Carrie Fancett Pagels Interviews Diane T. Ashley

Diane T. Ashley

Diane T. Ashley and Aaron McCarver are the co-authors of seven books and one novella. Their most recent release is Lily, Book 1 of the Song of the River Series. I met Diane through some online groups, including ACFW and Goodreads.

Diane, welcome to Overcoming With God.  We appreciate your willingness to share your testimony of overcoming with our readers.  Would you tell us about one of the most difficult things in your life you have had to overcome, with God’s help?

I have been so blessed by God that I feel almost ungrateful to speak of the things that I’ve struggled to overcome. I suppose the most difficult time in my life was when my father died unexpectedly. My mother was already struggling with a chronic illness, and I was suddenly thrust into the position of being a caregiver. As a single female with no children, I was not equipped to cope with the situation. At times I thought I would not survive. The grief over my father’s death was profound and inescapable, and watching my mother’s health dwindle in spite of the best medical support made me feel helpless. 

I can remember clinging to my Bible, looking inside for answers to overcoming the pain. One night I dreamed I was speaking with God. He told me He could relieve the pain of my grief if I would do one thing. Thrilled beyond belief I asked what that one thing was. His answer was a single word…forget. I knew in that instant that I could bear the pain because forgetting my parents and all of the love we shared was a price too high.

What is your favorite bible verse and why?

I love Psalm 37 and turn to it whenever I begin to feel hopeless or frightened. The deceiver is always eager to whisper words of doubt into the ears of believers. The promise in the fourth verse is what I cling to during those times: Delight thyself also in the Lord: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.

Lily: Song of the River

What has been the most important thing you hope your readers will get from your books and why?

I hope our readers will turn to God in all things. Aaron and I like to create characters who are Christians but still cling to one or more areas of their lives, unwilling to let the Holy Spirit have complete control. Our title character, Lily, is exactly that sort of person. She is a strong female with great moral character, but she harbors hatred and a judgmental attitude in her heart. How she deals with those issues is the main point I hope our readers will take away from the book.

As you researched your books, did you learn anything that particularly touched your heart?

Forgiving someone—especially a family member—for something they did to you can be very difficult. As you work thorough that process, turn to God. He wants to help each of us.

Diane's and Aaron's books can be found by following any of the hotlinks below and at bookstores:

Barbour Publishing

Christianbooks

Amazon 

Here is a link to a nice video about Lily (click here.)

Giveaway: One of Diane's and Aaron's books will be given away this week. Extra counts given to OWG Followers. Simply put OWG at the end of your comment.