Redemption's Echo by Cathy McIntosh
"Pay attention, Cathy. I want you to write about this."
The instruction felt like a loud, interruptive thought—one I knew wasn't my own. My husband Mike, a law enforcement veteran of nearly four decades, had just received a call about a young woman found deceased in a field near our home.
My immediate reaction to God’s prompting was, “What, Lord? I’m a devotional writer, and you want me to write about crime? About murder?” It didn’t make sense. It seemed crazy, out of place in my ‘well-ordered’ writing career. But that's how I knew this prompting wasn't my own idea.
As the murder investigation slowly unfolded, I repeatedly asked God, “What am I to do with this?”
When the heart-wrenching details of the case became known, I cried, “Where were you when this happened, God?” That’s when I felt, more than heard, His nod. I’d landed on the question I knew I should try to answer. But how?
It took nearly five years to discern this story—inspired by true events—would be fiction. It would require several viewpoints, including one from a victim I could never meet or interview.
After dabbling with inadequate plot outlines, inspiration struck unexpectedly. One day, I found myself running out of the shower, searching for pen and paper to write down an entire book outline that seemed to download supernaturally.
That was the day Redemption's Echo began to take shape.
Sometimes, God provides inspiration before instruction. In this case, He provided the instruction before the inspiration. My job was to accept the assignment and listen carefully while He shared the plan.
The Surprising Personal Shift:
Redemption’s Echo is a mystery/suspense novel where a young detective must confront her past to solve the cold case of her sister’s murder.
As I wrote, God ignited a new passion. To fully share the story, I had to put myself into the victim's shoes. She’s a fictional young woman named Dahlia. I had to see the world from her perspective, live vicariously through her traumatic experiences as a victim of human trafficking, and let myself genuinely love her. I felt obligated to paint her story with grace and dignity because I knew her as a kindhearted, lovely person who became trapped in evil circumstances.
The experience molded my heart to be more like His and gave me a new desire to support survivors of human trafficking. The pervasive evil is taking place in our neighborhoods and communities. Redemption’s Echo is a small way of raising awareness and telling the stories many survivors don’t feel equipped to share.
Ultimately, what began as a surprising directive became a transformative journey for my writing and my heart and purpose.
About Cathy
When Cathy isn't crafting compelling stories or guiding fellow writers to success, she often delves into the latest crime podcasts, always eager to unravel a mystery. With an insatiable curiosity, she embraces the opportunity to learn new skills and embark on exciting adventures, rarely shying away from what lies around the next proverbial corner.
She and her husband cherish the joys of living in Colorado, surrounded by the laughter and love of their children and grandchildren.