Author Interview with Lorna Faith

Today I have the pleasure of introducing you to another author friend of mine! She is a masterful storyteller. I've read her first book and it is one of those books you just can't put down. It has a little more romance than I usually read, and some of the scenes may be a little intense for young readers, but I enjoyed it.

  Lorna Faith loves all things romantic, historical and filled with adventure. Growing up in Northern B.C., Canada, the youngest child of 11 children, gave her a lot of fodder for stories. Inspired by her love of telling and listening to other people's stories, Lorna started her blog rawstorylife.com. The blog along with it's Companion Podcast is dedicated to bring inspiration to help people work through obstacles and make everyday a better story in their lives. She would love to connect with you on Twitter or Facebook.

She and her husband have four teenagers and live in southern Alberta near the Rocky Mountains. Answering Annaveta is her first novel.

Welcome Lorna! What made you decide to become a writer?

Hi Amber, thanks so much for inviting me to share my story on Stitches Thru Time. I’m honored!

Since I was a young girl, I was telling stories. Becoming a writer later in my life was a natural outcome of my vivid imagination. My active imagination would dream up adventures that I told to my dog and two cats as I sat in the dirt playing with them or as they followed me around the farmyard. I also had a amazing mom, who would tell us a bedtime story, usually from Uncle Arthur’s bedtime stories, each night. She’s in heaven now, but I can still see her sitting on that squeaky wooden chair in the hallway between the two rooms, the book open in her lap. I would close my eyes and imagine the vivid movie-like script she would weave and the magic of those words. Now I try to create my own moments as I write.

And you do a fine job! Where did the inspiration for your latest book come from?

The inspiration for my book Answering Annaveta came from my dad’s background. He was the fourth child of fifteen children born to parents who moved from a Volga German colony in Russia to Canada. He would tell stories of what it was like in Russia, because they believed and spoke different than most of the people around them. I chose a Russian peasant girl as the heroine because she was an outcast, faced tragedy and rejection and was desperate for love. She receives two kinds of love, both unexpected. 

How does your faith and spirituality work in with your writing?

My story of faith is weaved throughout my writing. I had an epiphany when I was about one-third of the way through writing this story(about the same time that I was ready to hit the ‘delete key’) that this was healing for my own story of abuse, tragedy and despair. The bad guys in this story represent the voices of resistance that hounded me for years. Fear, hopelessness, rejection, insecurity, suicide and much more are very real in this story because I lived through it. In my own life, it wasn’t until I literally was at the end of myself, rocking back and forth, sobbing on our bedroom floor that I asked God if I was a mistake. I begged Him to let me die. At this moment the air literally changed in the room and I breathed in Love like I’d never known before. This is also when story ideas and songs were downloaded to me that I began to write down and record. In this novel, Annaveta also is visited by an angel and experiences a Love that changes her.

Wow. That's amazing. What are you working on next?

I’m working on Book #2 in the Russia to Canada series right now. This book’s setting is in a different location, most of it in Odessa, Russia, 1914-1915. Also, there’s a of ton outer conflict with the start of WWI and inner conflict and change with the main characters as they grow in acceptance of the flaws and imperfections of themselves and each other. I don’t have a title for it yet, but I’m sure it’ll come to me.... or my husband. He titled the first book :)

Sounds great! Thank you so much for sharing with us today!

Annaveta Travotsky, a young girl in 1913 Russia, is poised at the dawn of womanhood.

In the span of a few short weeks, Annaveta finds her world turned upside down. Prevailing over trauma, tragedy and loss she moves on, but the guilt and rejection she carries from past abusive relationships, cause her to struggle with feelings of unworthiness.

Her heart holds her back from receiving the love of the one man who longs to protect her.

As her past catches up to her, Annaveta flees to St. Petersburg, a place where she seeks safety. However, unrest in Russia makes the country ripe for an uprising, where terrorist groups like the Black Hand are flourishing. In the middle of this city filled with turmoil and rebellion, Annaveta and Alex discover a murderous plot devised by members of the Black Hand.

When terrorists threaten their lives, she faces a choice:

           

                        Hold onto the lies of her past or

                                    believe in the power of love.

Answering Annaveta is available on Amazon.