Author: Sarah Thomas
Located in: Asheville, NC
Submitted: August 25, 2019
Tell us a little about yourself. Sarah is a fund-raiser for a children's ministry who has time to write because she doesn't have children of her own. She holds a bachelor's degree in English from Coastal Carolina University and is the author of the acclaimed novels The Sound of Rain and Miracle in a Dry Season, winner of the 2015 Inspy Award. Sarah has also been a finalist for the ACFW Carol Award and the Christian Book of the Year Award. She and her husband live near Asheville, NC.
What was your motivation behind this project? I love the story of Jonah and wanted to translate that to the mountains of WV. Setting the story in the rail town of Thurmond opened up a whole world of interesting characters and history that I had the pleasure of weaving in.
What do you hope folks will gain from this project? Hopefully the story includes a message about the important of loving your neighbor. But I love when readers tell me what they got out of my books that I had no idea was even in there!
How were you personally impacted by working on this project? This is the first story I set in a REAL place. I'm now hooked on doing that. I love writing historical fiction and researching places I can visit today is an abiding pleasure.
Who are your influences, sources of inspiration or favorite authors / artists? Some of my favorite authors include Wendell Berry, Ron Rash, Lisa Wingate, Kristin Hannah, Patti Callahan, Charles Martin . . . oh, I could go on and on!
