Author Interview (and a Giveaway!): Carrie Turansky & No Ocean Too Wide

Please join me in welcoming one of my favorite people to the blog today to chat about her new book (that I’m super excited to read!) – No Ocean Too Wide!

Carrie Turansky is an award-winning author of inspirational romance novels set in Edwardian England and the US. Her latest is No Ocean Too Wide, which combines the enduring spirit of Anne of Green Gables with the charm of Downton Abbey. She loves weaving heartwarming tales about family, faith, and lasting love. Her novels have been translated into several foreign languages and enjoyed by readers around the world. Carrie loves connecting with reading friends on social media and through her website and blog: http://carrieturansky.com.

You can also connect with Carrie on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram and Twitter.

SERIES: McAlister Family #1
GENRE: Inspirational Historical Fiction
PUBLISHER: Multnomah
RELEASE DATE: June 25, 2019
PAGES: 368

Between the years of 1869 to 1939 more than 100,000 poor British children were sent across the ocean to Canada with the promise of a better life. Those who took them in to work as farm laborers or household servants were told they were orphans–but was that the truth?

After the tragic loss of their father, the McAlister family is living at the edge of the poorhouse in London in 1908, leaving their mother to scrape by for her three younger children, while oldest daughter, Laura, works on a large estate more than an hour away. When Edna McAlister falls gravely ill and is hospitalized, twins Katie and Garth and eight-year-old Grace are forced into an orphans’ home before Laura is notified about her family’s unfortunate turn of events in London. With hundreds of British children sent on ships to Canada, whether truly orphans or not, Laura knows she must act quickly. But finding her siblings and taking care of her family may cost her everything.

Andrew Fraser, a wealthy young British lawyer and heir to the estate where Laura is in service, discovers that this common practice of finding new homes for penniless children might not be all that it seems. Together Laura and Andrew form an unlikely partnership. Will they arrive in time? Will their friendship blossom into something more?

Inspired by true events, this moving novel follows Laura as she seeks to reunite her family and her siblings who, in their darkest hours, must cling to the words from Isaiah: “Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God”.

Hi dear Carrie! Welcome back to the blog!

Carrie T: I love warm weather and being able to sit outside in our backyard, listen to the birds, and take in the view. Being able to work in my flower gardens and enjoy a walk around the lake near our home are two more reasons I enjoy summer.

MeezCarrie: If I could have warmth and views and walks around the lake and flowers without humidity I might enjoy summer more …  😛

Carrie T: I’m definitely a tea girl. I have a new favorite flavor – Paris from Harney & Son’s Fine Tea. It’s delicious! But I still love Tazo Mint and Earl Grey with Lavender.

MeezCarrie: I am still trying very hard to find a tea i like to drink because I know it’s healthier for me than my usual Diet Coke. If I could just find a tea that didn’t taste like …well… tea. LOL.

Carrie T: I enjoy listening to praise and worship music, especially when I’m driving, but I also love listening to audio books when I’m working in the kitchen and walking.

MeezCarrie: Music when I’m in the car is a must!

Carrie T: I love holding a book in my hands, turning pages, and smelling the ink. But some books are only available as eBooks, so I do read some that way too. 

MeezCarrie: ebooks have made traveling so much easier for me! But i still prefer print 🙂

Q: Around here I like to say that reading is my superpower. If YOU had a superpower, what would it be?

Carrie T: My superpower is flower arranging. When I’m working with flowers time seems to slow down. I love mixing colors and textures to create something beautiful to enjoy or share with someone I love. I’ve arranged flowers for a few weddings and a lot of special events at my church. It’s a fun way to share my love for color and creativity.

MeezCarrie: oh i love that!! Flowers (arranging or growing) are not my superpower at. all. haha!

Q: Which books are “on your nightstand”?

Carrie T: I have several books on my nightstand that I’m looking forward to reading:  The Medallion by Cathy Gohlke, Far Side of the Sea by Kate Breslin, Ever Faithful, by Karen Barnett, and The King’s Mercy by Lori Benton.

MeezCarrie: Add in No Ocean Too Wide & your nightstand looks an awful lot like mine 😉

Q: If I sneaked a peek in your purse right now (which I would never do, I promise!), what would it tell me about you?

Carrie T: You’d find that I’m pretty organized, thrifty, and I like to be prepared. I have a section for coupons and another section with bookmarks and postcards of my books. I have makeup, medications, tissues, and tea in a zipper case, and of course I have my wallet. I just picked up my purse today and told myself it’s too heavy . . . so that means time to clean it out and reorganize!

MeezCarrie: When that happens to me it usually means I need to clean out some books LOL. (And I love that you carry tea with you!)

Q: Which character in No Ocean Too Wide was the most difficult to write?

Carrie T: The character who was the most challenging to write in No Ocean Too Wide was the hero, Andrew Frasier. He is a young solicitor who comes from a wealthy background and when the story begins he and his mother are supporters of child emigration—sending poor and orphaned children from England to Canada as indentured workers. After doing the research for the story, I held the opposite view, as does my heroine. So that made it a challenge to step into Andrew’s shoes and try to imagine why some people, including many well-meaning Christians, believed child emigration was the best answer for these children. Writing from Andrew’s point of view helped me understand how much society’s view of children and what is best for them has changed over time. And I’m so glad it has!

MeezCarrie: This makes me even more eager to read this book – I can’t wait to see Andrew’s perspective, especially as the hero of the story when his views differ from mine! Character growth in heroes is my fave 🙂

Q: Did you have the whole plot outlined before you started writing No Ocean Too Wide, or did you let the characters dictate what came next?

Carrie T: Before I start writing I create an outline of the story with goals for my characters, and a general idea about the beginning, middle and ending of the novel. But I like to keep some of the story open for discovery as I write. No Ocean Too Wide required quite a bit of research and is based on actual events, and that helped shape the story in my mind. I wanted readers to understand what it would be like for a family to be torn apart by hardship, and then for some of the children to be sent across the Atlantic as British Home Children. What would the impact be on each one? How would they cope? And how far would they go to be reunited?

MeezCarrie: Have i mentioned how much I can’t wait to read this book??

Q: What do you most want readers to take away from No Ocean Too Wide?

Carrie T: I hope readers will think about the needs of orphaned and abandoned children and families in crisis and want to do what they can to help them. Perhaps they’ll want to become foster or adoptive parents, or reach out to help a family in crisis by providing short-term or long-term help. Several years ago we became foster parents and eventually adopted our two youngest daughters, and they have been a great blessing in our family. We’ve also shared our home with two families in crisis for extended periods of time, and we were stretched and blessed by those experiences. When we put our faith in action to help those in need God’s love shines through and that can have an impact on us and many others.

Carrie: Yes!! 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.

Carrie T: I’m working on the second McAlister Family Novel, Follow Me Home (this is the working title which will probably change). In the first book, No Ocean Too Wide, we learn what happens to the twins, Katie and Garth McAlister, and in this second book, which is set ten years later, we will learn what happens to the youngest daughter Grace and follow Garth’s story when he return to Canada to search for his sister. It has been a fascinating journey to learn about British Home Children, and a real joy to connect with their descendants in Canada and England. If you’d like to learn more about British Home Children visit this website: https://www.britishhomechildren.com/

Carrie: I am so fascinated by this history!

WaterBrook Multnomah is offering a print copy of No Ocean Too Wide 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.

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What about you? What interests you most about this book?