Author Interview with Abbigail Raine B.!

Today I’m so excited to share an interview with an incredible author and friend, Abbigail Raine B.! She was recently published in an anthology called Seize the Night, her short story A Voice in the Night being featured in it! I can’t WAIT to read it, and hope you’ll get to read it too! But in the meantime, pull out the candy canes and hot cocoa and enjoy this interview!

The Interview

Hi Abbigail! I’m so excited to interview you! To begin with, share a little about yourself and what sparked your writing journey?

Thanks, Saraina! Well, I’m a quiet, Christian gal who pretty much devours books in my spare time and I enjoy writing, playing music, serving in my church, and hanging with my family. 

My writing journey began when I was about eight. For some reason, I loved how paper scrolls looked, so I would ‘write’ stories and roll them up with a hair elastic to keep them rolled. (I can’t promise those stories are worth remembering!) In high school, one of our semester projects was to write a short story… let’s just say mine was the longest short story. I found that I loved writing stories from my imagination and decided to write for myself outside of school. A few weeks after that, I wrote my first complete book, a fantasy novel. Since then, things have taken off!

(Aww! That is wonderful. And I do love paper scrolls 😆) I know you write a lot of historical fiction, and your upcoming novel, The Guardian, is in that genre! What do you love most about historical fiction? 

I do! I love that I can explore the past through books, and while I love researching history, I find it more enjoyable when reading fiction and relating to characters living in that time period. While that time period may have been different from todays world, I love that you can still relate to characters and real struggles and problems they may have, whether spiritual or external. And also learning something from that time period sweetens the deal!

(Exactly! I completely agree!) Which time period most intrigues you?

Ooh, that’s a tough one! I love all kinds of time periods, but I’ll have to say right now, Colonial America is my favorite time period (however, that’s liable to change!) I discovered Laura Frantz last year and she writes incredible Christian fiction and romance set in the 1700s, and her books are amazing! I doubt I would have discovered the Colonial era without her books. 

(Ahh yes, her books are SO GOOD!) Are you a discovery writer or an outliner, or a mix of both?

Hmm… I think I’m a  bit of both. Usually I can write without a ‘roadmap’ and see where it will go. Recently though, I’ve started to outline a bit, especially when I get a tidbit of an idea that I can use later on in the story. Do I always follow the outline? *shrugs* sometimes. It just depends how the story is going and if I feel like it needs some mixing up.

(*raises hand* I relate with that XD) What’s your process for creating characters? Do you have a favorite kind of character to write?  

Ooh, great question! For a while, I wanted to write headstrong female characters, but recently I’ve also started to write quieter characters. I usually choose a name (that doesn’t always fit the time period, actually… oops!) then I figure out what their personality could be. Does she take charge of things and run headlong into challenges? Is she a quieter, soft-spoken woman who takes charge in her own way? What kind of things will she struggle with? From there, I start to  write and see where the characters take me!

(I have that same problem with names 😂) Who are the authors that have inspired your voice in different ways? How can you see their influence in your writing?

Ooh, another great question! And a bit of a tough one, haha! I’d probably say one of them is Janette Oke. Her books are the ones that actually got me into reading, and I loved ‘living through’ the characters lives. I’d say she influenced me in that she made a small part of history come alive and that her characters go through life the same way we do nowadays (struggling with trusting God, frustration with difficult people, fear of letting your loved ones go, etc.)

Another author would probably be Karen Witemeyer. When the lovely Covid locked us down in 2020, her books actually kept me from falling back into depression. I loved – again – how her characters struggle with the same things we do and how they can overcome those struggles. It’s also kinda nice to see those Texas heroes and heroines find love during the course of her books! She influences me probably by making spiritual hills and valleys something everyone goes through, and making sure that there’s no ‘perfect’ character she or he does nothing wrong. We’re all broken sinners redeemed by our Savior and its great to see that in Christian fiction. 

(Mmm, yes! I’ve got to read their books!!) How do you incorporate your faith into your stories?

I try to incorporate my faith by either using something I struggle with or what I notice others may struggle with. I also try to incorporate the Bible in some way, although now I do it with more care since I don’t want to take scripture out of context and be a stumbling block to others. I want to show others that our faith doesn’t have to just be a Sunday thing and can – and should – be at the forefront of our lives every day of the week.

(YES, so true!) Your short story, A Voice in the Night, is featured in the recently released Seize the Night anthology! What inspired that story, and how was the process of writing it?

Yes! Well, we had beautiful picture prompts to choose from and there was one that just stood out to me: a father is holding his child close and is kissing the baby’s head. (You can actually find it on my Pinterest board). I melted at the picture and created a doc that included the picture along with the rules and guidelines. Then I kinda stopped. I wasn’t sure where I would go with the story. But I did have some questions. Why would the father be holding his baby so close and so tenderly, aside from being a loving father? What lead to this beautiful picture? 

About a week before submissions were due, I started to work on it and met the main character named Oliver. His struggle with the past and forgiveness was something I thought was an important message, especially with him searching for his missing son. (I will admit something: I actually didn’t know it was supposed to be a Christmas themed story *shrugs sheepishly* It wasn’t until I was about to submit it that I reread the guidelines and realized it needed a holiday theme. So I did a quick fix and surprisingly, my short story was accepted into the anthology!)

The process was… pretty quick, actually. I think it took me a couple days to work out the plot kinks, and I told myself to just write it, even though I felt it was sort of improbable for a short story. 

(WOW! Congratulations!! Lol, I honestly love that you really started working on it at the last minute, and you got accepted! So inspiring, because sometimes there’s a misconception that you need a ton of time to write and finish and polish the story before you can show it to anyone…but it just may be that it’s already wonderful as it is, even if you still edit it more afterwards.)

Can you share a bit (*coughs*  or a lot… 😉) about your current WIP?

For sure! I’m working on a few different projects, but the ones at the front of my mind are the second book in my Three Sisters series. It follows one of Felix’s sisters and despite having a bit of an outline, her sister is proving to be difficult! But I’m slowly and surely making progress on that one. 

My other project is a few short stories and novelettes. Its a bit of a secret project that I’m hoping to share in 2023 sometime, however I’ll probably do a bit of a sneakpeak after The Guardian releases!

(AHH! I am so excited!!!) What are your writing-related hopes for the future?

Hmm… probably that God continues to give me the words and that I can share more about faith with other women and readers. I’m not too concerned with how many books I’ll publish, but more than I’ll share godly, faith-filled content that will be an encouragement to others. 

(I love that!) What do you like to do when you’re not writing?

When I’m not writing – which doesn’t happen alot – I’m either reading, listening to music, or playing music with my family. 

(Music is the best. *grins*) What would you tell a struggling writer?

Don’t stop! God has given you the gift to write and you having something of worth to share with others. It will be tough and you’ll want to stop, but don’t give up. Take a bit of a break and refresh yourself. Take a walk. Reconnect with friends and family. Play some upbeat music. And remember that someday, God will put your words in someone’s hands at the right time. 

(AMEN! That encouragement is priceless!) Thank you so much for letting me interview you, Abbigail! 💖

You’re welcome! Thank you for having me! 

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Thank you again for your lovely answers, Abbigail!

About the Author

About Seize the Night Anthology

An Anthology Honoring the Birth of the Savior

When Oliver is offered help in the search for his son, will he answer the Voice in the night and the forgiveness extended to him?

A lifetime of inferiority; a mistake with tragic consequences—can anything convince Brett that he isn’t too young for Christmas, after all?

A baking mistake pushes a perfectionist out of her comfort zone.

Sometimes forgiveness takes love, patience, and being stranded in a snowstorm.

A young girl struggles to understand Christmas is all about God walking with us through the darkness and making it bright.

Two siblings hurting thousands of miles apart. Will a kindly hero make a way for them to reunite?

A wounded prisoner and a little girl teach us about having a Real Christmas.

During the Christmas of 1945, Lane Mueller just wants to get home but getting from Los Angeles to Amarillo is no easy task when going home is what everyone else wants too.

Featuring various genres sure to please the whole family.

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Have you read Seize the Night anthology yet? What draws you to historical fiction, if you love it too? Is there a certain time period that most intrigues you? Have you read anything by Karen Witemeyer yet? (I need to!) What was your favorite of Abbigail’s answers?