Here is part two of the interview with Kathy Kovach and Paula Moldenhauer. I hope you enjoy it.
Questions that go
behind the scenes in the book
1.
How did you choose your characters’ names?
Ember
was the most fun to choose. We felt she had this tiny flicker inside of her
that needed to flame for her to become all she was meant to be and to enjoy
life, so the name just fit her. Plus, her mom was a flower-child, and so she’d
have chosen an unusual, earthy kind of name for her.
I
think we came up with name for Jeff because it sounded like a 30 year old name.
We went through several, discounting each because 1) we knew a kid by that name
and couldn’t get past the fact that he annoyed us, 2) we knew an actor by that
name, so his face would always be there when this character didn’t look like
that all. And the historical names just popped out of Paula’s mouth.
Apparently, that’s what they wanted to be called and nothing else would do. We
did have problems with Olive Stanford’s last name. She’s the matriarch of a
wealthy family who traveled on the Titanic with her grandson, Charles Malcolm
Stanford III. She started out as a Stanton, but Paula had given another
character in a different book that name. So we changed it to Stanford. Ever since
then, we have to think before we write or speak that name. I even had trouble
with it in this paragraph. LOL
2.
Explain the process of research for this book.
I did most of the historical research, and
found that I loved it. I don’t know why that surprised me. I’ve always loved
history. At first it was sort-of overwhelming. I wanted to write sooner than I
did, but finally came to understand that to write with accuracy and
authenticity I had to spend a fair amount of time immersed in the era. I read two
book pretty much cover to cover, both first-hand accounts of Titanic survivors, Loss of the S. S. Titanic, by Lawrence Beesley: and, The Truth about the Titanic: A Survivor’s
Story, by Colonel Archibald Gracie to get the big picture. Once I started
writing the story I found myself researching more deeply a week or so ahead of
where I was writing. At first I thought I was wasting time getting lost in
research. Later I realized that as I understood what happened next in the
historical timeline, my subconscious worked on what would happen next in our
story about a week ahead of where I was actually writing
3.
Did anything surprise you or particularly capture you
interest as you did the research?
Every little thing delighted me, from tidbits
like the fact that the RMS Titanic was fully electric in a time when most of
London was not, to details about the lives of historical figures. There were
two highlights for me. The first was finding a passage written by Elizabeth
Shutes, included in Archibald Gracie’s book. I was overcome by the power of the
description of the ice floe viewed as the sun rose the morning after the
sinking. I knew I had to include it in my story, and so it is quoted,
word-for-word, in Olive’s voice in the scene where the Carpathia is sighted. (I
was careful to credit her in the end notes.) The second was learning about
Robert Bateman. He was a well-know evangelist who perished on the RMS Titanic. I still don’t know if parts
of his story are accurate history or family lore passed down by his loved ones,
but I found a newspaper clipping that answered my question as to how to show
redemption in the historical portion of the book. I truly felt God just placed
this little golden find into my hands just when I needed it.
I put historical notes at the back of our
book, both to show where I used creative license and where I stuck to
historical accuracy, as well as to give more information on the historical
foundation for much of what I wrote. It’s all fascinating! I hope readers take
time to browse that section. I also have an on-going page on our Titanic
website (www.titaniclegacyofbetrayal.com) called Titanic Tidbits where I share
historical notes on the Titanic.
4.
What do you want to tell us about the book?
We’re
super excited about the story. It feels like a high-concept idea with lots of
intrigue and a strong romance thread. We’re also excited about writing a story
that is a little outside the traditional Christian publishing market. We wanted
to tell a story that might help someone who doesn’t know Jesus consider who He
is. While we hope our Christian readers follow us, we tried to write in such a
way that someone without faith will find it believable—and maybe even wrestle
with God’s place in his or her life. Much of it explores the idea of generational
bondage—how the choices of those who’ve gone before us affect how we think
about life.
A secret. A key. Much was buried when the
Titanic went down, but now it’s time for resurrection. Portland real estate agent, Ember Keaton-Jones distrusts
men, with good reason. Ever since her great-great-grandfather, Thomas, deserted
the family after the fateful sinking of the Titanic, every Keaton male has
disappointed. Ember is on the brink of a huge sale that will propel her career
upward, when a lawyer calls telling her he is in possession of a key that opens
a 100 year old safety deposit box in New York City. Ember risks her career to
fly to New York and protect whatever is in the box from her flighty mother who
is about to breeze into town. Jeff Dawson is a computer techie plummeting from
a failed business venture. His father, who owns an antique shop, is sucking him
into the past. Old things don't appeal, that is until Ember walks into the shop
requesting help with a century-old secret. Together they unlock the past, but
can they undo the legacy of Thomas Keaton's betrayal?
5.
What truth
or spiritual theme does your book convey?
When
Kathy and I started writing Titanic:
Legacy of Betrayal, we knew we were called to write real, to share our
hearts without Christian verbiage. In the novels I’d written before Titanic I knew the spiritual thread even
before the plot. This time all I knew was that I wanted readers to think about
God by the end of the book. As I got deeper into the project I felt God
whisper, “Do you see what we’re doing now?”
He
wanted us to show we don’t have to live under the bondages of the past, the
junk passed down by those who came before us. Our heroine, Ember, distrusted
men—for good reason. Her journey requires her to step outside her walls and
prejudices. She had to see her life through a different lens.
When
Jesus stood up in the Hebrew synagogue and declared Himself the Savior, “the
scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the
place where it is written: “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he
has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to
proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to
set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” Then he
said, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”
(Luke 4:17-19; 21, NIV)
Some of
us are in a prison of pain, blinded by our past, or even the past of our
ancestors. We’re oppressed by things that were set in motion before we were old
enough to make choices for ourselves. But these generational strongholds can be
broken. We don’t have to live in the same dysfunction and patterns of our past
or the past of our parents or grandparents.
Jesus
came to give freedom. (“It is for freedom that Christ has
set us free.” Galatians 5:1, NIV) He wants us to live a full, satisfying
life. (“My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.” John 10:10 NLT)
There
are far-reaching consequences of sin. It can affect us and those who come after
us. But we are not without hope, thanks to Jesus and His willingness to take
our sins upon Himself at the cross. We can live free.
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Hope you all have a great day,
Donna
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