NOTE: DON’T MISS THE GIVEAWAY AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS INTERVIEW!!
Donna, describe yourself for our visitors.
Boring and quiet, that’s me. Though, sometimes I’m adventurous, but it doesn’t last long. I’m way too busy to be lazy, but I’d rather be lazy. I’m single and content, which is a sweet gift from God. I love being His. I love the tasks He’s given me to do, and how He is in every part of them. The past four years have been a blast.
I love living on the Oregon Coast. Another gift from Him. Agates and sand dollars. Fresh ocean breezes. Driving rain pelting my window, as it is right now. Being warm and safe and dry inside, sipping my tea and enjoying the quiet moment.
Yep, that’s me. Like I said, boring. But I like it. : )
How do you find time to connect with God?
Being single, time is my own to savor or waste. I’ll admit it — I waste a lot of time. But here in the quiet moments in my wee apartment, the constant roar of the crashing waves reminds me how constant He is. Always with me. Always seeking close communion with me. Because He loves me! It’s still too amazing to comprehend. My walk with Jesus is more about every present moment than it is about finding blocks of time to set apart for Him. It’s hard to explain this without sounding overly holy or spiritual (cuz He knows I still have a LONG way to go!). For me, connecting with God is an "every heartbeat, every breath" sort of thing. Every present moment. I don’t think too much about the past, or worry too much about what hasn’t come yet. Being single, I have a unique opportunity to be truly His. That’s what I’m trying to focus on, more than anything else. In that, I simply cannot go wrong.
Tell us about your journey to publication.
Ahh … the journey. Round-about, up and down, in and out, totally an upside down adventure. I never set out to be a novelist, never even enjoyed writing all that much growing up. In 1996, I became available, and the Lord said, "Let’s give her something to do." By February 1997, I had hand-written two novels that I was sure would set the world of Christian Fiction on its ear. Well. That didn’t happen. In 2000, I put everything that had anything to do with my writing away. I was done with it. Totally. Never to write again. In 2003, God brought it all back, though, this time, it was through the back door of the industry as a brand-new freelance editor. I wanted to be the one (or one of the few) who would say to a new Christian novelist, "Need feedback on your story? Can’t find anyone who wants to read it? I’ll read it!" Aha! A great name for my business. Or not. The jury’s still out. ; )
Looking back, with all that’s happened in the past few weeks, I know the Lord allowed me to become a published novelist so I would be better prepared for this main task He has set down before me. He wants me to be one of the many, now, who are willing to help new novelists with their work. Even more so than being a novelist. I kind of had an idea about this two years ago when no new story ideas were arriving in my wee brainpan. Of course, with no new stories to write, one cannot continue on as an active story writer. A conundrum, indeed.
Working with Zondervan, seeing the fourth and final book in the Homeland Heroes Series now on the shelves, every minute of these past four years has been the adventure of my life. I’m so grateful to have had the opportunity to be a published author. Now I’m ready to move on. And, as Karen Ball would say, "It’s all good."
Tell us about your current book?
Standing Strong, that fourth and final book in the Homeland Heroes Series, closes the nine-month span of time in the life of my best imaginary friend, Christina McIntyre. Chris and Erin Mathis meet in the army during the opening days of Operation Desert Shield. Their friendship is destroyed "by a dark secret" (movie announcer voice kicking in here), but five years later they reunite. The series tells Chris’s story, from the intense opening minutes of her pain and desperation to the moment she allows the Lord Jesus to take it all, continuing on to show her tentative steps of growth as a new believer. Chris and Erin’s friendship is the thread throughout the story, and Standing Strong closes with an epilogue set eleven years later that sums up how important and powerful those nine months were for Chris.
Chris is not your typical "lady’s lady." She’s tough, driven, and a bit reckless. Not everyone has related to her or to her story. But that’s okay. She’s different, and we both knew going in that not everyone would "get" her. We still wouldn’t trade the opportunity to tell her story for anything.
I’m so grateful to be able to tell this last story, even though it has been eighteen months since the release of book three, Valiant Hope. This final book gives my readers one last chance to enjoy Chris’s adventures, and to come away satisfied (hopefully!) that the story has run its full course. The closure feels good. The story is now complete.
How did you come up with ideas for this book?
Honestly? In 1996, the ideas for the entire series came fully developed and ready to be explored, neatly packaged in a big box, tied with a bright red bow, sitting on my front porch. The time spent emptying that box and exploring those ideas, and the potential in them, was the single most exciting time of my life. Being a U.S. Air Force veteran, it was a privilege for me to write about other female veterans, but very little of what I faced compared to what Chris and Erin faced. I was released from my military obligations in July 1990 — one month before Saddam started his hijinks in Kuwait. There has been some confusion over this, so allow me to say it again. I was never in Desert Shield or Storm. When everything was playing out, I was a freshman-transfer at the University of Oregon. (Go Ducks!)
Chris and Erin have always been fully alive to me, and they took great care to share their adventure with me just how it played out. To be trusted by them, and by the Lord, to tell this story … I’m still grateful and a bit amazed. It’s been an honor.
List your three most recent books.
The Homeland Heroes Series consists of Wounded Healer, Warrior’s Heart, Valiant Hope, and Standing Strong. All four cover a nine-month span of time, so this series truly is a series. I would definitely recommend starting with book one: Wounded Healer.
What’s next for you?
With the release of Standing Strong, my stint as an "actively writing" Christian novelist has come to a close. I will continue to be active in the industry, but from the other side of the pen, so to speak, as a freelance editor working with new Christian novelists. I know my limitations — most great novelists have already learned and forgotten stuff about the craft that I have yet to learn.
My goal in my editing business is to stay focused on those just starting out — to put their feet on the right path from the get-go. So many new writers submit their work to editors and agents prematurely, to their detriment. I want to be one of those experienced novelists who are willing to stand between these new writers and the editors and agents. If new writers find freelancers (like me) and allow us to guide them, and then are willing to be guided, to learn, and to rework their stories, they will have a much greater chance of creating something that has the potential to be published. Right now, this is right where I wanna be. I’m grateful for the opportunity, and excited to be able to play a small role in helping new writers find their way in this overwhelming industry.
Where can visitors find you online?
My website is www.donnafleisher.com. There you’ll find trailers, blurbs, and chapter one excerpts for all four books; general writers’ tips, other tips on strengthening characterization and dialogue, including a list of words that are no longer dialogue tags; info about my editorial services, my new course on writing powerful Christian fiction, and client referrals; my thoughts about Jesus; and lots other fun stuff.
My blog is at
>www.donnafleisher.typepad.com
I’m also at ShoutLife. Let’s be friends! www.shoutlife.com/donnafleisher
GIVEAWAY: I would love to give away a complete set of the Homeland Heroes Series to one interested reader. Just send me an e-mail at donna (at) donnafleisher (dot) com and tell me you read this interview and want to be included in the drawing. On Thanksgiving Day 2007, I’ll draw a winner. The complete set would make a great Christmas gift! : )
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