by Robin Jones Gunn
I’ve been to Kenya twice. Memories of lavish Africa lingered in my mind for years. I could see it as a location for a novel but the characters and plot remained fuzzy. Then a social media post changed everything.
We’re often told as writers that a good way to engage readers is to ask questions. So, I asked what sort of novel I should write next. Over 1,000 followers said, “Another Sisterchicks novel.” It had been twenty years since I released the first Sisterchicks story, and I thought that era had passed. One of the eight books won a Christy Award and another one was a Christy nominee. The stories focused on friendship, travel and discovering that God and His creation are more amazing than we realize.
I read all the comments about how the premise for that series still resonated and met a need for those who wanted to read something other than a romance or a historical novel. As with every book I write, I prayed about it and journaled in order to capture the ideas floating on the surface of my imagination.
An editor at Revell Publishers happened to see the post and the comments. She reached out to my agent, and the wheels were put in motion for the Suitcase Sisters Collection. What a thrill to start writing another series of standalone novels set in different locations around the world!
I knew I had to start with Africa. As I wrote, I struggled to find the right words to describe that unique corner of the globe that still held a piece of my heart. I scattered photos of my safari and Mount Kenya across my screen and smiled as I remembered that place of gentle mysteries, stampeding wildebeests, emerald tea fields and elegant giraffes. The writing hours flew by. I felt a sweet camaraderie and delight when the two close friends in the story helped each other resolve the weighty issues they brought with them on their safari.
As I wrote, I realized that my intrigue with Africa started when I was in college. I truly thought the best way I could serve the Lord fully was to become a missionary. I wanted to go to some tucked away country, like Africa, and tell people how much God loved them. When my application to serve as a “laundry supervisor” in Kenya was rejected because I “lacked the qualifications,” I was embarrassed. Maybe I’d been too ambitious in my prayers. I must have misunderstood the nudges toward the mission field that never left my thoughts. The only thing I could do with ease was tell stories and teach Sunday school.
When I told the girls in my Sunday school class that I was concerned about the kinds of novels they were reading, they convinced me to write a novel for them and even promised to help tell me everything I did wrong. They turned out to be very good at that.
After two years of writing and rewriting, followed by ten rejection letters from publishers, the first Christy Miller book was accepted for publication. A series began and there are now 45 books about the characters from age 14 in the first book, to age 34 in the last book, Being Known. As the years went on, I wrote other series, as well as non-fiction, devotions, novellas, gift books and children's books.
Along the way, I met a writer from Kenya who had read my books when she was a teen. I told her I was still sad about being turned down as a Laundry Supervisor in Nairobi. After she stopped laughing, she said, “Robin, you did not need to come to Africa to wash our laundry. You sent your stories and they washed our hearts.”
That’s when I realized my passion for the mission field was a true vision. However, the books were the ones who became the missionaries. They travel all over the world. They speak several languages. They tell young hearts how much God loves them.
When the day came for me to finally go to Africa, I visited my friend at her home in Nairobi. She teased me by handing me a big basket and said, “I want to participate in God’s will for your life, so you can wash my laundry!”
The next day she and I journeyed to a lodge on the slopes of Mount Kenya. We stayed in a hotel built in the treetops. From the window of our room, we could look down on the watering hole where the animals came in the evening. The hotel offered teatime refreshments on the observation deck. We tossed our scarves around our necks, took our seats on the top deck where we had an excellent view of the watering hole and had tea with elephants.
In the back of my mind, I knew that would be the title of a book one day.
I’m so glad that day has come. I’m so grateful for the kind nudges I received in response to my social media post. I’m also grateful for a publisher that supports contemporary women’s fiction. And most of all, I can’t wait to share Tea with Elephants with the beautiful readers who assured me they needed to hear a story about friendships, intriguing global locations and trusting God for what’s next in their lives. This story and this new series are for you, from my heart.
About the Author
Robin Jones Gunn is the bestselling author of over 100 books with several award-winning fiction series including the timeless Christy Miller, Glenbrooke and Sisterchicks® novels. Her newest series is the Suitcase Sisters. Four Hallmark Christmas movies were created from her Father Christmas and Glenbrooke novels. Robin’s popular nonfiction includes her memoir, Victim of Grace, along with Praying for Your Future Husband co-authored with Tricia Goyer. She also has ten giftbooks and devotionals published along with fourteen children’s books and fifty articles. Sales of her diverse collection of books top six million copies.
About the Book
Ever since they met as teenagers volunteering at a conference center in Costa Rica 20 years ago, Fern Espinoza and Lily Graden have shared a close friendship, even though they live in different states. They can hardly believe it when their teen dream of traveling to Africa together becomes a reality. It's the trip of a lifetime—but life sure isn't what they thought it would be back when they were young.
Did You Know?
Does your family decorate gingerbread houses at Christmas each year? The popularity of gingerbread houses for the holiday season is astounding with gingerbread decorating competitions held all over the United States and in many other countries as well. How much do you know about the art of gingerbread house making?
Gingerbread house baking originated in Germany many years ago. The original idea was sparked by bakers’ interpretations of the fairy tale, Hansel and Gretel. In the story, the young siblings come upon a house made of bread and covered with sweets and treats and candies.
Gingerbread houses have become synonymous with the Christmas season because of old-fashioned gingersnap cookies that were typically baked around the holidays at Christmas.
A National Gingerbread Baking competition has taken place for over thirty years in Asheville, North Carolina. Many famous chefs, bakers, and judges take part in the competition. Competitors start baking their entries months in advance. Then they have to transport them from wherever they live to North Carolina and hope they don’t fall apart in transit. The rules state that every piece of the decorated house must be made with edible materials.
Decorating gingerbread houses is a fun tradition that many families take part in every year. Time spent around the dining room table with the seasonal smells of ginger and cloves and cinnamon combined with sugary sweet treats and candies creates lasting family memories. Will your family create a gingerbread masterpiece this year?
-Julie Lavender, A Gingerbread House
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