Writer’s Window–Leslie Gould
Joining us today for Writer’s Window is women’s fiction and romance author Leslie Gould.
One lucky commenter* will win a signed copy of Leslie’s latest book, The Amish Midwife. Deadline for leaving a comment to enter the drawing is Friday. To enter the drawing, you must answer the question posed by Leslie at the end of the interview. Only one comment per person will count toward the drawing. You do not need to include your e-mail address in the body of your comment—just make sure it’s correct when you sign in to leave your comment. The winning name will be drawn and announced on Sunday.
- *U.S. residents only, void where prohibited. If you win the drawing, you will be ineligible for the next three drawings, though hopefully you will still come back and join in the discussion.
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A deathbed confession…a dusty carved box containing two locks of hair…a century-old letter about property in Switzerland…
Nurse-midwife Lexie Jaeger’s encounter with all three rekindles a burning desire to meet her biological family. Propelled on a personal journey of discovery, Lexie’s search for the truth takes her from her home in Oregon to the heart of Pennsylvania’s Amish country.
There she finds Marta Bayer, a mysterious lay-midwife who may hold the key to Lexie’s past. But Marta isn’t talking, especially now that she has troubles of her own following the death of an Amish patient during childbirth. As Lexie steps in to assume Marta’s patient load and continues the search for her birth family, a handsome local doctor proves to be a welcome distraction. But will he also distract her from James, the man back home who lovingly awaits her return?
From her Amish patients, Lexie learns the meaning of the Pennsylvania Dutch word demut: “to let be.” Will this woman who wants to control everything ever learn to depend totally on God? Or will her stubborn determination to unearth the secrets of the past at all costs only serve to tear her newfound family apart?
A compelling story about a search for identity and the ability to trust that God securely holds our whole life—past, present, and future.
Welcome, Leslie!
What do you like best about being a writer?
- The amazing sense of harmony I feel when I’ve had a good writing day—no interruptions, five thousand or more words, and the thought that at least some of it is worth keeping.
What do you like least about being a writer?
- The angst I feel when I’d planned to have a good writing day—and it didn’t happen. Too many interruptions, too much time spent staring at the wall, unexpected obligations. That sort of thing. The writing life really is an act of faith.
Pop, Soda, or Coke? What do you call it, and what’s your favorite variety?
- Definitely “pop”—but I hardly ever drink it. I’ll have root beer with pizza, but that’s about it. I much prefer water, tear, or coffee.
What’s your favorite dessert?
- It used to be anything chocolate, but now I’m leaning toward crème brûlée. I’m not a big fan of ginger in sweets—love it otherwise—but the best crème brûlée I’ve had is at Pho Van, a Vietnamese restaurant, in SE Portland. It has a touch of ginger in it, and is the perfect combo of French and Vietnamese cuisine. (BTW, speaking of chocolate and dessert, happy Valentine’s Day everyone!)
What’s the most fun/interesting/crazy/scary/unique hands-on research you’ve done for a book?
- I didn’t actually realize I was doing research as I was going through this—it wasn’t until later that all my emotions and experiences came together in the writing of my second novel, Beyond the Blue. My husband, Peter, and I spent five weeks in 2001 in Vietnam, adopting our youngest daughter. She was almost four then and of course we fell in love with her the moment we saw her photo, and then madly, head-over-heels in love with her the moment we saw her in person. We were able to take her from the orphanage near the South China Sea immediately and then as far as Ho Chi Minh City, but soon we started hearing that her paperwork was “lost” and that there was going to be an “investigation.” We loved being in Vietnam, but you can imagine our relief when the paperwork showed up after nearly five weeks (we’d been told we’d be there for two!) and we were able to take her home.
What’s your favorite movie from childhood?
- Walt Disney’s The Aristocats. I had an early interest in the Beatniks and used to call my father Daddy-O (it was a short but fun phase). The Aristocats was right up my alley. 🙂 Much later, in college, I wrote my senior thesis on the literature of the Beat generation.
If you were to write a novel about what your life would have been like if you’d become what you wanted to be at eight years old, what kind of character would the story be about?
- It would be about a New York fashion designer—I used to spend hours sketching designs with my colored pencils. I haven’t thought of that in years! That is so completely opposite of who I am now, although I did edit a bridal magazine for eight years and during that time wrote a feature article on Reem Acra, an internationally recognized New York fashion designer.
What makes you happy?
- Traveling with my family. Last year’s trip was to Lancaster County with my husband and two daughters to do research for The Amish Midwife. From there we went to New York City for a few days. What a great experience for our girls, who had never been to either place.
What makes you nervous?
- My husband is in the Army Reserve and as I answer these questions, he’s in the process of being deployed to command a field hospital in Afghanistan. That makes me a little nervous, even though I know he’ll be in a much safer spot than a lot of our service people. But being nervous reminds me to pray, so that’s a good thing.
What’s your biggest dream for the future?
- To travel far and wide with my hubby after the kids are grown. Since he’s a medical person and I can teach English, we hope to combine service projects with our travels.
Tell us about your newest release and what you’re working on now.
- The Amish Midwife, co-written with the amazing Mindy Starns Clark*, is my newest release. It’s a wonderful combination of both of our storytelling gifts. As I’m answering these questions, we’re finishing up The Amish Nanny, the second novel in the series, and we will soon start on the third book.
[*Mindy will be featured on Writer’s Window on October 3, 2011.]
Where can people find out more about you/connect with you online?
Now it’s your turn to ask the question. What question do you want to ask the commenters to answer?
- If you could be any character in any book or story (for a day or a lifetime, your choice), who would it be?
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Leslie Gould lives in Portland, Oregon with her husband and four children. She’s curated a museum in Ashland, Oregon, worked in community relations for the Port of Portland, and edited a regional bridal magazine. She received her MFA from Portland State University in 2009. She is the author of Garden of Dreams, Beyond the Blue (Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice Best Inspirational, in 2006), Scrap Everything, and several Guideposts novels (Home to Heather Creek series and Stories from Hope Haven series). Most recently, she co-wrote of The Amish Midwife with Mindy Starns Clark, the first in a three-book series. Leslie has also taught fiction at Multnomah University and is the editor/agent liaison for the Oregon Christian Writers’ summer conference.
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KayeDacus.com 
Hi Leslie, congratulations on your latest book.
Like myself, I find most writers to be introverted people. We’d rather be by our-happy-little-selves all day.
My question: What do you do to get out of Writer mode into a more Social mode?
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Hi, Henya! Thanks for the question–it’s a good one. My four children all live at home and even the 13 year old is pretty much a young adult. They totally pull me out of my introverted self. I have no choice but to be social on a daily basis because of them. We also have quite a few gatherings with a close circle of friends that we host throughout the year. I look forward to those and just the acts of shopping, cleaning, and cooking get me out of writing mode and into social mode. What do you do?
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Good question. When around, my husband is a good companion. I have few but very good friends who, for some reason, put up with my writerly preoccupation. I go to coffee shops to write…(Does that factor in as being social? :)) But most of all, working out gets me off my butt.
I’ll be looking for you in the book store. Always am happy to discover new (to me) authors.
Thanks for your response.
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Yes, coffee shops count. 🙂 I’m in one right now…
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Oh, I love all of Mindy Starns Clark’s books and am looking forward to reading this one too.
I suppose for a character I would choose Elizabeth Bennet. I know. I know. Everyone would choose her. Growing up in a family of all girls is something I’m already used to. There are no brothers in my family. If I marry Mr. Darcy I not only have a wonderful husband who loves me and I him, but I would be able to travel lots of places and have a beautiful home and grounds in which to live. There would be a library to read all my favorite books. Beautiful, scenic exploring grounds for walks, prayer time, and trout streams. There would be plenty of rooms for relatives to stay with no one sleeping on the couch or floor! 🙂
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I agree, Mindy’s novels are great. She’s an amazing writer and really excels at plot and timing. I’ve learned so much from her.
Elizabeth Bennett is a wonderful choice! Love her. Jane Austen was absolutely brilliant.
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I was glad to see your “things you like best” and “things you like least” about being a writer so similar. It’s the same with me! Your books sound great – I’ll be looking for them.
I’m not eligible for the drawing (thanks, Kaye! :D), but if I could be any character for a day, it would be Laura Ingalls during the “Plum Creek” or “Little Town” days. I say for a day, because I don’t think I’d want to give up modern conveniences completely! I would have said during the “Long Winter” days, but after the last few weeks, that would just be silly! lol
Now for a question for YOU! What is your favorite part about co-writing?
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I have two favorite parts as far as co-writing. One is the way the story grows. It’s like when you’re little and playing with your toys. It’s fun. But then a friend comes over and it becomes really fun! The second favorite part surprised me. It’s the camaraderie that happens during the editing and galleys as e-mails are flying back and forth, many in the middle of the night. There’s a deep sense of satisfaction in co-writing because it’s always about what’s best for the story.
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Anne of Green Gables
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Hi, Jennifer. 🙂 Oh, Anne. I hadn’t thought of her. I loved the books–I need to reread them. It’s been too long.
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I would like to be any of Pat Conroys characters.
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🙂
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I love reading Mindy Starnes Clark’s book and am now reading Shoadows of Lancaster County. I haven’t read anything from Leslie Gould.
I would love to be Miranda Miller in Whispers of the Bayou, and loved reading about the hidden rooms of the bayou mansion. Great read!
Looking forward to Mindy on Writer’s Window on Oct. 3.
I am looking forward to reading The Amish Midwife.
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Miranda in Whispers of the Bayou is a great choice. I loved her character arc. Mindy’s protagonists are strong and spunky!
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That’s a tough question!
I think I would choose to be any of the March sisters from Little Women. It was always a favorite of mine growing up..but I would only like to stay for a day just to see what it was like. 🙂
Or maybe one of the characters from Much Ado About Nothing – my favorite Shakespeare play!
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I’m always intrigued by books with co-authors. I would love to hear more on the process of co-authoring. How decisions are made as to who writes what. Do you do an outline together?
The character I would love to be for a day is, Scarlett O’Hara. Before the war of course, wearing all of those fabulous dresses!
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Love the idea of being Scarlett for a day–fabulous dresses plus that outrageous attitude would make for a lot of fun!
As far as co-writing, yes, we come up with an outline together and then we do the writing back and forth, back and forth. It works for us because we have a very similar style and tone. We go through several drafts of rewriting, until it’s completely smooth and integrated.
It’s been a wonderful experience. I had the idea for a story about a midwife from Oregon going to work with the Amish, but didn’t feel I had the credibility to write about that culture. Mindy had the credibility but not the time to tackle yet another novel considering her already busy schedule. It was a book neither of us could have written on our own, but together it came together beautifully.
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So very hard to chose, but I am going to say Dr. Cheney Duvall from the Cheney Duvall series written by Lynn and Gilbert Morris. A woman on the cutting edge of medicine when woman were not doctors. It would not be hard to fall in love with Shiloh Irons either.
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Nice to hear more about you you, Leslie! You adoption story sounds like quite an adventure. It’s interesting how the Lord fills our lives with such experiences that we can also benefit from them, and others too when we share the stories.
Who would I like to be…that is a tough question! Mrs. (Elizabeth Bennett) Darcy!
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This is such a hard question! Though I love to escape into reading, I really wouldn’t want to BE the characters I read about. But if it was just for a day, I’d choose Faith O’Conner from A Passion Most Pure.
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Fun interview. Your adoption story sounds like an adventure for sure. We adopted from China while living there, but “lost” paperwork sounds all too familiar. =)
If I could be any character, I’d probably choose Joe March. Or maybe Amy, since she did get to travel to Europe with her aunt. LOL
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I love the idea of being one of the “little women” for a day or a week or maybe even a month. Very cool. Blessings to your family!
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Hi Leslie! A great question you asked! If I could be a character in a book or story, I would have to say Belle in the fairytale Beauty and the Beast. I love that she was a girl willing to accept someone unconditionally, regardless of how he looked. Seems we should all be more like her!
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And she loves books! (At least in the Disney version…)
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So many characters to chose from!
I think Lucy from the Narnia chronicles. I’d love to meet Aslan. When I was little I always wondered about the back of my closet.
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Ahhh, I hadn’t thought of Lucy. What a sweet answer. Yes, to meet Aslan would be wonderful. 🙂
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Hi Leslie,
Can’t wait to get started with the Amish Midwife series. It’s sure to be a good one.
I have always loved Pride and Prejudice. It is one of my favorite books, if not my very favorite. So I would have to pick Elizabeth Bennett. She was a person not afraid to speak what was on her mind. A great character from literature.
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The older I get, the more I appreciate Jane Austen. Her characters–and her writing–are amazing.
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