About the Book
Book: Wonders in the Deep
Author: Chuck Carr
Genre: Christian Fiction, Inspirational
Release date: April 29, 2021
Love. Loss. Hope. Heroism. Is there safe passage through the torrents and storms of life?
Wonders In the Deep is a dramatic illustration, an emotionally charged depiction of the elements that keep us human, fuel our spirit, and give us the courage to continue.
The life of eighteen-year-old Brandon Lawrence is one riddled with questions. Pained sore inside, he seeks answers that have been swallowed deeply by his own grandfather, whom he lovingly calls Pap. How did his parents and grandmother die? Why does his grandfather resent Natalie, Brandon’s best friend since childhood? Why is he forbidden to step foot on a boat, to ride the waves of the sea? Will he ever find answers?
Pap’s journals. Could they hold the secrets?
Set in the rocky and rugged coastline of Maine, the story uncovers Brandon’s world in the summer of 1998. The 1930s and 40s of his grandfather’s world are now over, along with the flat plains of a corn-belted Illinois town he had decided to leave as a young man. What had happened to cause a man to run from a life he couldn’t handle? What had turned Pap into a man withdrawn from life? A man holding tight to the secrets of his life.
Sitting alone on the same weathered dock Brandon had come to with Pap every Thursday growing up, he tries to piece together the puzzle of an unspoken life. Face to face with the only solution he knows, he must choose between honor and answers; an act of thievery plagues him hard, haunting and jolting his conscience. If his grandfather is too brokenhearted to speak of such things, could Brandon steal the answers he needs from the journals?
Wonders In the Deep is a soothing balm, medicine to a hurting and wounded soul. Faced with the harsh realities of grief and loss, two men embark on a great journey to find healing in the deep and uncertain oceans of life. As you journey with Brandon and Pap, you may identify with their struggles.
Is there true triumph over adversity? How far will one go for answers? How far will you go?
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About the Author
Inspired by life events, Chuck Carr takes lessons learned over his years and forms them into words and phrases meant to lift others from the same hardships he has faced himself. He wraps and weaves the essence of what life is all about into this, his fourth book, a novel. Filled with his own energy, blood, and tears, Chuck combines this powerfully lifting message with one of his greatest passions in life¾his passion for the sea. As a former youth pastor, Chuck Carr has influenced hundreds of people throughout his life. He desires to help others live effectively despite hardships, as his testimony proves that sufferings can be changed into blessings. Losing a spouse in 2008, he strives to help those hurting from the same pain. A life altering accident in 2018 left him with a traumatic brain injury, and his vision and life goals have been refocused to help others heal from devastating traumas. He is a writer of both fiction and nonfiction, publishing The Convergence, Navigating Grief, and All That the Locusts Have Eaten, which carry the message that one can live the abundant life God desires for us regardless of hardships and shortcomings we face. His audience at www.Chuck-Carr.com has been blessed by inspirations about topics such as Christian faith, overcoming loss and grief, and achieving purpose in life. Now remarried to a woman of shared life goals, Faerie, he has chosen to live with purpose despite his injuries, being an inspiration to others, residing in New Alexandria, Pennsylvania.
Author Interview with Chuck
Q: What was the inspiration behind this novel?
Chuck: My inspiration for Wonders In the Deep is twofold. First of all, I’m a travel nut. I love to see the world, and I figure there is no better way to do it than by sailboat (author smiles from ear to ear). I suppose people might wonder . . . Do you really know how to sail? Yes! I love to sail. It is a passion I hold inside, and as far as I’m concerned, the coastline of Maine is one of the most spectacular places to sail that the whole world has to offer! There is a charm and beauty to it unlike any other, as one could get lost in the breathtaking scenery, the history, the allure of maritime legends, and of course, the seafood. I started this book on the heels of one particular trip that I took with two sons, when we hauled our kayaks to Maine and island hopped enjoying the pristine and undisturbed nature that surrounded us in every direction.
Secondly, I lost a spouse in 2008. She was my college sweetheart, were married eight years, and she died in her late twenties. It was really hard on me. Losing someone close like that changes the course of the rest of your life. Years later, I finally felt like it was time to write something that could take what I learned from my journey through grief and loss and pass it on to someone else who needed it. That’s what life is all about, right? Helping someone else? I figure story is the best way to send a much-needed message, especially if it is a hard one, and the message of Wonders In the Deep could help a ton of people if I could get it on paper. The drive to reach out and help someone else inspired me to write.
Q: What was the most surprising thing you discovered while researching and writing this novel?
Chuck: This book builds while you read it. Some books are action thrillers. This one is layered, with deep insights, one upon another. It builds into a crescendo that takes the reader to a place of discovery. It did for me. And as I went on that journey writing it, hitting that point of deep reflection sparked me internally, even as the author of the book. That’s how my books are, I guess. They are very meaningful. I write with a clear and defined purpose with each one. And when I rode that sailboat with Alan, and I breathed the same sea breeze with him, his discovery was important to me, too. I suppose I learned a lot by putting thoughts on paper with this one.
Q: Do any of the novel’s characters hold a special place in your heart?
Chuck: Of course, they all do! If you don’t want to end up in a book, don’t hang around any authors! All joking aside, when I write my novels, I have the tendency to strongly attach myself to the characters I’m writing about. I study them. I think about them long and hard. I try to figure out how they would act and react, talk, and think. After we hang out a while, meet each other, shake one another’s hands, and tell stories, we become such close friends that it’s tough to disassociate with them. Their voices sooner or later pop up in my head during ordinary life outside writing. Their thoughts and actions sound a lot like my own. Their characteristics take on a mirror image of some of the best and worst of some of my favorite people in life. Without spoiling anything, I’ll share a few of my favorites. For this story, I love the spunk and quirkiness of Natalie Rose. It is attractive to me. I also find it admirable that Alan is so strongly determined, that Brandon is a man of integrity, and that Bonnie’s life impact is so great.
Q: Do you have a favorite quote from this novel?
Chuck: (Excerpt taken from
Wonders In the Deep)
“Go on, take it. It’s not going to bite. Take it. Please. Go on, before I change my mind.”
Bonnie smiled that spry smile that only belonged to her. Al knew she was capable of pulling his leg every second for the rest of their life.
“Go on, Al. The sock is clean.” She took his hand, turned his palm up, and planted the old green sock into it, like a kernel of Illinois seed corn, folding the soil of his fingers overtop.
This is my favorite passage of the book. Specifically, the excerpt’s last sentence. I suppose that it brings back my farming roots living in a farming community. Perhaps it is the cry of my heart, as I intentionally put this scene into the book to illustrate how beautiful it is when lovers wait until marriage to give each other their wedding gift. Whatever the reason,
like a kernel of Illinois seed corn, folding the soil of his fingers overtop is my favorite line of the entire book, hands down.
Q: What do you hope readers take away from this novel?
Chuck: I wrote this book with a clear purpose, out of a deep and personal conflict that I wrestled with internally for many years. When I lost my spouse in 2008, we were young, and she died in her twenties. In my recovery from losing her, one of the greatest struggles that weighed on my shoulders was the great question of "should I love again?" Being young, so many expected it of me. Some others actually expected the opposite. It was a lot of pressure on me as a man. I felt tossed in the ocean of a no-win situation, one that beat me up and churned me about. Should I love again? Would it be honorable? Would it be respectful? Would it be healthy for me?
Looking back, I want to help those who are in a similar boat. There really is no right or wrong answer. What works for one person is not the right answer for another. I wanted people to see that in that position, they should be free to choose and choose well. Without spoiling the novel, Alan and Brandon chose different paths yet each was the perfect path to take.
More from Chuck
There was never a time in my life so confusing, so emotionally raw and puzzling as when my first spouse passed away in her twenties in 2008. She had to say goodbye to our two boys ages 5 and 3. The event changed everything about me in one way or another. The things I was forced to face since that day are things that unfortunately so many other people are also forced to face as well. It isn’t fun. Thus, the birth of my desire to help those who know what I’m talking about.
Initially, I was attacked with the obvious, the daunting question of “why.” It never fails. We all ask it. Sooner or later, that single question begs our attention, and how we answer it will determine our outlook on everything else in life. It is an unavoidable roadblock that cannot be dodged or taken lightly. If not properly handled, that monster will bite you from behind and consume you¾it is a foe one cannot play around with. But not all things are black and white. Another thing I learned out real fast, was that some things don’t have a right or wrong answer in life. Yes, I avoided it like the plague. Almost a certainty, those who meant no harm would bring it up and shove it in my face unknowingly. It came with incredible pressure, the prod or question no survivor ever wants to look at. “You’ll find love again.” Maybe. But should I love again? The prompt comes in various forms, yet none look pleasant to the one who has tasted loss.
These two insurmountable difficulties are what prompted me to write the novel Wonders In The Deep: A Tale of Healing. I wanted others to learn that the “why” is a tremendous opportunity for us if we allow ourselves to go on the journey God promises to walk beside with us. Only there¾in this incredibly intimate and personal space¾can we understand the richness of a God whose heart is broken right along with ours. I also wanted to show readers that some may choose to honor those they have survived¾and that is ok. Some, choose to love again. It is a deeply personal choice that is extremely hard to navigate. This book illustrates it well, a way to sort out feelings one might not be able to do alone.
Wonders In The Deep. A place where one can cross the great divide of heartache to healing. A journey of a lifetime. One I hope you will cross with me.
Blog Stops
Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, June 3
Through the Fire Blogs, June 4 (Author Interview)
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, June 4
Texas Book-aholic, June 5
Inklings and notions, June 6
For Him and My Family, June 7
deb’s Book Review, June 8
Locks, Hooks and Books, June 9
Bizwings Blog, June 10
Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, June 11
Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, June 12
Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, June 13
Adventures of a Travelers Wife, June 14 (Author Interview)
Rebecca Tews, June 14
Blogging With Carol, June 15
Beauty in the Binding, June 16 (Author Interview)
Giveaway
To celebrate his tour, Chuck is giving away the grand prize package of a $50 Amazon gift card & signed copy of the book!!
Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.
Link for giveaway:
https://promosimple.com/ps/1e7e2/wonders-in-the-deep-celebration-tour-giveaway
