Interview with Author Lori Benton and GIVEAWAY

Today I want to welcome Lori Benton to the blog. She is the author of two books Burning Sky and her most recent novel The Pursuit of Tamsen Littlejohn. 

Lori Benton was born and raised east of the Appalachian Mountains, surrounded by early American and family history going back to the 1600s. Her novels transport readers to the 18th century, where she brings to life the Colonial and early Federal periods of American history, creating a melting pot of characters drawn from both sides of a turbulent and shifting frontier, brought together in the bonds of God's transforming grace.
When she isn’t writing, reading, or researching 18th century history, Lori enjoys exploring the mountains with her husband – often scouring the brush for huckleberries, which overflow the freezer and find their way into her signature huckleberry lemon pound cake.


Now, let's see what Lori has to say:  (Lori's answers are in green)

Tell the readers a little about yourself and what inspired you to write:

I grew up on the east coast, now live in Oregon, and have been writing stories since I was nine years old, when my best friend Leah wrote a story and told me about it. That was a moment of epiphany for me. It had never occurred to me that a nine year old girl could write a story. It seemed like the coolest idea ever (being an avid reader), so I gave it a try. And I’ve been writing stories ever since.

How do you juggle family life with writing?

Writing is my full time job. Since my husband works full time away from the house, and we don’t have children, it’s not much of a juggle. The job still demands more than 40 hours a week from me, at certain times. My husband usually finds something to do on the weekend (like going backpacking, which he loves and I do not) when I have to work, and leaves me to it. 

I love to hear about the author’s spiritual journeys and how that plays into your books.

I can’t imagine writing characters and not giving them a spiritual journey. Just like every aspect of a novel comes from the well of experience a writer has had over the course of her life, so too, the spiritual. Sometimes my characters wrestle with issues I have wrestled with, or experience a struggle I've gone through, or gain an insight I've gained. They can’t experience something I haven’t (to some degree at least) experienced in my own walk with Christ, so that walk is something I diligently nurture and tend. Not just for the sake of my writing, of course, but the writing benefits from that in a huge way.

What makes you feel closest to God, Do you have a favorite time of day, a place, or something else that draws you closer to Him?

I get up at 4:40am most days so I have a chunk of time to spend in the Word and in prayer before my husband awakes and the day starts spinning away. I don’t like to start my day without that morning time with the Lord. That’s been important to me for going on twenty years. I’m usually reading and praying through the Epistles. Have you ever noticed how many prayers Paul, Peter, and the rest pray for the believers they were linked to? Praying those prayers for myself and others has enriched my life in immeasurable ways.

Now a little about your books:

What inspirations did you have for this book/series?

The Pursuit of Tamsen Littlejohn is a stand-alone (not part of a series). It was inspired by a brief reference to the State of Franklin I ran across in my research for an earlier work set in 18^th century North Carolina. I was so intrigued by this seemingly forgotten bit of history—a part of my nation’s history I had never heard of—that I filed it away until the day came I was ready to use it as the historical backdrop to a novel.

I am always curious to know how you come up with the characters names.

Names come from everywhere, it seems. Sometimes the characters show up with them. Sometimes they don’t, and I go hunting for them on ships manifests of the time period, or my family tree, or by watching the credits for movies, looking for that perfect name. I keep throwing names at them until one sticks.

Tamsen’s name came from a brief mention of a real Tamsen who lived during this time, though I couldn’t now tell you in which of a hundred research books I came across it, or who she was. Her surname, Littlejohn, was pulled out of the air. It dropped into my head one day and seemed the perfect fit.

Jesse arrived on the scene with his name already attached. It took a long while to decide on his surname, Bird.

What is one of the scenes in this book that stands out the most to you?

A scene that stands out to me… so many of them do, I could never pick one and call it “the most.” But one scene that was vivid in my mind long before I wrote it was of Tamsen and Jesse standing on a mountain ridge looking westward as the sun sets, and the conversation that happens there.

As a reader, I love to know fun personal stuff about my favorite authors, so here goes:

What is your favorite color? Russet brown (and most any autumn color)

Favorite ice cream flavor? Chocolate chip cookie dough

Favorite hobby other than writing? No hobbies really. There’s no time for them. I like to read, and hike.

Well loved book by another author? To Say Nothing of the Dog, or How We Found The Bishop’s Bird Stump At Last, by Connie Willis.

Are you a morning person or night owl? Morning. I’m ready for bed by 8pm.

Lori, Thank you so much for doing this interview.  It is such a pleasure to have you join me on the blog. I have enjoyed reading your books and the characters in them. I certainly look forward to reading your future novels. 

My pleasure!

If you have a question for our author feel free to post in the comment box. I apologize that the Facebook comment box has a glitch and is not working properly, but you can comment in the other comment box. 

Now for our giveaway!

Lori is providing an autographed copy of her latest novel The Pursuit of Tamsen Littlejohn to the winner. Use the Rafflecopter below to enter the drawing. You can use your email or Facebook to enter. Winner will be chosen and notified by email on May 24, and has 48 hours to reply or another winner will be chosen. US entries only - Thank you.  

a Rafflecopter giveaway