One of my favorite stories growing up was Cinderella. I’ve always loved a rags-to-riches trope, where at a ball, the prince falls in love with a commoner. He searches the kingdom to find her and brings her to live happily-ever-after in his castle. Although the prince endured hardship to locate his princess, his sacrifice is small compared to an older and more famous story—The Christmas Story. God Almighty left his throne in heaven where angels bow before him, and there is no pain, no suffering, no sin, no death. He donned the frail human form of a baby. He didn’t lie in a gilded cradle but a lowly manger. God, instead, went from riches-to-rags. He traveled from heaven to earth to reach his bride, and this would only be the beginning of His sacrifices.
Bible scholars estimate the distance the Magi traveled, following a bright star, to be around 400 miles or more. This journey would equate to two to three weeks on camelback or around a month on foot. Mary and Joseph traveled approximately ninety miles through flatlands and rocky hill country filled with bandits, desert pirates, and wild animals to reach Bethlehem. It was a long grueling way, especially for a full-term, pregnant woman on a donkey, but even still, it’s nothing compared to the lengths Jesus underwent to get to us.
In my book, The Duke’s Refuge, the hero travels from Regency England to the Leeward Island of Nevis to escape the painful memories of his wife’s death. He connects with the heroine from his own experience, telling her, “God will meet you where you are, or if need be, He will pursue you to a far-off island. He’s relentless in His desire for you.”
There were years of my life when I ran away from God. I was lured into the flashy, party lifestyle that only leaves you the next morning with a headache and a bad taste in your mouth. Even though I now repent of those times, I don’t regret them because it showed me how far God would go to reach me, pick me back up, dust off my sins, and pull me into His loving and welcome arms.
God not only pursues us, He desires to claim His bride. Some of us have been isolated due to the COVID-19 virus. Many spent Thanksgiving alone and must do the same for Christmas. Once filled with friends and family, our homes have become an isolated island away from the world. However, God will pursue you to wherever or whatever your island may be. Not even travel bans can stop Him because there are no lengths that God won’t go to be with you.
When love comes in a tempest, who knew it would wear pink?
Georgia Lennox has traded in her boyish ways for pink gowns and a coy smile to capture the eye of the Earl of Claremont. However, on the day she’s convinced the earl will propose, Georgia is shipped off to the Leeward Islands to care for her ailing father. But when she arrives on Nevis, the last thing she expects is to learn that her abrupt departure was not at her father’s bidding but that of the infuriating, yet captivating, island schoolmaster. And now her plans may well be shipwrecked.
Harrison Wells is haunted by the memories of his deceased wife and hunted by the subsequent women who aspire to be the next Duchess of Linton. Desiring anonymity, he finds sanctuary in the Leeward island of Nevis. He’s willing to sacrifice his ducal title for a schoolmaster’s life and the solace the island provides. That is until unrest finds its way to Nevis in a storm of pink chiffon—Miss Georgia Lennox.
As Georgia and Harrison’s aspirations break apart like a ship cast upon the rocks, a new love surfaces, but secrets and circumstances drag them into rough waters. Can they surrender their hearts to a love that defies their expectations?
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“Why I write…
I believe readers should be led on a heart journey. Romance should allow for an escape from everyday life. It should also lead us to a better understanding of the human condition and how God views us. I believe readers, like the heroines and heroes of stories, are not static creatures and can discover different aspects of themselves through empathizing with characters’ comical mishaps and dramatic misunderstandings. I believe romance novels can depict a fallible human heart that can be made whole again by a merciful creator and remind us of the hope for the same.”
Lorri Dudley has been a finalist in numerous writing contests and has a master’s degree in Psychology. She lives in Ashland, Massachusetts with her husband and three teenage sons, where writing romance allows her an escape from her testosterone filled household.
Connect with Lorri here:
Website: LorriDudley.com