Have you ever told the truth and by telling it, you lost someone or something precious to you?
When I started writing SNOWBOUND IN WINTERBERRY FALLS, questions similar to this one spun through my mind. When is it okay to keep the truth from someone? Is it okay? The more I began to attack the questions, the more I had to dig into Scripture to find my answers.
I hadn’t set out to write a story about truth, but the more I followed the lead of my characters, the more the story became just that. An examination of truth. And the consequences of keeping truth hidden (or keeping a secret).
Truth in Fiction
My hero Jason Miller, has one very big secret he’s kept hidden for twelve years (and no, it’s not your usual romance trope kind of secret like babies or secret marriages or that he’s royalty). Carrying this secret has already cost him a relationship he valued above every other earthly relationship. And it still hurts after all this time. The secret is so big that if exposed, it has the potential of destroying his family’s livelihood, the lives of his siblings, and the career of someone well-respected. So, instead of risking everything for truth to prevail he keeps it, living with the guilt and unending questions. Every. Single. Day.
My heroine Stephanie Clark is an investigative journalist who believes those in authority have a responsibility to be transparent and truthful in all activities affecting the greater community. She will stop at nothing to expose the truth and holds those in public office to an especially high standard.
But what would happen to Stephanie’s beliefs and values, if pursuing the truth meant exposing, and potentially destroying, those nearest and dearest to her heart?
What God Says About Being Truthful
It definitely isn’t easy being truthful, even at the best of times. There’s always that fear that someone will be offended by what we have to say. Or, if we’re the ones in the wrong, that the consequences for confessing the wrong we’ve done will be too difficult to swallow. Yet, the Bible reminds us that there is forgiveness in confession (1 John 1:9), that we are to make things right (Matt 5:21-24), and that lying is just not something we should be doing if we love God (Prov 6:16-18).
There is a cost to following Christ (Luke 14:25-27), and sometimes it isn’t what we’re comfortable with or even expect Him to ask of us. But if we love Him, we can surrender our fears and uncertainties to Him.
Consequences of Fiction’s Truth
When Jason and Stephanie are confronted with the truth that has been buried for over a decade, they realize the exorbitant cost they’ve both paid. Jason realizes by keeping the truth in the dark, he has missed out on a life he could have had. Or in other words – blessings. His life has been greatly affected spiritually, mentally and emotionally. So much so, that by hiding the truth he ran from God, instead of running to God.
The exposed truth brings hurt and betrayal into Stephanie’s somewhat controlled life. Now she must deal with a new reality, learn to trust again the people in her life, and surrender her hurt to God.
It’s a terribly difficult road my characters have to walk in order to find their happily-ever-after, but once all is revealed, grace and love abound.
As it should.
Now your turn – what fictional stories have touched your heart and helped you tackle a difficult issue in your own life? Has the faith journey of a fictional character encouraged you to dig into God’s Word more? (Share your answer in the comments.)
Unwrapping their past – one secret at a time.
Owning her own PR firm is all reporter Stephanie Clark wants for Christmas, but the idea of running a prestigious election campaign in the country’s capital throws her stomach into knots. A last minute vacation road trip to focus and seek God’s direction for her life ends up in disaster when she gets caught in the worst snowstorm to hit Vermont in over a decade, crashing her into a small town and the one person she’d rather forget.
Former photojournalist Jason Miller hadn’t planned on being solely responsible for saving his family business from financial ruin. He’s barely keeping the newspaper in print, his News Editor has gone AWOL during the town’s most celebrated holiday festival, and reports of missing Christmas decorations have everyone on edge.
When a desperate knock at the newsroom door brings a ghost from Christmas past back into his life, can Jason make up for his prior behavior without breaking his promise to Stephanie’s father? Will Stephanie’s quest to solve the town’s Christmas caper—and uncover the truth about Jason’s disappearance—cost her everything she’s ever wanted?
Released November 6, 2020 by Anaiah Press
ANN BRODEUR is an award-winning novelist who writes inspirational and contemporary romances offering sweet hope and happy endings.
When she’s not reading, writing, chasing after her kids or enjoying long chats with her husband, Ann can be found drinking coffee, that’s been reheated several times throughout the day. She aspires to someday drink a hot beverage in one sitting.
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SNOWBOUND IN WINTERBERRY FALLS Purchase links:
Ebook Canada | Ebook US | Paperback