Rea Nolan Martin

I write for the thrill of creation--putting an idea into the world that didn't exist in quite the same way before. Writing for me is a spiritual, transformative process that derives from the soul and connects me to God. Of course I always strive to make a connection that turns it into a meaningful story that people enjoy.

Empowerment of women in a religious and spiritual context is a theme of mine, yes. The older women in MYSTIC TEA vowed obedience decades ago to their church superiors, who were all men. As the number of these male clergy dwindled, there was by necessity less and less supervision of the women's rural monastery. At the opening of the story, the Sisters are wandering around without purpose or meaning, independent of external authority in all but name. Confused and burdened by a sense of abandonment, the women are further burdened by an Official Investigation of their practices by the Vatican, which of coruse threatens their entire way of life. (This is a situation that is actually taking place in the American Roman Catholic Church.) As time goes on and hostility compounds, the women are forced to decide where their loyalty really lies and if not with the men who rule them, then with whom? As they are forced further and further into this crucible, they see themselves more clearly and are able to separate their spirituality from their corporate faith. This is what wakes them up. This is what empowers them.