Interview with Catherine

1. Hi Cathy! Welcome back to Just Commonly! Before we get started (meaning you getting an earful from me about Where Hope Begins) 😁, can you tell us a bit about you, especially for those readers that haven’t met you yet?

Hi there, and thanks for having me on the blog!! Hmm, about me. Okay. Well, for those who don’t know, I live on the beautiful island of Bermuda. I was born and raised here, so it’s definitely home. I’m married to an amazing man and we have two grown children, and one adorable (understatement) granddaughter, and my ‘third child’, our border collie, Noah.  I am very family oriented, I love hanging out with my kids, and I also look after grandbaby a couple of times a week. I’ve been writing fiction forever – but I got my first contract with Harper Collins Christian Publishers a few years ago, which was a dream come true. I love that I get to share my stories with you! 

2. What kind of reader will take a special interest in the types of stories you write? 

Ooo. Great question. I would say anyone who appreciates true-to-life stories, stories that get real, deal with the messy side of life. I like to say I write ‘reality fiction’. I delve into hard topics, because I believe we need to talk about them and explore the impact that they have on our relationships. Topics I have written about include PTSD, mental illness, suicide, loss of a child, adultery and adoption, and I’m probably leaving some out. 😊 If that all sounds a bit heavy for you, let me assure you that my novels always contain some humor and a thread of romance as well. I love creating fictional worlds we can get swept up in as we join my characters on their journeys, and I believe in each of my novels you will find a lot of grace and forgiveness on the way to healing. 

3. What do you think will surprise readers when it comes to picking up a novel by you? 

I’ve heard comments from some readers that they don’t like to read about tough topics. Or that there wasn’t ‘enough God’ or that there was ‘too much God’. To set the record straight on that, I write from a Christian worldview, meaning there will always be some God in my stories, whether overtly or subtly. You might not find a lot of scripture quoting and praying or a salvation experience. But you will find gentle grace and hope and a touch of the mystery of a great God in whom all things are possible. If readers are looking for a typical Christian novel where the characters are all Christians or at least come to faith by the end, then surprise, my novels don’t usually have that. 😊 But the faith element is always there. I would probably fall more on the side of ‘atypical’ Christian fiction.

4. Can you tell us a bit about your latest release, Where Hope Begins?

Sure can. I think the easiest way to do that is to share the description of the book, so here it is! 

Sometimes we’re allowed to glimpse the beauty within the brokenness . . .  

Savannah Barrington has always found solace at her parents’ lake house in the Berkshires, and it’s the place that she runs to when her husband of over twenty years leaves her. Though her world is shaken, and the future uncertain, she finds hope through an old woman’s wisdom, a little girl’s laughter, and a man who’s willing to risk his own heart to prove to Savannah that she is worthy of love.  

But soon, Savannah is given a challenge that she can’t run away from. Forgiving the unforgiveable. Amidst the ancient gardens and musty bookstores of the small town she’s sought refuge in, she must reconcile with the grief that haunts her, the God pursuing her, and the wounds of the past that might be healed after all. 

 Where Hope Begins is the story of grace in the midst of brokenness, pointing us to the miracles that await when we look beyond our own expectations.

5. What was your inspiration? How did this story come about? 

Actually, this was a story I didn’t want to write. Because the subject matter was heavy, adultery, loss of a child . . . I really had little experience with any of the situations my characters have to deal with. But the story came to me one night, so clearly and vividly, that I felt very strongly it was something I had to write. And as soon as I began, the words flowed without stopping until I reached the end. It was weird. I’ve never had a writing experience like that before, and I doubt I will again. Just as I was getting near the end of the first draft, I got news that really clinched my belief that God had a purpose for this book. We found out that very close friends of ours were going to be separating. And shortly after that, another couple, same story. I knew then that I was writing this book for a reason, and any doubt I had about it fell away.  

6. What can you tell us about each of the main characters, specifically Savannah, Kevin and Brock? 

Well, first of all, they’re all broken, each in their own way. They’re all dealing with grief on some level, and all choose to handle it very differently. This links them together in a way, though they probably don’t realize it until the end. Savannah is pretty much at the end of her rope when the story starts, she knows she needs to move on with her life but she’s not quite sure how. And Brock is just trying to get through each day. We won’t know much about Kevin until later in the book, and he may be judged harshly at the beginning! 😊  

7. Was there a character that just decided to make their presence known more than you had envisioned? 

Martin the parrot?! LOL. Though he was a fun addition. This is a tough one, because I really love all of them. But probably Clarice. From the minute she opens her front door and takes Savannah’s hands in hers, I knew she would become Savannah’s touchstone. She has so much wisdom and grace. Plus she has a parrot, fuzzy pink house slippers, and serves tea at 4. 😊  The other character I kind of fell a little in love with was Mitch. He turned out a bit differently during final edits, but I’d love to know more about his story. 

8. Speaking of characters, Brock Chandler and his “darlin'” drawl had me in love with his character from his first appearance until the end. Did he jump off the pages for you too? Was he someone that didn’t expect to have such an impact on readers? 

He didn’t exactly jump. He just strode over and sat beside me and looked over my shoulder while I wrote. He did become a little larger than life, and he was the character I struggled the most with, trust me. I knew readers would love him, and therefore also be able to identify more with Savannah as she wrestled with her feelings. Because life is never cut and dry, is it? It’s complicated and heartbreaking and sometimes we just don’t know how we’re going to react until we’re right smack in the middle of a place we never intended on going. I loved his immediate connection with Savannah, even though he tried hard to ignore it. His truth and gentleness and Southern charm are just so endearing. Plus, he’s a writer. Without giving anything away, I worked his storyline out several different ways before I finally settled on the final one. And I think he was more okay with it than I was. 😊  

9. Then another “character” that jumped out to me was the greenhouse. It seem to have a life on its own. Was that always a feature in your initial plans for the story? 

Since I’m a pantser, I can’t really say yes or no. It was one of those cool things that just happened. But as I wrote that first scene, where Clarice takes Savannah into the greenhouse for the first time, and Savannah sees the beauty in the brokenness, I kind of knew from there that this would be a place where magic happens. And let me clarify what I mean by that. I think some readers will say oh no, you can’t have magic in a Christian novel. So let’s replace magic with miracles. Would that be okay? Savannah was in a place of doubt. She feels very unworthy, unloved – by her husband, and I think she feels a little abandoned by God. Like many of us, she needs tangible evidence. God needed to really show up in a big way for her, and so, the greenhouse. A place she doubts can never be beautiful again, yet she has seen what it once was, and somehow this gives her hope, and a purpose. Not only is she doing physical work there, pulling up weeds, getting rid of the debris, but, while she may not realize it at the start, she’s also doing spiritual work, allowing God to work on her. 

10. Now, let’s get into the message of second chances and finding hope when things seem lost. I particularly love the title. Was that always the title? Do you typically write with the title in mind or let it come to you as the story completes? 

No, that wasn’t the original title. My working title for this novel was Winter’s Edge. Taken from the first chapter - I imagine standing with one foot here, on this hard, cold, and unforgiving ground, the other hovering over an invisible marker that separates winter’s edge and what lies beyond. And I wonder . . . 

The problem with that title was that we knew the book would be releasing in late May, and we didn’t want it to be associated with winter in that way, even though it takes place during the winter. So we went back and forth a few times, playing with various titles that might suit the story, and I kept coming back to that fabulous quote by Anne Lamott, “Hope begins in the dark. The stubborn hope that if you just show up and try to do the right thing, the dawn will come.” I mean, that’s really the crux of the story right there. It’s about not giving up. Finding hope and holding on to it, no matter the cost. If you want things to change, you have to show up and do that work, and you have to believe, you have to have hope, right?  And the more I looked at it, the more it clicked, Where Hope Begins. And I think it’s the perfect title. 

11. Why do you think the idea of second chances and redemption are so enticing when it comes to stories we read?

Oh, gosh, who doesn’t want a do-over? I’m sure we all have moments or seasons of life that still cause us to cringe and think, if only I’d chosen A instead of B. I think we all deserve a second chance to get things right. And we’re definitely all redeemable, no matter how big our mess is. That’s the beauty of God, don’t you think? He definitely thinks we’re redeemable. Of course not every person accepts that. There are no cookie cutter perfect endings in life. But to quote our favorite dude – “Second chances don’t come around too often in this life. If you get yourself one, grab it good and don’t let go for anything.”

12. What would you like readers to take away from reading Where Hope Begins?

I never like answering this question, because I like to leave this one up to God. But I can tell you what I got out of it. I learned that things are not always black and white. We can’t judge a person unless we’ve walked in their shoes. People put on brave faces when they’re breaking inside. Empathy is everything. Judgement kills the soul. And in every situation, no matter how dire and devastating, there is always hope. Sometimes things don’t end the way we want them too, but sometimes that’s for the best too, and the unexpected journey may provide the most healing. 

13. Now, before I even started, I had people warning me about stocking up on the tissues. Did you have that goal in mind or it just turned out that way? 

I never have that goal in mind! LOL. I want to keep my friends. 😊  Like I said, I’m a pantser. I had no idea how this story was going to go until it was done. It was pretty much a runaway train, and I didn’t do anything to stop it. 

14. As the creator, did you need a stash of tissues too?

I still can’t get through the last pages, and I’ve read them a bazillion times. So, yes. I feel your pain. 

15. Where Hope Begins had me bawling mid road-trip and my Darcy worried until he started laughing when I pointed to your book. What would you suggest to our love ones when we start to ugly cry?  

LOL! Pass the tissues and a cup of tea or glass of wine? 

16. Any other warnings for readers that looks forward to picking this one up?

Warnings? Ha. Well, of course I never want to steer anyone away from reading any of my books. But I will say this. Adultery is a hard topic. A relevant one. I think if you put a bunch of us in a room together, I doubt one person could say they haven’t been affected in some way by a broken relationship. And I’m very mindful of that. We all have our triggers. If a person is in the middle of walking that hard road, this book may not be for them at this time. I can say that even as the early copies were sent out and read, I’d hear from readers at least a few times a week to say ‘this could be my story’. That’s heartbreaking, yet we know marriages are falling apart around us. And I hope if folks are a bit blind to that, then maybe this book will help open their eyes a little. Let’s not take our people for granted. Let’s love a little better, listen more, and reach out to those who may be struggling with life challenges we can’t imagine going through. 

17. How about a little spiel for those on the fence about Where Hope Begins?

Go buy some tissues and dive in. 😊  I don’t know, honestly. This book really touched my heart as I wrote it, probably more than anything else I’ve ever written. There’s something special about it. And I know I’m the author and we all love our babies. So don’t take my word for it. 😊  

18. Let’s chat a bit more about you. What book or books are on your nightstand currently? 

I just finished No One Ever Asked by Katie Ganshert. Amazing book! Now I’m reading The Man He Never Was by James Rubart. 

19. Which one of your books would you suggest to first time readers of your books to get to "know you" as writer?

Well that’s another tough question! I think The Things We Knew is a fun read, and really started me on the ‘family drama’ road, so I might start with that one.

20. And to end, what’s next for you and what other can your fans expect?

You can definitely expect more books about family relationships, because I love writing about that. At the moment, I’m not writing as much as I would like to, because I’m looking after our darling granddaughter quite a bit, and of course doing all the things that come along with a book release. But I’m working on a story that’s set in Bermuda, women’s fiction again, and I think we’re going to take a peek back in time through one of our characters, who fought for women’s rights in Bermuda back in the early 1900s. It’s a story about discovering our true identity, not being afraid to stand up for your beliefs, and really about finding your voice.