UNTIL WE FIND HOME - Cathy Gohlke - One Free Book

Welcome back, Cathy. What are some of the spiritual themes you like to write about?

I write about characters, like us, who break the chains that bind—those chains forced upon us and the ones we forge ourselves—to triumph over adversity through faith. I also write about forgiveness—received and given. Neither come naturally to us. Both need our surrender, and Divine intervention.

What other books of yours are coming out soon?

My next novel, currently titled The Medallion, will release in June 2019. Inspired by true accounts of Poland’s darkest days and brightest heroes, The Medallion is the illuminating story of the separation and sacrifice of two couples—one Jewish and one Gentile—whose lives are ravaged by Hitler’s mad war, yet eventually redeemed through the fate of one small child.

Sounds interesting. If you could spend an evening with one contemporary person (not a family member of yours), who would it be and why?

I would love to spend an evening with the author, B J Hoff. BJ’s lyrical prose, strong characters and well drawn tales of the Irish and Irish immigrants in America have long inspired me—even before I believed I could write a book. The beautiful hearts of her main characters make me feel as if we might be kindred spirits. I just read her new release, Harp on the Willow, and thought again how very much I’d like to sit with her and share a steaming pot of tea, scones with jam and Devonshire cream, and talk story shop.

What historical person would you like to meet (besides Jesus) and why?

I’ve always said that the historical person I’d most like to meet is William Wilberforce, who championed the end of slavery in Great Britain. And I would still love to meet him, but lately I’ve come to think a lot about John Sherrill. John and his wife, Elizabeth, co-wrote The Hiding Place with Corrie ten Boom. Not only did that inspiring book (and the movie Billy Graham produced by the same title) greatly impact my life when it was first released, but Corrie’s story was a big part of my own writing of Secrets She Kept.

Beyond that, John’s story of his journey to faith in Jesus Christ while going through a frightening cancer diagnosis meant a great deal to me as I battled my own cancer. At a very low point in my chemo treatments, I realized that if John had never given his life to Christ and if he’d never survived cancer, he would not have gone on to write that amazing book. It gave me courage to continue my own fight with a surrendered heart and trust that the Lord might one day again use me to write stories that matter, stories that glorify Him and encourage others. I never contacted John while he was living to let him know how truly he had blessed my life through his faith and work. I’m sorry I did not, but look forward to doing that in the ages of eternity.

How can you encourage authors who have been receiving only rejections from publishers?

First, embrace the harsh reality that there are few publishing spots for the many manuscripts sent to publishing houses, and acknowledge that rejection of a manuscript is not personal. Those things simply mean there is more work ahead to reach one’s goal.

Second, ask yourself, and if possible, ask your agent, the publisher who rejected the manuscript (if feasible), or a mentor why they believe your manuscript was rejected. Do your best to correct any mistakes and strengthen portions of your story that you believe may have adversely affected the outcome. Make your manuscript the strongest you possibly can.

Make certain you are submitting to the right agents or publishing houses—agents or publishers that champion and publish the type of book you’ve written.

In the meantime, continue to read, read, read and write, write, write, honing your craft. Study the work of authors you admire and break down their story and yours, seeing how both are put together from the ground up.

Consider employing a professional editor to help you see what you need to do to improve your story. Be willing to edit and rewrite, and know that sometimes we simply need to set a story aside for a time and tackle a new one.

All very good advice. Tell us about the featured book.

For American Claire Stewart, joining the French Resistance sounded as romantic as the storylines she hopes will one day grace the novels she wants to write. But when she finds herself stranded on English shores, with five French Jewish children she smuggled across the channel before Nazis stormed Paris, reality feels more akin to fear.

With nowhere to go, Claire throws herself on the mercy of an estranged aunt, begging Lady Miranda Langford to take the children into her magnificent estate. Heavily weighted with grief of her own, Miranda reluctantly agrees . . . if Claire will stay to help. Though desperate to return to France and the man she loves, Claire has few options. But her tumultuous upbringing—spent in the refuge of novels with fictional friends—has ill-prepared her for the daily dramas of raising children, or for the way David Campbell, a fellow American boarder, challenges her notions of love. Nor could she foresee how the tentacles of war will invade their quiet haven, threatening all who have come to call Bluebell Wood home and risking the only family she’s ever known.

Set in England’s lush and storied Lake District in the early days of World War II, and featuring cameos from beloved literary icons Beatrix Potter and C. S. Lewis, Until We Find Home is an unforgettable portrait of life on the British home front, challenging us to remember that bravery and family come in many forms.

Sounds like a wonderful read. Please give us the first page of the book.

May 1940

Lightning crackled, splitting the night sky over Paris, illuminating letters painted on the bookstore window across the street: La Maison des Amis des Livres. Driving rain pounded the loose shutters of Shakespeare and Company, making them rattle so that Claire Stewart dropped the heavy blackout curtain into place.

“It sounds like cannon bursting, like the end of the world.” Thunder boomed again. She tugged the belt of her trench coat tighter.

“You must go,” Josephine insisted. “The lorry driver won’t wait. This is his last run to Calais. He’s running on nerves, even now. Arnaud told you—”

“Arnaud promised he’d be here. I won’t go without him. I don’t even know our British contact.”

“You know Arnaud. He’ll meet you if he can— last minute, no doubt.” Josephine Ganute—one more aspiring writer, another tumbleweed to make her home amid the burdened shelves of Sylvia Beach’s American bookstore— grunted and gently, firmly pushed Claire toward the door. “This is the last group, and the last driver willing to go. He’s insane to try. The roads must be packed with people fleeing the city.

How can readers find you on the Internet?

Contact me through my website at http://cathygohlke.com and on Facebook at CathyGohlkeBooks. I’d love to meet you there!

Thank you so much, Cathy for sharing this new book with us. I’ve loved every one of the books of yours I’ve read. I’m eager to get this one. And I know my readers will be, too.

Readers, here are links to the book.

Until We Find Home - Christianbook.com (Best Price today)
Until We Find Home - Amazon Paperback
Until We Find Home - Kindle

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