Today, our guest is author Carole Lehr Johnson, who is the author of three inspirational novels set in England.
Welcome to ACW blog, Carole! We’re glad to have you.
Tea or coffee?
Tea, of course! Coffee has a bitter, strong, pungent taste I cannot acquire.
Contemporary or historical novels?
Historical. I love the past. The further back, the better. Since I’m an Anglophile, it must be a UK-based historical since that’s what I prefer writing. I’m interested in history—period, but I love British history most because of my ancestry.
Austen or Brontes?
Austen. The Brontes were good, but I don’t find their stories as engaging as Jane’s.
Staycation or travel?
Always travel to the UK if at all possible. If I stay home, I tend to work at chores, etc.
Are you a plotter or a pantser?
I’m more of a plantser. I love research and planning but find just planning a bit too constricting, preferring a more fluid approach.
Most creative in morning, day, or night?
After lunch until I shut down for the day is my best writing time. I’m not a morning person at all!
Tell us about yourself.
I’m a veteran travel consultant of more than 30 years and have served as head of genealogy at my local library. My love of tea and scones, castles and cottages, and all things British, have led me to immerse my writing in the United Kingdom whether in the genre of historical or contemporary fiction.
I am a member of the American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) and the president of my local chapter. My husband and I live in Louisiana with our goofy cats. I have published three full-length novels: Permelia Cottage, A Place in Time, and The Burning Sands.
Tell us about your latest release.
The Burning Sands is a split time with the historical timeline taking place in the latter part of the seventeenth century in Cornwall, England. Three hundred and fifty years separates two women who both struggle with grief of a different sort. One grieves her present, the other her past.
How would you describe your style of novels? What can readers expect?
I’m not sure how to accurately answer that question. I love the styles of Catherine Cookson—a British author who wrote into her nineties; Susanna Kearsley and Kate Morton, but I cannot place myself in their company.
How does your faith impact your writing?
My writing is all about my faith. As a Christian, writing is a ministry to me. I pray it may bring the reader to rely more on Jesus Christ.
What is the reason for your fascination with Great Britain, particularly England?
Mostly my ancestry from my mother’s side of the family. For some unknown reason, I hold no interest in the German side of my family who came to America in 1888. I am drawn to the British side who arrived here in the seventeenth century. I think there may be something to the genetic memory thing!
If you could travel anywhere, where would you go? Why?
The UK, of course! I would like to go back to the Cotswolds in the English countryside and explore it more deeply. This time I’d prefer to stay in one cottage for the entire stay and really get to know the locals so I could write more deeply about the culture.
When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?
Decades ago, but I didn’t have the wherewithal to pursue it at the time. There was no Internet then!
Where can we find your books and connect with you online?
My books are for sale on Amazon, or you can visit the books pages on my website: www.CaroleLehrJohnson.com
You will find a button which takes you to the purchase link for each book. You may sign up for my newsletter to receive information and updates on my writing.
I read a couple of Catherine Cookson’s books when in high school. Or should I say started a couple. Although in the library they were a little racy for me. (I didn’t fully understand them which was probably good).
Nice to get to know you.
Hi, Jenny! Nice to ‘meet’ you. Thanks for your comment. I’ve read dozens of Catherine Cookson’s novel but thank goodness never came across the racy ones! Thank goodness.
I hope you will enjoy my stories. You won’t discover anything racy in mine😁.
God bless you!