Monday, January 3, 2011

Roger Bruner's "Found in Translation"

We're happy to have Roger Bruner with us today talking about his book, Found in Translation.
Title: Found in Translation
Publisher: Barbour Publishing

Cover blurb:Faith, obedience, and forgiveness intersect in a remote Mexican village. When Kim Hartlinger—eighteen and spoiled—arrives on a mission trip to Mexico and discovers, to her chagrin, that she’ll be doing construction in a remote village without plumbing and electricity, rather than evangelism in a medium-sized town with a fast food joint . . she has only two choices. “Rough it” (which isn’t exactly what Kim had in mind when she signed up for this trip) or turn around and head home.
Will Kim be able to touch the villagers’ hearts with the Gospel? Or will her time in Mexico be up before she gets the chance?
Kristi Rae Bruner lives in the Orlando area and enjoys reading, hanging out with friends, and cooking. During her teen years, she went on a life-changing mission trip to Mexico.
Roger Bruner worked as a teacher, job counselor, and programmer analyst before retiring to pursue his dream of writing Christian fiction full-time.

1) How did this story come to you?
When my daughter, Kristi, went on a Global Expeditions mission trip to Mexico, she didn’t follow the directions and had to pay for overweight baggage to bring things she didn’t need; she also failed to bring some of the items she did need. Kristi’s well-intended bad beginning—along with the fact her group did construction and the area had a lot of trash on the ground—stirred my imagination. Found in Translation started out as a short story, but—from the beginning—I knew it would eventually become a novel. Kristi wrote the foreword.

2) Tell us about the journey to getting this book published.
Despite the fact that Found in Translation won first place in the novel competition at the 2006 Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference, it turned out to be far from publishable. But I didn’t realize how far until James Scott Bell looked at the first page a year or two later and said, “You’re not even starting with a scene.” Long story (slightly) shorter, I cut the first fifty pages and came up with a better beginning. Kimberly Shumate, then at Harvest House, became one of my biggest fans, even though HH couldn’t use my novels. When I sent her a sample of Found in Translation, she requested the whole thing. Later that week, she told me she’d sent it to Terry Burns at Hartline and I now had an agent. Although another year passed before I was offered contracts for Found in Translation and its sequel, Lost in Dreams, that was largely a matter of continuing to write while waiting and pretending to be patient while Terry did the work.

3) Tell me three things about yourself that would surprise your readers.
When I was in the eighth grade, I had acute viral encephalitis. The doctors said that—even if I came out of the coma and recovered—I might just be a vegetable. God intervened, and you can see what kind of vegetable I am now.
I was a PK—a preacher’s kid—but I turned out reasonably normal in spite of the fact I hated being a PK.
When I was a teen, my parents didn’t want me to bother saving for a nice guitar; they thought that would be just one more of many hobbies I started and abandoned. Boy! Were they pleasantly surprised when I stuck with it and proved I had songwriting talent as well as guitar playing ability.

4) What are you working on now and what's next for you?
I’m trying to decide whether to take a chance on Barbour’s contracting a third and fourth novel in the Altered Hearts series or to work on something totally unrelated. In the meantime, I’m editing and revising two other novels—a YA called Wherefore Art Thou Ramón and a somewhat-whimsical speculative novel called The Devil & Pastor Gus.

5) Parting comments?
I never expected the after-sixty part of my life to be the most exciting and fulfilling part, but it has been so far. I can hardly wait to see how God uses my writing!

6) Where can fans find you on the internet?
My website is http://www.rogerbruner.com/. Please feel free to send me a friend request at www.facebook.com/roger.bruner. You can watch my book trailer at www.youtube.com/watch?v=k3JXf5WUSCA.



20 comments:

  1. Sounds interesting. Thanks for this offer and getting to know a new author and their book.

    Please put my name in the hat. I do subscribe to you blog.

    Sincerely,

    Nora St.laurent
    norafindinghope (at) gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  2. Would love a chance to win...sounds interesting. I have visited Mexico numerous times...it is beautiful!

    ReplyDelete
  3. I do subscribe to your blog.Please enter me in the drawing

    Blessings,
    Jo
    ladijo40(at)aol(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  4. I am overjoyed to be considered to win this book!
    Thank you for the opportunity!
    chakasa58 at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  5. Would love to win a cpy of the book! I do sbuscribe to your blog!

    dancealert at aol dot com

    ReplyDelete
  6. Sounds like a winner! Love the idea of working a mission - stepping out of the regular. Which is what i'd be doing if i won this book - a new author. Thanks for the chance.
    mitzi_wanham@yahoo.com

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  7. A home-school family I know has recently left to Thailand on a year-long missions trip ... they had gone there for a week long missions trip a couple years ago and they've been wanting to return ever since. Neat to see how a short term missions trip can change your life ... I'm sure it'll change Kim's life too. =)

    Thanks for the chance to win!

    I'm an e-mail subscriber: jafuchi7[at]hawaii[dot]edu

    ReplyDelete
  8. Wow...you recovered from one rough illness. Do you have any lasting effects. When I think of these young people that God is using, and what great experiences for these kids. Thank you I would like to read you book!

    alekee02[at]yahoo[dot]com

    ReplyDelete
  9. This looks like a great plot for a book. So many young people are looking for a "fun" time and then find themselves doing things they never imagined. I'd love to read this one! I am a subscriber. seizethebookblog(at)gmail(dot)com

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  10. Sounds very good. Please enter me.

    freda.mans[at]sympatico.ca

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  11. will love to win
    nakiassgeorge@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  12. Sounds good! Thanks for entering me in the drawing.

    twinwillowsfarm at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  13. would enjoy reading this novel...thanks for the chance :)

    karenk
    kmkuka at yahoo dot com

    ReplyDelete
  14. I loved how you said, God uses your writing. Wow. Dream 4 More Firm.
    www.dreams4more.com
    dream4more@earthlink.net

    ReplyDelete
  15. What makes this books so interesting is that it is inspired by her daughter's experience. Please enter me in this contest.

    I am an e-mail subscriber.

    CarolNWong(at)aol(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  16. thanks for the interview.

    Nice to meet you.
    Love a chance to win
    ABreading4fun [at] gmail [dot] com

    ReplyDelete
  17. Roger Bruner's book, Found in Translation sounds like a great read by this interview.
    Thanks!
    Rebecca
    rbooth43 at yahoo dot com

    ReplyDelete
  18. I enjoy reading books where the characters are able to spread the word of the Lord to non-believers, or people who are seeking a closer relationship with Jesus. E-mail subscriber.

    nancyecdavis AT bellsouth DOT net

    ReplyDelete
  19. Where writing is mostly "women's work" in Christian authors, I would like to read Roger's book to compare the style and emotional feelings between women and men writers. I'm just teasing, Roger, I just had to get that in. Your writing seems intriguing and the plot different and interesting. I'd enjoy reading your story. Thanks for offering this book for giveaway and the chance to win it. I hope I do win!

    Blessing,
    Barb Shelton
    barbjan10 at tx dot rr dot com

    ReplyDelete
  20. Ladies, thank you for all your comments. I apologize for my lack of comments earlier. I didn't realize that the ones I tried to leave didn't "take." *big sigh* I wish I could send you all a copy! *big smile*

    Dawn, thanks for having me here. :-)

    ReplyDelete

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