Bestsellers

BEST SELLING AUTHOR-LIZ TOLSMA

February 1, 2018

Can you share a little about your recent book – the story of a Jewish Christian woman living in Prague during the second world war. Before Germany invaded, she was a concert violinist, and even though the Nazis have forbidden Jews from owning instruments, she continues to play her violin. A German officer is billeted in the flat below where she and her grandmother live. Her music soothes his demons. When she and her grandmother get their notices that they are to be deported to the Terezin concentration camp, he can’t bear the thought of losing her music. He has to figure out a way to preserve her music and protect her.

Why do you write? Do you have a theme, message, or goal for your books? Simply put, I write because I have stories to tell. I have so many ideas inside of me that I will never live long enough to write all the books that I could. God has given me this gift, and I must use it to his glory. A recurring theme in my book tends to be God’s gracious, tender sovereign care for us.

How long have you been writing? And how long did it take you to get your first major book contract? I have been writing seriously since 2002. Like we say in the business, life got in the way for a while. We homeschooled our children for six years and adopted a little girl with multiple special needs. My first contract came just a few weeks after we sent all three of our children to school in 2011. God’s timing was gracious. I would have never been able to take care of my family and write unless the kids were in school.

How long does it take you to write a book? I can comfortably write a full-length novel in about nine months. I’ve been known to do it in about five or six months if needed.

What’s your writing work schedule like? I work five days a week, writing a chapter in the morning and taking care of social media in the afternoon. I have accountability partners that help to keep me on track. And it’s always good motivation to be under a deadline.

Do you have an interesting writing quirk? If so, what is it? No, I can’t really say that I do. I think I write much like many other authors write.

What has been your greatest joy(s) in your writing career? It’s always a thrill when I get to hold the print copy of my book in my hands for the first time. Sometimes I still have to pinch myself to make sure that being a published author isn’t a dream.

What has been your darkest moment(s)? My first publisher of my World War II books decided not to give me another contract. I was gutted and doubted my abilities. But I’m not the first author this has happened to, and I certainly won’t be the last. It opened other opportunities to me and gave me a chance to work on my craft. I looked at my strengths and my weaknesses and went back to the drawing board to become a better writer.

Which of your books is your favorite? People always ask me this question, and it’s like making me choose who is my favorite child. If you are forcing me to pick, I would have to say this newest release, The Melody of the Soul, is my favorite, followed by my first book, Snow on the Tulips. I think that’s because both of them deal in some ways with my family’s heritage.

Who is your favorite author to read? Wow, there are so many talented authors in the Christian market right now. I’ve always loved reading Deb Raney’s work, and I’m a big fan of Kristy Cambron and new author Jamie Jo Wright.

What advice can you give aspiring writers that you wished you had gotten, or that you wished you would have listened too? Doubting yourself can be the biggest dream killer. We all have moments when we despair of ever getting published or even of ever getting another book contract. But believe in yourself and in the gift God has given you. Work at your craft. Learn all that you can. If you do that, your dream can come true.

How many times in your career have you experienced rejection? How did they shape you? I’ve lost count how many times I’ve experienced rejection. Those rejections, hard as they were, shaped me into the author I am today because they made me work all the harder to be a better author. If I had just gotten contract after contract, I wouldn’t have had to learn to be a good writer.

Do you have a favorite character or scene in one of your books? The very last chapter of my new book, The Melody of the Soul, is one of my very favorite scenes. It is extremely emotional, and even though I wrote it, I cannot read it without crying. And that’s all I’m going to say about it. You’ll have to read the book to find out more 🙂

Where do you get your ideas? I like to read articles and stories about World War II and about little-known aspects of the war. Many of my ideas come from there. Sometimes, though, ideas just pop into my head. I can’t really explain it, but that’s how it happens.

What are common mistakes you see aspiring writer’s make? They don’t want to put the time and effort it takes into learning how to be a better writer. It takes a long time to get to the point that you’re good enough writer to be published. Very few of us broke into the market on our first try. When you get a rejection, you pick yourself up and get back to work. When someone gives you advice, you listen to it and weigh it and learn from it.

Where/How do you recommend writers try to break into the market? Going to writer’s conferences and getting involved in writer’s groups is one of the best ways to learn about the craft and to network with other writers, with editors, with agents, and with publishers. That’s where I would suggest getting started.

Liz Tolsma is the author of several WWII novels and prairie romance novellas. The Rails to Love collection released in October 2016. The Matchmaker Brides collection releases in February 2017, and her next WWII novel, The Melody of the Soul, is scheduled to release in April 2017. She is a popular speaker and an editor. She has lived in Wisconsin most of her life, and she now resides next to a farm field with her husband and their two daughters. Her son proudly serves as a U.S. Marine. They adopted all of their children internationally, and one has special needs. When not busy putting words to paper, she enjoys reading, walking, working in her large perennial garden, kayaking, and camping with her family. Please visit her blog, The Story behind the Story, at www.liztolsma.com and follow her on Facebook, Twitter (@LizTolsma), and LinkedIn. She is also a regular contributor to the Pencildancer blog and the Midwest Almanac blog.