Welcome back to the second interview in our Springtime in Surrey Authors series! Today, I had the pleasure of interviewing Andrea Renee Cox, who wrote the story The Cottage on the Hill (it features a former ballerina!) Ready to get started?
Interview with Andrea
Hi Andrea! Welcome to the blog. Can we start by introducing yourself to the readers out there?
Thank you for having me, Lillian. I’m a born-again Christian, Texan gal who loves books and am honored with the calling of writing them. Faith and family are the most important things to me. Story is a very close third, as God infused it into my soul from a very young age. It’s such a delight to be able to write stories that honor Him while entertaining readers for hours on end.
Congrats on your story,The Cottage on the Hill, being published in the Springtime in Surry anthology! What’s one aspect of the story that really resonates with you (i.e characters, theme, setting, etc)?
Thank you so much! I’m really excited about Cottage being published. It’s my favorite romance (so far) that God has called me to write. What resonates the most with me about this story is the compassion Adrian Davis shows toward Moira Wood. Apathy is one of the worst things in the world, and to be able to infuse some compassion back into my community is one of my favorite things. I hope readers will come away from Cottage with the belief that they, too, may make a difference in people’s lives by simply choosing to exhibit compassion to a hurting world.
I was excited to see that this story features a former ballerina; did you draw on past dance experience, or did you do research instead?
Do dreams of being a dancer count? Haha! I have long admired dancers and entertainers such as Fred Astaire, Vera-Ellen, and John Brascia, and I love a good musical film (particularly those made in the 1940s-50s). It was truly only a matter of time until I ended up writing a story featuring dance of some sort. I did rely heavily on research for the ballet terms and dance moves used in the story. There are a few images that were used for inspiration on my Pinterest storyboard for Cottage.
Speaking of research, have you ever been to England (and if not, what was the most challenging thing about setting a story in a foreign country)?
I have not yet traveled outside the Continental United States. The setting of the little cottage on a quaint hill popped into my mind shortly after the tagline for the story, so I have God to thank for making that part easy for me. All I had to do, then, was double-check that picket gates could be used with low stone walls in Surrey (I found image proof online) and take a virtual tour of a small town in Surrey (there were a couple of different ones to choose from on YouTube) for inspiration for my fictional village. The most challenging thing for me wasn’t the setting at all. Instead, it was recognizing my Americanisms so that I could research and replace them with their British counterparts. I nearly missed a big one, but God revealed it to me in the next-to-last round of revisions.
Which of your characters do you feel you most identify with?
There are things I admire and cherish about each of the characters, and I like to think there’s a little of me in all of them. I have known disappointment and lost dreams and struggled to let them go in order to find out what God has planned for me, just like Moira. I’ve experienced elusive dreams and strive to infuse the world with compassion, just like Adrian. I’m a bit of a chatterbox at times and love chocolates, similar to Mrs. Brown. I can be stubborn, like things the way I like them, and love telling stories (thus, why I’m a writer), like Uncle Royston. I like lending a hand when it’s needed and enjoy finding ways of organizing that are helpful, like Mrs. Cook. And I don’t like letting people down and wish I could find a way to make it up to them, like Henrique.
What’s one genre that you haven’t really written in, but would consider trying in the future?
If I could write a fantasy similar in tone and importance to C.S. Lewis’s The Chronicles of Narnia, that would be a dream come true. But that isn’t really a genre I feel confident in writing at this point.
Finally, what’s your favorite story trope, and what’s your advice for pulling it off well?
There are a few tropes I am typically drawn to: amnesia, dysfunctional relationship with one’s mother-in-law, children and orphans, estrangements, sports, and road trips. I’m an observer by nature, so my go-to research is studying how other books and movies have well pulled off the specific tropes I’m working with. I rely heavily on God and the inspiration He provides, as He leads me to the right stories at the right time for research purposes. In addition, I do a lot of research online for things I need to know during the writing of my stories, and I ask questions of people who know more when I can’t find specifically what I’m looking for. My experience as a copy editor also helps, because I get a good look at many different types of stories and see what works well in each of them.
My advice for writers trying to learn more about their specific trope is to read and watch a ton of them, study how they’re done, what you like and don’t like about them, what works and what doesn’t. Then practice in your own voice, your own stories, until you find what works specifically for you — and that could be different from one project to the next. Beyond that, pray that God guides you to each new thing you need to know along the way.
Thank you so much for joining me today, Andrea! It’s been such fun getting to know more about you and your story 🙂
It’s been a pleasure, Lillian. Thank you!
The Cottage on the Hill by Andrea Renee Cox
Moira Wood lost her ballerina dreams when she suffered an unfortunate accident. During every teatime at her cottage hideaway, it hits her afresh what she won’t again be able to obtain.
Helping out on his uncle’s farm, Adrian Davis worries he’ll never earn a place of his own. While sent on a bevy of errands, he observes a woman crying into her tea and wonders why … and what he could do to cheer her up.
When forced to confront their own regrets, will Moira and Adrian trust that God has a good plan even through crushed dreams and far-off hopes?
Andrea Renee Cox’s Bio & Links:
Born and raised in north Texas, Andrea Renee Cox is a born-again child of God who enjoys writing stories that inspire, copyediting fiction manuscripts, tutoring middle school students, and going on road trips with her family. Whether she’s working on historical or contemporary, women’s fiction or romance, she uses her skills in research and writing techniques—as well as a large dose of prayer and guidance from God—at every turn in the journey to produce the best story of her ability every single time. Her books may be found on her website, and readers are welcome to follow her blog for the latest updates in her journey.
Website: https://andreareneecox.com
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/andreacox
Twitter: https://twitter.com/screenwriter87
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/andreareneecoxauthor/
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/author/andreareneecox
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/andrea-renee-cox
Title: Springtime in Surrey : a Wild Blue Wonder Press anthology
Genre: Christian Women’s Fiction, both Historical and Contemporary
Short Blurb:
Springtime in Surrey, the first collection releasing with Wild Blue Wonder Press, is a Christian anthology featuring eight lovely stories. With a mix of historical and contemporary, romance and women’s fiction, a dash of mystery here and there, real-life themes presented in a loving way, and a vintage feel, this story is sure to charm lovers of Christian women’s fiction.
I used to do ballet as a kid (didn’t stick for long as other hobbies took over as I got older *lol*.) How about you? Have you ever done ballet (or any kind of dance) before? Have you watched any Fred Astaire movies (or seen Vera Ellen in White Christmas?) What’s your favorite story trope? Let’s chat!
P.s Our next interview will be with Erika Matthews, so keep an eye out for that post on Friday!
Lillian Keith 
Beautiful interview, ladies!!! I’ve always had a wish to learn ballet (just like I want to learn horse riding one day) but alas, both those dreams have been quite unattainable. I content myself with vicariously experiencing ballet through characters like Moira! 😆
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Thank you! Ooo, horseback riding can be fun. I live that vicariously through watching Heartland XD.
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