Book Reviews

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Fiction Suspense Thriller with a Christian Message
Author Interview with Lynn A. Coleman, Fighting for Bread & Roses
By Lisa M. Hendey

Moving beyond the genre of inspirational romance, Christian author Lynn A Coleman takes a peek into the past as she shares a gripping story in her latest novel Fighting for Bread & Roses (Kregel, August 2005, paperback, 256 pages). Mirroring true life, the book finds an author researching the events of Lawrence, Massachusetts’ 1912 Bread and Roses Strike. What follows is a gripping tale of suspense and mystery, tinged with an inspirational tone.

I had an opportunity to catch up with author Lynn A. Coleman, and am pleased to share her comments on this, her latest novel.

Q: Please tell me a bit about yourself.

A: I’m a wife, mother and grandmother of eight of the most gorgeous grandchildren. I live in North Central Florida with my husband. I started writing Christian Fiction when our youngest son was completing high school. In an effort to help other Christian fiction writers I co-founded American Christian Romance Writers Inc. now known as American Christian Fiction Writers Inc.

Q: How would you briefly summarize the plot of Fighting for Bread and Roses?

A: The murder of Anna Lopizzo, a textile worker who participated in the deadly “Bread and Roses” strike of 1912, brought historical fiction author, Lindsey Taylor to Lawrence, Ma. While researching her next novel, another mystery arose the supposed drowning of Jenna Waverly in the frozen Merrimack River. Was she trying to kill herself or was it just an accident—or worse? The story doesn’t stay in the past, as Lindsey’s own life is threatened. What has she unearthed?

Q: How did you come to write this book and what did you learn along the way? What type of research was required to write in the proper historical context?

A: Like my character, Lindsey, I came across the information of Anna Lopizzo’s death during the strike while doing research. The fact that her murder was never solved intrigued me. I learned many interesting facts, and I have no doubt that the strike was necessary. I thought of my own great-grandparents and grandparents who worked in factories just like the ones in Lawrence.

Researching a historical novel takes a lot of time going through old records, newspapers and, if you’re fortunate finding diaries and journals from that time period are extremely helpful. Unfortunately, I wasn’t as fortunate as Lindsey and wasn’t able to find a diary written at the time of the strike.

Q: How does your personal faith affect your writing and the stories you share?
A: I’ve learned that no matter what type of situation I might find myself in, God has an answer and help to pull me through. Sometimes, I’m quick to rely on the Lord and sometimes I struggle with a problem far longer than I need to. I try to apply some of what I’ve learned to my characters. Of course, since they are fictional it is so much easier to quickly solve their problems within a few pages.

I believe I’ve been called by the Lord to write Christian fiction that both entertains and challenges the readers to go deeper in their own relationship with God.

Q: In what ways do you identify with Lindsey, the major character of Fighting for Bread and Roses?

A: There are several similarities between myself and Lindsey. The desire to be as accurate as possible with the novel and the love of technologies like laptops and digital photography, are a couple of the ways we are the same. But there are several areas where Lindsey and I differ. I’m not married to a lawyer and my children are older and two of them have given me grandchildren. Hopefully, I’m not as stubborn as Lindsey and would remove myself from harms way sooner.

Q: How does this novel differ from others you've written?

A: This is my first mystery/suspense novel. My previous fiction novels have been Christian romance with two of them labeled as Romantic Suspense. With romance the romance needs to be the primary plot. With mystery/suspense the mystery suspense needs to be the primary plot.

Q: Do you have any projects in the works and will we hear again from Lindsey?

A: I’m happy to say Lindsey is doing research in Savannah, Ga. and I can’t wait to see what kind of trouble she’ll get into up there.

Q: Are there any additional thoughts or comments you'd like to share?

A: I love writing for the Lord and look forward to co-creating more stories in the future.

For more information on Fighting for Bread & Roses visit http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0825424097/catholicmomcom

Lisa M. Hendey is a mother of two sons, webmaster of numerous web sites, including http://www.catholicmom.com and http://www.christiancoloring.com, and an avid reader of Catholic literature. Visit her at http://www.lisahendey.com for more information.

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