“Inspiration comes from many sources, but in general I think of it as a kind of intent awareness of the world, listening for the possibilities of stories in the events and circumstances of every day life,” author Kim Edwards says.

Edwards, whose first novel, The Memory Keeper’s Daughter, spent 20 weeks at number one on the New York Times Best Seller list, notes that her world view was influenced by her years as a student at LTS from 2004 to 2006.

“Dr. (William O.) Paulsell (former president of LTS) once said in class that there’s no way of knowing how reading a book will resonate for a person or help shape that person’s perspective, and this is true.  Certainly, the classes I took at LTS continue to influence the way I see the world.  More specifically, my most recent novel, The Lake of Dreams, is structured as a quest story, where the narrator seeks to … resolve various issues of brokenness that have kept her stuck in old patterns, unable to live fully.  There’s also an important theme in regard to the position of women in the church. … I wanted to explore the ways in which the silencing of women’s stories creates imbalances and dysfunctions that resonate through time.

“Many of the authors I first read and studied during my time at LTS informed my thinking as I wrote.  These are authors I continue to read and return to again and again, for pleasure and for wisdom,” Edwards says.

Jane Myers Perrine, ‘87, author of seven previous books, publishes the first in a new series this spring.  The Welcome Committee of Butternut Creek tells the story of a how a young minister who attended an “unnamed seminary in Lexington” is called to serve the Christian Church in Butternut Creek, Tex. Rev. Perrine and her husband, George, ‘67, met at LTS (she first attended from 1964-66) and have served Disciples churches for nearly 50 years.  “Those experiences have influenced me as an author,” Perrine says.

Tom Money, ‘58, taps into his life experiences outside his 50 years in pastoral ministry. An avid golfer, Money’s latest book, One Shot of Murder, focuses on the thrilling journey of a professional golfer who unwillingly becomes involved in murder and international intrigue. The book is published by Friesen Press, the publishers of the Harry Potter series.