Heart of the Night Interview

Today we're welcoming Eli Trudeau, the hero of Heart of the Night by Lenora Worth release Janurary 2009.

Wow, you've just had quite an adventure.

1. Tell us a little about yourself and how you came to be in the midst of such suspense.
I am a agent for a secretive Christian organization called CHAIM (that’s Hebrew for life and pronounced “Hy-EM.” But for our purposes, it stands for Christians for Amnesty, Intervention and Missions. We go into dangerous places to help Christians all over the world. And we sometimes make people mad when we do this, so we have to be very careful and very secretive.

2. So, during the book you met Gena Malone Thornton. Tell us a bit about her. What was your first impression? When did you know it was love?
Gena is a unique woman who happened to be raising my son. I didn’t know that until recently, however. I was not too pleased to find out everyone around me had been keeping this a secret. You see, I thought my son was dead. So I resented Gena at first,so I left Louisiana and went to her house in Maine and well ... I broke in. But after she flipped me over with a move that any CHAIM agent would have been proud of, I saw the light. The woman can take care of herself and she loves Scotty so much. I knew it was love when she had her boot shoved against my chest and refused to let me up, but it took me a while to admit that. I’m stubborn that way. And I sweet-talked her into letting melive.

3. What strengths/skills do you have? What is your greatest weakness?
My strength comes from knowing that my son is alive. That alone gave me a reason to live. And that alone has become my weakness. I’ve stared down bad guys and survived dangerous situations, but looking into his innocent little eyes did me in.

4. What scares you?
That I might love again and lose again.

5. If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be? This constant ache inside my heart that won’t allow me to be more loving and faithful to God.

6. Where are you in your faith at the start of your story? At first, I’d lost all faith after certain events from the past. But Devon, my fellow CHAIM agent and his soon-to-be wife Lydia, both showed me that God has not abandoned me. I didn’t feel worthy of God’s love and I didn’t really feel worthy of my son’s love. Gena is helping me with that.

7. Where are you in your faith at the end of the story?
At the end of the story, that hurting place inside my heart is no longer cold. I’m no longer cold. A few years ago, I had to take some time off from CHAIM and go to “a desolate place” to find some peace and to get over the death of my wife and my unborn child. But the child is alive and I had to save Scotty and Gena from harm’s way when some of the people CHAIM angered came after us. My reason to live has now increased by two. I love Gena and Scotty and I want to be the best father and (hopefully) husband I can be. Gena is a good woman and Devon was wise to send my son to live with her. (She’s Devon’s sister by the way.)

8. You've got a scripture at the beginning of the story. Tell us why this scripture is significant.
It’s significant because it is Mark 6:31. “And he said to them, Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while.” That’s what I had to do. I was sent to a CHAIM stronghold in Ireland where my friend and CHAIM agent Brice Whelan worked me over with personal questions and lots of “time to reflect.” I was close to going over the edge after I lost my wife and child. Brice helped to bring me back. But Gena and Scotty brought me out of that desolate place and now I'm not so cold anymore.

9. If you could be a dessert what would you be and why? Bread pudding, chere. I’m a Cajun after all.

Whew! This sound sooo good! I can't wait to get my copy. Thank you Lenora for sharing Eli with us.