By Lisa T. Bergren
Am I a romance writer or children’s book author? Actually, I’m both! I started out in 1992 writing contemporary Christian romances. After that I moved on to historical women’s fiction, general fiction and supernatural suspense. Of late I’ve been writing some YA romance and children’s books at the same time.
Years ago, I had a desire to write an “I love you” book for my two little girls. Those on the market tugged at my heart (in particular, I Love You, Stinky Face), but I wanted one that incorporated a faith aspect. At the same time, the Coca Cola Christmas commercials were showcasing an adorable polar bear cub and his parents, so I thought it’d be fun to have a polar bear family in my book. But after thinking and thinking about it, I just couldn’t find the hook.
One night, God awakened me with the whole story in my head. I mean, the phrase–God gave us you–and the characters, and the storyline…all of it. But you know how middle-of-the-night thoughts go. Half the time you wake in the morning and think, “Yeah, not so brilliant.” So I rolled over to go back to sleep, figuring if it was really good, I’d remember it in the morning and tackle it then.
The only way I can explain it is that God kept tapping me on the shoulder, urging me to get up and get it down THEN. But it was 1:30 in the morning! Irritated (I wish I could say I was gracious and thankful and counted the moment a blessing), I trudged to my office, sat down and wrote out God Gave Us You.
Long story short, that book went on to outsell most of my other books combined. And I almost slept through it!
I think what works so well in the God Gave Us…Series is that the books tackle children’s tough questions, with answers that the preschool/early grade school set can understand. To date, we’ve published God Gave Us You, God Gave Us Two, God Gave Us Christmas, God Gave Us Heaven, God Gave Us Love, God Gave Us So Much (a combination volume of GGUL, GGUH and GGUTW), and God Gave Us the World.
The series answers key questions, such as:
- “Where did I come from?” (God Gave Us You);
- “Will you still love me when the new baby comes?” (God Gave Us Two);
- “Who started Christmas? Santa?” (God Gave Us Christmas);
- “What happens to people I love when they die?” (God Gave Us Heaven);
- “Why do I have to love people I don’t like?” (God Gave Us Love)
In the most recent volume, God Gave Us the World, Little Cub is wrestling with the idea that God’s people all look different–and that that variety reflects God’s creativity. For a little polar bear cub in an all-white polar bear world, that’s a pretty new idea. My hope is that in reading the story, parents can tackle the sometimes-complex ideas of diversity, as well as the gentle encouragement to accept and appreciate how he’s made us all unique, on the outside and the inside.
Last year, HarperBlessings published an adoption I-Love-You story for me called God Found Us You, because so many adoptive families contacted me, asking for it. And this year, Random House/WaterBrook will also be releasing the board book versions of God Gave Us You and God Gave Us Love, which I’m pretty excited about. Many parents have told me they received God Gave Us You as a baby gift, and board book pages will be better for those chubby, grabby little fingers!
Recently, I’ve also returned to my romance-writing roots and have been working on a YA romance series called the River of Time Series. Waterfall just released, and later this year, it’ll be followed by books 2 and 3, Cascade (June ’11 release) and Torrent (September ’11). I was inspired to write the series because my girls, who were so little when I began writing children’s books, seem to be most captured by stories with lots of romance and action these days. Since I find that combination easy to write, I dived into the River of Time and it’s been a blast. It’s about two sisters who travel back in time to medieval Italy…and end up fighting for love as well as their very lives.
Turns out, children are a great inspiration for writers, regardless of the age.
About Moi: I’m the author of thirty-five books that have sold more than I ever would have believed. I live in Colorado Springs with my husband and three children, and a dog that stalks me every day until she gets her walk. I’m active in my church and am an avid traveler, blogging at Lisa Tawn Bergren and The World is Calling, and spend a lot of time dreaming of my next trip to Italy. If you’re not sick of me yet, you can find me on Twitter, as @LisaTBergren and @TheWorldCalls, or on Facebook, under Lisa Tawn Bergren, The World is Calling, and River of Time Series.
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