Guest Post: Lynne Stringer - Once Confronted

They say you should write about what you know, and that was true with at least one element of my latest novel, Once Confronted.

Once Confronted tells the story of Madison Craig. Just out of high school and working part-time in a bookstore café, she is the victim of an armed robbery. Just like me.

Many years ago, I was the victim of an armed robbery while working in a bookstore. My circumstances were a little different from Madison’s; her assailant had a gun, mine had a knife; she was working there with someone else, while I was alone. But the shattering effect it had on her life and mine is the same, as well as the struggle to put life back together again after something like that.

I originally wrote this story only seven years after it happened, partially in a way to help me process what happened but also as a challenge to myself. You see, Madison is challenged to forgive one of her attackers, something that I felt was necessary to do but didn’t know if I could. Perhaps it was unfair of me to put her in a place like that but I was interested in seeing what she’d do in that situation (yes, sometimes characters can become frighteningly real to authors!).

I hope this is a book that will help people struggling with the idea of forgiveness. It can be a difficult thing to do and I know it can take a lot of time to get to that point. My attacker was never caught, so I have no idea what even happened to him. I do wonder about it though, and if I would forgive him if he asked me to. I may never know. And would I forgive him even if he didn’t ask?
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That’s even harder to answer.

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About Lynne Stringer

Lynne Stringer has been passionate about writing all her life, beginning with short stories in her childhood. She began writing professionally as a journalist and was the editor of a small newspaper (later magazine) for seven years, before turning her hand to screenplay writing and novels. Lynne is the author of the Verindon trilogy, a young adult science fiction romance series released in 2013. Her latest novel, Once Confronted, is scheduled for release on October 1st, 2016. Visit www.lynnestringer.com for more information.

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