An Author Interview: E.G. Bella (The Toymaker's Doll Blog Tour)

    Hey, everyone. First off, Merry Christmas! I hope you all are having a wonderful season gathering with friends and family.

    Today I'm excited to announce that one of my dear writer friends has released her first book. It's a short story called The Toymaker's Doll, and I'm honored to be a part of her blog tour for it! Here's the amazing cover and synopsis:

A limp. A scuff. A cowardly heart.

Jane is a doll struggling with all these things. She and her friend Isabel, a blind stuffed kitten, spend their days in the corner of their shelf, watching the other toys in the shop play—and wishing they could be like them.

Questions plague the friends. Why has the Toymaker allowed them to be flawed? Surely it's a mistake. One day, Jane sets off to find his workshop, eager to be fixed, and to bring him back for Isabel.

But the journey is hard and the road long. How can such a weak, fearful doll ever reach the Toymaker? And how will he respond if she does? 

In this sweet story reminiscent of a children's book, E. G. Bella offers a moving tale of what it means to trust, to love, and to shine light into the dark discouragements of life. 

    Doesn't that sound incredible? You can buy The Toymaker's Doll now on Amazon (and head over to E.G. Bella's site for a sneak peek, as well as a playlist link!) I'll also be planning to post a Goodreads review, so if you follow me there expect to see something from me soon 😉

    Along with the author's blog launch post (you can find her blog HERE), she and her upcoming book will be featured on the blogs of Vanessa Hall, Kristina Hall, Grace A. Johnson, and Teen Writers' Nook. You can click on those links to visit each site, and view the schedule for the blog tour below.

    Today, I got to interview the author herself about her book, her journey as a writer, and some fun Christmas themed questions! If you've stuck around here for a while, you'll recognize that some of the Christmas ones are from my interview with Kaley Rhea: I thought it would be fun to use them again this year.

    This is my fourteenth author interview. To see all the author interviews I've done in the past, click HERE.

    This interview is spoiler-free!

Writing and Wonder: An Interview with E.G. Bella

December 16, 2021

What inspired you to write The Toymaker's Doll?

I'm actually not quite sure. I was supposed to write a short story as a school assignment, and as I was contemplating what to write, the idea of a 'children's' story came to mind. From there I decided it would be neat to try an allegorical style, and the rest of it just flowed as I thought about the themes and lessons I was wrestling with at the time. I like to think God provided the inspiration as a way for me to do some healing, and I've been blessed to learn that others have found healing in it too.

The Toymaker's Doll can be considered an allegorical story. What did you enjoy the most when writing the story in this format? What were some of the challenges, if any?

Even though there's nothing about allegories that says they have to be written in a poetic style, many of my favorite allegories are, so that's the approach I took when choosing a writing style for The Toymaker's Doll. I really enjoyed it, and it was a great learning experience. It also just seemed to fit the story well. I think the most challenging part was making sure that I portrayed the allegorical elements--particularly the Toymaker's dialogue--appropriately. He was a character in the story, but not just a character, and I wanted everything he said to be something that is in line with God's true character. So although the dialogue flowed pretty easily, I was a lot more meticulous with it than I usually am with other characters' words.

Do you have a favorite character in this story? Why or why not?

The Toymaker, definitely. His conversation and conduct toward Jane just melt my heart every time, and even more so when I allow myself to read it as how God might speak to me when I'm struggling. I don't claim to know exactly what God would say or do of course, but I believe the story captures His loving heart toward each and every one of His creations.

Do you relate to any of your characters in this story? If so, how?

I relate the most to Jane. In fact, Jane pretty much acted as 'me' as I was writing this story. I didn't expect it to share the story except for school, so I let my fears, insecurities, and weaknesses bleed into her to see what the 'Toymaker' would do with them. I learned right along with her about accepting the way God made me, and trusting that He can use the broken and bruised parts for good--even through the pain.

What is one skill or talent you wish you had?

I'd really like to be able to draw. Stick figures and tracing pictures from coloring books is the extent of my artistic ability, but I'd love the talent to illustrate my own stories, sketch out characters, draw maps, and a bunch of other things that I have neither the patience nor the skill for. I'll just have to hire my sister (who is insanely talented in that department).

If you could describe yourself in a sound, which sound would you choose?

This is a hard question... After thinking for a while, I think I'd choose the sound of birds singing as the sun is just coming up. It's usually calm and sweet and musical, but it can also be pretty emotional and melancholic (at least to me). I feel like that kind of sums me up, haha.

What’s your favorite Christmas tradition?

Oh, good question. My entire life, my family has always done some sort of matching Christmas pajamas. When we were younger, my mom would hand-make pjs for my siblings and I, and as we've grown older, we will typically pick a theme of T-shirt (Scriptures verses is a recurring favorite) and all get shirts that match the theme. I also really enjoy driving around town to look at all the Christmas lights.

Do you have a favorite Christmas movie? If so, what?

Off the top of my head, I'd say Arthur Christmas. That one just never gets old. The humor, the characters, the creative plot and 'North Pole' situation, the character arcs...there's a lot of fun and heartfelt themes packed in, and I enjoy it.

Do you have a favorite Christmas treat? If so, what?

Fruitcake--and before you're overcome with disgust (or maybe you like the typical store-bought fruitcake), let me clarify. The fruitcake that my family makes is pretty much just nuts and dried fruit, with just enough flour and honey to stick it together. So it really doesn't seem like a cake at all, more like a delicious granola bar. It's very good!

What’s your favorite Christmas song and why?

I really like the song Do You Hear What I Hear. I'm very fond of (most) Christmas music in general, but that particular song has always been a favorite. It was one I got to perform with my high school choir years ago, and enjoyed it very much.

What is the most thoughtful Christmas present you’ve gotten?

I don't think I can even answer this one. I've been blessed by many thoughtful Christmas presents over the years, and since I tend to be touched by the motivation behind a gift rather than the object itself, I sometimes have a hard time remembering specific gifts. Just the people that gave something to me, and how I felt knowing they thought of me. I'm a 'Words of Affirmation' kind of gal, rather than 'Gifts', so honestly the ones that have meant the most are probably heartfelt cards.

How did you get into writing?

By reading! I started reading when I was four and haven't stopped or slowed down since. After receiving a 'special story' notebook from my dad, I started coming up with my own stories, and I discovered that I love making plots and characters come to life about as much as I love reading about others' creations. Now the trouble is getting me to stop.

Do you have any future projects?

Yes! A pirate novel that I'd like to publish in 2022, as well as rewriting the prequel and possibly even writing its sequel. I also have a dystopian novel and a medieval fantasy novel that need to have their rough drafts finished, which I'd like to get to in the next year, as well.

Why are you pursuing indie publishing?

For the freedom and control over my own rights. I have nothing against traditional publishing, and wouldn't necessarily be opposed to publishing traditionally some day, but for me, having complete say over what happens with my story is huge. No one can take my messages and twist them, or tweak themes to be more appealing, or do anything really that I'm not at peace about. So it's a lot of pressure to manage it all, and be solely responsible, but I'm glad for the opportunity.

Who are some of your favorite authors?

Hannah Hurnard, Nadine Brandes, Daniel Schwabauer, Rosey Mucklestone, C. S. Lewis, Maggie Stiefvater, Jill Williamson, Max Lucado, J. R. R. Tolkien, J. K. Rowling, Charles Stanley, Joanna Weaver, Katherine Paterson...the list goes on, haha!

What are some of your favorite books?

The only easy answer to this question is to say the Bible. After that, it dissolves into a sea of excellent books, and I am never able to pick favorites. When in doubt, it's pretty safe to say that any books written by the authors I listed above are probably ones I enjoy quite a bit--fiction and non-fiction.

What do you hope readers will take away from your books?

I hope they take away a lesson each time. What the lesson is for them will change depending on the story and where the reader's heart and life is at, but I pray someone can always finish one of my books feeling like they've learned something that betters their life in some way. Even if it's a small way. And of course, through those lessons, I want people to have been brought closer to God in some way, and to have learned more about His character.

What advice would you give to other writers?

Write. Don't worry about whether your story will be popular or sellable or the next big thing. Don't stress over trying to make it perfect (trust me, it never works). Don't obsess over the tiniest details until the big picture is on the page. Just give yourself the permission to tell the story in your heart, and let it flow as if you're telling it to a good friend. Unless you already know that you write and edit best at the same time, let the whole story come out before you step back, view the whole piece, and start polishing. No matter what, stay true to the message you want to communicate and don't let fear, insecurities, or want for perfection stop you from sharing it with the people who need to hear it. Just write.

    Thanks for joining me today. I hope you had as much fun reading through E.G. Bella's answers as I did! Again, The Toymaker's Doll is available on Amazon, and a sneak peek and a playlist link are on E.G. Bella's site.

    I'd love to hear what you thought about this post! Did any of E.G. Bella's answers catch your interest? Why? What would your answers be to the questions? If you haven't read The Toymaker's Doll already, would you consider adding it to your TBR list?

    I'm not sure when I'll get back to posting regularly on here, but I do have a few ideas in mind, so expect to hear from me again soon. Posts will be on Fridays, as always!