Welcome to the JustRead Blog Tour for ...

What does their future look like when they dare to dream?

When injuries sideline professional rugby player Lourie Steenekamp, his backup plan takes him to Cedarfontein, where the rugby club owner installs him as coach of the Under-20s team. Will the role prove professional rugby isn’t finished with him yet?

Joshua McVitty embarks on the biggest adventure of his life, leaving Eden Cove, England for a year-long traineeship at the Cedarfontein Rugby Club in South Africa. Will his gap year teach his sport-loving heart lessons beyond the playing field?

Join Lourie and Joshua as these two men learn what it means to dare to dream.

What is something interesting readers would enjoy learning about you?

I live in Scotland, which I think is pretty interesting! I love being outdoors and getting up close to gorgeous Highland cows (hairy cows).

What makes up your ideal reading environment?

I love lazy Saturday mornings reading in my sunroom; it’s not always sunny, but it’s light and bright. Last year, my daughter converted her built-in wardrobe into a cosy book nook, but I prefer a bright space—probably something to do with me really wanting to be outside. When it’s nice weather, I like to read in my garden. We’ve got a sunken deck with comfy seats and lovely flower borders on two sides.

What does a day in the life of your characters look like?

The Fullback’s Try features two male characters—Joshua and Lourie. If you’re wondering what the term fullback means, it’s the name of a rugby position. So, as you can imagine, these guys spend their days living and breathing rugby. Joshua, an eighteen-year-old from England, is spending a year in South Africa playing rugby and working with a youth organisation. He has loads of energy and happily spends his day training for rugby, playing rugby, or playing games with a group of primary aged kids. As long as he’s moving, he’s happy. As for Lourie, his days are a little more sedate, especially after a run of rugby injuries meant he had to give up his dream of playing professional rugby. Most of the time he’ll be at his graduate trainee job at a local fruit producer and distributor, but his favourite place is the Cedarfontein rugby club where he coaches the Under-20s team.

What unique research was required to write this story?

It was terrible! I had to go to rugby matches, watch rugby on TV, and read about the lives of rugby players (tee hee). My son told me a story about a Scottish rugby player who went to South Africa to get better at rugby, and that sparked some of the ideas for “The Fullback’s Try.” It was really interesting to read about his experiences. It turns out it’s quite a common thing, and there are several schemes for young UK rugby players to move to South Africa for a year or two.

The other area of research was South Africa. This is the first time I’ve set a book in a place I’ve never been to. I have some knowledge of the country from South African friends I’ve known over the years, but I wanted to make sure I captured the essence of the area. Thankfully, there are several wonderful South African authors in the Our House community who were more than happy to answer our questions, plus it was great reading their books as part of my ‘place’ research. And, of course, I watched lots of YouTube videos—about rugby and South Africa.

What was the inspiration behind your story?

I’m going to make this a three-point answer:

One ... I’ve been involved with the Our House series since the start. So when Anna Jensen told me there was going to be a third series, it started my brain whirring. In my first two books (The Mother’s Song, Our House on Sycamore Street, and The Tea Maker’s Blend, Our House on Heather Wynd) we meet several members of the McVitty family. Mum, Miranda, and the oldest two daughters, Naomi and Rebecca. Which left Joshua, the youngest member of the family, to be the focus of this book.

Two ... As a rugby loving household, if I was going to write a book based in South Africa, then rugby needed to be part of it. Rugby is the main sport in South Africa, and it’s a topic Anna and myself often discuss. Anna gave me lots of great insights into rugby in the schools and communities of South Africa.

Three ... I always include a Bible verse or passage in my books, and as I prayed about what passage to use in The Fullback’s Try, I kept coming back to The Parable of the Talents in Matthew chapter twenty-five. My two main characters, Joshua and Lourie, are at different stages in life, but when they hear a sermon on this parable, it causes both of them to consider their passions and dreams.

What encouragement do you hope readers will take away from your story?

I hope The Fullback’s Try will be an encouragement to think about the talents God has given you. God gave us these talents to enjoy and share. It’s easy to think someone else can do it better, etc, but He wants to see you enjoy your talents and impact other people with them—your talents are a blessing to others.

The best way to stay connected is through my weekly email, Fireside News. You’ll receive cozy updates, behind-the-scenes book notes, and a complimentary historical romance novelette when you subscribe.

Until next time, may your reading bring both light and encouragement.

Happy reading!
~ Danielle.