Maureen Lang is the author of several historical romance novels. Her latest book, ON SPARROW HILL, releases this month and can be found everywhere books are sold. Special thanks to Maureen for sharing her insight into the writing world.
What prompted you to become a writer? I love this question even as I struggle for an accurate answer! I’ve always loved to write, even as a kid, so it’s hard for me to think back and say “That was the day I decided to start writing.” All I can say is my parents had huge influence on me. At bedtime my mother would tuck me in and tell me a story. She wouldn’t read stories out of a book, although at other times of the day she might do that. All I can recall of bedtime adventures were that my mother made them up. She sat between my sister and I and told us all kinds of creative tales. I guess I learned at a very young age that you didn’t always need a book to tell a story. Also around that earliest-memory stage, I recall my father telling a neighbor that I was “the creative one.” I’m one of six kids, so being set apart was a memorable thing. I think trying to live up to my father’s observation helped me to want to follow in my mother’s footsteps and make up my own stories.
How long have you been writing and in what genres do you write? Well, as you can guess from how long ago I was first interested in storytelling, I’ve been writing for some time. I was first published over twenty years ago, in the secular historical romance genre. But when I went through a divorce I had to return to the business world, and I just didn’t have the time to work, spend time with my daughter, and write. So I stopped writing for fifteen years. When life settled down for me again I took up writing again, and found I’d missed it more than I thought. These days I can’t imagine not writing, so writing is part of my life that’s here to stay. I’m blessed to be able to write in both the contemporary and the historical genres, but whether I’m writing women’s fiction or something with a historical thread, there is always a romance!
When did you have your first sale? I feel like I broke into the publishing world in different lives – and yet it’s all part of my own memory. When I wrote seculars, I recall receiving a contract from a New York publisher – in the mail! No phone call, no warning that it was coming. Just an offer. I didn’t have an agent at the time, so mine was the only contact name they had. With my first sale in the Inspirational field, I received an email from the publisher’s office at Kregel Publications. I recall reading through the note, seeing words that asked if the book was still available and if so they wanted to speak to me about publishing my work. I recall being dizzy with happiness! That was for Pieces of Silver, which released two years ago went on to become a Christy finalist last year. Very thrilling! It was just as thrilling when I sold my first two-book contract to Tyndale House. By then I had an agent, and he’d called to tell me my proposal was going to the infamous “committee” – a place I must say I’d been before and still received bad news. So I tried very hard not to think about it. As it turned out it was a few days AFTER the committee meeting that I received a call from my agent saying they’d made an offer and he would be negotiating the contract. Between his travel schedule and the editor’s busy days, the good news had been delayed. Just when I thought bad news never traveled as fast as good, it turned out to be good news after all. What a roller coaster this business can be!
What is the most challenging aspect of being a writer? For me, it’s finding the time I need to devote to writing. I was just at a writer’s meeting where we discussed the various writing styles we have, and I easily identified myself as someone who writes large portions at a time rather than little bits and pieces. Which means I benefit most from long, uninterrupted times at the computer. I’ve learned that in a pinch I can write with noise and distractions in the background, but I prefer to be alone in a quiet house, and with three kids, a dog and a husband that’s not always available.
What is the most rewarding aspect of being a writer? I actually love just about everything related to being a writer. I especially love the creating part, and would do that whether or not I ever receive another contract or attract another reader. I guess that makes me a die-hard writer, knowing I’ll do it no matter what. I must say, though, that reader response from The Oak Leaves is very rewarding. That book includes a story line about a disability that’s close to my heart – Fragile X Syndrome. Receiving notes from readers who, like me, are part of the disability community, is very touching. It’s wonderful to connect with someone who can relate in some way to the life experience I wrote about, because that’s what fiction is all about. Sharing experiences.
Tell us about your latest project. ON SPARROW HILL just released from Tyndale House, which I’m really thrilled about. It’s technically the sequel to last year’s release of The Oak Leaves, but the two books don’t have to be read sequentially. Like The Oak Leaves, this one has a dual setting: contemporary England and Victorian Ireland. Here’s a little blurb about both story lines:
Rebecca Seabrooke is the curator for one of England’s finest historical estates. She wants just two thing: to forget the childhood crush she had on the estate’s owner, and to win a Featherby Education Award for the work she does on his estate. Little does she know her status as curator is about to change – one way or another!
Berrie Hamilton is a woman with a goal, one that is at odds with the genteel Victorian era in which she lives as a member of the aristocracy. She wants to open, maintain — and work in — a home for the “gentle feebleminded.” Knowing herself to be too strong willed to be a proper wife, she’s convinced herself this career goal is enough fulfillment for her life. Until the brother of one of her students proves to be trouble in more ways than one…
What projects do you have coming out in the future? Later this year I have a contemporary women’s fiction novel releasing through Tyndale, tentatively titled My Sister Dilly. This is a story that’s very close to my heart, challenging yet important to me. It’s about a woman who left her small Midwestern town behind, preferring the faster pace and trendy lifestyle of Southern California. But when her sister makes a terrible mistake and ends up in prison, my character returns to take care of things when her sister is released. Through the story she learns that she can’t really go back, she can only learn to accept forgiveness. This was an especially rewarding book to write, because it explores the relationship between two sisters, which I enjoyed, but also the impact of forgiveness. And of course there’s a romance in there, too, which made it all the more fun!
What refreshes you creatively? Reading! I always tell people that I’m a reader first, and a writer only because I’ve found a way to write down the stories I feel like reading. I’m a little picky about what I read, though. Once I realize a story isn’t grabbing me, I usually set it aside in favor of a story that works for me. But I always stick with something just long enough to teach me something. With a book that’s not working for me, I try to figure out why. And of course with books that DO work, I love appreciating the author’s talent for what’s working so I can try to employ successful techniques in my own writing.
What do you wish you knew then that you know now? I wish I knew I would get published again. When you can’t see around the next bend, you don’t know if what you long for will EVER happen. But you just never know – it could be right around the corner. I’m convinced some people give up too soon, without knowing how close they are to a contract. A lot of people believe whatever state they’re in (i.e. unpublished) will last forever. Sometimes it feels that way. I do believe, though, that persistence is at least as important as talent in this business, simply because the competition is so stiff. But I believe good writing will be noticed, if the writer keeps at it.
What advice do you have for aspiring writers? Write on a consistent basis. Join a critique group. Finish your book!Read, read, read and read some more… Go to writer’s conferences, as your budget allows. There are many to choose from around the country, so study the faculty lists to see which one you can afford that offers the agents and publishers that most closely match your interests. Join ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers) or another writer’s support group, other than your critique group. Networking is invaluable, and since writing is a lonely endeavor we need to connect with others. Don’t give up.
Posted by storyteller2000 
Posted by storyteller2000 
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