Interview and Giveaway with Tessa Afshar!

As some of you may remember, I have interviewed Tessa Afshar one other time, about her wonderful book Pearl in the Sand. I loved that book, and when I heard that she was soon coming out with another book, called Harvest of Rubies, I was delighted to invite her for another interview! Read my review of Pearl in the Sand, and my first interview with Tessa. Also, coming soon, my review of Harvest of Rubies! Make sure you read to the bottom for the giveaway.

Hello, Tessa! I’m so glad to be welcoming you to Austenitis again. :) Would you please begin by re-introducing yourself?

Charity, it’s a pleasure to be visiting Austenitis again. What a fabulous title your blog has. The first time I read Jane Austen was whilst attending an all girls boarding school in England. We had to study Pride and Prejudice for exams. I have loved her ever since, though I didn’t like taking the exam.

I am a chocolate-loving, bookoholic. A bit of food, a true friend or two, a good book, and I’ll purr like a cat. 

I have lived on four continents and been a citizen of three countries. I feel truly blessed for the diverse experiences in my past, which have taught me that the greatest privilege in my life is to be a citizen of heaven.

Awww, thanks! I too have loved Jane Austen for quite a while! And how interesting to be in a girls' boarding school...will have to ask you more about that someday. :)Please tell us a little bit about the plot of Harvest of Rubies, your newest book that comes out on May 1.

Thank you for asking, Charity. Harvest of Rubies is the story of Sarah, the prophet Nehemiah's fictional cousin who can speak several languages, keep complex accounts, write on tablets of clay, and solve mysteries. As a result, the talented Sarah is catapulted into the center of the Persian court—working long hours, rubbing elbows with royalty, and becoming the queen's favorite scribe. Yet a devastating past has left Sarah with two conclusions: that God does not love her, and that her achievements are the measure of her worth—a measure she can never quite live up to.

And then she meets Darius Pasargadae, a man accustomed to having his way. A wealthy and admired aristocrat, the last thing he expects is a wife who scorns him. Throw two such different people together and the sparks fly as Sarah learns to overcome the idols that bind her. 

How long did your research take for this book?

Over a year! The ancient Persian culture is a complex and mysterious world. In recent years, scholars have made important breakthroughs in their study of the Persian Empire. I had to become familiar with these discoveries, while also studying Nehemiah in the Bible.

Why did you decide to write a story involving Nehemiah?

I had committed to writing three biblical novels that involved the symbol of walls. My first novel, Pearl in the Sand, dealt with Rahab, a woman who literally lived in a wall. Nehemiah, as the rebuilder of the walls of Jerusalem, was another obvious choice. But as I began to write Harvest of Rubies, my main character, Sarah, took over. Her personality was so compelling that I had no choice but to tell her story, and tackle the walls that surrounded her world. In the follow-up novel, Harvest of Gold, I will tell the story of Sarah and her husband as they accompany Nehemiah to Jerusalem.

Is there any special story about the cover?

River North (the fiction arm of Moody Publishing) wanted to create a brand around me. So although Harvest of Rubies is not a follow-up to Pearl in the Sand, the two covers are clearly connected. The idea is that any potential reader would be able to pick up the book and know immediately that Tessa Afshar is the writer.

Actor you would like to play the role of your characters?

I think of Sarah as Kate Winslet (when she hasn’t been on some Hollywood super diet) with dark hair and eyes.

I wasn't able to find the right kind of picture, but y'all get the idea. :) What is the biggest thing you’d like a reader to take away from Harvest of Rubies?

Sarah is an immensely talented woman. But her achievements have become the measure of her worth. I think this is a dilemma that modern men and women struggle with as well. What we do becomes who we are. Harvest of Rubies asks the primal question of identity: who are we? What gives us value? Do we live as if we believe our own theology?

This novel also grapples with human pain: how do we deal with a good God who sometimes allows bad things to happen (even if He may not be the author of them.)

 Do you have another book in the works yet?

I am working on the sequel to Harvest of Rubies, which is called Harvest of Gold.

Oh yay! I can't wait to read either of those books. :) What’s your favorite classic book?

Jane Eyre.

Great book. Thanks so much for coming, Tessa! Where can fans find you on the internet?

Charity, thank you so much for inviting me to hang out with you. It’s been an absolute pleasure. If you would like to visit me on my website, the address is http://www.tessaafshar.com/ or visit me on my Facebook author page where there is always some new discussion going on: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Tessa-Afshar/337761827820?ref=ts

Short Author Bio:

Tessa Afshar was voted “New Author of the Year” by the Family Fiction sponsored Reader’s Choice Award 2011 for her novel Pearl in the Sand. She was born in Iran, and lived there for the first fourteen years of her life. She moved to England where she survived boarding school for girls and fell in love with Jane Austen and Charlotte Bronte, before moving to the United States permanently. Her conversion to Christianity in her twenties changed the course of her life forever. Tessa holds an MDiv from Yale University where she served as cochair of the Evangelical Fellowship at the Divinity School. She has spent the last thirteen years in full-time Christian work.

Back to me! And yes, there's a giveaway!

You could win your very own copy of Harvest of Rubies! Trust me, this is exciting. :)

Want to enter? Tell me (because I'm curious) which Bible character you'd most like to see a Biblical fiction about. Not necessarily a main character either...it could be someone who's only briefly mentioned.

You can also get some extra entries by...

+2 -- following Austenitis.

+3 -- blogging about this giveaway.

+2 -- adding this blog to your Google+ circle (see the button thingy on the side-bar, or look it up as Austenitis in Google+).

+1 -- if you've read Pearl in the Sand. :)

Go ahead and enter now! This giveaway closes on April 24. Open to anyone in the US. Good luck!