Q&A with Author Kathleen Fuller Readers love your believable, realistic characters and the real-life challenges they face. How do you create characters who seem like real people? I’ve always been a people person and a people watcher, and I think those observational skills have been key in developing realistic characters. My stories play out like movies in my head, and I actually hear the characters speaking the dialogue before I write it. That probably sounds weird to everyone but writers! I also have a life-long interest in psychology and how people think and feel and react, and that helps a lot when I’m creating a character. I’m always reading and researching about psychology, and I would be doing that even if I wasn’t a writer—I actually majored in psychology for a while in college and received a minor in it. But ultimately it has to do with me being interested in people, and I translate that to my writing. Many of your Amish stories and novels deal with love stories of characters at all ages and stages in life. Why is it important to you to write about characters with unconventional love stories? There are many reasons I do that, but probably the biggest driving force is that my own love story with my husband was unconventional: we met at ballroom dancing lessons! It might sound corny, but it was love at first sight for me, so when I write characters that get that “bolt of lightning” feeling when they meet their future love interest, I’m writing from a real perspective. We’ve been married for almost twenty-seven years (as of this writing) and we’re still going strong. It’s also fun as a writer to come up with novel situations for characters, even if the romance aspect of the book is predictable in that the characters are always going to get together, at least in my books. It’s not so much the end result as it is the journey to get there. Your works also deal with characters who struggle with mental health, chronic illness, and other challenges. How do you convey these challenges realistically, yet in a way that leaves readers feeling hopeful? I’m a born optimist. My faith is also very important to me, and I find hope in that. Since these are key aspects of myself, it’s easy to transfer that optimism and faith to my characters. We’re surrounded by so much pessimism in our world. Some call it realism, some also say that optimism is foolish because you have to ignore reality to be optimistic. I disagree with both, and I want that reflected in my stories. We’ve all known people who have faced incredible odds and challenges and have come out on the other side stronger than ever. A lot of times that has to do with attitude and faith. My hope is that people see that in my books and translate it to their own lives. Sometimes it’s difficult being an eternal optimist, and there are times when I struggle with my faith. But I wouldn’t give up either of those parts of my character and life—they get me through the world, just like they get my characters through their stories.
✔ Author(s): Kathleen Fuller
✔ Title: An Unbroken Heart (An Amish of Birch Creek Novel)
✔ Rating : 4.7 out of 5 base on (768 reviews)
✔ ISBN-10: 0310353645
✔ ISBN-13: 9780310353645
✔ Language: English
✔ Format ebook: PDF, EPUB, Kindle, Audio, HTML and MOBI
✔ Device compatibles: Android, iOS, PC and Amazon Kindle
Readers' opinions about An Unbroken Heart by Kathleen Fuller
Beata Shepard
What a rollercoaster of emotions! I laughed, cried, and everything in between. The author's ability to evoke such raw feelings is truly commendable. It's a story that will stay with me forever.
Daphne Garner
The way this book explored the complexities of human nature and relationships was both profound and relatable. It touched my heart in ways I didn't expect.
Kara Snyder
The author's ability to evoke a wide range of emotions through their words is truly remarkable. I felt like I was on an emotional rollercoaster throughout the entire book.
