By The Book

I am pleased to feature Angela Correll today. Angela writes contemporary women’s fiction with a faith thread. I loved her book Guarded and look forward to much more from this talented author.

By The Book: Many authors say that they have always been a writer — making up stories as a child. When did you first become a writer?

Angela Correll: Like so many others, the imagination and signs that I might be a writer were there during childhood, but it took a long time for me to figure it out. I didn’t really become a writer until my mid-thirties when I began writing for a local newspaper.

BTB: Was there a special someone, such as a teacher, parent, or other relative, who encouraged you to pursue writing.

Angela: No one encouraged me to write, I wish they had, but there was a teacher who opened up the world of Kentucky fiction to me through an author called Janice Holt Giles. Mrs. Shelburne took my sophomore class to Shaker Village after she had us read The Believers. It gave such a sense of place to the book, which inspired me to not only read Kentucky fiction, and to eventually give a strong sense of place to my writing.

BTB: Your books can be categorized as inspirational fiction. Do you have a particular motivation to write books that contain faith threads?

Angela: I never made a conscious decision to write “inspirational fiction”. Rather, I simply write about what I know, people I know, and what daily life is like in my neck of the woods. I suppose the thing that makes it inspirational is the hope and redemptive value, but that is my core belief, so I can’t imagine writing anything without that ultimate hope.

BTB: What does a typical writing day look like? Are you structured or informal in your writing schedule?

Angela: There are chunks of time when I am not writing. When I am working on a book, I clear my schedule and carve out mornings for writing. Usually I begin at 5 or 6 in the morning and go until 11 or noon. The rest of the day I do other things, which allows the word soup to simmer. I have to be in the manuscript every day or else I lose momentum. After the first draft, I push back and let it sit for a bit before going back later for revisions.

BTB: Did you do any special research for Grounded and Guarded?

Angela: Yes, I do lots of research and I love that part of it. For the first book, I was living the experiment since I had just moved to the farm after living in the city. I talked to lots of folks in the airline industry, which gave me a sense of Annie’s lifestyle. And, I traveled frequently in my job before settling down to marry. For Guarded, I went to Italy twice with my husband and we traced the World War II campaign trail, spending time at important stops along the way. I always overdo the research, but I think it gives the books a stronger sense of place when I do my homework.

BTB: What do you want your readers to take away with them after finishing one of your novels?

Angela: I want my readers to have a sense of family and friendship when they read. I want them to miss the characters when they turn the last page. I also want there to be some educational value to the books as well. Finally, I want them to be inspired in some way, whether it’s taking a pie to a neighbor or seeing the value in historic preservation.

BTB: Readers are always curious as to what a writer is working on or just what is next to be published. Can you give us a glimpse of current works in progress?

Angela: I always envisioned a trilogy with this story, so there will be one more book called Granted. Granted will explore the broken relationship Annie has with her father, as he enters the picture with his narcissistic personality, and tries to make up for all he missed.

BTB: What would you like to share about your personal life?

Angela: I am an animal lover and have a special place in my heart for goats. Other info: I love to engage with readers, attend book clubs, etc. I travel to some crazy places, so don’t hesitate to ask!

Thanks so much for sharing with us today, Angela! 

Angela Correll lives on a farm in Central Kentucky with her husband and an assortment of grass-fed cattle, horses, goats and chickens. Correll owns a retail shop and is co-owner of a farm-to-table restaurant. Her debut novel, Grounded, was an Amazon bestseller.

Visit the author’s website at: http://www.angelacorrell.com.

Tags: Angela Correll, women's fiction