Interview with Christina Lorenzen

Today I’m sharing an interview with Christina Lorenzen as we discuss her latest release, Healing Seas. Have you read it? If not, check out the info below as well as her interview.

Captain Frank Shea is a man without a ship. Removed from duty as captain of the RMS Morrow, he’s come to Montauk to recover from a leg injury. More painful than the injury is his fall from grace after spending his entire life at sea. The ocean was his home and he has never needed anyone. Now faced with an uncertain future, he’s desperate for a way back to the sea. Until he meets Addie Mayfield, a woman who is just as lost as he is.

Can these two people find hope for the future after all they’ve lost? Can an unexpected love heal two broken souls?”

None of us are strangers to loss in life, but as I wrote this story I kept trying to put myself in Addie’s shoes. I wondered how, after witnessing such mass tragedy, a survivor can get past it and move forward in life. The life Addie thought was ahead of her was literally ripped away and she was forced to make the best of where she ended up. 

I think we can all identify with that. Is there a particular Bible verse that speaks to Addie and Captain Shea?

Though it is not referred to in the story, I can’t help but think it would be Jeremiah 29:11. Despite what they had both gone through I wanted to show that they both had hope and a future.

That’s such a great verse to encourage us! Both Addie and Captain Shea have to find their way home, in a sense. Do you have personal experience with that or did you use your writerly imagination?

In one sense, I could say I do. I have experienced the unexpected loss of two younger cousins. When you experience a tremendous loss like that, for a time you lose your way. You question life and find yourself wondering what the point of life is, the goals you set, the hard work you do, the sweet personal milestones, if within the blink of an eye it can all be taken away. For me, finding my way back home meant finding my way back to faith and seeing all the good in life. And there’s a lot of good.

It’s in those moments we have to cling to God’s promises. So glad you found your way back! Does writing energize or exhaust you?

Energize. Writing definitely energizes me. Once I get started, and I’m on a roll, I can write for hours. I just get more excited as the story unfolds.

Yay for writing! Since this is a historical book, what kind of research did you conduct?

Yes, this was my first historical story. I had been determined to write a pirate story because of my fascination with pirate history. However, after a few weeks of history the story just didn’t gel. I took that as God directing my steps towards something He wanted me to write. After watching the movie The Titanic with my daughter (dozens of times over lol), a conversation about her great grandmother’s love of the movie had me lying in bed turning an idea over in my head. Grandma Dorothea was born March 3, 1912, just a month or so before the sinking of the Titanic. I remembered how much she looked forward to seeing that movie. When I started researching, my story idea came to life. The research I conducted included not only accounts of the tragedy, but details about that time period too. I wanted to be sure I had minor details like clothing and the car she travels to Long Island in accurate. And because Grandma inspired the idea, the book is dedicated to her. 

That’s so precious!
Let’s talk about your writing process.
How many hours a day do you write?

The words come to me best when I start early, so my day begins at 6am. I write for the first 4-6 hours of the day or until I reach my daily word count. Once I reach my count I break for lunch and a few chores around the house. I usually return to my desk and put in another hour or two of writing and then tend to the business side of writing such as responding to emails, writing blog posts and setting up book signings.

Oh man, early mornings are the bane of my existence, lol. Pantser or plotter?

Though I’m trying to move towards becoming a plotter, I’m a pantser at heart. I do a very basic work up for my stories that includes the goals of the characters, what motivates them and what stands in their way. I jot down notes in a notebook that I keep for each book I write. I also write a paragraph about each chapter after I’ve written them. But when it comes down to it, I’m a pantser who just sits down and my hands hit the keyboard.

Yes! Pantsers unite! Music or complete silence?

Since I homeschooled my two children, I never had the option for silence in my house lol. I got used to writing in any environment, which might be a good thing. I write with background sound whether that’s music or television. If I’m writing in a local café, the chatter of other people around me is fine too.

I listen to music or the TV as well. 🙂 Do you snack while writing and if so, on what?

Most of the time I’m so caught up in the story I don’t snack, but if it’s an especially long day and I’m closing in on a deadline, I might keep a small bowl of M&Ms within reach. I do, however, drink a lot of green and black tea so there’s always a full mug on my desk.

M&Ms are the best! Seems like we’re really similar! 🙂 One last question before you go, if you could say one thing to your readers, what would it be?

Thank you! Thank you for having faith in my stories, for taking time out of your busy lives and your hard earned money out of your pocket and coming along with me on this blessed journey.

Luckily for her, writing proved to be successful and a lot less walking than going door to door. Healing Seas, her first historical romance, is Christina’s fifth book. She is also the author of A Husband for Danna, its sequel, A Wife for Humphrey, Snow Globe Reunion and Harvest Blessings. She is busy working on a modern retelling of the classic tale, Rapunzel. When she isn’t writing or reading, she can be found walking her dog, talking to her herd of cats and spending time with her family.