“God’s Daughter was a fascinating read, with strong characters, complex relationships and a good dose of adventure. Most of all, I loved the intriguing glimpse into Viking history.” ~ Rachel Phifer, author of The Language of Sparrows

I first heard about novelist Heather Day Gilbert at a writers conference. Her self-published debut, God’s Daughter, was touted by industry guru Melissa K. Norris as a prime example of a self-published novel done right. Starting with the cover. (Scroll down a bit and you’ll see it on the right.) Isn’t it beautiful? Melissa’s recommendation, plus Rachel Phifer‘s endorsement (whose The Language of Sparrows I also admire), plus the fact that our family had recently returned from a visit to Scandinavia, the land of the Vikings, had me hooked. I bought the book and devoured it. If you have even the slightest interest in Vikings in particular, or if you love captivating historical fiction in general, I suggest you do the same. (You’ll have a chance to win a copy at the end of this post.)

And now it’s my privilege to introduce Heather Day Gilbert here on Story Matters.

Heather, your ancestors hailed from Norway, and in the author’s notes of God’s Daughter, you mention that your supposed relation to Eirik the Red is why you researched and wrote the Vikings of the New World Saga. Without giving away too much about your novels, what was one of the most surprising things you learned about your heritage? 

I was surprised to learn that Eirik’s son, Thorvald, died in North America by a Native American arrow (and I believe he is the one I would be related to, with the family name Thorvaldsen). I was also pleasantly surprised to see how Gudrid, my main character and Eirik’s daughter-in-law, was not ashamed to be a Christian, even when paganism was prevalent.

As a child of the West Virginia mountains, you grew up listening to bittersweet, generational stories, an element you now carry forward into your novels. Why is storytelling so important to you?

I love this question! No one has asked me that before, and yet it’s such a part of who I am. My grandma and my great-aunt have always shared stories with me, mostly about how people lived in the mountains and how their decisions affected their lives. I learned about different types of people through those stories. But it also connected me with the bigger picture, even as a teen. I hope the stories I share with my children will help them know more about me and the world I grew up in.

In addition to writing books, you are a homeschooling mom of three kids. What is your best time management trick?

Oh, boy, I’m not the best person to ask! I’m still struggling with this. As an indie author, I wind up spending all kinds of time marketing my book, working on the next book plans, etc. I actually homeschool only two of my children at this point (the other is in private school), and they are at a more independent stage, so it doesn’t require as much time as it used to. But balancing cooking, laundry, exercise, writing, schooling, hanging out with my husband…I try to do it all, but I’m sure the author part takes up too much of my life!

God’s Daughter has all the makings of a successful, traditionally published novel—well-crafted characters, compelling plot, careful research, complex character growth. Why did you decide to self-publish? 

Thank you so much for the kind words on the book! I will admit I had plenty of traditional-publication dreams with this baby, and the agent I had with this book truly believed in it, too. After over a year and a half on submission (during which time I wrote another book), it seemed God closed all the doors. I’d checked into almost every opportunity for publication, and what I got back was plenty of editorial kudos but a hearty “we can’t market Vikings.” Finally, I realized God was pushing me to self-publish this novel. It was a huge step, one I wouldn’t have taken if I didn’t have the support of my husband, author friends, and agent. But sometimes God lines everything up for you, slams all the other doors, and leaves one door wide open–the one you’ve been resisting.

You enjoy writing “character-driven novels that go beyond the vows, capturing the triumphs and heartaches unique to married couples.” What is the one thing you hope your readers take away from your stories? 

What I really hope is that readers will relate to my characters in some personal way, and that their names would be etched in their minds because they’re so real. I know the classics I love are that way…I feel I know Farmer Gabriel Oak or Becky Sharpe or Scarlett O’Hara. I can’t ever forget their stories, and I feel I’ve lived a bit of their lives with them. When readers tell me they’ve felt what Gudrid felt or recognize their husband in Finn or Snorri or any of my characters, I know I’ve written them right.

End notes: Heather Day Gilbert enjoys writing stories about authentic, believable marriages. Sixteen years of marriage to her sweet Yankee husband have given her some perspective, as well as ten years spent homeschooling. Heather regularly posts on Novel Rocket about self-publishing. 

You can find Heather at her website, Heather Day Gilbert–Author (where she offers lots of free extras relating to her books) and at her Facebook Author Page, as well as Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube, and Goodreads. Her Viking novel, God’s Daughter, is an Amazon bestseller. You can find it on Amazon and Smashwords.

And finally, a big thanks to Heather for making a print copy of her book, God’s Daughter, available to one lucky winner. Simply tweet this post (referencing @KatherineSJones), drop me a line at katherine.scott.jones@gmail.com, post to Facebook (and let me know you did), or leave a comment on this post to be entered to win.