Lisa Norato Interview

LISA NORATO is the author of PRIZE OF MY HEART, published by BETHANY HOUSE, March 1, 2012. Lisa Norato is also the author of two romances previously published by Five Star Publishing.  Her website is http://www.lisanorato.com. She is a brand new member of Colonial American Christian Writers and we are so happy to have her in our group!

Lisa, what got you interested in the colonial time period?

I grew up on the New England coast, exposed to and influenced by its rich history and folklore.  I went on school trips to living history museums like Plimoth Plantation (depicting 17^th century Pilgrim life in Plymouth, Massachusetts) and weekend outings to Old Sturbridge Village (depicting early New England life from 1790-1840).  As I grew older, summers always included day trips to historic Newport, where on one occasion I toured a eighteenth-century replica of Captain Cook’s square-rigged ship Endeavor, and family vacations on Cape Cod, including a visit to the Whydah Pirate Museum in Provincetown filled artifacts of the 1717 pirate wreck.  With this long-engrained appreciation for the time period, a New England early American setting seemed the natural choice for my work. 

What inspired your latest colonial work?

Prize of My Heart began with the idea of a man searching for his lost son, the most precious thing in the world to him.  As I thought it over, I was reminded of the Biblical story of Abraham and Isaac.  What if he were forced to choose between the son he loved and obeying God?

The novel takes place during New England’s Federal period.  Like most romantics, I’m inspired by the works of Jane Austen.  I love the Regency era, but I knew for my own story, I wanted my characters to be American.  At the end of the war of 1812, well-built sailing vessels were very much in demand in America, and by this time Duxbury, Massachusetts, had developed into one of the country’s leading shipbuilding centers.  My heroine’s home is actually modeled after the King Caesar house, the Federal style mansion of shipbuilder and merchant, Ezra Weston II built in 1809.  During this time, Lloyds of London named him owner of the largest trading company and fleet of ships in America.  The house is preserved and owned by the Duxbury Rural & Historical Society and is opens for tours.

Do you have a favorite colonial place you like to visit and why?

I work in downtown Providence, Rhode Island, where I love walking along nearby Benefit Street.  Benefit Street is its own outdoor history museum, as it’s lined with historical architecture dating from the 1780s and includes churches and residences, from elegant mansions to modest homes, all built in the period’s Federal style.  In keeping with the period architecture, the front doors to these dwellings open up onto the sidewalk.  If not for automobiles parked on the narrow street, the view is literally like glimpsing back in time 150 to 200 years.  Most of the buildings have plaques outside their doors to indicate the year they were built and other interesting information.

Giveaway:  Leave a comment for a chance to win a copy of Lisa’s new release!!!