Yielded Captive - A Don't Miss + Giveaway!

UPDATE Sunday 3/3/13 WINNER

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Timestamp: 2013-03-03 22:28:31 UTC
Congrats to Megan Parsons! Email me your address, Megan, and the publisher will mail you the book.

* * * * *In mid-January, a young missionary wife and mom who had seen my blog contacted me about her new novel, asking if I would consider reviewing it. To be honest, I generally avoid such requests as I am usually swamped with reviews for mainstream publishers and publicists. However, the premise of this book intrigued me, and after previewing the first chapter, I was hooked! I am delighted to tell you about it today and offer you a giveaway. Additionally, after I finished reading the book, I emailed the author some questions for a mini-interview, which is also posted below.

Yielded Captive
Dalaina May
(BottomLine Media)
ISBN: 978-0985219239
January 2012/364 pages
Lord, this was not how it was supposed to end.

Allison Carter had dedicated her life to being a missionary in the jungles of Peru. Now she was being dragged into an unknown future by the very people she had come to reach.

They had attacked without warning or provocation. With her infant son in her arms and her husband, Eric, lying face-down with an arrow in his back, death seemed preferable to captivity in a primitive tribe with customs and mindsets alien to her own.

But Allison had to stay alive—if only to protect Isaac—to raise him to fear the one true God...

...that same God who had allowed her to suffer so much?

Stubborn as she was in resisting her abusive captors, Allison’s greatest battle was not with them, but with the God she thought she knew.

Why did He not rescue her? Where was He in her suffering? Could He still be trusted with Isaac’s and her future?

Download a sample chapter here.

Available on Amazon and B&N ($12.08), on CBD (10.49). Also available on Amazon for Kindle and iBooks (5.99).

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Dalaina May lives with her husband, Dan, and their four rowdy boys in the jungles of Peru, where they serve on a church-planting team among the Caquinte tribe. Dalaina spends most of her time dragging her children out of trees, embarrassing herself in front of her neighbors, and blogging about her family’s life and ministry at DanandDalaina.com. When she has a free moment, she appreciates good sushi and a back rub.


MY THOUGHTS

Occasionally a book comes along that is so compelling and so good that I can't get it out of my head. Such is the case with this novel. From the opening pages I was absolutely caught up in the heartrending story of Allison's captivity by the Shampiri tribe of Peru. More than just a captivating tale, however, this book will cause you to examine faith far beyond the pithy and rote "Thy will be done" prayer so glibly prayed. What does it really mean to sacrifice all for the cause of Christ? How much might God ask of us to further His kingdom? Allison's prayers and struggles during her captivity are authentic and poignant. . .and how God's presence and purpose induce her obedience and perseverance will inspire and convict. I highly, highly recommend this novel.


This book particularly struck a chord with me because of my sister's years serving as a career missionary in South America. I so wanted to sit down and have a mocha with Dalaina May after I finished reading this book. I'm still mulling it over in my mind more than a week after I have finished reading it. I was delighted when Dalaina agreed to answer a few questions to provide a "mini-interview" for my blog today.

A MINI-INTERVIEW WITH DALAINA MAY

You stated that Yielded Captive "was born out of my experiences living in our tribe." Can you elaborate on that a bit? I assume you haven't had anything as drastic happen to you as happened to Allison. How did writing the story impact you as you vicariously lived through Allison's situation?

The Shampiri tribe of Yielded Captive is fictional, however many aspects of their culture and language are based upon the culture and language of the tribe that my family lives and works with---the Caquinte. (If you are curious what is real and what is made up, here is a link to a document with the details.) While I thankfully never had the traumatic experiences of Allison, many of the things that I have observed and heard about while living in the jungle are very similar to her experiences with the Shampiri. In many ways, writing about what was going on around me was the perfect way to process what I was experiencing.

Has writing always been something you aspired to? Do you have plans/desires to write more books?

While I don't think I identified myself as a writer until a few years ago, looking back I can see that I've always had an interest in it. When I was a kid, the computer game "Oregon Trail" came out. My friends would play and race to the end of the game for the win. I, on the other hand, would take weeks to finish a game because I spent more time in the journal and making up a story to go along with the game... "Jed died of dysentery today, and my heart is shattered. What will I do without my boy? We are going to rest at the Snake River for a few days to bury him and grieve."

I know writing will always be a part of me. It's how I think and how I decompress. It's often how I worship and learn. It's is also a lot of fun. Currently, I am working on a humorous, non-fiction book about raising my four rambunctious boys in the jungle. They provide copious amounts of raw material, and I have been having a great time remembering all the crazy stuff they have done. Whether or not it gets published, it will be a treasure to be able to present to them when they are older.

How isolated are you and your family as you serve the people of this primitive tribe in Peru? How many of the Caquinte have become believers? Are they relatively open or are they hostile like the experience Allison had?

Our village is very remote. The only way to get in is to hike through the jungle or to fly in using a small airplane (We use a missionary aviation ministry to fly in.). Our village has between 300-600 people in it at a time, depending on the season as people travel to their distant gardens frequently.

The Caquinte are in many ways similar to the Shampiri, but in one way they are very different. That is they are traditionally farmers and not warriors. The men use bows and arrows for hunting, but they are not taught to use them as weapons. Actually, the tribe was nearly wiped out a few generations ago when they were attacked by another tribe and really had no good way to defend themselves.

There is a tiny church with just a few believers (I would say maybe six true believers at this point.). Seven years ago, there was a newly finished New Testament, but no one to teach it. Our team was invited in by the chief and the church to teach the leaders of the church so that they could in turn teach and minister to their people. Overall, we have been very accepted and loved by the Caquinte. There have been some that are ambivalent about our presence, but over the past few years, we have been accepted as neighbors and friends in the community,

As someone whose sister was a career missionary, I know that missionaries are "regular folks" who deal with some of the same things - including spiritual struggles - that we all do. How do you find refreshment and encouragement and fellowship?

Writing! Haha!

Actually, we work with another family, and they are a huge part of our support system.They are priceless especially on those days when I just want to throw in the towel. I can go to my teammate's house and tell her, "I hate this place. If I see one more flying cockroach, I am going home." She can handle those emotions and understand my frustrations.

I am also endlessly grateful that my husband saw the wisdom in the expense of solar-powered, satellite internet. We did not have it the first year we were in Peru, but now that we do, I wouldn't want to live without it. Being able to Skype with my family, regularly communicate with supporters, and keep up with my friends back home has probably saved my sanity many times over. It is worth every penny!

What message do you want readers to take away from Yielded Captive?

It's worth it to walk with God no matter the pain that might be involved in that journey.



GIVEAWAY!

Dalaina's publisher has graciously offered to give a (paperback) copy of this book to one of my readers. To enter, leave a comment on this post by 8:00 pm CST Saturday, 3/2/13, and I will randomly draw a winner. US mailing addresses only, please. You must include an email address if you do not sign in to Blogger to comment so I can contact you if you win. Winner will have 48 hours to respond after notification or another winner will be chosen.


Disclosure of Material Connection: I received an e-book copy of this book free from Dalaina May and the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”