Award-winning Author Shares Highs & Lows of Her Life

Lindsay Author picToday, Irish-born Christine Lindsay shares iintimate parts of her life and tells us how they have influenced her novels. Stories of her ancestors who served in the British Cavalry in Colonial India inspired her multi-award-winning, historical series Twilight of the British Raj.  Here is Christine’s story.

I BELIEVE IN HAPPY ENDINGS…AT THE END OF THE VALLEY—By Christine Lindsay

The best stories in life come from the dark journeys we travel. My journey from being a young woman who gave up her child for adoption—to that of being a happily reunited with my birthdaughter now, and sharing in her joy as she waits to give birth to her first child—has been a journey of great heights and lows.

The lows…having to relinquish my baby in 1979 because I knew it was in her best interests, broke my heart in ways that define who I am today. Our reunion 20 years later in 1999 brought its own set of lows.

But the heights!!!!

Thirty-five years after relinquishing Sarah to a closed adoption, I am now looking forward to holding my biological grandson. To add to that joy, Sarah has given me the honor of choosing whatever grandparent name I would like her son to call me. My husband and I will be Nanny-Chris and Papa Dave, so as not to be confused with Sarah’s adoptive parents or her husband’s parents.

But in the middle of my journey, the lows were more prevalent. In 2006 I was still struggling with my emotions from the reunion. It didn’t appear that the close relationship I desired with my birthdaughter was going to transpire.

I tried all sorts of things to nurture that relationship—even arranged for Sarah to join my daughter Lana and me on a trip to my homeland, N. Ireland. I thought a trip like that would draw the three of us together…me with Sarah and, a sisterly bond between the two girls.  

At first Sarah planned on going with us to Ireland. But sadly, just before we were to leave, Sarah lost her baby. This was to be the first of many miscarriages over the years for Sarah.

Off to Ireland I went with Lana, with Sarah on my mind too. While I wanted that close mother-daughter bond with Sarah, I knew I couldn’t have it because she shared that with her true mom—her adoptive mom. And I was Lana’s true mom. But while Lana and I toured Ireland, I hid my sadness from Lana. I felt that Sarah’s loss, grieving an empty womb, was similar to how I felt when I relinquished her.

The two losses are hard to compare—like apples and oranges. Sarah’s baby was in heaven, while I knew that when I relinquished her, she was going to grow up and have a life with a wonderful set of adoptive parents. But the loss of a baby no matter how that happens…just…plain…hurts. The loss of Sarah’s babies were going to define her, just like my loss of her defined me.

On the trip to Ireland, Lana and I shared some close times. And on a personal level I felt the Lord’s encouragement in an ancient church in Londonderry, St. Augustine’s. There, I viewed the Ruth and Naomi stained-glass windows.   

While I had been praying for a close bond with both my daughters, the Lord had reminded me of the tender love between Ruth and her mother-in-law Naomi. These two biblical women had their own great losses…losses that defined them, and brought them closer.  I had to trust God for what I wanted with my daughters.

Lindsay - Sarah & LanaIt took a while, but our tender-hearted heavenly Father gave me my heart’s desire. As I write this blog post, I am waiting for Sarah, my firstborn, to go into labor, to give birth to her first child. As the years have passed, Sarah and Lana and I have grown closer. Both my daughters were the models on the front covers of my first two books, Shadowed in Silk and Captured by Moonlight. A couple of beautiful bookends, a testimony to God’s happy endings. And that is why I always write happy endings to my novels. I believe in the greatest of all happy endings, the one where we can look forward to heaven no matter how rough our road on earth has been.

And that ancient church St. Augustine’s in Londonderry, and the Ruth and Naomi stained glass windows, was the inspiration behind my romance novella Londonderry Dreaming.

As I have been encouraged by the Lord in the highs and lows of my life, I pray that my books will encourage you.

LONDONDERRY DREAMING                                                                   lindsay - pic LD

Acclaimed New York artist, Naomi Boyd, and music therapist, Keith Wilson, loved one another five years ago, until her grandfather with his influence over Naomi separated them.

That root of bitterness keeps them apart until a letter from Keith’s grandmother, Ruth, draws Naomi to Londonderry to find she’s too late. Ruth has passed on. After the death of his beloved grandmother, Keith has also come to Londonderry only to open the door to his past…Naomi…beautiful as ever, the girl who broke his heart.

A mysterious painting in Ruth’s attic brings up questions about their grandparents’ entwined past and their own broken romance. But more comfortable with the unspoken languages of art and music, Naomi and Keith find it difficult to share their old hurts and true feelings.

Will the majestic coastline of Northern Ireland inspire them to speak the words to bring peace to their grandparents’ memory and to rekindle love?

 

PURCHASE SITES FOR

LONDONDERRY DREAMING

SHADOWED IN SILK Amazon

SHADOWED IN SILK Barnes & Noble

SHADOWD IN SILK Kobo

CAPTURED BY MOONLIGHT Amazon

CAPTURED BY MOONLIGHT Barnes & Noble

CAPTURED BY MOONLIGHT Kobo

 

8 thoughts on “Award-winning Author Shares Highs & Lows of Her Life

  1. Lovely inspiring post that God loves us and works things out for his glory & our benefit and happiness. Thanks so much for sharing, Christine, and Jim, for having Christine visit. Blessings on continued joy with your family, Christine.

  2. This is a wonderful post, and I appreciate that you even shared your faith with us. I also believe in happy endings. I wish you, your daughters and your grandchild many happy endings.

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