Tosca is the award-winning author responsible for two Christian Fiction books, Demon: A Memoir and Havah: The Story of Eve.
The members of FCCW were in awe last Thursday night as Tosca Lee shared her writing experience and expertise. Tosca's first book, Demon, challenged some of the Christian community with its unsettling title and cover. "I wanted it to gain attention," Tosca said. "I wanted people to think when they saw it." Demon is the account of history before the earth’s creation to the present day, as narrated by a fallen angel.
A management consultant, Tosca was driving home one day when the idea for Demon came to her. At the time, she planned to complete a book about a woman warrior. Demon’s story, however, did not let her rest until she completed the work. Writing passionately for three months, the book was finished but did not sell for five years until she rewrote what was essentially a monologue into more traditional narrative form. This doubled the length of the book—and won her a multi-book deal from NavPress.
As Demon went to press, Tosca was immediately under time constraints to complete the second book. After six months of research and another six of writing, she completed Havah. "Heinous and grievous," Tosca informed us. "The first draft is always heinous." Havah, a retelling of Eve’s story, required expansive research or order to provide the known details regarding life back then.
She is now preparing to write her third book.
Tosca, the runner-up for Mrs. USA in 1998, is extremely approachable and human! She answered our questions and had us sitting on the edge of our seats for more. Her intelligence and creativity are obvious and alluring.
Her advice to writers: approach agents or editors with a stunning query.
By Cyndi Rice, FCCW VP of Education
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