Ginny, welcome to Infinite Suspense. So glad you could visit today. Like many of your fans, I love your books. Love the humor, love the fun, love the suspense in them! LOL. But anyway, why don’t you tell us a little about yourself?
I am an alien—as my kids gleefully will tell anyone—a legal alien, since I was five and my parents fled Castro’s Cuba. I grew up in Venezuela, where I continued the ballet training I began at the age of three in Havana. As a total bookworm…well, while I wasn’t on pointe, practicing hours on end, I devoured books, and then wrote my first one at fifteen. Burned it when I got ‘smart’ at sixteen! I went to boarding school in Switzerland after high school, and received two university-level degrees while there. Came back to the US, went to college, married my college sweetheart, and had four wonderful sons. When I was pregnant with number three, however, I started writing again. Geoffrey being the…ahem…challenging child he was, I put the stories away while I was Mommy and freelance newspaper reporter, covering local government and the school board. But the writing bug wouldn’t let go, and when son number four turned eighteen months, I sold my first novel. I haven’t recovered from that bug yet, even after surviving four sons, various moves for my husband’s work, and twenty years in the publishing world. We currently live in Northwestern Indiana, and have an empty nest.
Tell us a little about your new release. Is it the first in a series or a stand alone?
For Such a Time as This is the launch title of my new Women of Hope series for FaithWords. This series is a group of ‘books of the heart’, and one of my favorite writing projects so far. Each plot is lifted from Scripture, with each heroine facing the same kind of challenges faced by the women back then, the only difference being the external details and the setting of the tales. For Such a Time as This is the story of Queen Esther, tweaked a bit to fit into the American West in the 1800s.
How did you get the inspiration for this book?
A reviewer of one of my earlier historicals made a perceptive comment years ago. She wrote that my book reflected the reality that Scripture remains relevant through all time since the problems people face are, when stripped down to the basics, the same—people are always the same. I began to ‘what if’ and The Women of Hope Series was born.
What kind of research did you do for this book?
This one was a little more difficult, since I wanted to reflect issues related to a Scriptural character. Not only did I have to do the usual mountain of historical research (which I love! Can’t wait to dive into all those obscure details every time I begin a new historical project) but this time, I also had to read a lot of commentaries on the original Bible story. Trust me, there’s been a TON written about Queen Esther, and so I absorbed all that material, let it marinate, as my agent calls it, and then put together a story that reflects many of the circumstances the Queen faced, and puts forth the themes in her tale.
What do you hope your readers will get out of the story?
I love Scripture, and turn to it all the time, especially when I face tough times in my life. I know the Lord will reveal Himself to me there, and the answers to my questions are already there. I hope my readers see how eternal the truths we see in the Bible really are. How we can trust it for our lives by seeing the examples presented there, the good examples as well as the bad.
Anything else about writing, yourself, or your books you’d like to add? Where can people find you?
I love to interact with my readers, especially on facebook! I’m also available by email at ginnyaiken@gmail.com, and I have a new website which will be launching in a few days. As soon as everything is finalized (should have been a couple of weeks ago, but due to a case of stolen identity and checking account fraud, everything related to our business accounts as well as personal ones have had to be put on hold, awaiting the end of the investigation) I will be making the big announcement on my facebook page. Hope to see y’all there! And you can let me know how you liked For Such a Time as This 😉
All right everyone, here you have it. I read this book in one sitting! It’s fabulous. You will be transported straight into the past and into the lives of characters you’ll want to keep reading about. I’ll be giving away a copy to one lucky reader. Leave a comment or ask Ginny a question and you’ll be entered to win. Thanks so much for stopping by!
The Conversation
Ginny, At what age did you commit your life to Christ? So many people tell me they believe in God; I tell them it is so much more. A daily walk with my Lord and Savior gets me through each and every day.
I haven’t read any of your books yet but I have enjoyed this interview so much that I am putting you on my list of authors to read. I think bloggers and authors like Lynette who feature another author on their blogs are wonderful people. How else can we find great authors that we are missing out on?!
I would be thrilled to win a copy of your book, For Such A Time As This. The cover is absolutely beautiful!
And what a nice bonus Lynette to also receive a copy of your latest release, When A Heart Stops.
I thank my God for great Christian authors. We don’t have to hide or feel ashamed of what we are reading!
Blessings!
Judy
judyjohn2004(at)yahoo(dot)com
What an interview-enjoyed your talk of the book and how it is based on women like those that walked in Jesus time. I want to read it and would love to be in your drawing.
thanks so much for sharing your thoughts today and the books.
Paula O(kyflo130@yahoo.com)
This is a have to read. Thank so much
for the interview. My grand daughter
loves to write and read 2nd year college in 4 grade. I will be sure to
tell her about you writing at an early age. I have read some of her work and she is amazing at 15. Thanks for the chance to win this great book.
Jan
godblessamerica.jan(at)gmail(dot)com
I love series and historical fiction! Would love to win!
forgot to leave email
likesmusic2@consolidated.net
Oh, with that cover, who could resist it? That sounds like a wonderful book!! martha(at)lclink(dot)com
Thanks for stopping by, y’all. And thanks for the questions. Ginny’s going to find wi-fi (right now she’s in a place without wi-fi, can you imagine????) and come answer your questions! Keep checking back and tell your friends to come on over.
Historical fiction—YES! I’d love to win this book. Please put my name in the drawing.
Blessings!
spangldlady(at)gmail(dot)com
I always love to find new Christian authors to read. After this interview, I can’t wait to try one of your books! Thanks for the chance to win and for sharing of yourself!
I confess…your book cover makes me want to read it now! I keep telling myself – no more books – but then I see yours. I promise I get my work done first & save the books for our mission journey’s. Long flights & crazy bus rides allow for reading!
missionwife@hotmail.com
I have read several of Ginny’s books and enjoyed them, and this sounds great, too! Thanks for the opportunity to win a copy!
Randi
wpd_2(@)hotmail(dot)com
I have read a few of Ginny’s books and absolutely loved them. Love your sense of humor and your style.
Thank you for the opportunity of winning this book.
Blessings,
Jo
azladijo@aol.com
Any book Lynette says is great I know is. I need to win this so I can review it. If she read it in one setting, bet I would too. Those are types of books I like. Also I love historical inspirational. When I’m done with books, I share them so others get to know you.
jrs362 at hotmail dot com
Ginny, you answered that this was a series, but with the review sounds like they could be read alone and in mixed order. Is this so? Would love to win this book.
Maxie ( mac262@me.com )
I’m not familiar with your writing, Ginny. The book sounds good, but I’m fascinated by your growing up years. So I want to ask, have you written any stories set in any of the places you grew up? Or do you have any plans to?
Thank you , Lynette, for the opportunity to win a copy of both books.
homesteading[at]charter[dot]net
Love to read about women who have faith in God to get them through no matter what they are facing in this life .Love to WIN !Dana M Spille
jashbk@earthlink.net
love your books…this looks like another must read
Thanks everyone for stopping by! Ginny will be here soon to answer all your questions. She’s having internet issues. Thanks again!
Lynette
This book looks and sounds super interesting.
I’m excited to see how it is to have Ester in the 1800’s, this could get interesting… 🙂
Thanks for this chance to win!
dymesich(at)juno(dot)com
I’m quite intrigued by biblical retellings in modern times. Do you have a favorite resource for historical research that you return to again and again?
Historical Fiction is my favorite. Please enter me in drawing for the real Queen Esther’s story in the wild west! For Such A Time As This is fitting for all generations!! Hope I win!!! Kathleen
lanehillhouse[at]centurylink[dot]net
I love historical fiction books:) Ginny I’ve read a few of your other books and was drawn in by your wonderful characters. I would love to be entered for a chance to win your new book…BTW beautiful cover!
thanks,
Lorna
lornafaith at gmail dot com
Phew! Wi-fi at last 🙂 Y’all are great. Just to start off, I’m at the house where we used to live about 3 years ago, but which we have yet to sell, since we’d had it built right before the infamous crash of 08! We’re trying to get it ready to put on the market, and of course, there’s no wi-fi there. Second thing, I came to saving faith in Jesus when I was 16, shortly after my grandmother died. She was the one who mostly raised me, and I found myself very alone and hungry for the faith she’d always lived out. And, in true Ginny-fashion, a friend led me to commit my life to Christ in the girls’ bathroom in high school!
I’m so glad y’all mentioned the cover. My editor gave me the lowdown of how it came to be. When the art department couldn’t come up with a gown that she would approve for Olivia, the heroine, she had them commission a brand new gown for the cover shoot. So, ladies, that gorgeous dress is real! Now, the deal is…who’s going to get it? Who should get to keep it? I keep telling my editor it should be mine, since I wrote the book. She feels it should be hers since she commissioned the gown. What do you think? Editor or author?
One last detail, while For Such a Time as This is the first in a series, it can be read as a stand-alone book. So can Remember Me When, book #2, and She Shall Be Praised, book #3. But I will give a sneak peek. Characters from the first book play an important role in book #2, and the same in book #3. I loved revisiting them while I wrote book #2, and am loving seeing them again in book #3. Thanks so much for the warm welcome, and Lynette, as always, you’re awesome!
Yay! Ginny made it! So glad you could stop by. Glad you found the internet. I’m guessing you’re at Mickey D’s??
Yes, and thank goodness for Mickey D’s wi-fi! But I’ve now finished a bunch of the work I needed to do, and am heading back to the house. Ahem! To the gallon of gray paint to finish Geoff’s old room. Then a gallon of sage-green paint awaits me in my old office…paint fumes are addling my old brain ;-)I’ll be back!
I love the cover of the book, but more than that, I like the subtitle, that your book is a “Women of Hope” book. Shouldn’t we all be that way? I will look for other books in this series and look forward to reading the new one. I hope you have e-editions! Many thanks to Lynette for her recommendation!
Vickie
Hi Ginny! Do you strictly do historical? Or you do contemporary as well?
Campbellamyd at gmail dot com
Hi, Amy. So glad you stopped by Lynette’s blog! I write contemporary as well as historical fiction. Right now, I’m writing my historicals for FaithWords and my contemporaries for Love Inspired. In fact, I just went to contract again with Love Inspired! I’m very excited about the opportunity to write both kinds of fiction.
Enjoyed reading the comments and interview. Your book sounds wonderful.
My question is When did you discover the West that you wanted to write about it?
JOYE
JWIsley(at)aol(dot)com
I just saw this as I was “researching” Lynette for my review of When A Heart Stops, and I found your interview very interesting. My question is: do you every find it disturbing to you as an “alien” here in the US given the politics on the subject? Glad you’re here, by the way! 🙂
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I bet this is over. But if not, please enter me. I love what I see here. Book is so interesting.
jrs362 at hotmail dot com