Interview With Lynnette Bonner by Carrie Fancett Pagels

Lynnette Bonner

Lynnette Bonner is the author of High Desert Haven, book 2, and of Rocky Mountain Oasis, book 1 in The Shepherd’s Heart series.

I met Lynnette through our mutual friend Marian Baay who does guest reviews for us. Marian loved Lynnette’s stories and suggested she contact me for a spot on Overcoming Through Time - With God's Help.

Lynnette, welcome to Overcoming Through Time.  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 character’s has had to get past?

One difficult thing in my life early on, was heading off to boarding school at the age of 8. My parents were missionaries and there weren’t a lot of educational options on the field. The first couple of years were pretty tough, but in the long run, I think my relationship with the Lord was strengthened because of it – I had nowhere to turn but to Him. And later I learned to love boarding school. I still have strong bonds with many of my friends from those years.

In my adult years, I could name several things that have been difficult; being a pastor’s wife…, raising children…, persevering until I finally got published…. But through all of those circumstances, I’ve learned that the best place to turn when the going gets tough is to the Lord. Prayer really does make a difference, if only in my perspective.

What is your favorite bible verse and why?

This is a question to ponder, isn’t it? How does one pick just one jewel from a treasure trove full of them? Still, one of my favorite verses comes from Jeremiah, chapter 29, verse 11: “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

Disability friendliness:

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

Currently none of my books are available as recorded audio books, but all of my stories are available for Kindle and are text to speech enabled.

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

I think, as I’m winding down writing my fourth full novel within the next week or so, the one main message I would love for my readers to hear is this: Life is hard. We are all faced with painful circumstances as a result of sin in this world. But with the Lord’s help, we can forge ahead and press on, and even make a difference in this world for the better. A relationship with Jesus is the key to true happiness on this earth.

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

For book 3 in The Shepherd’s Heart series, Fair Valley Refuge, I did quite a bit of research on the orphan trains. Many of the stories tugged at my heart strings. Families too poor to be able to properly care for their children often took them to the orphanage steps and left them there during the night. Others truly were orphans, but were separated from siblings in order to secure them homes. Many never saw each other again. Some went to good homes. Some to homes where people only wanted the free labor.

But the piece of research I’ve done that has probably most touched my heart is for a series I haven’t even started yet that will be set on the island of Zanzibar and in East Africa during the late 1800’s. Many people don’t realize that slavery from the east coast of Africa continued long after most of the slavery from the west coast had been abolished. And some of the things those poor people had to endure are enough to bring tears to your eyes. Women who weren’t strong enough to carry both their child and the load of ivory the slavers wanted them to pack to the coast from the interior, had their children killed before their eyes. Young boys, sought after as eunuchs for Indian, Arab, and Chinese royalty, were castrated by the thousands. Only 1 in 10 survived the unsterile procedure. One in ten!

I could go on. But just those glimpses of my research will give you a taste of the heartbreak.

High Desert Haven by Lynnette Bonner

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

In High Desert Haven my heroine Nicki has just lost her husband. It was a forced marriage and she didn’t really love him, but she still grieves his loss. And then has to come to terms with how she is going to forge ahead and overcome the new situation she finds herself in. So a particularly applicable topic would be grief.


Click here to order Lynnette's books from Amazon.

Thank you, Lynnette, for agreeing to answer these questions.  Have a blessed day and keep on writing!!


GIVEAWAY: Leave a comment and your email to be entered in this week's contest. Drawing will be late Saturday. Your choice of Lynnette's books, choice of format*. Void where prohibited by law. *International winners only receive the book in ebook format, not as a paperback.