ASK THE AUTHOR: Yvonne Lehman

Latest project: Hearts That Survive: A Novel of the Titanic (March).

Publisher: Abingdon Press.

Have you always been interested in the Titanic, and did your interest grow in writing this book? Both. Such a tragedy and disaster are events that touch the heart and mind and remind us that we are not in control in this life, no matter how much expertise goes into a project, and the Titanic was a wonder of the world in 1912. I’m always interested in what are called “man-made, natural or act of God” tragedies and disasters. My interest grew as I learned more about how people react in time of tragedy, the fear and the nobility of the human spirit, the natural instinct to call upon God [and] acknowledge Him, at least when all else fails.

Why do you think there is such a fascination with the Titanic? People are naturally fascinated with tragedy, perhaps because we all are so closely akin to it, personally or with those close to us. We tend to want the answer to “Why?” Being a writer, I know there must always be conflict in a story. That’s what readers expect and must have in novels. It’s what we have in life. We identify with difficulties whether they’re labeled big or small. We seek answers. I think we want to know why such a thing as the sinking occurred.

How did the plot unfold? Like a miracle. The acceptance of the proposal came almost too late for me to be able to write it. From the moment I asked Ramona Richards (editor with Abingdon), “Would you like a book about the Titanic?” and she said, “Yes,” the only thing on my mind was this book. I’ve never written so much in so short a time. I’ve never had characters come alive so quickly and so completely. I’ve never felt the flow of creativity, nor the presence of God in writing, as much as I did while writing this book. The characters let me know how they felt from the moment Ramona said, “Yes,” and my fingers stayed on the keyboard every possible waking moment for weeks. This is my 50th novel, but in so many ways it feels like a first. 

If you had to describe Hearts That Survive in two or three words, what would you say? I prefer to choose the description from what my endorsers say, which includes: “Wonderful. Chilling. Compelling.”