A Christmas Promise and Soldier’s Heart by Tamera Lynn Kraft
Tamera Lynn Kraft has always loved adventures. She loves to write historical fiction because there are so many stories in history. Soldier’s Heart and A Christmas Promise are her first published works. Tamera has recently celebrated her thirty-fourth anniversary with her loving husband, Rick. She has two grown and married children and two grandchildren.
Tamera has been a children’s pastor for over 20 years. She is the leader of a ministry called Revival Fire For Kids where she mentors other children’s leaders, teaches workshops, and is a children’s ministry consultant and children’s evangelist. She is also a writer and has curriculum published including Kid Konnection 5: Kids Entering the Presence of God published by Pathway Press and Revival Fire for Kids Curriculum.
She is a recipient of the 2007 National Children’s Leaders Association Shepherd’s Cup for lifetime achievement in children’s ministry.
Tamera, your Christmas story, A Christmas Promise (Christmas Holiday Extravaganza) is now available to readers. What gave you the idea to set the story in Ohio, 1773, with a husband-wife team of Morovian missionaries as the main characters?
I wanted to write a story about a pioneer Christmas, so I looked on the Internet to find early settlements in Ohio around where I live. The earliest settlement was Schoenbrunn with Moravian missionaries. When I found out that many of our Christmas traditions came from the Moravians, the story started developing.
What are the biggest problems these characters face?
Anna’s biggest problems are worry and fear. After her son died young from an accident, she lets her fear that something bad will happen get the best of her. When her husband puts himself in danger without telling her the truth, it causes her to worry even more. John’s biggest problem is avoiding Anna’s problem by lying about the dangers he faces from hostile natives.
What is the most important lesson readers should take away with them after they read this Christmas story?
Jesus promised He will always be with us no matter what we face. At His birth, He was called Emmanuel, God with us. That’s what the Christmas story is about. God came to Earth with a promise to be with us always.
Your story, Soldier’s Heart is Volume 13 in Murray Pura’s American Civil War Series Cry of Freedom. The main character is a Civil War veteran who returns to his sweetheart. He suffers from what we of this generation would call Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Why did you decide to have a main character with PTSD?
I studied the Ohio Seventh Regiment for another story and wanted to write a story about the difficulties these men faced. It just made sense to have the main character suffer from PTSD.
Thanks for stopping by, Tamera. Where can readers find you if they want more information?
Word Sharpeners Blog: http://tameralynnkraft.com
If you suffer from PTSD, or know someone who does, what do you or they do to reduce the impact of this disorder on daily life?
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