Author Interview | Introducing Lindsay Harrel and The Joy of Falling

Today I’m interviewing Lindsay Harrel, author of The Joy of Falling, which is partly set in New Zealand. Welcome, Lindsay!

The Joy of Falling is about the story of two sisters in law, Eve and Angela, recovering from their grief after their husbands (brothers Wesley and Brent) died in a diving accident. What inspired you to write a novel about grief and recovery?

When I was 19, my mom’s four-year battle with cancer ended. It was a long road for all of us, and so grief became a part of my personal journey. Fifteen years later, I felt called to use that journey to write a story about what I learned—about grief, yes, but really, about the joy that can somehow inexplicably result from walking through it.

The two women decide to complete an ultra-marathon in memory of their dead husbands, in which they must cover 155 miles in seven days as a team of three. What gave you the idea for an ultra-marathon? What parts of the ultra-marathon are based on fact, and what did you make up?

I was brainstorming story ideas with my brilliant agent and mentioned a completely different idea I had for someone who runs a marathon for a cause. My agent mentioned that she’d read a book or story recently about someone who ran an ultra-marathon, which until that time, I didn’t even know existed! So when I decided to write a story about how two very different women deal with the same kind of grief in very different ways, I kind of merged the two original ideas together and started researching ultra-marathons.

I actually found a real-life marathon happening around the time I was writing the book, and used it as the basis for my marathon’s setup (even the location—New Zealand!). Some things were changed or made up to fit my own needs (a few rules about the media, for example), but a lot of it was right in line with the actual race.

Have you ever completed an ultra-marathon, or even a marathon?

No! Ironically, running is not my favorite thing in the world, though I have completed a few short races. I’ve always admired those who run marathons, though. It takes such endurance and discipline to train and then complete a race like that!

The ultra-marathon is in New Zealand. What inspired you to choose New Zealand as your location? How did your publisher react to the international setting?

I have really enjoyed selecting international settings for several of my books (all around the world in The Heart Between Us, and Cornwall, England, in The Secrets of Paper and Ink), and my publisher has never had a problem with it. I selected New Zealand for a number of reasons.

First, it was a location I’ve never written about, which made it fun and exciting. Second, its landscape is so varied (and gorgeous!), and that made it the perfect metaphor for the journey of grief and recovery. I also really liked the metaphor of the women leaving a snowy, gloomy winter and arriving at a location filled with summer and sunshine.

You’ve managed to get a real Kiwi feel into the New Zealand locations, including Queenstown, Wanaka, and Arrowtown. Have you visited these locations yourself? If not, how did you research them?

I’m so glad you think so! I have not ever had the pleasure of visiting New Zealand (yet! It’s on the bucket list), but thankfully I have some friends who live in that part of the world.

Fellow author Kara Isaac read an early version of the story and helped me ensure the authenticity of the people, the land, and the language. Even though I’d done a lot of research using blogs and websites, sometimes those led me astray! I’m grateful Kara set me straight. 🙂

For example, I completely forgot that other countries celebrate Boxing Day (we don’t have that in the US), and I had a character doing a magazine interview on that day originally. Kara let me know that that probably wouldn’t happen!

Good catch! Most of us try and get Boxing Day off (that’s 26 December, for those who don’t know).

Which other attractions would be on your Kiwi bucket list?

I would definitely need to do a Hobbit/LOTR tour! My husband and I are fans of the books and movies, so that would be really fun.

You’ve done a great job with Kiwi slang—there’s not a lot, but including words like “suss” gives the novel a real Kiwi feel. How did you get these details right?

Thank you! I just did a ton of research online, and then made sure they all sounded okay to Kara.

Was there any research or location that you would have liked to include in the novel, but which didn’t fit the story?

I really wanted to include some of the glaciers as part of the race, but it just didn’t work with the limitations of locales and time.

What’s the hardest thing about writing a novel partly set in another country? What advice do you have for authors writing about an unfamiliar location?

The Internet is not always right! Try to confirm facts with more than one source. And if you can, find someone who actually lives there (or who has at least visited) to get a first-hand account of the accuracy of your story. That was invaluable to me!

I’ve visited almost all the Kiwi locations, and didn’t pick up any major issues.

Would you describe The Joy of Falling as Christian fiction? Why? (Or why not?)

My hope is that it reaches beyond the Christian community and still offers hope to those seeking it. However, it definitely points to God as the true source of joy, so I would definitely consider it Christian fiction.

What do you see as the main theme of The Joy of Falling, and what do you hope readers will take away from reading the novel?

Joy and happiness are not the same thing—they have different sources. Also, each one of us has such a different reaction to grief, and I would love for those who have walked in grief (or are walking in grief) to find hope and to feel affirmed in their own journeys.

That’s a great message. Thanks for joining us today, and best wishes for the release of The Joy of Falling!

About Lindsay Harrel

Lindsay Harrel is a lifelong book nerd with a B.A. in journalism and M.A. in English. She lives in Arizona with her young family and two golden retrievers in serious need of training. Lindsay has held a variety of jobs, including curriculum editor for two universities, medical and business writer, and copywriter for a digital marketing agency. Now she juggles stay-at-home mommyhood with working freelance jobs, teaching college English courses online, and—of course—writing novels.

When she actually has time to do other things, she loves to sing, read, and sip passion iced teas from Starbucks. She loves to watch God work in ordinary lives to create something extraordinary, and she writes to bring hope to those who may have lost it along the way.

You can find Lindsay Harrel online at:

Website | Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest | Twitter

About The Joy of Falling

Eva and Angela must learn to live again. One step at a time.

It has been fifteen months since Eva and Angela lost their thrill-seeking husbands in a scuba diving accident. Both women are trying to navigate their way through the grief, but neither one is making much progress. Angela is barely making ends meet, angry at her husband for leaving her to raise three children on her own. Meanwhile, Eva is stuck, unable to move forward after losing the love of her life and her source of inspiration.

But then Eva gets a life-changing phone call. Before Brent and Wes died, they had signed up for a race of a lifetime—an ultra-marathon in beautiful New Zealand. Eva begs Angela to run the race with her in their husbands’ place, and Angela finally agrees, hoping to finally understand her husband’s choices.

Training is exhausting, and the race is even more demanding. Their journey grows more complicated by the presence of two men—Marc is Brent’s best friend who is running the race with Eva and Angela, and Simon King is a writer who is covering their inspiring story. With every step, Eva and Angela must ask themselves questions that they haven’t had the courage to ask before. As the women literally put one foot in front of the other, they wonder: Is it possible to find their way forward in hope?

You can find The Joy of Falling online at:

Amazon | ChristianBook | Goodreads | Koorong