Tessa Afshar
https://tessaafshar.com/
Author of: The Queen’s Cook
T4JYM: Tell our readers about The Queen’s Cook, due to be released November 19, 2024. What can they expect from it?
TA: The Queen’s Cook is the first novel in a trilogy set in Esther’s time. In the opulent Persian kingdom, the Jewish citizens face an incomprehensible edict. Roxannah, the daughter of an impoverished lord, longs to help her friends. Her efforts land her at the palace in Susa, working as a cook in Queen Esther’s Kitchens. Life becomes more complicated when a mysterious book and a sinister plot throw her and the palace physician together. As danger shadows her steps and her duties mount, Roxannah discovers a treasured friend in the remarkable queen of Persia.
T4JYM: You have some amazing books available! I see many I would love to dig through myself. Which book did you find to be the most enjoyable to write? Which book is your favorite?
TA: Thank you! I find it impossible to choose a favorite. They all feel dear to me in their own way. I definitely enjoyed dreaming up the story of The Queen’s Cook because, like Esther, I grew up in Persia and that historical period has always fascinated me. Also, I love Persian food, so having a cook as my heroine made the research especially fun.
T4JYM: Where do you come up with the ideas for your books?
TA: Every book is different. Sometimes, I start with a character. Something about a person’s background or personality or job fascinates me. For example, in Land of Silence, I wanted to know who was the woman with the bleeding disease, and why did Jesus call her “daughter”? What was the story behind that tender and miraculous moment? At other times, a particular circumstance in history captures my attention.
T4JYM: What does the writing process look like for you? Walk us through everything that happens from idea to publication.
TA: I am a little like coffee in that I have to percolate! I need two or three months of research and thinking about a project before I start writing. For me, a story has to sit quietly before it is ready to be written. I prefer to write in the order of the story. It really annoys me if I have to write a scene out of order. If something occurs to me for a later scene in the book, I keep notes and save them for later. I do some editing as I write, but after the first draft is completed, I do a major edit, usually from a print copy and using my favorite pencil. If I have time, I also use one or two trusted Beta readers. Then the book is off to the publishers and their editors.
T4JYM: How long does it generally take for you to write a book?
TA: The actual writing and editing of the first draft take about six to eight months. My writing is slower during the first half of the story. By the second half, usually the story flows much more readily. But in general, I am a slow writer because there is always more research to be done. After I finish the first draft, I will then go through three more rounds of edits with different editors in the publishing house, which take an additional four to six months. So a book can take as long as twelve to eighteen months from conception to completion.
T4JYM: What is the process for researching the historical accuracy of your books?
TA: It involves a lot of reading, particularly books about the time period and historical details. I look into the weather, geographical conditions, setting, as well as the road systems of the time. Then I research the biblical accounts that are relevant to the story. I also get to participate in some hands-on research. For The Hidden Prince and The Peasant King, I learned basic archery. For some of my Roman era books, I took a glass-making class, studied Roman cuisine, and grew a container garden. I have also studied pottery for book II in Queen Esther’s Court series. Maybe the most fun research for my husband is when I experiment with cooking foods from the Middle East as I did for The Queen’s Cook.
T4JYM: What’s next? Do you have any new books in the works?
TA: Currently, I am working on book II in Queen Esther’s Court series. Each book in the series recounts the story of one of Esther’s fictional friends, and introduces us to a woman with a unique profession whose life is changed by Esther. Through the series, we occasionally hear from Esther herself as we read entries from her secret scrolls. Book II is going to be focused on Sazana, a gifted potter from Susa.
T4JYM: What is the focus of your ministry? How did you decide on this focus?
TA: I love to write uplifting and faith-inspiring books that encourage my readers to persevere while taking them on an entertaining journey. My desire is two-fold: First, for my readers to discover their true worth, which is not in what they achieve or how they look, but in who they are in Christ. Second, to help my readers find that God is enough in the midst of life’s hardest storms. This focus emerged organically as I started writing.
T4JYM: Who are some of the authors you enjoy reading? What authors have inspired you as a writer?
TA: I read a lot of different genres and writers. Historicals and old cottage mysteries are some of my favorites, although I also love some fantasy and YA. I was mostly inspired by classics like Charlotte Bronte and Jane Austen as well as C. S. Lewis’s Narnia Chronicles, and I loved authors like Josephine Tey, and Dorothy Sayers.
T4JYM: What was the last book you read?
TA: Calor by J. J. Fischer, which I really enjoyed.
T4JYM: If you could have 1 hour with Jesus, what would it look like?
TA: It would probably look like me sticking to him like glue and listening to every word he has to say. And if he is willing, me sitting at his feet as he prayed.
T4JYM: Who would you want to meet if you could pick any person from the past 100 years to now?
TA: Maybe Corrie ten Boom? I would want to know how she survived those dark years to become such an inspiration.
T4JYM: What is your favorite book of the Bible and your favorite verse? Why?
TA: These favorite questions are very difficult for me! I couldn’t honestly choose only one. There are so many! The psalms are probably one of the books I return to again and again because they capture so many different aspects of our faith and longing. They foreshadow the work of Jesus while also expressing our deepest needs. Lately, I have been thinking about Esther a lot because it has been a focal point of my books.
T4JYM: What advice would you give to someone interested in publishing?
TA: Read a lot and don’t wait to start writing. Those two things are the best teachers for a writer. Learn perseverance because writing can be challenging. Don’t give up on your dream unless God asks you to surrender it.
T4JYM: What advice would you give to the youth of this world?
TA: I know this is not a simple world to navigate. But you are here at this time because God chose this specific time for you. He gave you the gifts and the potential you need to bring light to this world. You are a gift to our broken planet. He wired you to be a blessing. Don’t forget that.
Thank you so much for inviting me to hang out with you and your readers. It’s been a blessing.
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