Colleen L. Reece learned to read by kerosene lamplight in a
former one-room school house where her mother once taught all 8 grades. Colleen
dreamed of someday writing a book. God has multiplied the “someday” book into
150+ “Books You Can Trust,” six million copies sold.
Welcome to my blog, Colleen. You’re the first
author I’ve interviewed that has written over a hundred books. Congratulations!
I’m so impressed with your talent. Please tell us about the Shepherd of Love Hospital Mystery/Romance series.
What is it about?
Five best-friend, caring nurses serve at the Shepherd of
Love Hospital in Seattle, Washington, dedicated to God: the hospital scoffers
said it could never be built. Now doctors and nurses follow in Jesus’ footsteps
and bring healing to body, mind, and soul. Note:
Fans wrote asking to know more about the wonderful hospital/nursing school I
created—they wanted to train there!
Wow! Your story must be very well developed
for your readers to believe that the hospital is real and not made up. What a
wonderful compliment! Please give us a short description of book one: Lamp in Darkness.
Although a respected RN, the heart of a frightened little
girl beats beneath Jonica Carr’s uniform. Will God use an accident, a blizzard,
and a lamp in darkness to bring the runaway nurse home to Shepherd of Love and Dr.
Paul Hamilton?
Now tell us about book two: Flickering Flames.
Helping save young lives in Pediatrics can never erase Nancy
Galbraith’s memories of those she failed to save as a child. Nursing helps, but
Nancy must deal with secrets from the past that involves both her and Dr. Damon
Barton.
A Kindled Spark is the third book. What is it about?
Surgical nurse Lindsey Best and Chaplain Terence O’Shea
combine forces to expose and stamp out the kindled spark of evil hanging over
their beloved hospital and threatening to destroy it . . . as well as Lindsey’s
and Terry’s chance for happiness.
What is the fourth
book about?
Glowing Embers: A
Mount Rainier-size obstacle stands between Obstetrics nurse Shina Ito and Kevin
Hyde, the man she loves. Nancy and Damon are again the victims of racial
prejudice. It will take incredible faith and courage for the two couples to
extinguish the glowing embers of turmoil.
Now for the last book in this series. Tell us
about Hearth of Fire?
“Once bitten, twice shy,” describes Outpatient RN Patti
Thompson. She escapes to Montana and becomes a helicopter rescue flight nurse
with pilot “Stone Face” Sloan. Only God can save Patti from a stalker and
change her hearth of fire to a home filled with peace and love.
What kind of
research did you do this series?
Although I dreamed of writing books, my small western WA
logging town didn’t grow authors, just trees, so I planned to be a nurse. I
studied accordingly, only to discover it wasn’t God’s plan for me. However, the
knowledge I gained plus having my twin best friends become nurses, has proved
invaluable in my writing many nurse books.
One editor said, “It is so nice to have a nurse heroine who does more
than stick on a Band-Aid.”
Will you please
give us a sample of the first book in this series, Lamp in Darkness?
“May I help you?”
A deep masculine voice jerked
Jonica back to the present. She whipped around. A tall, slim man with white
streaks in his hair and eyes as blue as her own stood smiling at her.
“I-I was just going in.” She put
her hand to the doorknob and couldn’t help adding, “I’m Jonica Carr, the new
night charge nurse in surgery.”
A surprised expression crossed the
older man’s face. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. Welcome to Shepherd of Love.”
“Thank you.” She noticed how young
and alive he looked when his smile broadened. “Do you work here?”
He nodded and gallantly swung the
door inward for her. “I’ll be seeing you again, Miss Carr. Or is it Mrs.? Or Ms.?”
She glanced both ways and
whispered, “Miss, but I like Jonica best.”
He bowed and swung off down the
highly polished corridor, stopping now and then to admire the continuing mural
of sea, forest, and mountains that brightened the walls.
“He loves this place,” she
murmured. It seemed a good omen, as had the friendliness of the staff when she
applied for the job a few weeks earlier, not expecting to get it, but confident
she could do it well if chosen. She knocked on the closed door.
“Come in, Miss Carr.” The hospital
director rose from behind his practical desk, a style in keeping with the
paneled walls and muted carpeting. An open window with a view of an
early-summer Puget Sound brought a fresh breeze and cooled Jonica’s flushed
face. “We feel fortunate to have you join us.”
When she couldn’t hide her
surprise, he smiled. She liked his keen eyes, modest dress, and obvious
efficiency tempered by caring. “Oh, yes, I make it a point to know each of the
staff personally. If there is ever anything you need, do not hesitate to come
to me. You’ll notice I prefer to be personally available rather than use a
secretary as a buffer.”
“Now.” He changed to brisk
business. “We chose you despite your youth and limited charge nurse experience
because of several factors. First, your record is impeccable. Even more
important, your deportment at your personal interview clearly showed your
ability to maintain your composure under trying circumstances.” He smiled
again. “Interviewing for a position, even at Shepherd of Love, or perhaps
especially at Shepherd of Love, can be trying.” He shuffled papers and paused.
“Only one question on your application had a rather sketchy answer. I’m sure
that’s due to our shortsightedness in not leaving enough room to write
everything you’d like.”
Jonica’s heart plummeted. She knew
what question this observing man meant. It had taken her longer to respond to
the simple query, “Are you a Christian?” than to fill in the rest of the
lengthy form. Hadn’t her penned words, “Yes. I was baptized as a teenager and
have been faithful in attending church except when on duty” been enough? If
not, why had they waited until now to question it? Surely she wouldn’t be
disqualified now that official notice of her appointment had come and she’d
served her thirty-day notice in Tacoma.
“You are a Christian, aren’t you?”
the kindly director prodded.
“Of course.” She certainly wasn’t
a heathen. She believed in God and had accepted Jesus as His Son. If she
sometimes felt that God was some faraway Power who had little interest in her,
she need not confess it.
Jonica’s quick reply appeared to
settle possible doubts. The director rose, shook hands, then asked, “Did you
tour the hospital when you were here before?”
“Oh, yes!” She knew eagerness sent
a glow to her face. “It’s perfect; large enough to have the best equipment yet
small enough to feel almost like a family home.” Wistfulness crept into
Jonica’s voice.
“Do you think you can be happy
with us?”
She sobered. “I know I can.” She
blinked and scoffed at the instant moisture crowding her eyes. She never cried,
hadn’t since she ran away from home all those years ago, away from the
stepfather she hated, the pretty but weak mother whose only defense against him
was a threat to leave if he ever mistreated Jonica . . .
Thank you for this interview. I hope my
readers will check out your books. Here are some links so you can find out more
about Colleen Reece.
Reece’s Ramblings Blog: www.colleenreece.blogspot.com
Check out Colleen’s Amazon site: www.amazon.com/Colleen-L.-Reece/e/B001H9PAYY
