Looking Out The Window: Lillian Duncan Talks About Puzzle House, Her New Book. Shares A Link To Enter Her Giveaway

A Warm Welcome to Lillian Duncan 

To celebrate the release of Puzzle House, Lillian’s having a very special giveaway on her blog, Tiaras & Tennis Shoes. Leave a comment on one of her Puzzle House posts and you’re entered to win.


Hi Lillian, tell us a little about yourself.

My husband and I live in a small town in Ohio. I mean small—we only have 1 traffic light. I grew up in the area, but moved to the big city of Cleveland for many years. Like Dorothy, I love being home again.

What is your favorite genre to read? To write? 

Mostly I read and write Christian mystery and suspense with a little horror thrown in. Puzzle House is a complete departure from what I usually write. I would simply classify it as Christian Fiction, like the book War Room.

Tell us about Puzzle House. 

I call it the book I never wanted to write!

Really? Can you explain that?

Early on in the story, the main character (Rachel Summers) discovers she has brain tumors due to a genetic condition called Neurofibromatosis Type 2 (NF 2).

Neuro…what?

That’s exactly what I said when I was diagnosed with NF 2 and bilateral brain tumors in 2012. Don’t gasp! The tumors are almost always non-cancerous but as I like to say that hasn’t stopped them from wreaking havoc on my health and my life.

And that is why I say Puzzle House is the book I never wanted to write. I would never have written it if I hadn’t developed the brain tumors. But I do have NF 2 and the brain tumors and Puzzle House is one of the good things that’s come from it.

What inspired you to write this novel in particular?

I wanted to show that even when you have a serious chronic illness, God can use you to help others.

What is Neurofibromatosis Type 2 (NF2)?

It’s a rare genetic disease that allows tumors to grow anywhere there are nerves, but most people with NF2 develop brain tumors, which I did. The tumors affect both your hearing and your balance which can affect your health in significant ways. It’s been a difficult journey but God is good. There’s a lot I can’t do these days because of the brain tumors, but I can still write!

It's wonderful that you're writing. Tell us a bit about the main characters in your new book.

Rachel Summers was all about Rachel Summers until the day she crashed into a semi-truck. While in a coma she has a very special visitor that asks a very special question. Do you want to be healed or to be a healer? Her answer changes the course of her life as well as many others.

What’s the setting for Puzzle House? 

It starts out in the icy cold city of Cleveland, Ohio but moves on to the warmth of Georgia.

What do you want readers to take away from Puzzle House?

That God can and does still do miracles but the miracle we want isn’t always the miracle we need and God knows the difference.

What are you working on now?

I’m working on a sequel to Puzzle House. It’s called The David Years and without giving too much of the plot of Puzzle House away, it follows one of the characters you meet in Puzzle House.

About Puzzle House

Life isn't a box of candy—it's a puzzle! Rachel Summers is all about Rachel Summers...until the day she crashes headlong into a semi-truck. As her life hangs in the balance, she has a visitor who asks a very simple question.Does she want to be healed or to be a healer?She makes her choice, but the journey doesn't go quite the way she expected. And so Rachel now runs The Puzzle House. Every guest is different and yet the same. They all come to the Puzzle House for one reason and one reason only—to be healed. Sometimes they receive their miracle, and sometimes they discover there's more than one kind of healing.Nia is a fifteen-year-old African-American girl who is dying. The doctors have told her there is nothing else to be done. No more treatments. No more hope. No more life. And she's angry about that. Very angry. Against her wishes, Nia's aunt brings her to The Puzzle House.Together, Nia and Rachel will take a journey that will change both their lives.

Buy on Amazon

Bio:
Lillian Duncan…Stories of faith mingled… with murder & mayhem.

Lillian is a multi-published author who lives in the middle of Ohio Amish country with her husband and a menagerie of pets. After more than 30 years working as a speech pathologist for children, she believes in the power of words to transform lives, especially God’s Word.

Lillian writes the types of books she loves to read—fast-paced suspense with a touch of romance that demonstrates God’s love for all of us. To learn more about Lillian, visit her website, blog, devotional blog, Facebook and Twitter  @LillianDuncan.