Interview with historical novelist Lisa Ard

Historical fiction author Lisa Ard joins me today to chat about Brighter than Her Fears.

During her virtual book tour, Lisa will be giving away a $10 Amazon or Barnes and Noble (winner’s choice) gift card to a lucky randomly drawn winner. To be entered for a chance to win, use the form below. To increase your chances of winning, feel free to visit her other tour stops and enter there, too!

Bio:
Lisa Ard is the author of the new historical fiction novel Brighter Than Her Fears, which is based on her great-great-grandmother’s experience in 19th century western North Carolina. Her previously published children’s books include Fright Flight, Dream Team, and the Kay Snow award finalist Saving Halloween. When not writing, Lisa enjoys reading, hiking, golfing and sharing her love of history as a bike tour docent with the Palm Springs Historical Society. She and her husband live (and golf) in both Palm Springs and Portland, Oregon.

Welcome, Lisa. Please tell us about your current release.
In 1882 Asheville, North Carolina, thirty-year-old Alice Harris is compelled to marry a Civil War veteran twice her age after her family’s farm falls to ruin. She remakes herself, learning to farm tobacco, joining the campaign for the first public schools, and inserting herself in a large family full of secrets and divisions. When tragedy strikes, she fights in the courts to maintain her independence and discovers an unexpected love.

What inspired you to write this book?
Alice was my great-great-grandmother and I discovered her story while doing genealogy research on Ancestry.com. She and her three sisters were married off after her father and brother died. Whoa! Then I found a number of legal documents, showing Alice to be a fighter. I knew there was more to the story. With deep research into the post-Civil War period in the mountains of western North Carolina, I learned that the arrival of the railroad was a huge disruptor that brought economic, political and social change. The parallels between the Gilded Age South and today were astounding: the rise of women’s rights, racism, inequality, embezzlement, public funding for education, etc. And the changes made sense as catalysts to Alice’s circumstances. Brighter Than Her Fears was fun to research and write. 

Excerpt from Brighter than Her Fears:
“Alice, I am the man of the house. I will decide if we rent the land or not.” Jasper delivered every word deliberately, punching me straight through. I quivered and my breath quickened.

“You’ve been teaching me about farming.” My voice shook. “I figured with such a valuable payment, you’d want them to continue on.”

Jasper turned toward me. His face was beet red, and a vein in his temple pulsed. “You know very well that’s not the issue. I’ve put up with your high-falutin’ ideas about education. I’ve protected you from those that don’t see eye to eye. But I will not have you wearing the pants in this family!”

My eyes welled with tears, but I was determined not to show it. I stared at my husband. His clear blue eyes pierced me through.

“Well, you know who you married!” I stormed through the house and escaped out the back door.

I wandered in our orchard, dreading a return to the house. The trees surrounded me, but their bare branches didn’t protect me. I swatted at them and they rattled. I’d done the right thing. The tenants were good for us. Why couldn’t Jasper see that? I balled my fists, rubbed my eyes, and a low cry gurgled out. I’d exchanged one confine for another, with the course of my life controlled by men—first my father, then my brother, and now my husband. I wallowed in the old feeling of dependency, familiar as a worn-out coat.

What exciting project are you working on next?
Another historical fiction novel from the same era… but completely different! It will be told from the perspectives of passengers and crew aboard a doomed steamship. Early days yet and I need more hours in the day to write! 

When did you first consider yourself a writer?
When my children were young, I read a lot of middle-grade books to them, series such as The Magic Tree House and Geronimo Stilton. I thought it would be fun to try and write one. I took a writing course at my local community college and then was very fortunate to find a publisher for Fright Flight, Book 1 in the Dream Seeker Adventure series. Dream Team followed. Then I wrote Saving Halloween, which was a Kay Snow Award Winner.

Shortly after its publication I was diagnosed with breast cancer and stopped writing while focusing on my health. Years later, I returned when I discovered Alice and this family mystery. 

Do you write full-time? If so, what’s your workday like? If not, what do you do other than write and how do you find time to write?
I write in fits and spurts! But I do belong to two critique groups and the deadlines for meetings keep me working. In between writing, critiquing and promoting, I volunteer with the Palm Springs Historical Society leading bike tours focused on celebrities, the mid-century architecture, and desert life. I golf several times a week. And I hang out with my husband, kids, and friends. And in the evening, if we don’t have a show to Binge (currently The Silo on Apple TV), I settle down with a good book!

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?
I’m not sure if it’s a quirk, but I’m very much a plotter (rather than a pantser) and I structure my stories in Excel. Then I start bare bones with the plot and action. Next, I layer in description, followed by more description. For some reason, I’m spare with my words the first time through.

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
Oh, lots of things – an astronaut, until I developed rather bad motion sickness; a pathologist, after watching the television show Quincy MD; then anything that would let me travel the world. I majored in German Area Studies and got my Masters in International Business, which took me overseas. After 15 years in the corporate world, I “retired” to stay home with my kids and that’s when I started writing.

Anything additional you want to share with the readers?
I LOVE to hear from readers who enjoy my books. For Brighter Than Her Fears, I’m offering free virtual author visits for book clubs. In addition to the book club discussion guide in the back of the book, I’ll share pictures and anecdotes about the real people and places in the story. Who knows? This may prompt a book club travel tour to Asheville. Maybe I can help boost tourism? Contact me for an author visit through my website.

Links:
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