Boy this year is just moving right along isn't it?
Today I'm happy to bring to you Cynthia Ruchti and something she treasures....
RESTORATION
One of the
joys of life as an author is writing about experiences, settings, or adventures
we may never enjoy in real life.
Even though
the circumstances that exiled my main character—Emmalyn Ross—to a small island
in Lake Superior among the Apostle Islands are far different from what I face
every day, I have to admit I enjoyed vicariously rehabbing a run-down cottage
through her.
I’d always
thought it would be fun to restore a large Victorian home to its original
grandeur…as long as my role was to provide ideas, and both financing and elbow
grease came from someone else. Emmalyn’s husband’s hunting cottage was far from
Victorian grandeur. When she arrived on Madeline Island, it was dark, dusty,
rodent-infested, and had a tree sticking out of its roof because of a recent
windstorm.
Part of my
research—anything but woe-is-me—was
creating a sweet, warm, inviting cottage from that initial mess. I got to
choose the flooring, the wall color, the furniture, the kitchen décor. In my
imagination, I decorated two beach-themed bedrooms and a charming bathroom with
a claw foot tub upstairs. I used recycled materials where I could, as long as they were adorable, and kept clutter to a
minimum so the stunning view of Lake Superior wouldn’t be obstructed.
Emmalyn and
I sat together in her cozy living room the other night and had a good, long
chat about how refurbishing the cottage held so much symbolism in her story.
She was as much of a mess when she arrived on Madeline Island as the
sorry-looking hunting cottage had been. She, too, had to have years of regret
stripped away before she could become what God intended her to be, what she
longed to be. As the cottage had, Emmalyn began to shine under the tender
loving care shown her.
Maybe that’s
why my desire to convert messes into something beautiful extends beyond that
Victorian mansion I’ll probably never own to the characters who surround me in
my novels…and in my life.
Wow...you're right Cynthia, restoration of anything, be it a cottage, Victorian home or a soul is definitely something to treasure!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Cynthia Ruchti tells stories hemmed in Hope through her
novels, novellas, nonfiction books and devotionals, drawing from 33 years of
on-air radio ministry. Ruchti has 15 books in print and has received numerous
awards and nominations.
She
serves as the professional relations liaison for American Christian Fiction
Writers and speaks frequently for women’s groups and serves on her church’s
worship team and Creative Arts team. She and her plot-tweaking husband live in
the heart of Wisconsin, not far from their three children and five
grandchildren.
To keep up with Cynthia Ruchti, visit www.cynthiaruchti.com. You can also become a fan on Facebook (CynthiaRuchtiReaderPage)
or follow her on Twitter (@cynthiaruchti).
Catch an interview with Cynthia at TWJ Magazine HERE.
As Waters Gone By (Abingdon Press) can be purchased at Amazon in Hardcover, Paperback and on Kindle.
Hope you enjoyed today's treasure! Check back later this week for a special guest on Thursday Thoughts and then Saturday Spotlight on another wonderful author and her book!
Until later...take care and God bless.
PamT
11 comments:
I know it's a great deal of work restoring a house, but obviously there's quite a bit of satisfaction as well. Congrats!
Ah, but restoring a cottage in your imagination is delightful, inexpensive, and fulfilling...and saves time.
Thanks.
Thanks, Jacqueline and Sharon. I must say, though, I somehow couldn't avoid blisters on my soul and splinters in my heart on behalf of my rehabbed cottage's characters! :)
Interesting interview, Cynthia and Pamela. Can I say I love old Victorian homes? Every time I drive through a town, I'm rubbernecking, looking for them.
As a matter of fact, I've included a Victorian home as the heroine's abode in three of my stories.
Here's asking God's continued blessing on both ofyou. Keep up the good work, Girlfriends.
How fun, Laurean! Oh, the adventures authors have vicariously through their characters! Dreaming of new settings right now.
Love the restoration theme. Best wishes for success.
Thank you, Susan. I have another releasing late next year that goes deeper into restoration. Bigger project.
I love to take damaged, weather beaten characters, too, and make them into something new through the love of another. So rewarding! Love your cover! And thanks for sharing!
I love that cover, too. And yes, it is rewarding to watch our characters find their way...with a little help.
Thanks to everyone for stopping by! So enjoyed having you Cynthia!
Thank you, Pamela, for the invitation!
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