Holiday Illusion Interview

Today we're welcoming Anna Freeman, the heroine of Holiday Illusion by Lynette Eason released November 2008. Wow, you've just had quite an adventure.

You’re not kidding! I just couldn’t believe it when it seemed my past had caught up with me.

1. Tell us a little about yourself and how you came to be in the midst of such suspense.
Whew! Where do I start? It all just seems so unreal. Unbeknownst to everyone back in the United States, I worked with at the Amazon Orphanage in Tefe Brazil, I used to be an FBI agent. Before I ran away from a very painful incident, I worked undercover quite a bit. Unfortunately, I had a case unravel in a way that left me vulnerable and I was shot. As a result, I was unable to have children and ran to Brazil as a way of escaping my pain. And, to be honest, it worked…a little. And then I met Paulo, a little boy at the orphanage who needed a heart transplant. His only hope was America. I agreed to go with him and ended right back in the city I’d run from four years ago.

2. So, during the book you met Lucas Bennett. Tell us a bit about him/her. What was your first impression? When did you know it was love? I met Lucas about a year after I fled to Brazil. He was the local doctor in Tefe and often made visits to the orphanage. At first, I was in such a depression about all that had happened, I didn’t give Lucas the time of day. Then I started to heal, emotionally and spiritually. Somehow through all of that, Lucas became my best friend. Then, through caring for Paulo, we spent more and more time together and our feelings evolved into much more than friendship. I fell for Lucas in a big way, especially when he was so determined to protect me from the people I thought were trying to kill me.

3. What strengths/skills do you have? What is your greatest weakness? I’m a trained FBI agent so I have a lot of skills most people don’t have in that respect. I also had the capacity to put personal hurt and worries aside and care for a sick child. One thing I had to rely on through everything was the Lord. Without Him, I never would have made it through everything I did.

4. What scares you? Being alone. Oh, I know I’m never alone with God, but sometimes it’s just nice to have someone there that has skin on, you know? And because of my past and the fact that I can’t have children, I was afraid I’d never meet a man who could accept that fact about me.

5. If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be? I’m really stubborn. I like to figure out what needs to be done and then do it. I don’t like to ask for help and as a result find myself in trouble sometimes.

6. Where are you in your faith at the start of your story? Relying on God. He was all I had to hang on to through the terrible times in my life. I have to say, throughout the story, I asked God what in the world was going on and why all this was happening, but I also have to say He never gave up on me.

7. Where are you in your faith at the end of the story? Still relying on God. Still in awe of his unconditional love and abundant blessings. And Lucas came to see this, too, which was an answer to prayer!

8. You've got a scripture at the beginning of the story. Tell us why this scripture is significant.
Yes, I just found a lot of comfort in:
2 Peter 1:3-4
3His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 4Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.

In the first part of this scripture, it talks about God’s divine power giving us everything we need for life and godliness. But this is only through Him, the one who has called us to live that life for Him. It also talks about escaping the corruption of the world caused by those that don’t follow Him. And I think that this is what I found myself hanging on to through the entire story. I managed to escape to Brazil, become invisible as I allowed God to heal me, both spiritually and physically. And then, of course, I needed to escape those who were out to do me harm. I just love those verses because they reiterate God’s promise to be there no matter what if we’ll only trust Him.

9. If you could be a dessert what would you be and why? I’d be chocolate because everyone would love me! Ha.

What an exciting adventure! Thank you Lynette for sharing Anna with us. Looking forward to reading this story.