Interview with Author Eileen Rife
Eileen Rife is a veteran homeschool mom and author of several nonfiction books, including Wit & Wisdom from the Wee Ones (OakTara), as well as five fiction titles: The Born for India trilogy (Journey to Judah, Restored Hearts, and Chosen Ones), Second Chance, and Laughing with Lily. Her byline has appeared in numerous magazines, including Marriage Partnership, Light & Life, Mature Living, On Mission, Discipleship Journal, and Christian Home & School. She and her husband, Chuck, conduct marriage seminars and speak on a variety of topics for church groups and organizations in the States and overseas.
Readers may visit Eileen at:
Your stories typically revolve around an issue that is red-hot on your heart. Why did you choose abortion to profile in Laughing with Lily?
Psalm 139 details how a loving God carefully and meticulously fashions each one of us in the womb, thinks about us day and night, covers us with His hand, and numbers all our days. We are made in His image. So, both pre-born babies and their mothers are precious to God. To destroy a life He has created is to tamper with His image. And that breaks His heart. I want to be a person who shares the heart of God.
In addition, I want women who have undergone abortion to know that God loves them, just as deeply and completely as He loves their babies. Through Christ, He wants to draw them close, forgive and heal them.
Does the story hold any particular meaning for you personally?
Yes. In 1981, my husband and I lost our second baby at four months gestation—a perfectly-formed baby boy spanning the length of the obstetrician’s hand. He called it a “spontaneous abortion.” We called him David Nathaniel.
I had no choice in the abortion. My body simply and horribly rejected my child. I not only grieved over my loss, but for all the babies who had been aborted by choice. And for all the mothers who had been duped into thinking that their babies were merely globs of tissue, easily discarded.
In 1985, the unthinkable happened. I lost another baby, a little girl—Allison Marie—again at four months gestation. My doctor determined that my uterus, which is supposed to be shaped like a pear, is actually shaped like a heart. David and Allison attached to the crook in the heart (a weak place) and at a certain size automatically detached, inducing labor and subsequent delivery.
When did you decide you wanted to be a writer? And why?
Words have always held a fascination for me. This was true for my mother as well. Whenever she heard a new word, she ran for the dictionary. Her love became my own.
I think writing has always been a part of my life from the time I was a little girl. I used to make up characters as I walked to school. English was my favorite subject, and I was often praised for my papers. You could sometimes find me crafting a tale for any neighborhood child who would listen.
How long does it take you to write a novel?
If I’m able to devote at least three hours a day, three – four days a week to writing, I can complete a first draft in anywhere from four – eight months. Of course, then comes the rewriting and critiquing by others. All told, a novel might stay in my hands as long as two years before editing and publication are complete, and that’s if the novel has already been contracted by a publishing company. And even after publication, I still find areas that need further work. Writing is a craft which requires continual study and growth.
What is your next project?
Wit & Wisdom from the Wee Ones, a collection of cute kid quips inspired by my six grandchildren. In fact,
the interaction between Hannah, Mia, and Lily in chapter fourteen during the Nativity practice is taken from this collection. My two oldest granddaughters, three at the time, loved acting out the Christmas story over and over again, not just at the holiday season, but throughout the year, and boy, the lines they came up with. The “come out, come out, wherever you are” line was one of my favorite quips delivered by Kylie. She and Rebekah were also into doctor kits that year. So, stay tuned for more cute kid quips in the upcoming release, Wit & Wisdom from the Wee Ones.
A long-buried secret.
An unexpected encounter.
A quest for answers.
Celeste Tatem, a special-education teacher at The Brighton Center in Schreiber, Indiana, couldn’t be more in love with her husband, Joe. But the memory of one day in the past haunts her, threatening their relationship. When Joe dies in a factory explosion, she sinks into depression.
It will take the arrival of a new student, Lily, and her delightful honesty, laughter, and joy at life’s little things to awaken Celeste to hope. When Don, an old flame from college, reenters Celeste’s world, the flickers of love stir once again, and startling questions arise. Questions that threaten to rip the veneer off of her carefully guarded secret. Then the most unexpected thing of all happens….
A story of love and forgiveness
in the most unexpected places.
“Reaches into the deepest recesses of women’ hearts, encouraging them to hold tight to those they hold dear.”
Jennifer Slattery,Novel Reviews
“Sweet, suspenseful, and heartwarming. I couldn’t put it down.”
Diane Dean White, Seeds of Encouragement blog
“A top-notch, no-holds-barred, excellent story full of twists and turns, dilemmas, inspiration, and romance.”
Kathleen Freeman, Beauty in Simplicity, Hope in Hard Times
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Thanks for hosting me, Julie! God’s best to you in your writing venture!