Get to know bestselling author Lisa Wingate

If you aren't familiar with author Lisa Wingate, chances are good you have heard of her #1 New York Times (NYT) bestseller Before We Were Yours. This work spent two years on the NYT bestseller list and won the 2017 Goodreads Choice Award for Historical Fiction, which made it a title known to readers across the world. 

Before We Were Yours, inspired by true historical events, tells the fictional story of Rill Foss and her sisters who were ripped away from their parents in 1939 by the Tennessee Children’s Home Society. This is a true-life corrupt organization that took children from poor families and sold them to the wealthy. While Rill’s story unfolds, a second fictional present-day timeline tells the story of Avery, a woman whose family history will be revealed. 

Wingate’s most recent novel Shelterwood also takes inspiration from real life events. It tells the story of Oklahoma’s “elf children,” who ran away from corrupt guardians to live in the forest alone. While Wingate’s more recent novels are works of historical fiction, her earlier novels lean more toward inspirational fiction. 

Wingate's view on stories & storytellers

Like the average reader, Wingate has a hard time choosing a favorite book, especially a childhood favorite. She said her older brother taught her how to read and write before she started school, so her head has always been filled with stories. Wingate especially loved stories about horses, nature and animals. She even has a unique tie to a classic children’s book. 

“When I was in the third grade, the movie version of Where the Red Fern Grows was being filmed not far from our school, and a few of my classmates were in the movie. The teachers read the book to us each day after recess, and the author, Wilson Rawles, came for an author visit. I remember sitting criss-cross-applesauce on the media center floor, mind-blown that Mr. Rawles was just a regular guy in a plaid shirt. I don’t know what I’d expected, but in that moment I realized the books I loved came from the minds of ordinary people.” 

It was also during her childhood where she learned the true power of the written word.  

“My older brother came home with a poem he’d written for a contest in school, The Bee Went Under the Sea. A shiny blue ribbon dangled from the paper as he stood giving a reading of his award-winning work in our living room. I liked the poem — it was quirky and funny — but I was utterly fascinated by the blue ribbon and the fact that he’d grabbed the attention of all the adults in the room. I hurried off to my little white princess desk shortly after and endeavored to write my first book in hopes of garnering a blue ribbon and achieving stardom on the living room literary circuit.” 

Meet the author at the library

We are excited Wingate will be here at the library for an author talk Tue, Oct 14, 7pm! You must register to attend this event as seats fill up quickly. If registration is full, add your name to the wait list as often some people need to cancel their reservation. 

The event will include a moderated discussion between Wingate and Betty Lou Pardue, a Q&A session and book signing. You can purchase some of her books onsite. 

Full Interview with Lisa Wingate 

What’s the last book you borrowed from the library? 

My most recent library book was The Backyard Bird Chronicles by Amy Tann. For a nature lover and birdwatcher, it was the perfect vacation read. 

How long is your to be read list? 

It’s huge! I usually have a stack of pre-release books waiting to be read for advance endorsement quotes, a stack of research books related to my latest project, and an aspirational stack of want-to-reads. Books are my comfort food. 

Would you rather not be able to read any new books OR not be able to reread any books ever again? 

I seldom re-read books unless I’m sharing childhood favorites with the little readers in my life, so I’d have to vote for an unlimited supply of new books. 

If you could create the most perfect reading spot, what would it look like? 

I have it already! Under the trees at the family cabin in Colorado hangs a very comfortable hammock. It’s a seasonal reading spot, but during mountain summer with the dappled light and the aspens whispering overhead, it’s heaven. 

What makes a great story? 

The greatness of any story, I think, is in the eye of the beholder. Each reader brings something different to the story, based on life experience, interests, passions, and all the other filters that shape how we view the world around us and the world within the pages. For me, a great story combines compelling characters, a well-paced plot, a burning quest, a setting that comes to life, and a sprinkle of mystery to spice things up. 

What is your writing kryptonite? 

Procrastination. People ask if I get writer’s block. I don’t, but when it’s time to sit down and write, I see squirrel trails fanning out in a dozen different directions, and I am apt to follow at least a few of them.