Star of Babylon

    Tell us a little about yourself.   Bethany N. Wallace is 22 years old. She lives with her parents and their 5 year-old Bichon Frise' baby Missy Jo, and has two siblings who have left the home; one for the Air Force and the other for college. Bethany enjoys reading her Bible, Christian fiction, historical fiction, mysteries, some suspense, and a few of the classics. Her hobbies include designing and making beaded jewelry, scrap booking, and cross stitching. Besides her hobbies, Bethany enjoys Facebook, encouraging others, and calling her friends. Although she has suffered from severe illnesses for more than half of her life and is confined to a motorized wheelchair, Bethany has found that "all things work together for good, to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose". (Romans 8:28) "God has used all of these circumstances in my life to help me draw closer to Him, which should be a goal for every Christian. God just chose to give me circumstances that would help me to want to draw closer to Him and to understand the sufferings of my Savior in a different way."

    What was your motivation behind this project?  Bethany started writing this story as a short one that was just for something to do. However, it began to change into a longer chapter story when she read that the book of Esther actually covered more than 5 years of history. After that, Bethany realized it was God's will that she write Esther's story, and she wanted it to be as Biblically and historically accurate as she could write it. Five years later, she completed STAR OF BABYLON.

    What do you hope folks will gain from this project?   The author wanted share with other people the fact that total surrender to God, the kind without anger and complaint when trials come, is not something to fear. Esther did not grow angry or bitter when her trials came, and God was able to greatly use her to bring glory to Himself and he testimony brought many people to follow God. What a wondrous thing it would be if every one of my readers made this decision, oh how God would use them!

    How were you personally impacted by working on this project?  I learned the same lessons many times over that Esther did. I also learned to rest and wait for God's timing, as it took quite a few years - five years in all - to write and edit, edit, edit, till my book was ready to publish.

    Who are your influences, sources of inspiration or favorite authors / artists?  My parents and grandparents are both former pastor families and strong Christians. They instilled in me anchoring Biblical principals, habits, and doctrines. My grandma, Jan Van Hee, is also an author and gave me a lot of advice and guidance in writing this book. I have also learned from the many books I have read. Some my favorite authors are Lori Wick, Gilbert and Lynn Morris, Dee Henderson, Martha Finley, Hannah Hurnard, Lois Gladys Leppard, and L. B. E. Cowman. I also enjoyed reading about book of Esther with such authora as Alfred J. Hoerth, Merrill F. Unger, James K. Hoffmeier, and others.

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