Shannon here: Ruth Wuwong shares her inspiration for her Contemporary Romance, Love at the Garden Tomb. Learn how to download your copy in this post. Comment or answer the question in this post to enter the rest of the drawings for this month. Deadline: Sept 2nd, 11:59 pm central time. Here’s Ruth:
Why I wrote Love at the Garden Tomb
Last year I published my first romance, Love at the Garden Tomb (a contemporary Christian romance packed with theological discussions). One morning during my daily devotion, a strong urge came to me (from the Holy Spirit I presume) that I should submit its Chinese version to the art-and-literature section of a well-known secular newspaper World Journal.
I paused in the middle of my prayer and blurted out, “Lord, are You kidding me? No way they’ll accept a book with a Christian theme.”
To non-Chinese readers, I may need to provide a bit of background information. World Journal solicits submissions from Chinese authors. Once they accept your work, they’ll pay you. If it’s a long piece, they break it into segments and run them in series. It’s competitive since they pay good money.
To make a long story short, I sent in my manuscript (~100,000 words in Chinese). A few days later, the editor contacted me. They liked it, but it was too long for them. They asked me to shrink it down to ~10,000 words. Although I tried my best, I could only reduce it to ~20,000 words. I sent the abbreviated version to them, thinking that they wouldn’t accept it. They came back and told me they would publish it in series from 3/26/2022 to 4/21/2022.
Many friends read the novella in World Journal and asked me, “Did you write your own story? I saw similarities between you and Lily.”
I promised them to provide a backdrop for why I wrote this book.
Some scenes depicted in this book took place in real life. The divergence hinged on the visa to Hong Kong. While Lily didn’t get it, I did and went to Hong Kong to marry my husband.
Throughout our marriage, I often wonder. If God hadn’t intervened, what would have happened? “Someday, I’m going to write a book in which the heroine didn’t get her visa to Hong Kong.”
That was how Love at the Garden Tomb came into being.
Question for Readers: If you weren’t a Christian (without God’s constant protection), what would your life be?
About Ruth: While in high school, I used to go to the library, read every book on one shelf, and then move on to the next. Reading and writing are very important to me. It seems I have a longing that can’t be satisfied by reality. I love to escape into books and become someone graceful, witty, and popular.
Currently, I work for a small biotech company and have published 120+ scientific books and papers (under a different name). I’m a latecomer to creative writing. So far, I’ve published three books. Here are the links for my books:
I’m married to my wonderful husband, a retired pastor who encourages me to pursue my dreams. We served together at three different churches from 1987 to 2020. Learn more & connect: Ruth’s Website
About the book – Love at the Garden Tomb:
Lily Young is content to leave love to others more qualified. Betrayed and kicked out of her family home in Taiwan at sixteen, she can’t afford to get hurt again.
Josh Ying has his own share of life’s adversities. Growing up in Hong Kong with a sick older brother, he is the invisible child until he makes a bold demand that leads to a dire consequence.
Constant interactions at Ohio State University bring two desolate souls together. Yet personal hardship and circumstances beyond their control, plus unresolved guilt and resentment, scatter them in different directions.
Years later, they run into each other again at the Garden Tomb in Israel. Under the spell of the Jerusalem Syndrome (a set of mental phenomena that involves religious, psychosis-like experiences), will they jeopardize their hearts again?
Sign up for Ruth’s weekly newsletter to get a free e-book download of the book: Love at the Garden Tomb. You can unsubscribe anytime after the download. There’s no obligation.
Interested in Ruth’s other books? Get your copy/copies now!
The Way We Forgive Are Your Health and Finances Linked?
Detour to Agape and Blazing China will be published later this year. If you’re interested in receiving an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy, an eCopy), please drop Ruth a note at ruth@ruthforchrist.com.
Come back August 25th for Allison Wells!
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