When Nancy Moser found out God’s purpose for her life,
she took off at Nascar speeds and hasn’t looked back. Her books span genres and entice the reader with emotionally driven plots, ripe with brilliant characters, breathtaking endurance, and God’s redeeming love.
Her newest novel, How Do I Love Thee, is the top book on my wishlist, because it’s a true love story…the bio-novel of the poet, Elizabeth Barrett Browning. It’s one thing to create believable FICTIONAL characters, but yet another to bring the true story of historical figures and revive them. Yet, the romance between Elizabeth and Robert Browning is one of those lovely pieces of history that too few people know. I’m so thankful, Nancy has brought this story back to the forefront of modern times.
Can’t WAIT to read it, Nancy.
To learn more about Nancy and her many books, check out her website at: www.nancymoser.com
Now, for a little Q & A.
1. Who is your favorite hero & heroine you’ve ever written? Why? (they don’t have to be from the same novel)
My favorites are George and Martha Washington from my biographical novel of Martha’s life called, Washington’s Lady. I always thought of Martha as merely that plump, short wife of our first president, but as I began to dig into her life, I found a woman who was large in character and courage. She was a very real woman who had flaws (she was far too indulgent with her children) and weaknesses (she had a weak spot for expensive clothes and do-dads). She was an ordinary woman who was presented with extraordinary circumstances. When the rumblings of war against the British began she wanted nothing to do with it, she just wanted to be left alone to live out her life with her family at Mt. Vernon. I can identify with that desire to hunker down and let the chaos of the world go on without me.
But then, she chose the extraordinary. With her husband and thousands of other patriots, she took a stand against the tyranny of the oppressive British government. She risked everything—and nearly lost. If the revolution had failed, they would have been hung as traitors. And when George was chosen as the first president, Martha said no, he’d done enough for the country. But to George, duty spoke louder than anything else. Actually, he was the perfect man for the job, a compromise between the military general and a normal politician. Yet as our first “First Lady” Martha counted the days until they could be home at Mt. Vernon, “under our own vine and fig tree”. Duty. Honor. Sacrifice. Courage. Those are traits we don’t see enough in our world. It’s been said that without George Washington there would be no United States, but without Martha, there would be no George Washington. They were an ideal match.
And they also loved each other deeply. George called her, “my other self”. Isn’t that lovely?
2. What is the behind-the-scenes story for those characters?
Many people don’t know this, but when Martha and George met she was a widow with two small children. She also was the richest widow in Virginia, with a plantation that encompassed 17,000 acres. She was quite the catch. But the next time she married—having been married the first time at age eighteen to a man, aged thirty-eight—Martha wanted to marry for love. The dashing French & Indian war hero, Colonel George Washington, was that man. They met at a neighbor’s house and talked through the night until morning. They were married a few months later and he took her to his “small” (1700 acres) Virginia plantation, Mt. Vernon. There they settled into a very happy life—until the threat of war changed everything.
For a review of Washington’s Lady, click on the link below: http://www.titletrakk.com/book-reviews/washingtons-lady-review-moser.htm
For a review of 3:16, check out this site: http://www.faithfulreader.com/reviews/9781414320540.asp
Nancy,
Thank you so much for being a part of Who’s Got Character? Just Jane and Washington’s Lady stay on my bookshelf for rereading opportunities. I can’t wait to add How Do I Love Thee to the list.
Character Creation Tip of the Day:
A history. All characters have a history – a backstory. Without an author’s firm grip on the background of his/her character, the hero’s color tends to fade a bit, even dulling to black and white.
To write colorful characters, which live, breathe, and grip our emotions, we must know them and their history. Create an outline; keep a journal from your hero’s point-of-view, something that will help you know that person better. And a hint? A lot of the information you put in their history may never make it into your book – but it will make it into your character.
Tomorrow?
Historical drama and contemporary humor are at the top of Siri Mitchell’s fiction list. Stop by and see which characters are her favorites.
Oh Nancy,
Thanks so much for visiting today. I can’t wait to post your answer for December’s question and hope many readers will stop by to learn more about your wonderful books.