In this second full-length Mildred Budge novel, the retired school teacher gets physical. By temperament a contemplative, in this story Mildred bravely leads the way to safety after the pulpit committee with whom she is traveling in an old-fashioned Buick flies off an embankment. Not only does Mildred discover in herself reservoirs of physical strength, but she also experiences new spiritual adventures as she continues to "work out her salvation" within the context of friendships and church relationships. Mildred Budge in Embankment challenges men and women to reconsider the tensions between grace and human will while experiencing glimpses of heaven along the way. It is perceptive, funny, and uplifting. Readers will enjoy the journey with Mildred and her friends. Study guides for book clubs for all Mildred Budge books are available upon request to the author through her website or on Facebook. Preceding titles are Miss Budge in Love, a collection of short stories, and Mildred Budge in Cloverdale, a revision of the earlier book Cloverdale-the first novel in the series. Interview with Daphne Simpkins: Q: Why did you choose a plain and not-so-young school teacher as your main character in a series of novels about church life--not a deacon, minister or elder? A: Most of us are plain people. Mildred Budge is the centerpoint in the stories but almost everyone around her becomes more attractive when seen through her eyes or in her company. I like to think she sees and brings out the best in other people. Q: What do you hope to reveal about church life through these stories? A: That loving God through Christ is real, authentic and fascinating. So often the Christian experience is summed up as a cliche but it isn't stale or easily reduced to a cliche. It is fresh, vital and real. Q: What do you consider the biggest problem with revealing Christianity to a world that has grown inured to the basic tenets of the scriptures? A: Grace is free and people want to earn the love of God. No one can earn the love of God--they can only say yes to it. And then live grateful lives. Q: What is the biggest misconception about Jesus? A: For me, Jesus is the master creator--the perfect man who came to fix what the first imperfect man broke: an intimate relationship with God. Jesus is that threshold, that doorway through which lonely, wounded people can pass into the green pasture of being loved, accepted and renewed. Pass through that doorway and you begin to find out who you are and how you fit in His world--not the broken one we all inherited. Jesus' world is better. Q: You are referring to some serious subjects here, but many people like your books because they are funny. I had to put Cloverdale and Miss Budge in Love down and laugh out loud before I could continue reading. A: Thank you I'm glad you enjoyed them. Life is funny. I laughed while I wrote them. Q: What is your next project? A: I have two projects ongoing right now. The first is The Bride's Room, which is the next Mildred Budge and the other novel has only a working title which might best be kept a secret for a while. Q: Do you write every day? A: I pray every day that I can write well on the days when I can type. Q: What do you hope to do with your work? A: To tell the truth even if it isn't a popular truth. Jesus saves. He saves people who don't know they need to be rescued. That's the Jesus I know and celebrate in the adventures of Mildred Budge, a plain church lady.