Looking Out The Window: Reader's Favorite Award Winner Regina Andrews Talks About Her New Book, Act of Faith

A Warm Welcome to Regina Andrews

To read the first chapter of Act of Faith click on the First Chapter link below.

Hi Regina,

Tell us a little about Act of Faith.

First of all, thank you so much for hosting me on your wonderful blog! I am delighted to be here! It is so exciting to share Act of Faith with you and your readers.

It is available now in paperback and ebook form on Amazon. 

Act of Faith is actually book two in my Dunbar Falls series. The first book, In Good Faith, was released and received outstanding reviews. But I have deliberately written the series so that each book stands by itself and you do not have to read them in order. 

More good news! Right now I am working on book three in the series called Leap of Faith. I am planning to have that one ready to release in the spring. 

That's great, and it's my pleasure to host you! Lots of writers were avid readers as children. How about you? If so, tell us what you liked to read.

I used to love to read dot-dot-dot and my mother set aside time every day for us to read together. I know that is where my love of reading comes from. I associate reading with sharing, learning, and interacting. As an adult that may sound a bit odd, since reading is actually one of the most solitary activities. that an individual can undertake. But I think the memory of reading with my mother, (or actually listening to my mother read to me because we were doing this before I could even read)  is such a vivid and beautiful recollection, that even today I get that warm and fuzzy feeling when I read.

 As far as what did I read...I really loved the Trixie Belden series. This series was about a girl in a neighborhood who always seem to encounter curious situations and went about solving them with a couple of her neighborhood friends. One I remember in particular was Honey, and I remember that she had a horse.  I can remember thinking how cool it was that they were all investigating and figuring things out, and always in the end they found the answer that they needed. Today, I see it as a good example of teamwork and personal ingenuity!

Tell us a bit more about your book. What do you love about it? And what do you hope readers will tell others about it?

Thank you for this fantastic question! What I love about this book is the fact that the heroine is really at rock bottom, and literally, out-of-the-blue, Redemption comes to her.  In the course of the book she comes to realize that she wasn't really at rock-bottom at all --- she had just closed her eyes and narrowed her perspective to only see the hurt around her and blinded herself to the beauty that God had still given her. Her lack of sight leads her to risk losing her relationship with her son, as well as almost losing a second chance at love that God has literally dropped right in her lap.

In three words describe your style of writing.

Gnashing of teeth, sweating, and unbelievable exhilaration. No, seriously I would say inspiration, outlining, and re-re-re-re-revising!

Are you a plotter or a pantzer?

Absolutely a plotter. And interestingly, with this book, which I wrote during Covid and all the upheaval we were all going through, I was interrupted several times. So when I got back to it, I had to start from scratch and remember what I had done before. The plotting took me forever! Usually I can do the plotting in about a month because I've already done all my thinking ahead of time. But not for this one! Very “interesting” experience! :-)

 Does your faith affect your writing? If so, how?

Yes, absolutely. I find it very difficult to write anything that doesn't include the principle of Faith or a theme of Faith --- even if faith is gone.  I truly believe that if even one person feels peaceful, uplifted, inspired, or even happy after reading one of my books but the purpose God has set out for me has been fulfilled. That is the faith I have in God’s design.

About Act of Faith

Although it’s been nearly three years, nurse Alison Greene Rayburn is still unable to accept the death of her husband Michael. She remains true to his memory, even at the cost of her own happiness. Her pride and joy is their son Nate, who is now a young adult and eager to chart his own course in the world.

When daredevil and free-spirited bachelor Adam Carrier returns to Dunbar Falls to work on a project for his brother’s company, he rediscovers Alison, and the feelings he harbored for her in high school are rekindled. As they embark on a mission of good will to a tropical paradise plagued with disease, will Alison be able to let go of the past and let God guide her into the future? Can Adam finally settle down and find a place in her life, and are he and Nate prepared to accept one another?

And here is an interview that I arranged to have with the heroine of Act of Faith, Alison Greene Rayburn, in a coffee shop in Dunbar Falls.

Meet the Heroine of Act of Faith

RA: Today we are chatting with Alison Greene Rayburn, the heroine of Act of Faith,  Book 2 in the Dunbar. Romance series. Thank you for meeting with me, Alison.

AGR: It's my pleasure! Thank you very much for having me.

RA:  We are looking forward to getting to know you a little bit better. Could you tell us a little bit about yourself please?

AGR:  Sure! I grew up here in Dunbar Falls and I am a registered nurse at the Dunbar Falls Retirement Center. I live with my son Nate, and I was widowed nearly three years ago.

RA: What is your most recent project?

AGR:  Basically I work all the time. But something interesting just came up. Nate and I are actually going on a mission trip to Costa Rica. Our purpose is to find a rare plant that grows there and produces a serum that can be used to prevent blindness.

RA:  What a wonderful mission. Is it dangerous, or difficult?

AGR: The area we are going to is relatively safe, but it may be difficult to

find the plant in the lush environment.

RA: That does sound like it could be difficult.

AGR: But not impossible, right? God is with us, I know that.

RA: And who else will be on the mission?

AGR:  About a dozen or so members of our church family. Our guide on the trip will be Adam Carrier.  The company that his brother, Aaron, owns is sponsoring the trip.  He is dynamic and dedicated to finding this serum to help eradicate childhood blindness.  I am confident that we will be able to succeed, although our styles could not be any more different!

RA:  How so, Alison? I notice you’re chuckling a bit as you  say that about your differences.

AGR: Oh, yes. Adam and I are like salt and pepper! No, seriously, my life is centered on my son, Nate, and our home. And Adam...well, he’s a real daredevil. He travels the world doing incredibly dangerous rescue missions.

RA: Sounds very exciting!

AGR: It gives me chills - not my style at all! We are polar opposites. But as you can imagine, my son Nate thinks he is awesome.

RA: Well, look who just walked in. Hey, Adam! Want to join us?

AGR: Adam, this is a surprise! What brings you here? You’re smiling like the cat that ate the canary.

AC: Nice to see both of you, but I can’t stay. You’re close, Alison...but it wasn’t a canary --- a little bird told me you’d be heading back to work soon and I thought I’d walk over to the Center with you.

AGR: Well, that’s fine...is there something going on?

AC: As a matter of fact, I do have a question for you.

AGR: I’d better get going, then, Regina. Thank you for meeting with me.

RA: Thank you for your time, Alison, and have a great trip. I can’t wait to hear about your adventure!

AC: See you later, Regina.

As I watched them walk out together, I couldn't help but notice Alison's bright smile...or the twinkle in Adam’s eye when he looked at her. The chemistry between these two “polar opposites” was unmistakable...but was Alison aware of it, or where it might lead?

Buy Act of Faith in paperback and e-book Kindle formats on  Amazon

Read the First Chapter here

Bio: A resident of Providence, Rhode Island, Regina is inspired by the beauty of the natural world. Some of her hobbies include museums, theater, classical music, choral singing, and everything French. She is the author of The Sterling Lakes Series, Spotlight on Love, Destiny’s Designs, The Perfect Proposal, and In Good Faith, Book One of the Dunbar Falls Series, and Book Two, Act of Faith. She is currently working on Book Three of The Dunbar Falls Series, Leap of Faith. She is also in the process of finishing her two upcoming releases, Through Tomorrow's Door, and Book Two of the Designs of Life series, The Designs of Providence. 

Learn more about all of Regina's books and read more about her on her Website