Robin Hardy talks with Joyce Handzo
about her writing

Added November 23, 2007

Joyce: In the Library Reviews welcomes Robin Hardy!

Robin, you know I'm a loyal fan of your books, and you have written quite a number of novels. Your successful series includes the Streiker Saga, The Annals of Lystra, The Latter Annals of Lystra and Sammy, that irresistible Dallas detective.

But if I had to pick my all-time favorite, it would be Chataine's Guardian.

Robin: Thanks! That book, my first, was a finalist for the Gold Medallion Award in Fiction for 1985.

Joyce: Which one of your books or series or perhaps characters is closest to your heart?

Robin: The one I happen to be working on at the time. J

Actually, right now I think it's the Latter Annals. Book Five, Dead Man's Token, is coming out this October. I have already written all the books in this series. There are nine total, so DMT is the midpoint. (They are released once a year, in October.) And I've been able to see how the characters grow and change over the series. I've watched how seemingly trivial actions become watersheds; how the repercussions of choices play out over the long haul; how love, loyalty, and courage build on each other. It's been an interesting trip-I feel more like a hapless passenger than the driver. (By the way, each book stands on its own so that a new reader can start the series at any point. This is true with the Sammy Series as well.)

Joyce: Your characters realistically display Christian attributes, in a variety of settings, from Roman in mythical Lystra to Sammy in our contemporary culture. What's your definition of a Christian?

Robin: Someone who "hungers and thirsts after righteousness." I explain this in excruciating detail here.

Joyce: Whenever I visit your web site, www.robinhardy.com I can't help but notice that you have a lively relationship with your fans. Who are your readers? When you sit down and write out a story, are you targeting a certain audience?

Robin: Yes. I aim high. I write for readers who are looking for more than formulae and pat answers. And let me testify that my readers are amazing. To give you a few examples-

I have this wonderful reviewer for In the Library Reviews-oh, wait a minute. You know about her. Then there's DeAnna Julie Dodson, a Sammy fan who writes the most elegant historical fiction herself. She saved me considerable embarrassment by judiciously editing Sammy Ghosts and Dead Man's Token. Marie Gookin, a web designer, created a gorgeous fan listing for me. Sancia Orr, a reader of the first Annals, wrote me a multipage letter after noticing some gaps and inconsistencies in the first two books of the Latter Annals (Nicole of Prie Mer and Ares of Westford). Because of her letter, I incorporated some changes and additional material into the subsequent Latter Annals. Now Sancia is my historian, with no pay and precious little glory. Dr. Mimosa Stephenson, a professor at the University of Texas at Brownsville, presented a paper at the Southwest Texas Popular Culture Association conference last February on "Parable and Allegory in Robin Hardy's Fiction." (This deals mostly with the Streiker Saga. Streiker's Bride earned an Honorable Mention on Christianity Today's list of best fiction for 1994.) On Sept. 28, 2007, Dr. Stephenson will present a paper at the Southwest Regional Conference on Christianity and Literature on Accounting for Taste: From Thomas Hardy to Robin Hardy." So you see, what I lack in quantity of readers I more than make up for in quality.

Joyce: What's important to you? How do these things enter into your stories?

Robin: Faith, hope, and love. I want my fiction to be a reflection of the victory of God's purpose that I see played out in real people every day.

Joyce: Your novels always have a sensitive portrayal of spiritual issues. What comes first when you're writing a book-the story idea or the spiritual principle?

Robin: The story is paramount, always. Starting with a principle I wanted to get across would telegraph to my readers that I'm not going to entertain them, I'm going to hammer them. Hammering is reserved for essays. In a story, the power of the principle comes from the context: readers must not only see what faith (or love, or purity, etc.) looks like in this particular situation, but feel it. They need to live the events along with the characters. Therefore, to be authentic and convincing, any spiritual principle has to grow naturally out of what happens in the story--just like it does in real life.

Incidentally, I never outline. I don't know what is going to happen until I write it.

Joyce: When someone finishes one of your novels, what impression or idea do you want them to keep?

Robin: I want them to think, "God really does love me. My life is a great gift. He can do more with it than I ever thought possible." Or at least think, "I want to read that one again."

Joyce: I understand you're starting a new series that will be published in March 2008 called The Idecis. Could you tell us a little about it?

Robin: It is Christian speculative fiction, specifically, science fiction. It is my presumptuous tribute to C.S. Lewis. (See more here). Incidentally, the title is pronounced "eye DEE sis." As usual, I made it up.

Joyce: Thank you, Robin for taking the time to answer my questions. And an even bigger thank you for writing such terrific books!

Robin: You are most welcome.

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