About the Book
Book: The Wanderer Scorned
Author: Natasha Woodcraft
Genre: Biblical Fiction
Release date: March, 2024
“It all started with the banishment. As soon as the truth was known about their disobedience, my parents were driven from the Garden planted for them by the LORD God, Yahweh Elohim. A garden pleasing to the eye and filled with every kind of food. Yet for them, it had not been enough.”
Kayin lives in the shadow of his parent’s expulsion from the Garden of Eden and its lingering cloud of shame. He believes in the Creator but struggles for affirmation. When suffering comes and sibling rivalry threatens, Kayin wrestles with God, grasping at shards of faith. But his cries drown in the noise of his own doubts and fears, until his youthful faith lies shattered, replaced by a twisted dance of pride and jealousy.
As Kayin spirals further, misunderstandings within the family dynamic dominate, and whispers of temptation slither through the cracks. Then a chance at redemption presents itself. With flames of forbidden love still raging hot, Kayin and his brother bring sacrifices to Yahweh.
No one foresees the resulting tragedy.
The Wanderer Scorned is the first instalment in The Wanderer Biblical fiction series, immersing readers in the world of Genesis 4. This exploration of the first murder brings the Bible to life in a fresh way, delving into the character of the Creator God and His earliest interactions with humankind.
Click here to get your copy!
About the Author
Natasha Woodcraft lives in a slightly crumbling farmhouse in the UK with her family of boys and menagerie of animals. She holds an honours degree in Theology and believes stories have power to communicate deep truth and transform lives. Also a songwriter, Natasha peppers her emotional prose with poetry and song.
More from Natasha
Q & A with Natasha Woodcraft
- You’re an Author from the UK. Tell me more about that.
That’s right. I’m a Brit, which is great but has its challenges, like negotiating single quotation marks! There’s a massive lack of Christian fiction here. It’s not stocked in secular bookstores, there are few Christian bookstores left, and there aren’t many big conventions or publishers. I’m part of a team passionate about changing the landscape. We offer support services to authors and publishing services. Please pray for us and our country, and support British writers if you can.
- Who do you share your home with?
My husband, Ben, and four sons ranging from 15 to 7. Plus a dog, 2 cats, 3 goats, 9 chickens and 16 quail (though they don’t all live in the house.) It can get a little crazy…
- Sounds like it. How do you find time to write?
Good question. My mornings are usually taken up with feeding/cleaning kids and animals. My afternoons with working for the family business or publishing house. Before tea, I’ll be out picking vegetables and pulling weeds – we try to grow as much as we can ourselves. Writing gets squeezed into late nights, early mornings and quieter days. It’s my downtime and my favorite time spent with Jesus.
- You write Bible-based fiction. What specifically?
The Wanderer Series is based on the story of Cain & Abel in Genesis 4. It came about because I woke up one morning wondering what prompted the first murder (no kidding; my brain is weird.) I’d been pondering Jesus’ words about murder and anger in the Sermon on the Mount and praying about what I should write for a while. Suddenly, I knew it had to be a reimagining of Cain’s story – from his perspective.
- Hang on. From Cain’s perspective?
Yeah. Though there’s certainly a place for them, I personally dislike stories that are too simplistic. Where bad guys are really bad and good guys are really good – that kind of thing. The Bible teaches us that we all need grace (especially me), and as regards Cain – I don’t think he was much different to any of us. Writing from his perspective gave me opportunity to spend a lot of time in the Word of God, exploring Cain’s slide into sin in a way that challenged me to examine my own heart.
- That’s some heavy stuff. Did you have any background that helped you tackle this story?
Sure. I have a degree in Theology, and I’ve also studied English Literature and Creative writing. Mostly though, it was a case of leaning heavily into what God wanted to teach me through this book and hoping some of that resonated with my readers. The reviews so far say it has!
- What would you say to those questioning whether Bible-based fiction is right for them?
I totally understand the fear surrounding this genre. I felt it myself when I started writing and that was something I had to take to God and trust Him with. “Is it even ok to write these stories?” I asked.
Essentially though, it isn’t much different to a sermon. It’s exegesis and expansion of the scripture, just presented differently: in fiction rather than non-fiction. I’ve researched, covered my writing in prayer, and had pastors check my work. I’m super careful about handling scripture faithfully but state where the story comes from my imagination. It isn’t intended to replace the Bible. Quite the opposite – I hope it will inspire people to pick the Bible up. I even include an appendix that explains decisions I made, and study questions, at the back.
My hope and prayer is that Jesus will be glorified as lives are touched by this ancient story reimagined. If you’re still not sure, why not give The Wanderer Scorned a go? You don’t know until you try…
Interview with the Author
- How do you select the names of your characters?
The Wanderer Scorned is a reimagining of the Bible Story of Cain & Abel, so the main character names were already chosen! However, I love transporting my readers back in time by using the Hebrew rather than English names (hence Kayin, rather than Cain.)
Biblical names often reveal something about the character, and I weave this into the story. For example, Abel means “quick breath”. This alludes to his short life but also, another word for breath is “Ruach,” which is the Hebrew word for the Spirit of God, suggesting Abel was imbued with God’s Spirit, and that’s why he knew what to sacrifice. It’s fascinating!
Additional character names I select through research into appropriate names historically, and by considering the name meanings and the character I want them to belong to.
- What was your hardest scene to write?
If I say, “Cain and Abel”, you know the ending already. So, it will be no surprise that writing the scenes at the end of the story was emotionally challenging. I also had to remain faithful to what Scripture says, so I used the text directly, weaving it in with the action, and considering New Testament verses that allude to the story as well. Sometimes it required lots of prayer to figure out where we were going, and God was so gracious in providing me other scriptures when I needed them, like Psalm 50 for the sacrifice scene.
- What is your favorite childhood book?
I was really impacted by “Treasures in the Snow” by Patricia St. John. The fact that story has stuck with me for so many years convinces me that stories have power to communicate deep truth and transform lives, which is what I seek to do with my writing.
- What comes first, the plot or characters?
Usually, I start with a story idea, so I suppose that’s plot. However, I take my time building the characters and certainly, my books are character-driven, not plot-driven. The plot is only relevant so far as it affects change in the character. My primary concern isn’t what happens, but why it happened. We all know what happens in Genesis 4, but have you ever considered why? Was Cain a monster, or was he an ordinary man, not that dissimilar to you and me, seeking answers to life’s big questions and struggling with sin and rejection? God is incredibly gracious to Cain, and in telling his story, I wanted to give him that grace too. Not to excuse what he did, but to explore what drove him to do it.
- What do you like to do when you are not writing?
I have four kids and loads of animals, so I spend a lot of time with them. But if I had a bunch of free time, I would spend it songwriting. I wrote songs before I wrote any books, and it’s my favorite thing to do with Jesus. There are songs woven into my novels too, and you can listen on Youtube as you read.
Blog Stops
A Reader’s Brain, November 13 (Author Interview)
Lots of Helpers, November 13
Back Porch Reads, November 14 (Author Interview)
Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, November 15
A Modern Day Fairy Tale, November 16 (Author Interview)
Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, November 17
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, November 18
Fiction Book Lover, November 19 (Author Interview)
Simple Harvest Reads, November 20 (Author Interview)
Artistic Nobody, November 21 (Author Interview)
Mary Hake, November 21
Guild Master, November 22 (Author Interview)
Vicky Sluiter, November 23 (Author Interview)
Library Lady’s Kid Lit, November 24 (Author Interview)
Texas Book-aholic, November 25
Locks, Hooks and Books, November 26
Giveaway
To celebrate her tour, Natasha is giving away the grand prize of a $25 Amazon gift card and a paperback copy of the book!!
Be sure to comment on the blog stops for extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.