Author Interview: Meredith Resce

Continuing my Author Interview Series, this month I'm interviewing an Australian author whose mantra is to write stories that encourage and inspire, engage and entertain!  Meredith Resce is no newbie on the Christian fiction scene, with more than 25 titles to her name, she writes across multiple genres and is also a generous supporter of the Australian Christian writing community! In fact, that's where I first met Meredith: at an Omega Writers conference, and have since had the privilege to work alongside her organising various events for writers. I've also enjoyed reading some of her novels. (Can I just put a plug in here for her Luella Linley series? They are such fun.) It was exciting to be able to ask her some questions about her writing, especially as she's launching a new book this month!

Penny: You write across a variety of genres, Meredith. How exactly would you sum up your author brand?
Meredith: Eclectic. Even though all advice from writer experts is that I should have a defined and recognisable brand, I didn’t get that memo until it was too late. I started out with historical Australian period drama romance. Then, because my creative imagination knows no bounds, I wrote a fantasy allegory, a time-travel adventure, a murder mystery and a crime/political thriller. Of recent times I have been writing mainly contemporary Christian romance.   

Penny: Does your Christian faith impact how you write, and if so, in what ways?
Meredith: I would say that my Christian faith, which is an integral part of who I am, always influences how I write. But that doesn’t always mean I will include scripture, prayer or theological discussion. Occasionally, this will emerge through the course of a story, but only if it is what the character would naturally do. On other occasions, there will be themes of redemption, hope, forgiveness, resilience, reconciliation, each working out in the characters’ lives according to the situation they find themselves. Sometimes the characters are obviously Christian, at other times they operate with Christian values, but it isn’t explicitly stated that they are Christian. But my faith fosters the ideas of forgiveness, redemption, hope and reconciliation. It is always going to come out somehow or other.

'My faith fosters the ideas of forgiveness, redemption, hope and reconciliation'.
- Meredith Resce

Penny: Tell us about your most recent book and what you love most about it?
Meredith: My most recent title ‘My Achy Broken Heart’ is the 17th title in the Trinity Lakes Romance series. This is the third and final of my contributions to this multi-author series. When I first joined the series, I did so understanding that all stories were to be set in the fictional US small-town, Trinity Lakes. It has been a delightful challenge, me trying to Americanize both my turn of phrase and spelling. The group leaders allowed that we would be able to have Aussie characters, and because there is an extraordinarily large number of Aussie expats on Trinity Lakes, we have an Aussie café, and even an Australian festival. However, during the writing, I had to remember that most of my characters were American, and we were in America. For this new title ‘My Achy Broken Heart’, I have brought my character back to the small town in Australia where her family had spent five years during her childhood. I love how, in this story, I have scenes set in both rural Australia and small-town USA, and I allowed myself to become more Aussie during the Australian scenes. 

Penny: Were there any lessons you personally learned during the writing of this particular book? Meredith: During the writing of this book (and the one prior, ‘Over the Rainbow’) I’ve had to consider the impact of traditional conservative attitudes, and sometimes that impact hasn't always been positive, but could even be regarded as damaging. It is a fine line to walk, particularly when I’m pitching to a predominantly conservative reading audience. I have had to be so careful, thoughtfully examining the old attitude and the doctrine behind it, and what it might mean to a character who has fallen fowl of certain standards. In these stories, my character has been brought up with traditional conservative values and is now facing the harsh consequences of making a stupid mistake.  I hope readers will walk the painfully difficult journey with my character, and learn something new about God’s grace – that we are not saved of our own works, but by our faith in the redemptive work of Jesus Christ. 

"'I hope readers will walk the painfully difficult journey with my character, and learn something new about God’s grace."
- Meredith Resce

​Penny: What's an author you love to read, and why?
Meredith: To be honest, lately, I have done more reading of my friends, particularly those in the Trinity Lakes Romance series, and I do enjoy their work. Amanda Deed, Jenny Glazebrook, Carolyn Miller and debut author, Iola Goulton (who is also my editor). Outside of these usual suspects, I have enjoyed Susan May Warren, Jody Hedlund, Colleen Coble, Rosanna White, Julie Klassen.
As to the why I have enjoyed them: I like stories that are engaging and well written, and with all these authors, that is the case. There is a mix of genres represented here, so it’s not just the genre, but it is the ability to tell a good story. 

Penny: For more information about Meredith and her writing life, visit   www.meredithresce.com 
Or pop over here to purchase a copy of her newest book, 'My Achy Broken Heart', a small town, friends-to-more romance that spans to both sides of the globe. 
"To escape the gossip and judgement following a monumental mistake, Lucy flies down under to hide at her brother, Caleb’s, remote country home in Australia. The last thing she needs is to find a new relationship. Caleb’s mate, Will, is in the same place – reeling following a horrible breakup. And friendship might be okay... But when Lucy has to return to Trinity Lakes to face the consequences of her decisions, Will snatches the opportunity to take an overseas trip and help Lucy out at the same time. At least, that’s what he tells himself."