A STRAY DROP OF BLOOD

Allow me to introduce a writer who has passion: ROSEANNA WHITE. A Stray Drop of Blood has been close to Roseanna's heart since she was fifteen. Writers should write what they're passionate about, not just for the market. You see, passion shows. When a reader picks up a book written from the heart, they see, hear, feel, touch and taste the believability of the characters, the intricacies of the setting, the depth of the story. What the writer puts down on the page becomes an intimate part of the reader. And that's how Roseanna writes!

The following review for A Stray Drop of Blood took my breath away. After reading this, tell me this author wasn't touched by Roseanna's passion.

"Haunting and powerful are two words that come to mind at the close of reading Roseanna M. White’s debut novel, A Stray Drop of Blood. Not since Francine Rivers’ Mark of the Lion trilogy has a book and its characters captured me so completely. From its rich, historical prose that depicts the era of Christ with startling reality, to a compelling love story that will both jolt and seize your heart, this is one of those rare novels that haunts you centuries beyond the last page. Amid the seething unrest of Roman tyranny and Hebrew uprising, a spell-binding saga unfolds, unleashing startling twists of both fate and heart that will leave you utterly breathless." ~Julie Lessman, author of A Passion Most Pure

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Beautiful is a dangerous thing to be when one is unprotected.

For seven years, Abigail has been a slave in the visibullis house. With a Hebrew mistress and a Roman master, she has always been more family than servant . . . until their son returns to Jerusalem after his years in Rome. Within a few months Jason has taken her to his bed and turned her world upsidedown. Maybe, given time, she can come to love him as he says he loves her. But how does she open her heart to the man who ruined her?

Israel's unrest finds a home in her bosom, but their rebellion tears apart her world. Death descends with Barabbas's sword, and Abigail is determined to be there when the criminal is punished. But when she ventures to the trial, Barabbas is not the one the crowd calls to crucify. Instead, it is the teacher her master and Jason had begun to follow, the man from Nazareth that some call the Son of God . . .

Born free, made a slave, married out of her bonds, Abigail never knows freedom until she feels the fire of a stray drop of blood from a Jewish carpenter. Disowned by Israel, despised by Rome, desired by all, she never knows love until she receives the smile of a stoic Roman noble.

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Roseanna, thank you so much for joining us! So, tell us, what do you want readers to walk away with after reading A Stray Drop of Blood?

In a story as complex as this one, there are a lot of different things readers can take away–and one of the major blessings thus far has been hearing how each reader focuses on the aspects that touch them most. Some comment on the spiritual themes, others on the intellectualism, others on the romance, or the history. All of those are elements I put much thought and prayer into, so this feedback is so edifying.

More than any of that, though, I hope that readers of A Stray Drop of Blood walk away with a deeper understanding of the sacrifice Jesus made for them, of the power in the blood he shed–and of their own faith. As I wrote this book, I had to question my beliefs so that I could get at the foundation of them. I had to read the accounts in the Gospels as if I’d never heard them before, as a skeptic. Doing that made it real to me–not just a story I’d been raised on, but one that I could explore on so many levels.

And that’s what I hope my novel helps readers do too: to look at a familiar story from a new perspective. To look inside themselves, into the depths of their heart, where their faith springs up. I hope they get so immersed in the time, in the culture, in the unchanging heart of humanity that they’re struck anew by the amazing events that have become the cornerstone of Christianity. I hope they run smack into the reminder of how awesome is our God.

Like me, I hope they question . . . and that the answers bring them closer to the Lord.

Roseanna, thank you so much for those wise words. Yes, we should always question what we're told or what we think we remember. That's what the Bereans did, and because of their daily search through scriptures, they were called "noble" (Acts 17:11).

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If you would like to enter your name in a drawing to win a free signed copy of A Stray Drop of Blood, be sure to leave a comment with your email address typed like so: sandirog7[at]aol[dot]com.

The winner will be announced on Friday. Good luck to those who enter!