THE DUET by Robert Elmer – An Interview with RTR Reviewer Linda Baldwin

Thanks for agreeing to do this interview. It’s so much fun to pick the brain of male ‘romance’ authors.  

Tell us a little about Robert Elmer: how long have you been writing? Are you married? Have any children? Pets? Hobbies?   

RE: I’ve been writing since I was eight years old, when I created a family newspaper. I’ve been a news writer and editor, freelance writer and advertising writer. My first novel for younger readers, A Way Through the Sea, released in 1994. My wife Ronda and I have three kids—two in college (Moody Bible Institute) and one on the way to college. We’re near empty nesters, though our cocker spaniel/sheltie named Freckles remains home. When I’m not writing I love spending time with my family, traveling with Ronda (usually to speak at schools), hiking and boating. I love being on and around the water. 

You have a few pretty cool book series out, will you tell us about the books br (before romance).   

RE: It started with “The Young Underground” series (eight books), which were inspired by stories from my parents of their youth in Denmark during World War 2. Next came the “Adventures Down Under” (also eight books), stories which follow an Irish family to Australia during the wild pioneer days of the 1860s. The “Promise of Zion” series (six books) takes up where “Underground” left off, and follows two young people through the exciting days of 1947 and 1948 in Israel. Most recently I wrote the “AstroKids” series (ten books), which is a wild and crazy look at life on a space station in the year 2175. Kind of a Christian “Jetsons.” And now I’m on to a new series for kids called “HyperLinkz,” which follows two normal kids from Normal, Illinois literally into the Internet. The first two books of this new series release in May, 2004.  

What’s a typical day for you?     

RE: That’s one of the fun parts of my job—no day is really “typical.” Today I’m working on a rough draft of another new “HyperLinkz” novel. Yesterday I was composing ideas for a new novel proposal. Last week I was in Chicago and Detroit, leading young writers workshops at Christian elementary schools. In a few weeks I’ll dive into serious research on life in Berlin during the Cold War. So my schedule is always changing, always new. Can you tell I love this job? 

What is your writing place like? What’s your must have writing thing? (Chair, pen, book, music, candle, etc.)   

RE: My writing place is a small bedroom in our house, dominated on two sides by a large writing desk where I park my computer and printer, along with enough counter space to spread out my notes when I’m in the research or composing stages. I like to spread out as much as possible. But my years as a journalist helped me not only with deadlines, but with the idea of making each moment count. So when we’re on the road my wife often drives, while I plug in my laptop and try to write a few more chapters. So I don’t have too many writing “things,” though I do like the comfy office chair my wife got me from Costco. Sometimes I play Irish music to feel inspired. 

Do you consider THE DUET a romance or woman’s fiction or just fiction? Why?  

RE: You can tell a romance by a simple test: Is there any story left if you took out the romantic or relational elements? In this case, THE DUET depends on the interaction and deepening attraction between Joan and Gerrit. So although this brand of romance may be lighter than most, and it involves older characters, it is integral to the story. It’s marketed as contemporary fiction and I hope it’s shelved that way in most bookstores, but yes it’s a (lite) romance. Just don’t tell potential men readers that. 

Whose story is THE DUET? Gerrit? Joan? (I’ve got my own idea)  When you wrote it whose story were you telling?  

RE: One could argue that it’s Gerrit’s story because the book takes place mainly on his “turf.” And if you counted up the number of scenes told from his perspective (I never actually did) I would guess it’s 55 percent to 45 percent in his favor. However, I am much more like Joan in personality and background, and I invested a lot of emotions in her character, as well. Before I began the book, I actually was a bit afraid of not being able to create a significant female character, but that’s not the way it turned out. So I don’t think her character is any less significant, and in that sense it’s a 50-50 book. 

Your descriptions of the town, town fair, and surroundings are real. How much of it is autobiographical?   

RE: Quite a bit. One of my favorite local events, for example, is the annual Northwest Washington Fair, held in my town. I try to attend every year, and two years ago I wandered the fair for hours, pen and notebook in hand, recording everything. Other descriptions of the town and the surrounding farms come from living here, following a dairy farmer on his rounds, that sort of thing. The Appeldoorn farm is based on a farm we drive by every week on the way to church.  

I pass through the city you live in every time I go to Canada. I can see many of things in your book that could be true of Lynden. How much is?   

RE: While Lynden, Washington is the inspiration for the fictional town of Van Dalen, it’s a loose inspiration. For one thing, the whole Dutch aspect is heightened in the story. (Lynden is Dutch, but not <that> Dutch!)    

How did you research the two different religions?  

RE: My family and I attended a Nazarene fellowship several years ago and have basically come from that kind of evangelical tradition. We attend a Baptist church today, but have also enjoyed EV Free, Christian & Missionary Alliance, and Grace Brethren churches. So I had a pretty good idea where Joan would be coming from. Gerrit, on the other hand, took a little more research, though that wasn’t difficult because the town where we live is heavily populated by churches in the Reformed tradition. I highly respect these wonderful churches and appreciate the positive impact they have had on our part of the country. We attended services at a local Reformed congregation, and I did careful, extensive Internet and library research on the denominations within that tradition.   

Were you afraid of insulting readers with the little battle the two main characters have over their perspective religions?  

RE: I was sensitive to that, and I listened carefully to any comments from Reformed friends who read the initial manuscript. Yet the story means to show how believers from opposite ends of a theological spectrum can find common ground in Christ—which is a message for the church today. Please note, however, that I’m not talking about compromising on the fundamentals of the Christian faith! It’s just easy to lose sight of how passionately Jesus prayed that believers would be one. So it must be do-able without watering down or compromising the Biblical truths which define us as Christians. That’s what Gerrit and Joan grappled with in the story.  

The Duet is warm and wonderful story.  I love the characters, (although I must confess I was a little put off by the son and his wife – what are they thinking? You want to say – ‘hey, stop the frivolous stuff and get serious about this will ya?!’)  Anyway, thanks for taking time to do the interview and for sending the book. I’m awarding it the Road To Romance Reviewers Award.

Linda Mae Baldwin