I was privileged to have the chance to interview Betsy St. Amant, Christian fiction author with Steeple Hill. Along with writing romance novels, Betsy also writes for Crosswalk, Scribble Chicks, and keeps a personal blog.

Sarah: When did you first know you wanted to become a writer?

Betsy: I think I’ve always known. One year in elementary school for Career Day, I took a pen and notepad with me and said I was an author. I remember pounding out stories (usually never finished and without much of a plot line!) on my parents’ first computer when I was about 7 years old. I have disks after disks of saved manuscripts as a child that crack me up! But the dream was always there. (more…)

the story of Cassidy Ladd as told to RTF Staff Writer Sarah Rupp

Cassidy pressed the eraser of her pencil to her lips and stared at the form for the school play. “A Midsummer Night’s Dream by Shakespeare” lined the top of the page in big, bold lettering, and three questions followed. Checks marked the page beside the other two, but the third question had Cassidy stumped: “Do you mind kissing on stage?” (more…)

by RTF Staff Writer Sarah Rupp

Tiny warm fingers curled around mine. I looked down to find Allie looking up at me with her big blue eyes. “I want my daddy. Can you help me find him?”

I smiled. “Sure.” At that, Allie took the lead to the door, leaving the nursery and the other childcare workers. The empty halls indicated the meeting must be over, and Allie’s dad would be somewhere around here.

Allie skipped ahead, blonde curls bouncing as she searched for her father. Still holding her hand, I struggled to keep up with her. I would not be seen running through the halls of a public building! (more…)

By RTF Staff Writer Sarah Rupp

(To read Part I go here.)

The room echoes with gasps. I know this will mean a life sentence, but I also know I’m guilty. My emotions bubble from the depths of my stomach and push these words out, “I’m guilty! It was my lies that put him on the cross!” I turn to the man seated beside the judge, who I now identify as the father of Jesus, tears overflowing from my eyes. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t realize sinning would make your son die.” (more…)

By RTF Staff Writer Sarah Rupp

Sirens sound outside my house. I rise from my chair to look, but before I reach the window, a bullhorn squeals and I stop in my tracks. “This is the police,” says a gruff voice, “Come out of the house with your hands in the air and throw down any weapons.” (more…)

by RTF Staff Writer Sarah Rupp

Day 1

Traveling on a bumpy dirt road on a donkey. Really? A donkey? At least my new husband was thoughtful enough that I don’t have to walk. My back already hurts from the baby inside. I’m not sure which is worse, riding or walking. If I ride – wait – let me back up a little, explain why I’m traveling and most importantly, why I’m pregnant.

It started when I was doing my chores and a strange man came up to me. He told me he was an angel from the Lord and God wanted me to carry his son. This really confused me at first. God wanted me pregnant? I wasn’t even married! I was engaged to my husband Joseph at the time. In my culture, it’s a shameful thing to be pregnant when you’re not married. But I was raised to say yes when the Lord asks. So I did.

Then our land’s ruler had this plan to make everybody return to their hometowns to be counted. Yes, the ruler is a man. He obviously didn’t think of pregnant women like me. I tell you, someday they need to think up a better way to travel. (more…)

the story of Libbey Eicher as told to Sarah Rupp

(If you missed the first part of this story, you can find it here.)

Libbey saw a total of 35 doctors, many different specialists, and had three more surgeries to try to correct her spine. “Many of [the doctors] would look at me and tell me that they’ve never seen anything like my case before and didn’t know how to help me.” Libbey says. “It was frustrating.”

Libbey doubted anyone could help her, until she went to New York to meet a new doctor. He felt he might be able to correct the spinal deformity with a two part surgery, one eight hours and one four.

“The pain was so horrible and [I had] seizures,” Libbey says about the surgery. “Some nights I would pray to Jesus to take me home because I didn’t think I could take the intense pain anymore. But it must not have been my time yet because I am still here today!”

A smile on her face almost constantly, one would never know Libbey is in pain. “Normally I don’t fall asleep until 2 or 3 in the morning because of the pain, and I am unable to get comfortable,” she explains. (more…)

the story of Libbey Eicher as told to Sarah Rupp

Libbey walked with confidence through the door of the hospital to get examined, a requirement to volunteer there. She’d always been in good health, positive she had nothing to worry about. But as she sat in the room at the hospital, it all began to change. The doctor found a slight curvature of Libbey’s spine, known as scoliosis.

“At first, my curve was 18 degrees, which is mild, I just had to do some exercises to help build up my strength.” Libbey explains.

But in the next six months, her curve nearly doubled to 34 degrees and she was fitted for a brace. When she got the brace a month later, it wouldn’t fit her right. The frustrated doctors then realized Libbey’s spine was now a severe curve, 49 degrees, which explained why the brace did not fit right.

“The brace was very bulky at first, and made me feel a little self-conscious,” Libbey admits. “But I did eventually get used to wearing it and found clothes that fit good over the brace.”

A few months later, after deep discussions with her parents and her doctor, Libbey and her family decided they would try to correct her spine with spinal fusion surgery. “I honestly wasn’t very nervous until the day of the surgery which was [three months later],” Libbey confesses. “I never knew exactly what was coming.” (more…)