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An Unpresentable Glory: A Novel
Product Information
▼▲Title: An Unpresentable Glory: A Novel By: Eleanor K. Gustafson Format: Paperback Number of Pages: 368 Vendor: Ambassador International Publication Date: 2018 | Dimensions: 8.50 X 5.50 (inches) Weight: 1 pound 2 ounces ISBN: 1620208423 ISBN-13: 9781620208427 Stock No: WW208425 |
Author/Artist Review
▼▲Author: Ellie Gustafson
Located in: Haverhill
Submitted: October 03, 2018
Tell us a little about yourself. Having lived a few years, I have collected long-ago memories—playing cowboys and Indians, watching first-run Wizard of Oz, collecting tinfoil for the war effort, driving a pony to a red ribbon, getting married and pregnant, and finally, enjoying the pleasures of kids, grandkids, and authoring. Add to this list gardening, house construction, tree farming, and loving on people—all of which bring color and humor to my fiction. One of my major writing goals has been to make scriptural principles understandable and relevant for today’s readers through the undeniable power of story.
What was your motivation behind this project? The night before my husband's dad died, I volunteered to take the night shift, as a bladder infection made him restless and required constant attention. I sat beside him, serving him—my father-in-law!—as needed. But through those difficult hours, I felt I was on holy ground, the room peopled with angels. This awkward stint of servanthood affected me profoundly, eventually moving me to write An Unpresentable Glory. Whatever hidden, “unpresentable” ways He asks us to serve may reflect God’s glory more vividly than our more well-dressed benevolences.
What do you hope folks will gain from this project? An Unpresentable Glory is a love story, but not a romance in the technical sense. I want readers to recognize love in its many guises, not all of them comfortable or socially approachable. Our hearts long for God’s love, and that, too, may come in unexpected ways. Watch for His appearances in this story, and enjoy the ride.
How were you personally impacted by working on this project? To write about the love, grace, and glory of God demands an experiential knowledge of who God is and what he asks of us. Writing a book applies this knowledge, but the marketing process raises a huge challenge: Do I want readers to draw closer to this God of love, or is that simply a facade to hide a deeper goal of just selling books? How do I look at reviews? Do I value even the 2 or 3 starts? This spiritual struggle is, perhaps, MY unpresentable glory, and I lay it out for all to see for their benefit.
Who are your influences, sources of inspiration or favorite authors / artists? My list of spiritual influencers is long and includes such notables as Henri Nouwen, Philip Yancey, C.S. Lewis, and A.W. Tozer. But perhaps the man of greatest impact has been Eugene Peterson. That he endorsed The Stones, my novel on the life of King David, is reason enough, but I had devoured many of his books long before that happened. I drink deeply from his pages. Musically, Benjamin Britten dependably brings me to tears with his Ceremony of Carols and especially his Festival Te Deum--the last few lines of which are, "Vouchsafe, O Lord, to keep us this day without sin. O Lord, have mercy upon us. O Lord, in thee have I trusted: let me never be confounded.".
Anything else you'd like readers / listeners to know: I love to laugh. I love to love on people. I love Sudoku. I love ice cream and cheesecake. I can't wait till all my loves are fulfilled in Christ my Lord in His everlasting Kingdom. PS--I do get grumpy at times. : )
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