I’m glad to have my author friend Tabitha Bouldin sharing her thoughts and newest release Stealing the First Mate. Isn’t that a super fun title? I snapped up my copy today.
Welcome, Tabitha!
The entire time I was writing Stealing the First Mate the story of Jesus walking on the water stayed in my head. I kept thinking of Peter and his faith, and the moment when he began to sink. My hero, Nigel, reminded me a lot of Peter. He has steady faith that everything will work out, but the storms keep coming, and he’s so tired. That one moment when he looked away, he begins to sinks when thinking that everything he’s done, all that he’s sacrificed, hasn’t been enough. Nigel and I had a profound moment toward the end of the story, and I’ll tell you what I can without giving any spoilers. Like Nigel, I tend to cling to safety. Unlike Nigel, I’m not adventurous. But during his moment of weakness, I realized we hold on so tightly to what we know that we forget to let our trust in Jesus keep us afloat.
Speaking of water…
I learned to swim the summer I wrote Stealing the First Mate, and let me tell you, letting go was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. You see, I’m terrified of deep water. I don’t trust it. I don’t trust myself to be able to stay afloat. Nigel trusts his friendship with Darcy. He does not trust his ability to overcome the secret in his past and feels he doesn’t deserve Darcy’s love. Until this moment when he’s faced with the dilemma of “let go and let God” he believes he’s doing the right thing by staying on the sidelines. By clinging to safety, he’s risking losing out on the greatest blessing God has in store for him.
What might we miss out on when we take our eyes off God and focus on the storms that rage against us? I admit, I still find myself clinging to the sidelines. But God has taken my hand and drawn me out to the deep waters, and there He hold me afloat.
Sometimes, happily ever after is as elusive as a pirate’s treasure.
Darcy Riggins dove headfirst into the online dating pool and sank. Every time.
Her lifelong dream of becoming a wife and mother becomes more elusive every year. So, taking the lack of a Mr. Right in her life as a decided “No!” from God, Darcy gives up altogether.
Single and happy is not an oxymoron. Right?
Nigel Jones has loved Darcy for ages, but her father (his boss, of course) ordered him to keep his feelings to himself, thanks to a stupid mistake that Darcy (thankfully) doesn’t know about. Too bad her dad does.
Being single and content turns out to be tougher than Darcy imagined, and when she begins doubting everything she’s ever known, Nigel decides it’s time to admit his mistakes, tell the truth, and trust God for the outcome.
In this “forbidden-love-meets-friends-to-more” novel, Stealing the First Mate continues the Elnora Island romances of the Independence Islands Series featuring five islands, six authors, and a boatload of happily-ever-afters.
About Tabitha:
Tabitha Bouldin has a bachelor’s degree in creative writing/English from Southern New Hampshire University. She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) and has been writing since 2015. When she’s not homeschooling her kids, you’ll find her curled up with a book. Tabitha’s genre of choice is Contemporary Christian Romance which she describes as: Adventure with heart.
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