Talkshow Thursday: Welcome Back, Laura DeNooyer
I'm a big fan of Laura's work, so I'm thrilled to have her visit today. Her books are fabulous. Read on to learn more about her and her stories.
How many books have you written, and which is your favorite? I have four published books.
House of Wind, my fourth, just released on September 8. Additionally, I have 10+ Unpublished novel manuscripts in different stages of revision! Keep in mind that I’ve been writing since 2nd grade. 😀
It’s tough to pick a favorite because I’m emotionally invested in each one and love them all for different reasons. Many authors say their favorite is the one they’re working on, and I could probably say that too. But maybe that’s a copout.
If I have to choose, I’ll pick
A Hundred Magical Reasons because learning about
The Wizard of Oz author, L. Frank Baum, was fascinating and I would love to have met him and spent time with him on his Lake Michigan porch in the early 1900s. I get to do that vicariously through my character Charlotte.
That book is a dual timeline story, rather epic in proportion, and most definitely literary with a lot of Americana and my own family history woven in.
What was your inspiration for the story? The inspiration for my newest release,
House of Wind, came from walking alongside my friend as she was unraveling from a destructive marriage. She went through a horrific seventeen years of emotional abuse from her narcissist husband.
After she sought help and healing, she started sharing her story with others. Women started coming out of the woodwork with their own horrific tales. Sadly, some of these situations took place in Christian families with “Christian” husbands who were active in church ministry. Some women were hearing about emotional abuse for the first time—even though they’d been victims of it for years.
I wanted to write a story that would reflect this phenomenon and show readers what emotional abuse looks like and how to break free. It’s a tough book, but it’s also hopeful and encouraging.
How do you develop your characters? (e.g. decide on their vocation, names, etc.)? My characters need to suit my purposes, but they also take on minds of their own—which can prove both exasperating and fun.
In
House of Wind, I shaped Wendi according to her various roles as wife, mother, and pastor’s wife, but I also had to consider how the emotional abuse would have impacted her over the years. I knew I wanted to show her emotional roadblocks as well as her growth, so I started with that framework, then fleshed out the story events to accommodate that.
What sort of research did you do for your story, and was there an exceptionally interesting tidbityou knew you had to include? After learning a lot from my friend’s and other women’s experiences, I read more about narcissism and emotional abuse. Though no one woman’s experience is exactly the same, I was amazed to discover all the similarities. Saddened by so much darkness, I was also encouraged to find great resources for women who face these situations. There is help! No woman needs to walk this road alone.
I list resources in the back of the book, but I’ll mention two here: Lysa TerKeurst’s podcast
Therapy and Theology, and Leslie Vernick’s podcast
Relationship Truth: Unfiltered. Their scripture-based ministries seek to bolster women through relationship trauma and destructive marriages in order to heal spiritually and emotionally.
How are your characters like you? Different? Wendi, the protagonist in
House of Wind, was trained as a teacher, but was denied the opportunity to teach elementary school as she so wanted. I was a teacher who taught for decades.
Wendi’s a natural as a pastor’s wife in regard to hospitality and cooking for guests. Though I enjoy having people over, that is definitely not my gift!
I’ve also never had to go through what she went through in this story. I really put her through the wringer.
How has your book changed since your first draft? After several revisions, I gave the manuscript to some beta readers, some who had gone through similar experiences to Wendi’s as victims of emotional abuse. My tale is fiction, but I needed to know if the story rang true. The readers were able to identify what worked and what needed to change. I was very grateful, and revised accordingly.
What was the best money you spent as a writer? In my younger years, I spent a lot of money on books—learning the craft of novel writing. I studied them, taking profuse notes. They definitely helped me improve my craft. But another great investment was writers’ conferences for in-person training and networking with other authors.
How does/did your job prepare you for being a novelist? My occupation as a teacher was vital in becoming a novelist. Since I (mostly) taught high school art and creative writing, I loved inspiring students’ creativity and stretching them to improve their problem-solving skills as they developed their stories, poems, drawings, and paintings.
One thing I emphasized was that the creative process is more important than the product. It’s more about what we learn along the way. The first solution to a problem isn’t always the best one, so learning to brainstorm and follow the necessary steps as part of the process was vital—no shortcuts allowed.
That’s a lesson I’ve taken to heart many times as I compose my own stories. In fact, numerous times I promised myself I was done, done, done with a particular manuscript. No matter what, I wasn’t going to change anything more. Nada. Never. Not one more word. I’d done everything I could.
And then … I’d get feedback that actually made good sense. After some metaphorical screaming and hair pulling, I’d jump back in for another rewrite. And voila! I had a better, stronger story. So I learned to never say never … and to embrace the journey!
What is your next project? My next novel is
Rain in the Wilderness, due to launch on January 26, 2027 by Scrivenings Press. This one is Biblical fiction set in the time of Christ.
I’ve never been good about staying in my literary lane! I’ve published Southern historical fiction, dual timeline fiction (2x), and contemporary women’s fiction. Why not throw Biblical fiction in the mix?
I write the story of my heart. I starting writing
Rain in the Wilderness almost thirty years ago. It was inspired by the tragic tale of the Bethlehem massacre in Matthew 2. After becoming a mother, I viewed that catastrophe in a new light. I got to thinking . . . what if a mother who lost her baby that night later found out that the event was connected to Jesus of Nazareth—the one baby who got away? That got the ball rolling . . .
Blurb for House of Wind:
Wendi Burkham lives in an emotional prison she unwittingly walked into. Nobody understands, and her captor holds the keys.
Married to a respected pastor, Wendi lives a life others admire—with two children and a home that reflects faith, stability, and love. But behind closed doors, Wendi is trapped in a cycle of control, manipulation, and emotional abuse no one else can see—and no one would believe. How do you escape when no one thinks you need to?
For sixteen years, she has stayed silent. Stayed faithful. Stayed afraid. Until one night forces her to choose between the life she has built … and the truth she can no longer ignore. Her husband's warning echoes: "Planting wind only reaps a harvest of tornadoes.” But what if the storm is the only way out?
This powerful novel exposes the reality of emotional abuse—and the courage it takes to break free. Readers who enjoy thoughtful fiction with emotional depth will appreciate this novel in the vein of Amanda Cox, Katie Powner, Susie Finkbeiner, and Erin Bartels.
Photo Credits:
Author photo and book cover: Courtesy Laura DeNooyer
Podcast Logo: Courtesy Therapy and Theology
Classroom: Pixabay/DeltaWorks
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