Margo Hansen

www.JaxDice.com

November, 2011

Interview Questions -- Margo Hansen

1. How did you start writing?  Was it something you've done for a long time, or something you decided to do more recently?  Did you write stories or journal as a child? 

When I was in high school I took an aptitude test, one they give all students to see what type of vocation they may be suited for. (It wasn’t supposed to be a pass/fail type of test, but one of my brothers managed to flunk it and had to re-test!) Anyway, I tested out as a writer. That really surprised me because I knew I was far too lazy to ever write a book. I even hated writing essays and compositions for school. “Never happen,” I thought. I was much happier just reading books.

 Years later I was reading a book and found myself disappointed in how the story ended. I knew then that I wanted to try writing a book myself. Remembering the aptitude test, I figured at least someone thought I was capable of trying, so I started my book that day and it was what eventually became Sky’s Bridal Train. That was about eighteen years ago. I also wrote the second book, Jade’s Courting Danger, then, but the third and fourth books I wrote about five years ago.

2. How have your life experiences shaped the stories you've unfolded in your books? 

I was saved as a child and grew up in a Christian home. My testimony is on my website, but briefly I’ll explain that as a child I was taught the salvation message. I knew I was a sinner and that the Lord Jesus Christ came to earth, became a man, and bore the penalty for my sin on the cross. He overcame death and arose again. Simple faith in that message makes a person a Christian, a child of God. But even though I knew the Gospel and knew many Bible verses, I had not made the decision to by faith accept this gift that God offered. When I finally realized that I—Margo—needed to place my faith in that message, I was saved. It is one thing to know the Gospel, quite another to believe it, to actually stake your life, your eternal destiny on it.

 So, a lot of my upbringing centered on God’s Word and along with that on books with a Christian message. Christian fiction helped mold my thinking and character, and I wanted whatever I wrote to be glorifying to the Lord as well. At the time I started writing my children were early teens and I wanted my stories to have a positive effect on them as well.

 3. In Sky's Bridal Train, we find a young woman caught up in circumstances she never expected.  What gave you the idea for her story?

My mother was researching our family history and had uncovered many interesting facts about our ancestors. For example:  we had a relative who was a wagon master for a wagon train to California; many served in wars; some were involved in Indian raids; one saw the James gang try to rob the Northfield bank. I think the most influential story was about a great grandmother on my dad’s side who came from Norway to marry a man in Minnesota. On board the ship she fell in love with another man…but…she came and married the man she was supposed to marry anyway, and her grandchildren recall sitting at her feet hearing about her “lost love.” I think that’s where my mail-order bride story came from.

 4.  I won't give it away, but you certainly did a good job with the ending of Sky's story!  Did you have that in mind from the beginning, or did it evolve as the story took shape for you? 

I knew right away how I wanted to end my first story. To tell the truth, I’m not sure where the idea came from!

 5. Speaking of plot lines and endings, how do you typically construct your books?  Do you make a mental plan?  An outline?  Just start writing and see where it goes?  Tell us a bit about your writing and storytelling process.

Here’s a phenomenon about writing that I never expected:  as I write, the story begins to unfold itself, almost as if it’s writing itself. That’s hard to explain, but it’s a lot of fun, even more fun than reading, and I love reading! I do have a general outline. I know where I want to begin and where I want to end and some of the things I want in the middle, but I’m actually surprised, myself, at some of the things that occur in the story.

 6. Working with editors and a publishing house, what kind of process occurs for that side of authoring?  Do you have input on things like font styles and cover art, or is that handled by the publishing house? 

I’ve learned a lot in the publishing process, and Tate Publishing & Enterprises has been great to work with. Once a manuscript is accepted it takes about a year to go through all the aspects of publishing. Copy Editing is where punctuation, spelling, grammar, etc. is addressed. There are three stages of Conceptual Editing where the editor checks for continuity and clarity in the story. The editor does not “ghost write” for the author, but he or she does make suggestions or ask for more description or better wording. I think this is the phase of editing I enjoy the most because even though it is work to re-write portions, it is also a great learning tool. I get the benefit of the editor’s expertise and I get personal comments interwoven in the story like “I’m not sure who is speaking here” or “I love this!” or “This person needs more dialog” or “Nice!”

 Then there’s Cover Design and Interior Layout. I think the covers have been beautiful for my first two books. The Cover Designer gives me several designs to choose from but the final choice is mine. I also have options for the interior design and paper color, but they choose the font design and size.

 Ultimately I have to sign an approval form before the book can go to print, so I am responsible if you find any errors in the book, and you probably will; I am not perfekt! (uh…perfect)

 7. Your new book, Jade's Courting Danger, is being released soon.  What can you tell us about Jade and her story? 

Jade’s Courting Danger and the books to follow in the series deal with the second generation of the people in Sky’s Bridal Train. In each book a member of the Newly family will wed, thus the title A Newly Weds Series.

 In Jade’s story she was once a member of Chicago’s wealthy, but after her father’s death and loss of the family money, she works as a maid to an old family friend to help support her mother and brother.

 Tyler Newly comes to Chicago to do business with Jade’s employer for a new settlement he and his friends have started. Both Jade and her employer are suspicious of Tyler’s other business in the city, and Jade sets out to find out what Tyler is up to, partly to help protect her old friend’s business interests and partly because Jade is interested in the handsome lumberjack from Minnesota. She is shocked to learn that he is interviewing brides to take back to the settlement. She “courts danger” when she disguises herself to travel back to Minnesota with Tyler and the brides.

 Both Tyler and Jade learn that God leads in the lives of His children.

 8. I see that 2 more books are coming in the future in the Newlywed Series.  Do you have other projects in the works, as well?

Book three features Emma and will be available summer of 2012; book four is about Irena and should be out by winter 2012. I am currently working on book five about a girl named Mattie.

 I am also working on some children’s stories about my own childhood days. My grandchildren are always asking me to tell them a story about when I was little, so I thought I might as well write some of them down for them.

 I have another series in mind, but I haven’t started it yet. J

 9. Part of your work as an author has included publicity events, such as book signings.  What do you enjoy the most about them? 

I enjoy visiting with the people who come to the book signings. My family and friends have been such an encouragement to me. I can’t thank them enough! But I have also had total stranger come to my events and tell me that they’ve enjoyed reading my books, and that has been so humbling. To God be the glory.

 10. What, if anything, has been most influential in your writing? 

Instead of answering “what” has been influential, I would like to tell you “who”. I could never accomplish this without the encouragement to do so from my husband Bruce. When I first told him what I wanted to do, he immediately backed me all the way and told me he had no doubt that I could do it. He has read all my books, listened to me talk on and on about my characters, squelched my fears and doubts, helped me with my events, and demanded that the first book out of the box belongs to him. I am so thankful for him!

 11. Thank you so much for being with us this week, Margo!  We've learned some interesting things and are looking forward to reading the coming books. 

Thank you! I enjoyed visiting with you and I pray A Newly Weds Series will be a blessing to all who read it.