With the first book in her new Waves of Freedom series, Through Waters Deep, Sarah Sundin transports readers back to the 1940s — a fascinating time when ordinary men learned they could do extraordinary things, and women explored new roles while still remaining ladies. It’s an era Sundin enjoys living in while she weaves her stories. “When we read of how people in the 1940s prevailed in times of uncertainty, fear and danger, it gives us hope we can prevail today, no matter what we face,” Sundin explains.
Described by Booklist as “an optimal hybrid of 1940s crime and romance,” Through Waters Deep takes readers
through the tense months right before the U.S. entered World War II. There
they’ll encounter German U-boats and torpedoes, along with the explosive power
of true love.
Through Waters Deep is the first book in your new Waves of Freedom series. What’s it like for you to start a new series?
Both
exciting and scary. I love getting to know a whole new cast of characters, but
it takes time to get to know them. I love the challenge of a new setting, but
the research can be daunting. I loved stretching myself by writing a mystery
plotline for the first time, but sometimes I felt I’d gotten in over my head.
And I never know what my readers will think of the new series . . . kind of
like trying a completely new haircut and waiting for your friends’ reactions!
You are
known for finding inspiration for elements of your story plots in Scripture.
Which verse did you choose for Through
Waters Deep?
Ironically,
the verse I originally chose didn’t really play into the book after all.
However, verses emerged when I wrote the story. For Mary Stirling, who
struggles with a fear of attention, her theme verse is Matthew 5:15-16: “Neither do men light a candle, and put it
under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in
the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good
works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” Mary learns that using your
gifts isn’t prideful when you do it to call attention to God, not to yourself.