I am delighted today to welcome Rachelle Dekker to the blog to chat about her new release When Through Deep Waters!
The oldest daughter of New York Times bestselling author Ted Dekker, Rachelle Dekker was inspired early on to discover truth through storytelling. She won a Christy Award for her critically acclaimed debut novel, The Choosing, which was followed by two more books in the Seer series: The Calling and The Returning. Rachelle graduated with a degree in communications and spent several years in marketing and corporate recruiting before making the transition to write full-time. She lives in Nashville with her husband, Daniel, and their diva cat, Blair. Visit her online at www.rachelledekker.com.
You can also connect with Rachelle on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and Twitter.
Alicen McCaffrey finally has the life her mother always dreamed for her: beautiful home in Santa Monica, successful husband, adorable daughter. Then tragedy blows her carefully assembled façade to pieces. Worse yet—Alicen feels solely responsible. At rock bottom, she decides to accompany a childhood friend back to Red Lodge, Montana, where they spent summers together as kids.
The peaceful mountain landscape, accented with lush forests and small-town charm, brings back happy memories of time spent with her beloved, eccentric Grandma Josephine. Alicen begins to hope that perhaps things could be different here. Perhaps the oppressive guilt will lift—if only for a moment.
But when Alicen starts hearing voices and seeing mysterious figures near the river in the woods, she begins to fear she’s completely lost her sanity, as it’s rumored her grandmother did. Or might there be more to Red Lodge than meets the eye? Could the voices and visions be real—and her only means of finding the healing she so desperately needs? Or will they prove to be her final undoing?
Hi Rachelle! Welcome to the blog!
Rachelle: Hard one: Apples with salt, because that is my go-to snack (no offense to oranges).
Carrie: That is my mom’s fave way to eat apples. Mine is with peanut butter, please 🙂
Rachelle: Summer! I hate the snow, and the cold, and being cold in the snow.
Carrie: haha! I hate the humidity and the heat and being hot in the humidity…
Rachelle: Cats—though I know this is sensitive for many people. I like the “Pet me, but only for 10 seconds, and then you won’t see me for the next 10 hours” thing they have going on.
Carrie: …which is exactly why i DON’T prefer cats 😉
Rachelle: Coffee, because it is my life force.
Carrie: LOL!
Q: Around here I like to say that reading is my superpower. If YOU had a superpower, what would it be?
Rachelle: Being invisible. I’m pretty introverted, so this would really come in handy.
Carrie: I totally agree!
Q: When you walk into a bookstore, where do you head first?
Rachelle: The young adult section, which is always growing! I started off writing YA myself and have made the transition to adult contemporary, but my heart will always be with YA. It’s just my favorite to read!
Carrie: There are so many fabulous YA books out there right now!
Q: Writing spaces are as diverse as authors and books. Where is your favorite space to write?
Rachelle: I have two: my home office, which is small and sacred. I really don’t like other people even going in there; it just feels like an invasion. Also Just Love, a coffee shop in Nashville that I LOVE. I do most of my editing there. They have the best vibes and the best people!
Carrie: ooo making a note to check out Just Love the next time i’m in Nashville. Uhh… I promise I’m not stalking you, but the coffee shop sounds cool lol.
Q: What inspired you to write When Through Deep Waters?
Rachelle: Red Lodge, Montana itself actually. I was there with a friend, visiting the tiny town, and immediately knew I wanted to place a story in this setting. It had an almost “forgotten” feel to it, and I couldn’t get my mind to stop running through the possibilities of what I could do there. Everything unfolded from that moment.
Carrie: i love that! i have visited places that just felt like they had a story in them – i’m glad a writer visited this one 🙂
Q: When Through Deep Waters represents a genre shift from your previous novels, the dystopian Seer series. What led you to pursue a new direction, writing psychological and supernatural suspense?
Rachelle: I always write for myself first. I’ve said I write because it’s the best way for me to learn. So the journey my characters take is always one I myself am exploring and trying to understand. As I grow my characters, themes will grow too. The “genre shift” wasn’t intentional. I just find a story — or better, a story finds me — and then I build a world around it, and in this case it felt suspenseful. It made more sense for the character and her journey of discovery in this setting. So I followed that leading.
Carrie: You gotta write the stories that find you ♥
Q: You have described When Through Deep Waters as “a story about identity” and a journey toward remembering that “you are the light of the world” (Matthew 5:14), which were also prevalent themes in the Seer series. Why are these themes important to you?
Rachelle: Because it’s the only journey that exists. We are often called to remember our identity in Christ. Our identity in love. Agape love. A perfect love. How often we all forget this. I forgot very often, and so I am constantly returning to the truth of Jesus in Matthew 5:14, and asking myself what that really means. What would it mean to be “the light of the world”? I can’t imagine I’ll ever stop writing about this, and I can’t imagine it will ever stop being connectable for readers.
Carrie: So true – amen.
Thank you so much for taking time to talk with me! 🙂 Before we say goodbye for today, tell us what‘s coming up next for you.
Rachelle: Well, I’m writing. I’m always writing, and waiting. Waiting for inspiration, for the spirit to bring me stories. But I don’t want to say too much about anything specific. You’ll just have to stick around to see what comes next.
Carrie: Looking forward to it!
Rachelle Dekker & Tyndale House are offering a signed copy of When Through Deep Waters to one of my readers! (US only) This giveaway is subject to Reading Is My SuperPower’s giveaway policies which can be found here. Enter via the Rafflecopter form below.
What about you? What interests you most about this book?
Hmm, what interests me about the book…the author!! I enjoy her books so much. I like a good mystery too and the hearing voices and seeing mysterious figures near the river is intriguing!
Thank you for sharing about the book. I can’t wait to read it, so here’s hoping…
Yay! Good luck, Anne! 🙂
I think what interests me most is the genre shift. I’ve heard her name related to YA which is not my thing. But the mystery suspense gets my attention.
Me too!
Rachelle is a new-to-me author. I don’t read much psychological/supernatural suspense but whenever I do, I always wonder why I don’t read more. Her theme of being a light unto the world is relevant in any genre.
Very true!
The mystery is the part that interests me most about this book.
Great!
When Through Deep Waters is a different genre than I normally read but one I’d love to explore by reading this book. It sounds like a great book and I love the mystery aspect of it.
Yes! Me too!
Wait! What? Apples with salt????
A new to me author so thank you for the introduction! Off to Goodreads to investigate!?
Hahaha I don’t like it either, Susan, but my mom loves it!
I’ve never heard of apples with salt. My dad used to eat watermelon with salt.
The coffee shop sounds lovely. Wonder if it’s alright to plan a vacation around visiting one coffee shop?? lol
My mom loves apples – and watermelon – with salt!
I loved Rachelle’s Seer books and I love everything her dad writes. I’m really looking forward to this one!
Yay!
Rachelle is a new author to me. I enjoyed the description of the book, sounds like a great read.
I agree!
I love mysteries and this one sounds so good!
Defintely!
Your book sounds intriguing! Thanks for the opportunity to enter a giveaway! Would enjoy winning a print copy of your book. Take care and God bless! Lual Krautter
Who are the mysterious voices and what happens. Sounds like a good read!
I think i would enjoy the Mystery! Thank you
This novel sounds captivating and compelling. A book which I could get lost within the pages.
Definitely
What interests me most about this book, besides the excellent reviews I’ve read, is that I have read all of Ted Dekker’s book, and I would like to see if I enjoy his daughter’s books as well.
Well, if I’m honest, just the premise of this book has me thinking it might scare the socks off me! =) But I’m always willing to try and see if it grabs me (not literally) 😉 This is the kind of book that my mom loves, so I’d always share with her!
Oh good!!! (And I’m laughing at the book grabbing you literally. That would scare me! Lol)
What interests me most about this book is the author! My husband is a HUGE Tedd Dekker fan and owns pretty much all of his books! I haven’t read any of Rachel’s book yet, but they are on my TBR list. I am anxious to see what this book is like as well. Thanks for the chance to win a copy! 🙂
Oh yay!!
I have been wanting to read her books but have not gotten around to it. I have read almost all of Ted Deckers books so of course I am curious to read Rachelles.
Oh I would love to read this – she had me at Montana! Seriously- love a good mystery and this one sounds like a page turner. I’d love to know what Really happens at Red Lodge! Thanks for the chance! *fingers and toes crossed!*
The author and genre is what interests me about this book. 🙂
I love the cover. The premise makes you feel like in combination with cover like you are drowning. I have read one of her other works and this looks like will be good read too.
Thank you Carrie!