Let's meet Virtual Fiction Workshop leader Rachel Good

Inspirational novelist Rachel Good shares insight on writing 

"heartfelt, meaningful romances"

The Southern Christian Writers Conference is hosting its annual Virtual Fiction Workshop on Saturday, December 9, with seven sessions offered on a variety of topics of interest to fiction writers. The "Writing Romance Novels" session will by led by USA Today bestselling author Rachel J. Good.

Rachel grew up near Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, which became the inspiration for many of her Amish novels. In addition to those Amish novels, Rachel has written more than 60 books, including inspirational romance, suspense, and fiction for children and teens. Her novel series include Love & Promises, Sisters & Friends, Heart of Amish Country, and Surprised by Love, and her publishers include Kensington, Charisma, Hachette, and Harlequin.

(To sign up for the Virtual Fiction Workshop and hear from Rachel and other leaders, go to our registration form to reserve your spot. The workshop will take place LIVE in a private Facebook group on Dec. 9 from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.; if you can't watch live, you can access the workshop after on your own schedule.)

We recently talked to Rachel to learn more about her writing, and to get a peek at what her session will offer at the SCWC Virtual Fiction Workshop.

How did you get started writing inspirational romances?

I always read inspirational romances, so when I started writing, my first choice was inspirational romances. Also, for several years, I worked at a small romance publisher as an editor for inspirational romances until they closed that line. After that, I focused on my own writing and attended several writing conferences. I finally got up enough courage to submit my work for critiques. Three agents looked at that manuscript, and one of them, Mary Sue Seymour, offered to represent me.

Tell us about one of your favorite books that you've written, and where the idea for the book or series came from.

I think my favorite novel is Buried Secrets, the second book in the Amish Sisters & Friends series. My sister was in a car accident when she was 16, and when she woke, she had amnesia and didn’t remember her boyfriend. I decided to use that scenario for Emma, my heroine. Unlike my sister, Emma had lived a

wild life and had quite a few secrets she didn’t remember. Three years after the accident, she falls for a nice young man, Sam, but then bits and pieces of her memories return. After a major trauma, she remembers who she was before and all the things she’d done. She knows she isn’t a fit girlfriend for Sam, but she has to tell him why. It's a heart-wrenching story because other characters’ hidden stories come to light, and many of the characters need to ask forgiveness and/or forgive themselves.

One other book that’s close to my heart is Amish Teacher’s Gift, part of the Love & Promises series. The heroine is a teacher in an Amish special needs school. I never knew they had special needs schools until one of my Amish friends was getting ready to send her autistic daughter to one. Of course, I had to research and find out all about the schools also attend other programs available for Amish children with special needs. I changed the main character of my novel to a boy and created different circumstances to keep the little girl’s life private.

What book project are you working on right now?

This week, I turned in book 7 in the Surprised by Love series, Missing Her Amish Boyfriend (Sept. 2024) & “Hitting All the Right Notes,” an anthology story in An Amish Christmas Gathering (Oct. 2024). On my desk, I have galleys for book 6 to go over, and I’m starting book 8, An Unlikely Amish Match. I’m also working on several children’s books, and a Western romance.

What is the first piece of advice you'd give to someone wanting to break into the romance genre?

Read, read, read. Go to conferences, and take as many classes as you can. Join FHL (Faith, Hope, & Love chapter of RWA—Romance Writers of America). Find some critique partners.

What sort of information and inspiration do you hope to impart to attendees of the SCWC virtual workshop?

Because I spent eight years as an editor of inspirational romance, I have insight into what makes a good romance. Many people believe romances are light, airy fiction and are easy to write, but it takes a lot of skill to write a heartfelt, meaningful romance. I hope to give attendees the keys to do that. Also, even for those who don’t intend to write romance, the information I’m sharing can help them write a deeper story.

What role does faith play in your writing life?

To be honest, without my faith, I’d never have become a writer. I believe God directed me every step of the way. When I lost my job as a librarian, a week later, I was offered a scholarship to a multi-day writers workshop. That had to have come from God, because I hadn’t even applied. That miracle started me on my writing journey. I spent years writing for children, then I got into editing. I was thrilled when I was offered a job editing inspirational romances. I thoroughly enjoyed that, so I was heartbroken when the publisher closed the inspirational line to move in a different direction. But, once again, God led me to make a career change, and I began writing my own inspirationals. Looking back, though, I can see how each of my previous jobs prepared me for what I’m doing now.

~~~~~~~

Learn about Rachel Good's writing, and check out her books at her website. 

Read about other leaders of the SCWC Virtual Fiction Workshop at the following blog posts:

Vanessa Griggs ("Plotting your Novel")

Wendy Lanier ("Writing Fiction for Young Readers")

Tiffany Norris ("The Importance of Christian Books")

Sign up for the Virtual Fiction Workshop by using our registration form HERE. Once you've registered, you'll receive confirmation and an email with more information. And join our online community at the SCWC Facebook group.

We look forward to being with you soon!