Tanya Eavenson enjoys spending time with her husband, and their three children. Her favorite pastime is grabbing a cup of coffee, eating chocolate, and reading a good book. Tanya is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers, Word Weavers International, and writes for Christ to the World Ministries.
Connect with Tanya...
Website: http://www.tanyaeavenson.com/
Goodreads: Goodreads
Facebook: Facebook
Twitter: Twitter
Amazon Author Page: Amazon
Get to know Tanya...
Tell us a little bit about you and writing...
One of the questions I get asked often is when did I know I wanted to be a writer. For me, it was about ten years ago. God was calling me to write, but it wasn’t until I read a Lori Wick’s series The English Garden that I began write. I remember saying with ready fingers pressed on the keyboard, “Are you sure, God? I never wanted to write.” But there I was, typing away at the keys with a burden to share a story I had no idea where it would be heading.
Stepping out in faith isn’t only in words, but in actions, and I’m so glad I did! I’m inspired by the Lord to write Christian fiction so people may know the love of Christ. To know the depth He will go to have a relationship with us. And though we struggle, He uses us, He uses people like me, the ordinary, to do out of the ordinary things. Unexpected things—like writing.
Let's talk about your book...
Why did you write it?
RESTORED is the second book in the Unending Love series and it has taken me about six years to write. Not that it was difficult, I mean, it’s a story I wanted to write, one I knew I could write, but something was missing.
Four years ago, a friend and I attended the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference and during the conference, she and I discussed RESTORED. We came up with different plots, but nothing felt right. Months later I was diagnosed with cancer and I began a journey I didn’t want to be on. I stuffed this novel away and almost gave up on God’s call to write. But as time passed, and God began to work on my heart through my cancer, I struggled, but I continued to write. This is where Steven’s story was born. RESTORED is a story about lost love being given a second chance when you least expect it.
Do you have a favorite character in this work? If so, why?
I love Steven in RESTORED. He has an inner strength and kindness that draws me. I couldn’t help but to cheer for him, even before his cancer prognosis, because his desire for family and the sacrifices he’s made for other’s happiness stirs my heart.
What is one take-away from your book that you hope readers identify with?
That God is the Restorer of our souls, our hearts, our relationships, our families, our health and the list goes on. In Him all things can be restored, even when we think everything might be lost. Steven’s story is one of restoration and the realization that anything is possible with God no matter the circumstances.
What made you choose the setting for the book?
The setting was easy since I grew up in Florida. We visited a new beach every summer or revisited many twice. Even as I’m typing this, I can hear the waves instead of the laundry that’s washing in the distance. =)
What’s your favorite snack while writing?
My favorite snack while writing is coffee and chocolate!
Writing
What’s your encouragement for younger writers aside from “keep writing”?
When I first started writing, I was struggling to know how to go about being published, who to speak with and was getting discouraged. I remember sitting with a room full of children at the time, reading this story about faith, hope, and trusting God. It literally brought tears to my eyes. The title of the children’s book was Tell Me About Faith by Joel Anderson. The Lord says that we must come to Him like little children, and there I was, needing to surrender it all, believing by faith and not by what I could see. As writers, and with every part of our lives, we must do the same, focus on God and walk by faith.
Are you a Panster or Plotter?
I’m a Panster!
What is your favorite and least favorite part of the writing process?
My favorite part of the writing process is coming up with stories, the characters, the situations they put themselves in, and the conflict they have to live through. When I sit down to write my first draft there is such a satisfaction that I can’t begin to explain, but I love seeing everything come together.
You
What are you currently reading?
As of right now, I’m not reading anything due to my fast approaching deadlines for two stories To Gain a Mommy and The Rescue that release this Fall. However, my reading pile has grown over the last months and I can’t wait to dive in!
