Bio: INSPY Award-winning
author Catherine West writes stories of hope and healing from her island home
in Bermuda . When she’s not at the computer
working on her next story, you can find her taking her Border Collie for long
walks or reading books by her favorite authors. She and her husband have two
grown children. Catherine’s novel, Bridge of Faith
Catherine loves to connect with her readers and can be
reached at Catherine@catherinejwest.com
Dear Readers, I love
having friends in foreign countries. I first became aware of Catherine when
someone told me there was a woman from Bermuda at the ACFW national conference
in Dallas
Welcome back,
Catherine. What are some of the spiritual themes you like to write about?
I love writing about restoration, reconciliation,
forgiveness, and healing, things I think are so needed in today’s world. My
stories are also always infused with hope and grace.
What other books of
yours are coming out soon?
My next book is called The
Memory of You and will release March 2017. It takes place on a vineyard in Sonoma , and I’m very
excited about it!
Thirteen years ago, Natalie lost a part of herself when her
twin sister died. Will traveling back to the family winery finally put the
memory to rest, or will it completely destroy her?
When Natalie Mitchell learns her beloved grandfather has had
a heart attack, she’s forced to return to their family-owned winery in Sonoma , something she
never intended to do. She’s avoided her grandparents’ sprawling home and all
its memories since the summer her sister died—the awful summer Natalie’s
nightmares began. But the winery is failing, and Natalie’s father wants her to
shut it down. As the majority shareholder, she has the power to do so. And
Natalie never says no to her father.
Tanner Collins, the vintner on Maoilios, is trying to
salvage a bad season and put the Mitchell family’s winery back in business.
When Natalie Mitchell shows up, Tanner sees his future about to be crushed.
Natalie intends to close the gates, unless he can convince her otherwise. But
the Natalie he remembers from childhood is long gone, and he’s not so sure he
likes the woman she’s become. Still, the haunted look she wears hints at
secrets he wants to unearth. He soon discovers that on the night her sister
died, the real Natalie died too. And Tanner must do whatever it takes to
resurrect her.
But finding freedom from the past means facing it.
I’m eager for that
story to come out, too. We must feature it on my blog. If you could spend an
evening with one contemporary person (not a family member of yours), who would
it be and why?
I’d probably choose The Duchess of Cambridge. I think she’d
be fun to talk to, and I would love to hear how she copes with being a royal
and constantly being under scrutiny in the spotlight. I’d also hope for an
introduction to her kids and their dog, and of course William. J
I’m a monarchist at heart.
Although we don’t
have a monarch in the U.S.
I would love to meet Jane Austen. I think she’d have some
fabulous stories to tell, and we could talk about all her books, how she came
up with her characters. She’d be fascinating!
How can you enourage
authors who have been receiving only rejections from publishers?
My best advice is to keep going, don’t quit, even when it’s
hard, even when you don’t see the way forward. If you truly believe that
writing is what you are called to do, then you must accept that it’s a long and
difficult journey. But God is at work behind the scenes, and I believe His
timing is everything. Keep studying the craft, keep writing, make connections
with other writers, attend conferences if you can, and keep believing in your
dream.
Tell us about the
featured book.
When their tragic past begins to resurface, can he help her remember
the things she can’t?
After her mother’s death twelve years ago, Lynette Carlisle
watched her close-knit family unravel. One by one, her four older siblings left
their Nantucket home and never returned. All
seem to blame their father for their mother’s death, but nobody will talk about
that tragic day. And Lynette’s memory only speaks through nightmares.
Then Nicholas Cooper returns to Nantucket ,
bringing the past with him. Once Lynette’s adolescent crush, Nick knows more
about her mother’s death than he lets on. The truth could tear apart his own
family¾and
destroy his fragile friendship with Lynette, the woman he no longer thinks of
as a kid sister.
As their father’s failing health and financial concerns
bring the Carlisle siblings home, secrets
surface that will either restore their shattered relationships or separate the
siblings forever. But pulling up anchor on the past propels them into the perfect
storm, powerful enough to make them question their faith, their willingness to
forgive, and the very truth of all the things they thought they knew.
Please give us the
first page of the book.
Sometimes in the dead of night, Lynette Carlisle heard her
mother’s voice. Sometimes it was easy to forget her mother had been dead twelve
years. Curled up in bed, covers pulled tight, she strained to hear the whisper
over the wind. Some nights the voice was clear, like Mom was right there in the
room, the faintest scent of light musk and lavender tickling Lynette’s
imagination. Other nights, all she heard was her own sigh of disappointment as
angry waves crashed against the Nantucket
cliffs beyond the garden wall. Some nights she welcomed the voice. Some nights
it made her wish for the impossible and remember life as it had been, before. Some
nights, like tonight, it kept her awake and rattled the cage of her memory.
Tonight the voice came to her, as it so often did, in a dream. The message was
urgent, but she couldn’t remember a word of it. Dad. That was it. She sat up in
bed and rubbed her eyes. Something about Dad. A few sleepy moments later,
Lynette stood in the doorway of her father’s bedroom and stared at the empty
bed. Red numbers glowed through the semidarkness. Four a.m. She checked the
bathroom, but he wasn’t there.
I wonder where he is.
How can readers find you on the Internet?
Website – http://www.catherinejwest.com
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/CatherineJWest
Twitter - https://twitter.com/cathwest
Pinterest - http://www.pinterest.com/cathwest/
Amazon - http://www.amazon.com/Catherine-West/e/B004RWZUHK/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1Thank you, Catherine, for sharing this new book with me and my readers.
Readers, here are links to the book. By using one when you order, you help support this blog.
The Things We Knew - Christianbook.com
The Things We Knew
- AmazonThe Things We Knew - Kindle
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