Interview with Stephanie Landsem With #giveaway!

I'm so excited to introduce you to Biblical Fiction author, Stephanie Landsem. She is the author of The Living Water series, and the third book just came out YESTERDAY! 

Welcome Stephanie! Tell us a little bit about yourself.

I’m a wife, mother of four, and author of The Living Water Series. I love to travel, and am lucky that I’ve been able to see many parts of the world and have visited 4 continents. At home, I love to cook, especially new ethnic cuisines from places where I’ve traveled. When I can’t go to new places, I like to be outside hiking, taking walks, or even snowshoeing during our long Minnesota winters. If it’s too cold, my favorite place to be is inside, reading a good book with a cat in my lap.

What is your favorite time in History?

It will come as no surprise that I’m most drawn to ancient civilizations. In college, I studied a great deal of Greek and Roman history, and perhaps that why I love researching biblical times. There’s something about how people lived, worked, and raised families so long ago that fascinates me.

What was the most outstanding thing you learned while researching for this novel?

When I first began my research into Martha, Mary and Lazarus, I discovered something that changed my perspective on them completely.  I’d always envisioned Lazarus as an older man, maybe even elderly, but as I began to read about the family in Bethany, I discovered that most scholars believe that Martha was the oldest sibling in the family, that she was most likely not yet married, and that their father was no longer alive. Suddenly, Lazarus became a much younger character in my story: A young man, just reaching adulthood when he fell ill and died, making his death even more of a heartbreak for his older sisters. 

Please tell us about your book The Tomb.

I like to describe the Tomb, A Novel of Martha, as a surprising story of Martha, Mary, and Lazarus. As I say in an introductory letter at the front of the book:

The Tomb, A Novel of Martha is not an attempt to recount the historical events that took place in Bethany two thousand years ago. Instead, it is a re-imagining of how Martha, a woman who was “anxious and worried about many things,” might have been transformed into the faith-filled woman of John 11:22, who said to Jesus—as her brother lay in his tomb—“Even now I know that whatever you ask of God, God will give you.”

What do you want readers to take away from The Tomb?

We’ll never know Martha’s true story. Instead, I hope readers will understand her message: that no matter what sins and doubts haunt our pasts, we can lay our worries and anxieties at Jesus’ feet, and he will, in return, give us “the better part.”

How can readers find you on the internet?

Visit StephanieLandsem.com

Follow @StephLandsem on Twitter

Like Stephanie Landsem on Facebook

Stephanie has an amazing giveaway going on to celebrate her new release! Here's the link:

http://www.stephanielandsem.com/2015/03/blog-tour-giveaway/