A few weeks ago, I had a chat with author Stephanie Landsem about her newest release, In a Far-Off Land. A historian, Landsem has a passion for seeing faith in stories set in different eras. Stephanie set this book in Hollywood in the 1930s. In it, she tells the Prodigal Son through mystery.
Just a note: midway through the recording, my audio went nuts and after trying for ages to fix it, my half of the second half sounds a bit like I recorded underwater. I apologize, but I decided an imperfect interview was far better than none. I did my best to cut most of me out of that section to save ears and sanity.
Listen in to learn more about A Far-Off Land and her 2023 release, Code Name Eidelweiss.
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What’s Better Than a 1930s Mystery of Biblical Proportions?
Author of Biblical fiction about women who met Jesus and how their lives were changed, Stephanie Landsem didn’t stop with stories set in Palestine. Instead, she fast-forwarded a couple of millennia and wove a tale of rebellion, murder, and forgiveness that doesn’t shy away from the reality of man’s depravity or the Truth that sets us free. Landsem assures us that while gritty, this novel is not graphic or gratuitous in the content.
I’ve got my paperback copy right here, and I actually started listening to the audio as I set up tonight’s episode release. Speaking of audio, you can even read an interview with the narrator HERE.
But that’s not all we talked about. As we examined the issues Hollywood faced as Stephanie’s character lived there, we also got a hint of what’s coming next. Landsem goes from murder mystery to spies, and oh my… if you think In a Far-Off Land has a gorgeous cover, wait’ll you see Code Name Eidelweiss. Inspired by a little-known incident regarding the infiltration of Germany’s Nazi party in America, this book sounds like the best of so many favorite combinations. EEEP!
In a Far-Off Land by Stephanie Landsem
It’s 1931 in Hollywood, and Minerva Sinclaire is on the run for a murder she didn’t commit.
As the Great Depression hits the Midwest, Minerva Sinclaire runs away to Hollywood, determined to make it big and save the family farm. But beauty and moxie don’t pay the bills in Tinseltown, and she’s caught in a downward spiral of poverty, desperation, and compromise. Finally, she’s about to sign with a major studio and make up for it all. Instead, she wakes up next to a dead film star and is on the run for a murder she didn’t commit.
Only two unwilling men, Oscar, a Mexican gardener in danger of deportation, and Max, a too-handsome agent battling his own demons, can help Mina escape corrupt police on the take and the studio big shots trying to frame her. But even her quick thinking and grit can’t protect her from herself. Alone, penniless, and carrying a shameful secret, Mina faces the consequences of the heartbreaking choices that brought her to ruin . . . and just might bring her back to where she belongs.\
You can find out more about Stephanie Landsem on her WEBSITE.
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