NEWS PROVIDED BY
Maple Cross Publishing
April 18, 2022

WINNIPEG, Manitoba, April 18, 2022 /Standard Newswire/ --  When the Covid-19 pandemic hit in Manitoba in March 2020, it meant isolation and more stress for L.A. Darroch in her work life as well. In-person church services and meetings were cancelled and replaced with online. Suddenly, without the commute to work and church, she had much more time on her hands.

To keep the depression she had experienced years earlier from returning, L.A. threw herself into a novel that she had started writing but remained incomplete. "I knew if I was going to finish it, now would be the time," L.A. says. "I had wanted to publish a book for a long time. I enjoy writing and I knew that binge watching wasn't going to get me through lockdowns. I needed to lean on God, my church, my family and the talents God had given me to stay sane."

As the months wore on, L.A. took an unfinished first draft, written in first person into a rich story with multi-character perspective. "When I was first inspired to write my novel, The Road from Damascus wanted to write from the perspective of Christian girl whose family was attacked by ISIS. I started my first draft solely from Istir's perspective, but as I continue writing, I discovered new events that Istir couldn't fill in because she wasn't there. It was at that point that I knew I needed to rewrite and add other character perspectives. I wasn't expecting that, but God led me and it resulted in a much more insightful and emotional story."

Rewrites weren't the only setbacks L.A. faced in finishing her novel. She decided that 2021 was going to be the year she would publish and then, out of nowhere, she had a vertigo attack. Because of the pandemic, she spent months not understanding what was going on with her body and waiting for tests that offered no solution. Still, she kept on writing and revising. Then, as she got closer to publication in October, she lost her job. "Every time I made a decision or progress, something would happen. There were a lot of times I wanted to give up, but God encouraged me to keep working on my books. When I lost my job, it felt awful, but I wondered if God took my request to be a full-time writer and made it happen. I'm still waiting for clarity on God's plan for my future, but I know now that no matter the obstacles, when I let Him work through me, I can reach the finish line."

The Road from Damascus and The Road from Damascus Devotional (both print and digital eBook versions) launch April 26, 2022 and are available for Pre-order on Amazon Kindle, iBooks and other eBook retailers. A virtual book launch party is scheduled for April 26th at 8 pm CT. For additional information about L.A Darroch or her books, check out her website www.ladarroch.ca.

About the Author:
L.A. Darroch is a Christian author with a heart for the persecuted church and other stories that touch the hearts of readers for God's glory. She seeks to use her writing to encourage readers to "Speak Life." She credits her late father with introducing her to a passion for reading, which led her to pursue a B.A. in English, with a focus on creative writing. Her cat named Bathsheba is very smart and she lives in Canada. Besides writing and reading, she enjoys history, playing tennis and spending time with Bathsheba, family and close friends.

SOURCE Maple Cross Publishing

CONTACT: L.A. Darroch, media@ladarroch.ca