With her husband due to return after years at war, her fourth wedding anniversary right around the corner, and plans for more on tap, Ruth Daley was looking forward to some of the best times of her life. When an unexpected series of tragedies strikes, all Ruth knows as “normal,” all she’s loved, all she’s been hoping for begins to vanish before her eyes.

Will Ruth and her family survive the ensuing turmoil? Will she be able to adjust when forced to move to a small Maryland town? Will Ruth recognize all that’s happened as a chance at a fresh start, or will she be unable to move forward and be forever bound to her past?

There’s a clever idea behind this novel, isn’t there? Tell us what it is?
Bound to Love is a modern-day adaptation of the story told in the book of Ruth.

Bound to Love is a story about devotion to family, friendship, and finding the strength to begin again.

What kind of readers will it appeal to?
The book is perfect for Christian readers – and others alike – who are seeking well-written, captivating, and wholesome material. I wanted to write something I wouldn’t mind my former students or future children reading. All too often, I see youth with materials they should not yet be exposed to.

We know exactly what you mean.
Tell us about Ruth, your Ruth.
Ruth Daley is a kind, selfless, loving, and genuine woman. She had a rough upbringing, but thanks to her friend Naomi Daley – who eventually became her mother-in-law, she’s learned what it means to have faith, be a good wife, and persevere.

William C. Taylor is a small town doctor with a big heart, a big city past, and big city hurts. When he meets Ruth, his up-side down world is turned right-side up.

Do you have a bio?

Tanika L. Smith is a longtime resident of Maryland. She is now an assistant professor of communication at Prince George’s Community College, but has worked in the field of education – including secondary education and private industry instruction – for nearly 15 years.

Tanika earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Mass Communication from Towson University located in Baltimore County, Md. She has a passion for personal development, improving relationships, and using communication as a tool. Eventually, she will earn a Ph.D. and her research efforts will center on intrapersonal and interpersonal communication.

In her spare time, Tanika enjoys watching legal dramas with her mom and helping other writers. She spends most of her free time penning works of different genres. Writing has been a love of hers for quite some time.

Have you got a website?
tanikalsmith.wordpress.com

How can we follow you on Twitter and/or Facebook?
@TanikaLSmith
https://www.facebook.com/tanikalsmith

What’s next?
I will begin working on the sequel to Bound to Love in 2014 and expect to have Volume I of my Knowing Self First: 1001+ Questions to Consider Before Ever Considering Marriage or Any Other Committed Relationship – An Exercise in Defining and Finding Self for Those Pursuing Healthy Romantic Relationships series in print in 2014.