Interview with Julie Klassen

Interview 

by Carrie Fancett Pagels

        

Julie Klassen is the author of The Girl in the Gatehouse (Bethany House 2010), The Silent Governess, The Apothecary’s Daughter, Lady of Milkweed Manor, and coming in December, 2011: The Maid of Fairbourne Hall.

I met Julie through one of the online chapters of ACFW--HisWriters, for authors who have either published or planned works with European characters. 

Julie, welcome to Overcoming Through Time.  

I am looking forward to your upcoming release (cover shown above!)


Would you share either the most difficult thing in your life you have had to overcome, with God’s help, or the most tragic situation or circumstance one of your character’s has had to get past?

My characters have hard far tougher lives than I have (thank God). Some have found themselves abandoned by loved ones, caring for ailing parents or friends and siblings with disabilities, having to run away for fear of their lives, and more.

In The Girl in the Gatehouse, Mariah Aubrey finds herself banished from her home and family after she is discovered in a compromising situation with a man. In those days, such a scandal would be the end of a woman’s life as she knew it. In writing this book, I was inspired by the character of Maria Bertram in Jane Austen’s Mansfield Park, who “destroyed her own character” and was sent away forever from her family. Period. Now, we do not admire vain and adulterous Maria Bertram and most readers likely feel she earned her just deserts. But I found myself wondering, “What if Maria were a character we actually cared about? Would we be content to leave her in her lonely exile?” As someone who has made her share of mistakes in life, I am thankful for second chances. And I enjoyed giving Mariah Aubrey hers as well.

What is your favorite bible verse and why?

One of my favorites is Philippians 1:6: For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ 
Jesus.

I cling to it because I am far from perfect. I didn’t come to Christ until my twenties and still have a long way to go. This is likely the reason my books seem to deal with the redemption of past mistakes and God’s mercy. Something I’m very thankful for in my own life.

Disability friendliness:

Julie Klassen’s books are available in large print, e-book, and audio book.  (For which I am very grateful!!!) This week I have put my audio reviews of all of Julie's books up for the week, with one more coming - The Girl in the Gatehouse, which Julie described, above.  

What has been the most important thing you hope your readers will get from your books and why?

While each book has its own particular theme (forgiveness, contentment, unconditional love, etc.) the main thing I would like to leave readers with, is that while we as people are imperfect and make mistakes, our perfect Heavenly Father offers us forgiveness and second chances though His son.

As you researched your books, did you learn anything that particularly touched your heart?

I used to think I had been born in the wrong time and longed for the romance of the Regency era. Now that I have learned more through research, I thank God I am living today! Yes, it could be a romantic time (if you had money) but it was also a difficult time. So many of the hardships I’ve learned about (the difficult fate of “fallen” women, foundlings, and people with disabilities) have touched me and ended up in some form or other in my books.

In this latest work, do you have any topics useful for bibliotherapy, or therapeutic influence through reading about a disorder or situation?

The only disability (besides Mariah’s inability to accept forgiveness) I can think of in The Girl in the Gatehouse is a character named Martin who has lost a hand and wears a prosthetic hook. (My friend Mark, who has a prosthetic foot, claims that he inspired that character!) Still, I’ve heard from many readers who relate to Mariah’s struggle to accept God’s forgiveness for her past mistakes and to embrace the new life He offers.

But probably the strongest example I can give about one of my books providing a therapeutic influence would be in The Apothecary’s Daughter, in which the main character’s best friend suffers from “falling sickness” or what is now called epilepsy. Let me share an excerpt from a recent reader letter:

“I have just finished reading The Apothecary's Daughter.  I could not put it down until I finished it. I wanted to write to you regarding your character Mary Helen Mimpurse. She is now my favorite character in a book.  I have a seizure disorder that is now controlled with medication.  It is so easy for me to imagine what my life would have been like way back when and not expect to ever find a husband just because I have "fits" from time to time. Also to have such a short life span.

I wanted to thank you also for Mary's description for her seizures.  It is very difficult to explain to someone who doesn't have them, just what happens to yourself when they occur.  As I read Mary's description tears came to my eyes.
"Thank you for showing that seizures are not a mentally debilitating disease. I still run into people this day and age who believe that epilepsy or seizures make you defective. You showed Mary as such a wonderful and NORMAL woman with a disease that (at the time) was basically a death sentence. Thank you for a wonderful book.”

Thank you Julie for agreeing to answer these questions.  I love your books!  Have a blessed day and keep on writing!!




Giveaway:  Leave a comment and your email address for a chance to win a copy of one of Julie's books in your choice of format (including pre-release copy of The Maid of Fairbourne Hall).