About the Book

Book: Half Agony, Half Hope: Dear Lily Edition Author: Joy Michelle Austin Genre: Contemporary Fiction Release Date: March 17, 2026 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.

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

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.

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.

Interview with the Author

What inspired you to write this book?

Half Agony, Half Hope: The Dear Lily Edition grew from a desire to write something both emotionally honest and deeply hopeful — a novel that acknowledges life’s harder places while still illuminating the steady presence of grace.

I have always been drawn to stories of endurance and restoration, and I wanted to create one that readers could enter without fear — clean, closed-door, and anchored in compassion. My hope was that Rick and Lily’s journey would ultimately encourage readers, reminding them that even after profound hardship, healing is possible and hope is never wasted.

At its heart, this book is an invitation to believe that light can still be found, even in seasons that feel overshadowed.

What is your favorite hymn and why?

“Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing” has long been especially meaningful to me.

There is a humility woven throughout the hymn — a recognition of our tendency to wander paired with the quiet reassurance of God’s faithful pursuit. The line “Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it; prone to leave the God I love” has always struck me for its honesty. It reminds me that faith is not about perfection, but about continually returning to the One who holds us steady.

I am deeply moved by songs that tell the truth while still pointing us toward grace, and this hymn does that beautifully.

What is one thing readers would be surprised to learn about you?

Many readers might be surprised to learn that my path to becoming a writer was not effortless. I spent years in therapy for learning disabilities, and early on, writing did not come easily to me.

Looking back, I see that season as a gift. It taught me perseverance, patience, and the courage to grow beyond what once felt limiting. More importantly, it deepened my empathy — something that now shapes every character I write.

My journey is a reminder that our starting point does not determine our destination. Sometimes the very areas where we struggle become the places God uses most powerfully.

Share a few of your favorite things.

I am drawn to experiences that invite both beauty and reflection — evenings at the theatre, the swell of a live classical concert, long walks with my rescue dog Captain Hastings, and travel that allows me to step into places rich with history.

I also treasure unhurried moments with a good book and a cup of tea, where the world quiets just enough to breathe.

More than anything, I am grateful for the simple things that remind me how much loveliness can be found in ordinary days.

What is one question you would like readers to ask you?

I would love for readers to ask, “What do you hope your stories leave behind in my heart as I read your books?”

My answer would be this: I hope my books encourage you to keep going — to trust that your story is still being written, even when the path feels uncertain. If you closes one of my novels feeling strengthened, comforted, or gently reminded of God’s faithfulness, then I know the story has fulfilled its purpose.