It's been my pleasure and privilege to find Brenda Anderson in cyberspace to form a lasting friendship. We have similar reading tastes – she's more adventurous in her choices – and our views of Christian fiction mesh well. I'm presenting this three-part interview to familiarize you with Brenda and her contemporary debut novel Chain of Mercy published by Winslet Press. Available now for pre-order but debuting on Tuesday, April 22nd.
Tell us who Brenda Bryant Anderson is as a person and as a writer.
Oh, a tough question right off the bat! Well, the easy answer is I’m daughter of the King, wife to Marv, and mother to three. J
Honestly, I’m not terribly complicated. I’m a country girl at heart. I love God’s creation—I love to be out in it. Music plays a large role in my life: singing, listening, worshiping.
Also, I love spending time with family: baseball games, movies (especially Marvel and Disney!), roller coasters, theater. And I’m blessed that my teens and twenty-something still like spending time with me.
As a writer, I’m someone who likes to dig into the gritty-parts of life. God does His most amazing work with the messy and broken, and that’s who I like to write about.
Your long journey through the roads of publishing led you to Winslet Press. How did that happen?
It really was a lengthy journey! I’ve written for as long as I remember. I even have stories I wrote in grade school.
My degree is in literature, but after college, I mostly worked in an office until the kids came. Then they were my full-time job. It wasn’t until 8-1/2 years ago, that God got a hold of me and said, “I gave you a gift, what are you doing with it?” It was then I began writing what is now known as Chain of Mercy, my debut novel.
After finishing Chain, it underwent countless drafts as I learned how to craft a novel. In the meantime, I completed an additional five books, three of which are in my Coming Home Series along with Chain of Mercy.
Between Chain and my other books, I’ve received 30+ rejections—each of those rejections taught me something new, if only to keep pressing on.
I came upon Winslet Press one day when I was admiring the cover of one of their authors. After perusing the site, I learned that the Winslet Press owners also own Tekeme, a book design, web design, marketing company whose work I’ve admired for several years. Both companies are Christian owned, but Winslet doesn’t publish only Christian works.
The Winslet site said they were looking for new authors, so I dug out my query letter, tweaked it to Winslet specs and sent it off. A few hours later I heard back from their Acquisitions Editor asking for a proposal. A mere four hours after that I heard from Winslet’s owner who requested the full. Two weeks following that I had a contract offer. A week later they offered to publish the entire four book series!
You've written more than one novel, but tell us which one is the first on the list to be published and when is it being released. Give us the blurb and why you selected it as your first release – or did you?
Chain of Mercy is the very first novel I wrote. I’ve completed five others, but I’m ecstatic that Chain is the first to be published. Authors talk about the book of their heart, and Chain is that for me. This is the novel I queried Winslet about—I just couldn’t give up on it. It’s a good thing I didn’t.
Chain of Mercy’s official release date is April 22, 2014!
Book Description:
They forgave him for the accident that killed their son, but he will never forgive himself.
Manhattan businessman Richard Brooks was at the top of the world, drunk with success, wealth, and women. Until one disastrous evening, when his world came crashing down.
Richard flees to Minneapolis where he repairs ancient boilers instead of solving corporate problems, and he’s determined to live the solitary life he now deserves.
But Executive Sheila Peterson has other plans for the handsome custodian. Richard appears to be the perfect match for the no-strings-attached romance she’s after, but she soon discovers that he’s hiding more than the designer suits in his closet.
You and I have had many discussions regarding traditional Christian and/or CBA publishing and what they're putting out there for readers today in the realm of fiction. This is your opportunity to rant if you so choose.
Oh, good! This should be fun. J
First off, I’ll give you my basic definition of Christian fiction: fiction that’s marketed toward the Christian market. I know it’s much more than that, but I think that’s the core.
Second, I love Christian fiction (CF). The majority of fiction I read would be classified as CF. My books will be marketed as CF. But that’s not to say CF doesn’t have issues.
There is a definite lack of choice for readers. If you don’t read historical romance, Amish, or sweet contemporary romance, you’ll find your choices limited. Not to say there aren’t books outside those parameters, but the options are few.
The gatekeepers in the industry claim they’re looking for something fresh, but *fresh* has to lie within the romance / Amish genres. Can’t have a male protagonist. Oh my, no! And a heroine who smokes? Well, since Christians don’t smoke (ahem—sounds like fantasy to me), the Christian reader wouldn’t be able to relate. (Yes, that was a rejection I received.) Seems disconnected from reality to me. Perhaps I want too much authenticity. But, that’s what I want to read, so that’s what I’m going to write.
Now I see the problem is a chicken-egg issue. Right now, the CF readership wants something safe. They’re reading to escape the harshness of life, and don’t want to be reminded of it in fiction. But what about the many readers who want more? And, yes, they’re out there, but that reader already recognizes that their local Christian bookstore won’t carry what they’re looking for.
Is it the publisher’s fault then for not widening their scope? Honestly, I can’t blame them. They are in business to make a profit, and if *something different* isn’t assured of making a profit, why would they publish that book?
In the process, though, the choices keep narrowing, permanently chasing away potential readers. That’s where small publishers like mine (Winslet Press) step in to fill the gap!
If you could change three things in Christian fiction, what would they be?
Only three? 😉 Well, (1) I’d offer more diversity in the product line. (2) I’d encourage greater authenticity. No, I don’t need swearing, and I don’t need to go beyond the bedroom door, but many CF books won’t even look at the bedroom door. (3) This is for authors – I’d focus less on rules and more on creating the page-turning story. I recently listened to an editor for a major CF publisher, and she said she didn’t know the rules! She was just looking for that story. And no, I’m not endorsing breaking all the rules, but I am saying that much of CF has become legalistic in the keeping of said rules.
One of your favorite authors in the Christian fiction market is Steven James who has a Masters in Storytelling. For those who don't know Steven James, he writes thrillers with a capital T. Please tell us why he's your measuring stick for other Christian authors and what exactly you like about his writing.
There are a number of things that put Steven James at the top. He’s a master at creating page-turning fiction, and he keeps the reader guessing. Rarely do I figure out how it’s all going to tie together. All of his characters are multi-faceted, including the antagonist. No one writes the bad guy like James, and it’s frightening how he makes the reader see themselves in the evil. James doesn’t dumb-down his writing for the reader—he assumes they’re intelligent, and I feel challenged by his stories. In my opinion, he’s one of the most intelligent authors out there.
Would you classify your genre as Women's Fiction? Do you intend to write exclusively in that genre?
I wouldn’t classify it as Women’s fiction, as I do tend to enjoy telling stories from a male protagonist’s point of view. Rather I would call it contemporary with strong romantic elements. I’ve also called it family / relational drama.
I have written a few novels that would be labeled as contemporary romance. After getting nowhere with my family drama novels, I threw my hands in the hair and said, then I’ll write romance! And wouldn’t you know it, it was my first contemporary romance, Hearts at Risk, that was a Finalist in the ACFW Genesis awards.
But, my first love is gritty contemporary.
There's more to come from Brenda. Following the interview, a review of Chain of Mercy.
Father, please continue to bless Brenda as she blesses the lives of so many around her. Please keep her focused on what you have for her and encourage her always along the journey. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.
