Matters of Faith is my second novel, and I'm delighted that the advance reviews have been fabulous. They've also surprised me with their clear understanding of exactly what I was trying to write about, not because I think critics are thick, but because I tend to think for years and years about a story, and am convinced that it's clear in my head, but am often concerned that I was able to get it down as clearly on the page. And now I get to try to actually explain that process? You're brave people, you really are.

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Backstories come to us courtesy of the Backstory blog, where authors share the secrets, the truths, or just the illogical moments that sparked their fiction. Brought to you by authors M.J. Rose and Jessica Brilliant Keener. Click here to read more articles by .