doing in my life from start to finish.
Let’s talk about The Thorn Bearer (Vinspire Publishing, April 2015). Please tell us about it.
I see it as a beautiful story about the ultimate forgiveness. Placed in 1915, the turbulent travels aboard the ill-fated Lusitania mirrors the havoc inside Ashleigh Dougall’s heart. Here’s a quick overview:
When Ashleigh Dougall’s fiancé leaves her eight months before their wedding, the unexpected blow ignites a battalion of insecurities stemming from her father’s intimate betrayal. Her worst fears are confirmed – who could ever love a soiled woman? In an attempt to escape the shame and disappointment of her past, Ashleigh boards the ill-fated Lusitania to cross the war-torn waters of Europe. Much to her dismay, she isn’t traveling alone.
Sam Miller is always making up for his younger brother’s mistakes. Determined to help his friend, Ashleigh, he offers his compassion and companionship as she ventures across a perilous sea. With the faint hope of renewing his lost love for Ashleigh’s sister, Sam never expects to find the woman of his dreams in his best friend.
As they travel across the Atlantic, neither is prepared for the life-altering and heart-breaking journey of their friendship.
When the truth of Ashleigh’s past explodes in the middle of the trenches of Europe and Sam rejects her, Ashleigh must decide if God is enough – or if the double weight of her betrayal and past will crush her life forever.
Where do you get your ideas for your books? What sparked this story?
Ideas come from all sorts of places! A book I’m reading, a conversation I overhear, a true-life situation. Just this week I thought of a new idea based on watching the movie Austenland.
The Thorn Bearer evolved over time out of dealing with personal pain and witnessing the results of God’s forgiveness in myself and others. When I “stumbled’ upon the Lusitania story one day during research, the pieces started fitting together for this story.
Did anything strange or funny happen while writing this book?
Well, one character I thought was dead….wasn’t! What do you do with that?
Here’s another funny thing. When I was writing a very emotional part in the book, my husband walked into the room and saw me weeping as I typed. He said, “are you okay?” (with that….my-wife-is-crazy look on his face). I said, “______ just died.”
He paused a moment, stared a little longer, and then…very hesitantly said, “You’re the author, aren’t you? Don’t let her die.”
To which I offered a shocked gasp and replied, “But she has to die.”
Needless to say, my reaction did not help my husband’s opinion of my current mental state.