Interview with Bestselling Historical Author Roseanna M. White

Don’t you love it when you bump into someone else in the world and think, “My heavens, look how much we have in common!” Well, I love it too, and that’s why I’m so excited to introduce you to Roseanna M. White—Christian historical author, book cover designer, and former West Virginian.

Let’s hop into the interview, shall we?

Hannah: Roseanna, thanks so much for joining us today for a fun author interview on the blog! To start off the questions, when did you first discover you were a writer? What did that realization feel like? 

Roseanna: I’m one of those people who have been writing fiction literally since I learned how to write. I still remember in first grade when my teacher assigned us a short story—that was it! My destiny was set, LOL. Ever since then, writing fiction was not only something I did in my spare time, but something I knew I’d spend forever doing.

Hannah: That’s awesome! What led you to write historical instead of contemporary fiction?

Roseanna: Oh, I’ve tried my hand at pretty much every genre under the sun, and I’ve written quite a few contemporaries—which are fun, for sure! I submitted several of them to publishers, but it was my historicals that first found traction…and I didn’t complain, because historicals were my first love.

Hannah: What time period do you enjoy writing the most? 

Roseanna: That’s a hard one. I love history, love learning about what makes each era and setting unique, so I can be happy writing pretty much any time period. My publisher has had me sticking pretty much to the early 1900s for my books for them though, which I’ve also really enjoyed—I’ve gotten to dive deep into the era and learn so much more than I can when I’m researching a new setting for every book!

Hannah: Do you ever notice a common theme that keeps weaving its way into many of your stories? 

Roseanna: Ha, yes! I always seem to come back to themes of redemption, and of God loving us in our brokenness. So many of my stories are just exploring different aspects of that!

Hannah: What is your writing schedule? Are you a morning-time writer, an evening-time writer, or a write-whenever-I-can-but-don’t-need-a-schedule writer?

Roseanna: I am by nature a morning person, and my creativity is at its best in the first hours of the day. But I’ve also learned to write whenever I have the time. These days, my favorite thing to do is block off a whole week with no other responsibilities, and just WRITE all day, every day. When I do that, I can write about 10,000 words a day, which means a book can get finished in about 2 of those “writing retreat” weeks, as I call them. That’s the only way I’ve met all my deadlines lately!

Hannah: Who has been your biggest supporter?

Roseanna: My parents and my husband, for sure. My parents always encouraged me when I was growing up to chase my dreams…and my husband made that possible by feeding us all while I pursued writing. He brainstorms with me, makes sure I have all the time I need for writing, and is the first to read my manuscripts, before I even turn them in to my editors.

Hannah: What is the most satisfying aspect of being an author? 

Roseanna: Creating worlds and stories and people! To quote one of my characters, “fiction is truth…in a pretty wrapping.” I love that through story, I can explore themes and ideas that people might not otherwise want to read about. I fully believe that stories change the world, and I am thrilled and honored to be a part of that.

Hannah: Do you ever see yourself in some of your characters? 

Roseanna: Ha! I’m sure I’m in all of them to some extent or another! The most like me was Ella from A Lady Unrivaled, but bits and pieces definitely work their way into all of them.

Hannah: What sparks your mind with new stories? 

Roseanna: Anything, LOL. I’m an idea girl. It only takes a random word or image or piece of history to get my mind spinning!

Hannah: And lastly, just for fun, if you could trade places with one of your characters, which character would it be—and why?

Roseanna: Oh, that’s a hard one! So many of them would be fun…any of the ladies from the Ladies of the Manor series would be awesome. But I may just go with Libby from The Nature of a Lady, because living on Tresco in the charming Tremayne home for the rest of my days would be awesome. =)

Hannah: Well, hasn’t this just been lovely? Thanks so much for joining us here today, Roseanna! It’s been such a joy to interview you and hear all your fun answers. I, for one, am looking forward to reading more of your books!

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