I owe Tara and Tyndale House an apology for the delay in posting this fabulous feature. TWICE…yes, twice I have forgotten to post it when I said I would. Anyone else feel like they have too much going on in their brain and things fall out all the time. Tell me I’m not the only one! Anyway, enough about me!! Tara returns to Relz Reviewz with some fascinating insights into her research and characters for Where Dandelions Bloom. I love books that feature women disguising themselves as men – Angela Hunt’s Heirs of Cahira series is one of my favourites witht his trope – so I’m excited to share with you Tara’s take, based on a real woman.

Over to you, Tara…

Please share a little about your characters, Cassie and Gabe.

Cassie Kendrick is on the run. Her abusive father arranged her marriage to a despicable man, but she’s discovered an escape. Disguised as a man, Cassie enlists in the Union army, taking the name Thomas Turner. On the battlefields of the Civil War, keeping her identity a secret is only the beginning of her problems, especially after she meets Gabriel Avery, a handsome young photographer.

Anxious to make his mark on the world and to erase the darkness and guilt lurking from his past, Gabriel works with renowned photographer Matthew Brady to capture images from the front lines of the war. As Gabriel forges friendships with many of the men he encounters, he wonders what the courageous, unpredictable Thomas Turner is hiding.

Describe your book in 5 adjectives.

Courageous, hopeful, soul-searching, raw, and inspiring.

What did your research about the Civil War reveal that surprised you?

I had no idea Civil War photographers had traveling darkrooms, or that the wet plate process was so incredibly in-depth. The amount of time I spent just researching the photographic processes, along with the techniques of Mathew Brady and Alexander Gardner, was staggering.

I was also stunned to learn how many women enlisted in the Civil War. Conservative numbers range around 800, but historians who study the Battle of Gettysburg say at least 2,000 women were found among the dead at that battle site alone. The reasons for women enlisting were incredibly diverse: trying to escape abusive situations, heroic romanticism inspired by the likes of Joan of Arc, or choosing to fight alongside husbands or sweethearts rather than live for a second separated.

Was this story inspired by an actual woman who posed as a man during the Civil War?

Yes! This story is based on the life of Sarah “Emma” Edmonds, who was both a soldier and spy for the Union . . . an incredibly courageous woman.

What are the major themes in this story?

Forgiveness and hope amid devastation.

Which character did you enjoy writing most?

Little Jonah Phifer. He is a precocious mix of laughter and wisdom. I think of him every day. Kids are the best.

Tara’s writing space

Which character gave you the most grief?

Gabe—he didn’t want to share his secrets with me. It took quite a while for him to trust me. Ha!

Are you able to share the significance of the title?

Of course! When it came time to find the spiritual symbolism for the story, I drew a blank. For weeks . . . nothing. After one particularly trying day, I slumped against my chair and prayed: “God, please teach me what you want me to know, what to say in this story.”

Frustrated, I walked outside and knelt in my front flower bed to pull weeds. That’s what I do whenever I’m stuck for an idea or overwhelmed.

Plunging my fingers into the dark earth, I pulled the stubborn weeds free, giving room for the hydrangeas and hibiscus to grow and bloom. Sunlight warmed my shoulders as I yanked.

I edged to the corner and stopped when I saw the carpet of dandelions peppering the flower bed. I ran my fingers over the silky yellow petals. Bits of sunshine against rock. Oh, how I hated the thought of plucking them.

I smiled, remembering my grandmother and her distaste for the resilient flower. She had wrinkled up her nose at the buttery heads poking up in her flower bed.

“Ugh! Dandelions.” She always mentioned them as if tasting something sour.

“Don’t you like dandelions, Grandma?”

She shook her head. “No, honey. They are ornery little things.”

“Why?”

She frowned as she plucked the offensive little blossom from the dirt. “Because there’s no taming them. Those little white fuzzies scatter all over, sprouting weeds everywhere imaginable.”

That very trait is what makes these little flowers—or weeds, as some would say—so unstoppable. You can mow over them, but they come back over and over again. They grow and bloom in the harshest of conditions. The taproot that allows them to burrow in green meadows also allows them to flourish in concrete and brick.

And where Grandma saw a weed, I saw wishes. Beauty. Fluffy magic.

I straightened, blinking.

There against the corner of the brick-edged walk was a dandelion blooming in concrete.

I looked up, smiling into the sky.

“Thank You, Jesus.”

I thought about the lies and the pain that Cassie, Gabe, and Jonah had endured—and how God showed them the power of forgiveness and the promise of new beginnings, no matter how terrible their pasts might be.

Hope springs eternal, despite turmoil, darkness, or difficulties. Seeing the beauty in our circumstances depends on our perspective.

What parts of the writing process become easier with each new story? What becomes more challenging?

I think zoning in on the characters’ wounds and fears is becoming easier with each story, meaning I’m not really as afraid of the process as I used to be. So much of finding their flaws is looking at my own. It’s a painful journey, but I’m learning to be brave and get to the hard stuff at a faster pace. As far as what’s more challenging? Everything. Not using the same old phrases. Fresh plots. Finding a universal truth but talking about it in a unique way. I’m finding each new story gets harder to tell.

What is in your writing pipeline now?

I’m finishing up edits on my next story with Tyndale, entitled All Through the Night. It’s inspired by the life of Elida B. Rumsey, and deals with the nefarious dealings of the Knights of the Golden Circle.

Thank you, Tara!

A passionate lover of stories, Tara Johnson uses fiction, nonfiction, song, and laughter to share her testimony of how God led her into freedom after spending years living shackled to the expectations of others. She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and makes her home in Arkansas with her husband and three children.

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Visit Tara’s website and blog
Buy at Amazon: Where Dandelions Bloom or Koorong

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