As human beings, we all experience hardship, tragedy, and heartache. Do our struggles all look the same? Of course not! That’s why it’s important for Christian fiction to reflect many different kinds of struggle—so that people who might need hope in dealing with their particular circumstances can find it when they need it.
One of the topics I address in my new Christian romance novel, Falling for the Innkeeper, is mental illness. The hero’s father, who has been missing for fifteen years, suffers from bipolar disorder.
Bipolar disorder is a mood disorder. Those who are affected by it have pronounced mood swings. At its most extreme, the mania associated with bipolar disorder can cause psychosis, which is characterized by delusions, agitation, and even hallucinations.
Witnessing—or living through—a psychotic break can be very traumatizing. I know, because I’ve seen one up close and personal. Even with a strong faith and a supportive network of family and friends, it took well over a year for me to come to terms with everything that happened during that frightening time.
But as Romans 8:28 tells us, God uses everything for His good purpose! My experience in dealing with my family member’s mental illness made me wonder how a person who doesn’t have a strong support network might cope with a similar situation. What if that person was a child, and his mentally ill parent refused treatment?
Out of this question, the character of Jonathan in Falling for the Innkeeper was born. Jonathan grew up watching his father repeatedly enter the hospital for treatment, only to later stop taking his medication and relapse again. Instead of turning to God, Jonathan latched onto the belief that achieving a high-flying, successful career as a lawyer would be the “fix” that would make everything in his life run smoothly—and ensure he wouldn’t suffer the same fate as his dad.
When Jonathan shows up at The Sea Glass Inn on Cape Cod, he’s intent on earning a partnership at his law firm by buying the inn for a big-name client. But the heroine—who owns the inn—has other plans!
Although Jonathan and Laura are at the odds at the beginning of the novel, they get closer when he opens up to her about what he went through as the child of a mentally ill parent. Thanks to her strong faith, she’s able to provide the kind of emotional support that he’s been lacking his whole life, and he finds that he doesn’t want to let her go.
If you or a loved one struggle with mental illness, surrounding yourself with people who love, support, and accept you is so important! For me, one of the most healing experiences I had after witnessing my loved one’s breakdown was attending NAMI’s Family-to-Family program, where I got to interact with other people who understood what my family and I had been through—because they’d lived through it themselves.
Reading about how others have overcome their difficult circumstances has been another hopeful reminder for me that—no matter how dark things in my life seem at the moment—if I persevere, I will find victory. Whatever challenges you are facing in your life today, I pray that you, too, will find the love and support you need.
A battle for a charming Cape Cod inn… But what happens when romance checks in?
Single mom Laura Lessoway won’t accept her mother’s plan of selling her late grandmother’s inn without a fight. But when big-city attorney Jonathan Masters arrives to arrange an offer from a client, she’s drawn to him. And working together as he helps with repairs only brings them closer. With his career and her home on the line, can they ever find common ground?
“Falling for the Innkeeper is without a doubt one of the most heartwarming books I’ve read in 2020 so far… Grab your copy today and get on the couch!” —SusanLovesBooks
Meghann Whistler writes sweet Christian romance novels that won’t make your grandmother blush.
A hopeless romantic who met her husband on a blind date, Meghann recently left her marketing career to pursue her lifelong passion of writing sweet, hopeful stories that demonstrate the power of love and grace.
Before settling down with her rocket scientist husband and raising three rambunctious boys, she earned a B.A. in English from Amherst College and an M.F.A. in creative writing from Emerson College. She loves to hear from her readers, who can reach her at www.meghannwhistler.com.
Meghann is active on Instagram, Facebook, Bookbub, Goodreads, and Twitter and would love to connect with you!