Interview with Megan Schaulis

Today on the Brave Blog we have an interview with author Megan Schaulis. She’s the author of Protector a YA dystopian retelling of Esther. Readers, make sure you read until the end for your chance to win some swag. Welcome, Megan!

Let’s jump in!

Sarah: What was the last book you read that you felt was brave?

Megan: Plot Twist by Bethany Turner has stayed with me for years. I read it early in my discovery of Christian fiction, and it blew me away. I’d call it brave because the structure defies convention. The entire book takes place on the same date over the course of ten years, and each chapter is dedicated to one day. I appreciate authors who are willing to push the definitions of a genre and engage readers in a new way.

Another book that pops to mind is The Soul Mark by J.J. Fischer. The book is a beautiful story on its own,
but the allegory is the most compelling part for me. My whole being was encouraged by the powerful
comparison between legalism and lawlessness, and the destruction each can cause, as well as the
examination of what makes a soul valuable and worthy.

Sarah: I loved Plot Twist, too, but have never thought of it as a brave book. What an interesting perspective.

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?

Megan: I read Thorn in My Heart by Liz Curtis Higgs because I was attending a conference where she was the keynote speaker and I wanted to be more familiar with her work. I had no idea how impactful that
book–and her speaking—would be. Curtis reimagines the Biblical account of Jacob, Leah, and Rachel in
seventeenth-century Scotland. Before I read Curtis’s book, I always focused on Jacob and Rachel when I
read that part of Genesis. Poor Jacob, he was taken advantage of by Uncle Laban and had to work for
fourteen years to earn Rachel’s hand! But Curtis focused on Leah, the unloved first wife who was used
by her father to ensnare Jacob.

Even though the book is fictional, it opened my eyes to the Word of God
in a new way. I was writing Protector at the time, my dystopian retelling of Esther, and Curtis’s book
encouraged me that Bible retellings are a powerful way to uplift others and build their faith.

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

Megan: I’m one of those who always thought they’d write a book…someday. Then I read several great YA books within a few months, and I knew I’d found my genre. I love the pacing and tension of young adult fiction.

More than that, I love that season of life when we transition from the rules and structure and safety of
adolescence to the independence and freedom and accountability of adulthood. It’s a journey we all
have to make both physically and spiritually. A cementing of our identity apart from the “tutors and
governors” of childhood. Those themes resonate with me, and I think they’ll always have a place in my
books.

Sarah: When did you know you wanted to be an author?

Megan: When I was nine or ten years old, I thought I wanted to write children’s books. My dad was completely supportive. He bought me a three-ring binder and set it up with dividers and sections like Inspiration, Brainstorming, Drafts, and more. We went to his office and printed a full-color cover page (color printers were a very big deal in the 1990s) with the title “Megan’s Self-Contained Writing Laboratory.” While making that binder together, he told me that he’d heard an author explain that all great fiction comes from a what-if question.

Twenty-five years later, I jotted down an idea along the lines of “What if Esther not only saved her people with her brave choices but by physically leading the charge into battle? What if she was competing to be the king’s bodyguard instead of his wife?”

Sarah: Your dad sounds like an amazing support. What are 3 things about you that we can’t find out from your bio?

Megan: (1) I started college as a chemistry major—the material was great, but life in a lab was not for me.
(2) I was a competitive ballroom dancer for six years and even won a national championship.
(3) I don’t drink caffeine, but I love decaf coffee and herbal tea.

Sarah: Impressive! Do you prefer paperback, eBook, or audiobook? Why?

Megan: I read 99% ebooks. I mostly read in bed at night and with an ebook I can do that without using a lamp and keeping my husband awake. I have a tiny collection of paperbacks, and they’re almost all by authors I know personally. I do like to have physical copies of writing craft books so I can reference them more easily.

Sarah: Do you listen to music while you write? Do you need complete silence? Or something else?

Megan: If I’m writing early in the morning, I write in silence so I don’t wake up the family. Other times of day I wear headphones and listen to specific types of instrumental music depending on which character’s POV I’m writing. I’ve found switching tracks for each character to be a great way to jump into their head.

Sarah: What a great idea! I’ve never heard that one. Do you enjoy writing in third person or first person better? Past or present tense?

Megan: I write in first-person, present tense. The first time I tried to write a book, I started out in third-person, past tense, but about 5,000 words in I realized this didn’t fit the huge amounts of internal conflict the character was facing. I wanted to get into his head as much as possible. By switching to first-person,
present tense, I was able to better capture the live-for-the-moment mindset of my teenaged main
characters.

Sarah: I love first-person, present tense as well. What subject have you done the most research on for your writing?

Megan: Henna tattoos! In Protector, the main character creates fake tattoos, or registration marks, for her
friends that allow them to infiltrate the government. I read a lot about how henna tattoos are made and
how long they last. A very abbreviated recipe appears in chapter three of Protector, titled “Novalise,
lookout girl and ink maiden.”

Sarah: That’s so fun, and one research subject I’ve never heard another author mention. Haha! Final question: What are you working on now?

Megan: I’m currently writing a spin-off story based on one of my favorite characters from Protector and
Proclaimer. This character will be traveling to a tropical island in a Nehemiah-inspired adventure.

Sarah: Thanks for joining us on the Brave Blog. It’s been fun getting to know more about you. Readers, Megan is giving away a bit of swag. For your chance to win, comment on this post.

About Megan:

After a year of traveling the country in a 100-square-foot camper with her husband, daughter, and dog, Megan Schaulis returned home and wrote her first novel.

Megan has a B.A. in Journalism from Arizona State University and is a member of the ACFW. As a special education teacher, she helped young people fall in love with reading and writing. Today, she uses words in playful and creative ways at her branding agency. She lives in Abilene, Texas, where you’ll find her staying up way too late reading or hiking with her family.