It's 1881 and the largest silver strike to ever hit California is located on the side of King Mountain in the Mojave Desert in a mining town called Calico. It's just like any other boom town. Saloons, crusty miners, and all sorts of gambling and carousing go on nearly 24 hours a day. Not all the residents live on the wild side. There are a few churches and there is even a newspaper called the Calico Print. It is in this community that the main character of Elizabeth Ludwig's latest book, Love Finds You in Calico, California, finds herself when her widowed father decides to try his luck in the silver mines.
The Examiner recently talked with author Elizabeth Ludwig about Love Finds You in Calico, California and what else she is working on.
Can you share a little about your Christian faith? Did you grow up in a Christian home?
I grew up in a good home, with two loving parents and four sisters, but not a Christian home. It wasn't until my sister started attending a Bible believing church that I realized there was a difference. My senior year in high school, I visited with a wise old country preacher. He taught me what it meant to accept Christ. Though it took me awhile, I did come to know Him as my Lord and Savior. My life has never been the same.
Did you travel to Calico, California before writing a book about it?
I did, but purely by accident. LOL! My husband and I were on vacation. We had decided to drive across the country, and anytime we saw something we wanted to investigate, we would stop. On one of our fuel fills in California, I noticed some large letters painted across the hillside. The gas station attendant told me a little bit about the history of the ghost town, which was more than enough to spark my interest. We spent the entire day in Calico and I loved it! I can't wait to go back.
What kind of research do you do for your books?
It depends on the book, and how much I already know about the setting. For example, Calico was a little easier to write than the book I'm working on now, because as I said, I had [the] opportunity to visit. My current project is set in New York and deals with the immigration through Ellis Island. I know very little about either, so I'm having to research everything! That means hours spent on the Internet and at the library. It tends to be a little bothersome when I have to stop in the middle of a sentence to look something up, but hopefully it will be worth the effort when readers feel like they've actually visited a place where I've set my books.
What is a typical writing day like for you?
Are you ready for this?
I wake up around 6:00 or 6:30, I get the kids up, I feed the dogs, and get ready for work all within an hour. If I have time, I throw in a load of laundry before heading out the door.
From 8:00-4:00, I work as an Assistant Superintendent's secretary at a public school. I have an hour off for lunch, so I try and answer email, write blog articles, and make changes to my website during that time.
I also work part-time as a youth minister, so on Mondays and Wednesdays, I go straight to the church and start getting ready for my meetings with the pastor and the youth. Believe it or not, these both provide excellent fodder for character ideas.
Once I get home, I usually have two or three chapters to critique. I try to do these before starting supper, unless I'm on a deadline. In that case, I work on my own stuff first. After that, I clean up in a hurry and either cook (or buy) something for the family to eat. Then it's back to the computer for an hour or two more.
Bottom line? Housekeeping doesn't carry the same urgency it used to anymore.
If you could live in any historical period, which would you choose and why?
I think I'd like to live in the pre-Civil War era, but only if I belonged to a wealthy family, and only if it were in America. LOLOL! I'd miss the modern conveniences, of course, but oh how I love the way women dressed! What fun!! (Even if it was hot.)
Elizabeth's books can be found online from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Powell's. Her books can also be found at Christian and independent bookstores like these.
RDBC Bookstore
100 Butcher St., Rio Dell
707-764-3811
Harvest Christian Bookstore
1239 Noriega St., San Francisco
415-665-9672
Holy Family Christian Books and Gifts
2990 Churn Creek Rd., Redding
530-229-7900
Berean Christian Stores
1375 Blossom Hill, San Jose
408-265-1833
Copperfield's Books
3900-A Bel Aire Plaza, Napa
707-252-8002
Booksmith
615 San Anselmo Ave, San Anselmo
415-459-7323
Books Inc.
2275 Market St., San Francisco
415-864-6777
Depot Bookstore & Cafe
87 Throckmorton Ave., Mill Valley
415-383-7012
Comments
Excellent interview!
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