Welcome, Tanya!
How did you get your start writing? I started three years ago when my husband left for Israel. It was the first time he’d gone over seas since our three children were born and honestly, I didn’t know what to do with myself.
What did you do? I wrote a book while my husband was gone. The title of the story is Live by Faith, Not by Sight. Though it may never see an editor’s desk, that story is dear to my heart, more than any others because of what it represents. The interesting thing is those characters are the same ones in my debut novel Unconditional that is set to release January 10.
Share some of your earlier writing habits. Well, my writing habits haven’t changed much since then. I write late at night while everyone is asleep. There’s nothing better than sitting at the laptop with coffee in hand and words waiting to spill onto the page.
Who inspired you? It wasn’t a person really, but several novels that spoke to me. It started with Author Lori Wick and her series, “The English Garden Series.” I loved the biblical aspects and how the characters felt like family. I read the “Twilight Series” because the youth in my Sunday school class came in week after week discussing the novels. While reading, I found a connection to the characters through their emotional journey. Then to top it off, I read Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers. It had everything the other novels had combined within one. I remember praying that if I was going to write, I wanted to touch people and bring a better understand of God through my characters.
Who encouraged you? I had three people who encouraged me. I would not be a published author if it wasn’t for them. Not only did they read my work, but they were truthful. I learned I knew nothing about the craft, but it never discouraged me. It made me work harder to find my voice and who I am as writer. Not everyone will like my writing, and I know this, but it’s who I am and who’ve they’ve encouraged me to be.
Do you enjoy writing? More than I ever thought possible. I can’t imagine not writing. I still have so much to learn about the craft, but now I know my weaknesses and strengths. I think another part I enjoy about writing is being able to help others in their journeys, encouraging them to never give up and to Live by Faith, Not by Sight.
Tell us about Unconditional and what inspired you to write the story? What inspired me? Brokenness I guess you could say. Brokenness for families, children, and what happens when couples divorce.
I grew up in a family were divorce is common, like most people today, with the idea once you “fall” out of love, and you can’t get along anymore, it’s time to get a divorce. It was almost engraved in me witnessing everyone in my family get divorced one time or many times. I, too, almost went down that route with divorce papers in hand. I told myself many things at the time, but the truth. I was focused on our failures, not the hope that with God, all things are possible. The question was, were we willing to save our marriage at all costs? Would we fight for each other, whether we felt like it or not?
It is my hope through this story, that no matter the circumstances the reader is facing, a loss of a child, anger, emotional hurt, infidelity, abandonment, etc., they will know there is hope in Christ.
Here is the blurb for Unconditional.
He will fight for her at any cost…
Elizabeth Roberts can’t remember her past, and the present is too painful. She turns to nightclubs and drinking to forget her infant daughter’s death, her husband’s affair.
When his wife’s coma wiped out the memory of their marriage, Chris Roberts found comfort elsewhere. He can’t erase his betrayal, but with God’s help he’s determined to fight for Elizabeth at any cost.
She wants to forget. He wants to save his marriage. Can they trust God with their future and find a love that’s unconditional?
It’s a very emotional and difficult subject matter, and you handled it nicely. How did you feel while writing it? Thank you, Katherine. I’m what some writers call a “Seat of the Pantster,” a writer that doesn’t really know what’s going to happen from one scene to the other. With this being the case, my emotions were on a roller coaster. I laughed at times, cried several times, became upset, and felt my heart take off like if it was in a race. I love “feeling” my characters and their emotions.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Tanya Eavenson and her husband have been in the ministry for fifteen years teaching youth and adults. Tanya enjoys spending time with her husband, and their three children. Her favorite pastime is grabbing a cup of coffee and reading a good book. Tanya is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and writes for Christ to the World Ministries sharing the Gospel around the world. You can find her on Twitter at @Tan_eave and contact her at her website www.tanyaeavenson.com Want to learn more about writing? Stop by her blog http://guidedgirls.blogspot.com
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ds me a book to edit called Every Girl Does It. Well, at the time, I ended up getting tied up with other work and I wasn’t going to be able to get to that book, so Stephanie gave it to someone else. (Rats! I missed out on that one!). But then, one day, Stephanie asked if I could make galley corrections to a book (galley corrections are the author’s final minor touch-ups, typo corrections, etc.). I opened the file and found myself drawn back to Regency England as a young couple searched for duck ponds and found love. I found myself so caught up reading The Ugly Duckling Debutante that I had to keep going back to insert the corrections when I found myself pages ahead of where I was supposed to be.
I think I knew right then that Rachel would “make it,” and I’m happy to say I was right! Go Rachel! Congratulations on your recent success! To help celebrate, I’m giving away a Kindle or Barnes & Noble or Kobo or Smashwords version of ANY ONE of Rachel’s books and any one of my own books. Just Check out our Amazon author pages to see what you might win and then leave a comment below. Two winners will be chosen at random.
