The Filbert Ridge Miracle, Gains Followers Across Multiple Genres

WordCrafts Press and author Tamelia Aday are celebrating this week’s release of her achingly poignant debut novel, The Filbert Ridge Miracle, which is available in hardback, trade paperback, and all major ebook formats. The story skirts the fine line between literary and popular fiction as it explores the depths of the human soul when a tight knit community must come to grips with the aftermath of every parent’s nightmare—the abduction of a child. Aday’s deft command of language and innate sense of timing allows the story to purposefully meander between life’s harsh realities and the faith that sees hope even in the most hopeless situations, like a child spying luscious blackberries in the midst of a bramble bush…if only she could reach them. The Filbert Ridge Miracle is a literary fiction tale of love and loss, death and resurrection, faith when all hope is gone, and hope when faith just isn’t enough.

“The mystery genre is my first love when it comes to fiction,” Aday confesses. “I imagined a pastor, Patrick, whose children were a bit unruly and whose wife, Rose, was considered by his congregation to be, well… odd. I imagined her trying to escape their scrutiny by having a secret life of wandering off and feeding the homeless, or caring for those in need. I’ve always been fascinated with missing people, and the thought came to me, What if one of her children went missing? Initially, the story was focused on Rose, and Patrick had little involvement. But then came the twist, a real live miracle in the church parking lot, and suddenly Patrick found his voice and the story spun around into a complete different direction.”

The Filbert Ridge Miracle is already creating a stir among fans across multiple genres as evidenced by its impact a variety of Amazon.com category sales charts, including debuting at Number 84 on the Bestseller chart Amazon’s Contemporary Christian Fiction category while climbing to the Number 9 position on the Hot New Releases chart in the same category. The novel also hit the Number 24 spot in Hot New Releases on the Christian Mystery & Suspense chart, and crossed over into the mainstream by rising to the Number 7 slot on the Hot New Releases in Contemporary Literature & Fiction chart.

From the Novel

Rose followed her heart through the trees along the creek bed and past the black iron gate of the cemetery. Rain spattered, the drops grew, falling faster.
She trekked deeper across the stretch of graves, the water soaking her hair, drenching her clothes. She might be mistaken for a ghost in this place.

A stone bench under a large oak caught her eye. It was partially dry, and a bit of rest appealed to her. The temptation to be irresponsible, to sink down into a heap in a puddle of rainwater, to remember nothing about her life, sounded appealing.

The expanse of tombstones, shimmering like a silent gate into eternity, stretched across to the edge of the woods, some flat, some upright. Her eye caught movement in the distance. A tall man with blondish hair. She made out a black jacket over black slacks. The way he stood held an air of familiarity. Did she know him? Had there been a funeral?

The grass shuddered in a sudden gust of wind, and she gripped the cold bench. Her thoughts turned morbid. She should leave. How many deceased souls separated her from the only other living being in this city of the dead?

“I borrowed the setting from a small place in Oregon where my grandparents lived,” Aday muses. “The woods, the scenery, the creek, and the grocery store all exist. However, there was no town to speak of—just a couple of taverns, a church, and a school. At the top of where my grandparents lived there was a huge filbert orchard. No parties were held there, but as a child I would climb the trees and play my transistor radio.

“With The Filbert Ridge Miracle, I wanted to create beauty and weave the power of God in a natural way. Everyone struggles with the challenges life throws at them, but there is a thread that holds people together, and there is nothing more supernatural than the love of God. That is the foundation of all power. Ultimately, I just wanted to tell a story that could be read without polluting the soul.”

The Filbert Ridge Miracle is published in the United States by WordCrafts Press (www.wordcrafts.net) and distributed globally by Ingram Content Group, the world’s largest distributor of physical content.

About Tamelia Aday

Tamelia Aday started writing in grade school and never stopped. She is happiest when at home, putting together stories, and raising her family. Add some coffee and chocolate to the day, and she calls it a winner.

She writes from her home in Oregon.