June 30th, 2024 - INTERVIEWING DONNA FLETCHER CROW

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About Donna Fletcher Crow
Donna Fletcher Crow is a novelist of British History. She has written more than 50 books specializing in British Christianity. These books include: The Monastery murders, clerical mysteries, etc. She loves research and sharing you- are- there experiences with her readers.  The novel of Christian England was awarded first place by the National Federation of Press Women. The Lord Denver series are her Victorian true crime series. Concerning her writing historical novels and writings, she believes it is vitally important not to lose touch with our rich historical heritage. The award winning Glastonbury epic covers 15 centuries of English History!!It is her best known work -300 reviews. She has written historical and mystery series.
 Donna lives with her family in Boise Idaho. They have 4 adult children and 15 grandchildren. She is an enthusiastic gardener and tea drinker.  You can visit her garden at https://novelgardens.blogspot.com/ She is listed in 19 listings which include: Who’s who of American women 14th edition. She also belongs to several professional memberships and organizations such as Arts Centre Group, UK Association of Christian Writers, UK, Partners in Crime, etc. She’s a traveling researcher, engages people and places from Britain’s past and present, drawing comparisons and contrasts between past and present for today’s readers.
 More about Donna and how to contact her can be found at her website:  www.DonnaFletcherCrow.com
 

Hi Donna! I’m delighted and excited to interview you for my website. Thanks again for your time. Have your cup of tea and hoping it doesn’t run cold before the end. Okay let’s start!
Thank you so much, Sophia. I’m delighted to be here. It has been such fun getting to know you through our online group and reading your books. Now I look forward to visiting with your followers.

1. Your Favourite Things:

•  What’s your favourite literary movie? “Babette’s Feast” It’s a beautifully made movie, but the thing that knocked me off my feet the first time I saw it was that when all these cold, squabbling people gathered around all this amazing food and drink they found togetherness and healing and I just hit me—“This is Eucharist!
•  What’s your favourite hot drink? Tea! Especially Yorkshire Gold loose with just a little milk (almond because I’m allergic to dairy)
•  What’s your favourite hobby or leisure? Gardening. After a day of writing at my desk I love to go out to my rose garden and enjoy the scent and beauty and feel the sun warm on my head. So relaxing. So close to God.And, of course, reading. I love settling down with a good novel. The irony for most writers is that we came to writing because we loved reading, but writing leaves us so little time to read.
•  Who’s your favourite African author? You are! I’ll confess I haven’t read many, but even if I had, you would still make my short list because your voice feels so authentic. Also, your poetry is beautiful. I should add that I realize Alexander McCall Smith is Scottish, but I do love the Number One Ladies’ Detective Agency series.
• Where’s your favourite holiday destination? Same as my favourite work destination—England. Whether researching an old Celtic saint for a book, attending a Jane Austen event, or sitting in a tea shop, it always feels “right.”

 
2.Your models/Mentors

• Is there an author in your chosen genre you admire? Ah, I already gave that away above. Jane Austen has been my life-long literary passion from my first reading. Besides my love of her books, I am a life member of the Jane Austen Society of America, have written 2 novels using her homes and London experiences as background, and (I’m so excited) will be attending the Jane Austen Festival in Bath this autumn.
• In your early days as an indie author, who inspired you? After almost 35 years as a traditionally published author, I felt the confidence to go indie because of all the solid teaching I had received from working with wonderful editors and publishers. Ann Severance at Zondervan, Carol Streeter at Victor Books, James Bell at Moody, Jan Dennis at Crossway, Tony Callins and Jan Greenough at Lion Hudson… I can’t thank them enough.
• Did you attend any writing courses? Besides being an English major at university and teaching high school English myself, the real support for my leap to becoming a professional writer was attending Christian writers’ conferences. I attended, and then taught at many, but the most influential in my development was the Mount Hermon Christian Writers’ Conference which at that time was run by Elain Wright Colvin—a real moving force in Christian writing.

3. Your ACW Life

• When did you join ACW, UK? I’m not sure, but I think I joined about 10 or 15 years ago. For many years I had been a member of The Arts Centre Group—a UK based Christian artists group which I loved. When I mentioned it to the wonderful English Christian writer Veronica Heley she told me about ACW. I was delighted and joined right away.
• What groups do you currently belong to there? I am a member of the International Group, the ACW Prayer Room online, and FABCHOW (Fiction and Biblical Christian Writers) which is a quasi-ACW group.
• How many members have you added to ACW, UK? Just me, I’m afraid, although I have told other writers about the group, written for the magazine and blog, and pray regularly for the group and members.
• Have you ever won an ACW competition? Yes! At the WOW conference in Derby in 2022 celebrating ACW’s 50th anniversary, I was awarded a prize for having travelled the furthest to attend. 4,725 miles. I am very proud to have a WOW cup on my bookshelf.

4. Your Author Habits:

• When, how and where do you usually do your writings and research? Because I try very hard never to write about a place I haven’t visited, I do my research wherever my story takes me—after I’ve done all that I can do here from books and online, of course. My current project took me to the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides. The writing I do at my computer on my desk in my upstairs office at home in Boise, Idaho.
• How do you cope with keeping up on book series? I have 3 mystery series and the original idea was to cycle through them in order with a new book in each series every year or 2. I haven’t managed that, so I simply write whatever story boils to the top of the pot. Right now it’s another Monastery Murder. 
• Do you read every review of your books? When I see a review, I read it. Some reviewers do send them to me, or at least tell me they put one up on Amazon. I don’t make a practice of checking reviews otherwise—not enough time. I do appreciate every substantive review, though—as all writers know, a serious review is like gold dust.
• Do you use notes or the computer to write? Because I live so far from my settings, I have to have my story well in my head before I set out on a research trip. Therefore, I keep massive files of notes, pamphlets, and pictures for every book—in the old days in an expandable manila folder, now on my computer. I also make notes as I go along to help me keep the plot flowing, but the actual writing is all on the computer now.
• What made writing in the 20th century different from you being a 21st century writer? After 25 years of writing, I had a 10 year hiatus from 2000 to 2010. Life just took over with moving house and church, children marrying and having babies, etc. etc. When I came back in 2010 with the Monastery Murders it was a whole new world. Everything online, Facebook, Website, blog, newsletter… It took me ages to get my feet down and I would never have made it without the help of my agent Janet Benrey. Now I love it and feel very at home on this planet—although I still don’t do much on Twitter.

 
5. Your Writing Life:

• What drew you to historical Christian fiction writing? The stories I wanted to tell. The first novel I wrote (not the first to be published) was Brandley’s Search (now Where Love Triumphs). That story grew from a minor character in a novel I was reading, and I had to finish his tale. It was like being pregnant. I would wake up in the middle of the night and write; pull over on the way to the grocery story and write… I wish all my books would come like that. I found one story led to another. That was the Cambridge Collection (now the Where There is Love series).
• Have you ever tried a different genre of writing? Oh, goodness—when I started out, I tried everything! Poetry, children’s books, curriculum, category romance, stage plays, screenplays, puppet scripts… If there was an opening for something I would try it. I felt that was paying my dues and learning my craft. Then the door opened, and I got to write what I really loved.
• Is it more advantageous being an American writer than a British writer? Oh, Sophia, I ask myself that so often! It would certainly make research easier if I were living in the UK! And I might make fewer mistakes if I were British. I do think, though, that being an American might give me a unique perspective when those living there might not be able to see the forest for the trees. I do have American heroines in my contemporary series—that way they can use Americanisms occasionally and be a vehicle to explain things to my American readers. And I absolutely have to have English editors to keep me on my toes. Sheila Deeth, my current editor, is perfect—an English woman living in America. And when she has forgotten something she writes to her Mum in England to set us both straight.
• What logo, name or idea do people identify your writing with? I use Donna Fletcher Crow, Novelist of British History, as my platform. My current publishers are Verity Press, Angelico, and The Foundry.
• When did you publish your first book? 1984. It was Greengold Autumn for a series Zondervan was launching—back in the days when Christian romance was being birthed and inspirational romance was cutting edge.

 
6. Your Social Media:

• ‘Whatever you feed grows.’ How do you grow your readers and followers? I try to do a special promotion once a month, offering a free book from one of my series and discounting the price of the rest of the series. I let readers know about this through my newsletter, Facebook, and My Book Cave which is my favourite book promotion service.
• Which social media platform do you mostly engage in? Facebook is the only one that really works for me. I had a fling with Pinterest and really enjoyed it, but I couldn’t keep up with it. I am on GoodReads, but find it very confusing. I’ve never even succeeded in signing on to Instagram.
• You have a great website! Can you kindly share how this evolved? Thank you, I’m so glad you like it! Back in 2010 when I started the second phase of my career, websites were the state-of-the-art hot item. Fortunately, a young woman in our church was a webmaster. She was great to work with and very reasonably priced. I told her what I had in mind, sent her the copy and photos, and she did the real designing. Unfortunately, she has retired. I have a new webmaster now, but I miss Heidi!
• Do you engage with YouTube for your writing? I do use YouTube some. I have a YouTube channel. The few videos I’ve made have been lots of fun to do and I would love to make more, but they take a lot of time. I also enjoy including a video link as a sign-off for my monthly newsletter.

7. Your Christian Life:

• What does it mean to you to be a Christian writer? Writing is far too much work to do from any other motive than to share the most important aspect of my life by trying to tell stories that will inspire and uplift people by reflecting the Truth of God.
• What would readers find in your books that reflect Christ? I hope everything! I try to write authentically from who I am so I hope my worldview and belief in the validity of the Christian faith comes through my stories.
• What scripture appeals to you the most? My favourite books of the Bible are the Psalms, the Gospel of John, and the book if Isaiah.
• Do you think Christian writing should always be ‘clean’? I have read books that reflected strong Christian themes that wouldn’t be accepted in most church libraries. I wouldn’t say those weren’t Christian books. My books, however, are clean because that’s the world I know and want to reflect.
• What Christian themes do you raise in your writing? Different books or series have different themes. For example: The Grace of God is an important theme in Glastonbury, The Novel of Christian England, which is my flagship work. The importance of preserving our heritage and traditions is one of the themes of The Monastery Murders. My appreciation of what others endured to keep the faith for us is an element of the Where There is Love series.

 
8. Your Writing Career/ Achievement:

• I see that ‘Glastonbury: the story of Christian England’ written in 2016 has 287 reviews!!! Wow, that’s a great dream for many authors still counting in tens!! Can you share any tips to help other writers who would like their books to count to hundreds like yours? Hold on and keep on promoting. Glastonbury was first published in 1992. It has been reprinted 4 times by 3 different publishers. That’s a lot of time for different promotions and for word of mouth to build up. Overnight success does happen for some, but I think endurance is a far more frequent story.
• How many books have you written to date? About 50, I think. I’m never quite sure how to count because there are so many rewritten new editions.
• Have you ever won a local or external literary prize? The very first, in 1983 was being named Writer of the Year at the Mount Hermon Writers’ Conference—I’ll never forget the thrill. My first category romance Greengold Autumn was named runner-up for Best Inspirational Romance in 1985. Those early awards are important because they provided affirmation for an uncertain beginner. Since then, there have been many including: Glastonbury, The Banks of the Boyne, and The Fields of Bannockburn all received First Place honours in Historical Fiction from the National Federation of Press Women; and many others, such as a Silver Angel and Pinnacle Award, and Idaho top Author. My most recent have been awards from the National Federation of Press Women and a Book Excellent Award for books in my Celtic Cross series.
• What in your opinion makes a writer successful? Being allowed to tell the stories I have on my heart and that rare, precious letter from a reader who says, “Your book changed my life.” It’s very humbling, but a great spur to say, “Thank you, Lord.” Actually, every day I give thanks for the privilege of being allowed to write.

 
9. Author Questions:

• What best helps you maintain your health as a writer of 40 plus years? For physical health it would be sensible, nutritious eating and regular exercise. For emotional health, focusing on my family and friends, and enjoying my garden. For spiritual health I begin every day with prayer and Bible reading, practice the presence of God by talking to Him throughout my day (and night if I have trouble sleeping), and am regular in my church attendance and participation. At-least weekly Communion is important to me.
• What author tools do you use in your writing like scrivener, Grammarly, AI Editor, etc? Oh, dear, I’ve barely heard of them. I Google a lot of questions and have recently been finding ChatGPT helpful for research—although they do make mistakes. I love spellcheck.
• Have you ever suffered from imposter syndrome and writer’s block? I’m not sure I’ve heard of imposter syndrome, but I always try to tell stories based on Truth and strive to do my very best work. I learned early that any blocks for me were always a lack of research. That used to mean a trip to the library. Now I can usually find the next step online or even buried in my earlier writing.
• Do you have an unfinished or current work in progress? I am currently writing A Wind in the Hebrides, #7 in the Monastery Murders series. I have wanted to tell this story since I first heard about the Lewis Awakening sometime in the 1990s. I did the research in 2010, and am just now getting to write it.
• Would you say your books are fetching you good money? I am very, very blessed that my husband and God supply all our needs. For many years I made about as much as I did as a beginning schoolteacher. Now, much less.
• What is it like being an American Christian writer? Probably just like being a writer anywhere in the world. I spend several hours a day, 5 days a week, in front of my computer, watching the scenes in my head and listening to my characters and trying to put it all into the very best English I possibly can. My Goal is to give my readers a “You are there” experience, so for every scene I have to put myself mentally in that place—which currently is on the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides. I focus until I go cross-eyed. Then it’s time to put the kettle on.

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