I was raised in a Christian home. I lived with both of my parents and my brothers. We went to church every Sunday and most Wednesdays, and I asked Jesus into my heart at a young age. I never questioned whether my parents loved me. I was taught right from wrong. I knew getting drunk and doing drugs and having sex before marriage were against our Christian beliefs. So, when I decided to write Michelle’s story, I couldn’t really relate to her. At all. I’ve had friends like her, who did not believe the way I did, who partied and had sex with their boyfriends. But I was never like that. I never drank or smoked or even had a boyfriend in high school. I was pretty much like Emma (Maggie and Michelle’s college roommate in my books) – young, innocent, and totally naive.
But as I wrote Michelle’s story, I tried to put myself in her shoes as much as I could. What must it have been like for her to live without her dad around, with her mom constantly working just to make ends meet? How lonely and unloved must she have felt to throw herself at guys the way she did? And what was it like for her to suddenly be thrust into this new world at this Christian college surrounded by all these “good kids”?
I tried to get into her head as much as I could, and I really hope and pray that I did Michelle’s story justice, that I showed her growth from a struggling young girl to a woman discovering God’s purpose for her life. That was my goal. And I have to say, I really love Michelle’s story. Things weren’t easy for her, and it’s not always pleasant to read about the things she does, but I really grew to love her character over the past year since I wrote the first draft. Through editing this book, I got to discover her story and get to know her heart. It was a pretty special experience for me.
A note about Until Then: I feel I should mention that on the pages of this book, there are some scenes that are a little more mature, but I never describe “the deed” itself – I always cut away – and it is in no way glorified. I hope that these scenes will help to show where she’s at when we meet her at the beginning of the book as opposed to how she’s changed later in the book. If I had to give the book a rating, it would be PG-13 for some sensuality.
Until Then is the second book in my Cornerstone series of Contemporary Christian Romance novels. The Kindle eBook is available for pre-order NOW. The official release date is May 24th — ONE MORE WEEK!