Today I’m posting an interview with Melanie Meadows, heroine in Our Faithful Love, the newest release in the Love in Pleasant Springs series. She just moved back to her hometown here in Tennessee after being gone for several years and agreed to chat with me at Mama Lou’s Café.
Thank you, Melanie, for agreeing to meet with me.
She smiled and nodded. “Please call me Mel.”
Mel? Didn’t the café owner call you Lanie a few minutes ago?
“Yes. But Mel suits me better.” She sipped her coffee. “I’m not the same person who grew up here in Pleasant Springs.”
How have you changed?
“I realized I couldn’t trust anyone, and I had to be strong all on my own. The name Mel conveys more strength than the name Lanie.”
Interesting. Tell me about yourself. What brings you joy?
Her eyes sparkled, and she grinned. “The kids I serve. I’m a caseworker. Doesn’t matter if I’m finding them a good foster home or reuniting them with their birth parents. I love working with the kids.”
That’s good to hear. As a Christian author, I’d like to know where God fits into your life.
“My parents and church taught me about God, but I’ve learned that He doesn’t care about me.” She fidgeted in her chair and stared at her coffee cup. “I haven’t gone to church in a while.”
Why? Do you no longer believe in Him?
She lifted her head and widened her eyes. “I think He exists. But He doesn’t care about what I do.”
Oh, but He—
“I’m sorry.” She leaned toward me and furrowed her brow. “Could we please change the subject?”
Okay. You moved back to your hometown after living in Chattanooga for the past eleven years. Are you excited to be home?
“If you include my time in college there, I’ve been gone for fifteen years.” She sighed and picked at a piece of fuzz on her shirt. “Coming home wasn’t my first choice.”
Why did you return?
“My sister Jill talked me into coming back. But it’s a temporary arrangement. The agency I worked with in Chattanooga had to downsize and let me go.” She took another sip of her coffee. “I’ve applied in Nashville at two private agencies and hope one of those will come through soon.”
What will you do in the meantime?
“Jill arranged an interview for me two weeks ago with Clancy County Children’s Services here in town. I’ll start on Monday.” She pinched her bottom lip. “I moved in with Jill and will try to make this work for now.”
You said, “try to make this work.” Do you and your sister not get along?
“Oh, no. I love my sister. We get along well.” She rested her elbow on the table, placed her hand on her forehead, and squeezed her eyes shut. “It’s just that I vowed to never return home. There’s a person here. Someone I don’t want to see. I must avoid him.”
Sounds like a story worth sharing. Care to elaborate?
“No.” She lifted her eyes to mine and placed her hand on her chest. “I haven’t shared what happened between us with anyone.”
I finally got the story from both her and the man she never wanted to see again, Luke Gibson. Learn why Melanie lost her trust in people and in God and the circumstances that led her to trust again. Join her, Luke, and a full cast of characters including Billy, an eight-year-old boy in need of a foster home, a dog named Grizzly, and a cat named Mims. To discover their story, check out Our Faithful Love, a tale of forgiveness and reconciliation available from Amazon!
Love prospers when a fault is forgiven,
but dwelling on it separates close friends.
Proverbs 17:9, NLT
And coming soon, for one day only, the Kindle edition for Book One of the Love in Pleasant Springs series will be available on Amazon for $0.99. Mark your calendars and grab your copy of An Odd Request on Friday, March 17!
Photo by Gemma Evans - Unsplash