Talkshow Thursday: Welcome Elmer Fuller

 Talkshow Thursday: Welcome Elmer Fuller!

I’m pleased to welcome Elmer Fuller to my blog for the first time.

When did you know you wanted to be an author?

As I approached retirement, I decided to write a novel based on the stories my father told about growing up in the Ozarks during the Great Depression. As a child, I listened to him tell about the crazy things he did with his friends and brothers, like catching a buzzard. When I retired, an author friend pointed me to the American Christian Fiction Writers, and I began my journey of writing faith-friendly historical fiction.

What is your favorite thing about being a writer?

Writing a novel has a similar pleasure to reading one. Both allow you to enter an imaginary world and experience it along with the characters. Add to that the satisfaction you receive in solving a puzzle. Crafting a story requires solving problems. What motivates my main character? What problems do they face? How has the past shaped them?

What does your writing space look like?

A small desk holding a laptop sits at a window overlooking my front yard. One side is cluttered with books and papers, but I also always make room for a coaster and a cup of coffee! The books include a Bible and whatever I need for my current work-in-progress. Currently, a Bible atlas and two books on manners and customs of the Bible complete the stack.

How many books have you written, and which is your favorite?

I have one book published, though I’ve written three novels and a novella. As for my favorite, it seems to be whichever I’m writing at the time.

What questions do you ask yourself when preparing to write a new book?

I’ve learned from discussions with agents that I need to ask two questions. First, is my idea a story? Is

the character I’ve imagined interesting? Are the situation and setting intriguing? What is the theme? For example, in Kate’s Crucible, Kate struggles to understand God’s will. I knew that would be a theme before I began.

I’ve learned the second question to ask is whether a market exists for the story. I may find a story idea fascinating, but readers may not.

What was your inspiration for the story?

I was researching a different story when I got the idea for Kate’s Crucible. The story was set in 1855 during the early settlement of the Kansas Territory. If you know your history, settlers were racing to Kansas, not simply to claim land, but to determine whether slavery would exist in the new state. People favoring slavery were moving from Missouri and Kentucky, while those wanting the state to be free flocked from New England.

An organization in Boston called the New England Emigrant Aid Company recruited and led settlers to Kansas, traveling by rail to the Mississippi River, then by steamboat to Kansas City, where they loaded wagons and entered the territory. I came across this company’s lists of settlers during my research.

The list included names, occupations, and departure cities. Most of the names were men traveling alone, though some took their families. A few women were listed who were traveling west to join their husbands who had staked a claim earlier. The name of a single woman stood out to me. I began asking questions about why she would travel to Kansas, and the questions grew into the novel.

How do you develop your characters? (e.g. decide on their vocation, names, etc.)?

Once I have my main character, I look for historical characters in the setting I’ve chosen. I also begin to brainstorm other fictional characters I need. I try to fill story roles like antagonist, sidekick, mentor, or love interest.

Once I have the major characters, I complete a worksheet that includes physical description, personality type, quirks, and habits. For major characters, I list their goals and backstories, including any traumatic events that have shaped them.

Do you hear from your readers? What do they say?

I read the reviews of my book and consider it an important way to listen to my readers. I know my readers appreciate historical details and accuracy as well as a good story. I’ve also received a few emails and a couple of letters. One woman wrote about the characters she liked and wanted to see in sequels.

What is your next project?

Birth of a Warrior will release in early September. Haunted by his father's rejection and branded a coward, seventeen-year-old Benaiah must prove his courage on the battlefield as a member of King Saul’s army and overcome the shame that threatens to destroy him. I know men drawn to the warrior ethos and women drawn to a redemptive arc will love it.

Social Media Links

Website with blog: https://www.elmerfuller.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorElmerFuller
X (Twitter): https://x.com/E_Fuller_author
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/32095288.Elmer_Fuller
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/elmer-fuller
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fullerelmer/

About Kate’s Crucible 

Would you leave your loved ones to fight slavery?

In 1855, pro-slavery and free-state people flock to the Kansas Territory bent on winning the slavery issue for the new state—the conflict dubbed "Bleeding Kansas." Nineteen-year-old Kate Collins leaves family, safety, and a suitor in Boston, convinced God has called her to fight slavery by teaching in the wild territory.

Constant problems challenge her, and the schoolroom she crossed the country to lead always seems out of reach. If God truly called her to teach in Kansas, why does he keep closing every door she tries to walk through?

Will Kate sacrifice love for her calling, or discover that God can redeem both?

Set against the turbulent backdrop of pre–Civil War America, Kate's Crucible is Christian historical fiction for readers who love:

• Strong yet vulnerable heroines who wrestle honestly with faith
• Frontier settings where courage is tested, and convictions cost something
• Clean, hopeful romance woven into real historical events
• Stories that explore justice, calling, and the power of perseverance

Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/41dsX0p

Photo Credits:

Author photo and book image: Courtesy Elmer Fuller

Computer: Pixabay/Markus Spiske

Chalk faces: Pixabay/Adrian

Talkshow Thursday: Welcome Chuck Richardson!

Talkshow Thursday: 

Welcome Chuck Richardson!

I'm thrilled to welcome Chuck Richardson to my blog. Draw up a chair, grab a cup of your favorite beverage, and read about his debut novel.

What was your inspiration for the story?

Our salvation in Christ can be traced to the covenant promises God made to Abraham 4,000 years ago. That fact and the explanation of Christianity found in the book of Romans inspired me to tell a tale I hope will lead skeptics to faith and believers to greater confidence in their beliefs.

How do you develop your characters? (e.g. decide on their vocation, names, etc.)?

That varies quite a bit. The plot and settings often drive the vocation of the characters. In True Status, I needed my protagonist to have surgery early in the story, so I made his love interest a nurse which allowed me to introduce her near the beginning. I wanted my protagonist to be a professor for the irony that someone who devoted his life to teaching others had so much to learn about God. My protagonist’s best friend is a spiritual guide so I combined the name of a couple Old Testament prophets to come up with the first name of Ezriah. Sometimes a character’s name is derived from their philosophy or the type of person they are. I’ve used name generator sites for initial name ideas which I modify until the name fits the character and has a ring I like.

What sort of research did you do for your story, and was there an exceptionally interesting tidbit

Photo: Pixabay/Pexels

you knew you had to include?

In 2019, I developed a Bible study course based on the covenants God made with Abraham, Moses, King David, and the new covenant established by Jesus. Research for that class helped me in writing the Jesus in the Old Testament classroom scenes in True Status. My personal study of the book of Romans guided my writing of my protagonist’s experiences in reading Romans. In less formal research, I gleaned from the lives of friends, acquaintances, and people in the media. One interesting tidbit came from listening to the Focus of the Family radio program where I heard about the National Memorial for the Unborn which honors babies lost to miscarriage or abortion. Several of my characters are affected by the loss of unborn children, so I had to mention the National Memorial for the Unborn in the book.
 
Tell us about your road to publication.

I started writing True Status in January 2018 and after three years of work, I sent queries to ten agents and got only negative responses. Then I submitted the manuscript to a hybrid publisher, a friend who had worked in publishing, and a $99 critique service. These three professionals gave me similar discouraging feedback. Things like:

• “Your current writing style is didactic.” 
• “Convey the message you want to convey without the reader feeling preached at.” 
• “The pace often gets interrupted by too much description.” 
• “We encourage you to work on pacing and showing rather than telling.” 
• “The book often includes random details that don't add to the story.” 
• “Certain chapters and passages read more like a Bible tract than a novel.”

This criticism hurt, but it was exactly what I needed to hear. During the next eighteen months, I researched fiction writing and rewrote the entire novel. In June 2022, I attended the Kentucky Christian Writer’s Conference and pitched the reworked novel to two publishers. I subsequently submitted proposals to those two publishers and two agents. Elk Lake Publishing offered me a contract in September 2022. I worked with an Elk Lake editor for five months through multiple rounds of editing. My editor urged me to be concise and to only retain content I needed to tell the story and keep the reader engaged. My editor and I formed a great team. On July 26, 2023, True Status was released for sale.

How are your characters like you? Different?

My protagonist and I are both teachers and analytical thinkers. We both question things and demand logical answers, so my own spiritual search was similar to that of my character. We are different in that my main character is much more negative about God than I was and he has many more tragic experiences than I have had.

How has your book changed since your first draft?

The lives of my characters became more difficult; they make terrible mistakes and have the challenge of overcoming the problems they create. Another big change is that readers get to see more clearly the thoughts, confusion, and regrets of the protagonist. The final version is more realistic of the struggles people face in real life. What is your process for writing? (do you outline, have a special place or time of day you write, etc.) What is your favorite part of the process? I outline the entire story and identify what each chapter will be about and where the various plot points will be. My favorite part is the initial creation of the characters and the plot. I write on my laptop in my home office.

How does/did your job prepare you for being a novelist?

I retired in March 2023 from a position as a Curriculum Developer/Technical Writer for a company that produced technical training content for colleges and industry. That job taught me to work with multiple levels of editors through numerous rounds of editing. I learned not to be frustrated by the process and that the editors are trying to make the finished product as good as possible.

Photo: Pixabay/StockSnap

What is your advice to fledgling writers?

Read blogs and books on writing craft, read the work of other writers in your genre, attend writer’s conferences, and join professional organizations for writers. Every manuscript can be improved, so seriously consider feedback from readers and editors. However, have a clear vision of what you want your book to be so you don’t make changes that result in something that you will not be happy with.

What is your next project?

Erimean Genesis. Erimea is Earth’s twin, but on Erimea the first parents obeyed God and did not fall from grace. The story imagines the world the first humans would build and the challenges they would face in fulfilling God’s commands stated in Genesis 1 to be fruitful, multiply, and fill, subdue, and rule over the planet.

True Status

Billy Yates, a forty-two-year-old Black college math professor, holds deep skepticism about God’s goodness and power, but after a series of strange occurrences, Billy realizes that he is the prize in a terrifying spiritual battle between good and evil.

While recovering from surgery Billy is confronted by an angel who challenges him to examine his past rather than accuse God of wrongdoing. After the surgery, Billy discovers a strange message on his body that he believes is from God. Confused and afraid, Billy accepts the angel’s challenge and in so doing he learns the depth of his own sinfulness which plunges Billy into despair.

Ezriah Reynolds, a Christian and Billy’s best friend, encourages Billy to join him in taking a seminary class called Jesus in the Old Testament, and for the first time in his life, Billy seriously considers what the Bible teaches about covenant, sin, and salvation. Billy, smitten with Nurse Angeline Otl, begins pursuing her even as his surgery commences. Angeline struggles with her own past, but she and Billy draw together and become vital pieces in the other’s spiritual journey.

Purchase Link: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CCCQW4HM

 
Social media account links
Website & Blog: https://chuckrichardsonstories.com/

LinkedIn Page: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chuckrichardson/

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/Chuck-Richardson-Stories-102476425056471

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chuckrichardsonwriter/

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B0CCWSZTLN