Maureen Lang writes stories inspired by love of history and romance. An avid reader since childhood, she started writing the stories she wanted to read. Before publication she won RWA’s Golden Heart and ACFW’s Genesis, and her published books have won the Inspirational Readers Choice Contest, a Holt Medallion, and have finaled in the Christy, Rita and Carol Awards. She lives in the Midwest with her husband, children and Labrador retriever.
Visit Maureen Lang online
All in Good Time
DESSA CALDWELL HAS A DREAM: to open Pierson House, a refuge for former prostitutes in Denver’s roughest neighborhood. But after exhausting all charitable donations, Dessa still needs a loan. Her last hope hinges on the owner of Hawkins National Bank. HENRY HAWKINS HAS A SECRET: he owns the most successful bank in town, but his initial capital came from three successful stage coach robberies. Though he’s Denver’s most eligible bachelor, to protect his past, he’s built a fortress around his heart that no one can penetrate . . . until the day Dessa Caldwell strolls into his bank requesting a loan. Though he’s certain her proposal is a bad investment, Henry is drawn to Dessa’s passion. But that same passion drives her to make rash decisions about Pierson House . . . and about whom she can trust. One man might hold the key to the future of her mission—but he also threatens to bring Henry’s darkest secrets to light. As the walls around their hearts begin to crumble, Henry and Dessa must choose between their plans and God’s, between safety and love.
- ISBN: 1414364474
- Publisher: Tyndale House
Interview with Maureen Lang
Maureen Lang, dubbed "the creative one" by her father when she was a little girl, is living up to her title with her latest story.
Maureen, you’ve published several books with interesting characters, storylines, and settings. All in Good Time is the second book in The Gilded Age series. Would you tell our readers what time period the Gilded Age covers and why you chose to set this story during that time?
Thank you for your kind words! The Gilded Age is part of the American Victorian Age – though not as long a span as Queen Victoria’s reign over England. Here in America, Mark Twain helped to coin the term Gilded Age by referring to what the Industrial Age had reaped during the latter half of the 1800s—high profits of the rich gilding over the rest of society’s misery. The gap between the rich and the poor was probably the widest it’s ever been during this period of time.
The idea of the misery that can come with loving money was the first inspiration for this two-book series. Bees In The Butterfly Garden and All In Good Time are stand-alone novels with completely different casts of characters, but they share a common theme that revolves around the mistakes that people can make with a selfish pursuit of money.
I love the title of your latest release, All in Good Time. Tell us how this title ties in with your story.
I’m seriously title-challenged, and when my lovely editor at Tyndale, Stephanie Broene, came up with this I immediately agreed! She saw my heroine’s impatience—and ultimately this was the hero’s flaw as well. I knew learning patience would be a hard lesson for my characters—but any struggle makes conflict that much more interesting, don’t you think?
There was also a lesson in this title for me, as the author. I knew my hero would start out being a curmudgeon, and I was eager to turn him around and soften him up. But as I went along he kept sticking to his stubborn ways. I could practically hear him telling me not to worry, that he’d change, all in good time . . .
You’ve mentioned that this heroine has the strongest faith of any character you’ve created so far. Can you tell us a little about her and the traits she possesses?
Dessa Caldwell is a woman with a mission: to help women in trouble—even women who fell into prostitution as their only way to survive. Having no family herself, Dessa knows the old saying “but for the grace of God, there go I.” Her mission takes her into one of the most notorious neighborhoods in 1887 Denver. Not only has she learned to trust God for her well-being, she’s eager to offer God’s forgiveness to anyone who will listen. She’s probably my most evangelical character yet!
If All in Good Time were to be made into a movie and you were the casting director, whom would you choose to play your hero and heroine?
Hugh Jackman and Olivia Wilde.
What’s your biggest challenge in balancing writing time with your other responsibilities?
I’m a writer, a wife, a mom, and a caregiver to my nearly 18-year-old disabled son, so time is always at a premium around here. My handicapped son goes to a special school for about six hours a day, and that’s when I get my writing done—I protect that time as fiercely as I can, doing laundry and running errands with him or on weekends when my husband can help take care of him. Somehow it all gets done, but when I feel overwhelmed I remind myself I can only take one step at a time, and do my best along the way.
What do you consider the greatest moment of your writing/publishing career?
Each and every time I receive a note from a reader telling me my stories helped them enjoy a day. There’s nothing like that feeling! These days it’s easy for a reader to share their reading experience through a review—even the sales vendors invite customers to do that with an email allowing them to easily post their opinion. But when someone takes the extra time to write to me personally, it’s very special to me.
Where do your story and character ideas come from?
Most often my story ideas come from research. I’ve always loved history, and I’ve found the more I know about any given era, the more authentic a story feels. Details bring settings to life. This story was actually inspired by an account I read of a western outlaw who waylaid several coaches using fake rifles placed strategically far above the trail so those traveling through a canyon couldn’t tell they weren’t really guns at all. This man single-handedly robbed several coaches, threatening passengers with his fake gang behind him. I thought he was just clever but harmless enough to warrant writing a book to redeem him.
Can you give any words of wisdom to new writers who are pursuing a writing career?
I always tell aspiring writers that writing really is its own reward. That may sound cliché, even shallow, especially while waiting for validation with a first contract. But I’ve seen many talented authors give up altogether because they put more importance on the outcome than the process of writing. It hurts to receive a rejection, so give yourself time to get over it. But if you remind yourself that it’s the writing you enjoy, particularly if it brings you closer to the Lord, then He’s using it already just by your obedience in writing. So write, and do what it takes to keep the enjoyment in it. Read often, give yourself regular breaks to regain perspective and inspiration, and pray over each and every project.
Any parting words?
I’m looking forward to attending this year’s ACFW conference and hope to see many friends there—old and new—so stop me and say hello!
Thanks for sharing with us, Maureen!
Thanks for having me!
Maureen, you’ve published several books with interesting characters, storylines, and settings. All in Good Time is the second book in The Gilded Age series. Would you tell our readers what time period the Gilded Age covers and why you chose to set this story during that time?
Thank you for your kind words! The Gilded Age is part of the American Victorian Age – though not as long a span as Queen Victoria’s reign over England. Here in America, Mark Twain helped to coin the term Gilded Age by referring to what the Industrial Age had reaped during the latter half of the 1800s—high profits of the rich gilding over the rest of society’s misery. The gap between the rich and the poor was probably the widest it’s ever been during this period of time.
The idea of the misery that can come with loving money was the first inspiration for this two-book series. Bees In The Butterfly Garden and All In Good Time are stand-alone novels with completely different casts of characters, but they share a common theme that revolves around the mistakes that people can make with a selfish pursuit of money.
I love the title of your latest release, All in Good Time. Tell us how this title ties in with your story.
I’m seriously title-challenged, and when my lovely editor at Tyndale, Stephanie Broene, came up with this I immediately agreed! She saw my heroine’s impatience—and ultimately this was the hero’s flaw as well. I knew learning patience would be a hard lesson for my characters—but any struggle makes conflict that much more interesting, don’t you think?
There was also a lesson in this title for me, as the author. I knew my hero would start out being a curmudgeon, and I was eager to turn him around and soften him up. But as I went along he kept sticking to his stubborn ways. I could practically hear him telling me not to worry, that he’d change, all in good time . . .
You’ve mentioned that this heroine has the strongest faith of any character you’ve created so far. Can you tell us a little about her and the traits she possesses?
Dessa Caldwell is a woman with a mission: to help women in trouble—even women who fell into prostitution as their only way to survive. Having no family herself, Dessa knows the old saying “but for the grace of God, there go I.” Her mission takes her into one of the most notorious neighborhoods in 1887 Denver. Not only has she learned to trust God for her well-being, she’s eager to offer God’s forgiveness to anyone who will listen. She’s probably my most evangelical character yet!
If All in Good Time were to be made into a movie and you were the casting director, whom would you choose to play your hero and heroine?
Hugh Jackman and Olivia Wilde.
What’s your biggest challenge in balancing writing time with your other responsibilities?
I’m a writer, a wife, a mom, and a caregiver to my nearly 18-year-old disabled son, so time is always at a premium around here. My handicapped son goes to a special school for about six hours a day, and that’s when I get my writing done—I protect that time as fiercely as I can, doing laundry and running errands with him or on weekends when my husband can help take care of him. Somehow it all gets done, but when I feel overwhelmed I remind myself I can only take one step at a time, and do my best along the way.
What do you consider the greatest moment of your writing/publishing career?
Each and every time I receive a note from a reader telling me my stories helped them enjoy a day. There’s nothing like that feeling! These days it’s easy for a reader to share their reading experience through a review—even the sales vendors invite customers to do that with an email allowing them to easily post their opinion. But when someone takes the extra time to write to me personally, it’s very special to me.
Where do your story and character ideas come from?
Most often my story ideas come from research. I’ve always loved history, and I’ve found the more I know about any given era, the more authentic a story feels. Details bring settings to life. This story was actually inspired by an account I read of a western outlaw who waylaid several coaches using fake rifles placed strategically far above the trail so those traveling through a canyon couldn’t tell they weren’t really guns at all. This man single-handedly robbed several coaches, threatening passengers with his fake gang behind him. I thought he was just clever but harmless enough to warrant writing a book to redeem him.
Can you give any words of wisdom to new writers who are pursuing a writing career?
I always tell aspiring writers that writing really is its own reward. That may sound cliché, even shallow, especially while waiting for validation with a first contract. But I’ve seen many talented authors give up altogether because they put more importance on the outcome than the process of writing. It hurts to receive a rejection, so give yourself time to get over it. But if you remind yourself that it’s the writing you enjoy, particularly if it brings you closer to the Lord, then He’s using it already just by your obedience in writing. So write, and do what it takes to keep the enjoyment in it. Read often, give yourself regular breaks to regain perspective and inspiration, and pray over each and every project.
Any parting words?
I’m looking forward to attending this year’s ACFW conference and hope to see many friends there—old and new—so stop me and say hello!
Thanks for sharing with us, Maureen!
Thanks for having me!
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