Thank you for joining us for part three of our conversation with Rachel Ann Nunes, best-selling LDS women’s fiction author. If you missed parts one or two, click here.
Rachel, in addition to the twenty-five books you have written, you are also a mother. How many children do you have?
I have six children, three boys and three girls, ranging from three to sixteen years. My oldest is a senior in high school and will attend BYU next year on an academic scholarship. He’ll start as a junior because he’s already finished his associate degree. He’s a great example to the others. They’re all good kids, though. The thing I really admire most about my children is that they all read as avidly as I do. Well, they have more time, of course, so they actually get more reading done. I spent more money on books this past Christmas than anything else. The only one who doesn’t read is my three-year-old. She knows her letter names and sounds, but I don’t usually start teaching them to read until they’re four.
How do you balance motherhood with writing?
The children come first, no question. But they have learned to be independent in many areas. I’ve taught them to do chores and to help one another. My husband is also a big support.
I usually get my children off to school and then write when they are gone, stopping to play with and feed my preschooler. It’s harder now with only one home because she wants my attention, but I just keep plugging away. I leave the computer on all day, if necessary, writing in snatches until I finish my goal. By keeping to a goal on most days, I can always take off to go on field trips or other places with my children. If you are disciplined, writing is the perfect career for a busy mother. (For writing tips, check out the advice for aspiring authors on my website.)
What do you consider to be your greatest contribution to the world of LDS fiction?
The book I haven’t written yet. (She smiles)
Seriously, the best is always yet to come. But many people know me as the author of the Ariana series. This series is unique in the LDS market due to its popularity and the fact that it takes place in a foreign country. Someone just asked me if Ariana was based upon personal experience because it was so profoundly touching. That was my first published novel and a lot of heart and soul went into it. At the time I’d written the book, I had never experienced such a loss, though I knew someone who had. I’m sure the feelings she related to me inspired some of the text, though it is absolutely not her story in anyway. (The plot of the novel was already clear in my mind before her child died, and in fact she doesn’t see herself in the book at all.) Funny thing is that later when I experienced a personal loss, the feelings I had were very close to those of Ariana’s in the first book. So was it only my active imagination? Maybe. But I believe God knows what people go through in times of trial and heartache, and that He allows the feelings to be known to writers so they can put them down on paper.
I have felt inspiration many times as I write. I often have to wipe away tears. In a way I did live through Ariana’s experiences, but they weren’t mine–if that makes sense. In each book in the Ariana series, as with my current work, I deal with issues women and families can relate to.
I’m also well-known for the picture book “Daughter of a King,” voted best children’s book of the year in 2003 by the Association of Independent LDS Booksellers. This past March my other picture book “The Secret of the King” was chosen by the Utah Governor’s Commission on Literacy to be awarded to all Utah grade schools as part of the Read With A Child For 20 Minutes Per Day program.
Thank you so much for sharing your time with us, Rachel. We really appreciate it and wish you the best of luck with all your projects.
Be sure to visit Rachel’s website to learn more about her books, her appearances, and her upcoming releases.
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Author Interview — Josi S. Kilpack
Author Interview — Tamra Norton
Author Interview — Robert H. Moss
