Title: The Stranger: A Story of Romance and Intrigue
Author: Eleanor Lee Gustaw
Publisher: Toplink Publishing, LLC
ISBN: 9781949502251
Pages: 396
Genre: Romance
Reviewed by: Liz Konkel

Author Interview with Eleanor Lee Gustaw

HBR: What inspired you to start writing?
I believe that this is a very difficult question to properly answer because it embraces so many intervaried aspects. Part of the answer would appropriately be measured, like fine spices, within the essence that God is, foremost, my true source of creative inspiration. Inspiration comes from many sources, expected and unexpected: It may be a sunrise bursting across the horizon; the uniqueness of the trees in a forest; flowers to their intricate detail; laughter, a smile, or the joy alit aflame within a child’s eyes.

“Inspiration” may not always be the appropriate, exact root word here because inspiration can be drawn from within or without the heart, both from negative and positive tones. The Stranger wasn’t initially born from a positive idea. In fact, it was anything but. However, as I pondered this dream throughout the day, I began to see the scene from a new perspective where much to my astonishment, it undeniably held an incredible worth! In that moment, I realized the value of treasure that lay within its root as a “diamond in the rough,” and I believed that a story of that unprecedented worth had the merit to shine above all the chaotic ruin it imposed if I was but willing to write the words. I was! In truth, this story was God’s idea from the very beginning. And I have found that, sometimes, if not more often than naught, we need to peer deeper where the true gem holds the greatest treasure of it all.

I am inspired through positive and negative avenues of influence. And I always believe that the greater value is available to us all when we yield our hearts to God and hold His heart in ours, bringing worth from the ashes of our lives, to every day we live.

HBR: How long have you been writing?
Writing has been a part of who I am for as long as I can remember, and it’s something I was born with as a special gift from the very heart of God. I have always loved to write. My first poem was published when I was fourteen years old in a Sunday School paper.

The years earlier when things bothered me a lot more, writing was a way of getting my emotions on paper and turning the negative into a positive as I created my work through my despair. I felt like I would burst inside my heart if I didn’t put my words down. My friend said it was my best work, but I had no desire to continually write from a hurting heart. Now, however, I have matured, and I write because it’s my passion, no matter how my heart is feeling!

HBR: How do you develop your plot and characters?
I believe that one of the aspects to where the elements came to be extra special is because I write from my heart. I know of no other way. I feel that this is what adds to that difference in my writing . . . if something doesn’t feel right or sound right, I perfect it until it does, or recreate the content, and even delete all, or partial content of material I’m trying to work on. It may take several hours or sometimes even days, but time well spent are words well mastered. When one writes from the heart, something magical happens. The content has a fluent thread that draws the reader to anticipate what will happen next. Following my heart has always been the strong suit in every word I create.

I also love being “in character” to my characters that I create! How they think, react, what will they say. This is all a special way of creating content that stands above, and I enjoy it very much! Mr. Orcs was an unexpected character and came to be one of my favorites! He’s so unique and special but overlooked as a person of great value by the majority of the town.

As well, it’s also interesting how the chapters are created. For instance, I usually get the titles of each chapter first, but not necessarily. But it helps a great deal in developing the plot and characters. Something unusual is that I created the ending of the book first. Whatever comes to mind, that is what I create, whether it be the ending, middle, and then the beginning. Not a problem! I can thread it all together with God’s grace.

I knew that the ending of The Stranger had to be extra special, beautiful, lovely, and with an impact of dynamite gift – meaning – to bring the book full-circle where readers are wholly satisfied in that moment. Wondering, perhaps what might follow, but resting in the laurel of perfect peace, serenity; wanting more (sequel), but content for the moment through it all. Pages filled with emotion, climaxing sub-plots, love, well-mellowed friendships . . . to a tranquil setting of quiescent, enchanting setting at the end.

I actually recreated the ending three times. Initial sunset scene, which was my heart’s desire, but then I changed the content, so it was no longer suitable. I recreated it to a morning sunrise. But once again, I thought it should revert back to its original beauty; it was appropriately fitting, so I had to recreate the sunset setting once again. It was now more difficult to do because I’d changed the content within that original text. In the end, I was able to successfully recreate the perfect ending of immense beauty and tranquility in that special form I had desired all along to which The Stranger wholly deserved.

It’s also interesting that God has His ideas, and I have mine. But I will always tell you that I’ll gladly lay aside my ideas for God’s! He knows the full picture of what the work should entail . . . I am merely His writer.

Worth it all! For God’s glory . . . every word . . . for Him! With the Holy Spirit to guide me along this amazing journey and God’s presence ever in my heart, dreams are possible, I have found, when I am willing to “do His will,” and not mine, alone!

HBR: What does success mean to you? What is the definition of success?
I have found that success has its own yardstick. My dream of success is to bring hope and joy to others through the gifted words of wholeness in the blessing of my books and always, in honoring God. This is the song I want to share with the world. Jesus . . . all in all . . . the One Who gave His life for me so that I might live. The One Who gave His life for all, that they may live. Then true success will be measured by the soul – Worth it all . . . to the very end.

When we keep God first place in our lives, miracles happen. Success to me is bringing joy and happiness – hope – to people’s hearts and souls. If I can do this through the words of God’s heart, then this is a song well sung where it becomes a picturesque scene, much like a peaceful meadow where it’s perfectly peaceful and well with one’s soul.

HBR: What is the significance of the title?
The Stranger is the perfect title name because the main character of Gene Ashton was as a stranger to his wife, Thea, when she left him at the initial crime scene and didn’t recognize who he was or what true connection he had with her when he came to search for her.

HBR: What was the inspiration for the story?
It was the dream that played out the initial gang scene of The Stranger. In essence, it was also my deepest desire to create a story through the devastation that held the immeasurable worth within that core root. It became central to everything else that was created. Celebrating God’s nature became a beautiful thread of beauty within the symbol of the rose to the fairy story we can all find that’s awaiting each precious soul when we resign our hearts to the joy in the worth that of all that Heaven truly holds on this Earth, walking within the footsteps of God’s journey, and the grace of His love and mercy.

HBR: Do you plan on writing any more books?
If God wills!