River of Secrets Interview

Today we're welcoming Amy Graham, the heroine/hero of RIVER OF SECRETS by Lynette Eason, released in August. Wow, you've just had quite an adventure. You’re not kidding. It’s one I wouldn’t want to repeat, but wouldn’t have missed the outcome for the world!


1. Tell us a little about yourself and how you came to be in the midst of such suspense. I am Cassidy McKnight’s best friend. I helped her out in the story before mine when she was having so much trouble. When I found out that my mother was at the root of her troubles, it sent my life into a tailspin. Suddenly, nothing in my life was as I knew it to be. Everything I’d believed in turned out to be a lit. Except the Lord. So, I did a lot of praying, packed my bags and headed for Brazil, to an orphanage that needed my nursing skills. In the middle of an epidemic, we all slaved to save the lives of the staff and children. One patient stood out. A very sick man who suffered from amnesia…and who had been scarred from a terrible fire once upon a time. One day, I stumbled upon someone trying to kill him. After that, everything seemed to snowball and we found ourselves fighting for our lives.

2. So, during the book you met Micah McKnight. Tell us a bit about him/her. What was your first impression? When did you know it was love? Micah was my best friend’s brother. He did his best to keep his sister and me out of trouble when we were younger. But then he joined the Navy Seals and disappeared on a mission two and half years ago. I didn’t recognize him at first because of the scars, but once I realized who he was, I was overjoyed and devastated at the same time. My first impression of Micah was that he was one of the strongest men I’d ever met. He’d overcome incredible odds and I admired him greatly. And while he wasn’t the most handsome man I’d ever seen, his looks didn’t matter. His goodness, gentleness, and tough as nails stubbornness touched my heart. I don’t know that I can pinpoint an exact time that I knew it was love. I had a crush on him as a teen, but even before I realized he was Micah, I was falling for him during the special times we managed to spend together at the orphanage.

3. What strengths/skills do you have? I’m a nurse. I come from a wealthy family, but my mother wasn’t exactly thrilled with my decision to go into nursing. So, I played the dutiful daughter and did what she wanted me to for a long time. But after her betrayal, I realized what was important. And that is doing what God wants me to do. I have an enormous amount of compassion for hurting people. I’m also stubborn and willing to go after what I want even though that trait lands me in trouble occasionally. What is your greatest weakness? I think my greatest weakness would have to be fear. Sounds like a direct contrast to my strength, doesn’t it? But, I let fear hold me back from telling Micah I knew his identity and that came back to haunt me. I don’t like confrontations and I guess God’s been making me face my fears because confrontations is all I’ve had lately!

4. What scares you? Having someone I love mad at me. The thought of losing Micah forever scared me to death. My mother!
5. If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be? I’d probably change my “I’ll do it myself” attitude. I’m not very good at asking for help. Sometimes I think I know best and instead of listening to good advice from friends and people who know better, I strike out on my own…and often strike out. Ha.
6. Where are you in your faith at the start of your story? I’m a new Christian. Which is a good thing because I sure needed God to get me through this new adventure I’d gotten myself into.

7. Where are you in your faith at the end of the story? Stronger, deeper, and more in love with God than ever. He stayed true to His promises and never left me even when I didn’t understand why things were happening as they were. By the end, He showed me His love was exactly as He said. Steadfast and everlasting. What a great God!

8. You've got a scripture at the beginning of the story. Tell us why this scripture is significant. 1 Samuel 16:17 – “For God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” Micah was scarred from the fire he’d survived. And he was quite self-conscious about his scars, wondering if a woman would ever look past them to see the man within. Amy quotes this scripture to him when he confesses his fears to her and he realizes at that time what a special woman she is. And it draws him closer to a God he’s not sure about at this point. I think it’s important for everyone to know that God looks within. He cares about our heart, our feelings, our needs. He understands our motives, our insecurities. To me, that’s so much more important than what we look like on the outside. Yes, we need to take care of our physical bodies, watch what we eat, exercise, etc., but the inside, our spiritual well-being, should be the priority. And that’s how we should view others, from the inside out.

9. If you could be a dessert what would you be and why? Anything chocolate. It’s savory, sweet, multi-faceted. Everyone loves it because when you eat it you can’t be in a bad mood!

Terri, thanks so much for having me today. I hope readers will purchase RIVER OF SECRETS and enjoy my story. It was a roller coaster ride with a beautiful ending!

Your welcome Lynette, we appreciate you sharing Amy with us. I can't wait to read this book.