Love her! LOVE HER! love her!
Consider this paragraph from my review of Fire by Night, my favourite of her reams of excellent novels:
I usually look for expert characterization, deftly-woven plot, some humour, some sparkle, some originality: some historical what-have-you in my historicals; some carefully-planted mayhem in my murder mysteries; the books that make me giggle and clap and gasp at their brilliance ( I have said before, I am an effusive reader). Lynn Austin ignites all of these things.
What makes Lynn Austin special to me ( for special she is ) is the fact that her works hit me on a deeper, spiritual level.
This is not mere infatuated emotionalism: the kind I reserve for the books I love, love, love. Austin validates in an erudite and carefully plotted fashion the role and journey of any woman of faith
Reading a Lynn Austin book for me is empowering: spiritually, emotionally, personally.
When her profundities surge through the page I am not just rattled in my usual "La! Such brilliance fashion"; but rattled, rather, to the core.
If I am having an off-kilter moment, if I am grappling at some truth in relation to Christianity if I am feeling, what with all my passionate opinions and strict independence, like I do not fit the mold of the ideal Christian woman ---Lynn Austin makes it okay.
What makes Lynn Austin special to me ( for special she is ) is the fact that her works hit me on a deeper, spiritual level.
This is not mere infatuated emotionalism: the kind I reserve for the books I love, love, love. Austin validates in an erudite and carefully plotted fashion the role and journey of any woman of faith
Reading a Lynn Austin book for me is empowering: spiritually, emotionally, personally.
When her profundities surge through the page I am not just rattled in my usual "La! Such brilliance fashion"; but rattled, rather, to the core.
If I am having an off-kilter moment, if I am grappling at some truth in relation to Christianity if I am feeling, what with all my passionate opinions and strict independence, like I do not fit the mold of the ideal Christian woman ---Lynn Austin makes it okay.
Yah. I love her work. I do! I do! Back when I had twitter ( if you all remember), I started a Lynn Austin #hashtag campaign just before the release of her novels. Good times. Very few people subscribed; but I persevered.
Annnnyways.... I discovered this interview with Bethany House today. Why this elates me? If I have read an author's voice for so long, I am always interested to hear what they sound like. I got to hear Ms. Austin's voice for the first time as she elaborates on the writing process, speaks to the moving Though Waters Roar, takes us through the development of While We're Far Apart and even hints at the book publishing in October. Listen to this!
What stood out for me?
Her discussions on:
Characters taking lives on their own
-The strange and providential intervention that kick-started her career
-The challenges of writing during the distraction of real life.
-Her belief that the intended message will get across without preaching to it in a blatant way.
-A bulletin board of templates
-Finding her interconnected themes ( which are always poignant, potent and moving) after writing large chunks of the novel.
I hope you enjoy as much as I did!
1 comment:
Oh what fun! How lovely to hear what Lynn Austin sounds like. :) And I LOVE your review excerpt from Fire by Night. Especially this: "Austin validates in an erudite and carefully plotted fashion the role and journey of any woman of faith" - so, so true. I can't wait for Wonderland Creek!
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