Q. You mentioned you wanted to feature more of the northern states which is why you wrote the story. I loved how you featured the cold winters in the north. Having said that, how did you come up with the characters and storyline for all three?
A. Solveig was inspired by my great grandmother, Ingeborg, who came to America as an indentured servant. Solveig was a minor character in Abercrombie Trail and now returns in her widowhood to take center stage.
Nels was inspired by my paternal grandfather who worked in logging camps when he first came to America as a young Danish immigrant
Sister Magdalena was loosely based on a real Benedictine nun who sold health tickets to the lumberjacks at the time.
Q. Did you have to do a lot of research before writing the story?
A. Historical fiction requires lots of research, something I love to do. I’ve been told that a historical novel and a non-fiction book require the same amount of research, but a novelist uses 10% of her research while a non-fiction writer uses 90%. Doing research to that extent allows the novelist to create an authentic world for her characters.
Q. Do you think you will write another story about Sister Magdalena?
A. Perhaps there will be sequel in the future. I’ve not decided.
Q. Was it hard to keep track of the storyline? Did you have an outline as to how it all comes together?
A. Sister Lumberjack has been my most challenging book to write because of its three POV characters. I used the logging season (Nov to March) as my timeline and let the characters give me the story. I tied the loose ends in revision. Somehow it worked out.
Q. There are several secondary characters which you did a great job creating, how did you come up with those?
A. I like to imagine how ordinary people lived through extraordinary times. Gertie showed up early in my pre-writing and was a delight to include. Rosy came later, but added an additional dimension to the middle of the book, which I liked.
Barrister was based on a real lumberjack from my research. Alcohol kept him in the woods for three years until he dared face the temptation again. He had been a barrister in England and lost everything due to alcohol. He became the helper-figure for Nels to kick bottle fever.
Halvor and Britta came from relationships I have experienced as a daughter-in-law and a mother-in-law. It’s not easy parenting adult children. Or being an adult child.
Q. How do you maintain creativity and avoid mixing up the storylines?
A. I do a lot of pre-writing for characters. Flannery O’Connor said that if you put fully developed characters on the page, something is bound to happen.
It was tricky getting the story lines to mesh and occur in sequence without giving away too much of the other characters. Many revisions led to the final product.
General Questions
Q. Many authors have unique writing rituals or habits. Could you describe your writing process? How do you get into the right mindset to bring your stories to life?
A. My best writing comes from personal writing retreats at Benedictine monasteries. Benedictines focus on supporting the arts and provide guest rooms for writers and other artists. It helps me to leave my normal life and enter completely into my characters’ world.
I also meet for writing dates with other writers. We sit together and write in silence. Somehow the group effort energizes creativity.
Q. Writing styles can evolve over time. How do you think your writing has changed or developed since your first novel, and what lessons have you learned along the way?
A. I continue to pursue the craft of writing. As I answer these questions, I am at a writing conference studying the novel structure. I try to attend a workshop and a convention every year. I also make a point of learning on my own through books, podcasts, and magazines. I know my writing is getting better, but I know there is always more to learn.
Q. Writing a novel requires consistency and dedication. What keeps you motivated to stay on track with your writing goals, especially during challenging moments?
A. Sister Lumberjack was first scheduled to be released by Five Star Cengage in 2020. Covid caused a one-year delay, and then another. Shortly before its scheduled release date in 2022, the company went out of business. My earlier publisher had died, and a daughter was taking over the company. They agreed to publish Sister Lumberjack in 2023, but then pushed it back to April 2024.
With each setback, I made more revisions. Sister Lumberjack is a better book today than it would have been in in 2020.
Motivation? My parents were dairy farmers and I grew up watching them milk cows twice a day/365 days a year. They taught me to persevere—even when it’s not fun or convenient.
Q. What advice can you give upcoming writers when they start to doubt themselves and their abilities. What strategies do you use to keep the momentum and creative flow moving?
A. My advice is to study the writing craft and keep improving your writing skills. No one expects a child with one summer of piano lessons to perform in Carnegie Hall. Somehow, we expect writers to be brilliant from day one. Attend workshops, read books about writing, join a critique group, journal, go on retreats, and write your heart out. If you show up, the rest will fall into place.
Thank you for taking the time out of your schedule to answer these questions. I look forward to seeing more novels from you in the future!
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