What do you look for when you’re shopping
for a book to buy for yourself? Oh, I love romance, have always been a
huge fan, but I love a story with lots of layers and plenty of plot depth. In
other words, it doesn’t have to be just about the romance. I also love
multi-faceted characters, the kind that you either learn to love or look upon
with great disdain before the book’s conclusion. I am not a fan of a simplistic
stories, so the back cover blurb had better catch my attention in a good way or
I will put it back on the shelf.
Give us a little tour of the setting for
this book. Interestingly,
The Mercy Tree’s setting is Muskegon, MI, my old stomping ground. While
I didn’t grow up in Muskegon, I did grow up about 12 miles north of it, and
basically know Muskegon forwards and backwards. That made my research easier
than most of my other books. Seeing as I was born in 1948 (yes, I’m ancient.
Ha!), I still have a very vivid memory of the 1950s, which is the era in which
my story takes place. The church I use in the plot, Church of the Open Door,
was a very popular, active church in its day, so I snagged that name, but the
premise of my story concerning a pastor who discovers he has a son from a brief
affair he’d had ten years prior, is completely fictional. Muskegon is situated
in central West Michigan, on the beautiful sandy shores of Lake Michigan, home
of some lovely state parks, wonderful sand dunes, camping grounds, and
restaurants.
What other books do you have coming out
soon?
As I stated earlier, the project I’m currently working on will be about a woman
of twenty-six and her twelve-year-old nephew who join a wagon train to escape
the abusive clutches of her nephew’s father. This book will probably release
sometime in the fall of 2024, and it will be my 24th novel.
Please give us a glimpse inside your home.
My
husband and I have lived in the same home since 1986. It has undergone three
major additions, though, so there’s not too much about it that’s original. We
despise the idea of ever moving though because we love our neighborhood, so we
just keep adding onto it and making little changes here and there in the way of
updates. It is a typical ranch-style home, four bedrooms, three baths, two
fireplaces, a large kitchen, and a finished basement. It is certainly far from
spectacular, but in a word, it’s “home”. I don’t foresee moving until our two
daughters say, “Mom, Dad, it’s time for a condo.” And even then, we’ll probably
go out kicking and screaming. Haha.
Is this novel part of a series or a
stand-alone book? This
is a stand-alone novel.
When Henry Griffin was stationed in occupied Japan in the mid-1940s, he met Rina Hamada, a Japanese woman who fell head over heels for him. Despite having a young wife and baby daughter waiting at home in the States, Henry had too much to drink one night, and one thing led to another… He knew it was wrong. He struggled with guilt and expressed his resistance, but she professed her love and continued to pursue him.
Now, ten years later, a letter from Japan arrives and threatens to upend Henry’s world. What to do and how to tell his wife are just the beginning of his troubles. Tough questions about faith, redemption, and preserving his reputation bring us here, under the shade of The Mercy Tree.
Please give us the first page of the book.
Prologue
“Nothing in all creation is hidden
from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of
him to whom we must give account.” Hebrews 4:14, 15 (Revised Standard Version)
July, 1946
Tokyo, Japan
The smells of fish, nicotine, and sweat
lay heavy in the hot, sticky air. Shipping docks littered with cigarette butts,
animal waste, food scraps and whatnot, bustled with activity as soldiers
carrying haversacks hurried past, and squawking ducks and gulls swooped down to
peck at the muddy earth. Hot bodies pressed together in a none too straight
line, all vying for a spot on the monstrous steamer, a converted battleship,
that would take them back to their beloved homeland, America. Ever since the
United States had started occupying Japan, American troops had come and gone,
serving months-long stints to help keep the peace among military and civilians
as well as rebuild the war-torn country.
Private First-Class Henry Griffin held his
place in line amongst hundreds of other soldiers and their wives, awaiting his
turn to board. He adjusted the thick leather strap of his overlarge backpack
across his shoulder. It weighed heavy with souvenirs and a myriad of belongings
he’d collected over the past year. Babies wailed, dogs barked, seagulls
squawked, and men laughed and visited, some smoking while they stood in line,
others reading American newspapers or magazines, and still others simply
standing on the dock, shifting their weight with hot impatience as a grueling
sun beat down on them.
Orders from one of the commanders rang out
from a crackling loud speaker, but the words were lost on Henry’s ears due to a
discontented baby squalling and squirming in his mother’s arms just ten or so
feet in front of him. Its mother reached for a bottle under the flap of a bag
she carried, her soldier husband trying to lend assistance. She shoved the
nipple end into the infant’s mouth, and sweet silence followed. The line moved
forward a few steps. For the hundredth time that day, Henry thought about his
wife Nora. How would it be when they first locked eyes? A twinge of excitement
mixed with guilt stirred inside him. They had talked about whether she should
join him in Japan, but with a new baby, they’d decided it best she move in with
her parents until his return. He wished now he’d insisted she come. No doubt it
would’ve been better in the long run. He tried to push aside his tangled
emotions by withdrawing his wallet from his back pocket and taking out the
wrinkled photograph he kept stored between a few dollar bills. Nora had sent
him the photo of his daughter Paige just after her first birthday. Now she was
a full sixteen months old. How much had she grown? How many teeth did she have?
How long was her wispy blond hair? Was it long enough for a barrette?
How can readers find you on the Internet?
They can find me on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/sharmaclaren
I also have a
private FB group called Sharlene MacLaren & Friends (Come join the fun!)
Look for me on
Twitter, or check out my website at www.sharlenemaclaren.com
Thank you, Sharlene, for sharing this book
with us. I’m eager to read it. I’ve always loved your stories.
Readers, here’s a
link to the book.
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