The Frontiersman's Daughter

Author: Laura Frantz
Located in: Port Angeles, WA
Submitted: March 13, 2009

    Tell us a little about yourself.  I was born and raised in Kentucky but am currently living in Washington state with my husband, Randy, and our two sons, Wyatt and Paul. I've felt called to write since age 7 - this must sound strange as what little kid even knows what an author is or does?! Still, I loved books even at that tender age and my first story was about ships. At 13 I wrote my first novel about a colonial girl in Old Sturbridge Village after vacationing with my family there. I've been writing ever since!

    What was your motivation behind this project?  The Frontiersman's Daughter is really a composite of my Kentucky childhood - a medley of family lore, the history of the region, and my own imaginings growing up a Kentuckian. The lead character, Lael, is really the girl I dreamed of being though she lived 200 plus years ago.

    What do you hope folks will gain from this project?  I hope that readers will feel pursued by the Saviour as Lael was in the novel. God's hand was on her life even before she knew Him - blessing her, protecting her, guiding her. It would be a huge blessing if readers could know how much more God loves them than a fictional character.

    How were you personally impacted by working on this project?  I realized how much my childhood was woven into this book - my love for Kentucky where I was born and raised. I think writing this book healed some of the broken places in my life.

    Who are your influences, sources of inspiration or favorite authors / artists?  There are so many gifted writers out there but I believe my favorite is James Alexander Thom. If you've ever read "Follow the River" you know what I mean. I recently wrote him and told him how much his work has impacted me. He was gracious enough to write back and spoke very candidly about his life and work. I treasure this letter and have all his books. I think Liz Curtis Higgs and Francine Rivers are masters. Jane Eyre was the only book I've ever read twice, other than the best book of all time, the Bible.

    Anything else you'd like readers / listeners to know:  I feel blessed beyond measure to write books. I hope readers are doubly blessed reading them.

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