E.B. Roshan Interview

Q: Let me start with asking you to tell us a little bit about yourself.
A. I’m E.B. Roshan and I’m delighted to be able to share a little bit about me and my books with you all today. In addition to being an author, I’m wife to an exceptional man and mother to two sons. After spending several years living in the Middle East and Asia, our family has settled in Missouri.

Q: When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?
A. I’ve been writing nearly all my life. When I was very young, I would write letters, that were really just wobbly scribbles, to my great-grandmother telling her about what I was doing. Writing runs in my family, I think. Nearly everyone seems to enjoy doing it on some level.

Q: Could you give us the highlights of your professional writing career including how you got your first writing break?
A. Well, I’m by no means a professional writer, so my writing is definitely a recreation, not a career. I love finding new readers, and it’s fun to sell the occasional book, but if I was trying to turn my writing endeavors into a full-fledged business, I don’t think I’d enjoy them nearly so much. Writing keeps my brain fresh and active in a way that washing muddy shoes or picking grains of rice out of the rug just doesn’t. Other moms who are also authors out there know what I’m talking about, I’m sure.

Q: Would you tell us about your current book release FOR BETTER AND WORSE?
A: FOR BETTER AND WORSE is the fourth book in the ongoing Shards of Sevia series, a Christian Dystopian/Romantic Suspense series. Here’s the book description:”Boris and Anna’s first baby is due any day, but the thought of raising a child in the war-torn city of Dor fills Anna with dread. Because Boris is so focused on keeping his struggling business afloat, he brushes her fears aside. When White Horse gangsters attack his illegal employee, Boris’s attempt to protect him puts his own family in danger. Will doing the right thing cost him more than he’s willing to pay? Will Boris and Anna live to see their second anniversary?”

Q: Where did you get your inspiration for FOR BETTER AND WORSE?
A: While I was still working on this story, someone asked me, “How can you write a romance where the couple is already married? Doesn’t that steal the suspense of the outcome?” It’s a valid question. However, the fact that Boris and Anna made their big commitment before this story opens only increases the potential for tension in their relationship. It raises the stakes considerably higher.
In the typical romance, the question is: “How are this man and woman going to get together?” It’s a great question, and worth exploring. However, in my opinion, an even more significant question is: “With all that life throws at them—and all that they throw at each other—how are this man and woman going to honor their love commitment and stay together?” For Better and Worse is one answer to that question.

Q: What is the main thing you hope readers remember from this story?
A: It may sound cliché, but forgiveness really is one of God’s best gifts. Bitterness is deadly for love, for relationships, for life. Whatever happened, it’s not so bad that it’s worth destroying your life over. Besides that, I’d love for my readers to enjoy my stories as much as I enjoy writing them—which is a lot!

Q: What inspires you to write?
A. I love making beautiful things; it’s a stress reliever and has helped to keep me sane through some challenging periods of life (lockdowns, warfare, sickness, etc.) Writing, whether it’s letters, essays, blog posts or stories, is a great way to do this if you move around a lot and don’t have much money. About two years ago my husband bought me a computer, and then my writing really took off.
I hope to create characters that young Christian people can identify with, and in some cases even admire and want to imitate. At the very least, I want to give them a wholesome, enjoyable reading experience. I have to say, I’m not a huge fan of many romance stories, though that’s not the fault of the genre—or the romance. But the story lines often seem formulaic, and the characters are either idealized out of reality or so tormented it’s doubtful they’ll ever be happy, even after they’ve found the Perfect One.
When I wrote “For Better and Worse,” for example, I tried to create a love story that felt genuine, with characters who are appealing and relatable, who choose to work towards mutual happiness despite their own flaws. I wrote the kind of love story I’d want to read. Boris is conflicted and Anna is anxious, but they don’t give up on themselves or each other. Though at the end of the book they are still facing difficult circumstances–they’ve found they are stronger and better off together.

Q: Would you share with us what you are working on now?
A. At the moment I’m in the (very) early planning stages for the next Shards of Sevia novel—Book Five in the series. It will continue the love story of Preen and Kiva, two characters from an earlier book.

Q: When you’re not writing what do you like to do?
A. Actually, the majority of my life comes under the heading of “Not Writing,” though I really enjoy the times I have a quiet hour or two to capture the next scene in a story. As a housewife and mother, I’m usually busy with cooking, cleaning, and taking care of my boys. We have a small house and sometimes things get a little wild, but I can always settle them down by reading a good story. I also enjoy sewing and gardening.