My guest today is Author Louise M Gouge who has an inspiring story to share and a new book! Here’s Louise:

“I’m so glad to be your guest, Lyn. I love your theme of Strong Women, Brave Stories. I have a story to tell about my daughter Jane, a remarkably strong woman.

Even in grade school, Jane stood up for her Christian faith when others went along with the crowd. In college she led a campus ministry, and after graduation, she went to Africa as a journeyman missionary. When a deadly rebellion broke out, westerners had to flee, and Jane faced the situation with her usual spunk, trusting that God would take care of her.

But Jane’s courage and faith were displayed most remarkably when her beloved husband was dying of cancer. Bill was her knight in shining armor, a godly man she met in seminary. Together they served the Lord at the church where he was an assistant pastor. Six weeks after the birth of their second child, Bill was diagnosed with liver cancer. Jane could have crumbled emotionally or asked “why me?” Instead, she became a warrior, fighting to find a cure for Bill through online research and by calling cancer specialists, trying to find that one doctor who might have the answer. And Jane spent every day at the hospital, pouring her love into the man who was the answer to all her girlhood dreams.
When cancer took its dreaded toll and Bill went home to Jesus, Jane grieved as any loving widow would. But in time she straightened her shoulders and refused to despair. Now she is raising her two precious children in a Christian home, reinforcing all the ideals she and Bill shared, and making certain they know what a wonderful father they had. I believe that, when they grow up, it will be obvious to them what a wonderful mother they have, as well.

So what are the qualities that make a woman continue on when life has dealt her a devastating blow? What makes her continue to trust God when doubting voices claim He has failed to take care of her? In any fiction story, it is essential to create real life situations so that readers will find their own faith undergirded or find a path back to God if they have lost their way. When I am looking for that real life example, I need go no further than my daughter. How easy it would have been for her to go in any direction to reclaim happiness. But Jane chose God’s path and held strong to her faith.

In that same way, I try to create heroines who, in spite of struggles and tragedies, cling to God. Dinah Templeton, the heroine in my new release, At the Captain’s Command, has grown up feeling abandoned by everyone she loves. Even God seems far away, as He often does when we are suffering. Yet Dinah chooses to believe that her Heavenly Father will not abandon her. This gives her the strength that she needs to take the right action in the midst of adversity. My prayer and my hope is that my readers will relate to Dinah and find comfort and strength in God.

Book tease: At the Captain’s Command (Harlequin’s Love Inspired Historical). A heroic British naval captain, son of an influential earl, dares to fall in love with a provincial American girl. Then he discovers her family’s devastating secret.

Book blurb: Loyal to the British Crown, orphaned Dinah Templeton has vowed never to marry a seafaring man, for her father died at sea and her merchant captain brother is always away. But when Captain Thomas Moberly sails into St. Augustine to defend the East Florida shores from American pirates, Dinah finds that her heart may overrule her head regarding this seafarer. Captain Thomas Moberly, captain of HMS Dauntless, has been assigned to capture the notorious American pirate Nighthawk, who plagues the Atlantic coast of East Florida. War-weary and hoping for a refreshing visit with his brother and sister, who live near St. Augustine, Thomas never expects to find love. But how can he resist the lovely Miss Templeton, even though she is what his father, Lord Bennington, would call a common American?
I have a combined website and blog: http://www.Louisemgouge.com “–Louise

Thanks, Louise, for sharing your daughter’s story and your latest historical sounds wonderful. One of my favorite childhood memories is from touring the fort at St. Augustine, FL. If any of you haven’t seen it, mark it down as a must-see. –Lyn

P S. To read an excerpt, click here.
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