Amber Perry Interview by Carrie Fancett Pagels

Amber Perry

I had the privilege of making Amber's acquaintance when she inquired about joining Colonial American Christian Writers group, which I moderate. She joined as a contributor to the Colonial Quills blog but has just left us and we wish her well!  She's a young mom and a busy lady!

Amber, welcome to Overcoming With God.  We appreciate your willingness to share your testimony of overcoming with our readers.  It’s such an honor to be here, thank you so much!

Would you tell us about the most difficult thing in your life you have had to overcome, with God’s help? Answer: 

One of the greatest trials I’ve experienced in recent years was after the birth of my first daughter. Immediately after she was born I felt a physical change and I couldn’t explain what it was, though I knew something wasn’t right—and it was frightening. I felt empty, lost and was unable to make the kind of bond I thought I should have with my precious daughter. Insomnia kept me up all hours of the night. I had no appetite and debilitating fatigue. The conditions that held me captive made it impossible for me to leave the house—even to take a quiet walk in the sunshine.

After suffering this way for several weeks, and my symptoms becoming continually worse, I finally discovered I was suffering from extreme postpartum anxiety and depression. Even though I had found the reason for my troubles and despite the help I was receiving, the struggles only worsened and I suffered with it for nearly a year and a half! Some mornings, my mind was so clouded I couldn’t remember what I was supposed to do when I got up—all I knew was that a sweet child needed me and I felt completely incapable of doing what had to be done. Without God, I know I wouldn’t have been able to make it through such a difficult time, but He carried me—sometimes from minute to minute—helping me through the day to complete every task that was required of me until I was finally able to make a full recovery.

Through this experience I developed an unyielding testimony of the enabling power of Christ’s atonement and the grace that truly lifts each one of us in our times of need. I know that God knows each of us, and He is aware of what we are suffering—and I know from this experience that He provides a way for us to find peace, even if we are called to travel a difficult road.

So Fair a Lady

Disability friendliness: Is this latest release available in audio format or do you have any other works available on audio?  Do your e-books have audio capability? Do you have any in large print?  Right now, my book is only available in print and Kindle. However, soon I’m hoping to be able to get an audio version. Since I’m indie publishing and have to do all this myself, it takes a bit longer than it might otherwise, but I will be sure to let you know when it finally become available in other formats!

In this latest work, do you have any topics useful for bibliotherapy, or therapeutic influence through reading about a disorder or situation? This is an excellent question. My book deals with the values of searching for and accepting the truths God has for us. And also coping with deception from others, even when concealing the truth is for someone's benefit.

Giveaway: We're giving away a copy of Amber's debut release this week and she'll also be giving away a signed copy of her book.

Elizabeth Byler Younts Interview by Carrie Fancett Pagels: Overcoming Post-Partum Depression With God's Help

Elizabeth Byler Younts

Elizabeth Byler Younts is the author of Promise to Return, the first book in the new Amish Historical series The Promise of Sunrise.

Elizabeth, welcome to Overcoming With God.  We appreciate your willingness to share your testimony of overcoming with our readers. 

Thank you so much for having me. What an amazing journey it has been to get to this point with book 1 releasing. God has been so faithful in providing wisdom and strength and I pray that this series blesses many lives. 

Would you tell us about the most difficult thing in your life you have had to overcome, with God's help? (transparency appreciated!)

I don’t often talk about it on a public forum such as this, but I struggled greatly with Post Partum Depression after my second child was born. When my baby was about three months old I starting noticing the overall darkness I was feeling. My personality isn’t the kind of where I ignore a problem, so I acted fast and got my midwife on board to help direct me. I took some supplements and vitamins and lots of wonderful sunlight. I also decided to talk to a therapist for several months.

That time in my life was extremely difficult but rewarding. I thought dealing with infertility was difficult, but, in a different way, this was by far more of a struggle. I guess that’s why I haven’t talked much about it publicly. I think it boiled down to finding that my strength could not get me through this, only God’s. The old phrase often used in Christian circles “God won’t give you more than you can handle”…I realized, it’s just not true. He does give us more than we can handle…He doesn’t give us more than HE can handle! Trust Him in all ways. 

(CFP: Post-Partum Depression is a fairly common condition and many women suffer with it. You did the right thing by not ignoring the symptoms. Thank you for sharing, Elizabeth.)

Promise to Return

Disability friendliness: Is Promise to Return available in audio format or do you have any other works available on audio? Do your e-books have audio capability? Do you have any in large print? 

At this point I don’t believe it’s releasing in audio, but I sure hope it will in the future! What a joy that would be for so many readers and for myself. With my own busy-ness I often listen to books.

Seasons does have the text-to-speech capability. I do not see that Promise to Return is enabled, but I will check with my publisher.

I do not have large print in paperback at this time. I’m sorry! However, if you read on an e-reader you should be able to adjust the text size. 

Does this novel have any topics useful for bibliotherapy, or therapeutic influence through reading about a disorder or situation?

Promise to Return specifically deals with depending on the Lord when everything else seems to be falling apart when the man she loves is in the midst of war-torn Europe during WW2. Miriam has always stood on the laurels of her church standards and suddenly that doesn’t seem to be enough to comfort her wounded heart. She must seek the wisdom from God through His whispers in her life.

As a military wife I come in contact with so many women who deal with deployment after deployment, not to mention, just the rigors of military life. This can breed a sense of “I must be everything to everyone” or “I must do it all” in so many beautiful, unselfish women as they support their husbands. No one can do it all or be it all to everyone…we must depend on His wisdom and strength. Miriam must travel a difficult journey to learn this…I hope her journey touches many readers.

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

Bio:

Elizabeth Byler Younts is a member of the American Christian Fiction Writers. She is an Air Force officer’s wife and a homeschooling mom with two young daughters. She makes her home wherever her family is stationed. Elizabeth was Amish as a child and after her parents left the church she still grew up among her Amish family and continues to speak Pennsylvania Dutch.

Social Media: Elizabeth is has a Facebook Author Page and is on Twitter and Pinterest!

Seasons by Elizabeth Byler Younts

Giveaways: This week Elizabeth will give away a SIGNED copy of her new book (love that--thanks, Elizabeth!) and we at OWG are giving away ebook or paperback of either of her books, choice by winner. (Note: International readers ebook only.) Question: Have you or a loved one suffered from post-partum depression and how did you cope?

Stephanie Landsem – Testimony

Stephanie Landsem

Stephanie Landsem is the author of The Well – this is her debut novel.

Like Nava, the Samaritan woman at the well in my novel, The Well, I struggled with post-partum depression. Although it was not severe, it was a difficult experience but one that I found increased my reliance on God and trust in Him.

After three children, I’d never experienced post-partum depression, and therefore the thought of it didn’t even cross my mind when my youngest child was born. When she was a few months old, we had the opportunity to move across the country to California for my husband’s job. I thought to myself, “Sure, I can do this, it will be an adventure!” Warm weather, the beach, what’s not to love?

But as we settled into our new home, I found myself in a strange place with no friends and four children under 7, all struggling to fit into their new environments. My husband was buried under new job responsibilities and long hours.

Pretty soon, I could hardly get out of bed in the morning. My joy was stolen – the joy in my new baby, my toddler, kindergartner and oldest daughter.  Nothing could reach through my haze of sadness and weariness. The beach, which I’ve always loved, held no allure. The sunny days seemed to stretch into endless hours when all I wanted to do was escape into sleep.

As often happens with depression, I didn’t know what was wrong with me and I didn’t want to talk about it. I was good at hiding it from everyone—my husband, the kids, my friends back home—but I knew something was wrong. It wasn’t long before I felt completely cut off and alone. On desperate day, I finally turned to God and laid it on him. I said, “You have to help me. I can’t do it myself.”

I wish I could say that I felt a peace flowing over me like Nava did in The Well, but it wasn’t like that. It was much more gradual. First, I was finally able to asked for help from those who loved me. I stopped pretending and started trusting. I saw a doctor, starting taking care of myself, and slowly—a little bit each day—began to enjoy life again.

The Well

I realized that God doesn’t expect us to do it all alone. He’s given us our family, our friends, and Himself – we just have to ask for help and it is there, waiting for us.

Biography

Stephanie writes historical fiction because she loves adventure in far-off times and places. In real life, she’s backpacked through Germany and Eastern Europe, studied in Salzburg, enjoyed gelato in Italy, rode a camel in Morocco, and floated in the salty Corinthian Sea. Her favorite cities are Rome, Berlin and Budapest. Her travels kindle her imagination, fuel her love of history and foreign culture, and introduce her to one-of-a-kind characters.

Stephanie is equally happy at home in Minnesota with her husband, four children, three fat cats, and a tortoise named Moe. When she’s not writing, she’s feeding the ravenous horde, volunteering at church and school, battling dandelions, and dreaming about her next adventure – whether it be in person or on the page.

You can find Stephanie online at:
stephanielandsem.com
www.facebook.com/stephanielandsem
https://twitter.com/#!/stephlandsem
http://pinterest.com/slandsem/

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GIVEAWAY: We are giving away a copy of The Well, choice of format, to one commenter this week. Answer the question to be entered in the contest. Also leave your email address if we don't know you.

QUESTION: What compels you to read historical or biblical fiction?

Jaime Wright Sundsmo Interviewed by Carrie Fancett Pagels

JAIME WRIGHT is the administrator of Coffee Cups & Camisoles and a member of the Christian Fiction Historical Society blog. She writes historical romance with a suspenseful slant and is a member of ACFW.

JAIME, welcome to Overcoming With God.  We appreciate your willingness to share your testimony of overcoming with our readers. 

Would you tell us about the most difficult thing in your life you have had to overcome, with God’s help? (transparency appreciated!)

Bringing out the big guns in the first question, huh? Well, there are a lot of trials I could draw from, but most recently it was the year 2012. Typically, the birth of a newborn is a good thing, but in April after my son was born, I was hit very hard with postpartum depression. I was a high risk case for it because my first three pregnancies ended up being miscarriages and my daughter was in the NICU for the first bit of her life. My son’s birth was 100% normal. The doctor said I’d probably be traumatized by normality and have a huge mood swing down from expecting and preparing for trauma. He was right. By the end of my son’s first week of life I was concocting ways to have my sister-in-law adopt him or even leave him on the hospital doorstep. I had no emotional bond to him whatsoever—he was an interruption, a betrayal of my affection to my daughter, and an exhausting addition to our lives. After my sister-in-law interpreted my emotion, my husband hurried me off to the doctor to get assistance and get me back on my feet. During this time, my husband was going through a bout of his chronic insomnia and average 8 hours of sleep a week. I was bit by a deer tick and contracted Lyme’s disease. My daughter went through major separation anxiety with the entrance of her brother and became prone to tantrums and long hours of tears.

It was a difficult year but a phenomenal one as well. The grace of God is exceptional and receiving nothing but support and understanding from a network of friends and family only bolstered the sense of humility in being able to receive help and love and assistance.

My Lyme’s disease is now cured. My son is a mommy’s boy and I can hardly be without him he’s so dear to my heart. My daughter loves on her brother and refuses to let anyone “be mean to him” and my husband has upped his weekly amount of sleep to ten hours (so we could still use prayer there!)

What is your favorite bible verse and why?

Sheesh. I have a lot but the most poignant one lately has been Psalm 46:10 – “Be still and know that I am God”. I have a habit of talking my way out of problems, controlling, planning and KNOWING what I need to do. This verse has been a slap upside the head to shut up, sit back, and let God be GOD!

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

I’d love for readers to connect with a healthy sense of community—the sort of fellowship that blesses and bolsters us on a daily basis. It’s been such a great place for me to find some rest and peace in the midst of a hectic life—I hope I can offer the same in return.

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

Tons. Usually my research is very historically inclined, but along with it I put myself in the shoes of those who lived in that time and a million potential Spiritual themes arise. Those are always challenging for me because so often, I’m going through similar experiences.

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

Not so much medically, but Spiritually I’d say yes. My latest manuscript addresses the issue of extreme legalism and lack of grace that comes with a hard past. In an effort to protect from the bad choices we made or experienced, we create laws and rules while eliminating the grace of God. Hopefully, my readers (when I have them!) will be able to engage in growing in their Spiritual well-being through my books. While I write for entertainment, I also pray that each novel has a lesson and theme that can be applied to our Spiritual walk.

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

Find Jaime at: 
http://coffeecupsandcamisoles.blogspot.com
facebook.com/JaimeWrightBooks
twitter.com/jaime_wright

http://christianfictionhistoricalsociety.blogspot.com/
http://pinterest.com/jaimewright01/

GIVEAWAY: It is Karen Witemeyer week and we’ll be giving away the winner’s choice of any of Karen’s books, choice of format.