I am excited to be part of the very first multi-author anthology from Brave Authors, a collaboration of Christian authors who have chosen to go difficult places in their writing. Most of the Brave Authors write for the Christian Fiction market, but a few of us write for a more general audience. We cover a variety of genres, and our “brave” topics vary widely as well!
This fall, Brave Authors will be introducing their first-ever multi-author anthologies. Each book will focus on a specific topic. The first of the three anthologies, Every Life Treasured, will have a pro-life theme, and I am thrilled to have my novella featured alongside stories from Jennifer Q. Hunt and Hannah Hood Lucero.
My contribution is entitled Born for Adversity. It immediately follows the events in my novel Dearest Gunter, but can easily be read as a standalone. I would normally share the ‘blurb’ at the end, but I’m going to share it here:
A child grows in Lani’s womb, a constant reminder of the young man she loves and will never have. The handsome François Durant fancies her, and would give her a safe and comfortable life–if only she’ll have ‘it’ taken care of. Instead, Lani seeks solace with her family in Bavaria. There, she will not only face the decision whether to keep the child or give him up for adoption, she will also be challenged to overcome the desire for a man’s love–a challenge made more difficult by the kind young farmer down the road.
The year is 1920, and the nation that Lani’s child is about to be born into is both impoverished and reeling from defeat in the Great War. It is easy to imagine why a girl in Lani’s position might consider ending her pregnancy. However, she is also a devoutly religious girl from one of the Catholic regions of Germany.
This created an interesting addition to my story and for me personally, because I was not brought up in the Catholic Church.
The practice of confession gives Lani an opportunity to be honest with herself, as well as with the priest. It also gives her something we Protestant/Evangelical Christians know we need, but don’t often seek: accountability. Along with the decision of what to do about her pregnancy, Lani has to admit to herself that she is not ready to let go of the young man who loved her and left her. She also has to deal with an active fantasy life, and admit to herself that if he were to return, she would do it all over again.
Another one of Lani’s challenges is the desire to fill the hole in her heart. The temptation to fill the void becomes real when she meets Leopold, the handsome young farmer down the road (and a “cinnamon roll” type if there ever was one). If the opportunity to pursue a new relationship arises, will she admit that she’s not ready?
This part of Lani’s story may resonate with young women who have not dealt with an unwanted pregnancy. Many girls long for love and are far too eager to enter into a relationship. Others will do anything to maintain one. This is evident in Lani’s words:
“My only concern was how I could convince him to stay forever.”
“I willingly gave in … hoping that the questions that have lingered between us for seven years would be answered. I gave him the one thing I had to give, but in the end it did nothing to make him stay.”
Lani is hurting. Leopold is a sweet, simple farm boy who, unlike Gunter, has not been scarred by war. Certainly he would be good to Lani—still, the Bible cautions us not to awaken love before its time. Our loving Father knows how easy it is to give our hearts away too quickly.
I hope Lani’s story touches the hearts of those who need it most, and I have no doubt readers will enjoy all three of the novellas in Every Life Treasured! Be sure to pre-order now so that you’ll be the first to receive it on October 1st!
About the other stories in Every Life Treasured:
A Mother’s Tender Hand by Jennifer Q. Hunt
While others praise her kindness as a social worker, for Alice Vogel it will never be enough. The needs brought on by the Great Depression are as endless as the guilt she can never outrun. Then she meets the Tanner family, who value people—even those the rest of society scorns. With her growing attraction to Seth Tanner and her unexpected admiration for his mother Milly, everything she believes is turned upside down. Will these new friendships that have transformed her life survive the truth of her story?
The Missionary and the Marine by Hannah Hood Lucero
Since her conversion from Islam, Nadia Hamdan has made it her life’s purpose to share the hope she has found in Jesus. As surprising as her new faith is the man she’s fallen in love with–a Marine who spent his career fighting men like her terrorist father. When Nadia vanishes without a trace, Walt nearly loses his own faith. But the aftermath of her captivity will demand a reckoning from them both in what they truly believe about God, life, and unconditional love.
10% of all profits will go to the non-profit organization LoveLine, which helps women reclaim motherhood.
Aubrey Reiss Taylor unites a fascination for history with a passion for redemption, creating a unique brand of gritty, honest wartime sagas, written from the German perspective. She is the mother of three, and married to her best friend Brian. When she’s not writing or taking care of home and family, she enjoys making music, reading, and spending time with friends.