Interview of Edwina Kiernan

By Priscilla Bettis
It’s Priscilla with you today. I am interviewing Brave Author Edwina Kiernan. She has a
new book coming out today!

INTERVIEW:

Because of a bizarre incident, you’ve fallen through a time-and-space portal into
the setting of one of your books. Which book is it, and what’s the setting?
The Letter, because then I’d get to wander the streets of Lindenfell, my fictional town in
Victorian England. I’d visit the tea room, have dinner at Careo House with the
resplendent Miss Withers, and enjoy the slow-paced, warm and friendly atmosphere. Of
course, The Lamp also takes place in Lindenfell, but I’d prefer to avoid the cholera
epidemic in that one!

Haha, I’d prefer to avoid cholera too! In your award-winning novel Ruby’s
Redemption (historical Christian romance), you deal with the issue of forced
prostitution. How do you work a worldly topic like that into a Christian story?
Trafficking is an issue that has always been near to my heart, and I support a ministry
that helps rescue women and girls who have been trafficked. It’s not something I’ve
seen in any of the Christian historical novels I’ve read before, yet it was as much of an
issue then as it is now. So, it just naturally emerged when I was dreaming up the story
and wanted to show that salvation through Jesus is available to everyone, no matter
their past.

The bad guy in Ruby’s Redemption is a violent, greedy, hate-filled character. He
feels frighteningly true to life. What kind of research did you do to make his
character so realistic?
That’s a very difficult question for me to answer, because it requires a lot of
vulnerability. I have had first-hand experience of an abusive, controlling person, and I
poured a lot of that into Millforte. It was a mix of being a little therapeutic to release
some of it, and also it was painful to have to relive some of it. It was definitely a
challenge to work through, but I do believe it was worth doing. And Millforte makes

another appearance in The Letter, where we see where his choices and the
consequences of his actions ultimately lead.

You make me want to grab The Letter! Thanks to your generosity, I read an
advanced copy of your upcoming novella, Heart of Integrity (Christian Western
romance, release date May 14, 2024). Your characters grapple with a fatal scandal
and ongoing deception. Those are brave themes for a Christian novel. What made
you go there?
I think I’m just wired to want to write about tough issues, because they’re real, and
because they prove that God can meet anyone, anywhere, and that redemption is
possible no matter what people have done. The driving force of my books and my
writing is pointing people to Jesus, because He is the ultimate author, hero, and hope.
We’ve rebelled against Him, but He loves us so much that He Himself paid the price of
our sin so that we could be forgiven and set free. And His invitation to meet Him in
repentance and faith is open to everyone–no matter what they’ve done, no matter what
has defined them thus far. How amazing is that?

Amazing, indeed. Fans want to know: Is pineapple on pizza a yea or a nay?
It’s definitely a ‘nay’ for me! But black olives and broccoli on pizza? Yes, please!

Black olives and broccoli on a pizza? I’ve never tried it. Anyway, let’s talk about
the cover art for Heart of Integrity. A lovely bride is set against a thirsty and
barren landscape. It’s a gritty but beautiful cover. Who’s responsible?
The creator of the Hearts of the West series, Madisyn Carlin. She’s an author and also
a designer at Mountain Peak Edits & Design, and she has done a wonderful job on the
covers in this series, as well as putting together a lovely group of authors and stories full
of faith. I’m thrilled to be a part of it!

Is there anything you wanted me to ask, but I didn’t?
Hmm… I don’t think so! It’s been a pleasure to chat with you, though – thank you! 🙂

PRISCILLA’S REVIEW OF HEART OF INTEGRITY BY EDWINA KIERNAN:
It’s 1872. Susan Kelly moves from Ireland to California for a new start. She’s left her
scheming dad behind. She’s also left behind her role in his schemes. But her father
tracks her down.
Ifor Morgan is from Wales. He and his father moved to California for their own fresh
start. Ifor has eyes for Susan, but even more so, he worries about her soul. She is not a
Christian.
Kiernan’s characters are amazing. I couldn’t help but root for Susan. She’s a woman in
the 1800s trying to make it on her own in a new country. Ifor is adorable, so is his father.
Susan’s father, however, is a terrible dad. I hoped by the end of the story he would learn
his lesson (can’t say if he does or not because that would give the story away).
My favorite character, however, is Opal. She’s an elderly widow who explains God’s
salvation plan to Susan. Poor Susan feels so guilty for her past that she has a hard time
accepting what Opal is saying. Ifor invites Susan to church, but again, her guilt over her
past makes her feel like she shouldn’t go.
Opal keeps working on Susan.
My other “favorite” character is a villain named John. He’s cruel and hateful. Kiernan is
brave to write such a violent character into a Christian novella. (There’s even a rage-
filled murder, though the reader only sees the aftermath.) John is amazingly well drawn.
I cringed every time he was on the page.
If you are familiar with California history, you know that there was a big earthquake in
Owens Valley in 1872. The earthquake plays a significant role in the story. Kudos to
Kiernan for incorporating that piece of real history.
Overall, this is an engaging, heartfelt story with faith-filled messages, loved it!
Order Heart of Integrity here: http://a-fwd.com/asin=B0CPHBK67L

AUTHOR BIO:
Edwina Kiernan is the Christian author of eight novels, four of which are award-winning.
She is a committed follower of Jesus (the Living Word), and endeavors to use her pen
to point others to Him.
When she’s not writing, Edwina loves spending time with her dashing husband and
lively little son, reading and studying the Bible, getting lost in a captivating novel and

drinking more types of tea than most people realize even exist. Sign up for her weekly
newsletter and get a free Victorian romance novel: https://edwinakiernan.com/freebook