Behind the Scenes
Author Bio
Hello! My name is Natasha Frasch. I am an Orthodox writer, pianist, and mother. I currently live in a beautiful intentionalish community in Cincinnati, Ohio and attend Christ the Savior Orthodox Church. I have three daughters (4,2,0) who are the sweet apples of my eye and a husband who loves to laugh and sing and is a wonderful, quirky man. You will likely find him asleep somewhere. Narcolepsy. What can you do?!
Vocationally, I have worked with a people from all walks of life from troubled teens to those suffering from Alzheimers. I attended Wheaton College and majored in English Literature and Psychology. Writing and music have long been an integral way of how I process and celebrate the complexities of life. After decades of doing this personally for fun and survival, it feels like a great privilege to be able to share one of my favorite songs with a wider audience! Glory to God for all things!
Behind the text…
Back in January of 2012, I was on retreat with six of my girlfriends. Life was certainly not going as I planned it. I had recently dropped out of a grad school program and wasn't sure what was next. We were hoping to do some hiking that day but the weather was not cooperating. Instead we sat with cups of tea, looking out of the large window overlooking the forest. Silently, we watched as the snow steadily and gently fell, covering everything with a blanket of peace and stillness.
It was a simple thought, but I was struck by how the snow just kept falling down, down, down. Over and over and over. Each snowflake a sign and an image of a world charged with the grandeur and humility of God. Later that day, I wrote what became Love Comes Down. I asked my dear friend Avery (who was in my wedding!) if she would be open to drawing a few pictures to go along with the song. I thought perhaps she could make a few sketches. What she painted was beyond my imagining! We decided to try to get it published. Easier said than done! After lots of ups and downs, help from family, long hiatuses as life events unfolded, we sent a proposal to Ancient Faith Publishing. They accepted! It is a joy to hold the fruit of that quiet, sacred moment on the hillside, to see it in print, and share it with others!
Meet the Illustrator
Hello! My name is Avery Mefford, the illustrator of the book Love Comes Down. I am the daughter of two toy designers and grew up in East Aurora, New York. Currently, I live in Cincinnati with my husband who I knew I wanted to marry when we were in fifth grade and three energetic children! From a very young age, artistic learning and faith have always been interwoven and close to my heart.
In high school, I attended a multicultural Asian church which began my interest in the Chinese language and the study of Asian art history that shapes much of my work today. I attended the University of Cincinnati with a degree in Early Childhood Education and a Certificate of Asian Studies. I've made three trips to Thailand and have traveled to many other Asian countries. On one occasion, I was able to make the life changing trip overseas for the adoption of my youngest child. Today, I work as a Homeschool Art Educator and continue to be passionate about faith in Christ, multicultural art education, and travel.
I love travel, especially to Taiwan and national parks.
See fun fact #6!
I am in love with petrified wood and the Great Sand Dunes.
I could eat only Korean Bibimbap the rest of my life.
Fun Facts about the Book!
1. The Chinese words on the tree mean "Jesus loves me." As a child I learned to speak and write in Chinese, and being involved in the Asian American community as a child shaped me in huge ways.
2. Each painting took on average 13 solid hours of painting time.
3. The girl in the middle of the Jesus page is wearing a traditional Lisu outfit. Several of my friends are Lisu, and I have worked teaching English in Northern Thailand many times. The Lisu and Akah people are hospitable and full of celebration.
4. My daughter leaves me "I love you notes" all around the house on a weekly basis. I come out of the restroom or down the basement steps and small notes are waiting for me. After returning home from grocery shopping, I may open the front door to 11 notes folded so they stand up in front of the door. This reminded me of the message of this book! So on the cover and in a few scenes I place "I love you" notes laying around.
5. Bubble tea from Taiwan is my daughter's favorite drink! There are two bubble tea drinks in this book.
6. My two sweet piggies are tiny creatures that tell of God's goodness! I couldn't have wild guinea pigs running around in the pictures, so I turned my two piggies into wild bunnies in the fall leaves scene. Ino is the one in browns and oranges. Luna is the one with white and dark brown.
7. My favorite picture is the rainy day picture! I love thunderstorms, mist, and foggy hills. When bright colors aren't present, it allows for other artistic elements to shine through!
8. The girl on the front cover is modeled after my dear friend Ankita, who is originally from India. We met at the library by God's providence.
9. The loaves and fishes were a very last minute addition to the illustrations. I just kept thinking about how the story of the boy who gave his lunch is exactly the message of this book. We may think, "All I have to offer is small." But to God "small" is wonderful!
10. The purple and white babydoll in the picnic scene is my good friend's daughter's doll. My friend's daughter went through two open heart surgeries and lots of medical procedures as a young baby. It was a time where we all had to hold each other and hold onto God.