From RITA Award-winning, bestselling author Tamera Alexander, comes an
unforgettable story about faith in the face of fear, about tarnished hopes and second
chances, and ultimately about the resilient courage and tenacity of hearts broken—and
mended—by love.
1. How does Within My Heart differ from other books you’ve written?
First, I’ve never written from a doctor’s point of view before, so that was fascinating,
especially in the post-Civil War era with all the medical discoveries that were being
made. Plus, this is the first book I’ve written in which neither of the two main
characters are “new to town.” Both Rachel Boyd and Rand Brookston already reside in
Timber Ridge, and even more…they already know each other (even if they aren’t on the
best of speaking terms). I really enjoyed the chance to explore two characters who learn
to see each other in a new way and who gradually fall in love, despite previous
differences.
2. Why is Within My Heart relevant today?
We all struggle with God’s will versus our will, and with how He works His will in our
lives. I believe that God gives us free will, yet I also hold firmly to God’s sovereignty.
How to marry the two? Where does one end and the other begin? How do we know
when to “stay the course” in a decision versus when to submit and relinquish? Within
My Heart explores those questions in ways that I believe will be both encouraging and,
prayerfully, enlightening to the reader. They were to me.
3. Did the book involve special research?
While researching, I poured over medical books from the 1870s and wasn’t too surprised
at how much we didn’t know back then regarding the human body. What I found very
surprising were the insights some forward-thinking physicians did possess. Of course,
Dr. Rand Brookston, the male lead in Within My Heart, falls into that category.
Dedicated to their calling and tireless in their pursuit to heal, doctors like Rand blazed
the trail for many of today’s remedies and procedures by their stubborn thirst for
knowledge and commitment to caring for their patients.
4. What is your goal or mission as a Christian writer?
I want to whet the reader’s appetite for a deeper relationship with Christ and therefore
weave the power of Scripture into the fabric of all of my stories. Yes, I want the reader
to be entertained, to laugh and cry (I don’t feel as if I’ve gotten my money’s worth from
a story unless I do both), and for them to be swept up in the time and place, and in the
character’s journey. But more than anything, I hope my stories stir that seed inside each
of us that longs for a deeper relationship with the Creator of the Universe.
5. What is the take-away message you want readers to receive after reading Within
My Heart?
That everything we experience—in this life—both the painful and pleasant—is shaping
us for eternity, and that sometimes the greatest steps of faith are taken neck-deep in fear.
But we must take them! Even while not knowing where they’ll lead. Because the best is
yet to come!