Faithchick: Meet Tamara Leigh, author of STEALING ADDA!

Hey Faithchicks! How goes it? Good, we hope. This month's guestchick is Tamara Leigh, author of STEALING ADDA (Navpress, 2006). Enjoy the review and leave a comment with your thoughts. Tamara will be joining the blogging team soon as well. :)

FC: You've been writing historical romance novels for many years. Can you tell us a little about your journey from the medieval castle to the world of Christian chick lit?

TL: You know that saying "caught between a rock and a hard place"? That's how it felt when, over the course of several years, I toyed with-and rejected-the idea of crossing over to the "other side". The "rock" represented the secular, medieval romances with which I'd had success, while the "hard place" represented the unknown, possibly failure-riddled world of Christian romance. But when God is set on his plans for one's life, there's no reasoning with him. So while I clung to what I believed was safe and predictable, he kept "calling" me-when I spent time in his word, when my youngest sister lovingly questioned the content of my books, when my editors picked at and slashed scenes that had too much "religion", and when my oldest son reached the age where he had the ability to read a book written by his mother. Yup. Snatched it right out of his innocent little hand. Of course, then I had to explain why he wasn't allowed to read it (oh, those requisite love scenes….).

Unfortunately, that wasn't the end of my struggle with God, but to make a long story short, I finally relented. Only to question him when I learned medieval romance doesn't do particularly well in the Christian market. What?! Did we get our lines crossed, Lord? I groaned and grumbled when my agent asked for something different, but eventually pulled out a story I'd written to relieve my pen and paper craving following a particularly long boycott of the publishing world. Thus, STEALING ADDA, a humorous take on the life of a romance writer, ushered me into the world of Christian publishing. Looonng way from medievals, hmm?

God really does work in mysterious ways. Not only am I enjoying the change of pace, humor, and relative ease of research for the next three books contracted by Multnomah, but I was able to proudly present a copy of STEALING ADDA to both our sons. Now if they'd just stow the basketballs, hand-held games, and friends, and sit down and read it….

FC: Wow. Motherhood definitely changes the perspective doesn't it? How was it writing about a historical romance author? Were any of Adda's publishing experiences similar to your own?

TL: After publishing seven medieval romances with Bantam, HarperCollins, and Dorchester, the story of a historical romance author was pretty smooth sailing-"write what you know", and all that. To top it off, it was cathartic. Though STEALING ADDA is definitely a work of fiction, truth did bleed (not quite literally) into its pages. In the person of Adda, I took my frustration and disillusionment as a writer and twisted and exaggerated my experiences into snort, laugh, and giggle moments. It really is good to laugh at one's self. Well…in hindsight.

FC: What advice would you give to the aspiring writers among us?

TL: Get out while you still can! Nah, I'm kidding. If writing is "in your blood"-kind of like the first bloom of romance rife with infatuation, longing, and need-you WILL write. Through writer's block, interruption, revision, criticism, and rejection, you will write. Once your story is on paper-ooh, you're probably not going to like this-you will REVISE. That's right. You'll go back and detail characters, fill gaping holes, pump up scenes, check for consistency and point of view problems, etc. The next one's a biggie: you will ask trusted friends to read your work and provide specific feedback. Then-gulp!-seek out experienced writers who are willing to mentor. Organizations such as American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) and Romance Writers of America (RWA) have local chapters you can join to network with other writers. And you will READ, not only books on publication and the craft of writing, but other authors whose work you admire. Whew! Lastly, there are the three Ps: Patience, Persistence, and Prayer (Psst…that last one really ought to come first).

FC: You've won many awards and developed quite a following in the romance community. How different have you found the world of Christian publishing to be? Was there anything that surprised you?

TL: Having been a mainstream writer, and now a Christian writer, I can tell you there is definitely a difference. As a Christian writer, I have permission to share my faith without fear of offense, which sometimes required extensive editing of my other books (check this out: 30,000 words slashed from one of my medievals-that one really hurt). Thus, I have the opportunity to give my readers more than just a romance. I can give them a life-changing message.

Fortunately, most of the surprises I've had in the world of Christian publishing have been of the "pleasant" variety. Working with my agent, Beth Jusino of Alive Communications, and my publishers, NavPress and Multnomah, has been a wonderfully refreshing experience. Not only do they make me feel as if I'm a person first, but they pray for me-can you believe it! Additionally, last fall when I attended my first American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) conference, I was amazed by how friendly and approachable editors, agents, and other writers were. They exuded…well…God. Of course, that really shouldn't surprise me.

FC: Do you find that your new readers are much the same as the ones from before?

TL: Hard to say, as STEALING ADDA was only recently released. Though I've received positive responses from past readers, quite a bit of the mail is from Christian readers new to my writing. What I didn't expect was the number of inquiries about my medieval romances. Talk about a quick response! Though I believe the love scenes in my medievals were done tastefully, I worry about offending Christian readers who assume my earlier books are as chaste as STEALING ADDA. You see, I have this thing about receiving angry reader mail….

On the "hmm" side, curiously enough-or maybe not so curiously-one of my medievals which has been out-of-print for several years, and to which I've regained the rights, is suddenly available. NEW. Hmm….

FC: Isn't that something? I love those kinds of surprises! Well, we'd love to keep you longer, but we know you're probably working hard on another great book. Do you have any parting words that you'd like to share with the Faithchicks around here?

TL: In between chewing my nails over the forthcoming revisions to PERFECTING KATE, and typing my little fingers to the bone to work up a proposal for SPLITTING HARRIET, let me just say I'm excited to finally be writing for the Christian market, and grateful God gave me so many chances to answer the "call". I am truly blessed.

Thank you for the interview, fellow Faithchick!

FC: Thanks for being here, Tamara! Glad to have you in the family. :) Please stop by TamaraLeigh.com and read more about STEALING ADDA!

Marilynn Griffith is wife to a deacon, mom to a tribe and proof that God gives second chances. When not scrambling to park her van straight AND catch a good sale, she writes novels and scribbles in her blog. Her latest release, JADE, tells the story of Lily Chau, a fashion designer who wonders if her hands aren't too full to reach for her dreams.