Andrew Roth served in the U.S. Army before attending California State University, Bakersfield. He taught American History for twenty-two years at the middle school level before beginning his literary career. Married for over thirty years to his wife, Laurie, Andrew has two married adult children and is a proud grandfather. A native of Kansas, he was raised with a deep love and appreciation for history, particularly the Old West. Andrew’s hope is to glorify God and encourage readers through his writing.
In this interview, Andrew talks with us about his latest novel, Mercy Again.
FF: What inspired the story in your book?
I believe the blood of Jesus covers a multitude of sins—even those that fill us with shame and regret. I wanted to write about someone filled with remorse and bitterness over their past and show the redemptive work of Christ.
FF: What can you tell us about the main characters in your book?
Ben Metler struggles with the poor choices he’s made. Frustrated at every turn, he seeks a better way. Grace Harris searches for love, but obligations interfere, threatening to rob her of joy. Only when they trust Jesus do they find happiness.
FF: Which character surprised you the most?
Grace Harris. As a writer, I love to watch a character evolve as a story unfolds, and I enjoyed how easily Grace fell in love with Ben, all so naturally. I feel she allowed herself to love, as if Christ had orchestrated the events that brought the main characters together, as if I had little to do with the relationship.
FF: Why do you think storytelling is such a powerful way to share truth?
Jesus told stories. Also, in Romans, chapter 12, Christians are told we have various gifts, according to the measure of grace given us. I believe storytelling is a gift, a way for Christians to teach Biblical principles and truth.
FF: What do you want readers to take away after reading your book?
Encouragement. All people have difficulties. Jesus said that life would be full of troubles. But with Christ, all things are possible. Healing, restoration, forgiveness, mercy. I want readers to be encouraged that God knows their pains and challenges and is working through them, even when he seems silent and distant.
FF: What are the biggest challenges for you as an author writing in your specific genre?
To properly demonstrate God’s presence in our lives, through our pain and hurts. And that Christ always cares, even when we feel we travel the deserts of tragedy alone. After reading my books, I hope people will trust God to lead them to streams of living water.
FF: How has your faith or world view impacted the way you tell stories?
Completely. As a new creation in Christ, I can only attempt to view events and experiences through a Jesus tinted lens. I only pray I do so correctly.
Book Summary:
How far must he run to escape God?
When Yankee soldiers burn his farm, killing his family, Ben joins the Missouri Raiders to seek revenge. Consumed with hatred and grief, his attempts leave him feeling empty and alone. He escapes the Confederate renegades to pursue his own spiritual path to redemption, only to discover a greater sense of emptiness and frustration. When he submits to Christ, he embarks on a new adventure of tough lessons.
Wounded and searching for answers, Ben arrives at Grace Harris’s farm, where he finds an unexpected world of forgiveness, love, and a new purpose. But his past haunts him and threatens to disrupt the fresh start God offers. When a secret is revealed, Ben is forced to choose between faith and fear. Will he accept the life Jesus wants for him, or will he remain entangled in the tattered memories of his past? Only with Christ’s guidance can he find the peace he craves.
Mercy Again
Andrew Roth
Elk Lake Publishing Inc.
Genres: Historical Romance, Western Romance
Release Date: July 12, 2021
ISBN-10: 1649492960
ISBN-13: 978-1649492968
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Other Andrew Roth Books:
