Saturday, April 18, 2026

"God Storys" by Victorya Wright -- Author Interview

About the Book

Book: God Storys: Told By a Daughter of the Most High King

Author: Victorya Wright

Genre: Non-Fiction; Inspirational

Release Date: October 14, 2025

Do you have a personal mantra that guides you? Have you ever felt God’s presence so strongly that it seemed as if He was right beside you? Do you seek His wisdom when faced with tough decisions?

For me, my constant prayer is “Not in my own strength, Lord. Not in my own strength. Guide me. Direct me. Help me.” Since childhood I have experienced God’s undeniable presence, leading me in ways both profound and personal. There are moments when I turn, expecting to see someone beside me, only to realize it is His unseen nearness. When uncertainty arises, I seek clarity through prayer and my own version of the ancient Thummim and Urim – trusting Him to reveal the way forward. God Storys is a compilation of 30 true, standalone vignettes that testify to these Divine encounters – extraordinary moments that are not mere coincidences, but God-instances. May these stories inspire you, strengthen your faith, and open your eyes to His presence in your own life.

Click here to get your copy!

Author Interview

1. Why did you choose to write non-fiction?
Initially, I reluctantly and hesitantly wrote my/His God Storys book out of obedience to God’s
directive. As the book took form and shape my vision broadened. God Storys, my first and only
book, is a compilation of 30 true, standalone vignettes that testify to my spiritual journey,
proclaiming my personal Divine encounters,– extraordinary moments that are not mere
coincidences, but God-instances. The fact that they are true determined that I write non-fiction.

2. Why did you choose to write about this particular topic?
Initially, I reluctantly and hesitantly wrote my/His God Storys book out of obedience to God’s
directive. As the book took form and shape my vision broadened. It is my goal that the readers
of my/His book will recognize and grow deeper in their own personal relationships with God. It is
my prayer that people will see God in their own lives in a new, fresh and reliant way. I hope that
individuals will perceive their own personal God stories and proclaim them. God Storys is
intended for people of all ages and all genders.

3. What is your writing area like?
My writing area changes based on the location. When I went away to write my/His book to
Twain Harte, near Yosemite, California, in 2019 that writing area was solely designated for the
entire time that I was there and that I wrote. The area was both clear and cluttered. The area
was clear from anything extraneous that was not related to writing, but it was also cluttered with
post-it-notes and paraphernalia that were reminders of the stories that I was reminiscing.
When I write at home my writing area is a shared space with my work and personal projects. I
have a desk in a home office that has large sliding glass doors open to the outside. The office is
very light and airy and, because I live in Southern California, I am able to leave the slider open
almost every day for fresh air and sunshine. I prefer to think and write in silence. I rarely eat
snacks, but I do consistently hydrate with electrolyte infused water. I rarely play music or have
background noise while I am both writing or working. I am blessed to have my own space and
mostly uninterrupted times.

4. Do you have any usual writing habits?
In almost everything that I write, I create it in my head before putting it to paper. My writing
process is/was both spontaneous and very planned. By nature I am a very organized, detail
oriented, planning person. I planned and organized the getaway to go away to write my/His
book but when it actually came to putting pen to paper, or in my case words to dictation, I was
very spontaneous as I was being led by the Holy Spirit. For many years, I was organized and
kept track of my/His stories in a notepad on my phone. They were just bare bones, reminders. I
learned early on that I was not able to write/type as fast as I could speak/create, so I concluded that dictation would be the best way of communicating His message of proclaiming all that He
had done. When I returned home, I hired a transcriber to type His stories.

5. Do you think reading helps you with writing?
Yes, I think that reading helps everyone with writing. I also believe that exposure to other forms
of writing and storytelling [movies, audio books, etc] also benefits people who want to write.
Intentional building of relationships, sacrificial service to one another, and the learned skill of
listening also promotes a better writer.

6. What is different about writing non-fiction vs fiction?
Currently my first, and only, book is nonfiction because it is a compilation of true vignettes.
When writing nonfiction, the author relays existing memories, information and knowledge. When
writing fiction, the writer needs to engage their imagination and creativity. I think of a nonfiction
story as an unfolding living organism. That is something that comes from the innermost mind of
the creator. Unlike nonfiction, fiction must be orchestrated from nothing other than an initial thought or idea.

About the Author

Born at Queen of Angels Hospital in Los Angeles during one of the city’s largest earthquakes, I took my first breath as the building swayed and the gurney rolled – my parents recount a dramatic beginning marked by both chaos and grace. Life since then has been rich with God’s goodness, meaningful relationships, and profound learning. It has also brought seasons of hardship, loss and shame – yet grace has always abounded. I am the mother of seven children, two of whom are already in heaven. My five God-fearing, compassionate, and well-educated adult children live in five U. S. states. My greatest joy is spending time with them and my 14 adorable grandchildren. I have spent most of my life working in healthcare and continue to serve part time in my orofacial myofunctional therapy private practice in San Diego County and beyond. I am passionate about proclaiming all that God has done.

More from Victorya

I have been asked, “What is the purpose of this book? I believe that the answer to that question lies in the fact that you are holding this book in your hands and reading these God storys. That is not a coincidence; it is another God incidence. I do not believe in coincidence. I believe that our lives and our world are beautifully orchestrated by a very personal, very relational Creator.

This book is not about me; it is not about spiritual one-upmanship. This book is all about Him … about having a relationship with Him. I am an ordinary person; I am an ordinary Christian. I am merely His scribe writing out of obedience. Even the cover and subtitle of this book reflect God storys. I photographed the sunset from my front door before this book was ever written. The song that I refer to “The Truth”, reflects our royal relationship with Him as our King. The lock on the cover is to be unlocked as you explore your own relationship with Him, the God Who breathed life into our nostrils.

Blog Stops

Simple Harvest Reads, April 8 (Author Interview)

Artistic Nobody, April 9 (Author Interview)

Guild Master, April 10 (Author Interview)

Texas Book-aholic, April 11

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, April 12

Fiction Book Lover, April 13 (Author Interview)

Vicky Sluiter, April 14 (Author Interview)

For the Love of Literature, April 15 (Author Interview)

Lots of Helpers, April 15

Tell Tale Book Reviews, April 16 (Author Interview)

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, April 17

Blossoms and Blessings, April 18 (Author Interview)

Stories By Gina, April 19 (Author Interview)

Jodie Wolfe – Stories Where Hope and Quirky Meet, April 20 (Author Interview)

Mary Hake, April 20

Books, Books, & More Books, April 21 (Author Interview)

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Victorya is giving away the grand prize of a $100 VISA gift card, a hardcover signed copy of the book and 2-Gold Antique Skeleton Keys [for bookmarks, decoration, favors, or handiwork]!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://gleam.io/C8evw/god-storys-told-by-a-daughter-of-the-most-high-king-celebration-tour-giveaway

Monday, March 30, 2026

"Bernadette" by Jennifer Lynn Cary -- Author Interview

About the Book

Book: Bernadette: A Sweet, Quirky, Romantic Twist

Author: Jennifer Lynn Cary

Genre: Sweet Romantic Comedy

Release Date: August 4, 2025

She’s supposed to be a small-town girl…

…He’s billed as America’s biggest heartthrob.

What could possibly go wrong? How about everything?

Tiny Bernie Sawrey is perfectly happy fixing carburetors until her stepmother ambushes her with a blind date. The catch? It’s with movie star Garrett Lomas, Bernie’s secret celebrity crush and the reason she’s haunted the drive-in alone her entire adult life.

There’s just one teensy problem: Bernie’s about as Hollywood-ready as a rusty muffler.

But when her dad’s garage faces financial ruin, suddenly playing Kokomo’s answer to the girl-next-door doesn’t seem so impossible, if it will help. How hard can it be to fake being normal for a few weeks?

Meanwhile, Gabe Lomas thought being his identical twin’s stunt double only involved driving race cars—not impersonating him at charity events in small-town Indiana. But when the movie studio execs set up the deal and Garrett’s fiancée says no way, Gabe trades his helmet for a fake smile and a very real problem.

The problem? Bernie Sawrey, all five-foot-nothing of her, with enough quirk and innocence to charm the grumpiest producer. That’s the problem.

Gabe is falling for her hard, only she thinks he’s his famous brother.

And she just might be falling for him too.

Now he’s caught between protecting his brother’s career and protecting his own heart. Because telling Bernie the truth might send her racing away—but not telling her guarantees he’ll lose her when she finds out.

Return to 1973 Kokomo, Indiana, where the cardinal in the sycamore knows that love—like a good engine—runs best when all the parts are genuine. A sweet, hilarious tale of mistaken identity, small-town charm, and finding love when you’re not even being yourself.

You will enjoy this sweet, quirky tale of secret twists, because sometimes the best love stories start with a little white lie and maybe a bit of motor oil.

Click here to get your copy!

Author Interview

1. Do you consider yourself a plotter or a pantser (or a hybrid)?

I’d say I’m a hybrid leaning to the pantser side. I do a lot of setup beforehand using One
Stop for Writers to get to know my characters, and I fill in a few templates of questions to
get me thinking. But all is flexible or outright changeable. I have to see where the writing
takes me and who the other characters are who jump in and add to the story.

2. What is your favorite part about writing?

The End. Even if it’s just for the rough draft. Getting the whole story down so I can play
with it is exciting.

3. What is your least favorite part about writing?

Apologies to Becky and everyone who has helped me, but I dislike marketing. It feels
like I have to toot my own horn. I know it’s not necessarily that, but it feels like it.
Sharing stories, no problem. But the other stuff makes me uncomfortable.

4. Do you have a way to keep track of your story ideas?

So far, they’ve been mostly in my brain. In fact, I just dreamed about a couple scenes for
the book I’m writing, Walk Away, Rene. I also do research into things and save that when
I have an idea. But I’m not great about it. I did get an idea once when my hubs and I were
going out to eat. I started typing it into my Notes on my phone and even asked the server
what she thought. Held onto it for over a year and put it into Runaround Sue—Mac’s first
scene.

5. What is your writing space like?

Cluttered. I have an old mauve velour EZchair that belonged to my grandmother and a
lap desk to go across to hold my laptop. I’m constantly pulling out something to
check—often old Sargasso Yearbooks — so they are in a stack next to me along with tons
of other stuff.

6. When did you become a writer?

I feel like I’ve been writing my whole life. I wrote my first play—my take on
Cinderella—when I was in fourth grade. I was also the director of that show that never
made it past the first rehearsal.

7. How long does it usually take you to write a book?

I used to say I could do it in two and a half months. That was before the line from The
Chosen— “Get used to different”—because my mantra. Life took a massive change, so
now if I can do it in under four months, I’m feeling pretty good.

8. Where do you get your ideas for your books?

The current ones, and another trilogy I’m playing with, all come from song titles of the
1960s. That was great music, and for an imaginative kid, it played out some fun
storylines.

9. What is your work schedule/routine when you write?

I try to be working on my computer by 11:00 and keep going until dinnertime, which is
around 5:00 (if I remember to start the oven or even make a plan). Occasionally I’ll go
back after 7:00 but rarely. If I can join a sprint during that time, things really fly.

10. Do bits of yourself/friends show up in your characters?

Absolutely. Every hero has a little of my husband. He really is my hero. And in
Bernadette, the character Debbie LePre is named after a dear friend who succumbed to
cancer about a month before I started writing the book.

About the Author

Historical Christian Romance author and three-time Selah Award nominee, Jennifer Lynn Cary, likes to say you can take the girl out of Indiana, but you can’t take the Hoosier out of the girl. Now transplanted to the Arizona desert, this direct descendant of Davy Crockett and her husband of forty-plus years enjoy time with family where she shares tales of her small-town heritage and family legacies with their grandchildren. She is the author of The Crockett Chronicles series, The Relentless series, and The Weather Girls trilogy, as well as the stand-alone novel, Cheryl’s Going Home, her novella Tales of the Hob Nob Annex Café, and her split-time novels The Traveling Prayer Shawl and The Forgotten Gratitude Journal. Her current spin-off series, The Weather Girls Wedding Shoppe and Venue, contains standalones with a common thread.

More from Jennifer

As I put this series together in my head, certain books were right there, laid out, easy to have a handle on them. But with Bernadette, I knew two things: she was a tiny spitfire, and the first line of the book had to be someone calling out her name. Why? Because that’s the way the Four Tops started the song that was my inspiration. Sort of. Actually, that is the only thing I used from the song.

I also wanted to introduce my readers to other places I remembered in Kokomo during the 1970s. I’d only been to the Kokomo Speedway once, and all I could remember was that it was loud. It was my one and only date with a longtime friend who had been an on-again, off-again boyfriend of my best friend. After we moved to Arizona, I had a chance to go back home for a few weeks before my senior year. Cheryl and Jim were no longer an item, but I’d been friends with both. Jim asked if I wanted to go to the races and I agreed. Can’t remember if we took his motorcycle or not, but I did ride with him once or twice on that trip. The funny thing is, we knew we were better as friends, and especially with the long distance between us, that was all either of us wanted. We remained friends for many years before we lost contact—I got to meet his wife and daughters, and he met my husband.

About the time I was starting this book, as the plot ideas were coming together, one of my sweet sisters from our Bible study group succumbed to cancer. Debbie was a sweet light, and I wanted to honor her. I asked her family if I could use her name in the story and they agreed.

Finally, I think every girl remembers the first boy to ask her to go steady. The thing is, I’m not sure who it was. From kindergarten through fourth grade, I went to school with the Richardson twins. Both were sweet and funny. Mike was the more outgoing, Mark was quieter.

I remember one time going to their house and making Christmas ornaments from straws after we learned how in school.

One day I got a phone call. I’d learned to tell them apart in person, but on the phone, not so much. I got asked to go steady. My dad had already informed me that ten-years-old was too young, so I blamed it on Dad and declined.

A few minutes later, I got a second phone call. Again I was asked to go steady and had to say no. The thing is, I never knew who asked first!

After that year we moved across town though I kept in touch with my friends. It was only about two-three years later that I learned Mike had died from an accident. It wasn’t my first intro to death, but it was concerning someone my own age.

It’s been almost sixty years since I last saw Mike Richardson, but I still remember him with fondness. Another reason I had twins in this story. If only I knew which twin had asked me to go steady first.

Blog Stops

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, March 26

Tell Tale Book Reviews, March 27 (Author Interview)

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, March 28

Texas Book-aholic, March 29

Blossoms and Blessings, March 30 (Author Interview)

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, March 30

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, March 31

Blogging With Carol, April 1

Stories By Gina, April 2 (Author Interview)

Simple Harvest Reads, April 3 (Guest Review from Donna)

She Lives to Read, April 4

Jodie Wolfe – Stories Where Hope and Quirky Meet, April 5 (Author Interview)

For Him and My Family, April 5

Paula’s Pad of Inspiration, April 6

Pause for Tales, April 7

Books, Books, & More Books, April 8 (Author Interview)

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Jennifer is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon Gift Card and an eBook copy of the book!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://gleam.io/iwo6B/bernadette-celebration-tour-giveaway

"Firebreak" by Kathy Tyers -- Spotlight

About the Book

Book: Firebreak

Author: Kathy Tyers

Genre: Science Fiction Space Opera

Release Date: March 10, 2026

What would you sacrifice to save your family and your home world?

Lady Firebird Caldwell returns to the world of her birth, Netaia, intending to introduce her young sons to the noble Electors while her husband, Brennen, conducts a military inspection. When mysterious ships in distress suddenly approach the planet, the Electorate sends her to initiate first contact. Forced to work alongside a vengeful childhood enemy, Firebird uses everything within her power—even her passion for music—to negotiate, only to discover their alien technology threatens all the worlds she holds dear.

Facing ruthless betrayal, Firebird undertakes a deadly journey to salvage the mission. Brennen must make daring use of his telepathic powers to save human life in the galactic Whorl, including that of their young sons. But saving the worlds might force Brennen to give the order that would mean Firebird’s death. In a galaxy poised on the edge of ruin, survival may demand the ultimate sacrifice—from them both.

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Kathy Tyers is known for her award-winning Firebird series and two licensed Star Wars Legends novels, including New York Times bestseller The Truce at Bakura. Her messiah-in-space novel, Daystar, which concluded the original Firebird series, won a 2013 Carol Award, and in 2019, Shivering World received the Christy Award in the visionary category. At home in southwest Montana with her husband, William T. Gillin, Kathy focuses on writing, music, and short-season vegetable gardening.

More from Kathy

Is the Firebird Series “Space Opera”?

Kathy Tyers

You may have come across the term “space opera” and wondered what it meant. Sopranos in space suits?

The term comes to us by way of “horse opera,” those good old-fashioned western movies with horses and bad guys and adventures and sweet-rated romance. With space opera, it’s “head ’em off at the next galaxy” and the sheriff carries a blaster (a blazer in my books) instead of a revolver, but it often has the same flavor. Remember the sci-fi TV series “Firefly”? It acknowledged its western-movie roots with horse chases and train rides. Often, people who dislike most science fiction for its far-futuristic technology find that they enjoy space opera, because its beating heart is the characters who are having the adventure.

I’ve written two kinds of science fiction. My Christy-award winning novel Shivering World is what we call “hard” science fiction. The plot revolves around solving a scientifically plausible problem.

I like to explain the distinction between hard SF, soft SF, and space opera like this: All science fiction has a veneer of scientific credibility. With hard SF, that veneer has to be so thick that a scientist in that field wouldn’t scoff. I once read a compelling hard SF story in which the characters were saved by knowing the melting point of aluminum and whether it would float them across a pool of extraterrestrial lava (plainly, they were too far off Earth to Google it).

Soft SF has a thinner scientific veneer, with more emphasis on well-drawn characters. In space opera, the veneer can be thin indeed. Some people mock the Star Wars movies for showing that explosions in space go “boom” although sound waves are carried by air molecules.

Do Star Wars fans care? No! They’re in it for the adventure, the fight scenes, the fabulous visual effects, John Williams’s music, and the sense of hope that even in dark times, maybe goodness will win out.

Can’t we all use some of that?

In my Firebird space opera series, I keep the science plausible if I can. My telepaths’ ancestors dabbled in genetic manipulation to create those abilities. They exceed lightspeed using a technology that turns every shipboard molecule sideways to normal space (say quasi-orthogonal three times fast). My “magical weapon,” the crystace, contains a crystal whose X and Y axes elongate dramatically when activated by sound at a particular resonant frequency. I explained the crystace just once, at the start of the series, because what really matters in these tales is whether Lady Firebird will survive to have another adventure.

Yet there’s music in my space operas. Firebird plays a small harp, which becomes a plot point in Firebreak. All of my chapter titles have musical subheadings such as allegro con fuoco, like instructions for a performer.

There is also chaste, moral romance and deep love between a pair-bonded husband and wife. My sister accused me of trying to “create the perfect man” in my series hero, Brennen. I won’t call him perfect—no one is—but I think he’d be a catch on any planet. Then there’s Prince Tel, left a widower . . .

If you’ve never enjoyed science fiction, you might try a space opera, maybe even mine. If you already enjoy science fiction, this series could fall within your comfort zone, too.

Blog Stops

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, March 25

Because Fiction, March 26 (Author Interview)

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, March 27 (Spotlight)

Artistic Nobody, March 28 (Author Interview)

Blogging With Carol, March 29

Blossoms and Blessings, March 30 (Spotlight)

Guild Master, March 31 (Author Interview)

The Lofty Pages, March 31

Stories By Gina, April 1 (Spotlight)

Fiction Book Lover, April 2 (Author Interview)

Texas Book-aholic, April 2

Tell Tale Book Reviews, April 3

Jodie Wolfe – Stories Where Hope and Quirky Meet, April 4 (Spotlight)

Vicky Sluiter, April 5 (Author Interview)

Simple Harvest Reads, April 6 (Guest Review from Mindy)

Books, Books, & More Books, April 7 (Spotlight)

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Kathy is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon Gift Card and a copy of the book!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://gleam.io/28yLK/firebreak-celebration-tour-giveaway

"Half Agony, Half Hope: Dear Lily Edition" by Joy Michelle Austin -- Author Interview

About the Book

Book: Half Agony, Half Hope: Dear Lily Edition

Author: Joy Michelle Austin

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Release Date: March 17, 2026

Lily
Days before her wedding, Lily Wentworth’s carefully planned future is shaken by an unexpected turn. Unsure how to move forward, she turns to the one person she has always trusted—her father.

Rick
Determined not to let their darkest years define her, Rick Wentworth offers Lily the journals he wrote during the season he fought to keep her safe and survive one day at a time.

As Lily reads, she begins to uncover not only the truth of what they endured, but also the fierce, steady love that carried her through—and the strength she may need now.

Half Agony, Half Hope: The Dear Lily Edition is a clean, closed-door story of resilience, family, and the love that shaped two lives.

Click here to get your copy!

Author Interview

Author: Joy Michelle Austin

Novel: Half Agony, Half Hope: The Dear Lily Edition

Website: www.thejoyousliving.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/thejoyousauthor

Facebook: www.facebook.com/joymichelleaustinauthor

Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/thejoyousliving

TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@joymichelleaustin

Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/author/show/55120800.Joy_Michelle_Austin

What is your favorite part about writing?
My favorite part is the moment when characters begin to feel fully alive — when their voices
grow clear and their story starts unfolding in ways that feel both surprising and inevitable.
There is something quietly miraculous about watching a blank page become a place where hope,
healing, and human connection can take shape. It never stops feeling like a privilege.

What is your least favorite part about writing?
If I am honest, the editing process stretches me the most. I care deeply about crafting a story that
feels thoughtful and polished for the reader, which means I can spend a great deal of time
refining a single passage until it carries exactly the right tone.
While revision requires patience, I have come to see it as an essential part of honoring both the
story and those who will one day read it.

Where do you get your ideas?
Ideas often begin with a question — usually one rooted in the human experience.
I find inspiration in everyday life, in conversations, in moments of quiet observation, and
sometimes in historical or literary threads that refuse to let go of my imagination. Faith also
shapes the stories I am drawn to tell, continually reminding me that redemption is never out of
reach.
More than anything, I try to pay attention. Stories are often waiting in the places we might
otherwise overlook.

Do bits of yourself show up in your characters?
I think most writers leave small fingerprints throughout their stories — not as direct reflections,
but as emotional understanding.
While my characters are entirely their own, I often draw upon feelings I have known, such as
perseverance, hope, and the experience of navigating unexpected paths, so that their journeys
are written with authenticity and compassion.
For me, it is less about placing myself into the story and more about writing from a place of
empathy — allowing what I have learned about the human heart to shape the way my characters
grow, struggle, and ultimately endure.

What is your work routine when writing?
Like many writers, I balance my creative work alongside a full professional day, so writing
becomes an intentional rhythm woven throughout my schedule.
I often write in the early morning before the day begins, return to the page during breaks or
lunch when I can, and spend time with the manuscript again in the evening. It is a pattern that
requires commitment, but one that continually reminds me how grateful I am for the opportunity
to tell stories.
In many ways, writing is less about waiting for inspiration and more about faithfully showing up
— one page at a time.

About the Author

Joy Michelle Austin is an award-winning novelist writing contemporary fiction. Her debut found an immediate audience among readers drawn to heartfelt stories of healing and second chances, launching the Jane Austen’s Men series. She also wrote The Seaside Sleuths and the Bridal Batter Blunder, a cozy mystery tie-in project for young readers.

Joy draws inspiration from real stories of courage, grace, and the quiet heroes found in everyday life, crafting fiction for readers who seek hope, honesty, and heart in contemporary storytelling.

She is the recipient of the West Coast Christian Writers Encourager Award and the Walt Disney Legacy Award—an honor given to fewer than 1% of Cast Members worldwide for embodying Disney’s “Dream, Create, Inspire” legacy.

Through her blog, The Joyous Living, she connects with thousands of readers who share her love of culture, storytelling, and meaningful living. She lives in Southern California with her dog, Captain Hastings.

More from Joy

Half Agony, Half Hope was not a story I set out to write lightly.
It was an answer to a call God placed on my heart as a survivor of sexual assault—a call to tell the truth without exploiting it, and to create hope without diminishing the pain. From the beginning, I knew this would be a heavy debut novel. I also knew I wanted it to be clean, faith-centered, and redemptive.
The decision to tell this story through the eyes of a man was intentional. So few novels explore male survivors with compassion and dignity, yet one in six men are sexually assaulted. Their stories are often hidden, misunderstood, or minimized. Rick Wentworth’s journey exists to say plainly: healing is possible, faith is not erased by trauma, and masculinity is not diminished by suffering.
Because of the weight of Rick’s past, much of the abuse in Half Agony, Half Hope is veiled. I wanted readers to feel the truth of what he endured without being retraumatized themselves. Still, after the book released, readers told me they longed for more gentleness—more space to breathe inside the story.
That is how the Dear Lily Edition was born.
Lily was Rick’s hope and grace during the darkest years of his captivity. In the cellar, she was the reminder that love could still exist, that innocence could survive, and that God was not absent—even there. Their bond became the quiet heartbeat of the story: a wounded man learning how to hope again through the steady, healing love of a child.
At its core, Half Agony, Half Hope: Dear Lily Edition is a story of survival and faith—but it is also a story of a father and daughter choosing trust and hope despite hardship, and building a family where brokenness does not get the final word.