A 2004 and 2007 Golden Heart® winner, Florida native Carla Capshaw wanted to be a writer and world traveler since she was ten years old. A lover of passionate stories with compelling, nearly impossible conflicts, she’s found Inspirational Historical Romance to be the perfect vehicle to combine lush settings, vivid characters and a Christian worldview. Steeple Hill Love Inspired Historicals will publish her Roman-set debut novel in September 2009. Currently working on a sequel, Carla still lives in Florida but is always planning her next trip . . . and plotting her next story.

Carla will be giving away a copy of each of the two current Love Inspired Historical novels today, one to each of two people leaving a comment for her. Details below.

Carla, will you please start by telling us about your debut novel?

As yet, my novel doesn’t have an official title, but its working title is The Heart Beckons. Set in Ancient Rome, The Heart Beckons is about the beloved daughter of a wealthy, Roman citizen. Pelonia is orphaned and sold into slavery by her uncle when marauders kill her father on the road to Rome. While struggling to understand God’s plan for her life, she fights to regain her freedom and refuses to accept the ownership of her new master, Rome’s greatest gladiator champion, Caros Viriathos.

Retired from the ring three years before, Caros uses his expertise to train his own gladiators. Though the memories of the countless men he’s slain torment him, he’s trained in the ways of violence and knows little else. He’s grown rich off his efforts, and despite his profession’s lowly status, his reputation has provided him with the best of everything Rome has to offer–everything except inner peace.

When Caros buys Pelonia on a whim, he knows he should return the spirited beauty to her last remaining kin, but her faith in the Christian God intrigues him. As he and Pelonia fall deeply in love with one another, Caros longs to accept the forgiveness she says can be found in Christ, but he’s convinced there’s no hope for him.

Pelonia sees the gentle man behind Caros’ battle-scarred exterior. She’s convinced God has brought her to Caros to win the gladiator to Him, but once her influential relatives learn of her enslavement, Caros is forced to free her and risk losing the one woman whose love and faith have turned his life upside down and won him heart and soul.

When did you begin writing, and why did you choose the Romance genre?

When I look back, it seems to me I wanted to be a writer for most of my life. At age ten, I watched a television movie about Marco Polo. His travels and adventures fascinated me. I decided then that I wanted to write and travel. A few years later, I picked up (sneaked, actually ) my first Romance novel off my mother’s dresser and never looked back. I loved Historicals and still do. That first novel was Shanna by Kathleen Woodiwiss. It’s one of my favorites, if not my very favorite.

When I started writing my first novel in 2000, it was a natural fit for me to write Romance. Really, I never wanted to write anything else. I love that our genre promotes love, marriage, family and fidelity. I love how uplifted I feel after I’ve enjoyed a well earned happily ever after, and I wanted to give readers that same kind of joy. I consider all those years of reading my education in the genre. At first, I wrote Short Contemporaries, but it wasn’t until I started my first Historical that I knew I’d found my perfect fit.

Your first Golden Heart win was in Short Historical and your second in Inspirational. What led you to write for the Inspirational market?

When I started writing I’d read some Christian Romances, of course (Janet Oke and Francine Rivers among others,) but I wasn’t aware there was an Inspirational market. I know that probably sounds ridiculous, but I was just writing the stories that morphed in my head. I didn’t know anything about the business back then. Like most authors, I write my characters with bits of me in them, so even though my stories weren’t aimed at a Christian publisher, my characters were always Christians in their thoughts and deeds.

After I won the Golden Heart in 2004, my limited knowledge concerning the Romance market expanded rapidly. By that point, I knew I wanted to write Historicals, but the mainstream houses were looking for “hot” stories, which I knew I would never write. I was a bit discouraged and took some time off while I talked to the Lord about what to do next. It was then that one of my wonderful friends, Tammy Johnson at Writers At Play, saw Steeple Hill was starting a new Inspirational Historical line and sent the guidelines my way. I was so excited. I prayed about it and just kind of knew it would work out.

The Heart Beckons is set in ancient Rome, not a period we see
very often in Romance. Why did you choose that time period?

Well, to tell you the truth, I didn’t pick it. As I said in the previous question, I’d prayed about the Steeple Hill line and knew things would work out because, while I was praying, the Lord gave me the story. Actually, He gave it to me the day after I prayed while I was getting ready for work. lol It played out in my head like a movie. I’d always loved Ancient Rome but hadn’t ever thought of writing a story set there. But, like things usually do when He’s in control, everything just flowed. I wrote the synopsis in about an hour, and the first three chapters were the easiest I’ve ever written.

You’ve crossed the stage twice at the national Romance Writers of America® conference. What was it like the first time? Was it any different the second?

Hmmm . . . that’s an interesting question. In all honesty, both finals were a joy, and it really is the final that’s the honor. When you consider how much work goes into the GH entries, it’s doubtful there’s a ton of difference in the quality of the finalists’ writing. Winning is fun and just an added blessing, imho.

To answer your question, though, the first time was a bit of a blur. I’d only been in Romance Writers of America® for about a year. I knew the GH was a big contest, but I wasn’t truthfully aware of just how big. My manuscript, The Fox, had done well in other contests, so I was hopeful. When they called my name, it was validation of my writing. I thought for sure it was the first major step to being published.

The 2007 final was different because I’d grown as a writer. My manuscript was already under serious consideration at Steeple Hill, and though I was hopeful, I wasn’t so naïve as to think a GH win would be the magical fairy dust that would get me published. When they called my name, it was fun, but a little depressing, too. At the risk of sounding weird or ungrateful (which couldn’t be further from the truth,) no one wants to win a GH twice. You want to sell after the first one.

What’s the story behind selling The Heart Beckons, and how did you react when you got The Call?

After my first GH win, I signed with the best agent in the world, Michelle Grajkowski at 3 Seas Literary. Once I wrote the partial for The Heart Beckons, I sent it to her for her opinion. Thankfully, she loved it! And being that she is the best agent in the world, she sent it directly to the acquiring editor at Steeple Hill that same day. Editor Melissa Endlich requested the full, which I didn’t have. Needless to say, I wrote as fast as I could. I entered the GH, but didn’t like the ending I submitted, so rewrote it and half the book. I sent Melissa the full I was finally OK with about two weeks before RWA® National in 2007.

A few weeks later, I met Melissa in Dallas. She was so nice and really seemed interested in the story. By that time, though, I didn’t take anything for granted. I just kept praying. My call didn’t actually come until four months later on November 15, 2007. My agent asked if I wanted to sell a book, and I said, “sure.” We talked for about an hour after that, but to be honest, I was too excited to remember much of what we said.

What is the best advice you’ve received regarding your writing?

To be honest, I’ve sat through nearly everything–The Hero/Heroine’s Journey, How to Write the Break Out Novel, etc., but I don’t learn well by reading books on craft or listening to speakers, I learn by doing. What worked for me, besides praying, was to find critique partners I clicked with and to rely on my writer’s intuition.

I also used contests to hone my skills, but only because I was able to sort out the advice that worked for me and to discard the rest. If you’re in a place in your writing life where people can devastate you with criticism, contests might not be the best fit for you at the moment.

Also, visit writer’s blogs like The Seekers and Writers At Play. They’re full of great advice and inspiration from people who’ve been in the writing trenches and who enjoy sharing what they’ve learned.

You pursued publication for a number of years. How did you deal with the hills and valleys on your journey?

I wish I had some profound words of wisdom here, but the truth is, I just committed myself to my goal of publication and when rejections came I prayed (whined to the Lord and kept going. That’s not to say I didn’t reevaluate and try new ideas occasionally. Sometimes things aren’t working, and it’s smart to try a new course. As trite as it sounds, the thing I’d say is to never give up.

What encouragement would you offer those of us who are faithfully traveling the road to publication?

Just keep writing. Write everyday. Practice, practice, practice. Develop what I call rhino skin so rejections and hard knocks can’t slay you. Find critique partners that “get you,” and shun anyone who makes you feel bad about your stories. Even the most wonderful, knowledgeable people can be poison to a writer if their advice doesn’t click with you or how you learn. Pray and let the Lord direct you. He knows what the future holds, so when He gives you a story, believe in it, write it and have faith it will do what He intends for it to do.

Leave a Comment for Carla

Carla will drop by throughout the day to chat, so take advantage of the opportunity to learn more about her, her thoughts on writing for Steeple Hill Love Inspired or her many travel destinations.

On Word Press blogs, the comment link is found at the top of the post by the title.

Everyone leaving a comment for Carla will be entered in a drawing for one of the current Love Inspired Historical titles. If you don’t wish to participate, just make a note of that in your comment, and your request will be honored

Congratulations to Vicki, winner of the first LIH novel, and Renee Ryan, winner of the second.

Contact Carla

Carla loves to hear from other writers and readers.

Please sign-up for her newsletter or contact her at:

Website: www.carlacapshaw.com

MySpace : http://www.myspace.com/carlacapshaw

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1231127075&hiq=capshaw%2Ccarla

To find out more about Steeple Hill’s Love Inspired Historical collection visit: http://www.eharlequin.com/store.html?cid=241.

Or chat about your favorite Steeple Hill authors and time periods at the Steeple Hill forum: http://community.eharlequin.com/forums/steeple-hill,

and join Carla’s buddy list at: http://community.eharlequin.com/users/carla-capshaw.

Just a quick note of thanks to the wonderful women (and one brave man) who have visited this blog and the talented, generous authors and writers who have been my guests. Because of you, the site made blog history.

On July 18, 2008 Romance Writers on the Journey appeared on the WordPress Growing Blogs list, ranking 78th out of 100 and proving, once again, that romance writers/readers are awesome people who make a difference.

C.J. Redwine fears goats, loves stilettos and frequently lets her imagination run away with her. She writes edgy urban fantasy with a side of comic relief. You can learn more about her at www.cjredwine.blogspot.com and read samples of her writing, which is full of imagination and the occasional stiletto but is noticeably lacking in goats.

Prepare to laugh, cry and marvel at C.J.’s talent as this amazing woman shares about herself, her writing and her hilarious and heart-tugging life experiences.

I’d love to say that two of you who leave comments for C.J. today will win gift certificates for a pair of Manolo Blahnik stilettos, but DH wouldn’t go for it. What I do have are two cotton drawstring shoe bags with embroidered stilettos on them, one zebra skin and the other leopard.

What led you to write romances?

I love everything from Tolkien to Rowling to Roberts to Koontz. My tastes vary, but the one component that consistently draws me to a story is the exploration of the relationships between the characters. I don’t need the predominant element of a novel to be romance, and indeed I usually gravitate towards books where suspense and the supernatural are the driving force, but I love rooting for two characters to rise above the mayhem and murder (or vamps, or He Who Must Not Be Named) and figure out their own chemistry. I can’t imagine writing a novel without exploring the chemistry between my own characters even though the romance is never the sole focus of my writing.

When did you begin writing your first romance?

I began work on my first manuscript when I was in high school. It was the story of a girl who falls asleep in the woods (Because you know girls do that sort of thing all the time!) and wakes up to find a bridge hovering between her and another world (Yes, yes, a truly original idea! I’m freaking brilliant!). I remember writing it by hand in a huge, three-subject yellow spiral notebook.

However, I don’t recall if there were any romantic components to that story.

My first true manuscript geared toward romance was Dying to Remember, my current Romance Writers of America® Golden Heart® finalist novel. I began work on Dying to Remember shortly after finishing a battle with cervical cancer at the age of thirty. Yes, there’s a long time span between high school and thirty, and I had a few false starts on novels (which are just as brilliantly original as the girl-who-finds-herself-magically-transported-to-another-world plot,) but in that time span I graduated from Pepperdine University with a degree in English and a teaching credential; taught high school English, Writing, and U.S. History; got married; had three boys in four years (What?! I’m supposed to take this little pill at the SAME TIME each night? Good to know.); and felt every creative brain cell fizzle and die in the wake of four years of sleepless nights, diaper duty, and learning that being the mother of three young boys means constantly trying to just keep them alive (NO! You may not try to fly off the fence!), clothed (Is that MY two year old racing down the street wearing nothing but what God gave him?), and the house in one piece. (No, Mr. Fireman, I did NOT realize I should check my broiler for Hot Wheels before I turn on the oven. Why would I? Who parks Hot Wheels in an oven right next to the pilot light anyway? Oh. Boys. That’s right.)

After facing cancer, I realized that I was waiting for life to slow down so I could pursue my dream of writing a novel. Of course, we all know life doesn’t slow down until you die, and waiting for the perfect moment to appear is a waste of the gifts you’ve been given. I sat down and started writing Dying to Remember and haven’t looked back.

What is the best advice you’ve received

regarding your writing?

I’ve received some excellent advice regarding my writing but the two things that stand out the most are:

1. Do everything you can to figure out your true Voice, and stick to it.
2. Keep writing. Nothing fixes fear, inertia, or crap on a page like the discipline to keep writing.

Which of your stories is closest to your heart and why?

The story I’m writing now called Shadowing Fate is closest to my heart because it represents the culmination of some important events for me as a writer. For one, I’m changing genres from romantic suspense to urban fantasy, a much better fit for me because I can combine my love of edge-of-your-seat suspense with my fascination for the supernatural and the strange.

For another, this idea took five months just to conceptualize! That’s a long time for a Pantser! I really wanted to write something in the paranormal genre (I’ve since realized this idea is better suited for the urban fantasy label) that was totally different than anything else out there. No vamps, no witches, no wizards…. I went back to my education, dusted off an old, little-known Greek myth, and went from there.

And three (Heck yes, I just started that sentence with a conjunction! Want to make something of it?), I found my Voice, and it’s amazing how writing in My Voice makes all the difference.

What part of writing brings you

the greatest enjoyment and why?

Oh wow. I have to pick just one? I’m really bad at questions like these because I’m such an I’ll Have Cake AND Ice Cream sort of girl…but okay, I’ll give it a shot. I absolutely love getting a reaction from my readers. I love making people laugh in the middle of a scene while they are on pins and needles and then leaving them with a rush of adrenaline as the plot twists and they have to read “just one more” chapter. I know exactly who I am as a writer. I’m not out to change the world or open anyone’s eyes or land myself on Oprah’s much-abused couch. I want to deliver a powerful one-two punch of suspenseful, laugh-out-loud entertainment to my readers, and when I do it, I’m totally satisfied.

What has been the high point of

your writing experience so far?

That’s another “What? Just one?” and since I already followed your rules on the previous question, I’m having my cake AND my ice cream on this one. ☺ I have to say finishing my first novel was definitely a high point. Never mind that it was 130k and needed some serious pruning. I’d done it. I’d taken the germ of an idea and turned it into a story that delivered on suspense, humor, and romance.

My second high point is finaling in the Golden Heart. For me, that was confirmation that I’m not crazy when I read my stuff and think, “Hey! This belongs on someone’s bookshelf!” (preferably Barnes & Nobles.)

How do you deal with the hills

and valleys of a writer’s life?

I muster all of my considerable fortitude and resist the powerful allure of a box of Hot Tamales (which are of the devil) and instead, do one of the following:

1. Keep writing. The words will come back, they will get better, I will understand the character/plot/conflict, and the magic will return.
2. Call my CP and brainstorm until I see my way out of the corner I’ve written myself into or until the ideas are flowing so fast I just can’t wait to hit the keyboard again.
3. Take a few days away from the issue and let it sit in the back of my mind until either I find a solution or the issue becomes less a lion and more of an annoying mosquito, easily swatted away.
4. Eat the stupid box of Hot Tamales (which are of the devil) and then figure out the solution/talk myself past the doubts on my Walk of Penance the next morning.

How do you fuel your creativity?

I fuel my creativity in many ways but I would like to point out that none of those include the consumption of chocolate. I realize this flies in the face of every pre-conceived notion you’ve ever had about romance writers, but I think we’ve already established that I’m more of a fringe romance writer anyway, so I’m allowed to flaunt the rules.

And no, I don’t fuel it with Hot Tamales (which are of the devil). Those are for digging myself out of a pit of despair.

Music is huge for me. My iPod has almost 7,000 songs on it, plenty of which are soundtracks that I find instantly put me into the mood to write. I generally choose two or three albums to listen to per writing project because after the first few chapters, just hearing that music instantly transports me into the world of that novel. (Like Pavlov’s dogs, only with music – which, you have to admit, beats the living daylights out of dry “made with real lamb” chunks of hardened, smelly nutrition any day of the week.)

What encouragement would you offer

others on the road to publication?

Don’t quit. Failure in this business is nothing more than an invitation to try something new. The beauty of being a writer is that the only one who can crush your dreams is you. You can query a different agent, try a new publisher, switch genres, find your Voice, revise, push your boundaries, write the thing you think might just be too big for you, join a critique group, network with others who understand the strange mix of art and business that is publishing, but for heaven’s sake, don’t quit. Keep writing.

Leave a comment for C.J.

Have a question for C.J.? Want to know more about her writing process, her manuscripts or her fear of goats? Leave a comment. She’ll be dropping by throughout the day to chat with you.

Please note. On Word Press blogs,

the comment link is at the top by the post title.

I’ll randomly select the names of two people posting comments today who will each receive the aforementioned poor substitute for a pair of MB stilettos, an embroidered shoe bag in leopard or zebra variety. (If you’d prefer not to be included in the drawing, please note that, and your request will be honored.)

The winner of the first drawing is Emily Dennis, who snagged the leopard bag. Avery Beck won the second drawing and gets the zebra one. Congrats to both of you!

Learn more about C.J.

Visit her blog, The Last Word: http://cjredwine.blogspot.com/

View her free Amazon short: Dying to Remember

Friend her at Facebook: CJ Redwine/Facebook

Friend her at My Space: CJ Redwine/My Space