6:00 AM
Author of Glittering
Promises
Each of us must set upon a spiritual journey to find out
who we really are. For Cora Kensington, the greatest discovery about herself
occurred during an epic Grand Tour across Europe. In Glittering Promises (David C Cook/October 1, 2013/ISBN 978-1434764287/ $14.99), the final installment of the
Grand Tour Series by Lisa T. Bergren, Cora comes to terms with the Father who
will never fail her while wrestling with increased demands on her life and
heart.
Throughout the series, readers have joined Cora and her
travel companions not only on a Grand Tour of the major sites of Europe, but on
an adventure of forgiveness, spiritual awareness and self-discovery. Cora’s
quest to find her place within her new family parallels her realization that
her true identity rests not with her earthly family, but with her Heavenly
Father. “The Grand Tour is not only Cora’s journey toward understanding true
identity in Christ, but I hope it will help every reader understand it better
too,” explains Bergren.
Q: The series begins by Cora discovering something huge
about her true identity. How does finding her place within her new family
parallel the spiritual discoveries she makes along the way?
While she’s biologically connected, what she’s
really after is an “adoption” among her siblings. Along the way, she finds out
what we all find out on our spiritual walk—our family is much bigger than any
biological family tree... we have brothers and sisters the world over. And a
familial bond is possible wherever we go. Now that process for Cora, of course,
is rather challenging... just as it is for most of us. We make strides, and
then we fall a few paces back. But then we stand up and make strides again.
Q: What inspired you to pursue a theme of identity for this
series?
My husband and I are a part of a ministry
called 3DM, and a core principle is to understand our covenant bond with our
Father. If we truly understand the deep love He has for us and rest in that
identity first (above all others), then we can move forward in obedience. We
all often get so wrapped up in the wrong, temporal identities (whether it’s our
work or familial “hats”) that we forget the eternal. And when the temporal
identity ends or changes, we feel lost. If we can get that eternal bond down
solidly in our hearts, no matter what comes at us, we can remain strong and
sure in our walk.
Q: At the end of Glittering
Promises, what message do you hope readers walk away with?
I’m never what I call a “soapbox” writer. So
there is that theme of identity in there. But mostly, I love it when readers
can try on a fictional characters troubles and triumphs for size and think
about what they might do in the same situation. I think that’s the expansive
power of fiction. But I also want just to tell an entertaining story, in order
to fully engage the reader. I want my readers to reach the end of the series and
say, “Well, that was worth my time.” It’s such an honor that readers spend
their hard-earning money and hours on my books—I want them to be satisfied.
Q: When faced with pressures of what family, friends and
society expect of us, what are some of the ways we can discern what God has
planned for us? How have you seen God direct you in your own life?
It is hard to find God’s voice in the midst of
all the noise, isn’t it? But the more I experiment with immediately acting on
the Spirit’s direction, the more He seems to speak to me. It’s almost as if His
voice gets louder and clearer in my heart the longer I walk with Him. But I
greatly value weighing options and challenges with my brothers and sisters.
Again, in the 3DM movement, we use a tool called the Circle, which begins with
a “kairos.” We all get daily kairos, whether we recognize them or not. A kairos
is sometimes small, and sometimes they’re big. They’re those moments you know
that God is breaking into your everyday chronos-time to make you stop and think
about what He’s saying. The challenge is to clarify that, and then decide what
you’re going to do about it. Stopping to discuss it with people you trust
allows the Spirit to speak further into your life about that particular kairos
and formulate a plan. Giving those people permission to ask you about how you
did on that plan is big encouragement to truly complete that circle. It’s
incredibly motivating and gratifying as you continue to “work the circle,”
daily, weekly, monthly. It’s kinetic. Through that process, I’ve seen God
direct me on what to accept in work and volunteer commitments, reaching out to
neighbors, and modifying and deepening relationships with loved ones.
Q: When you start writing a series, do you know
how it’s going to end? For example, did you know which man Cora would choose
all along, or did you make the decision right along with her as the writing
process progressed?
I don’t know how each book will end. But I do
know the end goal—romantic and theme-wise. So yes, I knew the hero Cora should
choose, regardless of how tempting the other was!
Q: Do reader reviews from early in a series ever influence
later releases?
Not as much reader’s reviews as reader’s
questions. If I haven’t made something clear or satisfied the reader in some
way, I seek to accomplish that by book three. That’s another luxury of a
series! However, I’ve had bit characters that seem to take a life of their own and
capture readers’ attention—they simply demand a bigger piece of the pie as we
go.
Q: Cora’s tour comes to an end in Italy, which is one of
your favorite places to visit. Were you able to go to Italy to research any
specific locales for Glittering Promises?
Oh my, yes. I adore Italia. There really is
something about the place that gets under your skin. And two years ago this
fall, my daughter Emma and I spent ten days in Rome, a city you could spend a
year in and a few more in Venice. But even ten days gave me enough new fodder
for the book, as well as precious memories for the two of us.
Q: Now that the Grand Tour Series has come to a close,
what’s next on the horizon for you?
I’m hard at work on a new dystopian series
called REMNANTS. My readers know me... I’m always on to something different. So
far in my career I’ve written contemporary romance, historical women’s fiction,
contemporary fiction, speculative medieval fiction, time travel YA, back to
historical women’s fiction for the Grand Tour Series, and now dystopian YA. It
makes it hard to market me—a lot of readers stick to one genre, so publishers
prefer that. But it gives me ultimate creative freedom to follow where God is
leading me next. Still, my really hard-core fans who read everything I write
deserve a badge or something...
Learn more about Lisa T. Bergren at her online
home, www.lisatawnbergren.com.
Readers can also join Bergren’s Facebook fan page
or follow her on Twitter.
The Borrowed Book's quick REVIEW of Glittering Promises:
The last book in the Grand Tour Series is set in romantic Italy. Cora's future is much different than her past--a true Cinderella story. Lisa T. Bergren's research and passion for the setting shines in this book. Mystery and intrigue wind tightly around the romance, but the plot seems to drag a bit, as if a two-book premise was stretched to make three. Still, it is a solid read that will leave the avid romantic satisfied and perhaps even disappointed that the Grand Tour series has come to an end.
The Borrowed Book's quick REVIEW of Glittering Promises:
The last book in the Grand Tour Series is set in romantic Italy. Cora's future is much different than her past--a true Cinderella story. Lisa T. Bergren's research and passion for the setting shines in this book. Mystery and intrigue wind tightly around the romance, but the plot seems to drag a bit, as if a two-book premise was stretched to make three. Still, it is a solid read that will leave the avid romantic satisfied and perhaps even disappointed that the Grand Tour series has come to an end.
