Interview with Lori Altebaumer

Today on the Brave Blog, we have romantic suspense author Lori Altebaumer. She’s giving away a free book, so make sure you read to the end. Welcome, Lori!

Sarah: So happy to have you on the blog today. Let’s start with our standard question. Do you consider yourself brave? Why or why not?

Lori: I do not think of myself as brave. I think that’s why I am drawn to write characters who are. They
are reflections of who I wish was. And I don’t know if it’s a result of getting older and wiser, or
modeling myself after the characters I write, but I feel like I am getting braver as I get older. Or
maybe it’s just my vivid imagination that makes me think I am!

In my first novel, A Firm Place to Stand, my main character was abandoned by her father and has let
her longing to be loved cloud her decision making. Something terrible happened as a consequence
and she blames herself. When she discovers the truth, she must find the courage to forgive the
person who is now trying to kill her. Would I be able to look the person who is about to kill me in the
eye and tell them I forgive as we are commanded to do in Scripture? Hopefully, I never have to find
out. But if the time comes, maybe a little bit of Maribel’s bravery will help me be the Christian
witness I should be.

In my second novel, A Far Way to Run, my main character experiences a horrific assault as a
teenager that has left her filled with shame. But as the story progresses, she sees how much her
story could help others and she bravely decides to reveal the truth she’d kept hidden from everyone
for years. Would I be willing to use a painful truth about my past for the benefit of others?
Hopefully, Shayne has set the example for me to follow if I am faced with the opportunity.

Sarah: Those sound like inspiring characters. What is a book that has really impacted you? How did it change you? What do you think the author did that made it impactful?

Lori: A Voice in the Wind by Francine Rivers had a huge impact on me. When Hadassah is faced (*spoiler
alert) with the choice between denying Christ or being sent into the Colosseum to be fed to the lions,
I felt a magnifying glass had just been placed on my own faith. It sent me into a serious examination
of the strength of my faith. I believe the power of that scene was in how the author crafted a gentle,
humble slave girl who quietly submitted, showing herself to be infinitely strong. She didn’t argue or
beg or lash out in anger. She just quietly refused to deny Christ. It was an example of how the
weakest among us may be the strongest where it truly mattered.

Sarah: I love that book as well. Why do you write in the genre you do? Did you always want to write in that genre?

Lori: I have found myself writing romantic suspense, but that wasn’t the genre I wanted to write. I
wanted to write historical stories of courageous people doing brave things. I wrestled with writing
suspense. I never want to glorify evil or use it for entertainment purposes. But after a season of
prayers, I realized that I have a passion for telling stories of good overcoming evil, and the suspense
genre gives me a way to do that.

I also realized that if I wrote historical, I could write these larger-than-life characters that people
might like, but they might not find them as relevant to the things we are faced with in our modern
society. I wanted to write about very real, very ordinary people who rise up to meet the kind of
challenges we face today. My characters have the same kind of wounds and scars as the people
around us. To have my stories help someone break free of the lies they’ve believed because of what
has or hasn’t happened to them so they can become the person God created them to be, is the thing
that excites me every time I sit down to write.

Sarah: I love how you put that. Helping someone break free of the lies they’ve believed so they can become the person God created them to be. What a beautiful thing. When did you know you wanted to be an author?

Lori: I always knew I wanted to be a writer. I just didn’t think I could. I had this perception that all
authors were these erudite, deep thinkers. But I came to a season in my life when I was able to give
it a try, dipping a tiny little toe into the literary world so no one would notice if I failed, and I found
that writing is more about a willingness to do the work and less about inherent talent.

Sarah: What is your brainstorming process like? Where do your ideas come from?

Lori: My ideas always start with a scene that pops into my head and makes me curious. Who are these
people and why are they acting this way or saying these things? What’s really going on? I don’t set
out with a theme or purpose other than just see where these people take me as I uncover their
story.

I’m not sure I have a brainstorming process. I have to get into the story to see where it’s going. Then
I might brainstorm on reasons why something needs to happen or how to logically make it happen.
If I were to brainstorm at the beginning of the story, I’d end up throwing most of it out. Things never
go the way I expect them to once my characters get involved.

Sarah: Do you enjoy drafting or editing better? Why?

Lori: Editing. Maybe it’s my perfectionist tendencies, but I can sit for hours on a single sentence searching
for the just right words. I also enjoy this stage because it’s where I finally understand the story and
get to go back and add in the layers that will make it richer and hopefully more impactful.

Sarah: How fun. What is your author tagline? Why did you choose it?

Lori: Boots on the ground, head in the clouds, heart in His hands adventures.

Honestly, I think it reflects what I want this season of my life to look like, as much as or maybe more
than, it reflects my stories. But I want my readers to understand the need for action and
service—boots on the ground–, the life-sustaining joy of having dreams—head in the clouds–, and

peace that comes when we place ourselves in God’s hand—heart in His hands. I want to live every
day as an adventure with these three things as my foundation.

Sarah: How clever. I love it. Who is your biggest cheerleader?

Lori: Without a doubt, my biggest cheerleader is my husband. He sees things in me that I don’t and
encourages me to try things I’d never even consider on my own. I’ve learned I’m in the minority it
seems when it comes to the question of whether my husband reads my books. He does! He’s a non-
fiction reader, but he’s always ready and excited to read my novels. And he is my number one
marketer—always telling of others about my books and speaking nothing but positivity over me. And
best of all, he is a prayer warrior who keeps me and the words I write bathed in prayer.

Sarah: What a wonderful support! Such a blessing. What is the biggest piece of advice you’d give to someone who wants to write their first book?

Lori: I love people who want to write a book and are serious about doing so. It’s such an exciting time
when you are first getting started. I actually have 2 pieces of advice I’d like to share.
1.) Don’t let talk of platforms and marketing scare you. Learn what your creativity can stand and
tune out the rest. If you don’t, you might never write the book.
2.) Write the book. Don’t think you have to wait until you know everything—or even a fraction of
everything. You will learn more from the actual act of writing than you will if you are only
reading craft books, listening to podcasts, or going to conferences. All that wisdom is only theory
until you experience it at work on the page. Once it’s on the page, you can edit. But you have to
write the book.

Sarah: Great advice! Now, last question. What are you working on now?

Lori: I am finishing the edits for my soon-to-be-released novel, Beneath the Broken Oak. This book has
stretched my ability as a writer in that it’s a dual timeline. I didn’t plan to do that at first, but I
needed to create so much of the backstory so I could make sense of the contemporary storyline that
it felt like a whole other book. I decided I either had a prequel or I could try a dual timeline. Working
with my mentor helped me mesh the two together. I also found out that I really enjoyed writing the
historical, so maybe I’ll write a historical book one day.

In Beneath the Broken Oak, my main character is a forester who adheres to the forestry wisdom that
trees don’t heal they seal, a fact that is sadly true for humans as well. But unlike trees, people can be
healed when they let Christ into their wounds.

But the tree in this story holds secrets deep in its roots. Secrets that could uproot everything she
believes about herself.

(Author fun fact . . . My favorite part has been writing the character of the now redeemed bad boy
male protagonist, Blue Sunday.)

This book will release in December, and I’m trying to decide what kind of launch party I want to have.
I should add another piece of advice to anyone who wants to write . . . having the launch party is
great way to celebrate and enjoy your accomplishment!

Sarah: Thank you so much for joining us on the Brave Blog. It was fun to learn more about you.

*Readers- Lori is giving away a copy of her first novel A Firm Place to Stand. Winner can choose either an ebook or paperback (U.S. residents only). For your chance to win, comment on this blog post and tell us if you’ve ever joined in on an author’s launch party.

About the author

Lori Altebaumer is only half-joking when she tells others she lives with one foot in a parallel universe. A love of story and words, along with a wild imagination, fuels her passion for writing both fiction and non-fiction. A love of God fuels her passion for sharing the joys of living a Christ-centered life with others through her writing. Lori is a wandering soul with a home keeping heart, and now that her nest is empty, she enjoys traveling with her husband and visiting her adult children where she can rummage through their refrigerators and food pantries while complaining there’s nothing good to eat here.