Matters of Faith

A romance wrestling between love and religion is how author Deborah Brodie describes her first Christian romance novel, “In His Love.”

“As a result of being passionate, I find my emotions and writing mesh together,” Brodie told The Sun. “My books seem to correspond with the changing seasons in my own life.  My latest book began as a story of an orphan girl and her unrelentless pursuit after the love of her father. With time, and the help of a great conceptual editor, the story unfolded.”

Brodie’s first release, “The Path that Gets Brighter,” was a contemporary version of a Christian devotional containing inspirational poems and directive prayers.

In her second book, “In His Love,” Brodie reveals the struggle of relationship versus religion. Sarah, one of the youngest sisters of the congregation at Anchorage Place, a refuge for abandoned children, runs from the romance of a lover while running to the love of her Lord, fearful that she cannot love both equally. She must contend with religion to experience the reality of salvation and must surrender her fear before she can pursue love.

Is it possible for Sarah to give into her desire for Daryl while giving her heart to the lover of her soul? Will Sarah's relationship with Jesus survive as she wrestles with her faith? Will she ever be able to fully believe in His love?

“There are a lot of twists and turns that keep the plot full of surprises,” Brodie said.

While growing up in the suburbs of New Jersey, Brodie’s talent for writing began in her teen years.

“I began writing poetry and journaling which naturally transpired into short stories,” she said. “While attending college in Naples, Florida, I enrolled in creative writing which taught me how to release my imagination into a dimension that would evoke the reader to feel the same emotion I was feeling.”

While in Naples, there was an English teacher who re-introduced Brodie to her love for writing and showed her how to write visually.

“She was the one I hold most responsible for seeing a diamond in the rough and took the time outside school to polish my writing and make it the best it could be,” Brodie said.

After relocating to Fort Worth Beach six years ago to attend college and pursue a bachelor’s degree, Brodie recently moved to Crestview to be near her fiancé.

Finding time to write can be a challenge while juggling both a full time job and an active social life, but the rewards can be great.

“The rewards of writing come when my thoughts and ideas are expressed in creative ways that paint the picture my heart is seeing,” Brodie said. “There is one place in my book (‘In His Love’) which really struck me in the core when I wrote it, and I think it is great advice for all of us. Count the cost of your calling, find the value of your dream, and most of all find your place in His love. I hope my writing can release hidden emotions and bring peace to where hurt once abound. I am looking forward to beginning the sequel to ‘In His Love’.”