Author Interview ~ Janet Dean

One lucky commenter will win an autographed copy of Courting Miss Adelaide. So be sure you leave a comment or question for Janet.


Janet Dean grew up in a family who cherished the past and had a strong creative streak. Her father recounted fascinating stories, like his father before him. The tales they told instilled in Janet a love of history and the desire to write. Two of her manuscripts were Golden Heart Inspirational finalists in 2005 and 2006. When Janet isn’t writing for Steeple Hill, she stamps greeting cards, plays golf, and is never without a book to read. The Deans love to travel and spend time with family.


Time to crow: What new book or project do you have coming out?

This month Steeple Hill Love Inspired Historical released Courting Miss Adelaide. I’ve waited two years to see my debut novel in print so I’m very excited! The second book in the series, Courting the Doctor's Daughter, will release in May 2009.

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

My father, a Social Studies teacher, mailed me a newspaper clipping about New York City’s orphaned and half-orphaned children riding trains to new homes in the Midwest and beyond. More than 250,000 children were sent on trains between 1853 and 1929, but that phenomena didn’t find its way into our history books for years.

I was fascinated by this slice of history and immediately wanted to use it in a book. I thought of the children—how frightened they must have been. I thought of their stories—what had happened in their young lives to bring them to the orphanage? I thought of the people who took these orphans in.

What kind of lives did they give these children? My “what if” moment became the kernel for Adelaide’s story—what if a lonely spinster wanted a child and saw the orphan train as her last chance for motherhood?

Every novelist has a journey. How long was your road to publication? How did you find out and what went through your mind?

When I was twelve, I wrote and illustrated little romances, but it wasn’t until I joined Romance Writers of America that I seriously pursued my writing. I found a local chapter and entered contests. I submitted to agents and editors and was rejected time and time again, but my writing skill got better and I didn’t give up.

Along the way, I realized I should write inspirational fiction and joined American Christian Fiction Writers and Hope, Faith and Love and my novels were rejected again. When Steeple Hill announced plans to open an historical line early in 2006, I quickly subbed my 2005 Golden Heart Inspirational finalist manuscript Orphaned Hearts.

On June 29, 2006, my agent called to tell me Melissa Endlich had offered to buy my book. It took me nine years to reach that goal. What a joyous, thrilling moment! I walked on air for days. My only regret was my parents hadn’t lived to see my dream come true.

Do you ever bang your head against the wall from the dreaded writer's block? If so, how do you overcome it?

I’ve never had true writer’s block. But I have struggled with plot issues that have slowed me down. When that happens, I find that reading the manuscript from the beginning and brainstorming with my critique partner gets me back on track.

Novelists sometimes dig themselves into a hole over implausible plots, flat characters or a host of other problems. What's the most difficult part of writing for you (or was when you first started on your novel journey)?

I’ve probably made every mistake humanly possible. But thanks to contests, How-To books, online classes, a savvy critique partner, I make half as many now. J My biggest struggle as a published writer is finding book-length external conflict for the hero and heroine.

How do you climb out (overcome it)?

I’m a plotter so that helps. Once I realized my weakness, I knew I couldn’t stop until I’d created an external conflict that’s both strong and believable without being contrived. Brainstorming helps. Making a long list of possibilities helps. Bottom line—it’s hard work.

Where do you write: In a cave, a coffeehouse, or a cozy attic nook?

My office overlooks our great room and the view is restful…if I can remember to look away from the computer screen. I used to write in a spare bedroom, facing a wall. Either works. At home, I’m tempted to get sidetracked with phone calls and household chores so I’d love to try a coffeehouse. But I’m a slower typist on my laptop and my will is weak when it comes to resisting mochas so I doubt that I’ll make the move.

What does a typical day look like for you?

I rise early and drink two cups of coffee before I feel human. I usually check the morning news to make sure the world is still rotating, then do some e-mail and post a comment at Seekerville, the group blog I’m part of. A couple days a week I post on my blog, A Cup of Faith. Depending on commitments, I may write the entire day or just half the day. It’s challenging to balance life and writing. I admire those who juggle a day job, writing and a family, especially those with young children.

Some authors report writing 5-10 thousand words a day. Do scenes flow freely from your veins or do you have to tweeze each word out?

I plan on writing 3 or 4 pages five days a week. Some days it flows. Others I have to dig each word out. But I’ve never written anything that wrote itself, where the words just poured out as some authors have experienced. We’re all different and have to find the methods and word counts that work for us.

Briefly take us through your process of writing a novel—from conception to revision.

As soon as I come up with the “what if” trigger for my story, I flesh out my hero and heroine, and in the process discover their goals and motivations. That leads me to the incident that brings them together. I usually write the first three chapters now.

As I work, I delve deeper into my characters and their back story, and find their internal conflicts. Once I get the external conflict in hand, I have the foundation for my story. I know the turning points, the black moment, the climax.

The book tends to flow pretty well at this point. I’m one of those writers who can’t turn off the internal editor so I revise as I go, examining word choice and looking for opportunities to add the five senses to descriptions and actions/ physical reactions to dialogue.

When I type The End, I do overall edits, looking for plot holes, conflict issues, inconsistencies, character growth. All the big stuff—the forest—I may not have seen for the trees.

What are a few of your favorite books (not written by you) and why are they favorites?

My all time favorite books are those that were unforgettable. For me, that’s Gone with the Wind and Jane Eyre.

Others are favorites because they touched my heart like Francine River’s Redeeming Love and Mary DeMuth’s Watching the Tree Limbs.

Liz Curtis Higg’s Bookends is an excellent example of external conflict. LaVyrle Spencer is an expert at building emotion in the reader.

I love historical fiction so I’m thrilled to be part of the Love Inspired Historical line and to have all these terrific authors to read. I enjoy reading Mary Connealy, Cheryl Wyatt, Debby Giusti, Missy Tippens, Camy Tang and Julie Lessman, all very special friends and wonderful writers.

Shirley Jump is my critique partner so naturally I love her books. I admire so many authors I couldn’t possibly name them all here.

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

When I entered my first contest a gazillion years ago, I didn’t know what POV meant. I head hopped continually. My conflict was weak. I had boatloads of back story. With much to learn, I found nuggets in most of the advice I was given. But the bottom line—no matter how good the story we have to tell, if readers don’t care about our characters, we’ve lost them. So I rank the advice on developing character as the best I’ve received.

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?

I wish I’d written more, instead of rewriting the same books. I’m not the first person to say this, but it’s worth mentioning again. I wish I’d written inspirational fiction sooner. The CBA is where I belong. I wish I’d waited longer to submit to editors and agents. My manuscripts weren’t ready, even if I was. But hindsight is 50/50. Making mistakes is part of the learning curve.

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

I’m fortunate to have a publisher with wonderful promotion and distribution. Still I want to do my part to get my name out. I’m new at this so I’m not sure I know what works yet, but I’ve handed out business cards two years before the release of my book.

I had a professional picture taken. I got a Web site and blog. I joined writer loops and attended conferences. Once I had a title and cover, I’ve made and distributed bookmarks.

I sought opportunities for media coverage. I’ve introduced myself to local booksellers and librarians. The one thing I do that costs me nothing is to talk about writing, about my books to anyone who will listen. I’ve found people, even strangers, are fascinated by writers. They want to buy your book because you’ve made a connection with them.

Obviously writers can’t build readership with just the people they come in contact with. But participating in active blogs and using the Internet affectively helps to generate excitement about your book. If the people who read my books enjoy them, hopefully, they’ll talk them up to others. Reader buzz is every writers dream way to market.

Do you have any parting words of advice?

Do all you can to sell, but don’t let whether you sell or not destroy your love of the gift God has given you. Find the blessings inherent in the process of writing. There are many.

Here are a few of mine:
I’m never bored. How can I be when I’m creating people?
Writing is great mental exercise.
I have the ability to control people and their lives—at least on paper.
I have wonderful writer friends.
Writing has given me direction, a sense of who I am.
Writing is a release of my creative side.

When we focus on the blessings, we’ll keep or rediscover the joy of simply writing.

God bless,
Janet