When God Calls, He Equips by Starr Ayers

The genesis of my Dream Beyond Tomorrow series took root in my heart after my mother’s death in 2011. When I found a box of letters in her trunk from her first love, I knew they contained the seeds of a fascinating novel. One problem—I’d only written devotions. I knew nothing about writing fiction and seldom read it. I couldn’t imagine God calling me to write a novel.

After attending several writers’ conferences and subjecting my manuscript to a number of critiques and edits, no one was more surprised than me to land a two-book contract with Mountain Brook Ink. For the Love of Emma was released in 2020, and its sequel, Emma’s Quest, was released on April 5, 2022.

In Emma’s Quest, the protagonist, Emma Rose Walsh, uproots her small-town Southern life to follow Scotch artist Andrew Brown, a man almost twelve years her senior and one she’d only known a few months. As I researched St. Andrews and Dundee, Scotland, for several scenes in my book, I stumbled upon the history of the Recording Scotland Collection and decided to include it in my storyline. After an event that required Drew to leave the states and return to Scotland for a time, his friend, Finn, introduced him to this widespread WW2 effort to preserve Scotland’s history and put the country’s artists back to work. Several scenes in the book capture Drew plein air painting with Finn and his dog Fifer on the Scottish hillsides.

The Recording Scotland Collection was established in 1942 by a British businessman from America, Edward Harkness. His funds were overseen by The Pilgrim Trust and used to create a permanent, visual record of Scotland, emphasizing places most likely threatened by the war.

After recently watching television broadcasts of Russia pulverizing Ukraine’s beautiful buildings and historical landmarks, I better understand the wisdom behind such an endeavor. Everything from castles, churches, and crosses to stone cottages, barns, and chickens was recorded in these paintings. People could be included in the landscape, but they were not to be the focus. The committee accepted a few oils and pencil sketches, but watercolors were encouraged since they were distinctly British and a cultural tradition.

The Recording Scotland Collection consists of over 130 paintings. Today, these works can be viewed on the University of St Andrews website. A map pinpoints the location of each painting and reveals a bit about the men and women who contributed. The artists were only paid between £5 and £20 for their art, but in Drew’s words to Finn, “Times are what they are, so we take what we can get, right, my man? Anything’s better than nothing.”

After publishing my first novel in the winter season of my life, I walk away from this series, knowing we’re never too old to begin something new. When God calls us, he will equip us. Although I regret it’s taken me more than two-thirds of my life to discover this satisfying labor of love, I know God’s timing is perfect. I can’t imagine a more enjoyable retirement, and I pray he allows me to be introduced to more fictional characters in the future.

One of my favorite quotes from H. Jackson Brown, Jr. in P.S. I Love You sums up my feelings well. “Twenty years from now, you’ll be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”

 

 

As the dark clouds of war escalate in Europe, Emma Rose Walsh leaves her North Carolina home and the soldier whose heart has never stopped longing for hers. However, when Andrew Brown, the charming Scotsman who’d won her affection, fails to meet her train in Chicago, Emma questions her hasty decision. Hundreds of miles now separate her from all that’s familiar and the people she loves.

Has she misread Drew? Did her rush to heal her past prompt her to dismiss warning bells and ignore common sense? Perhaps her sister is right—happy endings are only found in fairy tales.

Emma’s Quest is based on a true story from the author’s family and can be purchased on Amazon.

 

 

STARR AYERS is a multiple award-winning author and writer, a third-generation artist, Jesus follower, incurable night owl, java junkie, rainbow chaser, and an avid iPhone photographer who seeks to make the ordinary extraordinary. She resides with her husband, Michael, in North Carolina, and they have two daughters and a son-in-love. She is active in her church and has led a women’s Bible study in her community since 2003.