New York Times bestselling author Francine Rivers has published numerous novels—all bestsellers—and she has continued to win both industry acclaim and reader loyalty around the world. Her Christian novels have been awarded or nominated for many honors, and in 1997, after winning her third RITA Award for inspirational fiction, she was inducted into the Romance Writers of America Hall of Fame.
In 2015, she received the Lifetime Achievement Award from American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW). Her novels have been translated into over thirty different languages with bestseller status in a number of foreign countries.
Francine and her husband, Rick, enjoy spending time with their children and grandchildren.
Your books encourage and inspire others. What encourages and inspires you?
Scripture! Rick and I read through the Bible each year as well as two devotionals. I always glean encouragement and inspiration each morning from those readings. Whatever work-in-process I may be tackling, scripture applies. God knows us better than we know ourselves and the Word of God does cut through to the heart and soul of us. Another source of inspiration I’ve found is being outside in the fresh air and tending our small vineyard. There are so many spiritual lessons in nature.
Those who create usually tap into a personal toolbox of elements, which ultimately define their style. What one element or theme in your books has become your personal signature as a writer?
I would say the message I want most to convey in my work is our past doesn’t define us. God does. Most of my primary characters are deeply wounded and searching for God’s perspective. If we want to know who we are and what our life-purpose is, we need to learn how God sees us and ask for Him to guide us into the work He laid out for us before we were even born. Life is an adventure best and most richly lived by following Jesus.
If someone asked you to describe yourself with one word, what word would that be?
Focused.
Let’s talk about your new book, The Lady’s Mine (Tyndale House, February 2022). What motivated you to return to the California frontier, and what about that setting intrigues you?
I’m a native Californian, and I’ve always loved our state history, especially the gold and silver rush periods. Redeeming Love takes place from 1849 to 1851.
The Lady’s Mine jumps forward to the 1870s silver rush. Men from around the world and all walks of life poured into the state, hoping to strike it rich. A few women came—some by wagon train, some by ship, some willing, and some not. It was a time of high drama, boom and bust. I think that’s what appeals to me most—the dreams that brought people, the grueling hard work that awaited them, the myriad stories of success and failure.
You have said that your stories often begin with a question. What question prompted this particular story?
There were several questions. How does a person cope with being cast out of a family? Do we determine the course of our lives, or is there a plan already in place? Can one person change the character of a town? How can we offer a hand up rather than a handout to those in desperate need?
What do you hope your readers will come to know about God through this story?
Broken relationships don’t have to mean broken lives. Let (agape) love be the motivation for what you do and how you live. God can mold the most unlikely people into wise and gifted leaders. One person can change the course of a community. The Lord can make beauty from ashes.
Thank you, Francine! It’s always a pleasure to have you visit at DivineDetour.
~ ~ ~
For more information about Francine Rivers, visit her website and follow her on Facebook, Twitter and/or Instagram.
To purchase The Lady’s Mine, log on to:
