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A Spirit Quest
Innocence Derailed follows a young woman from her mid-teens to adulthood on a journey of self-discovery in a time when everything was changing for women. Based on facets of your own life, why was this an important story for you to write?
I was a teenager in a rural town in Oregon during the Vietnam War and in the beginning of the marijuana and psychedelic drug scene. It was also in my generation that young girls suddenly had access to the pill –making them sexually liberated and equal to men. To capture that tumultuous time, I wrote this book based on a true story (my own) but in third-person so it would read like a novel. What resulted was a coming-of-age romance novel, a spirit quest, in a grand adventure story. I’ve had much praise from women of all ages and men too, for its raw and real authenticity and I wanted to get people thinking how their lives can change if they seek a spiritual connection of love and integrity.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
The novel vividly descrives innocent first love and sex, unwanted pregnancy, miscarriage, and a breakup after being pressured to have an ‘open relationship.’ The protagonist seeks revenge for being cast aside and joins the hippie scene. She goes on an acid trip, survives gale force winds on a sailing ship, rescues a friend who overdoses, and gets lost deep in a jungle cave only to contract a dreadful lung disease. She has hitchhiking adventures from Mexico to Canada all while being called to grow in spiritual maturity.
What is one thing that you hope the reader takes away from Innocence Derailed?
I hope readers consider listening to that small voice in their conscience because it may be God who is quietly offering guidance and love!
What is the next book in the Spirit Quest series that you are working on and when will it be available?
The next book is the series is titled Purity Found and will be available in the fall of this year!
Author Links: GoodReads | Twitter | Facebook | Website
Fifteen-year-old Kate gives her virginity away in glorious romantic innocence. She maps out a perfect life for herself – untilthe rose-colored glasses have to come off and grown-up trials engulf her. After questioning everything she’s learned about God and love, Kate contemplates suicide on a foggy cliff one night but then chooses to ride the 1970 hippie currents of free love and rebellion instead.
While the guys in her class are drafted into the violence of the Vietnam War, she too flees her country for grand adventures from Mexico to Canada. On this turbulent path of self-discovery, she’s pursued by mystical words that drop into her conscience. When Kate faces her destiny, she must choose to settle down in her hometown orfind the courage to follow Spirit where it leads.
This emotional page-turner explores the hurt and wonder of first love and the raw and real experiences of becoming a woman. Innocence Derailedis a stand-alone novel, the first in the Spirit Quest Series, and gives the early background to the author’s narrative non-fiction awarding-winning book, The Celestial Proposal.
Innocence Derailed
Innocence Derailed, by Jane Catherine Rozek, is an inspirational book that turns the mundane events Kate experiences into a deep encounter each and every time. In today’s world, where everybody prefers the comfort and safety of one’s home, her story goes to show that there are people who opt to surround themselves with the outside world, specifically nature and all its beauty, and find out that there is a higher being within the smallest things one sees daily.
The author has written the book in a way that makes it feel personal even to its readers. The first pages makes the story seem like a romantic novel, but when the relationship ends, readers will see that there is more to this story than meets the eye. It motivates its audience to think about philosophical queries and reflect on their own answers. It also raises questions about rights, politics, and religion that are often silenced, not just during the 1970’s, but still today. Lastly and surprisingly, it also promotes the importance of taking breaks, may it be through the means of traveling, surrounding oneself with new people, or having a single day to yourself. You never know where your decisions will take you, and that is the fun of it all. In Kate’s case, her entire journey only brought her to a new one, only this time, she is now an enlightened woman; more prepared to take on what her next story holds.
Innocence Derailed is an emotionally-resonant coming of age novel that provides readers with a compelling exploration of a relatable and fascinating character. I would recommend this to young adults, because I personally share the struggle of not knowing where I am supposed to be in this age. The fact that the story is also based on true events will serve as a great inspiration for its readers, for it is a positive reminder that one’s path can progress with the will of God.
Pages: 315 | ASIN: B0B2D6KW88
LITERARY TITAN 