Welcome back, Shannon. What are some of the spiritualthemes you like to write about? Loss, grief, dealing with past abuse … butalso the majesty and faithfulness of the Lord to carry us through anything,even to bring good from the awful things in our life.

What other books of yours are coming out soon? My surprise#4 of Daughters of the Lost Colony, Virginia, releases in September. Itis, of course—if you’re familiar with Lost Colony history—the story of VirginiaDare herself, the first English child born in the New World. This series is properlytermed alternate history because it deals more with what might have happenedrather than what we know for sure.

If you could spend an evening with one contemporary person(not a family member of yours), who would it be and why? I’d love to have along, leisurely chat with fellow author Lori Benton. I so adore her work!

What historical person would you like to meet (besidesJesus) and why? Right this minute it’s a toss-up between Corrie Ten Boom,C.S. Lewis, and Susanna Wesley … all of them for their faith and wisdom. 😊

How can you encourage authors who have been receivingonly rejections from publishers? Well … as someone who waited for 30 years onmy first publishing contract, I learned that waiting on the Lord is the bestpath—and His timing is always perfect. The process had deeper purpose than Iknew, partly to grow me as a writer and to make my stories “better,” but also toteach me it really is more about the journey than the “destination” of beingpublished. Don’t rush whatever it is the Lord has for you!

Tell us about the featured book. This story was originallypart of Love’s Pure Light, a Barbour Christmas collection from 2020, withSusanne Dietze, Janine Roche, and Deborah Raney. The collection features anheirloom Nativity passed down through several generations, and while the otherthree are back in print, I was not able to get mine released again until now.So without further ado … 😊

Can a chance encounter be the connection they have alwaysneeded?

After the end of the Great War, pastor’s daughter StellaShepherd accompanies her aunt on a business trip by train and meets convalescingwar veteran Nat Wise and his two older brothers. The three men are whimsicallynamed after the gifts of the biblical wise men and dubbed “the Wise guys” bytheir cousins. They claim to be down-and-out soldiers recently returned fromthe front, but they’re surrounded by mystery.

Stella secretly carries the family Nativity to comfort herwhile away from family during Christmas. Nat quietly spends his spare timecarving a set of wooden wise men to honor his own deceased mother. To him,Stella is the perfect church girl—darling, but unattainable because he’s donetoo much for God to forgive him.

Stella longs to help Nat find renewed faith in God, butcould he be the answer to the wanderings of her own heart?

Please give us the first page of the book.

Charleston, South Carolina—December 1919

Stella Shepherd stepped inside the huge building of UnionStation, stared about her at the hustling crowd, then lifted her eyes to thearching beams high over their heads. Why had she ever thought she’d be comfortabletraveling so close to Christmas? Away from home. Away from family.

Well, family who extended some modicum of warmth, at least.

“Stella girl, you best get a move on, now!” came the voiceof Old Joe, her aunt’s manservant, behind her.

Stella swallowed hard, took a better grip on her satchel andsuitcase, and fastened her gaze on the retreating form of her aunt, sailingthrough the crowd ahead of her like the battleship she was oft compared to. Butstill she couldn’t move.

This trip was an adventure, Mama said. And surely, if sheand Papa had thought it a bad idea, they’d not have allowed her to go with AuntLila.

Or, as the case may be, let Aunt Lila talk them intoallowing her to go.

“Stella!” came old Joe’s booming admonishment, closer now.

Aunt Lila glanced over her shoulder, her arched brows risingeven higher.

No more hesitation. Stella scurried after her, weavingbetween the other travelers.

The rumble of the steam engine echoed through the busystation and vibrated in the stone floor, growing stronger as she neared thetrain stretching the length of the station platform in front of her.

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Thank you, Shannon, for sharing this book with my blogreaders and me.

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