My research starts with the Bible. I use Sefaria.org: A Living Library of Jewish Texts Online. After writing Holland, My Heart, I added listening to the chapters read in Hebrew at Mechon-Mamre.org. (I wish I’d thought to look for it when I was writing my first novel.)

For my second novel, I’ve been reading and writing about chiasmus; my plan is to write the novel in a chiastic structure. Wish me luck—it’s challenging!

Anyway, after I am very comfortable with the Bible story and the storytelling, I research the other aspects of the contemporary romance novel. I find that my journalism training is useful in this part of the writing process. For example, for Holland, My Heart, I read several Forbes and Fortune magazine articles about the paths and successes of young, female CEOs so my descriptions of Holland would be relatable. For my second book, I’m currently researching how world-famous bands like Coldplay and Arcade Fire—as well as solo artists like Camila Cabello and Alessia Cara—craft songs, plan and execute extensive tours, and live with fame. For My Dissent, I plan to interview and shadow a Los Angeles female judge.

Still in the early stages of planning, I’m looking forward to looking into a mistaken identity trope (a two-person love triangle) for My Temptation. And for My Father’s Daughters, I want to do a deep dive into grief and loss, building on lessons I learned while writing Holland, My Heart.

Annotated Bibliography

Below are three audiobooks I read in the process of planning this collection and writing my first two novels. A much longer list of Biblical fiction titles appears in a Publishous article by Sarah Cy. Of note: In the more than 222 novels listed in Cy’s article, none tells Hannah’s story in 1 Samuel, the inspiration for my second novel. That’s kind of cool, don’t you think?

Card, Orson Scott. Rachel & Leah: Women of Genesis, Book 3. Narrated by Emily Janice Card, Phoenix Books, 2022.

Orson Scott Card won both a Hugo Award and a Nebula Award in consecutive years, winning both awards for my all-time favorite young adult novel Ender’s Game (1985) and its sequel Speaker for the Dead (1986). The Women of Genesis series is set in Biblical times and includes Sarah, Rebekah, and Rachel & Leah. According to his publisher, Card plans (or planned) to write two more in the series: The Wives of Israel and The Sons of Rachel. While I have long been a fan of Card’s science fiction, these petty sisters left me cold. If you’ve read these books, I’d love to hear your assessment of them.

Rivers, Francine. Unshaken: Lineage of Grace, Book 3. Narrated by Barbara Rosenblat, Recorded Books, 2013.

Francine Rivers is New York Times bestselling author who writes on Christian themes, including inspirational romance novels. Unshaken is sold as “The Biblical Story of Ruth Historical Christian Fiction Novella with an In-Depth Bible Study” on Amazon. Rivers took an intriguing turn when she made Naomi a former love interest of Boaz’s. I’m not sure I would have done that—oh, wait. I know I didn’t!

St. James, Brooke. Another Shot: A Modern-Day Ruth and Boaz Story. Narrated by Kate Rudd, Blue House Press, 2015.

Brooke St. James, a USA Today bestselling author, writes contemporary romance novels with Christian and inspirational themes. Another Shot is a contemporary romantic novella based on the “classic” story of Ruth and Boaz. I was surprised to see the book’s description does not identify the story as Biblical. I considered this route myself and I’m so glad I decided to be upfront about the Hebrew Bible as my source material.

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