Heman Melville's Captain Ahab referred briefly to a wife and son - and author Louise Gouge has built an entire book series around these unseen characters. The first two books focused on Hannah, his wife, Son of Perdition follows Timothy Jacobs, the son whose bitterness toward his father's godless reputation caused him to even reject his father's name. Timothy Jacobs spends his young life trying to prove that he is not like his father, the infamous Captian Ahab. Certain of his own goodness compared to the misguided mariners he observes at the Seaman's Mission where he volunteers, he feels no need for the salvation of Christ, which his mother and stepfather encourage him to accept. But when he is tragically wounded in battle, he is nearly consumed by rage at God, whom he now regards as unjust and uncaring. Not until he reads an account of his father's futile battle against the White Whale does Timothy realize the nature of his own sin and how both he and his father have misunderstood the merciful, loving nature of God.
Louise M. Gouge has been married to David Gouge for over 46 years. They have four grown children and seven grandchildren. Louise attended the University of Central Florida in Orlando, earning a BA in English/Creative Writing, and Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida, earning a Master of Liberal Studies degree. Louise's novel, Ahab's Bride, Book One of Ahab's Legacy, (RiverOak Publishing, 2004) was her master's thesis at Rollins College. Hannah Rose, Book Two of Ahab's Legacy, was released in 2005, and was the honored with the Inspirational Readers Choice Award. Son of Perdition, Book Three of Ahab's Legacy, was released in February 2006.
Louise now writes for Harlequin's Love Inspired Historical Line, with four books published and more coming. Her current time period is the English Regency era.
While writing Christian fiction is her primary occupation and labor of love, Louise is also an adjunct professor of English and Humanities at Valencia Community College in Kissimmee, Florida. Having received her advanced education in middle age, she tries to inspire her younger students to complete their own education early. For her older students, Louise hopes that her experiences prove that it is never too late for them to work toward their dreams. (Her first novel was published after she turned fifty!) In the classroom, she attempts to live out her Christian faith both in words and in action.
Louise's favorite Bible verse is 'He shall choose our inheritance for us' (Psalm 47:4), a testimony to her belief that God has chosen a path for each believer. To seek that path and to trust His wisdom is to find the greatest happiness in life.
