Ask the Author: Liz Tolsma
Answered Questions (8)
Liz Tolsma
No, they can be read in any order. The numbers are just the way they released. The only theme is that they are true historical American crimes. Enjoy!
Liz Tolsma
I'm so sorry I didn't see this until now. Very bad of me. But that's because I've been so busy writing. There was quite a delay with The Refrain Within. The publisher is was with went bankrupt and was acquired by another publisher. I got lost in the shuffle. Anyway, The Refrain Within is scheduled to be released on September 29!!! I'm getting so excited. It is available for preorder. If you want to keep updated on all my new releases and news (I have some coming!!), visit my website at www.liztolsma.com and subscribe to my newsletter. I promise not to spam you!
Liz Tolsma
I'm about 45 minutes away from Milwaukee, but I've lived in this area since I was a child. We love northern Wisconsin, though. Been up there many times.
Liz Tolsma
Right now, I am in the research stage for the third book in The Music of Hope series. This one is going to be set in Hungary during World War II. What I didn’t realize until I began researching this series was that Hungary was an ally of Germany up until 1944. Germany, nervous about losing the war and upset with Hungary for not doing more to deport its Jews, invaded Hungary. The cleansing of that country was swift and complete. However, there were those who refused to sit back and allow all of the Hungarian Jews to be sent to death camps. I’m reading some incredible stories of faith and courage during this time. I’m also getting ready to do my edits on book 2 in the series, which is set in Poland and deals with Polish Christians in labor camps. What the Heart Sings is scheduled to be released in August 2018.
Liz Tolsma
I love being able to let my imagination run wild. The creative process is just so much fun for me. I create these characters, sit back and watch what happens to them, and write it on the page. Not only that, but I love the freedom this job gives me. I can set my own hours and work from anywhere in the world. Since I have a daughter with special needs, this flexibility is very important to me.
Liz Tolsma
One way I deal with writer’s block is to leave myself hanging at the end of every writing day. That way, when I come back to the story the next day, I already have something to write. It helps me get going and keep going each day. Another way to get around writer’s block is to take some old and very well-known advice. Put your character into a situation in which he is forced to do something he would never consider doing. Voilà. That only is that the best cure I know of for writer’s block, it can help shore up a sagging middle and propel your book toward the end.
Liz Tolsma
First of all, to be an author, you must write. While that sounds obvious, many people have this wonderful notion of wanting to produce a book, but they never sit down at their computer to write it. Set aside time each day, be disciplined, and right. Secondly, learn all you can about the craft. There is so much that goes into writing a book that is good enough to be published. Join writers’ groups, take online classes, go to conferences. Writing is not as easy as it looks. Thirdly, keep plugging away. Very few authors publish their first novel. Realize that will probably be a learning experience for you. But with each book that you write, you will learn and grow.
Liz Tolsma
My interest in the time period started when I heard the story of my father’s family in the Netherlands during the war. That led me to write Snow on the Tulips. As I researched that book, I came across so many other stories begging to be told. That was how The Melody of the Soul came to be. I came across an article one day about the death of the oldest remaining Holocaust survivor, Alice Herz Sommer. Her story about how her music sustained her during a very difficult time in her life drew me in. I watched an interview with her in which she stated that music was her savior. As a Christian, and though I believe that music may have helped sustained her, it was not her savior. That was one interesting thing for me to delve into in the book. I also learned that she lived in the same building as a Nazi officer. Though it was illegal for her to play a musical instrument, she continued to practice her piano. As she and her son were leaving their building to be deported, the officer commented to her how much he enjoyed her music. I began to wonder what would happen if the officer didn’t want to lose that music. From there, the rest of the story flowed.
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