MEET SHAWN LAMB, AUTHOR of THE HUGUENOT SWORD

I am pleased to welcome fellow author, Shawn Lamb, and today we are featuring her latest release, The Huguenot Sword.  Shawn, please tell us about yourself and your books.   

I’m the author of the Christian historical fiction The Huguenot Sword. I’m a former scriptwriter for children’s television. I worked on the series BraveStarr, which was produced by the same studio responsible for He-Man and She-Ra.  I’m also the author of the YA allegorical series Allon.

I currently live in Nashville with Rob, my husband of 27 years, and our daughter Briana. She is a film artist doing storyboards and costume design. She drew the characters for Allon included on the website and in the videos. Unconditional is the Christian feature film she worked on and will be released this year.  It’s based on true story and a cross between The Blind Side and Courageous.

Anything the average reader wouldn't know about you?

 Back in the early 1980s I was chosen to be the fencing stunt-double for Bo Derek in a pirate movie. My knowledge of fencing and stunt fighting are important to my stories where swordplay is concerned. 

I had no idea that you had knowledge of fencing and stunt fighting.  In fact, I have never personally met anyone with those skills!  This is a fascinating tidbit to discover about you :).

Besides those pursuits, what do you enjoy doing when you're not writing?

That’s hard to say. First being traditionally published and now self-published, most of my time is spent writing, editing, promotion or attending events. I suppose relaxing with my family.

When did you decide that you wanted to be a writer?

I’ve been writing since I was a teenager. In fact, The Huguenot Sword is the first book I ever wrote and I was 16 at the time.

How many books have you written, and what are their titles?

 The Huguenot Sword is the first in a new line of Christian fiction for adults.  There will be a total of nine books in the YA fantasy Allon Series, with five out at present. There is also a Parent Study Guide for Allon Books 1-4.  I wrote this in response to homeschool parents, who use fiction for teaching. Included in the booklet is an outline of the Biblical themes for each book and supporting verses, a list of the main characters and how they relate to the themes and some suggested questions.

Why do you write the type of books that you do?

 I’ve always been an historical fiction buff and history was my favorite subject in school. Writing fantasy wasn’t my choice.  I began Allon in response to my daughter’s request when she was in high school. She didn’t want to read anything too dark and more enjoyed the stories of Lewis and Tolkien, and asked me to write her a story.

When she shared it with her friends at school that Mon was writing her this great epic fantasy, they became interested and came to the house to discuss the story.  Those discussions turned personal and they shared with me their struggles with life issues, but most importantly, their need and desire for hope. The rest of the Allon Series came from those conversations – to address the issues with hope and point to the true source of hope – God. Or as the Allonians call him – Jor’el.

What was your greatest obstacle in writing, and how did you rise above it?

Getting published. It took years before a manuscript was accepted. The first book is exciting, and also validating as a writer. However, when my publisher surprised my agent and me by passing on the rest of the series, I couldn’t let go, not for the kids. So I turned to self-publishing when I asked by readers for the next book.

I agree that the waiting period is tough for most writers--it has been for me as well.  How has writing changed your life?

Being published isn’t what I thought it would be based upon past experiences of other authors I know and my personal knowledge and connection with the industry in Nashville.  The world of publishing has dramatically changed within the last seven years or so.  The most impact came from the ability to self-publish with POD (print on demand) a few years ago, and now the ease of putting out an e-book.

But with all change, there can be pitfalls, and not all is rosy for an author today. More responsibility falls to the author for marketing, and even traditional publishers are less involved then they used to be in helping an author gain an audience by getting the word out.

What Bible scripture has impacted your life the most?

 It’s hard to pinpoint one passage, but I would have to say the Book of Romans, and specifically chapters 5 to 8. Led by the Holy Spirit, Paul is a master at legal argument when presenting the truths of doctrine. But what I find interesting, is that within his arguments he never gives defense of why something is the way it is, only that it is. Example in chapter 8 and dealing with predestination and election, he doesn’t go into an explanation of how they co-exist, just stating the fact that both exist.

I take that approach to Scripture. I will give my reasons for why I believe something based upon Scripture, but I’m not going to argue with someone about words or meaning. God said it, it’s written in His word, therefore it exists. How? I don’t know. I don’t have the mind of God and my human reasoning is limited. This is called faith – to accept what is not clearly understandable. Paul is an example of not wavering even when he doesn’t fully understand, he simply believes.

Who is your favorite author?

Oh dear, you’re forcing me to admit my favorite author is not a Christian author. J Alistair MacLean. He wrote cold war and spy thrillers before Tom Clancy, and managed to keep them clean – no language or sex.  I also enjoyed Taylor Caldwell, Mary Stewart and John Jakes.

Of course, when I was younger there wasn’t a division between secular and Christian markets, nor a YA classification.  You had adult books and kids books, but all were kept clean. It was the rare exception that pushed the envelope or crossed the line, so there was very little fear of reading anything inappropriate.

  

What are some interesting places you’ve lived/visited?

 I’ve visited England, Scotland and Wales. As far as living, born in Brooklyn, New York, lived in Raleigh, North Carolina, St. Petersburg, Florida, several places in California and now in Nashville, Tennessee. Each place is unique in its own way.

It's amazing!  Our paths could have crossed along the way, as I lived in Raleigh for a total of 15 years myself.  I agree--each place is unique, down to the food, accents, and traditions.  

Let's change gears:  what’s one zany thing you’ve ever done?

 Ran after my Ford Mustang when it started rolling down a hill because the gear wasn’t fully in park. Yep, AND wearing a cowboy hat as I tried to put the key in the lock to open the door while holding onto the handle in hopes of stopping it before crashing into a brick wall. I succeeded, but no thanks to my friends, who were holding their sides laughing. Afterwards came the jokes about wrangling a Mustang, taming a bucking bronco, and other, which shall remain secret.

No photos of this event, I presume--and they would certainly be interesting!  I'll leave your secret with you (laughs), and ask about the featured book.

 The Huguenot Sword began as homage to my favorite genre, historical fiction and those swashbuckling movies I loved as a kid.  However, the more I researched the Huguenots, the more I came to respect them and their fight against tyranny and to survive. This wasn’t just about Protestants vs. Catholics, but an attempt to wipe out an entire portion of the French population! Over 100,000 Huguenots were slaughter during the infamous St. Bartholomew Day’s Massacre, just about fifty years early then when The Huguenot Sword takes place.

The story includes the battle and siege of La Rochelle, another turning point in Huguenot and French history. All is told from the view of a group of young Huguenots involved at the Court of Louis XIII. Each day they faced peril, imprisonment or even death. Just meeting to pray or listen to scripture was risky and done in secret.

Today, we Christians in America, or other free Western countries, can’t relate to real, life-threatening persecution, while history of religious conflicts are watered down. These men and women were our forefathers and mothers of the faith, and they paid a price.


They certainly did, and we should be thankful for our freedoms.  I love the cover design, by the way.

Here is your golden opportunity:  what would you wish to say to your readers?

I would encourage readers to support good Christian authors whether traditionally published or self-published.  The publishing system is broken, and not all good writers/authors make it through the maze.  Fortunately, I did to start, but it hasn’t been easy when dropped.  Use discernment in selecting books to read, both personally and for your children. Don’t compromise Christian principles to read the latest, greatest bestseller with questionable morality or value. Jesus said it’s not what goes into the stomach that corrupts, for it is passed out through the body, but what goes into the mind, for what comes out of the mouth comes from the heart. Mark 7:18-23

Using Spiritual Discernment in Selecting Fiction is a topic I will be teaching in event workshops over the course of this year.

I believe your workshop topic is an important one for today.  Let's get people "linked up" to your information--what are your links so readers can find you on the internet?

http://www.allonbooks.com

http://allonbooks-thekingdomofallon.blogspot.com

(I blog about writing and publishing from a Christian viewpoint.)

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000208991898

I can also be found on Goodreads, LinkedIn, Twitter and other forums, almost too numerous to mention.

I certainly enjoyed interviewing you today, Shawn, and I wish you the best with your books.     I urge readers to visit Shawn's links and purchase The Huguenot Sword as well!