Monday, August 12, 2013

interview with Lori Benton and giveaway of her debut novel Burning Sky, ends Aug 16

This week we are celebrating Lori Benton's fabulous debut with an interview today, a review Wednesday, and a giveaway on Friday! Be sure to leave a comment with your email to enter both today and Wednesday.

Welcome Lori! We are so happy to have you here this week, and thrilled that you have agreed to share a bit about yourself.


Q: First of all—biscotti and coffee, tea and crumpets, or scones and latte? J

A: Coffee in the mornings, tea in the afternoons. But, alas, I am eating gluten free these days. Before that it would have been scones and tea. Thankfully there are gluten free alternatives, and some of them aren't half bad. J


Q: When did you first know you were a writer?
A: I remember it well. I was nine years old when my best friend announced (already an avid reader) that she had written a story. She showed it to me, and that was a moment of revelation. Anyone, whenever they felt like it, could write their own story, about whatever they wanted. Of course I had to give it a go. I wrote Yellow Feather and the Wild Mustang (and thanks to a grandmother who saved that story, dated 1978, I still have it). I never lost interest in storytelling from that day on, although writing took a back seat to painting for a few years during high school and art college. But in 1991 I began writing again with an eye toward one day being published.


Q: How does New York State history play into your writing?

A: My debut novel, Burning Sky: A Novel of the American Frontier, is set in upstate New York in 1784, months after the Revolutionary War ceased raging in the back country so close to British Canada, and the inhabitants of the Mohawk Valley and along West Canada Creek were finally able to straggle back to their homesteads (if they still existed) and pick up the pieces of their lives. Burning Sky presents a portrait of one such (fictional) settlement at this time, and the scars that both the land and people were left to bear and overcome. European settlers and their neighbors the Iroquois, who experienced their own struggles, defeats, and triumphs during the War.


Q: If you could sit down and interview any person, fictitious or real from any time, who would that be and what is the first question you would ask?

A: The answer to this question evolves, since I’m always researching the 18th century, learning about the people of that time, sometimes scratching my head over their choices and actions—or marveling at their bravery and dedication. Just now a certain man comes to mind. I’ll introduce him, as I don’t believe he’s well known. His name was Peter Agwelentongwas, also known as Good Peter. He was an Oneida Indian who helped lead his people during the Revolutionary War era. Unlike most members of the other Iroquois Six Nations, the Oneidas fought for the patriots. And they suffered for it. Many Oneidas were by this time Christians. Good Peter, born in the 1720s, accepted Christ as his Savior in the 1750s. He was a warrior known for his fervent faith—he taught himself to read the Bible, translated into Mohawk—and for his loving nature. In spite of the terrible poverty and suffering the Oneidas experienced after the war, he maintained a hopeful optimism about his nation. He would travel from village to village, offering kind words and prayers, singing hymns, and preaching sermons to encourage his brothers and sisters, until his death in 1794.

This is what I’d like to ask Good Peter. Tell me what is the reason for the hope that is in you? Not because I don’t already know the Answer for myself. Because I would very much like to sit beside this beloved man and hear him tell me about his Savior.


Q: Beautiful portrait. I looked up Oquaga, where Good Peter regularly preached--near what is now Deposit, NY--and it's less than 2 hours from where I live. In that vein, who have been your mentors, and how did they help you most?

A: So many writers have mentored me during my 20+ year writing journey, most of them unknowingly. Some of the best mentoring I’ve received has come from simply reading novels of the sort I long to write myself, paying attention to what it is that’s ringing that bell for me, and attempting to recreate it in my own words.

There is one place where I’ve learned a great deal about writing fiction over the past 15 years, and that’s the Compuserve Books & Writers Community. It’s the oldest books and writers forum on the internet. It’s gone by different names over the years, and there are writers who’ve been members there since its inception. One of them is bestselling author Diana Gabaldon, and it’s down to her books that I became interested in the 18th century in the first place. I’ve learned much about writing from Diana, and others on the forum, many of them multi-published authors and journalists. But there was one woman, Lauri Klobas, who had never published any fiction of her own, who helped me tremendously. Lauri had a gift for editing, especially for wading through a tangle of overwritten prose like I once produced (and still often do in my first drafts), and cutting away the excess to find the core of a story. It’s largely because of Lauri that my writing finally captured the eye of an agent, and I’ve dedicated Burning Sky in her memory.


Q:  What do you hope your readers will take away from Burning Sky and your other books in general?

A: Aside from the obvious—being entertained and feeling like they've gained a new circle of friends in the characters—I would like the reader who finishes Burning Sky to be encouraged and reaffirmed that God is working all things together for good in their lives. That they can trust Him without fear, through pain and disappointment, through hardship and hard work, no matter what the situation looks like on the ground. He has good plans for us, blessings now, and on into eternity.


Q: Do you have a question you would like our blog readers to answer?

A: I’ll put to them the same question you asked me (it’s a good one!). If you could sit down and interview any person, from any time, who would that be, and what is the first question you would ask?

Thank you for being with us this week. I wish you every blessing as you write for His glory!




Visit the Burning Sky page on Lori's website where you can read the first two chapters now: http://loribenton.blogspot.com/p/burning-sky.html
Lori's Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorLoriBenton#

Burning Sky
Abducted by Mohawk Indians at fourteen and renamed Burning Sky, Willa Obenchain is driven to return to her family’s New York frontier homestead after many years building a life with the People. At the boundary of her father’s property, Willa discovers a wounded Scotsman lying in her path and feels obliged to nurse his injuries. The two quickly find much has changed during Willa’s twelve-year absence—her childhood home is in disrepair, her missing parents are rumored to be Tories, and the young Richard Waring she once admired has grown into a man twisted by the horrors of war and claiming ownership of the Obenchain land.
When her Mohawk brother arrives and questions her place in the white world, the cultural divide blurs Willa’s vision. Can she follow Tames-His-Horse back to the People now that she is no longer Burning Sky? And what about Neil MacGregor, the kind and loyal botanist who does not fit into her plan for a solitary life, yet is now helping her revive her farm? In the aftermath of the Revolutionary War, strong feelings against “savages” abound in the nearby village of Shiloh, leaving Willa’s safety unsure.

Willa is a woman caught between two worlds. As tensions rise, challenging her shielded heart, the woman called Burning Sky must find a new courage—the courage to again risk embracing the blessings the Almighty wants to bestow. Is she brave enough to love again?

I am giving away a copy of this beautiful book to one lucky commenter. Answer Lori's question about who in history you would love to interview, and you might win this beautiful story of the NY frontier. To increase your chances of winning, tell me if you follow this blog, Lori's blog or FB author page, or share on Twitter, FB, or Google+ That gives you 8 chances. Good luck!

31 comments:

  1. Another great interview! Kathy and Lori make a great team. I could imagine you sitting down for a cozy book chat! I must say that Yellow Feather and the Wild Mustang is beautifully illustrated!

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    1. Please exclude me from the drawing as I have a copy of this wonderful novel!

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    2. Thank you, Carla. It's a blast getting to share the work of my nine year old hands here.

      Kathleen's question about who I'd want to interview prompted what is one of my all time favorite answers to an interview question yet. I was so thrilled to get to share about Good Peter. What I've learned about this man so far has touched me deeply.

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  2. I really enjoyed the interview and look forward to an opportunity to read Burning Sky. To answer the question, which was a tough one, I guess I'd say that I would like to interview Leonardo da Vinci since I really enjoy art and paintings. The first question I would ask would be a toss up between "what is your inspiration for paintings" and "who is the woman in the Mona Lisa painting.

    Katie J.
    johnsonk133 at yahoo dot com

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    1. Katie, you picked a good one in Leonardo. Wouldn't it be fun just to sit in his workspace and watch the man create? I'd be happy to talk about whatever he wanted to talk about.

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  3. Thanks for the interview ladies! I am really looking forward to reading this book...
    I think it would be interesting to interview some of my ancestors, those who first came over to the states from Europe. It would be interesting to know why they came and what they would think of the USA if they could see it today...

    pattymh2000(at)yahoo(dot)com

    I follow this blog via e-mail
    I have liked LB's FB page

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    1. Patty, yes! My 18th century ancestors, and those 17th century ones who were the first of my line to immigrate are near the top of my list of those I'd love to talk to, too.

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  4. Thanks for the chance to read this wonderful novel...I would love to chat w/ Mary, the mother of Jesus.

    karenk
    kmkuka at yahoo dot com

    I'm a follower, too!

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    1. Karen, how wonderful that one day, we will! And I'll get to have that talk with Good Peter. :)

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  5. Great interview and review. I would love to read your book. I was wondering why you went gluten free?
    Blessings
    joeym11@frontier.com

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    1. Diana, I was having daily stomach aches and though I didn't know what was wrong, thought I'd try giving gluten a rest. Within a week I felt so much better. I find now I can cheat maybe once a week, but anymore and I'm right back to those stomach aches.

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  6. I've heard beautiful things about this book. I'm interested :) My answer to the question would probably be C.S. Lewis. His works are profound!

    Thanks for this giveaway,

    g.gclermont AT gmail DOT com

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    1. Wouldn't you want to sit down to tea with all those Inklings? I read a book about a character who got to do that. Looking for the King: An Inklings Novel, by David Downing. It was a mystery but the best parts were when the character met with Lewis or Tolkien.

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  7. Lori's book sounds fabulous! And that lovely endorsement on the cover from Laura Frantz, makes me want to read it all the more! If I could interview anyone from history, I would want to sit down with St. Paul and ask him how it was to go from persecuting Christians to being a Christian. I know we already got to have a peak at Paul because we have his Epistles and his conversion in Acts, but how much more exciting would it be to sit face to face with him!

    I follow this blog and I just started following Lori's blog! Thanks for this giveaway!

    emmamalissa(at)gmail(dot)com

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    1. Thanks Emma. Another great choice. I can't wait to meet Paul. I spend a good portion of my devotional time with his epistles, so they are very dear to me.

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  8. Hi kathy. Thanks for having Lori as a guest author. Hi Lori. I think your book will be really interesting and would love to win it. I would love to interview my mothers whom I never got to know and also Corrie tenBoom. She was a great example of being a Christian and living it. I love her books. Everyone should read them. Please enter me in the drawing. I am a follower of this blog. MAXIE mac262(at)me(dot)com

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    1. I have a grandfather I never knew, and I understand that longing to connect. And Corrie ten Boom... you guys have made some great choices. I've read her book The Hiding Place. Powerful.

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    2. Lori, I forgot to edit. meant my mothers parents. You should read Corrie's other books.Maxie

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    3. I meant my Mother's parents. Her mother died when she was just 5, and her dad when I was only about 1. Maxie

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    4. I also have liked Lori's Facebook page. Sorry I'm forgetting so much of my info. Must be worn out. I also shared this on my FB page. Maxie mac262(at)me(dot0com

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  9. Hi, Lori!

    Enjoyed reading another of your interviews - learned something new in each of them. Your book sounds so interesting, & I would really love to read it.!

    The person I would most like to interview is Mary - I would love to ask her about her experiences as the mother of Jesus & the feelings involved!

    bonnieroof60(at)yahoo(dot)com

    I am a follower of both this blog & Lori's blog, & also liked Lori's Facebook page.

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    1. Thanks for commenting Bonnie! Hope you'll let me know what you think of Willa's story, if you get the chance to read it. :)

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  10. Thank you for the wonderful interview and a good background of the novel. I would answer : I'd probably like to ask Saint Teresa of Avila how she overcame her sense of sinfulness and acquired a great prayer life and love of God. Hoping to win your book also! I love the title of your children's book and would love to read that too! Blessings! Mary Lou K
    flowersmarylou85@gmail.com

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    1. Mary Lou, I wrote that little story when I was nine years old, so it would probably just give you a chuckle if you read it--if you could decipher it. I'm happy to say it does have a plot, but my spelling and handwriting was atrocious! Thanks for stopping by!

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  11. Wonderful interview! I have a hard time picking one person I would want to talk to. I think it would be Esther and ask her how she felt when she went before the king to save her people!
    lattebooks at hotmail dot com

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    1. Thanks, Susan! Esther was a very brave woman.

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  12. Lori and Kathy--I really enjoyed the interview. I feel like I do know Lori a bit now. I especially was intrigued by the story of Good Peter. I love history, so I am sure I would enjoy reading Burning Sky.

    It is really hard to pick one person from years gone by to interview. Won't it be exciting in heaven getting to know people we've always wanted to meet? I would like to talk to Joseph. I have loved him and his story since I was a young child learning about his coat of many colors. I would ask him how he was able to forgive all the people who wronged him, and if he struggled with that in the beginning.

    may_dayzee (at) yahoo (dot) com

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  13. You all have been terrific with your comments--I love the range of historical figures you would want to interview, from long lost relatives to Queen Esther and St. Paul. Love it!
    Thanks so much for making this such an interesting discussion!

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  14. Would love to win a copy of "Burning Sky"! Hmmm...anyone from history. The first person who comes to mind is George Washington, and I would ask him, gosh, there are so many questions I would ask him! Okay, one. I'd ask him if people often quoted the scripture admonishing Christians to "honor the king" in argument of war, and how he responded to them.

    gwen[dot]gage[at]gmail[dot]com

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  15. I would love to interview my great grand-parents on both sides of my family.
    Thanks for entering me in your giveaway.
    Janet E.
    von1janet(at)gmail(dot)com

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  16. I have drawn the winner from both days' comments via random.org, and the winner is Maxie!

    congratulations, Maxie. I will email you shortly to get your information for sending you the book.

    Thank you to everybody for visiting and leaving a comment this week.

    Blessings!
    Kathy

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