Life & Work with Tamera Alexander

In 1995, my mother-in-law, Claudette Harris Alexander, shared a novel with me, one she thought I would really enjoy. But I was busy and let time go by without reading it. She asked me a few times if I’d read it. I always said no but that I would. Honestly? The cover didn’t appeal to me, so I didn’t think I would like the story.

Very unexpectedly, Claudette died that same year from a brain aneurysm at age 58. Weeks passed, and as I was cleaning bookshelves downstairs, I came across that little book and immediately sat down and read it. Claudette was right! I felt an immediate connection with the thread of hope and faith woven through that gentle love story—Love Comes Softly by Janette Oke, originally published by Bethany House Publishers in 1979.

Reading that novel sent me searching for more inspirational fiction published not only by Bethany House but elsewhere in the Christian Booksellers Association market (CBA). There wasn’t much back then, but I devoured it, and that deepened my already strong interest in historical fiction.

A few years later, my husband and I were driving back from Texas to our home in Colorado late one night. I finished reading a novel, turned to him, and said (only joking at the time), “I think I could write one of these.” Without blinking, he said, “Well, do it.” Competitive at heart, I nodded and said, “Well, okay!” That was almost 20 years—and 20 novels—ago.

My first seven novels are set in the Colorado Territory. We lived in Colorado at the time, so I visited and researched all the places I was writing about. Then, in 2007, we moved from Colorado to Tennessee for my husband Joe to be the Associate Dean of Massey Business College at Belmont University, and shortly thereafter, I began writing my Southern fiction novels—trilogies about Belmont Mansion, Belle Meade Plantation, and Carnton.

To say, I’m grateful for this opportunity to write about real history is an understatement. I’ve worked closely with curators and historians from these sites to make sure everything is historically accurate. It’s so important to remember where we came from, both as people and as a nation.

As I said, I’m grateful to the Lord for the opportunity to write. I use writing to draw closer to Him, and my deepest desire is that, through my writing, I might worship and praise Jesus for all He has done and is doing in my life.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Publishing… a smooth road? LOL, not hardly. There have been many stumbles, pitfalls, and hurdles in my journey, but I’m grateful for each of them. Adversity usually isn’t the enemy it appears to be, even though it’s never enjoyable.

The first novel I wrote (remember that dare from my husband?) made it to the final publisher’s review board at Bethany House Publishers in 2000, after which I received a very nice rejection letter. I didn’t know much at all about writing a novel at the time. I just sat down and wrote one, challenged by that friendly dare from Joe. But I figured that if I’d made it that far—to the final pub review board—on a whim, that maybe I stood a chance.

So I tucked that novel in a drawer and determined to seriously study the craft of writing. I dissected some of my favorite novels at the time, learning from the authors and learning about the power of stories. Writing that first story was a learning experience for me that I took to heart and learned a lot from.

And that novel that I stuck in my drawer? After a complete rewrite (Bethany House was right to reject it, it had major issues), that first manuscript became The Inheritance, Thomas Nelson’s first historical in their WOMEN OF FAITH fiction line. Even after all these years, I love that story and am thrilled it found its way to publication. The Inheritance is still one of my most popular and bestselling stories.

My most recent “hurdle” happened in the summer of 2020 when my Carnton novel, Colors of Truth, was canceled by the publisher because I wouldn’t rewrite the history in that novel to make it more palatable for the current culture. The novel had already been accepted months earlier and was already printed and ready to ship to booksellers. I said I wouldn’t do it.

That rewriting the history went against my conscience and also robbed the real people who are portrayed in the novel (former slaves who lived and worked at Carnton in the 19th century) of their struggle and all they went through. My publisher canceled Colors of Truth, book 2 in the Carnton series, destroyed the printed books, and also canceled the third contracted book in the series.

So I indie-published Colors of Truth anyway, Just as it was. It was an Amazon bestseller right out of the gate. God is so good, and he worked that situation for my good! Carnton Book 3 is scheduled for release in early 2025.

I appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I’m a novelist. I love story. I eat, breathe, and dream stories. I’m known for my historical fiction/romance novels set in the Colorado Territory and at historic antebellum sites in Nashville, but my most recent release is my first dual timeline novel (A Million Little Choices), and I really enjoyed writing that one. I definitely see another dual timeline somewhere in the future.

While writing is a big part of my life and I’m grateful for the accolades and awards my novels have garnered through the years, I’m most proud of my family. Without them, I couldn’t do what I do. They inspire me with their love and laughter, and I’m a better writer because of being a wife, mother, mother-in-law, and Gram Tam.