14 Days of Sweet Stories: Christine Lindsay's story "Londonderry Dreaming"

Excerpt from Chapter 6 of Londonderry Dreaming:

Blowing wind and the keening of puffins and other seabirds were the only sounds.

At the bottom of the cliff the ground grew rough where the inlet opened up. Forty thousand, interlocking, basalt columns—the result of ancient volcanic eruptions—stood up from the crashing sea. A handful of tourists scampered from column to column that in all created a small hill.

Keith had eyes only for Naomi, standing with her hands tucked into her jacket pockets, her slender shape in faded jeans, her blond, chin-length hair kissing her cheeks. Without a word, he took her hand to help her climb over the columns to stand on one of the highest and closest to the ocean. Waves spewed upward as the surf surged and swirled around the causeway, and she released his hand to grab hold of him around the waist.

Laughter rippled from her as each wave hissed and lapped at the column.

“You remember the legend?” He wrapped his arms around her, clasping his hands at her back to hold her close.

“About Finn McCool’s fight with the Scottish giant across the sea who hurled an insult at the great Irish warrior?”

“Yeah, that’s the guy. Good old Finn McCool. Then the two giants picked up pieces of rock and started to pelt each other with great hunks of land. Thereby creating this fine piece of landscape we’re standing on. Nothing at all to do with any geological phenomenon.”

She laughed up at him, setting his heart to swell. “No of course not.”

He drew her closer so that his chin grazed her cheek, his voice going husky. He was going to take this moment no matter what. “Who cares about logical, scientific explanations when there’s a romantic legend instead?”

Her hands at the base of his spine opened up and flattened against his back. “There are times when logic should simply be ignored,” she whispered while lowering her lashes. Her eyes fluttered open. “Don’t you think?”

If he moved, lowered his head two inches, their lips would touch. This was what he wanted with all his heart. What he’d anticipated. She stood warm in his arms, her face lifted to his. Just like five years ago. “Do you remember the last time we stood together on this coast?”

“Yes.” Her sea-gray eyes grew wide, her mouth tremulous.

Barely able to breathe, he pulled her closer and bent his head to brush his lips across hers.

At the meeting of their mouths, all thought left him. His heart drummed in rhythm to the pulsing sea around them as her lips moved with his. Though his feet were firmly planted on the column, he felt it as he and Naomi swayed. He caught her closer still, bracing their weight with his stance. A tingle ran along his spine as her hands moved upward along his back, pulling him deeper into her embrace.

Her breath hitched, uneven, like his. A small sigh escaped her when they parted for only a moment. They came together, and he kissed her again, longer, slower.

At last they stood apart, her hands grasping his forearms that held her from him, supporting her. He slowly exhaled, and sunlight danced inside him at the euphoria awash on her face. Her lips parted, her eyes half closed, she swayed again, and he wanted to scoop her up into his arms and lay her down somewhere soft, warm and cozy, and never let her go.

It seemed forever before she spoke. With a little swallow she smiled up at him. “I always did lose my mind when you kissed me.”

His hands moved up her arms to cup her shoulders. “That goes two ways.”

She cleared the huskiness from her throat, but remained quiet. Nor did he feel the desire to talk. At this moment they didn’t need words. If only they could just keep on communicating in this language.

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Author bio:

Irish-born Christine Lindsay is the author of multi-award-winning Christian fiction and non-fiction. Readers describe her writing as gritty yet tender, realistic yet larger than life, with historical detail that collides into the heart of psychological and relationship drama. 

Christine's fictional novels have garnered the ACFW Genesis Award, The Grace Award, Canada’s The Word Guild Award, and was a finalist twice for Readers’ Favorite as well as 2nd place in RWA’s Faith Hope and Love contest.

This author’s non-fiction memoir Finding Sarah Finding Me is the true-life story that started this award-winning career in Christian fiction and non-fiction and speaking ministry. Finding Sarah Finding Me is a must for anyone whose life has been touched by adoption. Christine is currently writing a new fictional series set on the majestic coast of Ireland. 

Subscribe to her newsletter on her website www.christinelindsay.org and follow her Amazon Author Page.

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Blurb for Londonderry Dreaming:

Acclaimed New York artist, Naomi Boyd, and music therapist, Keith Wilson, loved one another five years ago, until her grandfather separated them.

That root of bitterness keeps them apart until a letter from Keith’s grandmother, Ruth, draws Naomi to Londonderry to find she’s too late. Ruth has passed on. After the death of his beloved grandmother, Keith has also come to Londonderry only to open the door to his past . . . Naomi . . . beautiful as ever, the girl who broke his heart.

A mysterious painting in Ruth’s attic brings up questions about their grandparents’ entwined past and their own broken romance. More comfortable with the unspoken languages of art and music, Naomi and Keith find it difficult to share their old hurts and true feelings.

Will the majestic coastline of Northern Ireland inspire them to speak the words to bring peace to their grandparents’ memory and to rekindle love?

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Buy Christine's book:

Amazon ~ Barnes and Noble ~ CBD ~ Pelican Book Group

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Connect with Christine: 
Website - http://www.christinelindsay.org
Twitter - https://twitter.com/CLindsayWriter
Pinterest - https://www.pinterest.com/clindsaywriter/
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/ChristineLindsayWriter
Goodreads - https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4767699.Christine_Lindsay

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Watch this fun book trailer about Londonderry Dreaming

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A five-star review of Christine's book by Noela Nancarrow on Amazon.com: 

A Sweet Romance on the Emerald Isle, February 21, 2014
By NoelaN

In ‘Londonderry Dreaming’, author Christine Lindsay sweeps the reader away to the rolling Irish countryside of Londonderry. The scenery throughout the novel is expressively illustrated, easily enabling the reader to visualize the emerald fields dotted with sheep, the ancient stone walls, and the cobblestone streets and winding roads of Northern Ireland. Of course, you can’t travel to Londonderry without viewing the Giant’s Causeway, and in this sweet contemporary romantic novella, Keith and Naomi - the hero and heroine of the story visit the coastal Causeway together, capturing what I thought was a sublimely-written romantic moment in time in the midst of God's majestic sculptures!

Five years ago Keith Wilson and Naomi Doyle were a young couple in love, but to Keith’s shock and subsequent heartbreak, Naomi’s grandfather had suddenly stepped in to whisk her back to the States to assist her in setting up a career as an artist. Naomi felt she had no choice at the time than to break up with Keith. And now five years later she has been called back to Ireland in a letter by Keith’s grandmother, only to discover that she has passed away. Keith and Naomi work together to try and solve the mystery surrounding the curious painting in his Grandmother’s attic and as they do, they are at a loss as what to do with their feelings for each other that have resurfaced – as neither believes their love is reciprocated.

‘Londonderry Dreaming’ is an enjoyable and sweet tale of friendship and forgiveness, of the rekindling of love, and of the importance of communication. It is a journey that takes the reader to both Ireland and the States to rediscover faith in God and in the power of love. And it’s also the story of a wise old grandmother that will not be kept silent, even from the grave! I highly recommend this engaging Irish love story that’s as enchanting with the romance as it is with the mesmerizing visit to the Emerald Isle.

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Interview with Christine Lindsay, author of Sofi's Bridge

I'd like to introduce you to Christine Lindsay, author of Sofi's Bridge. The book just released today! In it, she's written on the topic of how people deal with grief. She also touches on the subject of mental illness and how society has evolved in dealing with those who have "nervous" problems. She does all of his through her new novel, Sofi's Bridge.

I hope that you will enjoy my interivew of this talented author.

*Questions by Alexis are in bold, answers from Christine are not in bold.

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Alexis: Why did you decide to make your heroine, Sofi, a debutant?

Christine: I wanted to counterbalance the life of a wealthy character against one who is financially poor. True joy and satisfaction in life doesn’t necessarily come from financial wealth. Sometimes money brings its own challenges.

Why does Sofi feel so fiercely that she must protect her sister?

Sofi grew up caring for her younger sister because their mother (a simple farmer’s daughter) never adapted well to being the wife of a wealthy man. Sofi’s mother lost a part of herself in the process so that she wasn’t the mother she should have been, causing Sofi to step in and be more to her sister than was good for all of them.

How did Sofi’s dad die? How is that detail significant to the story?

Sofi and Trina’s dad drowned when Trina was sailing with him in what used to be called the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Sofi’s Bridge is about how different people deal with grief, and the stages of grief. For example, some people struggle with survivor’s guilt, while others might self-medicate themselves like Sofi’s Mother does when she is prescribed laudanum for her nerves.

But Sofi’s Bridge is also about how Neil gives up his life in order to take care of his bereaved family back in Ireland.

Why would Sofi’s sister Trina need to be admitted to a sanatorium?

Trina is suffering from what we today call Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome. Back in 1913, the whole science of mental health was making huge breakthroughs, as my character Neil notes about lectures he attended by psychiatrists Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung. At that time it was not unusual for people, women especially, to be admitted to an insane asylum for bad nerves. Sofi’s Bridge touches on that new awareness regarding mental illness at the beginning of the 20th century.

Where in your fictional story world are the Cascade Mountains located? Describe the look and feel of that mountain area. What makes it special?

The Cascade Mountains is a real place in the northern, central part of Washington State and going up into Canada. I live about an hour’s drive from the Cascades, and one of my favorite places in all the world is the alpine meadows in a park on the Canadian side of the Cascades.

One of my favorite scenes has my characters sitting in that alpine meadow where the peaks of blue-tinted glaciers seem close enough to touch. The flowers are native only to great heights and create a carpet of color from red Indian Paintbrush, blue lupine, white daisies, and so many more. Up there, all you hear is the silent rush of the wind. It’s like touching the sky.

Neil Macpherson, a gardener, wants to protect Sofi and Trina. Why? What’s his motivation?

Neil has a similar personality trait as Sofi. He too is a caregiver, a nurturer, which are traits found in many nurses and doctors. The downside to that trait is Neil can’t help himself from helping others even to his own detriment. No matter what is happening in his life, he will always do his best to uphold his Hippocratic oath.

What is it about Neil that attracts Sofi?

His caring heart, the tender way he tries to help her sister. But it is also his belief in Sofi’s intellect. In a time when a wealthy society frowns on women working for a living, Neil encourages Sofi to pursue the labor of her heart. He knows how fulfilling it is to do the work that we feel created to do, and how devastating it is to not be allowed to do that work.

What is it about Sofi that makes Neil’s heart melt?

Whenever Neil talks to Sofi he feels he is talking to an intellectual equal, and also that she has no biases about people. He wishes with all his heart that he could tell her the truth about himself, believing if anyone could understand it would be Sofi.

Why does Sofi have trouble trusting Neil?

He is masquerading as a gardener, hiding his true profession. Whenever she asks him, and sometimes pleads with him, he will not tell her why he left Ireland, nor why he is no longer practicing as a doctor.

You’ve got quite the plot twist with Neil’s secret! How does his secret affect the story?

One the plot lines in Sofi’s Bridge is how people deal with grief. The character flaw that both Neil and Sofi share is that they feel they are the only ones who can save the ones they love, and thereby give up their own lives in the process.

What’s the “act of faith” that bridges the “distance that separates the lies from truth and safety”? Tell us what you can without giving away the plot.

The bridge in this book is a metaphor for the bridge of Jesus Christ, only Christ can safely take people by faith to a life with God the Father. But the “act of faith” is different for each person in this story.

Sofi, already a believer, must learn to trust God and take up the labor He has inspired within her, no matter how physically dangerous that work may be. Neil’s act of faith will be recognizing that his own attempts to save the ones he loves has created a web of lies that have only made the situation worse.

How does your journey as a woman of faith play into this story?

There were so many reasons for Sofi to not pursue her dream, and being a Christian writer these days is a difficult journey. I gave up an excellent career as an administrative assistant at a local Christian university to pursue my writing full-time. This was an act of faith on my part. Yes, there has been financial loss, but I get such delight when a reader is encouraged in their faith because of something I wrote. Much of my journey trusting God for my creative life as an author comes through Sofi when she talks about building bridges.

What did you love the most about writing Sofi’s Bridge? Why?

As I mentioned in the previous question, trusting God for the creative labor He placed in my heart is what I love most in this book. So many of us—men and women—have a certain labor that makes our hearts sing. Sadly in life, we don’t all get to do the work that gives us the greatest fulfillment, but as in all things, we can look to our wonderful God and trust Him for the desires of our heart.

What was the most challenging part of writing this story?

With a complex mystery twist, it was a bit challenging in places to make all the characters’ actions and motivations plausible, but I believe I made it. 

What was your go-to food or beverage while writing Sofi’s Bridge?

I’m Irish born, so my go-to beverage is always a pot of Irish Breakfast tea, or good old Red Rose orange pekoe.

What do you want your readers to treasure about this book?

I want readers to be encouraged that often the dreams in our hearts have been placed there by God. Ask the Lord if that secret dream in your heart—such as mine was to be a writer—was put there by Him. Then trust your heavenly Father to help you toward that goal. Keep in mind, that often it is the journey toward the goal that is important to God and not necessarily success as seen by worldly standards.

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Author bio:

Christine Lindsay is the author of multi-award-winning Christian fiction. Tales of her Irish ancestors who served in the British Cavalry in Colonial India inspired her multi-award-winning series Twilight of the British Raj, Book 1 Shadowed in Silk, Book 2 Captured by Moonlight, and explosive finale Veiled at Midnight. 

Christine’s Irish wit and her use of setting as a character is evident in her contemporary romance Londonderry Dreaming and her newest release Sofi’s Bridge.

Aside from being a busy writer and speaker, Christine and her husband live on the west coast of Canada. Coming August 2016 is the release of Christine’s non-fiction book Finding Sarah—Finding Me: A Birthmother’s Story.

Please drop by Christine’s website www.ChristineLindsay.org or follow her on Amazon on Twitter. Subscribe to her quarterly newsletter, and be her friend on Pinterest , Facebook, and Goodreads.

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Buy Sofi's Bridge:
Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Pelican Book Group

Words of Faith: Christine's story on kids and discipline

Leaving Our Kids to God's Discipline

A Words of Faith story by Christine Lindsay

As a Christian mom I knew I was supposed to pray and leave my worries about my children to my Heavenly Father. After all, according to His word, He loves them even more than I do. But back in 2006 I was praying hard for Lana, and feeling pretty desperate that maybe God wasn't hearing my prayers for my daughter.

At the time I'd been struggling with whether or not I trusted God to fix my kid’s life or was there something I could fix. Lana was making all the wrong choices as a young adult at university, and paying for those choices in painful ways that have left physical scars to this day. Everything her dad and I had taught her about obeying the Lord’s will, she did the opposite.

Let’s face it, life can be hard, and when our kids hurt, we hurt.

One day as I was cleaning our den I found a box of old photographs, old degree diplomas, and came across a faded blue airmail letter that I'd received back in 1980. It was a letter from my grandmother upon my engagement.

In that letter she wrote how thankful she was to the Lord that I had found a good partner in life, that her prayers for me were answered, that I was living the joyful things that God had planned for me.

For most of my life my grandmother and I were separated by the Atlantic Ocean. With her still in Ireland and me living in Canada, she didn’t have much opportunity to do things for me, other than pray and write letters. She certainly didn’t have the opportunity to “fix” things for me if I messed up my life which I certainly did until I turned around and started obeying God.

My grandmother died in 1984, but many years later in 2006 as I re-read her letter, and I was the mom of an adult daughter, I felt the Lord’s comfort. Behind my grandmother's writing was the Lord's voice right when I needed it, and His gentle reminder to trust Him with Lana.

I resisted the urge to “fix” everything in Lana’s life. It wasn’t a matter of letting her suffer the consequences and to learn from that. We had to by faith put her into God’s hands, to trust that He would open her eyes. It was hard at first to stand back in faith and let God work. But then we saw the Lord start to work in her life. We saw our prayers for Lana answered. In 2010 the Lord brought her back to Himself, and her faith was all the stronger for it, because it was her own faith in Christ, and not just that of her parents.

As much as we want to, we cannot save the ones we love. Only Christ can do that. Give your loved ones over to God. Trust Him to save them, because ultimately seeing Him save my child reaffirmed in my soul that He had saved me.

Seeing our kids desperate need of God underlined for me that I too desperately need the Lord for everything, my heartbeat, my breath, my salvation. There is not one single thing that we can do to “fix” anything in life. It’s a matter of stepping back and letting God do the saving.

“Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved."~Acts 4:12 (NIV)

And even though at the time I was praying so hard for my daughter she was an adult, in my heart she was still my little girl. And Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” When he had placed his hands on them, he went on from there. ~Matthew 19:14-15 (NIV)

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Author bio: 

Christine Lindsay is the author of multi-award-winning Christian fiction. She is currently writing her 8th novel. Aside from being a busy writer and speaker, Christine is the happy wife of David for 35 years, a mom and a grandma. 

She makes her home on the west coast of Canada, and in Aug. 2016 she will see her long-awaited non-fiction book released, Finding Sarah, Finding Me: A Birth Mother’s Story. 

Please visit Christine’s website www.ChristineLindsay.org or follow her on Amazon or Twitter. Subscribe to her quarterly newsletter, and be her friend on Pinterest, Facebook, and Goodreads.