Good morning everyone! Today is Thursday, July 23 and I have a very special guest with me today. I'd like to introduce fellow author (who writes a slightly different genre than me), Faith Blum!
Faith, tell us a little about yourself. Where are you from? Do you have pets? Family? How about an imaginary unicorn friend?
I was born, raised, and always lived (so far) in Wisconsin. The same county in Wisconsin, actually, but I don’t mind except in July and August when it often gets super hot and humid. I have a cat who loves to “help” me write by walking all over my arms and/or the keyboard. I live with my parents, two sisters, and brother on a small hobby farm.
Tell us about the Genre (or genres) you write in.
So far, I have only written Christians Westerns. Some have been Young adult, some slightly romance, and I am currently writing a Christian Western mystery. I’m also planning a contemporary fiction trilogy for sometime in the future.
What has been your favorite genre to write for?
My favorite so far has been the Christian Western mystery, even though it isn’t finished yet.
There are two types of authors out there, planners or a “pantsers” (Those who plan out books meticulously or who write by the seat of their pants). What would you say you are?
Yes. I do both. For the first few chapters in the book, I’m a pantster. If/when, I get stuck, I plan out a few chapters with a brief outline. But just because I have a brief outline, does not mean I always follow it. Sometimes, my characters run off at the mouth and change things up on me.
Writers are more often than not readers too. Those who aren't, well you question their ability to write sometimes. Can you name your favorite traditionally published author?
Only one? That’s hard. I like two for different reasons. I like Louis L’Amour for the rugged descriptions of the West and awesome storytelling. But, I also like Karen Witemeyer for the softer side of the West in her Christian Western romances. I can’t really choose between the two.
And how about your favorite indie/self-published author?
T.I Lowe. She writes hard-hitting, hot-topic books that are entertaining as well as informative and well-written.
Let's talk about your books. What is your latest book or series? Any forthcoming books?
The latest one to be published is Pass Me Not on July 26th. It is part of a companion novella series to my novel series, Hymns of the West. After that, the third novella, Redeemed, will release on August 26th. Lord willing, my fourth novel in the Hymns of the West series will be out in October and I am currently writing the rough draft of the fifth novel in the series.
Now that we've begun to talk about your books, lets do what I like to call "Welcome To My Worlds". Tell us a little about the world of your latest or favorite book or series.
It looks a lot like the current day US. Perhaps because it’s the same place, just not quite as old as it is now. ;) It was a simpler time, but they were probably just as busy because everything had to be done by hand or made from scratch.
Are your characters ever based on real people?
Yes and no. Some of my characters were influenced by real people, but none of them have ever been totally based off of real people. The closest was probably Ruth. She is a lot like me, but we do have some differences.
Tell us, what formats are your book(s) available in (E-book, print, large print, audio)? Are you intending to expand these and if not, what is the reason?
Currently, my books are available in e-book and paperback. At this time, I don’t plan to expand into large print or audio unless I have some requests for them or make my first million. :)
Okay, so we're getting down to the last minutes of available time here, Faith, why don't you give us a fun/silly fact you would like your readers (and us) to know about you or your book.
Jeremiah was my favorite character to write. But you can’t meet him until Lily of the Valley (Hymns of the West book #4) is published.
Is there any advice you would pass on to those authors who are still just starting out? Do's and don'ts?
Write. Don’t worry about editing right away. Just get your story written. If you get stuck, write another scene further along in the book and then go back when you figure out how to connect them. Then edit it until you are almost happy with it. When that is done, send it to a proofreader and/or editor. No matter how good you are at self-editing, you will always miss something.
Well that's all we have time for today everyone. Thank you Faith for stoping by and if any of you would like to learn more about Faith and her books take a look at the information and links below. Until next time!
Bio:
Hi, I’m Faith Blum. I am a 24 year old home school graduate who enjoys doing many right-brained activities such as reading, crafting, writing, and playing piano. My favorite genre to read and write is Historical Fiction, more specifically, Westerns. In the Hymns of the West series, I have endeavored to create clean, fun, and challenging Western stories for the whole family. I currently have three novels and one novella published or available for preorder. My published books can be found on Amazon: www.Amazon.com/author/FaithBlum.
Pass Me Not
Book Synopsis:
Let me at Thy throne of mercy/Find a sweet relief/Kneeling there in deep contrition/Help my unbelief
Timothy is at his wit's end. His twelve year old half-sister has run off five housekeepers in almost a year. Since their parents died, she has grown wilder than ever. What can he do? As he looks for a new housekeeper, his eye catches sight of a mail order bride advertisement. One young lady has a younger sister and sounds like a God-fearing woman. Could this be the answer to his dilemma or will Louise run her off, too? Approximately 15,300 words
Excerpt:
“I won’t do it!” Louise yelled. “I won’t!”
Timothy clenched his jaw. “Louise, I need your help. I can’t do everything by myself. I’m needed to help take care of the cattle. I can’t make breakfast, lunch, and supper, and clean the house as well.”
“I don’t care. I won’t do it!”
“All I’m doing is asking you to make lunch and supper. That’s it. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy.”
Louise glared at him. “I’d rather go out and help with the cattle.”
“That’s not an option. It’s too dangerous.”
“I’m better at ridin’ and ropin’ than most of the hands are,” Louise said, her chin in the air.
Timothy took a deep breath and let it out, counting to ten as he did so. “Louise, it has nothing to do with skill. It’s the experience that counts most. And the size of the person. A grown man has more of a chance to survive if thrown than a twelve year old girl.”
Louise sniffed. “I still won’t stay cooped up in the house slaving away in the kitchen. That’s what the housekeeper is supposed to do.” She turned on her heel to leave.
Timothy grabbed Louise’s arm before she could escape. “You chased off the last available housekeeper. You are the one responsible for her leaving. You need to make that up somehow and the best way to do that is to take over some of the housekeeping responsibilities. If you’re not careful, I’ll add making breakfast and keeping the house clean to the list.”
“Y’all ain’t my pa or my ma. I won’t take orders from you!”
Timothy fought the tears welling in his eyes. “I know I’m not, but when Dad and Mom died, they left me in charge.” His voice became a whisper. “I wish they were here. I could sure use their advice.”
“On what?” Louise asked.
Timothy hesitated. Should he tell her or not? “I’m thinking about writing to a mail order bride.”