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Inspiration, Heritage, and Family Connection; a Chat with Anna Rose Johnson, author of The Blossoming Summer

7/27/2025

 
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I'm so pleased today to welcome Anna Rose Johnson, whose newest novel, The Blossoming Summer, releases tomorrow! 

Here's the publisher's description of Anna Rose's book: 

Life in England is all Rosemary has ever known. . . but as WWII changes the world, no one’s life is left unscathed. Suddenly, she’s sent away to escape the devastation of London. Her grandmother’s house on Lake Superior is safe, but unfamiliar, especially as she discovers her parents have kept a tremendous secret.

Rosemary and her family are Anishinaabe—and no one is supposed to know.

Far from home but newly connected to a once-hidden part of her family, Rosemary develops a warm, close relationship with her grandmother… and a local boy whose love of gardening helps her to see the beauty in her unexpected circumstances. As Rosemary grows into her new life like a flower in bloom, she realizes that maybe she’s not as far from home as she thought. 


FEH: And now onto the interview! 
Hello, Anna Rose, and welcome! I absolutely loved The Blossoming Summer and can't wait for everyone to be able to read it. Can you share a little about some of your inspirations for this story? 

ARJ: I’m so glad you enjoyed it! The Blossoming Summer is the story of thirteen-year-old Rosemary, who is evacuated from WWII London to her grandmother's home in northern Wisconsin. When they arrive, she uncovers the hidden family truth—that they are of Ojibwe descent. This discovery leads her to embrace her heritage, forge new bonds, and find beauty in unexpected places. I’m very excited about it!
My inspiration for the book began when I was doing research on a family who was of Ojibwe and British descent and moved to England in the 1800s. I was very fascinated by that, and I began to think: what if I wrote a book about a girl with Ojibwe ancestry who had grown up in England and knew nothing about her heritage? Rosemary’s story began to percolate in my mind. I also knew that I wanted to write a novel that explored gardening, flowers, and the delight that comes from spending time in the natural world, and incorporating those elements in this book was one of the highlights of the writing process!
 
FEH: Did you have any favorite bits of research that never made it into the story? 

ARJ: Yes, actually I had some specific radio programs that I wanted the characters to listen to, and I’d done quite a bit of research to make sure I got everything correct, and then later when I switched the year the book is set, I had to remove those programs. It was sad, but I still had fun researching them. 
 
FEH: One of my favorite things about all your stories is the realistic families you write, and the very unique ways that they live out that family relationship. In The Blossoming Summer, Rosemary’s relationship with her brothers grows and develops as they work together in their grandmother’s garden. Can you talk about that a little? Is gardening a love you share with your own siblings? 

ARJ: Yes! My entire family has always enjoyed gardening, and we have so many favorite plants that we’ve grown over the years. I’m delighted that you enjoy the families in my stories! When I began brainstorming this book, I knew I wanted it to be a story that focused on a family that’s been apart for a long time, and that has some challenging dynamics. I have found that sometimes with grandparent-grandchild stories, sometimes the parent isn’t really in the picture, and I’ve often thought that it’s more interesting when you have all three generations to work with. (Sometimes I that parents aren’t always included in a story because it’s a way to cut down on characters, but I love big casts  of characters!
I really tried to explore the story from different angles, and to help make readers able to understand how Rosemary feels, how her dad is feeing, and what her grandmother’s perspective is. Every character has their own spin on the events of what’s happened and what’s going on now, and it all makes sense to them. But I also do try to leave some things a little more ambiguous. I feel like especially for a middle grade book, a child character is not always going to understand the entire backstory, so I try to bring in some realism that way.
 
FEH: Was it ever hard for you to keep track of the three very different families you wrote? I was so impressed by how each of them is a GOOD family—yet they are all so different. It reminded me that there is no one way to be a good family, but that we all just have to follow where God calls! 

​ARJ: This absolutely makes my day! I really strive to make each character and family distinct, so I’m delighted to hear you say that. I don’t have trouble keeping track of characters from book to book, because once I invent them, they’re very firmly planted in my mind. But I do try to ensure that each character is different enough from characters I’ve written in the past, because that’s probably what I worry about more than anything else when I’m in the brainstorming/early writing phase. But I do like refining characters, and I often try to think of new, unexpected angles… I always look for contradictions with my characters. It’s my little trick: I try to find at least one thing about a character that does not seem to go with the rest of them, and that usually makes them click into place for me.
 
FEH: In the story, Rosemary learns of her heritage through her grandmother, though her father had kept it a secret, and learns to honor it through language and tradition. Do you and your siblings have any special way of honoring your Ojibwe heritage? Was it always part of your life? 

ARJ: It’s really been a delight to be able to write about characters who share my Ojibwe heritage, as I’ve done with all three of my books now. I’m a member of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians, and it has been very interesting to explore my heritage through my writing. One of the major ways that I stay connected to my heritage is to learn from my tribe, and a few years back they had a language conference that was fascinating because I was able to learn from tribal elders. My family and I have learned some Anishinaabemowin, and I’ve had the chance to work with one of the language specialists at our tribe. She’s helped me with all of my books, to make sure that I’m getting the Ojibwe words correct—so that’s been very special to me! And it’s been wonderful to hear from some tribal members who have read my books, so I’m happy that people are enjoying them. 
 
FEH: Switching tacks from this particular story to writing in general, what is a piece of writing advice that you would like to share with aspiring writers among this blog's readership? 

ARJ: I think that a lot of writers wonder if they should be a discovery writer or an outliner, and I’ve found that you can do an in-between method. I try to make sure that I have all of the main elements of story structure in place when I begin writing, or at the very least, I know the main plot points that will comprise Act 1. These days, I like to divide the book into Act 1, Part 1 of Act 2, Part 2 of Act 2, and Act 3. Breaking a book down into four sections makes it so much more manageable for me, and I think it can be a really helpful method.
 
FEH: My readers may know already that you and I share a deep love for vintage children's books. What are five vintage books that fans of your books might like to discover? 

ARJ: I think that if you like my books, you would probably enjoy Jane of Lantern Hill by L.M. Montgomery, the Mitchells books by Hilda van Stockum (starting with The Mitchells: Five for Victory), Heaven to Betsy by Maud Hart Lovelace, and The Four-Story Mistake by Elizabeth Enright!

FEH: Anna Rose, thank you so much for this lovely interview, and congratulations on The Blossoming Summer! I can't wait for everyone to read it and fall in love with Rosemary's story as I have.

Kitchen Table Chat with Carolyn Leiloglou, author of Beneath the Starry Sky

1/19/2024

 
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Hello, friends! Please welcome Carolyn Leiloglou, author of Beneath the Swirling Sky, Book One of The Restorationists series. Besides being a fellow author and art-lover, Carolyn is a homeschooling mom; I discovered throughout this interview that we have a lot in common! As I write my interview questions and read responses, I like to imagine that the author and I are enjoying a cup of tea together at my kitchen table… In this case, it's probably a good thing it was actually over email, because I can guarantee my Restorationist-fan children would be keeping Carolyn busy with lots of questions of their own!

FEH: Welcome, Carolyn, and thank you for agreeing to this interview! Beneath the Swirling Sky was one of my family's favorite reads of 2023 (I reviewed it here).
 I also want to start out by sharing that Beneath the Swirling Sky is one of my ten-year-old daughter's very favorite books. She is dyslexic, so the act of decoding words is still a challenge for her, but she wanted a hard copy of your book after we listened to the audio version together, so she could go back and re-read her favorite parts whenever she wanted. It's been such a special experience for us to share.
We are SO picky about art-themed books in my house, because my husband is a professional artist. So often, artists in literature are surrounded by a strange sort of mystique, overlooking the hard work and practice they put into their works. Your story portrayed art and artists in a way that even this very choosy family could get behind. :)
Which leads to my first question: 
Are you a visual artist yourself?

CL: Before I answer, let me just say how encouraging it is for me to hear that your daughter with dyslexia wanted a physical copy of the book! I’ve had a few families with dyslexic kids tell me their kids read and love Beneath the Swirling Sky, and it means a lot to me because two of my own children have dyslexia. I think books with adventure and character depth help pull them in (and I’m sure the illustrations help too in this case)!
To answer your question, no, I’m not a visual artist myself. However, I grew up around a lot of art and familiar with artists and artistic concepts. My mom was an art major and taught high school art for several years, and my grandparents were art collectors. In fact, Uncle Leo’s house in Beneath the Swirling Sky is loosely based on theirs!

FEH: Of course you cover this thoroughly and poignantly in your story, but what are some of the ways you believe art can influence the world and each individual? Do visual arts have a unique role in that?

CL: One of the ways art can influence us is to bring to light beauty. It can also help you see things in a new way. Visual art specifically forces you to slow down to truly experience it, which feels like a rare gift in our hurry-to-the-next-thing culture. 

FEH: (Yes! I love that and totally agree. The ability art has to help us slow down is often overlooked.)
The villains in your story damage art and attempt to pollute it with their evil ideas... but you also mention real-life damage to artwork. What would you say regarding those who risk the destruction of (or actually destroy) masterpieces to magnify their own voices?


CL: I wonder if you’re referring to the protesters who have repeatedly assaulted various paintings over the last few years and now have apparently actually damaged one. I certainly don’t think the way for anyone to get a point across would be to harm irreplaceable paintings by some of our world’s greatest artists. It’s misguided, to say the least. But perhaps it had helped some people realize how precious these objects are. Their stunts have sent more people than ever to museums by reminding us of the frailty of art and our inability to truly protect it while also sharing it with the world.

FEH: (That's a very encouraging way of looking at it! Anything that helps us to consider the value of artwork isn't a total loss.)
From visual arts to word arts... Can you share a little about why you love writing and how you started writing?


CL: I’ve always wanted to be a writer. I was making up poems long before I could spell, and I started writing my first novel in the fourth grade. However, somewhere around middle school, much like my main character Vincent, I lost confidence in my art. Tragically, I stopped writing stories until I had kids of my own (though I never totally gave up on poetry). It makes me sad to think about how many years I wasted not writing because I thought I wasn’t good enough. But you can never actually get “good enough” without doing the work. I hope my story inspires kids not to give up on whatever art form they love.

FEH: Here is a question from my daughter, Maddie: if you could choose any of the artists you talk about in your book to illustrate it for you, who would it be?

CL: Well, it’s hard to beat the amazing art that Vivienne To created! Her illustrations, especially the cover, really blew me away, and I feel so blessed that she chose to take on this project. But if Vincent van Gogh wanted to illustrate my book, who am I to say no?

FEH: (We loved Vivienne's illustrations, too! They were the best part of getting a physical copy of the book after having enjoyed it on audio.)
If you could host a dinner with one artist and one writer (dead or alive!) who would you choose?


CL: This feels like a sneaky way to ask who my favorites are… I think I’d have to pick Vincent van Gogh for the artist because I love so many of his paintings and he had so much to say about art and life in his letters to his brother Theo. (Though I just came across a treasure trove of quotes from Henry Ossawa Tanner while researching book three, so he’s my close second). And how can I not pick C.S. Lewis as the author? I think I’d just sit back and soak in the conversation the two of them would have and just keep refilling their tea cups.

FEH: Finally, what is some of the best writing advice you ever received?

CL: It’s not the most talented writers who necessarily succeed. Its the most persistent. If you want to be a writer, keep at it!

FEH: Thank you so much for joining us, Carolyn, and thank you for writing your beautiful story. We are so looking forward to Book 2!!

​CL: Thank you for having me! Book 2, Between Flowers and Bones, is up for preorder now!

Vintage stories and family research; a chat with Anna Rose Johnson, author of The Star That Always Stays

3/5/2023

 
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Today, for Marvelous Middle Grade Monday, I'm so happy to welcome one of my favorite new authors for an interview! Please give a hearty welcome to Anna Rose Johnson, author of ​The Star that Always Stays. 

FEH: ​The Star That Always Stays is such a beautiful, believable immersion into a time and family. How did you go about your research? Did you read through family stories first, or research the time and place separately? Or a little of both?

ARJ: Thank you so much! The writing and research were very interwoven. Between every draft, I would research and learn more and come back with more background and insight each time. I already knew a good deal about Norvia when I wrote draft one, but my further research deepened my knowledge of her family and details about her life. It was fascinating to dig deeper and come to know her better as a person while looking through her photo albums and finding newspaper articles about her. It was delightful to learn that tidbits I invented about Norvia, Dicta, and Vernon were actually surprisingly accurate. ☺ 

FEH: Was it hard (emotionally) to put yourself into your great-grandmother’s shoes as you wrote, knowing the difficulties she had to go through?

ARJ: 
I’ve definitely thought a lot about how hard this time must have been for my great-grandmother and her family. I can only imagine the difficulties that must have gone along with adjusting to a new life. That’s why it’s lovely to know how much she came to care about her stepfamily, and how they cared about her—that element was very real.
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Photo copyright Daniel Johnson
FEH: Was there anything you learned in your research that you wished you could have included but didn’t? 

ARJ: 
I would have loved to include more about Norvia’s extended family and the stories of her ancestors—which are so fascinating—but there just wasn’t enough space in the story to explore them further. I did the best I could to include interesting research where I could!

FEH: One of my favorite things about TSTAS was how you included so many of my favorite old, vintage books. Do you know if Norvia may really have read any of them? 

ARJ: Unfortunately I don’t know, but from reading Norvia’s writing, I would say she had a way with words—which might indicate that she was a reader!


FEH: If you were to recommend a book or series to a reader who wanted to dip their toes into vintage book reading, what would it be? 

ARJ: I would start with one that’s light and fun and not incredibly long, like Two Little Women and Treasure House by Carolyn Wells, which I first read when I was eleven and loved so much! I really wanted to include it in TSTAS, but it wasn’t published until 1916! I’ve read several vintage mysteries by Augusta Huiell Seaman, which could be a good place to start as well--Mystery on Heron Shoals Island was especially a favorite. 


FEH: What’s some of the best writing advice you’ve ever received? 

ARJ: Be willing to rewrite and revise your story and make significant changes. Nothing has been more instrumental to my writing than being able to look at a project to see how it could be improved, and finding editors and mentors to help me along the way.


FEH: Thank you so much for joining me for this interview, Anna Rose. I can’t wait to read all your future stories, and I hope more and more readers find their way to this one! 

​
ARJ: I am so grateful! Thank you!

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For more Middle Grade recommendations, visit Always in the Middle!

"Holy Alchemy:" a Chat with Claire Swinarski, author of What Happened to Rachel Riley?, on writing, motherhood, and sauerkraut pierogi.

2/11/2023

 
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Today I'm thrilled to welcome Claire Swinarski, author of the middle grade novel What Happened to Rachel Riley?, as well as other books for children and adults. Rachel Riley was one of my favorite middle grade reads of 2022, so I'm thrilled that she agreed to join us to answer a few questions about herself and her writing. Welcome, Claire!

FEH: I have read and loved your adult non-fiction, and I see you have an adult novel coming out soon (congratulations!), but most of your books are middle grade. What draws you to middle grade books? What do you find most challenging about writing for this age group?


CS: Thank you so much! I love middle grade books because of how much they meant to me as a kid. At the point in our lives where we're focusing on middle grade novels--ages 8-14ish--we're going through so many questions about who we are, what we believe, who we can trust, etc. So those books that can help you articulate and answer those questions just tend to stick with you your entire life. Ask someone which books have changed their lives and given them really profound reading experiences: often you get answers like Maniac Magee or Anne of Green Gables or Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry. All middle grade books.

(FEH: Anne of Green Gables is my answer for sure; I definitely agree here.)

CS: That being said, there are definitely challenges of writing middle grade. For me, the main thing is just keeping the voice realistic. Things like slang and technology practices are always shifting and changing. I didn't mention TikTok at all in my first middle grade; the one I'm currently working on mentions it constantly because that's what 12-year-olds are doing on their phones. You have to stay really up to date in order to sound realistic, if that's what your going for, and since my books are contemporary, realistic fiction, it's essential for me. It's also tricky to not come across as "preachy"--I can't stand preachy books, and it's so easy to fall into the idea that I have some kind of message I need to get across when really, I just want to focus on telling a good story. 

FH: One of my favorite parts of What Happened to Rachel Riley? was the family dynamic. You created such a loving and believable part-Polish family—and as a member of one myself, I found so much of it relatable! So, two questions springing from that: 
a) What is your favorite Polish food?
CS:​
My favorite Polish food is definitely sauerkraut pierogi--SO good.

and, b) Who is your favorite fictional family?
CS: 
As for my favorite fictional family, I think I'd fit in pretty well with the Weasleys!

​(FEH: Cool--I've been told my family is basically the non-magical version of the Weasleys, except we have lots of girls and only one boy. So if you're ever in New England, you can come hang out with us and eat sauerkraut pierogi. ;) )
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FEH: Your books seem to be unashamedly “issue books,” in that the characters deal with some heavy circumstances (eating disorders, bullying, harrasment). But unlike some heavy-handed issue books, yours always seemed to let the story and characters shine while the issues remained the circumstances that sometimes moved the plot forward. Was this hard to balance? I imagine that those difficult issues must be on your heart a great deal, so how did you keep them from taking over?

CS: Like I said earlier, it's so important to me to not have my books become one big PSA. Beverly Cleary, one of the all-time greats, once said something along the lines of authors shouldn't start a book with a message in mind. They should tell a story, and not be trying to teach anything since kids learn enough stuff in school. I love that. So I really try to focus on realistic worlds and find that that allows for messiness and surprises. I started writing about sexual harassment in Rachel Riley because when I remembered my middle school days, that's what I remembered--not because I wanted to lay out a roadmap for what kids should do. If they read the book and feel inspired and implement action in their own schools, great. But I'm not out here trying to tell kids what to do. 

FEH: Speaking of balance, you have quite a balancing task going with your writing and mothering. Any advice or words of encouragement for other mamas trying to be the best mothers and makers they can be?

CS: The balance of writing and motherhood isn't really a balance at all, but more of a holy alchemy. My kids make my writing so much better. They force me to write quickly, and to learn not to let perfection be the enemy of the good, because I simply don't have 8 hours a day to perfect my word choices or sentence structure. My interactions with them also constantly lead to big, deep emotions--gratitude, frustration, joy, delight, anger. By tapping into these emotions on a regular basis, it becomes much easier to pull from them when it's time to write! ​

(FEH: This is amazing! I love the term "Holy Alchemy" for this interplay. I'm always going to think of it that way now.)

CS: If you feel like you can't make time in your schedule to write, try and get creative. Remember that literally nobody will notice if your baseboards haven't been cleaned or the socks have started living in the laundry hamper. It's so good for kids to see their moms embrace passions and create art. Jesus was the master storyteller, after all, and when we participate in the act of storytelling, it's another way of emulating Christ. 

FEH: Finally, the question I love asking everyone: What’s the best writing advice you’ve ever received?

CS: The best writing advice I've ever received is from a book called Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott. I don't read many writing-craft books because I've found they get in my head and slow down my process, but I do always recommend Bird by Bird to people because it's that genius. Anne Lamott writes about--and I'm cleaning up the language a bit here--crappy first drafts. She reminds us that you can't edit nothing, but you can absolutely edit a terrible first draft. So let your first draft be awful! You're just trying to get the words down on the paper. You can always, always, always go back and clean them up. If someone read my first drafts, I'd be completely mortified. They are honestly so horrible. But with no crappy first draft, I'd never get to the writing that I'm most proud of, like the final product of What Happened to Rachel Riley.

FEH: Thank you so much for joining me, Claire! Congratulations on all the success Rachel has had, and on all your new projects in the works!

Interview with author Haley Stewart

1/5/2023

 
​Everyone, please welcome Haley Stewart to our corner of the internet today! Haley is the author of several books; most recently, her adult non-fiction Jane Austen's Genius Guide to Life and her early reader "Sister Seraphina Mysteries," The Pursuit of the Pilfered Cheese and The Curious Christmas Trail. All three were among my favorite books from 2022. I am so excited to host her today so you can all get to know her a little better.
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​FEH: Hello, Haley! Can you tell us a little bit about your recent books and any new projects you're excited about?

HS: Sure! In the spring, my new book from Ave Maria Press was released: Jane Austen's Genius Guide to Life: On Love, Friendship, and Becoming the Person God Created You to Be. It explores what we can learn from Jane Austen's wonderful novels about cultivating virtue: what virtue (and vice) look like, how we might develop the virtues (and what holds us back), and how the people God places in our lives can help us to become more holy. Austen is such a brilliant novelist but she's also a moral philosopher diving into the big questions of life and what it means to be a good person. And I tell plenty of personal anecdotes along the way about how much she has taught me! The other big project I'm excited about are my new series for young readers, The Sister Seraphina Mysteries.
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They're about an order of mouse nuns (the Sisters of Our Lady Star of the Sea) who live in an abbey underneath G.K. Chesterton's house in England. They run a school for village mice and, inspired by Chesterton's Father Brown mysteries, start solving local crimes. In the first book, The Pursuit of the Pilfered Cheese, the sisters (and two eager students) ride their tiny bicycles to London to investigate the theft of the prize cheese meant for the school fundraiser. And in the second book (my favorite of the series), The Curious Christmas Trail, Sister Seraphina and her friends must find Sister Dymphna, one of the senior nuns, who has started wandering off and becoming disoriented. All the excitement takes on Christmas Eve on the night of the Nativity Play and the Christmas feast!

FEH: I loved all your insights in Jane Austen's Genius Guide to Life. Even though I'm a diehard Austenite and have read most of her books multiple times, your focus on virtue and vice made me think about aspects of the stories I'd completely missed. Was this something you naturally made the connection with while reading, or was there a moment that pointed you in that direction?
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HS: I've been really interested in Austen as a moral philosopher since taking a wonderful class with Dr. Margaret Watkins my senior year at Baylor University. We read all of Austen's novels through a philosophical lens. Ever since, I've been really interested in what Austen can teach us about vice, virtue, and what it means to live a good life. 

FEH: I read that you got the idea for your mouse nuns book in a dream. I think that's every author's, well, dream! What was your process like bringing that from the seed of an idea to a full fledged plot?

HS: I let the idea simmer for several months and then I just decided to try it out. I started out with one character in mind and then a second. Pretty soon I had a full cast of characters! I started writing without knowing how the mystery would unfold or who the villain might be. I just followed my little mice around from scene to scene. I love writing but it's usually a bit of a slog to get through a book project. For these books, the whole process was a joy!

FEH: How does your faith influence your creativity?

HS: This is a hard question to answer because it's hard to imagine any way it doesn't influence my creativity. Everything from the kind of art I want to create to what I think it means to be a creative are all connected to my faith!
FEH: I'm not mean enough to ask you to name your favorite book, but are there particular books that inspired you? If you could write a book that was *like* any book, what would it be?

HS: For fiction I'm always inspired by Madeleine L'Engle. I love the way her books explore complicated ideas of faith, science, and relationships without being preachy. I'm also hopelessly devoted to both Lucy Maud Montgomery and Jane Austen's characters. They are so life-like!

FEH: Okay, and a few super quick questions just for fun! Would you rather live in Narnia, Middle Earth (at peace), or Pemberley?
HS: Oh my, what a difficult choice! It's hard to pass up Middle Earth, but I'm afraid that I'm a Pemberley sort of person. 

FEH: Favorite ice cream?
HS:Coffee!

FEH: Favorite Doctor of the Church?
HS: St. Hildegard of Bingen

FEH: Last book you binge read?
HS: Laurus by Eugene Vodolazkin

FEH: Pumpkin spice or apple cider?
HS:Very basic pumpkin spice.

FEH: Thank you so much for the interview, Haley! I loved learning a little bit more about you and your books. 

Interview with Rachel Dodge, author of The Secret Garden Devotional

12/2/2022

 

The Secret Garden Devotional JustRead Blog Tour 

Welcome to the Blog Tour for The Secret Garden Devotional by Rachel Dodge, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

ABOUT THE BOOK

The Secret Garden Devotional Title: The Secret Garden Devotional 
Author: Rachel Dodge 
Publisher: Barbour 
Release Date: December 6, 2022 
Genre: Devotional

Devotional Inspiration from Mary Lennox's Beautifully Mysterious Secret Garden

The Secret Garden Devotional offers lovely inspiration that explores the themes of faith, family, contentment, wisdom, and joy in the classic Frances Hodgson Burnett novel, cherished by generations of readers. 

Each reading corresponds with a chapter from the book and invites you to embrace God’s guiding hand in your life as you are becoming His new creation. With themes of growth, spiritual nourishment, God's love and care, and His transforming power, this beautiful chapter-by-chapter devotional includes original artwork throughout. Each reading includes examples from the novel, scripture, life application, and prayers perfect for groups, book clubs, or personal reflection.

PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | IndieBound


ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Rachel Dodge

Rachel Dodge is the bestselling author of the award-winning Anne of Green Gables Devotional, The Little Women Devotional, and Praying with Jane: 31 Days Through the Prayers of Jane Austen. Rachel's newest book is The Secret Garden Devotional! Rachel teaches college English classes, gives talks at libraries, teas, and book clubs, and is a writer for the popular Jane Austen's World blog. She is passionate about encouraging and equipping women to grow closer to Jesus through prayer and the study of God's Word. A true kindred spirit at heart, Rachel enjoys books, bonnets, and ball gowns.

Connect with Rachel by visiting racheldodge.com to follow her on social media or subscribe to email newsletter updates.


TOUR GIVEAWAY

(2) winners will receive a signed copy of The Secret Garden Devotional and a hardcover illustrated copy of The Secret Garden along with a bookmark and stickers.

The Secret Garden Devotional JustRead Giveaway

Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight November 30, 2022 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on December 7, 2022. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Giveaway is subject to the policies found here.

ENTER GIVEAWAY HERE


Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!

JustRead Publicity Tours

Thanks for following along with the blog tour for this book! Rachel kindly agreed to join us for an interview to discuss The Secret Garden Devotional. Welcome, Rachel!

FEH: One of my favorite things about all your devotionals is the way they changed my thinking about the so-called "secular" books I love; each of them now has the opportunity to become an encounter with God. Do you think the authors of these particular books (The Secret Garden, Anne of Green Gables, and Little Women) intended this, or is it something you foster in all the books you read?  
RD: I don’t personally think the faith lessons and themes that I focus on in my devotionals were necessarily planned out by these authors, but I do believe each author purposefully wove beautiful lessons in and through their novels. Unlike didactic literature that’s meant to teach young people moral lessons, the lessons in these novels are subtle and natural; it never feels preachy. The stories are relatable and the characters are just like you and me. They have fears and failures, dreams and successes, and loves and losses.   Personally, I always see another layer (or two or three) in everything I read, whether the author put it there on purpose or not, so that’s probably why writing devotional books based on classic novels is my favorite thing to do. I love to analyze books and find ways to apply lessons from them to my own life. I believe there’s a link to the Gospel in almost every story, even if the author didn’t put it there on purpose. I love to find that link and share it with others.  

FEH: Is there a specific scene or character in The Secret Garden that most speaks to your own faith?  
RD: The “robin who showed the way” is so special to me because of how he helps Mary blossom and learn to play and run like a child. He is her first friend! Then he shows her the key to the garden… and finally the door to the garden. I see such a parallel between the robin and the people in my life who showed me the way to knowing Jesus personally and mentored me and encouraged me in my faith. My “robin” was a girl named Joy I met my freshman year in college. She and several other older girls showed me the way to Jesus and I’ll always be thankful. The seeds they sowed and the example they set made all the difference in my life as a young woman, and there has been lasting fruit in my life, in my work, in my marriage, and in my children’s lives because those senior girls taught me the “good way” and showed me how to walk on God’s paths. (Proverbs 22:6; Jeremiah 6:16)  

FEH: This question is just for fun! I've been reading lots of Jane Austen lately, and I know you share my love for her stories. If you could give your book to any of her characters, who do you think would need or appreciate it the most?   RD: I’m sure Mary Bennet would really enjoy the religious aspect of my books and possibly read them out loud to the family in a very serious, monotonous tone. Everyone listening would yawn and Lydia would probably make a snide remark! But in all seriousness, I think Elinor Dashwood, Fanny Price, and Anne Elliot would enjoy my devotionals. They tend to be interested in personal growth and take their faith seriously.  

FEH: As you wrote this devotional in a chapter-by-chapter format, was there any chapter in which you struggled to find a connection to faith? Or was there one in which you wished you didn't have to limit yourself to word count?   RD: The chapter when Mary explores the house on a rainy day was a bit hard for me to figure out at first, but I realized as I prayed that the chapter was all about Mary’s loneliness and her desire for companionship and family, which fits perfectly with the Biblical picture of God’s family when we become children of God. I wrote about how we were made for companionship and fellowship, and how there’s a reason we long for closeness with others. Later in the novel, when Mary and Colin explore together, I was able to come back to that topic and talk about how our rainy days in life don’t have to be lonely days when we are part of God’s family in the Body of Christ. I always love to see how God leads me when I can’t figure out the theme of a chapter! He comes up with the best ideas!  
As for a chapter where I had lots and lots to say, I probably could have written about the parallels between the key, the door, and the garden and the Good News of Christ for several days. It’s just so neat to think of how we are separated from the “garden” of eternal life with God by our sin (the locked door), but the good news is that the key of faith in Jesus opens that door into the kingdom of God forever. Wow!! Even now, I feel like I could go on and on. It’s a really beautiful concept!  

FEH: I heard you say that you never envisioned yourself as a writer. How did you stumble into this vocation?  
RD: I’ve always had a passion for writing and have always written—whether it was papers for English class, letters, journal entries, articles, web site and marketing content, Bibles studies, and so forth. I can’t seem to help but write. I’m built for it. Words tend to flow out of me. I feel weird when I don’t write. But as far as being an author, I said I would never try to publish a book. I guess God had other plans!   
I did always have a heart for devotional writing and for classic books, but my journey toward being an author is all God’s doing. I asked the Lord to consecrate my writing to be used for His glory about 10 years ago, without even knowing what that might mean or where it would lead. A few years later He opened the door to write devotional books based on my favorite classic novels through a series of really fun God stories.   
I of course work really, really hard at writing, but I have seen God do things I could never ever do in my own strength. It’s been a dream come true because I never planned to write these lovely books, but it’s become my favorite thing to do! Only God can truly bring out in us the dearest desires of our hearts—because sometimes we don’t know what they are until He shows us.  

FEH: Do you have any other devotionals based on classic books in the works?  
​
RD: To date, I’ve written Praying with Jane, The Anne of Green Gables Devotional, The Little Women Devotional, and now The Secret Garden Devotional. I would love to write more devotional books based on classic books if God wants to open the doors to do more! I have a few projects I’m currently working on that are very dear to my heart.  
​This spring, I can’t wait to share the audiobook versions of The Anne of Green Gables Devotional, The Little Women Devotional, and The Secret Garden Devotional. I had the great pleasure of narrating them myself, and I hope readers will enjoy hearing me read to them!    


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