The Calm I Seek

by Christina Lourens

Genre: Insprirational Fiction

Today I’m pleased to host author Christina Lourens, who will be discussing some of the challenges of writing inspirational romance in the modern world, plus some tips for authors looking to venture into the inspirational market.

Tips for Writing Inspirational Fiction in a Modern World

I never set out to write inspirational fiction. When I started THE CALM I SEEK, it wasn’t really meant to be a story about Christian redemption and forgiveness. It was “just” a story about a dysfunctional family, a damaged woman and her fight for happiness. But, being a Christian, I couldn’t help developing the story into the inspirational fiction it is now.

I’ve learned a lot from writing my inspirational romance, and from sending it off to publishers, having it edited and finally, publishing it. So here are some tips for writing inspirational fiction in a modern world.

1. Keep it realistic. People of faith—whatever faith that may be—are not perfect. They struggle with the same things are anyone else. They are flawed, which makes them more interesting. Their struggles aren’t confined to their faith. It is far more interesting to find a relatable problem and show how your characters deal with these very real scenarios from the viewpoint of their faith. The Calm I Seek deals with issues like domestic abuse, sexual assault and betrayal, which can happen whether you’re a believer or not. How Rebecca deals with those issues in the novel is determined by her (lack of) faith, but her faith is not the main issue in the novel.

2. Don’t be preachy. You’re not trying to convert your audience with your novel. Your audience is people of faith. You’re not writing a sermon or a confessional intended to convert people. It’s a novel about people who go through life and encounter problems. The modern world is full of problematic things, and it’s fine if your characters need to deal with that. But in the end, a novel is a story about characters. Leave the preaching to the preachers.

3. Be unafraid. When I tried to find a publisher or an agent for The Calm I Seek, I was worried that people wouldn’t want to read a Christian novel. I live in the UK and there are very few Christian publishers here. For a long time, I resigned myself to not being able to ever publish my book. But then I got courage and sent my novel to a few agents. While they didn’t take me on, because they don’t publish inspirational fiction, I still received good feedback on my novel, which gave me the motivation to keep pursuing publication. Inspirational fiction can resonate with a great variety of people, not just with believers.

Writing inspirational fiction is no different from writing any other genre of fiction. You just need to know—and find—your audience. You’re not going to please every reader, which is fine. The world is in need of all sorts of stories, and these days, it’s especially in need of inspirational ones!

Blurb

With love, betrayal and grief disrupting her perfectly peaceful life, will she fight for the happiness she deserves?

After the violent death of her husband, Rebecca Holmes is content leading a quiet life spending time with her sisters and niece. When her younger sister Hannah asks her to plan her wedding, Rebecca discovers her friends and family all think her life is empty. Determined to prove them wrong, Rebecca takes up salsa lessons where she meets the charismatic salsa teacher, Gabriel Rodriguez.

Falling in love is the last thing Rebecca wanted to do, but she is inexplicably drawn to Gabriel. Opening her heart again is terrifying, especially after what happened with her late husband. With the help of the local vicar, Rebecca starts to believe that maybe she deserves a happy ending after all.

Just when she’s decided to give her heart to Gabriel, a betrayal brings back demons from the past. Heartbroken, Rebecca closes herself off again, but when disaster strikes her family, she is forced to confront her past actions. Can there be redemption for her and can she forgive those who betrayed her?

THE CALM I SEEK is a heartbreaking novel about forgiveness and redemption.

Read an Excerpt

When I was ready to leave, Gabriel stepped to my side.

“Did you enjoy it?” he asked.

I hadn’t enjoyed the lesson, but I had enjoyed the teacher. I couldn’t very well tell him that though. “Yeah.”

“So that’s a no, then,” he said. “What did you not like about it? You didn’t do badly today. I hope you’ll come again.”

“I’m not going to quit. I promised my friend I would try it for the duration of the course and I will.”

“Sounds like you didn’t really want to do this in the first place.” Gabriel frowned. “Why did you sign up?”

“To shut up my friend and sisters who think I need some excitement in my life.” Why did I confess this to a stranger? I could have given any kind of explanation.

“And do you need excitement in your life?” he asked with a mischievous smile.

“Not really. But when all your friends and family pester you to do something, it’s hard not to cave under pressure.”

Gabriel smiled as if what I said resonated with him. “Well, I hope you’ll come again next week and start enjoying the lessons for yourself, not just because you were bullied into it.”

Ah. I shouldn’t have told him I’d only signed up to shut up my family. He was excited about salsa—as he should be, being the teacher and all that—and here I was being all Debbie Downer on him. I flashed him a smile I hoped looked sincere. “I’m sure I’ll enjoy it more when I get a bit better at it.”

“Believe me, you’re not that bad.”

Right. He probably told everyone that.

“Anyhow, see you next week,” I said brightly. With a wave, I headed for the door.

It hadn’t been a horrible experience, but neither had it been fun. The only bright spot had been Gabriel. The effect he had had on me was surprising. Had I imagined it, or had there been a spark between us? Or had I been so long out of the dating game that I fell for the first man who came close to me? All I knew was that his charm and enthusiasm had an intoxicating effect on me, and I resolved to steel my heart against him the next lesson.

Dancing lessons was one thing, but I couldn’t afford to fall for a man again. Not after I had so carefully set up my life to be independent. Not after I had finally gotten my sanity back.

Christina Lourens will be awarding a $25 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click here to enter!

Meet Christina Lourens

Christina Lourens has always been passionate about writing, but life got in the way of her writing career. She’s never given up and can be found writing in the evenings and on weekends, often accompanied by her pug. When she’s not writing, Christina keeps busy at the day job (until her writing career takes off) or snuggles up on the couch with a book. She loves crocheting, but because of her busy life, crocheting projects tend to take a long time to be finished.

Christina has lived in three countries, but is currently living in the UK with her husband of 20 years, their two children, pug, canary and pheasant.

THE CALM I SEEK is her first novel.

Links:

Website: https://christinawritesromance.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/@CK_Romance

Buy links:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Calm-Seek-heartbreaking-redemption-forgiveness/dp/1838115803/

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-calm-i-seek-christina-lourens/1137305176

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/gb/en/ebook/the-calm-i-seek

Apple books: https://books.apple.com/gb/book/the-calm-i-seek/id1522365717