So this past month I had the honor of interviewing Author Rena Groot she is really sweet and we share similar taste in books! Scroll down to see all about her new book Rose!
What is your favorite book that you have written (Published or Unpublished), and why?
A Life set Free is my favorite because it is a story of God’s amazing kindness—His unfailing love and mercy—to someone society could have easily discarded.
How do you pick your characters personalities, or looks?
They just develop. I see them so I just have to describe what I see.
What is your favorite genre to read? What is your favorite genre to write? And why are they your favorites?
I love reading non-fictional books about how amazing God is—books like Bruchko and Through Gates of Splendor. Then, I use the genre of fiction to share these eternal principles—to make them winsome to readers—principles like purity, integrity, honesty, courage. As I weave those principles into my stories, I believe God will weave them into the readers’ hearts.
What inspires you the most?
God. Knowing that one day I will stand before Him and give an account of my life. I want to be found faithful. What did I do with the talents He gave me? Did I use them for His glory? It scares me a bit, because I have been given so much, so I know much is required. I want to hear, “Well done, good and faithful servant. Enter into the joy of your LORD.”
Once an idea takes root, how long does it take you to write it down?
Moments…
Do you have a favorite author? Or someone whom you would say has influenced your writing style?
God, Brodie & Brock Thoene, A.W. Tozer, Andrew Murray, Elizabeth Elliot, C.S. Lewis, Janette Oke…to name a few.
What are your hobbies other than writing?
I am an artist, I host Lavender Lane B & B, I have an online course to encourage women—especially women who feel they aren’t enough—called Broken to Beautiful (rena-groot.mykajabi.com), I like to garden (a bit), have people over for meals, sometimes I like to go fishing or for walks and hikes.
Do you have a genre that you would never write? (In the Christian genre sphere i.e. speculative, historical, contemporary, etc.)
I would not say “never” as God seems to use my nevers to challenge me and push me beyond what I consider possible. I suspect that’s how I ended up in China for sixteen months…
What is one thing in your life that you would say has had the greatest impact on your writing? Or in your life in general?
I am sure you already know what I’m going to say. God has had the greatest impact on my life—my writing—my everything! Without Him I wouldn’t be breathing.
Lastly, what was your favorite book growing up?
I absolutely loved the Frog and Toad stories by Arnold Lobel. I could relate to Frog. I am also a hopeless romantic, like Anne from Anne of Green Gables.
Thank you, Rena for taking the time to let me interview you! It was a pleasure learning more about you!
About the Book
Book: Rose
Author: Rena Groot
Genre: Christian Historical Romantic Fiction
Release date: April 28, 2022
Strong, determined Rose finds more than she bargained for on a wagon train headed out West on the Oregon Trail. Will she be able to leave the comforts of high society behind to survive the rigors of the trail? Will she humbly admit her need for strength, hope and courage from God? What is God saying to her about Lachlan, her surprise chaperone? Why did God bring Lachlan into her life if their dreams collide? Rose has dreams of being a teacher in town. Lachlan’s dream is to be a rancher, far from any town. Must Rose abandon her dreams to embrace his…or will she let this gentle giant of a man leave to pursue his own dreams?
Click here to get your copy!
About the Author
Hi. My name is Rena Groot. I have a Bachelor of Education from the University of Alberta and a Masters of Religious Education from the Canadian Southern Baptist Seminary in Cochrane, Alberta. I have been a teacher in Canada and China, have published eight books, I have designed a digital course called Broken to Beautiful-Transformed By God’s Power, I have been a tour manager from the Rockies to the Pacific, have been a missionary to the ends of the Earth, a mom of four—and the most important part—I am a child of God.
More from Rena
My middle name is Rose. I was named after my grandmother, Rose. As far as I know, I never met my father’s mother, Rose. Her life, and my dad’s, were an enigma to me. While writing this book I found out Rose had two other grandchildren I knew nothing about—my brother and sister I didn’t know existed. God is so amazing! (This is attached to the email)
One of my favorite recipes is fry bread. On days we stay in camp, I make enough for the week. It gets a bit hard towards the end of the week, but softens when it’s dipped in stew. Here’s the recipe: Four cups flour, one quarter cup shortening—I use bacon fat—four teaspoons baking powder, three-quarters cup of milk, one teaspoon salt, and oil or fat for frying. If the dough is too thick or thin, Willow said to play with it until it feels just right. It can also be made into a dessert if you put milk, cinnamon, and berries on top.
Johnnycake’s delicious with beans. It’s so easy to make. You need two eggs, two cups of sour milk, one half cup flour, two tablespoons molasses, one teaspoon salt, two cups cornmeal, one teaspoon baking powder, and two tablespoons butter. You mix all the ingredients then bake it in a Dutch oven over the fire until it’s cooked.
Cheese is easy to make. It’s a good way to use the two gallons of milk we get from our cow and the goat each day. We are getting so much we have been sharing. Willow showed me how to gently heat the milk in a pail on the fire until it’s blood warm. Rennet is needed to make cheese, so I use a flask made from a cow’s stomach because it has rennet in it. I had no idea. I pour the hot milk into the stomach flask and wait. After it’s been left a few hours, I pour it out, break up the curds, and mix them with salt. I wrap the curds in a cloth and put them in a round wooden frame called “the follower.” (Thankfully, Lachlan had the good sense to buy one of those also). The curds are pressed in the follower. The cheese is usually aged for at least two months before it can be eaten.
Sounds great! Good luck on your tour!
Thank you for sharing your interview, bio and book details, I have enjoyed reading about you and your work and I am looking forward to reading Rose