We're launching the Book Tour for MY FATHER'S HOUSE by ROSE CHANDLER JOHNSON!

The Inspiration for My Father’s House

As a Christian, I have a Christian world view and see the hand of God at work in our lives. I wanted this story to reflect that view in an authentic, true-to-life way. As with any story I write, I not only want to bring pleasure to the reader, but I also want to leave them with a subtle inspiration message or a sense of hope. My novel, My Father’s House, is the story of a young woman with an indomitable spirit who in spite of devastating hardships, disappointments, personal loss and mistakes ultimately finds happiness. Still reeling from a childhood tragedy, Lily Rose seeks to fill the hole in her heart through marriage. Sadly, she finds herself in an abusive marriage with a man she hardly knows. The question is: Will she survive it? Lily Rose’s warm heart endears her to the reader who wants to know that she’s going to be all right, as her father had said. The reader takes the journey with Lily and sees the world through her eyes, but I didn’t want the painful things to be the main focus of her triumphant story. When Lily Rose reconnects with family and her faith, we get a glimpse of the bright future in store for her. One reader wrote that the story “made my heart smile.” I’m happy to accomplish that.

The setting needed to play a critical part in the story as well. So, with my roots firmly planted in Georgia, I modelled my fictional town after so many small Southern towns, and I set in some of my love of nature. Being a Southerner, I had definite ideas about elements I needed for this story to come alive. Besides fascinating characters and a distinctive setting, there had to be a little crazy, eccentric, and some downright meanness, mixed with suspense, romance, and lots of southern charm. And if the story makes you long for dirt roads and blackberry picking, shade trees and front porch visiting, then I’ve done my job.

— Rose