Author Interview ~ Deanne Gist

As a journalist and member of the press, Deeanne Gist, has written for national publications such as People, Parents, Parenting, Family Fun, Houston Chronicle and Orlando Sentinel. She also has a parenting line of products called I Did It!® Productions that is available nationwide. These products reinforce family values, teach children responsibility and provide character building activities. Her debut novel, A Bride Most Begrudging, hit five bestseller lists and has been nominated for a 2006 Christy Award.
Her latest release, The Measure of a Lady, hits store shelves June 2006.
Gist lives in Texas with her husband of twenty-two years, her four teenagers and two dogs.



What book or project is coming out or has come out that you’d like to tell us about?

My new release, The Measure of a Lady, has just been released. Rachel Van Buren reaches San Francisco in 1849 to discover she is the first “real” lady to establish a home in this town full of adventure-seeking, rowdy men. Cloaking herself with a mane of respectability, she takes on the task of civilizing them.

A Bride Most Begrudging has been nominated for a Christy Award in the “Best Romance of the Year” category. The winner will be announced at the International Christian Retail Show in Denver this July.


Tell us about your journey to publication. How long had you been writing before you got the call you had a contract, how you heard and what went through your head.

I began reading secular romances at age 16. At that time, the moral fiber of the heroines was quite high. Over the ensuing years, that bar began to lower. By the time I had children of my own I began to worry that my daughters would read these romances and think that the moral liberties the heroines were taking would not only be acceptable, but would be something to strive for.

So, the Lord challenged me to write a secular romance where the two protagonists were Christians. There was no big evangelical message, but instead was a story about two Christians who were trying to overcome adversity. I finished that manuscript (A Bride Most Begrudging) in 1997.

A top New York agent picked the manuscript up and shopped it around, but none of the secular publishers took the bait. Meanwhile, the Lord impressed upon me the desire to manufacture and produce a line of parenting products that promoted traditional family values (www.ididmychores.com).

Over the next five years the parenting product line took the driver’s seat in my career. Until the Lord sent a third-party publisher to my doorstep. They licensed my parenting products, freeing me to go back to my writing. That was in 2003. I reworked Bride for the inspirational market and sent it to Bethany House in 2004. On my blog (www.deeannegist.com/blog) I took my readers on an 8-day “Journey to Publication” in July 2005 that give all the particulars of this journey (http://www.deeannegist.com/blog/2005/07/in-beginning.html).

Do you still experience self-doubts regarding your work?

All the time. Most of these center around producing novels on demand. Bride took me three years to write. I am contracted to write a novel for Bethany House every year. So writing a quality novel in a timely manner was intimidating, to say the least.

Compounding those feelings of self-doubt were the expectations of the publisher and my readers to produce a novel as good as (or better than) Bride. But that’s what’s so great about being a Christian. I just spent a lot of time on my knees telling the Lord I wanted so very much to use the gifts and talents He had given me to bring glory to Him. I thanked Him for this opportunity and asked Him to guide me, give me inspiration and to fill me with His peace. I cannot imagine doing something like this without Him. Blessed be His Name!

What mistakes have you made while seeking publication?

The first manuscript I wrote was horrible, but I didn’t know it. I thought it was great. I basically sat down at the computer and went from Prologue to Epilogue without any knowledge of the craft. I submitted the manuscript to several publishers. They all said the same thing in their rejection letters: “You can definitely write, but you need to learn your craft.”

I decided then and there that I would never again get another rejection because of craft. I spent the next three years doing everything I could to learn the art of writing fiction. Which leads me to your next question.

What’s the best advice you’ve heard on writing/publication?

Learn your craft. You can be the best athlete in the world, but unless you know the rules, you can’t play basketball. Same with writing. Read how-to books, go to writing conferences, enter contests, join a critique group, listen to CDs, read author blogs, join writing organizations, take workshops. And keep doing this not only on the road to publication, but after publication. Never think you have “arrived.” Everybody has room for growth.

What’s the worst piece of writing advice you’ve heard?

Nobody cares whether the facts in your novels are accurate or not, they just want a good story. **NOT TRUE** Nothing puts readers off more than a book that hasn’t been well-researched. And I’m not speaking just of historicals. I read a contemporary novel set in Houston where the heroine drove on an expressway. The author immediately lost credibility in my mind. Had he done the barest minimum of research, he’d have known we don’t have expressways in Houston. We have freeways.

Never underestimate your readers.

What’s something you wish you’d known earlier that might have saved you some time/frustration in the publishing business?

I wish I had known how valuable writer’s organizations were. I am a member of Romance Writers of America. They are hugely responsible for giving me what I consider the equivalent of a degree in writing fiction.

Do you have a scripture or quote that has been speaking to you lately?

Oh my goodness. I think I’ve highlighted my whole Bible, just about. This morning the verse I highlighted was Colossians 3:16. “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you each admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.” It reminded me of the importance of memorizing Scripture (which I really struggle with. My favorite memory verse? He wept. Yep. Shortest verse in the Bible. I’m telling you, memory is not my gift.) Colossians 3:16 also reminded me of the importance of worshiping and praising God with a community of believers and with a grateful heart.

Is there a particularly difficult set back that you’ve gone through in your writing career you are willing to share?

It is imperative that you are well-read in the genre in which you write. In 200X, the Lord took my secular romances away from me. He showed me that I had become addicted to them. I would go on binges where I read one after another, after another, after another. When I read them, I would ignore all else. I didn’t clean; I didn’t cook; I didn’t do laundry; I ignored my husband; I ignored my kids.

Instead, I lost myself in a world of fiction. Not good. While watching a Beth Moore video during Bible study, the Lord convicted me and said it was either Him or the novels. You would not believe how I cried and carried on. It was ridiculous when I think back on it. But cry I did.

Beth was talking about how Christ had come down off His throne to humble Himself and live as a man on earth. I kept telling the Lord, “I know. I know. But not my romance novels!” (Ugh!)

Before Beth was through speaking, I knew what I had to do. I had to remove all romances from my shelves. Please, please understand, I do *NOT* think there is anything inherently wrong in reading romance. I have many, many dear friends who write romance. The problem was with me.

Anyhoo, the only romances the Lord did not make me get rid of were the ones I had written. Everything else had to go. For the next two years I did not read or own a romance.

When I sold my manuscript to Bethany House, the Lord lifted my quarantine. I have found, though, that my taste for romance is not what it used to be. Now, I read all kinds of genres. But none of them have a stronghold on me.

What are a few of your favorite books? (Not written by you.)

My favorite book of all time is To Kill A Mockingbird. My favorite romance is Years by LaVyrle Spencer.

What piece of writing have you done that you’re particularly proud of and why?

I remember typing “The End” on that first manuscript (awful though it was). That night I told my husband. He nodded and said, “That’s nice.”

I smiled, thinking he was kidding. Then realized he was serious. So I tried again. “Honey, I said I finished the book, not a chapter.”

He immediately froze. “Oh! I’m supposed to say something, aren’t I?”

Yep. It was a big moment for me. ;-)

Do you have a pet peeve having to do with this biz?

Folks seem to have a hard time taking what I do seriously. Friends will phone and say, “I thought I’d call now because I knew all you were doing was writing.”

My kids will ask me to take them here, there and everywhere, because after all, I’m only writing.

My husband will send me to-do lists via email, because after all, I’ve got time.

I would imagine this is something a great many people who office out of their homes experience. My family is learning. My friends leave messages.


Can you give us a view into a typical day of your writing life?

First thing in the morning I do my Bible study. On MWF, I work out. On Tuesdays I have breakfast with my newly widowed father-in-law. On Thursdays I go to Ladies Bible Study. So, even though I get up early, my work day starts pretty late.

Once I am in front of my computer, I read, answer and generate emails. I post on my blog. I return phone calls. I take care of any administrative duties that need to be done. Then, I hunker down and write.

I get into a real groove around 2:00pm. My high schoolers start arriving at home around 2:30. The first thing my son does, without fail, is work on whatever song he is writing.

Have you ever been around a song writer? They play the same thing over and over and over and over, adding a stanza here, adjusting a line of melody there. Then he goes back and adds the bass. Then the lead guitar. Then the drums. Our music room has great acoustics.

My “groove” doesn’t last as long as I’d like it to. ;-)

If you could choose to have one strength of another writer, what would it be and from whom?

Patti Hill, Christy award nominee and author of Always Green, is a master at using descriptive metaphors and poetic prose. I am in awe of her gift for making moods and settings come alive for the reader.

Do you have a dream for the future of your writing, something you would love to accomplish?

My goal is to use my gifts and talents to glorify God. Anything beyond that is gravy.

Was there ever a time in your writing career you thought of quitting?

For a few years I launched a line of parenting products called I Did It!® During that time I pulled my manuscript from circulation. A few months after the first product, I Did My Chores!, was released, a third party publisher licensed it. This allowed me to return to my writing.

As far as quitting goes, I try to be very open-minded. I wanna go where God goes. If that’s writing, I’m all for it. If it’s not, than that’s okay, too. Just so long I’m doing what He has for me to do.

Right now, looks like writing is where He wants me be. And I couldn’t be more thrilled.

What is your favorite and least favorite part of being a writer?

My favorite part of being a writer is working out of my home and hearing from my readers. My least favorite part is having a deadline--or due date--for my manuscripts.

How much marketing do you do? Any advice in this area?

Bethany House does a superb job of marketing their titles. This allows me to devote more time to writing. Still, I do some as well. Since time is so precious, it is imperative to make the biggest bang with my time and resources. I have found the 80/20 rule that Bethany House has taught me very helpful: A few (20%) have the greatest impact over the many (80%). The value of this rule in marketing is that it reminds you to focus on the 20% that produce 80% of your results.

Were you surprised at the phenomenal success of A Bride Most Begrudging?

The Lord has truly been amazing throughout this entire process. Through Bethany House, He gave me awesome editorial support, cover art that was over-the-top, a marketing department that came out with both guns smoking and a production department that runs like clock work. He blessed me with enthusiastic sales reps and booksellers who have graciously placed Bride face out and in key spots in their stores. I am humbled and overwhelmed and thankful.

In a market where historicals seem to be a tough sell, what is it about your book do you think that offered such great reviews and sales?

Golly. That is a question better suited for my readers than me, I think. How ’bout I give you an excerpt or two from some email I have received from my readers? Would that work?

“I appreciate having a Christian fiction author who seems to take such great effort at being historically accurate.”

“Thank you for creating passionate, REAL characters. I felt like I could feel their emotions and understand their journey together. I also wanted to thank you for not shying away from the sexual aspect of the marriage relationship. So often, Christian writers just ignore that aspect all together, but it is a real part of life and love in a marriage, so I just wanted to say thank you for including it and not acting like it doesn't exist.”

“I loved your in-depth insight into your characters and the way you delicately, but effectively wove the religious faith aspect into the fabric of your story, as well as the deep redemption-theme of Drew toward the end.”

“I enjoyed the humor threaded thru the story line. Lovely characters.”

What makes for a good historical?

Since I allow my characters to have good hygiene and all their teeth, I try to make up for that by being meticulously accurate with all my other historical details. The balance, however, comes in weaving it into the story (as opposed to dumping a bunch of historical info in all at once).

Is there a key difference in writing a historical for the CBA as opposed to the ABA?
There is definitely a difference in writing for the CBA vs the ABA, but not necessarily in the historical arena. From a historical standpoint, readers of both industries expect the historical facts to be accurate. (The length of novels vary from publishing house to publishing house no matter whether you are writing for CBA or ABA. Some like 'em short; some like 'em long; some don’t care either way.) The readers in those two industries, however, differ in their tolerance levels as far as how strong the Christian message can be, how much drinking takes place (if any), how much swearing takes place (if any), and how much sensuality occurs (if any).

You can visit Deanne and her blog at: www.deeannegist.com