This month I’d like to introduce Bonnie Leon. Way back when I first started reading Christian fiction I had discovered Bonnie’s books. I’d read all of the Thoene books and was looking for a serious read. I found a book with a cross taped to the label, which was attached to the spine of the book identifying it as a Christian book. I was so glad I went looking for more authors. Bonnie has opened me up to a whole new world with her stories. But enough about my excitement in getting to know Bonnie merely through being a loyal fan.

Here are the tidbits about Bonnie that she chooses to share about herself.

There’s a television commercial that says, “Life comes at you fast.” It does. I was reminded of this on June 11, 1991 when it came at me real fast and changed my life forever.

My eleven-year-old daughter and I were driving up a winding road near my home when a log truck loaded with huge logs, coming from the other direction, barreled around a corner. I noticed the inside back tires of the trailer were lifted off the highway rather than being planted on the pavement where they belonged. I knew I was in trouble.

The seconds that followed are forever etched into my memory—the screams of my daughter mingled with the rasping screech of metal and tires. The truck tipped over, dumping its load of logs down an embankment in front of us. It struck my van and left it teetering on the edge of a cliff. It also left me with spinal damage and chronic pain.

Sounds like a sad tale, but it’s not really. The reason—God. First off, he saved our lives. According to all the experts we are walking miracles. Plus God set me on a course to doing something bigger than myself.

For many months prior to the accident I’d been writing short stories, poems, vignettes . . . just for fun. After the accident I was empty and couldn’t write. Months followed and the pain and disability didn’t lift. Doctors told me I’d never live a “normal” life. I wondered how I’d live through even one more day.

I was devastated. What could I do with my tattered life? I couldn’t stand for more than a few minutes at a time, couldn’t take care of my family. Some days I needed help just getting from my bed to the sofa. My future looked bleak but I had hope. Although struggling with depression, I knew God hadn’t forsaken me. I asked Him to give me something to do that mattered. He did. He gave me writing.

He opened every door. When there was no money for extras, He provided a first-rate IBM Selectric typewriter via a dumpster. He gave me a scholarship to a writing conference, which provided the tools I needed to write my first book. He brought mentors and encouragers into my life who guided me through my first novel and many others. He found a publishing home for my first book and then carried that novel to enough readers that it became a bestseller.

When I was young I never dreamed I’d become a writer, but God knew. And He understood what was needed to get me where He wanted me. In all honesty, if the decision had been left up to me I wouldn’t have made the same choice, but I rest in God’s love and wisdom.

He knows the plans He has for me. And because of that, I can praise Him for every day.

Bonnie Leon is the author of fifteen novels, including the popular Queensland Chronicles and the Sydney Cove series, plus the bestselling Journey of Eleven Moons. She’s excited about a three-book contract she just signed with Revell for a new Alaskan adventure.

Bonnie also stays busy speaking and teaching at writing seminars and conventions. She and her husband Greg live in the mountains of Southern Oregon. They have three grown children and four grandchildren.