by Shelley Shepard Gray
Have you ever been so taken with a character in a novel that you had to know what happened to him or her after the story ended? I sure have. There are just some characters who seem so real that I become invested in them. I think about them long after I finished the book and have begun another one.
As a writer, though, I rarely think about characters after I turn a book into my editor. Whether it’s because I’m often in a rush to meet my deadline, or I’m just so tired of the story after rereading and rewriting it several times, I don’t know. All I do know is that once I turn that book into my editor, I consider it done. As far as I’m concerned, all the characters are living in happily-ever-after-world. I wish them well and move on. Before I know it, I’m happily thinking about new characters in a new novel.
That’s how I usually do things . . . until I wrote Unforgotten.
That novel was special to me. I’d wanted to write it for quite a while. It dealt with hard subjects and imperfect people. Much of the plot was centered around an event that had happened to Bethanne Hostetler. I’d never intended to give Bethanne her own point of view. Beyond letting the reader know that she was okay but still struggling from time to time, I didn’t intend to dwell on her story.
But it seemed Bethanne had a different idea.
I think every author has a different way to start a book. Some are plotters, others are researchers. I’m one of those writers who begins a book after I can ‘hear’ the first scene. Once I was making my bed, heard all the characters in my head start talking, and hurried off to my computer to write it. Goofy, I know.
Anyway, right when I was writing the end of Unforgotten, Bethanne started talking in my head. So much so, that I had to ask my editor if I could change the plot of the next book I was supposed to write in order to incorporate Bethanne’s story.
Once I got the green light to do that, I was off and running. Thanks to already knowing the central heroine so well, I found the book fairly easy to write. Revising it? Well, that was another story! It was all worth it, though.
All in all, I have to say that Unforgotten has been one of my favorite novels that I’ve written. I loved Bethanne’s character and was so thrilled that I didn’t have to say goodbye to her just yet. This book also meshes Amish and English worlds, which is something I enjoy doing when I can. I also love adding a touch of suspense to a book, even though it’s not my strength as a writer, and Bethanne’s story is filled with that!
I hope you enjoy reading Bethanne’s story as much as I enjoyed writing it.
About the Author
Shelley Shepard Gray is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of more than 100 books, including Unforgotten. Two-time winner of the HOLT Medallion and a Carol Award finalist, Gray lives in Ohio, where she writes full-time, bakes too much, and can often be found walking her dachshunds on her town’s bike trail. Learn more at ShelleyShepardGray.com.
About the Book
Even though Bethanne Hostetler has found some peace seven years after an attempted assault and the accidental death of Peter Miller, she is still haunted by the memory. When her Englisher cousin, Candace—who has just been crowned Miss Crittenden County—reveals that she has a stalker, all of Bethanne's old fears come rushing back.
Did You Know?
According to a recent Gallup poll, nearly half of Americans (47%) describe themselves as religious, another 33% say they are spiritual, but not religious. Furthermore, the 18% who say they are neither religious nor spiritual is twice the proportion Gallup measured since 1999.
Growing in our faith as Christians is so important. Here’s why:
Faith helps us connect to God. As we take active steps to grow our faith, like reading the Bible and daily prayer, we interact with God in tangible ways. This helps us become more in tune with His Spirit. The more in tune we are with Him, the more we’re able to act on—and be obedient to—what we believe He is saying to us.
Faith helps us become a tangible example of Jesus. Even when we can’t see God, we demonstrate our belief in Him when we act in accordance with the tenets of Christianity. Unbelievers get a glimpse into who God is when we exhibit the fruit of the Spirit in our lives.
Faith increases our trust in God. Faith is not just a belief in God. Rather, our actions demonstrate God can be trusted. It is one thing to say we believe in God; it is another to imitate His example to others. When we love unconditionally, fight against injustice and forgive the unthinkable, believers and unbelievers alike desire to know God more.
It is not only important to increase our faith in God, but to demonstrate our faith in ways that make knowing God irresistible to those who claim they have no faith.
-Michelle S. Lazurek, Hall of Faith
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