Writers Wednesday with Kristy Cambron

What was your favorite book as a child?

I wish I’d been one of those youngsters who could boast of being a bookworm in my early years. But God hooked me in another way—through visual storytelling. For the kid whose dream it was to become a Disney animator (but whose hands weren’t gifted to draw, paint or sculpt. . .), I fell in love with stories in art and history books largely because I thought I couldn’t create like other artists had. The collector’s edition of The Illusion of Life: Disney Animation by Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston is now out of print, but it stands out as the one book that God used to change my life and make me believe I could be an artist—I’d just end up painting with words!

What book did you read that first made you want to be an author?

Without question, it was Night by Elie Wiesel. The words were haunting. Powerful. Unforgettable. . . I first read this book while researching the art of concentration camps for my undergrad degree in Art History/Research Writing. The words on these pages imprinted on my heart in such a way that when I knew God was calling me to write, it spilled out more than a decade later as my debut novel, The Butterfly and the Violin.

What was the last book you read, just for fun?

I’ve got to change this up a bit and confess the book I’m into now is a guilty pleasure. . . To Best the Boys by Mary Weber. It might seem uncharacteristic for a historical fiction author, but I absolutely LOVE reading YA fiction! Give me a good fairytale retelling, a fantasy world, or a futuristic dystopian society and I’m happy as a clam to get lost in the pages. Mary Weber is one of the absolute best at crafting story worlds that grip and don’t let go.

What books are currently on your nightstand?

Confession: I’ve got a wicked-tall stack of books in my TBR pile. (Don’t we all?) Because I couldn’t possibly list them all, here’s a short-stack of the books demanding my attention right now:

Fav author list read: To Best the Boys by Mary Weber
Fav fiction: Becoming Mrs. Lewis by Patti Callahan
Fav nonfiction: Don’t Give Up by Kyle Idleman
Fav research book: Les Parisiennes by Anne Sebba

What upcoming release are you most looking forward to?

There are two—and they just happen to be written by dear author sisters of mine. Not only are these women completely talented writers (each with a wholly unique voice!), but they are genuinely beautiful souls. I would read anything they write even if I weren’t privileged to call them friends:

The Governess of Penwythe Hall by Sarah E. Ladd
The Printed Letter Bookshop by Katherine Reay

Kristy Cambron is an award-winning author of historical fiction, including her bestselling debut The Butterfly and the Violin, and an author of Bible studies, including the Verse Mapping Series. Kristy is a Women’s Ministry Leader at Southeast Christian Church in Louisville, KY, and a passionate storyteller who travels to speak at events across the country, encouraging women to experience a deeper life in the Word through verse mapping. Her work has been named to Publishers Weekly Religion & Spirituality TOP 10, Library Journal Reviews’ Best Books, RT Reviewers’ Choice Awards, received

A storied castle. A band of rebels. A nation chasing a centuries-old dream of freedom. And three women who rise above it all…

When Laine Forrester travels overseas to attend her best friend’s vineyard wedding, she expects to find the bride on the brink of a fairy-tale life. But after a series of unforeseen setbacks, it seems the storybook lives they’d imagined are suddenly ripping apart.

With hopes of resurrecting a happy ending, Laine agrees to accompany the newlyweds to the groom’s home in Ireland—never expecting she’d be the one drawn in by its wide-open moors, backroads bordering the Irish Sea, and a mysterious castle that dares to keep its secrets hidden.

From the storied streets of Dublin to the shores of the Emerald Isle, Laine is drawn into the land and its rich history. The castle ruins whisper stories of Issy—a photojournalist battling through the 1916 Easter Rising, and Maeve—the castle’s lady of legend, fighting for survival through the 1798 rebellion that started it all.

Spanning more than two centuries, Castle on the Rise unites the legacy of three women who must risk mending the broken places within for life, love, and the belief that even through the depths of our pain, a masterpiece of a story can emerge.

Purchase a copy of Castle on the Rise
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