Meet Sidney Frost

Sidney W. Frost is a Stephen Leader, a Stephen Minister, and a member of his church choir at First United Methodist Church in Georgetown, Texas. He has served on the session at a Presbyterian church, and has been on the vestry at Episcopal churches.  While singing with the Austin Lyric Opera Chorus, he was in 42 productions. He and his wife, Celeste, sing with the San Gabriel Chorale and have been in several Berkshire Festivals. He is an Adjunct Professor at Austin Community College where he teaches computer courses. He received the adjunct teaching excellence award in 2005.

While attending the University of Texas in the 1960s he worked part-time at the Austin Public Library driving a bookmobile after completing service in the U.S. Marines. He is a member of the American Christian Fiction Writers, the Writers League of Texas, and the San Gabriel Writers’ League. He has a Master of Science degree from the University of Houston and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of California at Long Beach.

Awards for Where Love Once Lived include First Place — 2007 SouthWest Writers Contest in the Inspirational/Spiritual Category, First Place — 2007 Writers’ League of Texas Novel Manuscript Contest, Romance Category, Third Place — Fourteenth Annual Lone Star Writing Competition, Northwest Houston Chapter of the Romance Writers of America, Inspirational Romance Category and Finalist — 2006 Yosemite Writers Contest Novel Category

Back Cover Blurb

She’d once loved a bookmobile driver. Memories of that time with him poured in so rapidly she caught her breath. It’d been long ago, but her heart remembered. At first she remembered the love she’d felt back then, but the good memories didn’t last long. She’d gone to the bookmobile as usual that last day, but nothing was to be the same again. She went to Brian with love and exciting news. She left alone. Not just without him, but alone in the world and apart from God.

Is it ever too late to find happiness?

No, says Sidney W. Frost in his inspirational Christian novel, Where Love Once Lived. Brian Donelson returns to his hometown after a thirty-year absence to win back his beloved Karen. But Karen, who has grown closer to God than he has, harbors a secret that keeps her away from Brian at all costs. While driving the local bookmobile, Brian struggles to earn her trust, even as he grapples with secrets of his own. With God’s help, can these two find happiness? Beautifully written and told with wit and grace, Where Love Once Lived is a moving love story filled with the glory of God.

Sidney, why did you write the book?

The idea for writing a bookmobile story came to me while driving one back in the 1960s. I was a college student at the University of Texas assigned to drive for a feisty librarian who got us into trouble with the head librarian several times because of helping our patrons in ways unrelated to books. I wanted to write a humorous novel about her, but quickly learned I didn’t know much about writing.

The nudge to write the bookmobile story came again in 2004, and this time I said no because I knew it was too hard. The very next Sunday, my pastor, Dr. Jeanie Stanley, said this: “Trust the Lord God with your dreams and he will help you achieve them.” This gave me the idea to turn the whole project over to God. To remind myself I wasn’t alone, I wrote a prayer which I printed and taped to the computer monitor.

Dear Lord, be my source of inspiration. Give me the words you want the world to hear. Help me create the story and the characters to convey your message in such a way as to be desirable to the business world of publishers. Guide my hands and stay in my mind and my heart while I write and while I edit. Amen

I don’t want this to come across as me believing my book is the word of God. Far from it. All I’m trying to say is that I had a strong urge to write and publish Where Love Once Lived. I hope it makes you laugh and cry, and if just one person should happen to move closer to God because of it, then all the effort was worthwhile.

Why do you love this book?

I love this book because it grew into more than a simple episodic novel about a funny bookmobile librarian. While trying to please my writing instructor, Bonnie Hearn Hill, and my fellow students, Where Love Once Lived has as its core, a love story about Karen and Brian, a couple in their mid-fifties who get back together after thirty years. Liz, the librarian, is a strong, but secondary character.

In addition, several other characters worked their way into the story without my expecting them. One of those characters is a seventy-eight year old black man by the name of George McCullough. George teaches Brian how to pray and ask for forgiveness. George also gives me a voice to talk about my experience growing up during racial segregation. Here’s what happens after Cindy, George’s granddaughter takes Brian on a tour of the neighborhood.

“It’s called historical, now,” Mr. McCullough said holding a fork in the air. “It use’ to be a ghetto, you know.” He glanced at Brian. “I
don’t guess Cindy told you that. Most of the Negroes lived east of Austin, but there was a colony here in Clarksville.”

Mr. McCullough continued. “When I was growin’ up, there were boundaries, you see. We couldn’t jus’ live anywhere we wanted. Ever’one knew where the lines were. Our street here was as far south as we could live.”

He shook his head. “Today, it doesn’t matter. No one’s shocked when black and white marry, even.” He locked eyes with Brian, then moved his gaze to Cindy.

“When was this neighborhood a ghetto, Grandpa?” Cindy asked. “I’ve heard the story, but I think Brian would like to hear about it, too.”

“Let’s see.” He touched a thumb to his fingers. “I’d say up until sometime in the 1950s.” He pointed south. “Over at Mathews School, on 9 1/2 Street, that was white. Our lot touched up to a white family’s back yard.” He laughed. “I’d forgotten about that. Fact is, back in the 1930′s or 40′s, I use’ to play with the little kid who lived there. Well, not play, really. We mos’ly jus’ talked through the chicken wire. My Mama and Daddy told me not to, but I did anyway.”

Purchase info

Where Love Once Lived is available in print edition from Amazon.com. You can get signed copies on e-Bay. You can also order it from all bookstores.

The Kindle edition is available from Amazon.com and other eBook editions are available from lulu.com and iTunes.com

Contact info

Website:
http://sidneywfrost.com/

Blog:
http://christianbookmobile.blogspot.com/

Email:
sidfrost@suddenlink.net