Tuesday, September 30, 2014

The Sacred Year



Michael Yankoski The Sacred Year



Book info and review
About the book: 

One searcher's honest and fascinating journey to encounter God, love others, and discover his true self through a year of spiritual practices.

Frustrated and disillusioned with his life as a Christian, motivational speaker Michael Yankoski was determined to stop merely talking about living a life of faith and start experiencing it. The result was a year dedicated to engaging in spiritual practices, both ancient and modern, in a life-altering process that continues to this day. Whether contemplating an apple for an hour before tasting it (attentiveness), eating on $2.00 a day (simplicity) or writing simple letters of thanks (gratitude), Michael discovered a whole new depth through the intentional life.

Stirred on by the guiding voice of Father Solomon, a local monk, Yankoski's life is slowly transformed. Both entertaining and heart-wrenching, Yankoski's story will resonate with those who wish to deepen their own committed faith as well as those who are searching --- perhaps for the first time --- for their own authentic encounter with the Divine.

My thoughts:  THE SACRED YEAR is not meant to be inhaled in one lump sum by reviewers. I was about three or four chapters in when I realized that. It's like sitting in your pastor's study and hearing him preach every message in his collection--at once. Too much, too soon.  So, that said, as a reviewer, reading it in one lump sum, it is overwhelming. Mind-boggling. Skim-inducing. Too much, too soon. 

BUT reading it as a reader, you read one section at a time. You ponder it. Highlight. Make notes. Study it. Think about it. Agree (or disagree.)  Find tidbits you can use on your own spiritual journey. And then, it is not overwhelming, mind-boggling, nor skim-inducing. It is inspiring. Motivational. Encouraging. Engaging. 

I requested this book because my son read Mr. Yankoski's Under the Overpass and was fascinated by it. It's on his keeper-shelf. I don't think my son read any of Mr. Yankoski's other books, and I hadn't read any of them, but I asked if he'd be interested in THE SACRED YEAR if I reviewed it. I didn't ask him to; he's a busy university student who makes time to read, but it's on his schedule, not the calendar the serious reviewer has to maintain.  He agreed. And I'm glad he did. Because Mr. Yankoski is a really thought provoking author.  I will read this book again. Slower. As it's meant to be read. 

Purchase a copy: http://ow.ly/BFhp6

About the author: Michael Yankoski is a writer, aspiring theologian, and urban homesteader who dreams of becoming a competent woodworker, musician, and sailor. He received his MA in theological studies at Regent College in Vancouver, British Columbia, is a (novitate) Oblate of St. Benedict, and has authored four books. Michael grew up in Colorado, feels at home on the Pacific Coast, and currently resides in Indiana, where he and his wife are pursuing PhDs at the University of Notre Dame.

Find Michael online: websiteFacebookTwitter

 Blog Tour Schedule




God is at work everywhere. And every-when. We only need to open our eyes and take the time to notice.



Michael Yankoski became jaded and disillusioned with his life as a Christian motivational speaker, feeling as though he was another act in the “Christian Carnival.” Religion started to become a façade instead of a deep, nourished, lived experience of faith. He knew he needed to stop talking about his faith and begin living and practicing it. In a sort of desperation, Michael dedicated the next year to engaging various spiritual practices, and The Sacred Year is a firsthand account of the downs and ups, the failures and successes of an honest search for answers to the human yearning for life, love, and God.
It’s time to stop talking about your faith and begin living and experiencing it.



Join Michael and #EmbraceTheSacred—seek out God at work in the mundane and attend to what God is doing in your life. Share those moments on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram and make sure to use the tag #EmbraceTheSacred.



sacredyear-embracethesacred

 As a thank-you for ordering The Sacred Year, Michael is giving away a free ebook! Email your proof of purchase of The Sacred Year to TheSacredYear@gmail.com, and you will receive A Straightforward Guide to Three Essential Spiritual Practices ebook for FREE! Learn more here.



sacredyear-400-freeebook

 

Monday, September 29, 2014

The James Miracle


Miracles may happen when we least expect them, but they have a habit of jumping out at us when we need them the most.



James Miracle.f

TITLE: The James Miracle
AUTHOR: Jason F. Wright
Page Count: 112 pages
Genre: Fiction
Format: Hardcover 


Fans of New York Times bestselling author Jason F. Wright can
now enjoy his first novel, never before released to the national
market.

Sam and Holly Foster never expected the hardship that caused
their perfect world to shatter. It will take the miracle of their
young son James’s toy boat and a mysterious man to remind
them that heaven is not far and that love is never lost.

My thoughts:  This was kind of a sad book, tear-jerker.  Sam was born to encouraging parents and he thrived as a salesman--until one day when the world turned upside down.  

Read this book with a box of tissue.  It is a book that will go on the keeper shelf to be read over and over. Thought provoking. 

Recommended. 

Praise for The James Miracle:

“Like Christmas Jars, the incredible book that started a movement and first introduced me to Jason, The James Miracle reminds me why faith and family are inseparable.”—Glenn Beck, #1 bestselling author and founder of The Blaze

Exerpt:
At any given second, somewhere in this grand old world of His, someone kneels beside a bed, or a couch, or inside a mildewed cardboard box underneath some remote highway overpass, and asks, “God, do miracles exists?”
They do.
And not just on Thursday afternoons.

About the Author: 

Jason F. Wright is the New York Times bestselling author of Christmas Jars and The Wednesday Letters. He writes a weekly column for the Deseret News and Northern Virginia Daily. His articles have appeared in over fifty newspapers and magazines across the United States including The Washington TimesThe Chicago Tribune, and Forbes. A popular speaker, Jason has been seen on CNN, FoxNews, C-SPAN, and on local television affiliates around the country. Jason and his wife, Kodi, live in Virginia with their four children.

Sunday, September 28, 2014

Treasury of Bible Stories / Interview with Kelly Pulley

Book info and review
About the book: Children ages 4-8 will be delighted by these rhyming Bible stories pairing spiritual truths with playful illustrations.

Featuring lyrical stories full of lighthearted moments, this colorful collection of Magnificent Tales is perfect for reading out loud. As families read these stories night after night, they will make memories together while learning about the Bible.

My thoughts: TREASURY OF BIBLE STORIES is rhymes. Some of the Bible stories aren't exactly right, for instance, with the resurrection of Jesus, the poems say the guards pretended they were dead, but that isn't right. They actually fainted.  Other than some of the facts being misrepresented, the book was good and we like it. It is a good book for little kids, such as toddlers, preschoolers and early elementary age kids.  It is good for use in Sunday school and nurseries or children's church when teachers or leaders read to the kids. 

My twelve year old enjoyed reading it, but she feels it is way below her age limit. My nine year old liked it more - but she is only slightly above the recommended ages of 4 - 8. 

If you have children or grandchildren ages 4 - 8 or work with the children's ministry at your church or Christian school, you'll want to pick up a copy of TREASURY OF BIBLE STORIES. I thought they were very well done. 

Purchase a copy: http://ow.ly/BotGV

About the author: Kelly Pulley works from his middle Tennessee home writing and illustrating children's picture books, most recently Ten Unusual Features of Lulu McDunn and The Cycling Wangdoos. He is best known for illustrating dozens of books in the Beginner's Bible series, including The Beginner's Bible (over 1.25 million copies sold).

Find Kelly online: websiteFacebook

Treasury of Bible Stories: Rhythmical Rhymes of Biblical Times

 Blog Tour Schedule



An interview with Kelly Pulley

Q: Who was the Treasury of Bible Stories written for and what are some of the best ways parents can use the book within the home? Can Bible class teachers use it too?

I’ve illustrated many children’s Bible storybooks over the years; most are for toddlers or early readers. Treasury of Bible Stories, however, was created primarily for more advanced readers (4-8 years). It’s meant to be fun and entertaining, yet it follows the original Bible stories very closely; it has no made-up characters or talking animals, etc., and the stories all have clear messages. So, yes, I think it could be a very useful tool for church or at-home Bible classes.

Q: You’re a well-known illustrator, having done the art for the most recent release of The Beginner’s Bible, which sold 1.5 million copies. How did you transition from being a graphic designer to illustrator and writer?

I had a lull in illustration projects so I thought it would be a good idea to try something new during my down time. Writing children’s stories was an obvious choice since I was already illustrating them, but I had no idea if I could write a decent story or not. I’d never tried. My first attempt was Food for a Fish. I showed it to my publisher, and she liked it! That was in 2008.

Q: Why is it so important for parents to make sure their children are getting a steady diet of Bible stories?

As we get older and busier it gets harder and harder to find/make time to read our Bibles. At least that’s what I’ve found in my life. Getting in the habit of reading our Bibles as early as possible seems to me to be a good idea. And when something is fun for kids, they will more likely want to do it.

Q: Treasury of Bible Stories has been called “The Bible . . . if it were written by Dr. Seuss.” Has his work been an inspiration for you?

Yes, definitely. When I was in grade school, and I was in the school library, I would always head straight to the Dr. Seuss books. I loved the rhyming stories and the fantastical illustrations. I still do. It’s not that I try to make my stories sound “Dr. Seuss-like,” but I enjoy writing in the same meter he usually used. It works well for longer, more complex stories.

Q: Do you think the cadence of the rhyming in this book will help children remember the stories better?

The stories are a lot of fun to read, not only because of the rhyme and meter, but also because of word plays and the wacky pictures. I think because they are so fun, they will be reread over and over, which will help them to be remembered.

Q: In our world of slick marketing and non-stop stimulation, kids are more media-savvy than ever. How will Treasury of Bible Stories hold their attention? Why does using it as a bedtime storybook work well?

The illustrations in Treasury of Bible Stories are more contemporary and the stories more entertaining than most Bible storybooks. The stories are long enough to get the entire story and message in without dragging on and on. Most of the stories take around ten minutes to read. Just long enough for an end-of-the-day wind-down.

Q: Kids love repetition — but all parents have had a moment where they’ve thought they cannot read a particular book to their children one more time. Why won’t parents mind picking this book up night after night?

I have four kids, so you know I’ve been there! I must admit, I’ve tried hiding books or skipping pages to get through them faster . . . that never worked! I think the writing is clever enough to make them enjoyable for adults as well as children. I still like them, but I doubt that counts.

Q: How did you decide which Bible stories went into this book?

I started out with the most popular stories: Noah, David and Goliath, Daniel and the Lions, Jonah and the Whale and the story of the Nativity. The stories leading up to and including Christ’s death and resurrection were a must. For the rest I chose the most interesting stories with a good message that brought to mind the best images for illustrations. A good story should stand without illustrations but also work with only illustrations and no words.

Q: Which story in Treasury of Bible Stories is your favorite?

I have two favorites. One is “A Shout for the Lord (The Convincing Story of Gideon’s Doubt).” I like it because it has a lot going on (it has action and soldiers and such), but also because I can relate to Gideon. Many times I’ve felt God leading me, but I doubted I was the right guy for the job. My wife has warned me more than once that I was thinking like Gideon.

My other favorite story is “He Has Risen!” It’s the last story in the book and the last one I wrote. Sometimes during the writing process the right word or phrase will just pop into my head without any thought at all, as though it were a gift from God. This story has many gifts in it!

Saturday, September 27, 2014

Hidden in the Stars



QUILTS of love robin caroll hidden in the stars
   

Book Info and review
About Quilts of Love: Quilts tell stories of love and loss, hope and faith, tradition and new beginnings. TheQuilts of Love series focuses on the women who quilted all of these things into their family histories. A new book releases each month and features contemporary and historical romances as well as women's fiction and the occasional light mystery. You will be drawn into the endearing characters of this series and be touched by their stories.

About the book: 

A quilt holds the secret to a killer still at large---and who his next victim will be.

Following an attack that killed her mother and stole her ability to speak, 21-year-old Sophia Montgomery has no choice but to accept her estranged grandmother's offer to return to their family home.

Although detective Julian Frazier is working hard on the case, Sophia unknowingly frustrates him because her inability to speak thwarts her eyewitness evidence. The fact that Julian is undeniably attracted to Sophia doesn't help either, so Julian hides his feelings as concern for a trauma victim and focuses instead on finding the killer.

Little do they know, the clues to solving the case may be right in front of them, displayed in Sophia's mother's "special" quilt design. Who will realize the secret Sophia's unwittingly been hiding in plain sight? When the truth comes to light, will Sophia find her voice again? Or will the murderer---still at large---silence her forever?

My thoughts:  I was offered the chance to endorse Ms. Caroll's book and I turned it down. It sounded scary and I'm a member of the 'big honkin' chicken club', as coined by Brandilyn Collins and few other scary suspense writers. Somehow, I'm not sure how, I ended up on the sign up sheet to review HIDDEN IN THE STARS. I don't remember volunteering, but I might have, on accident.  

To my surprise HIDDEN IN THE STARS wasn't nearly as scary as I thought. It was written more in the style of the NCIS investigative television shows that used to be on TV (not sure if they still are. We don't have a TV.)  Julian and his partner, Brody, are trying to solve the murder of a Russian ballet princess Nina and the extensive damage to her daughter, Sophia, ruining her dreams of competing in the Olympics. 

HIDDEN IN THE STARS wasn't scary at all. There were a few moments when the tension slid up the radar, but not many. Instead, this was a great romantic suspense, and the ending scenes surprised me somewhat, with the who-dun-it and why. If you like romantic suspense and shy away from the super scary stuff, don't let HIDDEN IN THE STARS get away. It isn't super scary.  It is great. Highly recommended. 5 stars. 

Learn more about this book and the series at the Quilts of Love website.

About the Author: 

Robin Caroll is the author of 22 published novels. When she isn't writing, Robin spends time with her husband of 20-plus years, her three beautiful daughters and two handsome grandsons, and their character-filled pets at home in Little Rock, Arkansas. She gives back to the writing community by serving as conference director for ACFW. Her books have been named finalists in such contests as the Carol Award, HOLT Medallion, Daphne du Maurier, RT Reviewer's Choice Award, Bookseller's Best, and Book of the Year.

Connect with Robin: websiteFacebookTwitter

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Friday, September 26, 2014

Riley Mae and the Sole Fire Safari

Title: RILEY MAE AND THE SOLE FIRE SAFARI
Author: Jill Osborne
Publisher: Zonderkidz
August 2014
ISBN:  978-0310742838
Genre: Tweener

If you’re going to run for your life you gotta wear the right shoes.

Pre-teen shoe model Riley Mae laces up her flaming orange solefire running shoes for another ad campaign. This time in Kenya, Africa. Kenya is the perfect place for runners to train. With it’s high elevation and encouragement for Olympic athletes. It’s also a great hiding place for Riley and her swift river friends from so called enemies back in the United States… but for how long?

Adjusting to a new culture is difficult. Every chore is tiring, school is miles away, and there’s always the threat of a lurking lion that can ruin everything. But after spending time with the children and Christian women in her friend Sunday’s remote village, Riley finds herself growing stronger and praying for God to use her to spread the good news. Her prayers are answered in exciting and startling ways when she meets an orphaned girl seeking answers at a children’s home, but also when an error in judgment causes her to stumble into a surprise meeting with the enemy.

RILEY MAE AND THE SOLE FIRE SAFARI is the third book in the Good News Shoes series. I really liked it. It teaches you to love your enemies and not seek revenge. It is very exciting and if Riley Mae was a real person she’d be my absolute best friend. I recommend RILEY MAE AND THE SOLE FIRE SAFARI to other girls my age (twelve) or close to it. It is a good book and a great series.


I recommend it for church libraries, Christian school libraries, homeschool libraries, or other tween girls (ages 8-12). $4.27 Kindle. $7.19 paperback. 256 pages. Also available in audio book or MP3. 

Thursday, September 25, 2014

A September Bride

Title: A SEPTEMBER BRIDE
Author: Kathryn Springer
Publisher: Zondervan
September 2014
ASIN: B00GRYXP9G
Genre: Contemporary romance novella
$3.79
91 pages

A year’s worth of novellas from twelve inspirational romance authors. Happily ever after guaranteed.

When Annie moves to Red Leaf, she’s ready to call the little town home. But one handsome, suspicious policeman is ready to stand in her way . . . even if it means walking her down the aisle first.

All Annie Price has ever wanted is a place to call home. So when an online friend offers her a fresh start managing a little bookstore in Red Leaf, Wisconsin, Annie packs her bags and waves goodbye to her former lonely life.

Deputy Jesse Kent can’t believe his mother has handed the keys to her bookshop over to a woman she met on the internet. Annie might be vivacious, smart as a whip, and beautiful—ahem—but what do they really know about her? Jesse has seen his mother taken advantage of before, and he decides to keep a close eye on this Annie Price.

But when a close eye turns into a historical wedding reenactment with Jesse and Annie as the couple, make-believe nuptials quickly give way to real-life emotions. As the wedding approaches and Annie and Jesse’s secrets come to light, the deputy has to face the truth: this wedding may have started as a ploy, but he wants to make Annie his September bride . . . for real.

A SEPTEMBER BRIDE is the latest in the Year of Wedding series. I absolutely loved reading this and getting to know Annie and Jesse. It was beautifully crafted, fun, and kind of reminded me of one of Denise Hunter’s cowboy romances, but was different enough to be not a copycat.


I read Ms. Springer’s first books (Front Porch Princess) and would definitely look her books up and read more. The characters are real, quirky, and there’s a tiny undercurrent of romantic tension. The faith message is understated. Recommended. 

Wednesday, September 24, 2014

Red Hot Squeaky Clean Romance collection! / Giveaway

Ten best-selling Inspirational romance authors come together to bring you the Red Hot Squeaky Clean Romance collection! If you're anything like us, you enjoy reading various genres -- a cozy mystery, a thrilling suspense, an adventurous historical, a catchy contemporary -- we love them all as long as the romance is piping hot and the story is comfortably clean. For the first time ever, as you turn the pages of these complete stories, you will meet ten of the most recognized names in inspirational romance today and read their award winning, critically acclaimed stories all in the same collection. You're in for such a treat! 

Home Before Dark by Christy Barritt 
Daleigh McDermott finds a journal penned by her late father which sparks a dangerous investigation into his death with the assistance of Ryan Shields, the only man who believes her. 

Beyond the Waves; Pacific Shores Series, Book 1, by Lynnette Bonner 
Officer Kylen Sumner and Taysia Green have a history. He's broken her heart more than once. So when he returns home claiming he just might be in love with her, she wants nothing to do with him. If only her heart would get the message! 

Sapphire Ice; Jewel Series, Book 1, by Hallee Bridgeman 
The men in unbeliever Robin Bartlett's life have only ever been users. Believer Tony Viscolli's arrival and relentless interest in Robin both infuriates and intrigues her. 

A Love for Delicious; Woman of Courage series, Book 1, by Cynthia Hickey 
Widowed newlywed Delicious (Delly) finds herself stuck with 5 stepchildren all under age 13 on the opposite side of the country from Oregon and their uncle. She hits the trail, promising to do anything to gain the children their birthright and protect it from those out to take it. Can she guard her heart against the handsome trail guide, Zeke Williams? 

Waiting for Rachel; Those Karlsson Boys, Book 1, by Kimberly Rae Jordan 
Rachel Perkins is a loner who feels certain she's not the right woman for Damian Karlsson. Damien feels otherwise and is willing to do what it takes to change her mind and her heart. 

The Unveiling; Age of Faith series, Book 1, by Tamara Leigh 
Disguised as a squire, Lady Annyn Bretanne sets off on a quest to avenge her brother's murder by Baron Wulfrith. When her disguise is unveiled, they each face tests of faith and resolve. 

Saving Grace; Madison Falls, Book 1, by Lesley Ann McDaniel 
Grace is an opera singer forced by a stalker to go into hiding in a small town. There, in that most unexpected of places, Grace finds elusive love and claims her faith. 

Yesterday by Amanda Tru 
Hannah has the ability to time travel but there are consequences. After saving a family injured in a car accident, Hannah wakes the next morning to find her yesterday was five years ago! 

The Redemption; Legacy of the King's Pirates, Book 1, by MaryLu Tyndall 
Lady Charlisse Bristol sets off on a voyage in search of the father she never knew, only to find herself shipwrecked on a desert island. Near starvation, she is rescued -- by a band of pirates and their fiercely handsome leader, Edmund Merrick. 

Falling in Love; Seasons of the Heart novella series, Book 1, by Susette Williams 
Summary: Katie Morgan thinks she's doing her boss, Wade McAlester, a favor by setting him up on blind dates. After Katie plays matchmaker and sets Wade up with all kinds of zany ladies, Katie starts to realize that Wade might be suited for her.

You can buy all 10 books in Red Hot Squeaky Clean Romance collection for 99¢!


Tuesday, September 23, 2014

Interview With Misty Beller


Welcome to my blog, Misty. We’re glad to have you.

Why do you write the kind of books you do?
I tend to be a bit of a sentimentalist, so Historical Romance is perfect for me! I love the simpler life, where there's no rat race. Just hard work, plenty of alone time (can you tell I'm an introvert?), and a strong family unit. My stories usually center around horses and ranching, which comes from my love for the animals. I was completely horse crazy growing up, and actually trained and showed horses professionally for a couple years after high school.

How fascinating about training horses. That gives you a lot of things to fall back on for your stories. What are you reading right now?
Today, I just finished reading a fantastic book by an author I'd not heard of before: A Bride For Keeps by Melissa Jagears. It was one of the best Christian Historical Romance novels I've read in a long time! The beautiful cover grabbed me, and the storyline definitely kept me hooked. I tend to not get a lot of things done when I'm in the middle of a good book. J

That was a good book! What is your current work in progress?
I'm so excited about my WIP! I'm calling it A Pony Express Romance:

Growing up as an orphan, Josiah English wants nothing more than to have his own ranch and raise Arabian horses. Riding for the Pony Express is the ticket to his dream. And when he meets the stationmaster’s beautiful daughter, it seems the final puzzle piece is in place to form the happy life he craves.

Mara Reid is thrilled to finally meet the man of her dreams, and the fact that they both want to raise horses in the Sweetwater River valley seems like confirmation straight from God.

But when the Express shuts down and disaster strikes Mara’s family home, will Josiah learn what’s really important? Can Mara ever trust again?

That sounds like a good book. How do you choose your settings for each book?
Hmm… I usually have an idea of the type of setting I want (snowy mountains, Texas plains, etc). From there, I pick a state, then start my research and usually stumble upon something that makes me say "Ooooh, perfect!" For example, when I was beginning my Texas novel that will release next year, I knew I wanted it to be a Texas ranch, somewhere in the middle part of the state (where it's not so much like a desert). I started doing some Google searches for "History of (insert name of Texas city). I stumbled across a letter that was written from someone in Seguin, Texas, in the year my story would begin. The description of Seguin in the letter sounded perfect! After researching the city a little more, I realized I'd found a goldmine (not literally). You'll have to wait until the book releases in 2015 to find out the details, though. J

What are your hobbies, besides writing and reading?
Riding horses, to be sure. We're down to three horses right now, and with busy schedules we don't get to ride as often as we'd like. My daughters are ages seven and two, and both love the animals as much as I do!

Is there one particular message or “moral of the story” you hope readers walk away with?
I want my readers to get a glimpse of how freeing life can be when you truly trust God's plan for your life.

I tend to be a bit of a control freak, by nature. I'm not OCD, mind you (meaning I don't compulsively obsess about every little detail). But I need to feel like I'm in control of the outcome, and that things are moving according to my plan.
Anyone who has read a few verses of Proverbs Chapter Three probably knows God calls us to trust in His leading, not our own plans. We are to trust that He will take us the better way.
I'm just finishing writing my third novel, and as I look back at the spiritual theme in each of the three books, trusting God's plan for our lives is at the core of each. Wow. As you can imagine, God has been working with me in this area for a long time. J

Where do you like to write?
I've definitely written in a few coffee shops, on the beach, and around a campfire in the mountains. But most of my writing spots aren't nearly as romantic. I write on a laptop, so I'm usually sitting Indian-style with my laptop on either my bed or the living room couch. One of the most important things for me is NO DISTRACTIONS. It's almost impossible for me to write with my husband or daughters around, so I'm usually trying to find the quietest spot. Just too hard to get lost in the words. J

When you’re working on a project, how do you keep the immensity of it from getting you down?
I'm very much a goal-setter. My mom calls me driven. After I've put together my chapter outline, I have a feel for how many total words the novel will be. From there, I set monthly goals (usually around 25,000 words per month), as well as daily and weekly goals to help me make sure I'll reach my monthly goal.
It's hard sometimes during that first month, when I'm not even a third done with the story. But I continue to look at the big picture and tell myself I'm making progress. J

How do you choose between ideas you’d like to write about?
This is one of the parts I've come to love about writing. The most important thing to understand is, the stories are all God's. He plants the storylines in my mind, and gradually feeds more ideas until the framework becomes clear. Usually when I'm at least halfway through one story, God plants the seeds for the next one in my mind.  It helps to keep me excited about writing, knowing there's always something new on the horizon!

Both of your lead characters have “baggage” that keeps them from wanting to pursue a new relationship. Do you think sometimes we let our past get in the way of what God has planned for our futures?
Oh yes. No doubt about it, our "free will" makes us pretty miserable sometimes. But I sincerely believe God uses events and people in our lives to nudge us back onto His path when we stray. And sometimes when we've completely derailed, it takes sinking to the bottom before we turn things back over to him.

I think that's one of the reasons I like to write about the theme of trusting God's plan for our lives. I want my stories to show how, even when we get off track, we can still come back to Him. And life with the Lord is light years better than struggling on our own.

 Where can readers find you online?

Misty Beller was raised on a farm in South Carolina, so her Southern roots run deep. Growing up, her family was close, and they continue to keep that priority today. Her husband and two daughters now add another dimension to her life, keeping her both grounded and crazy.

God has placed a desire in Misty’s heart to combine her love for Christian fiction and the simpler ranch life, writing historical novels that display God’s abundant love through the twists and turns in the lives of her characters.

Writing is a dream come true for Misty. Her family—both immediate and extended—is the foundation that holds her secure in that dream.

You can find Misty on her website, blog, Goodreads, Twitter, Google+, and Pinterest.

Back Cover Blurb:
Leah Townsend, a recently orphaned heiress, flees Richmond after discovering her fiancé’s plot to kill her after their wedding. She needs a safe place to hide, and finds herself accepting a newspaper marriage proposal from a God-fearing young rancher in the Montana Territory. But when Leah arrives at the mountain ranch, she learns her intended husband was killed by a grizzly, leaving behind a bitter older brother and a spunky younger sister.

When Gideon Bryant finds a city girl standing in his log cabin, his first thought is to send her back where she came from. He’s lost too many people to the wild elements of these mountains––his parents, his wife, and now his brother. His love for this untamed land lives on, but he’s determined not to open his heart to another person.
 But when an accident forces Leah to stay at the ranch for seven more months, can Gideon protect his heart from a love he doesn’t want? Has Leah really escaped the men who seek her life?
Buy links:


Abundant Grace: 40 Days of Walking in the Goodness of God: A #Devotional #preorder

  Abundant Grace: 40 Days of Walking in the Goodness of God: A Devotional  April 2, 2024 by  Will Kassner   (Author),  Courtney Kassner   (A...