Today, I have the pleasure of introducing you to the super-talented author, Tabitha Bouldin.
Tabitha Bouldin has a bachelor's degree in creative writing/English from Southern New Hampshire University. She is a Publishers Weekly bestselling author and an avid reader. When she's not homeschooling her kids, you'll find her curled up with a book. Tabitha's genre of choice is Contemporary Christian Romance which she describes as: Adventure with heart.
Can you tell us a little about your background and what led you to become a writer?
I used to say that I had no idea I wanted to be a writer. The more I thought about that answer, the more I realized that I should have seen it coming. I was always doodling out story ideas or writing plays for my friends and I to act out over summer break. Ideas for stories have always been part of me, I simply didn’t consider it an available career path for a long, long time. Now that I’m here, I can’t imagine doing anything else.
What inspired you to write your book?
Tenley and Mac’s story is one of those ‘books of the heart’. I wanted to peel back the curtain and show a bit of the raw anguish behind alcoholism. Love Inspired let me do that without going so deep into the disease that I couldn’t pull the characters back out.
How do you integrate Christian themes and values into your writing?
God is always present in some form in my books. Sometimes the characters have walked away from God, or have hard questions they need answered. My goal is to show that God never so far away that He can’t hear us. He’s never more than a prayer away. Sometimes that requires faith on the characters’ part, and sometimes I rely on other Christian characters within the story to help show the way.
Who are some of your favorite Christian authors, and how have they influenced your work?
I’m so glad you said some of my favorites, because picking just one would be impossible. Colleen Coble and Janette Oke are the reason I started reading Christian Fiction. Other favorites I’ve found along the way are Tina Radcliffe, Jessica R. Patch, Jaime Jo Wright, and Courtney Walsh. I love reading and studying their books to try and understand how they use emotion to drive their characters.
What challenges did you face while writing your book?
Time for some honesty here. Forgiving the Cowboy is a story about forgiveness, but underneath that, it’s a story about an alcoholic facing the truth and the struggles of sobriety. My sister is an alcoholic living in sobriety, so this story is incredibly powerful for me. Writing a character like Tenley required a lot of heart and soul searching to make sure that my portrayal was true.
How do you approach creating relatable characters while staying true to your Christian beliefs?
I love the idea that anyone is redeemable. We are all examples of the human condition. We all feel emotions, some that we’d rather not experience. Relatable characters don’t have to be all good, or all bad. We all have the potential for wrong, it’s part of being human. God encourages us to strive for perfection, to be Christ-like. That’s what my characters are trying to do, and they might make a lot of mistakes along the way.
Can you describe a particular moment or experience that profoundly impacted your writing process?
Rereading the story at the end of the first draft after setting it aside for a few weeks is one of my favorite methods of discovering the heart of the story. There are times during that process when I read a line and I get goosebumps. It’s like my own story is speaking back to me and showing me that God led the way, even when I had no idea where the story was going. It’s a steady reminder that I’m doing what I was meant to do.
What role does research play in your writing, and how do you approach it?
I love researching characters. Traits. Personalities. I’m always asking the question: How would a character with this kind of personality react to this situation? Some of my own experience comes into play, but most of the time, it’s based on what I’ve learned about personality types. Buying research books might as well be a hobby of mine. I have stacks of them, and 90% are about character development.
What message or takeaway do you hope readers will gain from your book?
I hope they take away the knowledge that forgiveness is not impossible.
Can you talk about any upcoming projects or books you’re working on?
This could get complicated 😊
I have a few things happening this year. First off, I have the rights back to a previously published beach romance series that I’m setting up to rerelease. That’s five books I’ll have coming out this year, along with Forgiving the Cowboy. My agent is reading another book we hope to pitch this year, and I’m waiting to hear back about another prospect. It’s a big, busy year, and I hope to have many more book launches coming soon. Throw in my fantasy books that I’m releasing under my pen name and it’s even more chaos.
How do you stay inspired and motivated to continue writing?
Right this instant, it’s sheer willpower. I’ve been on the verge of creative burnout for a few months. Not because I don’t have any stories to write, but because I have too many and I’m struggling to focus on which one I should write first. Music and prayer have been a huge inspiration to keep me writing. The motivation of seeing the book finished also helps, especially with how my deadline-obsessed brain works.
What advice would you give to aspiring authors who are just starting out?
Study the type of books that you want to write. Find your favorite authors and read their books with a critical eye. See if you can figure out why they’re your favorites. Once you can see that, it might help you figure out your own writing voice and style.
Now for her book, Forgiving the Cowboy...
Their past stands between them
But is a second chance in reach?
Planning to take his orphaned niece back home to Chicago, K-9 police officer Malcolm Mitchell encounters an unexpected obstacle—his ex-fiancée, Tenley Jacobs. Six years ago, she jilted him at the altar without explanation. Now the equine therapist has shared guardianship with him. Refusing to give up custody of her late best friend’s daughter, Tenley knows she must regain Mac’s trust—even if it means revealing the secret that ended their engagement. But as old feelings reignite, will the truth lead to forgiveness…or give Mac a reason to walk away with her heart forever?