Guest post from Christian author Eisley Jacobs
Hello dear readers of Memos from Mimi! I’m so privileged to have been given this opportunity to guest post for you today to talk about my new book RUNAWAY CHOICES.
RUNAWAY CHOICES is considered Christian Speculative Fiction and… what? What was that? You aren’t sure what that term means? Well, welcome to the club. Speculative fiction is an umbrella term encompassing the more fantastical fiction genres, specifically science fiction, fantasy, supernatural, superhero, utopian/dystopian, apocalyptic/post-apocalyptic, and alternate history in literature as well as related static, motion, and virtual arts. How is THAT for an all encompassing genre? Fortunately, the face of Christian publishing is changing, and hopefully, all these genres will be split into their own sections because I’m not sure fantasy and post-apocalyptic belong in the same genre. But I digress. RUNAWAY CHOICES is undoubtedly in the fantastical fiction genre. We have suspense, a bit of romance, some supernatural, as well as some strange apocalyptic sprinkles, all of which is why it is labeled Speculative Fiction.
RUNAWAY CHOICES began with the idea of a bitter young woman conning her way onto a plane to London to escape the life that so desperately wants her to take part. What I thought was going to be one particular story quickly morphed into another. As writers, we’re trained (I use that term very loosely) to go with the flow and see where the story takes us outside the outline we might have completed. Little did I realize this story would almost be autobiographical at times.
Beck is a character running from the hurts of her past. Hurts dealt to her from family, friends, life in general… She is running away from them and has chosen to ignore them because it makes her feel better. If she doesn’t have to look these problems in the face, they don’t exist… right?
Like many of us, Beck struggles with accepting the choices she’s made for her life. The good, the bad, the indifferent. Likewise, when I was younger, I struggled with many of the choices I’d made, and I lived as a captive of the guilt that sent me running from everything. While I didn’t run away to London, I might as well have. Instead, I ran away emotionally and only found my healing once I arrived at the foot of the cross. Much like the main character, Beck, does in RUNAWAY CHOICES.
It’s all about Jesus. He is always there. He is always waiting for us, running beside us even when we try to run away. He is never more than a step away, waiting for the moment when we cry out to him and turn into his waiting embrace.
I wrote this novel because I know there are others who need to feeling the healing balm of the Lord as their walls crumble and they release all the shame and guilt of their past choices to Him. And it’s amazing to me and hopefully an encouragement to you to know when I wrote this novel I received further healing from the past hurts that want so desperately to hold me captive. I’m still a work in progress, and God is certainly not through with me yet.
Jeremiah 29:11 says, “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.Thank you so much, Mimi, for giving me this opportunity to share with your readers the heart of this book.
Back of the Book: Everyone runs from their past; Beck has it mastered. She’s been running for so long, stopping is a foreign concept. With her conning skills and wits at the ready, she's on a plane to London, free of charge.
Beck believes everything is going as planned, but when reality twists on its axis, she soon wonders whose plan? Teaming up with the gorgeous bellhop, Colin, is a no-brainer, especially when they discover their connections are anything but accidental. In their quest for answers, both are confronted with the demons of their pasts. Beck panics and does what comes naturally -- runs. However, she's not only running from herself, but from the superhuman who has made it his life's goal to track her down and either remove her from the equation or convince her to join him.
Would you like to win a kindle copy of RUNAWAY CHOICES? Please comment on this post and you will be put into the drawing to win! Connect with Eisley on Facebook, Twitter, or her blog, eisleyjacobs.com.
