Kimberley Woodhouse is an award-winning, bestselling author of more than forty fiction and nonfiction books. Kim and her incredible husband of thirty-plus years live in Colorado, where they play golf together, spend time with their kids and grandkids, and research all the history around them.
In this interview, Kimberley talks with us about the third book in her Treasures of the Earth Series, titled A Hope Unburied.
FF: Can you please provide a brief summary of your novel, A Hope Unburied?
Eliza Mills’s paleontology career has led her to Dinosaur National Monument. When she gets the chance to dig up bones at a ranch with a dark history, it sparks a chain of events that will rock her carefully constructed world. She and her friend Devin find themselves entangled in a web of danger, and he must rescue Eliza from those who want her to fail.
FF: In A Hope Unburied, you introduce readers to Eliza Mills and Devin Schmitt. Can you provide some background information on both of your characters and explain how they are connected?
Eliza and Devin have been best friends since childhood. He’s the son of her private tutor, and they grew up together. Devin follows in his father’s footsteps and goes into education, while Eliza follows her long-loved passion: paleontology.
Eliza has always been passionate about dinosaurs and the science of paleontology.
FF: How did she first learn about this field, and how has she worked her way up in this profession?
Eliza was introduced to the sciences through her tutor, Mr. Schmitt, Devin’s dad. He encouraged her love of learning. Also, her family’s connection to Mr. Andrew Carnegie helped spur her on in her love of paleontology, as he opened museums and encouraged further learning through establishing colleges, nonprofits, and expanding free library programs.
FF: Devin has no real interest in exploring dinosaur digs, so why does he continue to find himself immersed in Eliza’s adventures?
Devin has inherited his father’s love of learning, so in part, he’s intrigued by what Eliza finds. But really, he falls in love with Eliza in his late teens and would go wherever she wanted him to. Because he loves her, he encourages her in her studies and dreams of being a female paleontologist.
FF: Eliza is a city girl, but her world is about to change when she is offered her dream position. What and where is her new role?
She is offered a prestigious position at Dinosaur National Monument just outside of Jensen, Utah. Not only does she get to show off the massive bones being unearthed from the monument, but she gets to learn from Earl Douglas, the paleontologist whose discovery led to the establishing of the monument. It’s a huge honor for her to be able to learn and grow in her field. But being out in the middle of nowhere might take its toll on her. And did she pack enough hats?
FF: After landing in Utah, Eliza is given the opportunity to dig up bones at a neighboring ranch. But this seemingly innocent process is fraught with peril. Without giving away any spoilers, can you provide readers with a hint of what both Eliza and Devin may encounter when trying to uncover this new dig?
Eliza’s trip and Devin’s subsequent visit brings much danger, judgment from the church community, and a mysterious family ranch that is rumored to be haunted. During all of that, they are also confronted with their own feelings about what their relationship is and what they each want it to be. Then the stakes get even higher as animals are found dead and then people.
FF: What lessons or themes are found within the pages of A Hope Unburied?
Eliza has to face some deep fears and insecurities regarding her passion for science and creation. Does she really trust God in who He’s created her to be? How can she really know that? Her journey to being secure in her faith and maturing into a young woman is a challenge and she makes a lot of mistakes along the way. But she also experiences a lot of grace.
Devin is steady and strong in his faith and love—both for the Lord and Eliza. But he really struggles with hope. He truly feels that he must let Eliza go—he made a promise to her grandfather, and he doesn’t feel worthy of her. But there is a thread of hope in him that just won’t quit. He learns how to be more tenacious in standing up for what’s right, and not being afraid to speak the truth in love.
FF: A Hope Unburied is the final book in the Treasures of the Earth Series. How have all of the books in the series been connected?
When I started writing these books, I wanted to focus on women in a science that really was a good old boys club. Several early fossils in England were found by a young woman, Mary Anning, who ended up making major, foundational contributions to the science of paleontology. In the mid-to-late 1800s, women were expected to be society misses or were stuck in a workhouse in horrible working conditions.
But there were many men and women, in the church and society, who were fighting to give women the opportunity to explore higher education. I really wanted to highlight that pioneering spirit in a field that was fraught with so much competition and dishonesty. Because there were people who loved God and science and fought to show how they truly fit together.
FF: Are there any threads that run through the whole series that will be wrapped up in this book?
Each of my heroines have great strengths and relatable weaknesses. They are each fighting for their place in history and to bring God glory for the creation He’s given to us. I hope seeing faith and science through their stories is an encouragement to believers.
FF: What are you working on next?
With Each Tomorrow, book two in the Jewels Of Kalispell Series with Tracie Peterson releases in May, and, we’re currently writing the third book in the series. I can’t wait for readers to head back to Kalispell and connect with some of my favorite characters. And it is always a treat to write with my dear friend Tracie.
I’m also working on new historical suspense set in the decade before World War Two breaks out. Tentatively titled, The Pianist, it’s a story that has been on my heart for several years, and I’m thrilled that it will be in readers’ hands in the fall of 2025, but I can’t reveal too much more…for now!
A Hope Unburied
Treasures of the Earth Series #3
Kimberley Woodhouse
Bethany House
Genres: Historical Romance
Release Date: September 24, 2024
ISBN-10: 0764241702
ISBN-13: 978-0764241703
Book Summary:
Beyond the perilous landscape lies a love that defies extinction…
In the bustling world of paleontology in 1916, Eliza Mills defies societal expectations to pursue her passion. Having published her early groundbreaking papers under a false name, she has finally earned her place at the Carnegie Museum and seizes the opportunity to work at Dinosaur National Monument with a renowned paleontologist. But things in Jensen, Utah, aren’t what they appear. When Eliza gets the chance to dig up bones at a ranch with a dark history, it sparks a chain of events that will rock the very fabric of her carefully constructed world.
Devin Schmitt, Eliza’s closest friend since childhood, harbors unspoken feelings for her but knows he will never be able to win her heart. Just as he vows to give her up for good, Eliza begs him to visit her in Utah for another grand adventure. He reluctantly agrees, and within a few days of his arrival, he and Eliza find themselves entangled in a web of danger where the stakes are much higher than they ever anticipated. Together, Devin and Eliza must hold on to God as their hope as they navigate a treacherous terrain of betrayal to unbury the truth and save Eliza from those who wish to see her fail.
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