Peeling Back the Layers to Capture Theme by Author Elizabeth Ludwig

Seth Michael Ludwig.

I like to say my son’s name every now and then. It reminds me that he was real—that for three months and nineteen days, he was a part of my life.

The details of Seth’s death are foggy to me. Perhaps as some sort of defense mechanism, my mind has blocked out the more painful memories. I remember calling his name, in a quiet tone of voice so as not to startle him. At last, I put my hand to his back. That was the first moment that I knew something was dreadfully wrong…

I penned those words a long time ago—almost twenty-two years now. I never imagined that they would come back to me all these years later. Nor did I know when I set out to write a series of Historical/Romantic Suspense books for Bethany House that I would be writing about grief. 

Or loss. 

Or separation. 

I knew I’d be venturing onto unproven ground—combining Historical Romance with Romantic Suspense. I spent numerous conversations with the marketing gurus trying to figure out the best way to promote these books. We talked about cover designs, titles that invoked a feeling of romance and suspense, even colors for my website, and for many weeks, marketing was my focus. 

But as He often does, God had bigger plans, though He waited until all three books were written to reveal that information to me.

“What are these books about?” an interviewer asked. “Besides the romance and suspense, what would you say is the theme?”

Normally, I do all right in an impromptu interview, but the answer that rose to my lips surprised even me.

“Grief,” I said. “These books are about losing someone you love and finding the faith to go on.”

“Grief? Isn’t that sort of an odd theme for a romance?”

I shook my head. “Not really. True love, the kind that God gives, always involves sacrifice.”

After I’d had time to ponder that conversation, I realized deep down what I’d always known to be true. These books are about loss, but not the crippling, demoralizing, paralyzing kind. They’re about cutting away everything that hinders us from relying fully and completely upon Jesus. They’re about entrusting the people and things we love most in the world to Him. And they’re about learning to cast aside every unspoken fear and throwing ourselves on the infinite grace and mercy of the Savior.

Is there anything more beautiful, or more difficult, than that?

Like my characters, I lived through the death of a parent when my mother-in-law went to be with the Lord. And I understood the passing of a sibling when my mother found the courage to tell me of her miscarriage. Most devastating of all, I learned what it means to have my faith tried through the loss of a child. I experienced the guilt—the grief-driven condemnation that I poured upon myself—and the despair that threatened to wipe away every trace of hope and faith I knew.

But it was also through these trials that I learned what it means to have a Friend who sticks closer than a brother. Over time, I tasted the goodness, grace and comfort of my Savior. I sensed His presence as never before. I learned to cling again to the promises of His Word. And I learned that love…true love…looks forward. It hopes. It heals. It gives sacrificially. Most importantly, it is modeled after the love the Father has for each one of us.

Was it not Jesus who said, Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.

And did He not, by His own example, demonstrate to us the beauty, the absolute purity, of unconditional, sacrificial love?

“These books are about grief,” I told the interviewer, “about losing someone you love and finding the faith to go on.”

What I forgot to add, but what I hope every reader finds within the pages of my novels, is that we never go on alone. It is with the Lover of our souls at our side…encouraging, urging, and always…always loving.

Elizabeth Ludwig is the award-winning author of Tide and Tempest, Book 3 in the popular Edge of Freedom series from Bethany House Publishers. Her literary blog, The Borrowed Book, enjoys a wide readership. Elizabeth is an accomplished speaker and teacher, often attending conferences and seminars where she lectures on editing for fiction writers, crafting effective novel proposals, and conducting successful editor/agent interviews. Along with her husband and children, she makes her home in the great state of Texas. To learn more, visit ElizabethLudwig.com.

Contact Elizabeth: HERE

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Writing and Research by Author Elizabeth Ludwig

I never realized when I started out writing historical romance that I would need to develop an archeologist’s skill when combing the internet. On top of crafting a good story, writing anything with historical significance requires a general knowledge and level of accuracy that readers of the genre have grown to expect. 

My latest novel, Dark Road Home, for example, definitely required more research than anything I’ve published so far. Set in and around New York City with key scenes taking place on Ellis Island, I knew early on that I would need to conduct careful study on the more than twelve million immigrants who entered the United States through Ellis Island from 1892 to 1954. It wasn’t enough to know how they came, however. I wanted to figure out why, so beginning at the Ellis Island Foundation’s website, I began looking for letters, pictures, anything I could find that would give insight into the motivation behind so many peoples’ journey. This in turn led me to other sites, like Ancestory.com and the National Park Service website, which were full of information regarding not only the history of the island, but of the people who passed through on their way to a new life in America.

Along with filling the story with facts about our nation’s history, Dark Road Home is about an Irish girl running from her past and a man with dangerous political affiliations, so on top of all of the historical facts I could dig up about New York in 1897, I had to research Ireland and everything that was occurring during the same time period there. That meant learning what I could about the conflict in Ireland—its origins and history. Once again, I tackled the internet, beginning with a simple Google search on “why Ireland is divided”. This led me to a number of sites, including ibiblio.org and encyclopedia.com. Remember those research papers your English teacher made you do in high school and college? Researching my book was a lot like that!

While it would have been easy to pack all kinds of historical facts into my novel, I had to keep in mind that this was a work of fiction, and that it needed a strong romantic thread. That meant finding a careful balance between what was true, and what was meant to entertain. Too much of one, and the reader would get board. Too little of another, and the work became less of a historical. In the end, I discovered that sorting out tidbits of information and dropping them into a fictional tale is a lot like digging treasures from the earth—it requires patience and a good deal of dedication. Hopefully, the end result is something the reader not only enjoys, but learns from as well.

BOOK BLURB: Lured by a handful of scribbled words across a faded letter, Cara Hamilton sets off from 1896 Ireland on a quest to find the brother she'd thought dead. Her search lands her in America, amidst a houseful of strangers and one man who claims to be a friend--Rourke Walsh.

Despite her brother's warning, Cara decides to trust Rourke and reveals the truth about her purpose in America. But he is not who he claims to be, and as rumors begin to circulate about an underground group of dangerous revolutionaries, Cara's desperation grows. Her questions lead her ever closer to her brother, but they also bring her closer to destruction as Rourke's true intentions come to light.

Also, be sure to check out Book Two in the Edge of Freedom Series, Dark Road Home: 

Ana Kavanagh's only memories of home are of fire and pain. As a girl she was the only survivor of a terrible blaze, and years later she still struggles with her anger at God for letting it happen.

At a nearby parish she meets and finds a kindred spirit in Eoghan Hamilton, who is struggling with his own anger--his sister, Cara, betrayed him by falling in love with one of his enemies. Cast aside by everyone, Eoghan longs to rejoin the Fenians, a shadowy organization pushing for change back in Ireland. But gaining their trust requires doing some favors--all of which seem to lead back to Ana. Who is she and who is searching for her? As dark secrets from Ana's past begin to come to light, Eoghan must choose which road to follow--and where to finally place his trust.

For your enjoyment, return Friday for a chance to win Elizabeth's new release, Dark Road Home!

Elizabeth Ludwig is the award-winning author of No Safe Harbor and Dark Road Home, Books One and Two in the Edge of Freedom series. Her work has also been featured on Novel Rocket, the Christian Authors Network, and The Christian Pulse. Elizabeth’s debut novel, Where the Truth Lies (coauthored with Janelle Mowery), earned her the IWA Writer of the Year Award. Her first historical novel, Love Finds You in Calico, California, was given four stars from Romantic Times. And her popular literary blog, The Borrowed Book, enjoys a wide readership. Elizabeth is an accomplished speaker and teacher, often attending conferences and seminars where she lectures on editing for fiction writers, crafting effective novel proposals, and conducting successful editor/agent interviews. Along with her husband and two grown children, she makes her home in the great state of Texas. To learn more, visit ElizabethLudwig.com.

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