Under Moonlit Skies with Cynthia Roemer q&a

Author friend Cynthia Roemer is visiting us today for a little chat about her new release, Under Moonlit Skies!

 

 

q&a

Share five favorites.

C: movie: It’s a Wonderful Life

secondary character: Barney Fife of The Andy Griffith Show

book: The Frontiersman’s Daughter by Laura Frantz had a profound impact on my writing.

genre or time period: historical/historical romance set in mid-1800’s

fictional couple: Charles & Caroline Ingalls (Little House on the Prairie)

B: We have so much in common!

What is your favorite activity or hobby not related to books?

C: I love being in God’s creation! I enjoy taking long walks with my husband on nature trails. I think we’ve hit most every state/national park within a hundred miles—give or take one or two. LOL!

B: Oooo! We need to exchange notes if you’ve come across any notable campgrounds!

Describe Under Moonlit Skies.

C: Under Moonlit Skies is a blend of prairie romance and pre-Civil War tensions.

B: I’ll try not to overdo the ooooo-ing but oh my, this sounds delightful!

Share an interesting research moment for your current release.

C: While researching Under Moonlit Skies, I discovered the First National Road (aka The Cumberland Road) ran from Cumberland, Maryland to Vandalia, Illinois. This road, which I previously never knew existed, allowed for much of our nation’s westward expansion.

So, my husband and I took a day trip to check out the museum in Vandalia, and I wrote about this forgotten piece of history on my blog: Discovering the First National Road. So interesting!  It provided the perfect mode of transportation for my characters in Under Moonlit Skies.

B: My jaw literally dropped when I saw this! Guess who is going to drag her family to Vandalia for an educational experience?! Yep, this gal!

What are some of the challenges you faced while writing your current release?

C: Under Moonlit Skies is a rather diverse novel which required a generous amount of research (which I love!). It begins on the Illinois prairie and ends in the thriving city of Cincinnati, Ohio during the pre-Civil War era.

In striving to be as historically accurate as possible, I not only researched the time period, but also the origin of words, individual buildings, and, in this instance, the cycle of the moon. Readers may not always realize the research that goes into my novels, but it’s my hope that the accuracy of the details will give an authentic feel to the novel and characters.

B: I completely appreciate dedication to research!

What is your reading style? 

C: Print is definitely my preferred choice of reading style. There is nothing like the feel of a book in hand and turning pages to advance the story.

B: This is true!

What are you working on now?

C: I’ve just begun research for my fourth book which I’m pretty certain will be a standalone novel set during the latter part of the Civil War and post-Civil War era. The past couple of weeks I’ve been brainstorming ideas and developing new characters.

The outline is pretty vague at the moment, but I do know it will involve more actual historical events and people than my Prairie Sky Series. I’m looking forward to the challenge and learning more history as the story progresses.

B: Oh, how exciting!

What’s your writing style?

C: I’m a bit of both a pantser and a plotter, I think. I start with a theme verse and a loose outline and then let the Lord and my characters take me where they want to go from there.

B: It’s good to be flexible.

Do you have any writing quirks?

C: I have notes everywhere! LOL! I jot down tidbits of information, ideas, etc. and then have to piece them together as I write.

One oddity I’ve noticed is that there are days I get stuck and barely write more than 300-500 words and when I get in the shower or away from the computer doing other things, the ideas start to flow!! Go figure!

I guess my brain is more at ease and the Lord brings ideas to mind. As soon as I’m able, I write them down before I lose them. LOL!

B: That has to be the challenging part, getting them down before they’re lost!

 

 

Prairie Sky series

 

 

Let me know if you’ll be adding Under Moonlit Skies (or all the Prairie Sky series titles) by Cynthia Roemer to your tbr! I’m hoping to fit in a series binge-read soon!