Meet Rosslyn Elliott

About Rosslyn

She is a “lunger” for her daughter’s equestrian vaulting team, which means she holds a long whip while a horse circles her at the end of a rope. No one uses the whip on the horse—it’s just a training aid!
Her favorite foods are steak, chocolate, and cheese.
Classical music and choral singing are two of her passions.
She collects historical clothing reproductions and often wears them for book signings and writers’ conferences.
Visit her at http://www.rosslynelliott.com.

Interview with Rosslyn

What characteristics make up a good protagonist?
For me, a good protagonist is admirable but also real, which means he must have sympathetic traits and also flaws. I find the most sympathetic traits to be courage, compassion, faith, sincerity, and loyalty. I want the protagonist’s weakness to be a significant problem, not just a cosmetic story device. That way, he can serve as a real inspiration to me when he makes the right choice and overcomes his weaknesses.

Who is your favorite fictional protagonist from a novel you have not written?
I love Oliver Twist, from the novel by Dickens. There’s something about the innocence of a child as protagonist that really tugs at the emotions. Many great writers have used child protagonists to expose the pretenses of the adult world, and I think it’s a great technique. It takes a lot of skill, though. The other day, my daughter and I were listening to an audiobook about Ramona, by author Beverly Cleary. I was amazed by the truth Cleary wrote into Ramona’s eight-year-old viewpoint. No wonder those books are contemporary classics!


How did you come up with the idea for your protagonist?
My hero, Will Hanby, is based on a real historical person, just like my heroine, Ann Miller. When I was ready to write my first nineteenth-century historical novel, I went to visit a local historic home in Ohio. While there, I watched a short video about the Hanby family who lived in that home. I knew right away that I had to write their amazing story of faith, love, and courage. William Hanby suffered through many trials as a young man, but his experience made him determined to free others who were in pain and bondage. In Fairer than Morning, Will Hanby and Ann Miller show us what is possible when we put faith into action.



Rosslyn's book, Fairer than Morning, is available here!

To read the submissions again, click here!

Clash and drawing winners will be announced on Friday!