Tamera Alexander author of In These Hills is our guest today.
Welcome Christine welcome to Australasian Christian Writers. Thank you for spending time with us today. Tomorrow Narelle Atkins will be posting an author recommendation.
What drew you to write a story in Lynchburg, TN?
That’s an easy one. Lynchburg, Tennessee, is part of my family’s story. My dad was born just outside of Lynchburg in the Gattis Town/Lois area. You’d be hard pressed to find a more charming town, kinder people, or better Southern cooking than what’s served at Miss Mary Bobo’s Boarding House just off the town square. I grew up hearing stories about Jack Daniel from my great-grandmother, and her father (my great-great-grandfather William Ballard Preston) broke mules for the distillery around the turn of the century. I’ve long felt a connection to Lynchburg and that corner of Tennessee, so having the opportunity to write about it was truly a gift. And if I’m being honest, my husband Joe has been bugging me for years to write this book, so there’s that too.
We sometimes forget the danger the suffragists experienced. How did this conflict impact the story?
We take so much for granted these days. Women weren’t granted the right to vote in the United States until 1920—a mere blink in history. Suffragists were belittled, ridiculed, beaten, and jailed. Some suffered brutal treatment, imprisonment, and lasting injury—and a few even lost their lives as a result of their advocacy. That harsh reality shaped the story’s tension, raising the stakes for a heroine whose beliefs could cost her everything. And yet today, when the privilege to vote is readily available to us—without persecution, without cost to our safety—so many choose not to exercise it. It’s a sobering contrast, and one that reminds us just how hard-won that right truly is.
You used to work in marketing. How has that experience helped your writing career?
As much as I love writing, I also genuinely enjoy the marketing side of publishing—jacket design, distribution channels, series branding, pricing strategies, media, and speaking and signing events. My background in marketing taught me to view my books as products. They are absolutely an outgrowth of my heart and creativity, but they must also be clearly positioned, distilled into a compelling two- or three-line pitch, and thoughtfully packaged and presented to readers. That takes a team, and I’m grateful to have a great one in Tyndale. Many authors think of their books as their babies. And while I understand that sentiment, I have two children—and they’re fully grown. My books are deeply personal, yes, but they are also products meant to be shared, discovered, and ultimately to connect with readers. And those connections over the past twenty years have been one of the greatest and most unexpected blessings of my writing journey.
Faith and resilience often anchor your stories. What spiritual thread runs through In These Hills, and how do you hope readers will see God’s presence in the midst of uncertainty?
God’s presence in the waiting is a thread that runs throughout the novel. Both Josephine and Dodge are forced into seasons where answers don’t come quickly. As I wrote the story, I was reminded again that God is not absent in the silence. In fact, he often does his deepest work in the “waiting rooms” of life, instilling trust rather than providing immediate clarity. Set against a backdrop of accusation and hidden pasts, the story also explores how easily—and swiftly—we can misjudge others. Oftentimes, we judge based solely on what we see on the exterior, or perhaps a “label” someone bears. But God invites us to look beyond appearances and into the heart.
You had the opportunity to write from the locations in your book. Describe this experience.
Since my dad was born near Lynchburg in the Gattis Town/Lois area, I grew up visiting family there. Walking those same hills again, revisiting the distillery, and spending time in Miss Mary Bobo’s home gave me a sensory richness and a wealth of detail as I crafted the setting for the novel. Having family ties to the area—my great-great-grandfather broke mules for the distillery—made writing this story deeply meaningful. I hope the love I feel for the town and its people found its way onto the page. And to be completely honest, I felt a measure of intimidation writing about Jack Daniel, Miss Mary Bobo, Nearest Green, Susan B. Anthony, Nannie Helen Burroughs, and other real-life figures who appear in the novel. Each is deeply loved and highly esteemed, and I felt a profound responsibility to honor their lives and legacies with care.
You work with wonderful communities of authors such as Francine Rivers and Lynn Austin. How does engaging with these groups enhance your writing?
How can new writers start building their own writing community to encourage and challenge their skills? Being in community with such gifted authors as Francine Rivers and Lynn Austin reminds me that even after decades of writing, there’s always more to learn. You never truly “arrive.” There are always new ways to hone your craft, and I never want to offer God something that has cost me nothing (2 Samuel 24:24). My advice for new writers is to begin to pray about your “tribe.” Lay your desire for a critique partner or group before the Lord, and ask him to give you the desires of his heart for your writing. I also encourage writers to explore American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW.com), a wonderful organization devoted to helping authors partner with God in the creative process, grow in their craft, and connect their stories with the readers he intends. And never forget—God is at the helm of your writing dreams.
What is your most important piece of advice for those who are writing historical fiction? Honor the history, but serve the story. Do your research, then let the details enrich the story world without overwhelming the narrative.
Readers pick up a novel to come for the story first—not a history lesson. I have to remind myself of this often. Because I love history and am sometimes tempted to include details that I find fascinating but that, in the end, don’t serve the story and must be edited out. But keep those bits and pieces. They make wonderful fodder for blogs.
You mention in your author bio that you enjoy walking through old cemeteries and antique shops. What attracts you to study and write about history?
Old cemeteries and antique shops are filled with whispers of lives once lived— names, dates, once-treasured objects now covered in dust. Who were the people who owned these things? How did they come to part with them? What were their hopes and dreams? History reminds me that while times change, human nature does not. The longings, fears, doubts, desires, and failures we wrestle with today are not new.
As I wander through cemeteries and when I write about real people long passed, I’m reminded that we are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes (James 4:14 NIV). And as David wrote in Psalm 103:15-16, Our days on earth are like grass; like wildflowers, we bloom and die. The wind blows, and we are gone—as though we had never been here. In studying and writing about history, I’m drawn to the ways God’s hand can be seen across generations—through the good events and the difficult. He is faithful through it all. His presence, his provision, and his redemptive work shine through every era.
Historical fiction requires balancing fact with imagination. In this novel, where did you feel the most creative freedom—and where did history require you to stay carefully tethered to the record?
While the historical framework is real, I had the most creative freedom in shaping the inner lives of my fictional characters—their motivations, relationships, and spiritual journeys. Fiction allows us to explore the heart behind the history. When writing about real figures like Jack Daniel, Miss Mary Bobo, Nearest Green (and his family), Susan B. Anthony, and Nannie Helen Burroughs, and more, I felt a deep responsibility to remain faithful to the historical record and to the spirit of who they were. I wanted their portrayals to align with what is known of them in history and what is respected about their lives.
You have won several awards (such as the Christy Award, the Carol Award, and Library Journal’s top honors). What helps you hold yourself to a standard of excellence in your writing?
At the very outset of my writing career, at a crossroads moment, I sensed the Lord ask me (in an inaudible but unmistakable way), “Would you write this book if you knew you were writing it only for me?” Once I could hear again over the thudding of my heart, I understood what he was asking. And I answered yes.
In that moment, I knew every story I would write would have, at its core, an Audience of One. Him. I also suspected the publisher I planned to pitch that novel to would likely reject it (which they did, and with good reason—it needed work!). But that question settled something deep within me. Like David in 2 Samuel 24:24, I determined I would never offer to God something that had cost me nothing.
Whatever I placed before him would be an offering shaped by time, effort, and heart. I can honestly say I’ve held to that commitment. With each book, I strive to give him my very best with where I am at that stage of my growth. And then I let go, as difficult as that can be. Because, ultimately, I’m writing for him. Whatever he chooses to do with these stories is his. My role is simply to offer him my best. Always.
Your book has enemies-to-lovers and opposites-attract elements in the story. What is your favourite romance trope?
Friends-to-lovers is a favorite. I also love second-chance romance (as in a troubled marriage, like in A Million Little Choices), as well as marriages of convenience. But more than any particular trope, what matters most to me is that the couple cannot find their happily ever after without first taking that initial step toward becoming who God created them to be. Because in the end, it’s never just about the couple. It’s about God at work in each of their lives, drawing them closer to him and, in turn, to each other.
Your family has a history in Lynchburg. What did you learn about your heritage while writing this book?
I grew up knowing my family had ties to Lynchburg, but researching and writing In These Hills brought those connections into sharper focus and made the past feel more personal.
Reflecting on the lives of my great-great-grandparents, Ballard and Martha Jane Preston, gave me deeper respect for the quiet, often unseen labor that builds a community. It reminded me that ordinary lives can leave extraordinary legacies. The story also deepened my gratitude for those who came before me—and the responsibility we each carry. As someone says to Josephine in the novel, “What we do with our lives matters. Not only for us, but for generations to come.” It has also impressed on me how precious it is to leave something tangible behind. What I wouldn’t give for a journal from my great- or great-great grandparents. To glimpse their struggles, their joys, and the everyday rhythms of their lives. What a gift that would be.