Award-winning author Cara Putman is one of those women I look at and say, “I want to be like her!” She is, in a word, awesome. 

And she is also today’s guest! Cara, along with authors Tricia Goyer and Sarah Sundin, just released a collection of WWII stories set during Christmastime called Where Treetops Glisten. 

As a brand new fan of writing novellas, I’m now finding myself drawn to reading them, too. This collection is perfect for a chilly day, a cozy fire and warm cup of hot chocolate. So enjoy the Q&A with Cara and then be sure to pick up your copy. 

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Melissa: What was it like to collaborate with Tricia Goyer and Sarah Sundin for this collection?

Cara: It was wonderful fun! I’ve known Tricia and Sarah for quite a few years and really admire their writing. We share a common love for all things WWII, so it was a natural fit to work on this collaboration. Once we’d decided we wanted to work together, the next challenge was defining what each novella would share. We quickly settled on a trio of siblings experiencing WWII and finding love in different ways.

Melissa: Why did you decide to set the collection in Lafayette, Indiana? That’s where my dad was born!

Cara: It’s actually kind of ironic. I live in Lafayette with my family, but never anticipated setting a book in this location. But then Tricia, Sarah and I hopped on a conference call to flesh out where we’d want to set this collection. We started talking about what our readers would expect and what fit – smaller town near major cities, a location for industry and maybe a major university, Heartland feel.

I was laughing as the girls kicked out those criteria because that perfectly describes Lafayette. Purdue University is across the river, Chicago and Indianapolis are one or a couple hours away, and Lafayette had major war industry with an Alcoa plant. The rest fell together.

Melissa: How did you incorporate Christmas into this collection?

Cara: We knew we wanted Where Treetops Glisten to include a Christmas theme. So many of the Christmas carols we still love debuted during the war. So each novella is titled after one of those songs: The prologue is Winter Wonderland, my novella is titled White Christmas, Sarah’s is titled I’ll Be Home for Christmas, and then Tricia’s is Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.  Even the epilogue follows the trend with Let It Snow, Let It Snow. Tell me reading those titles didn’t get you into the Christmas spirit. 🙂

But these novella are about so much more than Christmas. They are about finding love and healing during the most difficult times we can imagine.

Melissa: What’s at the core of these stories? Are they mainly sweet romances?

Cara: It would be easy to think that, but really, these books are each about finding the healing that God extends. Each of the Turner children is battling loss and the pain of past events. We didn’t plan it that way, but as we read each other’s novellas, it became clear that the common theme was trusting God with our futures despite the pain we’ve experienced in the past.

Melissa: I love that theme! So why write books set during the WWII time period? (Which is, incidentally, one of my favorite historical periods to read about.)

Cara: There is something special about that time. I love the classic black and white movies. (Melissa: Me tooo!) I adore the swing music. I am captivated by all that the Greatest Generation endured during the war.

But I also think life was simpler then. TVs hadn’t been invented. Cars were still “classic.”  Social media and the Internet weren’t even a sparkle in someone’s mind. Traveling the country by train was still the norm. And in a day and age where everything is so busy and intense, it’s nice to step back in time and imagine what it was like. The issues were the same, but the noise and clutter wasn’t as loud.

Melissa: What do you hope readers take away from any of your books?

Cara: The reminder that God will never leave them or forsake them. That no matter how hard life gets, He is there. Even in the darkest moments, He is there.

Melissa: How did you start writing?  What has kept you writing?

I’ve known I wanted to write since I was a young teen. Because I was homeschooled, one of my English assignments as a 14 year old was to write a bunch of my favorite authors and ask them for advice. It was so fun to get letters from authors like Madeline L’Engle, Janette Oke, Michael Phillips and Sandy Dengler.

Then I started college at 16, a career at 20, and got married at 21. Life sped up, but every couple years the desire to write would rise within me. In 2005 God opened the door, I received my first contract in 2006, and in 2007 that first book released. Just a few weeks ago, my 19^th book released. It’s been an amazing journey.

Melissa: Okay, speed round. Tell us a bit about yourself.

Favorite color: Purple
Favorite sport to watch: football or gymnastics
Sport you competed in: Swimming
Hometown: North Platte, Nebraska
Favorite beverage: Dr Pepper or well-flavored coffee
Favorite food: Runza…Yummy!
School:  Homeschooled
College: University of Nebraska Lincoln
Letters after your name: J.D., with the addition of MBA in May
Favorite TV Show: Castle
Favorite Music: Praise and Worship with a sprinkle of Carrie Underwood and Taylor Swift (Shake it off…)
Favorite city: Washington, D.C.
Favorite getaway: Mackinac Island or Highlands, NC
One Word Description: Passionate
One more word: Tired
Career: Author, attorney, university lecturer

Where can people connect with you?

I love to connect with readers! You can learn about me and read first chapters of my books on my website: www.caraputman.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/caraputman
Twitter: www.twitter.com/cara_putman
Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/caraputman
Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/CaraPutman

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Cara C. Putman, the award-winning author of 19 books, graduated high school at 16, college at 20, and completed her law degree at 27. FIRST for Women magazine called Shadowed by Grace “captivating” and a “novel with ‘the works.’” Cara is active at her church and a lecturer on business and employment law to graduate students at Purdue University’s Krannert School of Management. Putman also practices law and is a second-generation homeschooling mom. Putman is currently pursuing her Master’s in Business Administration at Krannert. She serves on the executive board of American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW), an organization she has served in various roles since 2007. She lives with her husband and four children in Indiana. You can connect with her online at www.caraputman.com.

Thanks so much for being here today, Cara! Readers, since all the stories in Cara, Sarah and Tricia’s books are named after Christmas carols…what’s your favorite Christmas song? And confession time: how early do you start listening to it?

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