Author Interview ~ Marcia Gruver

Marcia Gruver is a full time writer who hails from Southeast Texas. Inordinately enamored by the past, Marcia delights in writing historical fiction. Her deep south-central roots lend a Southern-comfortable style and a touch of humor to her writing.

Marcia won third place in the 2007 ACFW Genesis contest and third in the 2004 ACFW Noble Theme contest. Another entry in 2004 finished in the top ten. She placed second in the 2002 Colorado Christian Writer’s contest for new authors, securing a spot in an upcoming compilation book. “I Will Never Leave Thee,” in For Better, For Worse—Devotional Thoughts for Married Couples, was released by Christian Publications in January 2004.


She’s a member of American Christian Fiction Writers, Fellowship of Christian Writers, and The Writers View—and a longstanding member of ACFW Crit3 and Seared Hearts, her brilliant and insightful critique groups. Lifelong Texans, Marcia and her husband, Lee, have one daughter and four sons. Collectively, this motley crew has graced them with ten grandchildren and one great-granddaughter—so far.


Plug time. What new book or project do you have coming out?

Diamond Duo, the first book in my Texas Fortunes series will debut on October 1st. It’s a story of second chances through God’s grace—woven around a real unsolved murder that took place in 1877 Jefferson, Texas. Book two, Chasing Charity (April 2009), and book three, Emmy’s Equal (no release date set), will follow.

How did you come up with this story? Was there a specific 'what if' moment?

Coincidentally, ‘what if’ is exactly how I describe the moment I decided to write Diamond Duo. I love to find little out-of-the-way places and delve into their history. There’s always someone willing to tell you a good story involving fascinating events laced with quirky characters. In Diamond Duo, I used the murder of a prostitute named Diamond Bessie. While standing over Bessie’s grave in Jefferson, Texas, assuming her eternal fate, I suddenly wondered, “What if?” What if God had arranged a totally different end than anyone would expect for this poor lost soul?

Tell us about your publishing journey. How long had you been writing before you got a contract? How did you find out and what went through your mind?

I got a late start. I had reached that stage in life where a woman has a lot of time on her hands, and it seemed a desire to write just sprang out of nowhere. So I sat down to pen the Great American Novel. Not far into it, I realized I needed to change directions. Up to that point, I had submitted every aspect of my life to the Lord, so why not writing? I scrubbed the project I’d started and began to write a novel based on Christian values. In 2002, I attended my first Christian writer’s conference. While there, I realized God had called me to write. At the 2007 ACFW Conference in Dallas, Texas, Barbour Publishing presented me with my first contract. It was also the first time Barbour had ever given a three-book contract at the conference. I’m still in awe of that fact and trying my best to live up to the confidence they’ve placed in me.

Do you ever struggle with writer's block? If so, how do you overcome it?

I went through a terrible period right after I turned in Diamond Duo. It was time to shift my focus to the next book in the series, only I couldn’t put together a coherent word. For awhile, I feared the deadline pressure and endless editing had burned out my allotment of writer brain cells. I finally gave up fighting and sort of went with it. After about a week, my brain refreshed and the fire returned. I was good to go on book two.

What is the most difficult part of writing for you (or was when you first started on your writing journey), i.e. plot, POV, characterization, etc?

Plot, characters, and POV have always been pretty easy for me. Consistency is my battle. I long to crank out that elusive ten pages per day, but life tends to tap me on the shoulder and pull me away. That has a lot to do with five kids and ten grandchildren. I won’t complain about that.

Where do you write? Do you have a dedicated office or a corner or nook in a room?

I have three desks. One has a very nice desktop computer with an extra large screen set up for me. For some reason, I wind up curled in the corner of the sofa squinting at my laptop.

Do you have a word or page goal you set for each day?

As I mentioned above, I strive to set goals. I really do. And it depends on what I’m doing. First draft free-for-alls go much quicker than the painstaking third or forth edits.

What does a typical day look like for you?

A cup of tea with hubby, answering emails, breakfast, hubby out the door, Bible study time, a guilty hour of TV, then off with the set and on with the show. That’s my perfect day. Sometimes the order gets scrambled, but if I can stick to that schedule I get things done. Housework? What’s that?

Take us through your process of writing a novel briefly—from conception to revision.

Boy, has that evolved. I used to be a ‘fly by the seater’ all the way. After experimenting with Randy Ingermanson’s snowflake, I got hooked on working around a loose plan. Then I bought some writer software that made plotting a breeze. Now I’m working through Karen S. Wiesner’s First Draft in 30 Days—and I’m a born-again plotter. These days, I don’t think I’d do it any other way. I like knowing exactly where I’m going, and I’ve learned plotting still leaves God plenty of wiggle room to work His will.
What are some of your favorite books (not written by you)?

Not written by me? Shoot! Okay, I devoured Linda Nichols books, At the Scent of Water and Not A Sparrow Falls. In Search of Eden is next. In other words, anything by Linda Nichols. I loved Patricia Sprinkle’s The Remember Box and Carley’s Song. They’ll be my favorites forever. Haven’t read anything more recent of hers, but I plan to soon. Some of my favorite reading lately comes through emails from my critique group. They’re mostly all writing cozies for Heartsong Presents Mysteries, and I’m having a blast trying to guess who dunnit.

What’s the best writing advice you’ve heard?

“It’s not about you.” Can’t remember who said it, but it sure took a lot of pressure off when I realized God was behind me, and He would accomplish His plan. I firmly believe that if you’re going to stand up and call yourself a Christian writer, you need to have a burning desire to impart the message you feel God has given you. You need to know you are called. Otherwise it’s just words on paper.

What do you wish you’d known early in your career that might have saved you some time and/or frustration in writing? In publishing?

In writing: I wish I’d understood branding. I think there are authors out there who aren’t bound by the constrictions of branding. They’ve proven successful across the board. For me, I can see the sense in sticking to one genre, especially after you’ve created a fan base. If I’d learned that beforehand, I wouldn’t have computer files filled with women’s fiction, action adventure, and suspense. I would’ve focused all the time, effort, and 100K word manuscripts into fine-tuning my chosen genre.

In publishing: I wish I’d understood sooner that editors and agents are just people. Most of them are very good people. That might’ve saved me a lot of anxiety and chewed fingernails in my early editor/agent appointments!

How much marketing do you do? What have you found that particularly works well for you?

I’m just beginning to learn the finer points of marketing. I can hear you saying, “With your book releasing in October, it’s about time!” and you’re right. At first glance, marketing seemed a high precipice with insurmountable peaks. Out of necessity, I’m making friends with it now. So far we’re getting along okay. It’s hard, but I think getting your name in front of people is the first step. I’m an introvert by nature, so it’s quite a turnaround from my lifelong habit of lurking in corners.

Do you have any parting words of advice?

Follow God, not your heart. Unless you’ve asked Him to give you the desires of your heart, those desires can get you into real trouble. Ambition and self-promotion can only take you so far, and at the risk of a long, hard fall.