Q&A with Davis Bunn, author of The Pilgrim

Posted on by July 16, 2015
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Q-and-A-with-Davis-Bunn-Author-of-The-PilgrimDeb’s Dozen: Talented writer with the gift of making believable, complex characters come alive.

Q: There are many legends about Constantine and his mother, Helena. How did you decide which legend to incorporate into the story?

Davis Bunn: The period when Constantine became the first Christian emperor is one about which so much has been written, and yet so little detail is known. No one knows for certain where his mother, Helena – the main character in The Pilgrim – was born. There are three main legends, and I used the one that has the greatest sense of historical resonance, that she was British, and her father ruled one of the provinces taken over by the Romans. Her husband was a general who met Helena in the local market and fell in love at first sight.

Q: What is the appeal of writing about a historical figure? What was one special challenge you faced in doing so?

First and foremost, Helena is a saint in the eyes of the Catholic Church. Her son, Emperor Constantine, was the first Roman leader to convert to Christianity. His death marked the moment when Christians were freed from persecution. Constantine was led to faith by his mother. The Pilgrim is her story.

While I am a fervent evangelical Protestant, my wife is Catholic. My mother is a Catholic convert. As is my sister, who has raised her two daughters as Catholic. So part of what I wanted to do here was to grow closer to the heritage that these dear people treasure. Their faith has had such an impact on my own life. It was important that I use this story and this opportunity to create something that would honor their perspective on faith. I also wanted to share with readers the enormous life lessons we can learn from the lives of the saints.

So many, many different issues came up as a result of this quest. It proved to be a beautiful and intense growing experience. Although this book is not particularly long, the actual writing took as long as some of my much bigger books. Part of this was honing the story so their faith, and their history, was honored, but done from a foundation that reflected my own personal walk in faith.

My hope, my fervent prayer, is that the story will resonate with readers from both faith communities.

Q: The end of The Pilgrim leaves the reader wanting more. Will you revisit this story down the road?

I am working on a second book, The Fragment, which is scheduled for publication in the spring of 2016. The Fragment carries some of the concepts from The Pilgrim into the early twentieth century, when the U.S. came to possess a reliquary with a supposed component of Jesus’s cross. It ends in a vignette that happens today, when a couple travels to Rome.

Q: How can readers find you on the Internet?Davis-Bunn-2015

Website: http://www.davisbunn.com/
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The Pilgrim is available by clicking this link: The Pilgrim

The Pilgrim – With a Vision from God – Davis Bunn

Posted on by July 16, 2015
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Deb’s Dozen: One woman, divorced and disgraced, on pilgrimage following her vision from God.

Helena, Empress, Augustine—Helena, divorced, disgraced arrives in Caesarea on a mission from God. She is to go on pilgrimage to Jerusalem. However, first she is to deliver a message from her son, Constantine, and Licinus, the general who ruled the eastern armies, to the governor of Judea, Fermilian, to be sent to the ruler of Damascus, Caesar Maximinus. The orders read that Christians are no longer to be persecuted, that all confiscated property is to be returned, that all their Roman rights of citizenship are restored, that all destroyed churches are to be rebuilt at the government’s expense. All Christians in prison are to be immediately released. This is the Edict of Milan.

Maximinus and Fermilian were two of the worst enemies of Christianity, sworn to wipe Christians from the face of the earth. Fermilian scoffs at the edict saying the Senate is far away. He says he will see Helena’s bones baking beneath the desert sun. Their assassin, Severus, is charged to follow and destroy her small band.

Helena, in gray pilgrim garb, is accompanied by Cratus, the grizzled soldier who had originally brought her the news of her divorce but who has come to honor the lady, who led him to Jesus. Anthony, a soldier tasked by Constantine to see his mother safely on her quest, follows as well although he is not certain of anything except he hopes to die in this land. The wife of a priest who died on the voyage serves Helena as her maid. Four people, walking to Jerusalem, mules to carry their supplies, and horses for the men, are joined by the injured, disfigured Bishop of Jerusalem—a man without a church as his was destroyed in the downfall of the city.

They are all changed on this pilgrimage—as you will be as you read this story. God is amazing and uses the oddest assortment of people to work His will. Seldom have I read a story that has gripped my attention so swiftly and held it to the end of the book, which I read in one sitting.

Davis Bunn makes the characters of Helena, Anthony, Cratus, and Macarius come alive. You will be enraptured, enthralled, and amazed at what God did with this very small group who were faithful to the vision He gave them. I’m left filled with awe and hope—that God will do once again what He did all those years ago—restore His city fully to Himself. Five Stars!

To share Helena’s journey, click the link: The Pilgrim

Davis Bunn is a multiple-award winning author with over seven million books sold. He’s been on multiple best seller lists. His titles have been Main or Featured selections with every major US book club. In 2014, he was given the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Christy board of judges.

A Refuge at Highland Hall – WWI – Carrie Turansky

Posted on by July 16, 2015
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Deb’s Dozen: A caring woman, a pilot facing the life-altering fight of his career.

A Refuge at Highland Hall is the third book in the Edwardian Brides series by Carrie Turansky. The first two books, The Governess at Highland Hall, and The Daughter at Highland Hall were excellent. I was privileged to read Refuge in a pre-publication version—and I can hardly wait to get my final print copy.

The characters from the first two books carry through to Refuge. You’ll get reacquainted with Sir William and Lady Julia (Governess), Jonathan and Kate (Ramsey) Foster, Mrs. Dalton, Lydia, Mr. Lawrence, and the other members of the households and catch up with their lives. This novel is Penny’s story.

The times they’ve been a changing. England is at war with Germany in WWI—the Great War—which has been going on for nine months. Penny is determined to do her part to help with the wounded soldiers who are convalescing in London. Jon Foster, Dr. Foster is a member of staff at St. George’s Hospital Military Unit—he tends their battle wounds but also arranges outings for them as he knows they need more than medical care to boost their morale.

While at one of these outings, Penny meets Alex Goodwin, a friend of Jon’s from India, who is training to be a pilot. Alex was injured slightly he said, when “the ground came up a bit too fast on my last landing practice.” The Royal Naval Air Service is England’s main defense against the Germans and the deadly bombing missions of the Germans. Although they haven’t reached London yet, zeppelins are bombing the English coastline and causing chaos.Graf-Zeppelin

Through a series of happenings, Alex ends up staying with the Fosters for a while. Penny is determined to guard her heart because the life expectancy for pilots overseas in only about six weeks. Will Penny succeed in her resolve? Will Alex make it through the war? How will the war impact the members of the Foster and Ramsey families and their staff at Highland Hall?

You’re going to love this concluding story in the Edwardian Brides series. Nineteen-year-old Penny has long been one of my favorite characters. You’ll enjoy watching her mature as she faces the wartime challenges. This is a wonderful five star romance!

To pre-order your copy of this book, click the link: A Refuge at Highland Hall: A Novel (Edwardian Brides)

I caught up with Carrie Turansky at the recent International Christian Retail Show in Orlando. My experience with her writing has been the Highland Hall books, but she has written fourteen books with Barbour Publishing and Love Inspired Books.

An editor friend suggested the series in 2012. Carrie liked the era and decided to take her advice. She found the effects of the war on the British people of that era fascinating and their courage inspiring. Much of the story is inspired by the biography of the pilot who first brought down one of the infamous zeppelins.

When I asked her what she had learned about herself while writing Refuge, she told me that it reaffirmed that she loved England and that she also found depending on the Lord to assist her to get the work done on time was critical.

Carrie is married to Scott, a pastor at Calvary Chapel, and author of many parenting books. They have five children and four grandchildren. Carrie was an art major and loves to garden and learn about eating healthier. She says she’s an introvert so writing suits her. They’ve lived in Oregon, Hawaii (for eight years), and are now in New Jersey.

She hopes people will take away from her books the realization and knowledge of God’s faithfulness—that He can take devastation and turn it around for good.