Interview with Rosslyn Elliott

Rosslyn, welcome to Overcoming Through Time – With God’s Help.  Would you share either the most difficult thing in your life you have had to overcome, with God’s help, or the most tragic situation or circumstance one of your characters has had to get past?

By far the most difficult time in my life was the decade after I lost my faith at the age of 16. I really needed God’s help in a very special way, as I wasn’t even able to call for it. Instead, He found me, like the good shepherd of the parable who never gives up until he brings back the lost sheep.

I was raised by one Catholic parent who took us to church every Sunday and one agnostic parent who did not attend church. This was a very confusing way to grow up, and I did not have any idea how to answer some of the common postmodern attacks against Christianity. After taking a class in World Religions during my junior year in high school, I became convinced that all religions were the same, and therefore, none of them must be true. It was a very painful time, as my faith in Christ had given me hope even as a child and young teenager. I did not want to lose my faith, but I didn’t have any answers, so my faith shattered. 


For the next ten years, I muddled my way through college and life beyond, often in a state of despair. I could not understand why the world was so harsh and so many people suffered for no apparent reason.  Finally, I realized that there was something very wrong with my viewpoint on  life—I had made a wrong turn, somewhere, and I had to find a better way. Even though I didn’t understand what was happening, my spirit had become open through the pain I had experienced. And because of that openness, I was able to receive the gift of faith once more, ten years after I lost it. It was the greatest thing that ever happened to me, but it was quiet, and gradual.

What is your favorite bible verse and why?

The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness does not overcome it. (John 1:5)

Disability friendliness:

Is this latest release available in audio format or do you have any other works available on audio? 

I wish it were! I am praying that my novels will sell well enough to eventually generate audio versions. I know from personal experience how audio books can reach people who can’t always read a print version. And even people without physical limitations often prefer their books on audio because they want to listen while commuting.

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

I want my readers to gain hope. I spent so long without hope that it is especially precious to me. The true story of the Hanby family that appears in Sweeter than Birdsong and the other Saddler’s Legacy novels is tremendously uplifting. We can all gain strength and hope from their example.

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

I was touched by the fact that in real life, Kate Winter and Ben Hanby had a beautiful marriage, and she adored him for being a good husband and father. It’s not common to see that true affection between wife and husband, especially in the Victorian period. It says a lot about both of them, because a good marriage is always the product of selflessness.

In this latest work, do you have any topics useful for bibliotherapy, or therapeutic influence through reading about a disorder or situation?

Sweeter than Birdsong is encouraging for anyone who is struggling in ministry, wondering whether their efforts to serve are doing any good. Ben Hanby, the hero of the novel, goes through similar doubts, and yet in the end, he accomplishes something beyond his wildest dreams. His real-life story shows that we have to persevere and keep doing what we know is good, loving others and using our gifts to serve. God will take that and use it in ways we can’t predict. Sometimes one sentence said at the right time, to the right person, can change the world. We may never know in this life the impact we have on others, but Sweeter than Birdsong shows the power of one person to make a difference.

Rosslyn Elliott's books can be purchased at CBD, Amazon, Lifeway, Barnes and Noble, and other book stores. Facebook link is www.facebook.com/rosslynelliottauthor, twitter link is twitter.com/#!/rosslynelliott. 

GIVEAWAY:  Leave a comment and your email to be entered in this week’s contest.  Drawing will be late Saturday.  Your choice of Rosslyn Elliott's books, choice of format.