Interview with Lauraine Snelling
about "Breaking Free"

Added October 5, 2007

In the Library Reviews welcomes Lauraine Snelling.

Joyce: Breaking Free is a wonderful novel. I love stories that feature animals and I appreciated the way you placed this retired racehorse at the front of the action. How did the idea for this book come about?

Lauraine: I saw a little two-inch by two inch blurb in Reader's Digest about TRF, Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation. Clipped it out immediately, otherwise I can never find such things again, and went directly to the computer to go on their website. I read it all, printed it all out and started a notebook. I knew I would use the information sometime, just had no idea when. I signed on to receive their newsletter also. I wanted to get all the information, just in case. One thing I have learned to do is find an idea and write down all I can and then let it sit in my subconscious until the time is right.

The time happened about a year or so later. I'm not good at keeping track of time. But I was at the Romance Writers Convention in Reno, walking across the gambling floor with Deidre Knight, my agent, on our way to a meeting. She was going back and forth with an editor who said he wanted a name, meaning someone already established in the industry. Deidre said "how about Lauraine Snelling?" He said, "send me a one page and I'll take it to committee." Deidre turned to me and said, "have you got any ideas on the back burner?"

I thought of TRF and the horse Breaking Free was waiting for me. I went up to my room and wrote down everything that had been growing in my subconscious then brought my ideas to a great group of writers and we brainstormed. My one page turned into two, I added a bio and sales sheet and the rest is history. Definitely one of those "God-sidences." Have I mentioned that I LOVE this book?

Joyce: Do you own a horse or love riding?

Lauraine: I have had horses much of my life, my first pony when I was five. My dream is to have horses again, some of which would hopefully come from TRF. I have always loved riding and horses, even the smell of a horse makes me happy.

Joyce: Or were all of these great details part of meticulous research?

Lauraine: I also did a lot of research including a trip to Wallkill Prison in upstate New York. Fascinating time. I met horse trainer Chris Irwin in Kentucky at the Horse Park in Lexington when I went there to interview a woman from TRF and his books and videos taught me a lot too. Talking with horse people, well any interviewing I do for books is always pleasurable. I love talking with people who know a lot about whatever my subject is but this time was special.

Joyce: You're a very successful author with over fifty books in print. Would you like to share the secret of your success?

Lauraine: I don't think there is a secret. I've been writing for publication since 1980 and I'm known for my perseverance. I kept on keeping on, getting better, sending things out, attending writer's conferences to improve my knowledge and skills. I was part of a weekly critique group for five years and I credit that with a lot of the stick-to-ity. Also, this is where God wants me to be and He's made that very clear. I'm a natural story teller so I am following my calling. Keeping my rear in the chair is one of the hardest things for me because I love being with people and this is pretty solitary. I listen to people and I learn all I can, oh and I love to read. That plays a huge part in this mix too.

Joyce: With so many books published, do you have a favorite? Is there one that you connected with more strongly than the others?

Lauraine: That's really a hard question because Ingeborg in the Red River Series has become part of me, or maybe part of me became her. I loved writing the horse stories for kids because that was my dream when I dreamed of writing. However, Healing Quilt is part of our family story, more so than the other books and I am so grateful I got to write that book. I think Breaking Free is probably next in line. Of course, then there is Ruby.... As I said, this is a hard question. One of the exciting thing about all the Red River of the North books is that my fictional town of Blessing is becoming real. Drayton North Dakota has adopted Blessing and we are building an historical center there, featuring my stories and characters. Now, how cool is that? Check out my other website: www.blessingnd.com and see what's happening there.

Joyce: The boy in this book, Eddie Winters, had spina bifida, yet he was very active both in his wheelchair and on his horse. For such a serious medical condition, Eddie had an equally large measure of optimism. What do you think are the 'ingredients' for turning heartache into hope?

Lauraine: I think the most necessary ingredient for hope is faith, no matter how small your mustard seed. I know there are people who come to hope without faith in a loving God, but when life really gets rough, and I've been in the roughest, God promises to walk those trials with us and that makes it easier and even possible at times to get through. For Eddy, he had two people in his life who helped him with hope, his dad and his nanny. She was the one with the stronger faith when he was little but his dad gave him every help he could. Also, Eddy was born with an optimistic personality and he grew a child like faith. I know families with special needs kids and Eddy is based on a boy at a church we went to years ago.

Joyce: I loved the subtle, yet stable, foundation of faith in this book. As a Christian writer, what comes first - the story or the spiritual insight? Do you create a story to highlight a spiritual principle or does the story naturally reveal a spiritual application?

Lauraine: For me, the story always comes first, and usually I build the characters and the story follows that. I know that one of my main themes is forgiveness and that weaves into all my books. As I work on outlining and starting the story, I figure out what the spiritual theme is going to be and sometimes that changes by the end of the book. This seems to be a natural progression for me. I have a book started somewhere based on one of Jesus' parables, but I've not taken that out to find a home yet.

Joyce: What are you working on now?

Lauraine: I am working on the rewrite of A Touch of Grace which is the third book in the Daughters of Blessing series, to be released in March, and playing with ideas for the next one in that series with Astrid as the main character. However, I am writing a contemporary called One Perfect Day around the idea of organ donation. What happens when a young man is killed in a car accident and his family has to make this kind of decision. What happens to the dreams and the fabric of the family? And what if a young woman is dying and needs a heart? How will this all come together? Where is God when we struggle like this? You might get the idea that I start out all my books asking "what if?" and a lot of other questions.

I cannot begin to tell you how grateful I am for all the wonderful people who read my books. I get the greatest letters and emails. The encouragement is contagious. Sometimes that is what gets my rear back in the chair and fingers on the keyboard. That and another deadline. Thanks for inviting me to spend this time with you and thanks for all you do to get our books out there to more readers.

Joyce: Thank you, Lauraine, for answering our questions. We'll keep checking your web site for news about your writing. http://www.laurainesnelling.com/index.html

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