About the Book

Book: Journey to Joy

Author: Anne Perrault

Genre: Christian Historical Romance

Release date: April 23, 2019

Can she find joy where there has only been defeat and dishonor?

Tricked into indentured servitude, Joy Richards finds herself working for an abusive innkeeper. Her life is so destitute, she feels God has forsaken her. After one last desperate cry to God, a kind stranger steps in to take her away.

Can she trust this new circumstance?

Andrew Lloyd-Foxx abhors injustice. He can’t walk away from it. When he steps in on the young woman’s behalf, his own life is turned upside down. Burdened with his own loss, he has no room for anyone else.

Will the journey prove too difficult?

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About the Author

Anne Perreault was born and raised in Germany. By the time she was 14 years old, her family moved to Dubai, UAE. While living in this exotic place, she traveled extensively to various countries around the world. After graduating from an American boarding school in Austria, she attended college in England, where she met her husband. She graduated from New England College with a degree in biology, and settled down in Connecticut. Anne became a horseback riding instructor as well as a certified therapeutic riding instructor. She and a group of friends started a therapeutic riding center in Bristol, CT. During that time, Anne also received a masters degree in secondary education and began to homeschool her three children. While raising their three children, she began to write an inspirational story primarily for her daughter. Anne, her husband, and two of their grown children now reside in Southern Vermont, where they are building their home. Besides writing, Anne enjoys reading, spending time with her husband, grown children, and grand-dogger.

More from Anne

This book came about when my youngest son and I were studying the second awakening and some of the preachers that started to talk about abolition. I was fascinated by their passion and could see myself in the crowd, listening to them preach.

At the same time, I was probably reading a historical fiction, possibly by Tamera Alexander, and she included horses. I think it was the Bell Meade series. I thought to myself, Myself, you love history more than anything else. Why don’t you write a historical fiction and include horses?

Talk about catching two stones with one bird. Believe it or not, even though I spent most of my life on or around horses, taught horseback riding for about 15 years, competed very extensively in both dressage and equitation, and owned an off-the-track racehorse, my knowledge of racing was… limited.

But I know horses. And I love history. And, research is fun.

So, I thought back to which book had a ton of influence on me, a book that highlighted racehorses. King of the Wind, by Marguerite Henry popped into my mind immediately. I have a very special love of the Arabian horse and boy if there was ever a story, I would want to tell something like that one.

I began researching how and when and why and who imported the Godolphin Arabian to the United States and… I found out some amazing things not just about the Thoroughbreds, who greatly benefited from the influence of the Godolphin Arabian – as he came to be known – but also our very own Quarter Horses. Did you know that the reason they are called Quarter Horses is because they have incredible speed over the quarter mile. That was news to me. The first place to make a home for the Godolphin in this country was in the South, at Fenwick Park. I researched that place and the story started to come together.

I had the horses. I wanted to place the story in New England, since I live there. I had the place, pictured what it would look like, but the characters were still illusive. Abolition had to be part of the story. So, what if one of them was a slave? That didn’t quite fit history well. But what if one of them was an indentured servant?

Bada-bing bada-bang. Hello, my friends. The characters just jumped out at me and I enjoyed watching them scramble around in their relationship with each other, as well as the relationship with those around them. This book really has an amazing supporting cast of characters. I never imagined them to be so… fun.

I hope you enjoy this peek inside an author’s head. Enjoy Journey for Joy as much as I loved writing it.

Mindy Houng’s Q&A with Anne Perreault

What does success as an author look like to you?

I don’t look at success in terms of money. For me, it’s when readers are reading my books and come back for more. It’s when they tell me how much they were touched by the story. It’s the one heart that is changed that matters the most. I’m just an instrument of God reaching out to people. I’m his fingers, typing.

Which character did you connect best with in this book?

I loved Joy right away. Her fears and concerns were very real to me. I identified with her love of horses. Really, all these characters are a part of me. Mrs. Lloyd-Foxx might be stern and aloof when we meet her, but she’s such a kindhearted woman, I really enjoyed getting to know her. Andrew really touched my heart. I enjoyed watching him grow from the man he was into the man he became.

Which part of the book was difficult to write?

The scene I had the most trouble with was the part when they return to CT. I couldn’t picture the road and I had a lot of trouble with visualizing the surroundings when I did my research. I liked that part, as I felt it was an important moment to move their relationship forward, but it was hard to write.

What inspired this book?

My youngest and I were studying abolition and the second awakening, looking at those that were the forerunners of the abolition movement later on. I was intrigued by it so much that I wanted to write something in that period of time. I don’t like war. I didn’t want it to become a war story. And we forget that there was a period of time before the Civil War. Also, I love Arabian horses and most of my books have to have at least one horse in them. I decided that I wanted to write about the Godolphin Arabian and horse racing.

What are you reading right now?

I have had a few days when I needed to step back from my own writing and marketing and so I’ve been reading up a storm. I just finished a book by a new-to-me author Tari Faris. I know Tari through the online writing academy I take part in and I was interested in her books. I finished Until I met you in a few days and had to have more of her books. I finished a novella by her on my kindle and I’m now listening to You belong to me on audio. I’m also reading Tamara Leigh’s newest book, Boundless. She’s an author who has inspired me and encouraged me greatly. I love her beautiful language.

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