize was the Writing for the Soul Conference in Colorado Springs. I
was completely ignorant of all things publishing, so it was an awe-inspiring
event. Following the conference I committed to learning all I could about the
writing craft. My shelves are lined with books on writing, and I’ve attended so many
workshops and conferences and taken so many online courses that I eventually
had to decide I would implement what I’d
learned before traveling another mile to learn anything else.
The deadline for
Operation First Novel 2014 was mid-September. The previous September to April
had been a low point for me. For no apparent reason, I had come home from a
major conference feeling discouraged and despondent, so I abandoned writing
completely. But six months later I woke one morning with a certain knowledge
that I belonged at the computer and that I could not NOT write. I sat down and
opened a file and typed CHAPTER 1 in mid-April and submitted the manuscript in
mid-September, convinced beyond a doubt that it wasn’t ready for submission. There was still so much to
do to edit it properly, but a deadline is a deadline, so off it went.
Imagine my
surprise to learn about three months later that I was among eleven
semi-finalists. I remember thinking It’s a good thing the list wasn’t limited to ten, or I
wouldn’t be
on it. Frankly, I had almost forgotten about it when the announcement was
made the following January. When a friend texted that I had won, I thought
someone had made a mistake. Surely not!
Hearing the news
was actually a bit traumatic—in
a good way. It took weeks for the reality to set in. Even now, I find myself
wondering if I’m
dreaming.
What
are you working on next?
The next story
centers on one of the characters in The Calling of Ella McFarland. Just
who is a surprise for now. Rest assured, it will be exciting as the heroine
tackles women’s
issues of the time and makes discoveries she never imagined.
Keep up with me at http://lindabrooksdavis.com.
Keep up with me at http://lindabrooksdavis.com.
Very
interesting. Looks like you have some great stuff going on. Thank you so much
for being with us!
