I've known Tina Scott for about ten years. She made me welcome when I joined American Night Writers Association (ANWA), and I loved being around her because she's one of the funniest ladies I know. One of her early children's books, Coyote's Grand Adventure, is still a favorite of mine.
Tina (writing as Tina Peterson Scott) has a new book out, My Sweet Danish Rose, and I was eager to talk to her about this new arrival.
LIZ: How did you come to set this book in Denmark?
TINA: Many of my ancestors are from
Denmark. Years ago when I was reading some of my family history, I came upon my
great-great grandmother’s story. She talked about some of the things that
happened on her voyage to America and I was intrigued. When I had the
opportunity to visit Denmark, I felt an undeniable connection.
LIZ: You’re using a character you used in Farewell, My Denmark. Tell me how/why you came to do that?
TINA: The main character in My Sweet
Danish Rose is the sister to the main character in Farewell, My Denmark. I had
originally planned to make the stories into one book. However, since the
timelines were a little different, I thought it was best to separate their
stories. In this way I was better able to develop their characters.
LIZ: Your book starts out with a bang in the conflict department
and continues at a steady pace. Do you consciously plot that way, or are you a
seat-of-the-pants writer?
I like to have a clear idea of the
story’s beginning and the ending before I start. Other than that, I am more of
an organic writer.
LIZ: What is Berta’s story arc? What does she learn, or how did
she grow?
TINA: I think that the biggest thing she
learns, other than how to trust her own heart, is that God loves us all no
matter the mistakes we make. She starts out as a timid and sheltered girl who
thinks she’s in love. Throughout the story, she develops the gumption she needs
to survive.
LIZ: The book takes place in the 1860s. How did you prepare to
write about this era?
TINA: I visited a lot of places in Denmark
that helped me prepare. The poorhouse left quite an impression and I knew I had
to write it into the story even though it wasn’t in existence at the time of
the novel. Another helpful place was Den Fynske Landsby (The Funen Village).
It’s an open-air museum that has many historic homes and buildings from around
Denmark. Some of the Danes I met while in Denmark told me stories of the area
that I’ve tried to include, and I also did a lot of research online.
LIZ: Your writing is vivid and tight. How did you acquire that
level of skill?
TINA: I appreciate your compliment. Thank
you. My skill came from lots of trial and error, and from reading a lot of
books – some in the historical romance genre, others on writing. And I’ve
attended a lot of writer’s conferences. The ANWA conference in Arizona is an
exceptional value, both in price and content.
LIZ: What are your future plans? Will you continue to write about
Berta’s family, or do you have something else in store?
TINA: I do have plans to write another
story set in Denmark. The characters won’t be related to Berta, though it will
have bits of family history included.
I am currently writing a mermaid
story. I’ve wanted to write one for a long time—The Little Mermaid was written
by a Danish author, and mermaids are actually mentioned in my first book. It
wasn’t until we (my husband and I) visited Alaska this past August that I felt
the inspiration to begin.
LIZ: Is there anything else you’d like readers to know about this
book or about your writing?
TINA: I like to write about ordinary
people in extraordinary circumstances. Leaving your home and traversing the
Atlantic to start a new life, or being alone at a young age are both
extraordinary circumstances. I also believe that meeting a mermaid would
qualify as an extraordinary circumstance. Don’t you? It’s during these trying
and difficult times that we can discover our true character.
My novels are like a good dessert.
They have layers—there’s a smattering of adventure, a dose of history, and a
measure of romance.
LIZ: Thanks, Tina, for taking the time to 'talk' to me. I put the link above where people can buy My Sweet Danish Rose, and I put a link to Coyote's Grand Adventure, too.
