| Lily Days before her wedding, Lily Wentworth’s carefully planned future is shaken by an unexpected turn. Unsure how to move forward, she turns to the one person she has always trusted—her father. Rick Determined not to let their darkest years define her, Rick Wentworth offers Lily the journals he wrote during the season he fought to keep her safe and survive one day at a time. As Lily reads, she begins to uncover not only the truth of what they endured, but also the fierce, steady love that carried her through—and the strength she may need now. Half Agony, Half Hope: The Dear Lily Edition is a clean, closed-door story of resilience, family, and the love that shaped two lives. Genre: Contemporary Fiction Release Date: March 17, 2026 Click here to get your copy! |  |
Interview with Joy
1. What was the inspiration for this book?
This story grew from a long-held desire to write something emotionally honest yet deeply hopeful — a novel that acknowledges life’s harder places while still pointing readers toward light.
Years ago, I was profoundly moved by Captain Wentworth’s “half agony, half hope” letter in Persuasion. That phrase lingered with me and eventually inspired a poem, which later became the quiet foundation for this story.
Over time, I found myself reflecting on questions of endurance, healing, and what it means to begin again after darkness. From those reflections, Rick and Lily’s journey slowly emerged — a story centered not only on survival, but on restoration.
More than anything, I wanted to create a book readers could enter with confidence: clean, compassionate, and ultimately anchored in hope.
This story grew from a long-held desire to write something emotionally honest yet deeply hopeful — a novel that acknowledges life’s harder places while still pointing readers toward light.
Years ago, I was profoundly moved by Captain Wentworth’s “half agony, half hope” letter in Persuasion. That phrase lingered with me and eventually inspired a poem, which later became the quiet foundation for this story.
Over time, I found myself reflecting on questions of endurance, healing, and what it means to begin again after darkness. From those reflections, Rick and Lily’s journey slowly emerged — a story centered not only on survival, but on restoration.
More than anything, I wanted to create a book readers could enter with confidence: clean, compassionate, and ultimately anchored in hope.
2. What do you hope readers will take away?
My deepest hope is that readers close this book feeling encouraged — reminded that no life is beyond the reach of grace and that even the most fragile beginnings can grow into something strong.
We all encounter seasons that ask more of us than we feel prepared to give. If this story reassures someone that healing is possible, that their story is still unfolding, and that hope is never misplaced, then it has fulfilled its purpose.
Stories have a quiet way of steadying us, and I pray this one does exactly that.
My deepest hope is that readers close this book feeling encouraged — reminded that no life is beyond the reach of grace and that even the most fragile beginnings can grow into something strong.
We all encounter seasons that ask more of us than we feel prepared to give. If this story reassures someone that healing is possible, that their story is still unfolding, and that hope is never misplaced, then it has fulfilled its purpose.
Stories have a quiet way of steadying us, and I pray this one does exactly that.
3. Do you have favorite characters?
It is always difficult to choose, but Lily, Rick, Ellie, and Darcy each hold an extra special place in my heart.
Lily represents quiet resilience — the kind of strength that unfolds gently yet endures. Rick embodies steadfast love and the courage it takes to rebuild. Ellie brings warmth and light, while Darcy offers loyalty and the reassuring presence of someone who stands firm when it matters most.
It is always difficult to choose, but Lily, Rick, Ellie, and Darcy each hold an extra special place in my heart.
Lily represents quiet resilience — the kind of strength that unfolds gently yet endures. Rick embodies steadfast love and the courage it takes to rebuild. Ellie brings warmth and light, while Darcy offers loyalty and the reassuring presence of someone who stands firm when it matters most.
4. Tell us a little about yourself and your family.
I am an adopted Asian American and the eldest daughter in my family, experiences that have shaped both my perspective and my storytelling in meaningful ways. Family has always been a place of deep connection for me, and those themes naturally find their way into my work.
My brother serves as an EMT, a role that requires both courage and compassion — qualities I deeply admire and that quietly influenced elements of my fictional world.
More than anything, I am grateful for the people who have grounded my life with love and steadiness. Their presence continually reminds me of the strength found in belonging.
I am an adopted Asian American and the eldest daughter in my family, experiences that have shaped both my perspective and my storytelling in meaningful ways. Family has always been a place of deep connection for me, and those themes naturally find their way into my work.
My brother serves as an EMT, a role that requires both courage and compassion — qualities I deeply admire and that quietly influenced elements of my fictional world.
More than anything, I am grateful for the people who have grounded my life with love and steadiness. Their presence continually reminds me of the strength found in belonging.
5. Share with us a thought or Bible verse on your heart.
I often return to Jeremiah 29:11:
I often return to Jeremiah 29:11:
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares
the Lord… “plans to give you hope and a future.”
It is a promise that has steadied me through uncertain seasons, reminding me that God is always at work beyond what we can see.
Lately, I have been especially comforted by the reminder that our lives are not defined by the timelines we once imagined, but by the faithfulness of the One who guides us forward. There is deep peace in trusting that no chapter is wasted — and that hope is never without purpose.
Lately, I have been especially comforted by the reminder that our lives are not defined by the timelines we once imagined, but by the faithfulness of the One who guides us forward. There is deep peace in trusting that no chapter is wasted — and that hope is never without purpose.
More from Joy
Half Agony, Half Hope was not a story I set out to write lightly.
It was an answer to a call God placed on my heart as a survivor of sexual assault—a call to tell the truth without exploiting it, and to create hope without diminishing the pain. From the beginning, I knew this would be a heavy debut novel. I also knew I wanted it to be clean, faith-centered, and redemptive.
The decision to tell this story through the eyes of a man was intentional. So few novels explore male survivors with compassion and dignity, yet one in six men are sexually assaulted. Their stories are often hidden, misunderstood, or minimized. Rick Wentworth’s journey exists to say plainly: healing is possible, faith is not erased by trauma, and masculinity is not diminished by suffering.
Because of the weight of Rick’s past, much of the abuse in Half Agony, Half Hope is veiled. I wanted readers to feel the truth of what he endured without being retraumatized themselves. Still, after the book released, readers told me they longed for more gentleness—more space to breathe inside the story.
That is how the Dear Lily Edition was born.
Lily was Rick’s hope and grace during the darkest years of his captivity. In the cellar, she was the reminder that love could still exist, that innocence could survive, and that God was not absent—even there. Their bond became the quiet heartbeat of the story: a wounded man learning how to hope again through the steady, healing love of a child.
At its core, Half Agony, Half Hope: Dear Lily Edition is a story of survival and faith—but it is also a story of a father and daughter choosing trust and hope despite hardship, and building a family where brokenness does not get the final word.
It was an answer to a call God placed on my heart as a survivor of sexual assault—a call to tell the truth without exploiting it, and to create hope without diminishing the pain. From the beginning, I knew this would be a heavy debut novel. I also knew I wanted it to be clean, faith-centered, and redemptive.
The decision to tell this story through the eyes of a man was intentional. So few novels explore male survivors with compassion and dignity, yet one in six men are sexually assaulted. Their stories are often hidden, misunderstood, or minimized. Rick Wentworth’s journey exists to say plainly: healing is possible, faith is not erased by trauma, and masculinity is not diminished by suffering.
Because of the weight of Rick’s past, much of the abuse in Half Agony, Half Hope is veiled. I wanted readers to feel the truth of what he endured without being retraumatized themselves. Still, after the book released, readers told me they longed for more gentleness—more space to breathe inside the story.
That is how the Dear Lily Edition was born.
Lily was Rick’s hope and grace during the darkest years of his captivity. In the cellar, she was the reminder that love could still exist, that innocence could survive, and that God was not absent—even there. Their bond became the quiet heartbeat of the story: a wounded man learning how to hope again through the steady, healing love of a child.
At its core, Half Agony, Half Hope: Dear Lily Edition is a story of survival and faith—but it is also a story of a father and daughter choosing trust and hope despite hardship, and building a family where brokenness does not get the final word.
 Joy Michelle Austin | Joy Michelle Austin is an award-winning novelist writing contemporary fiction. Her debut found an immediate audience among readers drawn to heartfelt stories of healing and second chances, launching the Jane Austen’s Men series. She also wrote The Seaside Sleuths and the Bridal Batter Blunder, a cozy mystery tie-in project for young readers. Joy draws inspiration from real stories of courage, grace, and the quiet heroes found in everyday life, crafting fiction for readers who seek hope, honesty, and heart in contemporary storytelling. She is the recipient of the West Coast Christian Writers Encourager Award and the Walt Disney Legacy Award—an honor given to fewer than 1% of Cast Members worldwide for embodying Disney’s “Dream, Create, Inspire” legacy. |
Through her blog, The Joyous Living, she connects with thousands of readers who share her love of culture,
storytelling, and meaningful living. She lives in Southern California with her dog, Captain Hastings.
storytelling, and meaningful living. She lives in Southern California with her dog, Captain Hastings.
It's Time For A Giveaway!
To celebrate her tour, Joy is giving away the grand prize of
a $20 Amazon Gift Card and a Kindle copy of the book!!
a $20 Amazon Gift Card and a Kindle copy of the book!!
Click below to enter. Be sure to comment on this post before you enter to claim 9 extra entries!
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