Bonnie Leon is the author of twenty-one novels, including the recently released To Dance With Dolphins, the popular Alaskan Skies and bestselling The Journey of Eleven Moons.
Bonnie’s books are being read internationally and she hears from readers in Australia, Europe, and even Africa.
She enjoys speaking for women’s groups and teaching at writing seminars and conventions and especially delights in mentoring young authors. These days, her time is filled with writing, being a grandmother and relishing precious time with her aged mother.
Bonnie and her husband, Greg, live in Southern Oregon. They have three grown children and seven grandchildren.
Overcoming Obstacles
Book two of the Northern Lights series, In the Land of White Nights, is the continuing story of Erik, a Civil War veteran, and Anna, an Aleut woman who lost everything she held dear. They set out to make a new beginning in Southeast Alaska.
Anna grew up in a remote village and knew outsiders were not to be trusted, but now she is the outsider. As she fights to make a place for herself in the white man’s world she faces prejudice and unwarranted hate. If she’s going to find peace it must begin with forgiveness.
I have native blood in me, but most cannot see it when they look at me. My mother knows well what it means to grow up in a white Alaska as a native. It wasn’t easy and even now the sorrow she experienced then sometimes stirs up tears in her. And even though I did not experience prejudice because of my native heritage I empathize with the struggle many experience.
A speech impediment doesn’t sound like a big deal, but it was for me. As a child, the response from others when I’d try to communicate left deep wounds. I’d try to make myself understood, but couldn’t do it. My efforts were met by jeers and meanness. One by one the kids turned away from me. Like Anna, I was different. My mother says I’d try hard to communicate. I’d repeat what I was saying again and again until I was yelling. But who wanted to listen to someone yell gibberish at them?
It took two years of speech therapy to cure my speaking difficulties, but another twenty to heal my wounded heart. And sometimes, even today, I get hurt without clear cause and I can trace the pain back to the days when I was an outcast.
In those days I felt useless, but God had plans for me. Surprisingly one of those plans included public speaking. Not only do I speak for various groups, but I love doing it. Who would have guessed?
God knew.
How great is He—great beyond our understanding. He can do more with our lives than we can dream or even imagine.
I love the verse Jeremiah 29:11 – “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not too harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.”
When I was a wounded little girl I had no concept of what God would do with my life. I couldn’t imagine that He’d bind up my broken heart and teach me to trust Him. He knew what lay ahead for me. What an amazing thing He has done.
He has a plan for your life too. Trust Him. Keep walking your path and be amazed at how great is our Lord.
More about In the Land of White Nights:
The lure of the nineteenth-century gold rush calls to Erik, a civil-war veteran. He and Anna, his Aleutian bride, set sail for a new life together in Sitka.
Anna stands strong against the adversities of the new land with its unfamiliar culture and fearsome challenges. She fights her fears and the prejudice of others, while growing her newfound faith in the white man’s God.
When forced to move farther north and begin again, Anna refuses to give up, allowing nothing to stand in the way of her family’s happiness. They discover joy as well as heartache in the Alaskan wilderness. But will Erik’s love of gold put all they’ve worked so hard for in jeopardy?
You can find Bonnie at:
https://www.bonnieleon.com
https://www.facebook.com/BonnieLeonAuthor
https://www.bonnieleon.blogspot.com
https://www.@bonnie_leon
https://www.pinterest.com/bonnieleon/
Thanks for joining us, Bonnie.
Happy reading,
