The Writing Life: An Interview with Author Bonnie Leon

Welcome, readers! I’m excited to share a special treat with you today. I managed to score an interview with Bonnie Leon, my mentor and a fantastic author of both historical and contemporary Christian romances. Before we dive into the interview, here’s a bit more about her: Bonnie Leon is the author of twenty-one novels, including the recently released In the Land of White Nights, the popular Alaskan Skies and bestselling The Journey of Eleven Moons. Bonnie’s books are being read internationally and she hears from readers in Australia, Europe, and even Africa. She enjoys speaking for women’s groups and teaching at writing seminars and conventions and especially delights in mentoring young authors. These days, her time is filled with writing, being a grandmother and relishing precious time with her aged mother. Bonnie and her husband, Greg, live in Southern Oregon. They have three grown children and eight grandchildren. Taylor: Hi Bonnie, thanks so much for joining me today! You’ve been such a help to me throughout my writing journey; I’m excited to get to chat with you. I know how busy you are so I appreciate you taking the time to talk about life as a writer. For starters, how did you start writing? Bonnie: I love to share how God led me into the world of writing. I’ve always been an avid reader but never considered writing books, at least not until my late 30’s when I was gripped by a compulsion to put my thoughts down on paper. I filled legal pads with poems, personal experiences, and short fiction stories. It was great fun. One day, a friend suggested I attend a local writing work shop. I was seriously nervous, but I went and enjoyed it. One of the teaching authors made a point of telling me how much she enjoyed my writing and encouraged me to continue. That was a thrilling moment. A few weeks later my van was hit by a loaded log truck that tipped over on a curve on one of our country roads. I survived, but was left with permanent injuries and spent the months following seeing doctors and trying numerous therapies, hoping for relief from chronic pain and disability. In the end, I was told I wasn’t going to get better. The life I’d loved as a full time mother and farm wife was over. I sank into depression, wondering what I was going to do with my life. I prayed and asked God to give me something to do that mattered. He gave me writing. God opened every door and somehow I found the courage to step through each one. I was offered a scholarship to a four-day writing conference and although I was in a great deal of pain I decided that if God had provided I needed to trust Him. The conference was amazing and like a dry sponge, dropped into a mountain lake, I soaked up all the knowledge and guidance I could. I returned a year later with my first book. A requisitions editor for Thomas Nelson Publishing took a look at that first effort and loved it. She pitched it to her publisher and they bought it. That’s how it began, and I’ve been writing all these years. It has been an honor and a gift. T: Wow, what a testimony! God turned tragedy into triumph—you’ve written so many amazing books. Where do you get your inspiration? B: The backgrounds and plot ideas often come from real life. History is like a gourmet meal of story ideas. The struggles my characters face are often lifted right out of history. And some of them come from my own life experiences. My mind seems to always be in the “on” position and ideas for new stories pop up even when I don’t want them to. I will have to retire one day, but I’ll never write all the stories I want to tell. T: I know the feeling…sometimes my brain gets flooded with ideas for stories. I’m still not sure how I’ll find the time to put all of them down on paper