Meet Tricia Goyer

I've been privileged to meet many wonderful people through my writing groups. One of these is Tricia Goyer, a fellow ACFW member.

I first became acquainted with Tricia several years ago when her debut novel, From Dust and Ashes, was about to be released. It was immediately apparent to me that Tricia was allowing God to direct her writing career and I felt a kindred spirit with her.

The fourth and final installment in this dynamic World War II series, Arms of Deliverance, is being released. One of you will win a free copy. Just leave a comment for Tricia or me and you'll automatically be entered. The drawing will take place on July 31st.

Now...meet Tricia and hear all the "behind the scenes" facts on this fascinating story.. You'll soon want to add this novel to your "must read" stack! And click here for the first riveting chapter of Arms of Deliverance.

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The fourth and final novel in this exhilarating series capturing the tales of men and women swept into World War II. Two friends, Mary and Lee, land similar reporting jobs at the New York Tribune on the eve of the war's outbreak and soon they become competitors. Mary's coverage of a bombing raid over Germany leads to a plane wreck and an adventurous escape attempt from across enemy lines. And when Lee hears of Mary's plight, she bravely heads to war-torn Europe in an effort to help rescue her friend. Will there be enough time for diplomacy or will war get the best of everyone?

Arms of Deliverance: The Story Behind the Novel

The Idea:

The idea for Arms of Deliverance came one day as I was researching for my novel Night Song. I was watching a video that talked about Lebensborn homes in Nazi Europe. These were homes where young women birthed children for the Reich. After all, to have a "Thousand Year Reich" the Germans needed future Aryans. That was the first layer of the story.

The second layer came when I was researching my novel, Dawn of a Thousand Nights. First, I was studying these amazing women who risked their lives during WWII. (Dawn of a Thousand Nights involved female pilots who ferried US planes around the country.) Other brave women who risked their lives were female war reporters, and I knew I wanted to write a story about them. This sparked my interest too.

Throw in my intrigue of B-17 bomber crews over Europe, and you have the first three elements of Arms of Deliverance. The fourth is a Nazi officer in search for...well, you'll have to read the novel to find out!

The Research:

The first thing I did when I started researching was to check to see if I could find any veterans who were there. I got a hold of an amazing group of men with the 91st Bomb Group. I couldn't have asked for a better group of guys. You can check out their website at www.91stbombgroup.com . Be sure to take time to look at the photos and read the TRUE stories from the 91st!

The men gave me all types of information. They gave me details of exact flights, actual photographs from that time, and they shared their personal experiences and stories.

Of course, God always surprises me with "abundantly more than I ask for or imagine" when it comes to research for these stories. Here's one of those God-gifts:

One thing you may remember from photos of old bombers is the nose art, which highlighted the bomber's name. During my writing, I kept praying for the perfect name for my bomber--something to tie into the book.

During my research I met a veteran from the 91st Bomb Group named Jack Gaffney. Out of the blue, Jack suggested I use the name "Destiny's Child." (This came years before the music group!) You see, Jack was a ground crew member and a nose-art artist. He painted the nose art "Destiny's Child" and other B-17 Bombers.

At the time, Jack had no idea that the premise of my novel included the Lebensborn homes and a special child. Is that cool, or what?!

To see Jack's nose art, go here: http://www.91stbombgroup.com/destinyc.html

The Writer:

I have to say that I am changed in some way by every novel I write, and this one moved me deeply. You see, as I wrote about the rescue of a special child, I had no idea what God had in store for me and my family.

One month after the novel was written, my husband and I sat down to discuss something that had been on my heart for a while - the adoption of another child. I won't give the story behind the novel away, but as I reread it I could clearly see through my written words what God had already been placing on my heart.

I will keep news of our adoption of a baby girl from China updated on my blog www.genxparents.blogspot.com .

What's Next from Tricia Goyer:

Currently, I'm working on my fifth novel, A Valley of Betrayal. It is the first novel in a three-book series on The Spanish Civil War, which took place in Spain, pre-World War II.

Of course, there is more to my life than fiction. I'm also a wife, mom, mentor, and a children's church leader, and I also write about these aspects of my life. Generation NeXt Parenting will hit store shelves in September 2006.

If you're a parent, like me, check it out!

Comments

[Carrie Turansky]

Hi Staci and Tricia, I loved hearing about the inspiration for this story. I have enjoyed all of Tricia's novels and look forward to reading this one! My dad was involved in WWII and it is always moving for me to read the stories of men and women from that time period. Thanks! Carrie

[Julie Dearyan]

Hi Staci and Tricia,
Wow, Tricia, you are one busy lady! Your books sound so awesome and how neat that you were able to get to know those men as well. So neat.

[Sally Bradley]

I've been dying to get my hands on one of Tricia's books. This one sounds great! Count me in the contest. Thanks for the behind-the-scenes info. That's always interesting.

[Caya]

Lovely! Thank you for this interesting look at an author & her books. I would like to be entered in the contest, too, please- Many thanks-

[Jan Warren]

Stacie and Tricia thanks for a behind the scenes peek at your books. And certainly include me in the book giveaway contest. Blessings, Jan Warren

[Linda Shindoll]

Staci, you know I am up for all new books. I love your blogs. It really gets down and personal Thanks for including me. Linda

[Cheryl Vaughan]

Staci and Tricia,

Just reading the reasearch on this new novel has me intrigued. I need a good book to read now, so I'm going out to find one by the author of Tricia Goyer. Thank you Staci for including me in on Tricia and her books.

[Rochelle]

This was great! I look forward to reading her books whether I win or not!