About the Book

Book: Dove Strong

Author: Erin Lorence

Genre: Christian YA

Dove Strong loves God. She loves standing chin up and fists clenched when facing Satan’s attacks. But there’s one thing she doesn’t love—other people. So when this spiritually-gifted, antisocial teenager is chosen to join other believers in a trek across Satan’s territory, rattlesnakes and evil-intentioned Heathen aren’t her biggest challenges.

But failure isn’t an option. In a month, the Christian Councils will decide the Reclaim, a vote on whether there’ll be a war between Christ’s followers and Satan’s to take back America. It is up to Dove, God’s messenger for peace, to reach her Council in time. Because if she doesn’t, things could get bloody.

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About the Author

Erin Lorence grew up in rainy Western Washington, an avid reader and the daughter of a published nonfiction author. She attended Washington State University (WSU) where she met and married her husband, Brian. Together, they recently moved to Apex, North Carolina with their two amazing daughters (who also love to read) and their beagle Charlie (who doesn’t read). Her lifelong love of literature, her gratitude to God, and her enjoyment of hiking in Central Oregon all inspired her to write the Dove Strong Trilogy. Visit her at: www.erinlorence.com.

More from Erin

I politely smile and keep what I really think inside. But my main character, Dove Strong, doesn’t. She blasts people with the full force of her words. Sometimes Dove’s words sting…but she’s never merely polite or hum-drum boring.

I secretly hug the random and ridiculous moments of life to myself, preserving my appearance of normalcy. But when I write, the true ‘uncool’ me escapes. It is responsible for the caterpillar dangling from a character’s nostril as well as for the little sister who won’t stop harping on about her precious bag of chips.

I write to escape and to help others escape. I write to laugh and make readers smile. I write so ‘the lost’ will wake to find that they crave an intimate relationship with The One who loves them most.

This is why I write. And that is why I wrote Dove Strong.

Mindy Houng’s Q&A with Erin Lorence

Which character did you connect to best in this book?

Unfortunately, I connect best to one of my wimpiest characters, Melody, Dove’s sidekick. I struggle with anxiety, and Melody is me at my worst moments. She apologizes often and unnecessarily. She’s eager to follow instead of lead. On the flip side, Dove is me at my strongest—when I shoulder responsibility, wave aside the what-ifs, and stride forward with absolute faith that God leads.

What inspired this book?

It was the last day of a year-long Bible study of Genesis. I sat listening to the wise speaker, reflecting on how awesome it is to be chosen by God. And how sometimes it is downright scary and difficult. Just look at Joseph’s life in Genesis! The speaker’s podium held an engraving of vegetation. Some parts of the etched leaves looked as if they were hiding down low, and other leaves reached tall toward the sky. I reflected on what kind of Christian I would be if the world was against Christians in the dramatic way it had been at times long ago when the Bible was written. Would I be the kind of Christian who hides safely below ground or the kind that ventures out boldly, reaching high and calling out truths? In that moment, the premise for Dove Strong took shape.

Which author influenced you the most?

My mom is the author who has definitely influenced me the most. Although she wrote nonfiction, and I write fiction, when I was a child, she often voiced her encouragement that I would someday be an author. She introduced me to amazing literature, and she used tough love to hold me accountable to a high standard of writing. My mom was the ideal role model of what an author should be. She wrote on topics she loved and always finished with a product that was award-worthy. At her memorial in February 2018, I was able to display almost 40 of her published books. She is still such an inspiration! Miss you, Mom.

What are you reading right now?

I have a problem. Once I begin a book, I can’t stop reading. And this week, I’m studying for an exam in my Master’s Program to become a teacher, so I decided I wouldn’t allow myself to read for fun. I would only read to study. I was doing so well—I didn’t check out any new books from the library when I took my daughters. Then suddenly I spied a Mrs. Piggle Wiggle book in my daughter’s bedroom that I hadn’t yet read—Happy Birthday, Mrs. Piggle Wiggle! Long story short, I have now read all the Mrs. Piggle Wiggle books.

What is your most well-loved and well-used house appliance?

Having lived without electric power for five days after a recent and difficult move to North Carolina, I have rediscovered my joy and love of all my household appliances. A working fridge is my family’s most important appliance—keeping our milk cold in a bucket of ice was a pain. But my most loved appliance would have to be our oven. To me, home is family gathering around the oven-baked lasagna or turkey or meatloaf on the dinner table. Home is the cozy smell of cookies in the oven wafting through the rooms. I really love my oven!

Thank you Erin, for letting us get to know you better!