1--What is the title of your latest release?
BY EVENING’S LIGHT
2--What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book?
The youngest of three sisters must decide if she will embrace her family’s legacy or break free to forge a life of her own.
3--How did you decide where your book was going to take place?
By Evening’s Light is a dual-time story and takes place, mainly, in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania in 2019 and in Germany in 1948 and 1949. I decided on the two time periods because I wanted to contrast a young woman living in a contemporary Amish/Anabaptist community with a young woman living in the same community with ties to Germany in the late 1940s.
4--Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life?
Definitely! My protagonist turns twenty-one in the story - I used to teach at a local university and find college-aged people absolutely inspiring!
5--What are three words that describe your protagonist?
Kind, feisty, and determined.
6--What’s something you learned while writing this book?
I learned a whole lot about Germany during the Cold War! I have a bachelor’s degree in history, but realized I hadn’t really studied the Cold War. I ended up learning more than I could include about the Berlin Blockade and what led to the establishment of the German Democratic Republic (GDR, commonly known as East Germany) and the world-wide refugee situation after World War II ended.
7--Do you edit as you draft or wait until you are totally done?
A little bit of both. At the beginning of the writing process, I usually edit chapters as I go, but halfway through I’ll start power writing to get the rough draft done as soon as possible so I can edit the entire story straight through.
8--What’s your favorite foodie indulgence?
Chocolate!
9--Describe your writing space/office!
I have two offices. A sunroom with a desk and three bookcases that I do online Zoom calls in, and a second office - as my grandson calls it - the cozy room. It has a sectional that I sit on to write and also to read to him. I also have a wall of bookcases overflowing with novels, resource books, and children’s books in my husband’s basement office.
10--Who is an author you admire?
Jane Kirkpatrick. She came to my book group nearly thirty years ago, quite a few years before my first book was published. Not only is she an amazing writer, but she’s also one of the most encouraging and authentic people I’ve ever met. I admire Jane for many reasons!
11--Is there a book that changed your life?
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith. I was the youngest of four children and our parents read us the story when I was pretty young, five or six. I loved the novel, and it was the first time I started to comprehend the power of story as I longed for the next chapter. I’ve reread it several times since - as a teenager, young adult, adult, etc. I most recently listened to it the first year of the pandemic with my husband on our daily walks. The novel never grows old for me. Each time, I feel absolutely engaged with the story.
12--Tell us about when you got “the call.” (when you found out your book was going to be published)/Or, for indie authors, when you decided to self-publish.
For this series, it was an email from my agent with the good news that I had a contract on the way from Bethany House for my Amish Memories series. That was back in April of 2021! By Evening’s Light is the third book in that series.
13--What’s your favorite genre to read?
Besides loving to write dual-time (or time-slip) stories, I love reading them! Melanie Dobson, Susan Meissner, and Kate Quinn are among my many favorite authors who write dual-time stories. I’m a history fanatic, plus I’ve always enjoyed women’s fiction, so dual-time novels are a natural for me. Because I write dual-time novels, I know how much time and work they take to research, plot, and write. I love reading how other people do it, and I applaud their work.
14--What’s your favorite movie?
This is such a hard question! My all-time favorite movie is My Mother’s Castle, a French film based on the autobiographical novel by Marcel Pagnol. It’s a delightful story about a Marseilles-based family and their time on their way to and at their Provençal country cottage. It’s full of love and beauty, all poignantly told. But I have so many favorite movies, including 1990s Rom-Coms and the 2005 Pride and Prejudice.
15--What is your favorite season?
I love summer! I live in the Pacific Northwest, so we don’t have terribly hot summers - I love the long days, late evenings, and sunshine! I enjoy dinner outside and sitting around our firepit after dark, trips to the beach, and even an occasional camping trip.
16--How do you like to celebrate your birthday?
With my husband, four adult kids, and two grandchildren. A barbecue in our backyard is my favorite venue! My birthday is just after Mother’s Day, so I always feel doubly spoiled in May.
17--What’s a recent tv show/movie/book/podcast you highly recommend?
I’m really enjoying the British television series of A Gentleman in Moscow. I loved the book - both print and audio and am now really loving the film version too. I’ve spent the last few years researching the Holodomor genocide, World War II, and the Cold War, all topics that overlap with topics included in A Gentleman in Moscow. I highly recommend it.
18--What’s your favorite type of cuisine?
Asian - how’s that for a broad description. Vietnamese, Chinese, Thai, Japanese, Korean…I love it all!
19--What do you do when you have free time?
My favorite thing to do when I have free time is to read. When I’m deadline, I force myself not to read novels because once I start, I absolutely binge and can’t stop until I’ve finished, resulting in me not meeting my word count. So once I meet my deadlines, I allow myself to binge on a novel or two or three as a reward before I get started on my next book. I also immensely enjoy traveling, urban walks, and hiking. Mostly though, I enjoy spending time with my husband, family, and friends.
20--What can readers expect from you next?
Up next is a romance set in Lancaster County. It’s about a couple, who despise each other in real life, only to fall in love with each other – anonymously - through an Amish circle letter. My working title is DOWN THE LANE, and it will release in 2025.
Amish Memories
A Dual-Time Amish Christian Fiction Book Set in Cold War Germany and Present-Day Lancaster County
Treva Zimmerman finds herself at a crossroads in life after a heartbreaking failed relationship. Returning to Lancaster County to visit her Amish grandparents and elderly aunt, Treva plans to leave her Plain heritage behind for a fresh start in Alaska. Torn between the expectations of her community and her own desires, she seeks to follow her own path--but all that changes when her aunt Rosene suffers a heart attack.
As her aunt recounts her own past--a poignant journey through Cold War Germany and a fervent desire to escape her Plain life to search for a lost love--Treva is determined to discover the whereabouts of Rosene's former sweetheart. Amid the turmoil, their former farmhand Gabe Johnson returns unexpectedly, throwing Treva's plans into further disarray.
While working hard to save the farm and explore her own destiny, Treva confronts her deep-rooted ties to her heritage and must decide if she will embrace her family's legacy or break free from the pressures of her past to forge a life of her own.
Romance | Romance Time Slip [Bethany House Publishers, On Sale: August 20, 2024, Paperback / e-Book, ISBN: 9780764240263 / eISBN: 9781493446612]
Leslie Gould is the award-winning and best-selling author of over 45 novels. A varied work history, from curating a historical museum to editing a bridal magazine, preceded her fiction-writing career. Leslie received her Master of Fine Arts in creative writing from Portland State University and has taught writing as an adjunct professor at Multnomah University and Warner Pacific University while writing fulltime over the past 20 years.
She and her husband, Peter, love traveling together for research trips and to author events. Leslie supported Peter through 30 years as an Army reservist, including a deployment to Afghanistan as the commander of a field hospital. Peter in return, has supported Leslie through every step of her writing career. They live in Oregon and are the parents of four adult children and one grandchild.
No comments posted.
© 2003-2025 off-the-edge.net
all rights reserved Privacy Policy