Introducing Carrie Turansky new book Governess of Highland Hall

Carrie Turansky Interview Questions: Governess of Highland Hall

Please tell us a bit about yourself.

I’ve loved reading since I first visited the library as a young child and checked out a stack of picture books. My love for writing began when I handwrote my first novel at age twelve. But I put writing aside for many years to focus on art and raising my family. I homeschooled my five children, and I found that gave me a great education and was good preparation for writing novels. My husband, Scott, and I have been married for over 35 years. He is a pastor, counselor, and the author of many parenting books. We love our church, Calvary Chapel Living Hope, and we often travel together for ministry and to visit our five adult children and 3 three grandchildren. When I’m not writing I enjoy working in my flower gardens, walking around the lake near our house, and cooking healthy meals for family and friends.

What is your favorite Bible verse?

“I will go before you and will level the mountains. I will break down gates of bronze and cut though bars of iron. I will give you the treasures of darkness, riches stored in secret places, so that you may know that I am the Lord, the God of Israel, who summons you by name.” Isaiah 45:23

I love this verse because it highlights the power of God to do the impossible and His promise to bless us and show us who He is through it all.

What intrigued you about writing in this time period?

When I watched the British TV series Downton Abbey I became interested in life in England during the Edwardian period, especially life on a country estate where there were not only aristocratic family members, but also many loyal and hardworking servants. I have a good friend and fellow author, Cathy Gohlke, who wrote a beautiful book set in England during this same time period, Promise Me This, and that also piqued my interest in the period.

How did you come up with the concept?

When I attended the American Library Association Convention in Philadelphia in 2012, I had a discussion with an editor about the success of Downton Abbey, and she encouraged me to create a story with a heroine who was a governess and set it in England on an estate like Downton. That got my mental wheels turning. I was hesitant to follow up on the idea at first because I knew it would take a lot of research to create a story that rang true for that period. But Cathy encouraged me and loaded me up with research books.

What is the one thing about you that most people don’t know?

Many may not know our family spent a year in Kenya, Africa, where my husband taught at a Bible college and all the kids attended Rift Valley Academy, a mission boarding school, although we all lived on the station. This was a wonderful, life-changing experience for all of us, and I feel like I left part of my heart in Africa.

Is any part of Governess of Highland Hall true?

I try very hard to get the historical details correct, and that’s especially a challenge for an American who is writing a book set in England in 1911 - 1912. I’m very thankful for two British “first readers” who helped me catch some historical and cultural items that needed to be tweaked to sound less American.  I hope the story will ring true for the time and place, but the plot itself is fictional.

How long did Governess of Highland Hall take you to complete?

From the first idea to turning it in took 13 months, and then a few more weeks for revisions.

How much research did Governess of Highland Hall take?

I had to do a lot of initial research to learn the customs of the time period and to find the story. I have a whole shelf of books now, and I often pull one out to reread and find new information since this is a series, and I’m working on the next book. The best part of research was our trip to England in the summer of 2012. We had a delightful time driving through the farms and villages in the Cotswold, and touring the Peek District and the area around Oxford. One of the highlights for me was visiting Highclere Castle where Downton Abbey is filmed. So beautiful and inspiring! I loved the gardens!

What were the most interesting things that you learned while writing and researching Governess of Highland Hall?

I enjoyed learning about Amy Carmichael, missionary to India, who was the inspiration for my heroine and her family’s mission work there. I also enjoyed learning about the London Social Season. Young women had to prepare for months and sometimes years with the hope of meeting the right man and receiving a marriage proposal.

What aspects of being a writer do you enjoy the most?

I think one of the best perks of being a writer is hearing from readers who have been touched by one of my stories. Those letters and emails are a precious confirmation that God is working in and through me to share his love and truth with a reader.  That always amazes and encourages me and makes me want to keep writing.

What do you find to be the most challenging part of being a writer?

I am a consistent writer, but I am not a fast writer. So I need to set word count goals and stick to them. It’s hard to be creative when the pressure is on and a deadline is approaching. But God is faithful, and with his help I have been able to turn each book in on time.

Do your characters take on a life of their own as you write?

Yes, my characters do take on a life of their own and sometimes they say and do things I hadn’t expected!  But that is one of the fun parts of writing a story, and one thing that keeps it fresh and interesting to me.

What is your greatest achievement?

I’d say my greatest achievement is building a strong and healthy marriage and raising our five children with my husband Scott. We feel very blessed to see our kids move into adulthood and still maintain a close relationship with us.

What is your goal or mission as a writer?

My goal and mission as a writer is to share God’s love and truth through the power of story, to take readers on a powerful emotional journey, and help them grow closer to God in the process.

Is there anything else you’d like to add?

I feel very blessed to be able to share my books with reading friends! I love to connect through Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and my website. I hope readers will stop by, see what’s new, and leave me a message.

Blessings and Happy Reading,

Carrie

www.carrieturansky.com

used with permission from Christianbooks.com.

Contest

Highland Hall Novel Tea Giveaway! October 7 – 15, 2013: Follow the link below and fill out the entry form for a chance to win one of three full-to-the-brim English Tea and Downton Abbey themed gift basketsI Then share the giveaway with your friends. http://carrieturansky.com/index.php/governesslaunch/

Getting to Know you Thursdays with Carrie Turansky

Please welcome Carrie Turansky to my blog today. The getting to know you Thursday became Friday but at least we can post again.
Carrie has a new ebook out Surrendered Hearts which I hope you will check out. Thanks Carrie for being on my blog.

1. Can you tell us a little about yourself?

I was born and raised in Oregon, but now life in New Jersey. I have been married for over thirty years to my husband Scott who is a pastor, counselor and author of several books on parenting. We have five young adult children. Two are married and we are blessed with three grandchildren. I have been writing fiction since 1998, and my first book was published in 2005. I've had five novellas and two novels published, and I have two more novels contracted. I write inspirational romance, both historical and contemporary, and women's fiction. 

2. When you were a child did you have a favourite book or books?

My parents took me to the library every week when I was young. That helped me develop a love for reading. One of my aunts was a teacher and knew the importance of children reading great books. She gave me the Newberry Award winning book each Christmas for several years. Some of my favorites were Charlotte's Web, The Little House Series, The Bronze Bow, Little Women, and Anne of Green Gables. 

3. Do you have a favourite Genre to both read and right write?

I enjoy reading inspirational contemporary and historical romance, but I also enjoy women's fiction and suspense.

4. Did you have favourite authors growing up who have influenced you?

Two of my favorite authors was Laura Ingals Wilder and Elizabeth George Speare.

5. When did you know you wanted to be an author?

I wrote my first book when I was twelve. But then I went on to get my degree in fine art. I became a teacher, then I focus on raising my children and homeschooling them. I didn't get back to writing until I was in my early forties.

6. How did you go about becoming an author?

Our family spent a year in Kenya as missionaries, and when we returned to the U.S. I missed it so much, I decided to write a story set there to recapture some of my experiences. I continued reading and studying fiction for a couple years, then I heard about American Christian Fiction Writers in 2000. I joined and have learned a tremendous amount from being involved in that wonderful organization.

I am blessed to also be involved in ministry, partnering with my husband at a church that we planted. That keeps me busy when I am not writing. 

8. Outside reading and writing what do you like to do?

I like to work out in my yard and have some lovely flower gardens. I also enjoy walking around the small lake near our home for exercise. We  have pet bunnies and three birds that are a lot of fun for our family. Spending time with my family and playing with our grandkids are also important to me too.

9. Do you have a place you love to visit or would love to visit?

We have traveled to many countries for ministry and for vacations. We hope to visit Italy and Greece some day.

10. If you could have a meal with 3 living people who would you choose and why?

I would love to have a meal with three of my favorite Bible teachers, Beth Moore, Lysa TerKeurst, and Kay Arthur. It would be great to get to know them and also thank them for the way their Bible studies have enriched my life.

Finally can you tell us about your current books and/or any that will

be coming out soon. Also where we can find you on the web.

My most recent books are Christmas Mail-Order Brides from Barbour and Seeking His Love from Love Inspired. 

Christmas Mail-Order Brides:

Swedish immigrant Annika Bergstrom travels to Wyoming as a mail order bride, but when her prospective groom, Chase Simms, disappears, she finds herself falling in love with his brother Daniel. Will she take hold of her chance for love, or wait for the man she has promised to marry?

Seeking His Love:

Since losing his wife and child, widower Cam McKenna has tried to avoid children. But when he must temporarily care for his nice, Cam opens his home. With no idea how to relate to a fourteen-year-old girl, he seeks the advice of the new Christian youth theater director. He's touched when Rachel Clark give his niece a scholarship-and teaches him a thing or two about teens...and love. But why is Rachel so secretive about her past? The truth threatens their fragile relationship yet promises to bring them closer to each to each other—and the Lord—than either dreamed possible.  This book was chosen by the ACFW online book club as one of their June featured books.

I'm currently working on Song of Her Heart, which is a sequel to Seeking His Love and is set is the same town, Fairhaven, Washington. This one features a young musician who dreams of playing her flute professionally, but she faces several challenges that make her wonder if she has been chasing the wrong dream all along. Several of the minor characters in Seeking His Love make an appearance in this book. It includes a sweet romance with a hero who is worthy of the heroine's love.

I also have an e-book coming out in March titled Like Gold Refined. It is a sequel to my first Love Inspired novel, Along Came Love.  Scarred by an explosion and fire, a young actress seeks refuge in Vermont where she learns faith can overcome her fear and make her truly beautiful in God’s eyes and in the eyes of the man she loves.

For more information about my books, please visit my website: www.carrieturansky.com. I have a special page for each book with background information,recipes, interviews, and the first chapters. 

Jennifer Evan's life is changed forever when a gas pipeline explodes and causes a fire at her apartment. Losing her home and beloved dog are terrible blows, but the ugly scars that cover her arm, neck and shoulder steal her confidence and cause her fiancé to desert her. With her funds depleted and her job on hold, she heads for Vermont where she hopes to reconnect with her brother and find a way to rebuild her shattered life.

Bill Morgan, her brother's roommate and the head naturalist at the Wild River Nature Center, is a strong, quiet man whose faith runs deep. His efforts to share his faith with Jenn seem to push her farther away. But caring actions sometimes speak louder than words, and Jenn's heart is drawn to Bill in spite of the spiritual gulf that separates them. Will she hold on to her pain of her past, or will she surrender her heart and find the faith and love she seeks?

Surrendered Hearts is available at Amazon.com and also through Smashwords.com for most other types of e-readers. If you don't have an e-reader, you can download it to your computer, smart phone, iphone, ect. and read it that way. I hope my readers will enjoy this special story that answers the question - What makes a woman truly beautiful?

Here are two reviews:
"Fire stole Jenn's career, possessions, beloved dog, the affections of a fiancé who couldn't see past her scars, and any remnant of faith she possessed. But struggling through her fears leads Jenn to an amazing God who cherishes her just as she is, and to embrace a love and life she could not have imagined. SURRENDERED HEARTS is one more example of Turansky's ability to draw a reader's heart toward its Heavenly home, filling it with determination, hope, and romance for the journey."

— Cathy Gohlke, Christy award-winning author of William Henry is a Fine Name, I Have Seen Him in the Watchfires,

"This was my first book by Carrie Turansky and i am hooked. Loved the book. Just when you think you know what is going to happen there is a nice twist waiting in the next chapter!! I highly recommend this book! " Pier Shea, Dublin, Ohio.