CWD Member Interview – Susan Preston

Most Thursdays in 2019 we will be interviewing one of the members of Christian Writers Downunder – to find out a little bit more about them and their writing/editing goals.

Today interview Susan Preston

Question 1: Tells us three things about who you are and where you come from.

I am Scottish by birth, Australian by choice, and grateful for the culture of both

The town of my birth is a historical ‘Royal Burgh.’ 

I have always loved history.

Question 2: Tell us about your writing.  What do you write and why?

This now becomes complicated as I have recently written a non-fiction book, but before that I wrote Biblical Fiction

The Apostle John Series is a 5-book series set in 1^st century Ephesus. It came about because of an in-depth Bible study on the gospel of John, which whetted my curiosity, and I started researching to check what I had heard in the Bible study series. As for the Apostle John being married… that was a ‘what if’ scenario… although there are some strange ideas on the Internet about his ‘wife.’ I chose to ignore them and have him a widower with a family.

Question 3: Who has read your work? Who would you like to read it?

A mixture of young and old, male and female, and I appreciate every one. I also appreciate the people who judged the books for the awards they won.

Non-fiction: I would like everyone who NEEDS to read it, to read it. I particularly would like some of the care agency staff to read it. (This is why I am planning a follow-up specifically targeting the ‘helpers.’)

Question 4: Tell us something about your process. What challenges do you face? What helps you the most?

The biggest challenge I used to face was being side-tracked. Research became addictive for me and I would find myself going off at many tangents.

Now, my challenges are health ones but they haven’t stopped me. Slowed me at the moment, but my mind is busy. ☺

Question 5: What is your favourite Writing Craft Book and why? 

I do not have one particular writing craft book, I have a bunch of ebook versions – when I can find them in among all the other books. But, yes. I know how to search the content and find them. Other than that I have found Mark Dawson’s SPF community very helpful. (Finding the time to be there is my biggest problem at the moment.)

Question 6: If you were to give a shout-out to a CWD author, writer, editor or illustrator – who would they be?

There are lots of lovely authors in CWD, unfortunately my visits there have been rather sporadic since the oxygen and the hospital appointments, not to mention admissions. However, I would ‘shout out’ to Jeanette O’Hagan, who does so much, is so welcoming… and writes interesting stories.

Question 7: What are your writing goals for 2019/2020? How will you achieve them?

First, will be the follow up oxygen book. I was surprised by the fact it ‘spoke to’ other people with chronic, life-limiting illnesses. Someone said to me recently, “We don’t know how living with this feels.” Another said, “I don’t know how to help you.” So, for all the people out there without a voice, but living with serious health problems, I will do the follow up book.

My other project will be another Biblical one, but set farther back in time. Off to the Old Testament for this one.

I will achieve them by putting my bottom on the chair in front of the computer and starting to pull all the ‘bits’ together. This will include asking for help from people with the knowledge.

Question 8: How does your faith impact and shape your writing?

My faith is a way of life. It’s not something I ‘put on’ to go to church. I could do a lot better, but I aim to live what I believe. Some would say that limits me in that there are some subjects I do not write about, but I am not ‘walking in their moccasins.’

Actually, I learned a lot from those early Christians who would go to the arena rather than deny their faith. (Hopefully, that will not be something required of me.) My fiction writing tends to be about strong, committed characters who live their lives in the world (and time period they are in). 

The non-fiction is aimed at being a way of helping others. It’s true what Stella Budrikis said in the professional review of the book… “She has written the sort of book she wished she could have had herself when she first started home oxygen therapy.” 

What I can do to serve others is limited, this is something I can do.

Susan Preston brings early Christianity to life by writing fiction based on fact for people who enjoy Biblical history.

Research, fascination and curiosity took over and thus began this series where characters became ‘family.’

 Life experiences were not always happy – the death of a son, then in 2013 the death of her husband. The emotions from all her experiences contribute to her writing prowess. Now, the new challenge of living tethered to a machine… who knows what that will end up triggering.

Website: https://www.susanprestonauthor.com

(Her book covers show her name as Susan M B Preston to differentiate her from another Susan Preston who had books on Amazon.)

Exploring Genres: Biblical Fiction

by Susan Preston

“Those who call themselves Christians and attempt to follow biblical morality as they understand it are now among the most persecuted religious groups in the world (Newsweek, January 4, 2018). Sadly, this is increasingly true even in nations where “Christianity” is considered the predominant religion.”

So, if Christians are being stopped from sharing their faith with others who are interested how can we fulfill Christ’s commission to ‘go into all the world?’

I heard a minister say, “People prefer their truth wrapped in fiction.”

If that is the case, Christian writers are demonstrating and sharing their faith – not necessarily overtly, which can put some readers of, but by the way they write their characters’ lives.

Where does Biblical fiction fit in to this?

Apostle John series by Susan Preston (new covers)

Because, as Solomon wrote in Eccl 1: 9 “What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.”

We can be encouraged, inspired and even challenged by the lives of those who have ‘gone before.’

The first Biblical fiction book I read changed the way I understood the Bible. Before reading Lynn Austin’s first book in the Gods and Kings series, much of the writing in the Bible was, to be honest, boring. After that, I never read anything about Hezekiah again without ‘seeing’ him as a person.

I used to run church kids groups and holiday programmes. After several years it was rather ‘ho-hum’ another lesson on a parable.

If it was now, my lessons would be vastly different. In researching for what I thought would be one book, I discovered so much about the life, the times, the challenges and the faith of the people through the centuries.

To include some of this in a story/book/series gives the reader a much better reading experience as pointed out by Debbie Roome in a recent post in a post called Story Telling in 3D.

Many ‘Biblical fiction’ writers appear to be taking research from some of the old movies like Ben Hur and others of that era.

Modern saddles were not invented until 365 AD.[JO2]

“The first saddle is believed to have been invented in 365 AD by the Sarmations. Proud horsemen who used their horses in battle and also sacrificed them to the gods, their saddle creations were brought back to Europe by the Huns.”

They did not include stirrups. This is the history of stirrups –

“The stirrup was invented in China in the first few centuries AD and spread westward through the nomadic peoples of Central Eurasia. The use of paired stirrups is credited to the Chinese Jin Dynasty and came to Europe during the Middle Ages.”

Well-written, and well researched Biblical fiction brings life to the words in the Bible. (Both Testaments.)

When Jesus taught it was from ‘the scriptures’ – there only was an Old Testament, and this was what He taught from. After Him the Apostles used the Old Testament, and the letters of the other Apostles.

Understanding the pain

There were many ‘pain-points’ for the people of the Bible.

To the Israelites the Temple was where God dwelt. In many instances the Bible shows that the Temple was what was worshipped, not God.

Understanding this helps a writer of Biblical fiction better bring those people to life.

The day was counted from sunset to sunset, not as with our modern calendars. This was one of the most difficult things for me to ‘get my head around.’ The next day started as soon as the sun set on the previous one.

People, even in New Testament times, did not sit down to a dinner of ‘meat and two veges.’ Meat was only eaten on special occasions. If they were near a sea, or large lake, fish would be part of their diet… but not all the time. In the Old Testament, a time when meat would be eaten by a family was after a ‘peace’ or ‘thank’ offering had been made.

Biblical fiction can be a joy to read

Some writers of Biblical fiction have done the research necessary to make the books authentic. One such – Lynn Austin’s Biblical historical series. (There are two different series.) Jill Eileen Smith gives us a peep at some of the ‘heroines’ of the OT as does Mesu Andrews. 

Nearer the time period I write about, Carol Ashby has done an awesome amount of research on Roman times, and Carlene Havel is a recent discovery of a great writer.

As for me…

Three of my books have won awards, and all had great reviews from Readers’ Favorite Book Reviews.

I put a great deal of research into everything I write, as I imagine other authors do.

Sometimes, I am a slow learner. A long time ago I was told my book covers do not reflect the genre they represent… but I loved the images, four of which were from a Christian friend in Tasmania, a gifted photographer.

Well, I finally listened and had new covers made. Time will tell if they DO reflect the genre.

You can see them here… http://www.susanprestonauthor.com/apostle-john-series-2/

I read other genres, but Biblical fiction is close to my heart now that I have ‘met’ the people behind the words in the Bible.

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Susan Preston’s Christian faith is important to her, but she does not preach in any of the stories, instead, respecting her reader's right to make up their own minds.

She describes herself as a story-teller. Research, fascination and curiosity became a combination of treasure hunt and mystery tour. (She is still researching.)

Susan’s life experiences were not always happy – the death of a son, then in 2013 the death of her husband/best friend. The emotions from all these experiences contribute to her understanding of the people of the stories.

She was a registered Psychiatric nursing sister, a registered computer trainer and assessor, possessor of the Master’s qualification for Microsoft Office 2007 which she says comes in very handy, and has numerous other qualifications.

Susan says, “The ‘people’ in the books have become ‘family’ as I learned to walk in their shoes.”