Love Without End

I've long loved Robin Lee Hatcher's writing and will continue to read her new novels as they come out. While her romances are generally considered light reading, I found Love Without End quite insprirational, with a surprising depth to it. When I was nearing the end of the book, I decided to email Robin and send her a few interview questions. She was most gracious in answering them and I include her answers here. My questions are in italics and Robin's answers are Bold.

I am familiar with your books from working fifteen years in a used book store. I read some of your secular books before and after you edited them for the Christian market. What caused your change from writing for the secular market to the Christian market?

The short answer would be that God caused it. During much of my general market career, I wasn’t walking closely with God. But as He drew me back into right relationship with Him, I found I no longer wanted to tell stories where faith wasn’t a core part of the novel. And so I made the move to the Christian market.


Do you still write for the secular market?

No, my last book for the ABA (secular) market was published in 1999.


How did the idea of including Anna's backstory come to you?

This is an impossible question for me to answer. Much of the writing process is a mystery to me, even after 70+ books. Ideas come to me in dreams, out of character voices, out of nowhere. I believe that much of the writing of a novel happens in the subconscious. My job as a writer is to pay attention as those ideas bubble up into the conscious mind.

I enjoy writing dual story lines, one in the present and one in the past, but I’m not sure where Anna came from. She simply led her horse into my imagination.


Did you grow up around horses and did you have a favorite horse?

After riding all over the neighborhood on my neighbor’s horse as a young kid, I managed to save enough money to buy my first horse when I was 14. Had at least one horse most of the time until I was in my thirties when circumstances forced me to sell them. But I passed the love onto my daughters and oldest granddaughter who all have their own horses today.

My favorite horse was a sorrel mare named Tempest. She was part Arabian and part Quarter Horse.


What is your favorite wild flower?

Hmm. That is a hard question. I don’t always know the names of the wildflowers. I guess I’ll go with Bachelor Buttons.


Anna makes a promise to live her life abundantly. What does abundant life mean to you?

A life lived with God at the very center. Abundance isn’t about the things we acquire. It’s about the relationship we have with the Lord. Other things pale in comparison.


Usually when people interview Christian authors, the one question they most frequently ask is for your favorite Bible verse. Mine is different. If you could choose anyone from the Bible (exlcuding Jesus--who always lives to intercede for us) to be your prayer partner, who would you choose and why?

Peter, because he was passionate about Jesus and passionate about serving Him, but he was so very human and his passion sometimes led him astray. But his heartbreak over betraying his Lord was the starting point to becoming the man Jesus knew he could be. I relate to Peter.



I think it only fair to tell you mine and why--the Israelites were fighting the Amalekites with Joshua leading the charge. Moses was up on top of the hill overlooking the battle and as long as his hands were raised, the Israelites would prevail. If his arms grew tired, the Amalekites prevailed. Aaron and Hur went to the top of the hill, rolled up a rock for Moses to sit on, then one stood on each side and held up Moses' arms until the Israelites prevailed. I want prayer partners like Aaron and Hur who will stand beside me until the spiritual battles I am fighting are won.

Thank you in advance.

Becky

Love Without End tells a story of second beginnings and and finding love in the most unexpected places. It tells the story of a young, orphaned Anna McKenna, now known as Nana Anna, coming to the ranch of Abe and Violet Leonard, leading her quarter horse, Shiloh's Star. It also relates the stories of Chet Leonard and Kimberly Welch, of Chet's sons Sam and Peter, and of Kimberly's daughter Tara, and it entertains the reader with a gentle love finding a true home in spite of what we think otherwise.

Five Stars, Two Thumbs Up, and a quarterhorse to take you on any adventure you choose.

This book was provided by Thomas Nelson for my honest review. No compensation for my comments was given or received.