Anne: Our interview this morning is with G.E. (Ginny) Hamlin, who passionately writes about broken marriages and the restorative power of Jesus Christ. Her stories stem from personal experiences and working in lay ministry as a member of her church. Her characters encounter the natural consequences of addiction to alcohol, drugs, and sexual immorality. Ginny hopes each story will create a bridge for discussion in real life.
Ginny, what inspired Marriage Takes Three?
Ginny: The title (Marriage Takes Three) and premise came first, then the characters, and finally the intricacies began to unfold like a movie in my head. The story involves Darla Connor, who is struggling with whether to stay in her troubled marriage or walk away. Maintaining a long distance friendship with an old sweetheart isn’t making the decision any easier, especially when that sweetheart, now a famous country music star, publically declares his love for her, even though she is married. Randall Connor is a recovering alcoholic and wants to heal his broken marriage, and as a struggling new believer, he is counting on God to help him. When Darla rejects his ultimatum to sever ties with her old boyfriend, he’s in for the battle of his life.
Anne: Are you willing to shar how much of the book is personal experience?
Ginny: Each of my stories has a bit of “real life” in them. Yes, even the protagonists in varying degrees are from personal experiences…and on that admission, I plead the fifth. ;)
Anne: How much and how did you research for this?
Ginny: I actually spent several days on the internet: researching which actors I would chose to portray my characters, looking at Google maps for various locations and weather for the time of year in the story, vehicle makes and models, etcetera. Some research was done during several scenes.
Anne: What is your favorite scene in the book? Why?
Ginny: That is a tough question to answer without giving too much away. The conversation between Darla and Vickie, a family friend, is one of many scenes that stirred emotions in me.
Anne: I remember that one. So, what was the hardest part to write? Why?
Ginny: There were actually several scenes in Marriage Takes Three that were a challenge to write, and without giving away too much of the storyline I will say I prayed about it, and prayed some more, and some more, then finally wrote the scene(s). One scene involved Jack and Randall in the wee hours – I felt I had written myself into a corner, another pivotal scene involved Randall and Darla with friends, and the other involved an unforeseen twist that the Randall and Darla saw coming, but I didn’t.
Anne: I love it when the characters take over the writing! How long did it take from the first word written (outline or ms) to publication?
Ginny: I began working on Marriage Takes Three during the summer of 2010, then health issues with my mom and husband took precedence for over a year. The interesting thing is that during that time God blessed me with wonderful critique partners in ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers), who rallied around me and encouraged me to keep submitting chapters as I was able to do so. I signed a contract with my publisher Chalfont House HopeSprings books August 13, 2013.
Anne: Really, August to March isn't such a long time. Would you like to tell us about your next book?
Ginny: My second novel, Forsaking All Others is about a Christian married couple who confront the issue of pornography in the husband’s life and the fallout that occurs.
Anne, thank you for having me on your blog; it’s been my honor and pleasure. I look forward to responding to any questions or comments your readers post.
Wow, Ginny--thanks for those fantastic answers--and I humbly disagree. The honor is all ours. I hope the readers feel a closer connection with you now, and I hope they will hop on over to the book review posted yesterday (click HERE) to find out more about the book. They can also enter the contest to receive a free Marriage Takes Three.
Readers, if you would like to connect more with Ginny (there should be something that interests everyone):
Links to the Web & Social Media
Amazon.com: Marriage Takes Three
Blog: http://eghamlin.com/GblogAmazon.com: Marriage Takes Three
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/GEHamlin
Facebook author page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/G-E-Hamlin/111808395523799?ref=hl
Twitter: Twitter.com@GEHamlin
Pintrest:
http://www.pinterest.com/ge0073/
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