Welcome to…The Dreamer!!! (+ a conversation with the author ✍️)

The Dreamer HAS RELEASED!!! 🥳️🥳️ It’s the second book in Abbigail Raine B.’s Three Sisters series and guys it is SO. GOOD.

I fell in love with the story right from the beginning, with Stacey’s romantic, optimistic character, with the rich, vividly drawn Western setting, with the O’Connor brothers, with the continuation of Felix and Jack’s romance from The Guardian, and I related so much to the conflicts and struggles.

It fills a very unique, very specific space in Christian fiction, a space that’s been sorely lacking.

Don’t get me wrong, it isn’t marketed as a pure romance.

HOWEVER, if you love romance and yet are still single, READ THIS BOOK. No, it won’t depress you. (I mean, not too much :P) It’s hopeful. The kind of hopeful that’s rooted in the reality of God’s goodness. Not a shallow, rose-colored hope that evaporates at the merest hint of thunderclouds.

Don’t worry, your penchant for romance will be satisfied in The Dreamer. It has plenty of beauty and swoony moments.

But you’ll also get a story that’s rare in Christian fiction, and that’s needed in Christian fiction. And I really really want to say more, but #spoilers. You’ll be a wiser person after reading it.

There’s my fangirl pitch for it.

Does this count as a review? I hadn’t yet begun my official review but looking back on this…that’s kind of what this is, right? 🤣

Click the button below for my full review on Goodreads!

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author interview

Hello Abbigail! Congratulations on the release of your beautiful novel, The Dreamer!!! To start this interview, can you tell us about yourself and what you write? 

Thanks, Saraina! Well, I’m a Canadian girl who loves to explore the past through the written word! When I’m not reading or writing, I’m usually found hanging out with my family, two dogs, Minka and Griffin, and playing music…usually with a cup of tea in hand. 😉 

I love to write all sorts of genres, but my primary focus is historical fiction. My current projects are set in 1850s Texas. 

The Dreamer is the second book in your series The Three Sisters! How does the first book, The Guardian, tie into The Dreamer? 

I guess the more obvious tie-in would be that readers can recognize the Taylor sisters, including Felix, the eldest. The Dreamer picks up about three to four months after The Guardian ends, and the relationship dynamics between the trio continues to braid itself in an intricate pattern as the sisters stretch in their day-to-day interactions with one another while encountering life’s circumstances. (Did any of that make sense, or am I incredibly sleep-deprived? 😂)

Who is The Dreamer written for?

When I really started to delve into pouring my heart into The Dreamer, I went through—and still currently am, to be honest—going through lots of relationship changes in my circles. I struggled to see everyone getting on with their lives, having opportunities open to them, or blessings show up in their lives while I didn’t have any. Yet despite the struggles and constant stumbling, I tried to keep my focus on God and trust His timing in everything and that He still has something for me. 

The Dreamer is for those on the sidelines, waiting for this or that to finally happen to them, who are struggling to wait and see if God really has something in store for them, who tries to stay strong in her Savior when things don’t go the way she hopes, for the one who spent many nights and days crying for something to happen, to come their way. For someone who, despite all this, trusts her heavenly Father. 

What got you through the hard parts of writing The Dreamer?

Knowing I wasn’t the only one struggling in the lonely place in my life. When you feel “stuck in the mundane,” it’s easy to think and believe that nothing is coming your way. But as I wrote, and cried, and tried to find the words, I began to realize that I wasn’t the only one struggling with waiting in the current season God had me. It’s hard, it’s lonely, and doesn’t feel all that great. Knowing that there were others, who maybe weren’t sure how to put it into words, I knew it was important. And, in a way, pushing through and writing those hard parts helped me in a way look at my own hurt from a distance and realize that it was bad, but not as bad as I thought in those not-so-great moments.

Can you describe the writing process? Did the story go as planned, or did it take new directions you never saw coming?

Oof, the writing process this time around was incredibly chaotic. I’d really hoped to write chapter one and onward, but God had different plans, which involved many breaks as well as inspired sections that were written in a messy order. Nothing was ordered, or followed a structure, as I wrote Stacey’s story. Start to finish. It was a mess. But it was good, because it helped me see and realize that writing never has to be perfect. Just write what you want to write, however you want to write it. 

How do you relate to Stacey, the heroine of The Dreamer?

There are a lot of ways I can relate to her, but I definitely relate in being a dreamer. I’m not as obnoxious as she can be (I hope?!) but I get caught up in imagining what-ifs and what may happen in the here and now, or the near future. I was a little more obsessed about the idea of romance when I was younger, and the horrible part about it (aside from obsessing about a poor guy!) was that I literally cannot remember a thing that happened during those years. 

I can’t remember the major school assignments, the majority of Bible verses I memorized for Bible quizzing, family events. Nothing. My siblings remember those years better than I do, and I mourn the fact that I was so caught up in a rose-colored fantasy that never came to be. 

Without giving away spoilers, Stacey has a revelation about a very similar situation, and I really hoped and prayed about writing that segment, that it may be an encouragement for others who struggled—or continually struggle—with. I know it can be so easy to get caught up in a day dream, but as a sister in Christ, I strongly encourage you to be very careful! It doesn’t take much to take you down that slippery slope. 

What are some of your favorite elements about The Dreamer (eg. tropes, moments you got to include, characters)?

Being able to have more sister moments! People have said before that they can’t understand how harsh the Taylor sisters dynamic is, but let me tell you this: my sisters and I were not the greatest to each other growing up, despite us being best friends now. I wanted to incorporate a sisters’ relationship dynamic that wasn’t fake, or harsh, or fluffy. So, there’s a lot of grit but love between the trio!

I also loved writing more Felix and Jack scenes. (I don’t want to spoil The Guardian or The Dreamer for any readers who haven’t yet read my books, but oh my stars, I love those two so much!) They really helped me keep going, too, to be honest, because I wanted to include them way more than I already did!

What advice would you give writers who struggle with doubt and fear? 

There are going to be some really crummy days where you feel like you can’t write, or don’t have the words, or you don’t even know what’s wrong but something is holding you back. But know that God placed a calling on your heart to write that story you have in your heart. There will be lots of hurdles, especially if the Devil really feels threatened by what you’re pouring out onto the page. But know that if you are faithful, you will reap a harvest if you don’t give up! (Galatians 6:9)

How do you hope readers feel upon finishing The Dreamer?

Lord willing, seen and encouraged! The Dreamer isn’t what you’d call a romance, yet it is. It goes through the hurdles I’m sure many of us young women face at some point in life, possibly even now. But we have hope in what our Savior has in store for us, and I pray that this story strengthens you to keep on keepin’ on in what the Lord has given you in this chapter. ❤ 

What might we expect from you in the future? 👀 😊

Again, Lord willing, I hope to have two more novellas release this year. I’m a wee bit distracted by two other novel ideas that I’m rip-raring to go with, but I’m aiming to pace myself. 

Where can readers go to follow your journey and stay up to date on your work?

I’m most active on Instagram (@abbigail.raine.b.author) but I’m also on Facebook (Abbigail Raine B. Author)!

Thank you so much for being in this interview, Abbi!! And congratulations again on the release of The Dreamer! 🎉🎉🎉 

Thank you for having me, Saraina! 😁

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Did I convince you to read this amazing wonderful book? Have you read The Guardian? Are you also a huge fan of the O’Connor brothers? Which Taylor sister do you most relate with? Who else is excited for Millie’s future story?