Unexpected Reunion Interview

How exciting to have Ruthie Chandler, the heroine from Unexpected Reunion, first in the Southern Blessings series and a June 2014 release from Love Inspired Romance, written by Carolyn Greene.


1.  Ruthie, tell me the most interesting thing about you.

My mother died unexpectedly when I was sixteen.  Shortly afterward, my stepfather and stepsister were packing up to move back to New Jersey from our home in Virginia, and he turned to me and said, "Where are you going to live?"  Needless to say, I was distraught, because I had no other family to turn to.

It was at church the next day that an elderly couple, Bill and Naoko Bristow noticed me crying during silent prayer.  They were very kind and asked what was the matter.  When they found out I had no place to live, they immediately took me in and arranged for guardianship.  They call me their "honorary granddaughter," and I love them as if they were my own family.

Better yet, I met and fell in love with their grandson, Gray Bristow, and we were engaged to be married.  All was perfect until that fateful day when something had happened in Afghanistan to shatter his faith in God.  Soon after, I received a "Dear Jane" letter from him, calling off our engagement.

But thank God for his family, because that's eventually what helped bring us back together again.

2.  What do you do for fun?

Professionally, I love to shop for old and quirky items to sell in my antiques-and-collectibles shop called Gleanings.  And on a personal level, I love to hang out with my friends, Savannah, Paisley, and Nikki.  (Psst!  I hear Carolyn is working on Savannah's story now.)

3.  What do you put off doing because you dread it?

Well, there was this incident that happened at my house one night, and for a moment I thought for sure Gray had gotten stabbed.  Turned out he rescued this darling brown mutt that got injured (hence, the blood), so I took her in and named her Cali, short for Calamity Jane.  Savannah taught her a cute trick that she'd do before eating.  Who wouldn't fall in love with a dog like that?  Anyway, Gray warned me not to get too attached to her, and I'm a little embarrassed to admit I didn't exactly want to give her back to her owner.

4.  What are you afraid of most in life?

Of being all alone.  That may be one reason I have such a strong faith in God.  He's the one constant I can always count on.

5.  What is the most important thing to you?

In a word, family.  My blood relatives are all gone, but I've found family with my friends from college who share a house with me, and of course with the Bristows.

6.  Do you read books? If so, what is your favorite type of book?

As with the antiques I buy and sell, I'm eclectic when it comes to my reading choices.  But I do have a special fondness for romance novels and mysteries.

7.  If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?

I wouldn't mind having feminine curves, like Savannah.  But she tells me she likes my streamlined look.

8.  Do you have a pet? If so, what is it and why that pet?

Well, there was Cali the brown mutt for a short time.  It was fun having a shop pet during that time, so I'm thinking about going to the animal shelter to find another companion.

9. If you could travel back in time, where would you go and why?

I'd love to go back to the time of Ruth and Naomi in the Bible and see if their relationship was anything like my relationship with Gray's grandmother, Naoko.  And of course, I'd want to meet Boaz who shares the qualities of kindness and protectiveness with Gray.