Let’s welcome Rose Chandler Johnson to the Story behind the Story this week. Her latest release is My Father’s House. Before she tells us what inspired her to write it, here’s a little bit about the book.

Growing up, life is idyllic for Lily Rose Cates due to one constant – her father’s love. But in her sixteenth summer, all that changes without warning. There begins Lily’s struggle to find herself and the life she’s lost.

Marriage promises fulfillment, but her happily-ever-after barely survives the honeymoon. Her husband’s sophisticated façade hides a brooding man with even darker secrets. When all illusions shatter, Lily must make hard choices – abandon her husband or risk losing much more than her marriage. She flees their home in Detroit and sets out on a fearful journey to a house in Georgia that her husband knows nothing about.

This is one woman’s compelling tale of love and survival as she finds her way back home to who she’s meant to be . . . in her father’s house.

That sounds like a great read, Rose. What brought the story about?

I wanted to write a story about a young woman who in spite of devastating hardships, disappointments, personal loss and mistakes ultimately finds happiness after reconnecting with family and faith.  I wanted the reader to take the journey with her, go with her through some of the hardships, but I didn’t want the painful things to be the focus of her triumphant story. Lily Rose has an indomitable spirit and warm heart that is endearing to readers.  Her father believed that she would be alright; the reader wants to know she will be too.  With my roots firmly planted in Georgia, the setting had to play a critical part in the story.  So, I modeled my fictional town after so many small Southern towns and I set in some of my love of nature and gardening. Being a Southerner, I had definite ideas about elements I needed for this story to come alive. Besides fascinating characters and a distinctive setting, there had to be a little crazy, eccentric, and some downright mean, mixed with suspense, romance, and lots of southern charm.

What else do you have in the works?

I have two stories in particular in mind – doing research for those, and working on my characters, but I am also toying with the idea of a sequel to My Father’s House.  I am writing another devotional that’s well on its way to completion. I think of the non-fiction as an overflow of what the Lord has done in my life and what He continues to reveal to me about Himself. I’m looking forward to seeing God’s timing in all of this.  In the meantime, I want to be faithful to write whatever God puts on my heart.

My Father’s House is Rose’s first novel. Her devotional journal, God, Me, and Sweet Iced Tea: Experiencing God in the Midst of Everyday Moments won the Georgia Author of the Year Finalist Award in 2014. It was also awarded the Selah Finalist Award in the same year. Rose enjoys writing for her blog, Write Moments with God and engaging with her readers. A native Georgian, Rose has lived in a suburb of Augusta for the last thirty years. Before retiring from Georgia’s public school system, Rose taught English, French, and ESOL. She is currently an adjunct English instructor at a community college. In addition to reading and writing, Rose enjoys cooking, sewing, gardening, and spending time with her six children and their growing families. And yes, sweet iced tea is her beverage of choice.

Connect with Rose:
Blog: http://www.writemomentswithgod.blogspot.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/rechanjo
Pinterest:   http://pinterest.com/rosecjohnson/boards/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rosechandlerjohnsonauthor
Goodreads:  http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/18188725-rose-chandler-johnson

Enter below to win a signed copy of My Father’s House.

a Rafflecopter giveaway