SOWN IN PEACE ~ Joy Avery Melville ~ The Story Behind the Story

SOWN IN PEACE

The Story Behind the Story

Joy Avery Melville

 

Sown In Peace would not be the story it is without some amazing input from two of America’s wounded warriors, but let me back up just a little. After God gave me the idea for this novel, and after I quit arguing with him about writing it, I did a mammoth amount of reading from non-fiction books I purchased at Amazon.com. I knew it wasn’t enough. There was a niggling within that had me sensing a need to dig deeper, which led me to pray for a human resource. Someone who’d been there and done the things I wanted to include in my novel. Someone who wouldn’t fear talking about their take away from their years of service.

 

Since I don’t believe in coincidences, I can say with all sincerity, God nudged two people to answer my prayers. Through an editing client, I met an extraordinary soldier… a wounded warrior. Then, God connected me with another outstanding, Army wounded warrior, through the editor of my books. These two men, Jeremy Rockstroph (Rock) of Indiana and Keith Youngblood (Big guy) of Texas have PTSD, and yet, were willing to open up and give me insight into that devastating result of their service to our country. They were able to share what no text book or reference source I’d been through had given me. These soldiers gave me what I needed so badly for the characters in the story.

 

When I first interviewed each of them, it was to gain information as to military terms, the types of vehicles and how they were used, base life, and the atmosphere. Then, as I spent time with them over the many months we talked, via email, FB Chats, by phone, email, and even in person with Rock, I learned they had so much more to say that would impact the novel. These men shared their very hearts with me, bringing so much more life to the novel and two very important characters.

 

I am grateful for the ideas God put in my head and heart, the strength He gave me to put them into book form, but my life has been changed for having known these men. I will be forever indebted to them… the heroes I am now privileged to call family!

Lest you think this story is all about military life and PTSD, I promise, there are emotional and romantic elements running through this novel. See below ~

 

From the back cover:

 

How much can one wounded soul take?

 

Victoria (Tori) Archer has the heart of a soldier. Taken down by an IED during her fourth deployment, she’s permanently separated from her military career and left with physical scars as well as PTSD. Moving back to her hometown of Three Rivers, Michigan, she’s forced by circumstances to live with an irascible and unsympathetic aunt. Tori’s battle with pain, horrific memories, and loss of independence creates a deep yearning for peace. Will God grant her even a small measure of it?

 

Retired Military Dog Handler Griffin (Griff) McKay turns to training dogs at his farm for wounded warrior therapy, desiring to bring former military men and women emotional and mental healing. Implementing his plan proves to be more difficult than visualized with the arrival of one stubborn soldier. Why has God placed that particular warrior in his path?

 

 

One thing God has allowed me, while writing the genre He nudged, pushed, and then affirmed I write, is a strong Romance thread and ultimately a sigh-worthy ending. Something my Advanced Readers have assured me, is there.

 

Keith Youngblood read the e-book format of Sown In Peace last week then left a comment on my Facebook page with five bright yellow stars. He said the following:

 

“Everyone needs to get a copy of this book!! It is a Faith Based Fictional, yet very realistic story about a Wounded Warrior (IED explosion) returning home after being medically retired from the Army. She has to learn to live with her physical and mental injuries.

I also have a personal connection to this book, as the author, Joy Avery Melville was initially put in contact with me in order for her to get technical info for the book. Well it turned in to much more than that. Throughout the process, I got to know Joy and got comfortable enough to start sharing stories about my life and my struggles in the Army and since retiring. We have now become life-long friends. I love you Ladybug.” (unedited)

 

Needless to say, my eyes leaked when I read that. I am indebted to both men, for their candor. I look forward to working with them each again as I begin Pursuit Of Peace in the next month or so.

 

About the author:

 

Fully intending to write Historical Romance—had in fact— Joy had no plans to deviate from that. God had something else in mind for that ‘call’ He’d made on her life back in 1967. A mere eighth grader at the time, she had no clue about the topics she’d be drawn to write about.

Surrendering to the genre God placed on her heart has given Joy new insight into the hearts and lives of those who too often hurt in silence.

The settings of Joy’s books are near where she lives in Schoolcraft, Michigan with her husband of nearly 47 + years and their 21 mo-old Yorkie, Is-A-Bella Bindi, (Is-a-beautiful little girl) who thinks she’s a much larger breed with tomboy tendencies.

Joy loves to hear from readers and will respond! 

• Email       joyjournaling@gmail.com
  
• Twitter    https://twitter.com/Journeystojoy 
• Website  https://www.joyaverymelville.com 
• Blog        https://www.journeystojoy.net 
• Facebook Author Page http://facebook.com/jamauthor 
• Facebook Personal Page http://facebook.com/joy.averymelville 
• Amazon:         https://www.amazon.com/author/joyaverymelville
•  Goodreads:     https://www.goodreads.com/joyjournalinggmailcom 
• Bookbub:      https://www.bookbub.com/profile/joy-avery-melville

 

 

 

 

 

KIMBERLY ROSE JOHNSON ~ The Sleuth's Surprise

It's What's New Wednesday with guest author Kimberly Rose Johnson and her new release

The Sleuth's Surprise

So sit back with your favorite beverage and enjoy!

I’m so excited to share about my new release The Sleuth’s Surprise. This is the fourth and final book in the Librarian Sleuth Series. Each of the books in the series stand alone, but it’s best to have read at least the first book to truly appreciate everything in the final book.

I’ve always wanted to write a story with characters that are a bit older, but I hesitated because I generally like to write about an age I’ve already experienced. That being said, I finally feel qualified to get into the head of older characters since I turn 50 at my next birthday.

Mary Daley is a character that I’ve enjoyed writing from the beginning of this series and knew she needed her own story. It was so much fun getting into this woman’s head to share her thoughts, rather than only showing what is on the surface like in the other books. Mary is a complicated woman!

Here’s the back cover description:

Mary Daley has been the sheriff of Tipton County for more than two decades, but someone wants her job. When it seems circumstances can’t get more complicated, a murder happens on her watch. Had she been the intended victim?

Deputy Chief Lyle Griffin only wants Mary to be happy, but when he asks her if she’d consider retiring, it sets off a string of events and emotions that muddy their friendship.  

Nancy Daley-Malone can’t believe anyone would run for sheriff against her mom. She is onboard to help run the best campaign Tipton County has ever seen until the sheriff’s opponent is murdered and Nancy’s husband joins the race. On top of that, it appears someone is out to kill her mother as well.

Can Nancy, along with the sheriff’s department, find the murderer before it’s too late? Will Lyle and Mary be able to admit their feelings for one another or will the status quo remain?

Here’s a short excerpt:

Still stunned that her position as sheriff was being challenged, Mary closed her eyes and took a cleansing breath. Lord, if you want me to stay on as sheriff, I’m going to need your help. Her phone rang. She checked the caller ID and sighed before answering and putting on her most chipper voice. “Good morning, Mayor Wallace.”
 “No need to be so formal, Mary. I’ve told you to call me Charlie at least a hundred times.”
 “And I’ve told you, I prefer to be addressed as Sheriff.”
 He cleared his throat. “About that. Have you read the morning paper?”

“I have. Thanks for the heads up.” Not.
 “It was a matter of public record. All you had to do was look to see who had filed.”

She rolled her eyes. She wasn’t in the mood to be talked down to. “Does he even have the right credentials? He’s a high school English teacher.”
 “Believe it or not, he does. Before Stan moved to Tipton, he was in law enforcement.”
 “How? He can’t be over thirty. He has a master’s in education, so how is it he had time to do both?”
 “Guess he’s an overachiever. I actually called to talk with you about the pie judging. You never said if you’re onboard or not.” “I’m looking forward to it.” Okay, so maybe that was a stretch, but she enjoyed pie. How much of a trial could it be?
 “That’s what I was hoping to hear.” He actually sounded gleeful.
 Mary narrowed her eyes. “You are way too happy about this. What’s gzoing on?”
 “I thought it’d be fun for the community to see you and Stan side-by-side at the fair.”

“Please tell me this is a joke.” It wasn’t that she minded sharing the job, it was the person she had to share it with that was the problem—her running mate.
 “Now, Mary.”
 “Sheriff.” She had no idea why it bothered her so much for him to use her given name, but it was like fingernails on a chalkboard on the annoyance level.
 “Sorry, Sheriff. This isn’t a joke. I realize Stan isn’t a celebrity, but he’s a popular teacher, and the high school students will eat this up. No pun intended.”
 “Then why not get another teacher to judge and leave me out of it?” She wanted to snatch the words back as soon as they popped out. She didn’t need her competition to have the upper hand in the eyes of the public.
 “That’s an option, but this would be much more interesting.”
 “Fine. Count me in.” She had a feeling she might regret agreeing to judge the pie-baking contest, but her instinct said it was the right thing to do.
 “Excellent.” Muffled voices sounded in the background on his end of the phone call. “I need to go. I’ll email you the specifics.

Award winning author Kimberly Rose Johnson married her college sweetheart and lives in the Pacific Northwest. From a young child Kimberly has been an avid reader. That love of reading fostered a creative mind and led to her passion for writing. She especially loves romance and writes contemporary romance and romantic mystery and suspense with a heart.

Kimberly holds a degree in Behavioral Science from Northwest University in Kirkland, Washington, and is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers.

Website: https://kimberlyrjohnson.com/

Link to book: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08DCRSHRH

Social media links:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kimberlyrosejohnsonauthor/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KimberlyRoseJohnson

Twitter: https://twitter.com/kimberlyrosejoh

Meet Debut Author Carol J. Nelson ~ Audra - Dying For Life ~ Giveaway

It's What's New Wednesday, 

and Whispers in Purple is pleased to bring you an interview with debut author Carol J. Nelson, plus a giveaway.

Welcome, Carol. Thank you for spending some time with us to answer a few interview questions. I'm excited to be hosting you and your debut novel!

Ready? Then let’s go. First, tell us about your writing.

How long have you been writing?

I started writing little romances when I was in seventh or eighth grade. But what does a twelve-year- old know about romance? My family moved from Iowa to Washington State when I was fourteen. Being short of friends in my new surroundings, I turned to made-up friends in stories I wrote. I did make friends, but I continued creating fictional friends, too. By the time I married a week short of my nineteenth birthday, I had accumulated a men’s suit box full of hand-written-on-notebook-paper stories. I threw them all away. I’ve often wished I could read some of them, now, to see what I was thinking at that age. Could any of them been salvaged later in my writing journey?

I was already a mother of three daughters when I took a writing course. And just as I was ready to try the big leagues of writing fiction for magazines, women’s lib came on the scene. I couldn’t write that. So, I put my dreams on the shelf and concentrated on raising my children. I may not have been writing on paper, but I never stopped writing in my head!

With my daughters married and gone and my husband engrossed in maintaining a church website, I had time on my hands. So, I wrote. Four novels. But they remained imprisoned in my computer because the first one didn’t sell first time out. However, after my husband died, I felt impressed that the Lord wanted me to get serious about my writing, and He wanted me to write for His glory. I never tire of saying the Lord sent me a wonderful Christian editor, and the first book has been published.

So, to give a short answer to a long explanation, I’ve been writing for nearly seventy years. And I feel my best years are still ahead.

How do you go about finding names for your characters?

I love to pick names for my characters. I like to dress them with names that fit their character role. Sometimes I’m typing along, and a name will just pop into my mind without forethought and it fits. Other times I’m stumped and go to the phone book, the obituary section, or online name lists. But I don’t use first and last names from the same source. I did have to learn to write down each character’s name as I gave it to them, so everyone has a different initial. Saves a lot of confusion for the reader. Although, I did make a concession to that in Audra – Dying For Life. Audra got her name from one of her mother’s second-grade students. However, Dann’s name is a blend of his father’s name, David, and his mother’s name, Janna.

Okay, let’s find out more about you:

When reading, what is your favorite genre?

I tend to read more WF than anything else because I like the deeper explorations into interpersonal relationships those stories offer. I like to learn from other WF writers, but I often get so caught up in the story I forget to take notice of how they write. But I also love a good mystery, and every so often I’ll throw in a Christian romance to lighten life up a little.

How similar are you to your hero/heroines?

I can see bits of me in all my heroines, but if they were just like me, their lives would probably be humdrum. That’s the fun of creating characters. They can do things I only dream of doing! Probably the main way we’re similar is in our faith. If the heroine isn’t a strong believer at the start of the story, she will be by the end, and I do tend to infuse my beliefs into her.

Great! Now, let’s Talk about your debut book:

Title: Audra – Dying For Life

Author: Carol J. Nelson

Publisher: BookBaby

Release Date: August 10, 2020

Genre: Women’s Fiction

Series/Stand-Alone: Chandler’s Grove Series, Book 1

Target Audience: Women of all ages

From the back cover:

When Audra Knight’s gynecologist says, “I need to do a biopsy,” it numbs her to the core of her being. She’s young, she’s single, and she’s at risk for developing cancer. It’s not the time to be noticing Dann Day, the handsome new band-orchestra teacher at Chandler’s Grove Academy. But why should Dann consider her, anyway, with her unresolved anger issue, the way she’s strayed from church and God, and the fact that Heather Easton already seems to have claimed him as her own private property? No, she won’t get involved with him. It could too easily end in heartbreak, and she won’t put a man through that. Still…

What take-away value do you want readers to gain from your novel?

It’s fourfold.

• ·      No matter why or how long ago we strayed from God, he always wants us back.
• ·      God gives us life. He wants us to live it with joy and to the fullest.
• ·      Seeking God’s will always bring peace.
• ·      Cast(ing) all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. 1 Peter 5:7 ESV

What can we expect to see from you in the future?

Chandler’s Grove Book 2, Life Transformed, is ready to be published and hopefully will be out this fall.

My current WIP is Chandler’s Grove Book 3, Becoming Sisters. God willing, Book 4 will follow.

I also have two stand-alone books, Abby – A Promise Is A Promise, and Meredith – Compassion’s Witness, ready and waiting to be published.

Carol’s BIO:

Carol J. Nelson lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where she spends most days writing Christian women's fiction. Although she started writing in childhood, it took a lifetime to know what her heart truly desired and needed to write—stories that touch the fabric of women's lives with hope, grace, and faith, combined with the little spice of clean romance women enjoy. She has three daughters, seven grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren. She served as an aid in a nursing home, worked in the purchasing department of a large corporation, spent time as the head cook at an all-you-can-eat buffet, and went full circle to become a care giver before settling in to her first love, writing. When she's not at the computer, church, gardening, cooking, and playing cards and games keep her busy.

Book purchase links:

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Good Reads

Social Media:

Web site caroljnelson.com

Facebook 

Twitter

Finally, the giveaway! Carol is offering a free print copy of Audra, Dying For Life. To enter, simply leave you name and contact information (so we can notify you if you’re the winner) in the comment section below. Giveaway runs for one week from today, ending on Wednesday, August, 19, 2020, at Midnight, Central Time.

PROVERBS 9:10 MINISTRIES ~ Rose Spiller & Chris Paxson ~ Interview

It's What's New Wednesday here at Whispers in Purple. Please welcome friends and co-authors Rose Spiller and Chris Paxson of Proverbs 9:10 Ministries., who will be kicking off the month for us—and introducing their new book. These two gals have some interesting things to share with us today.

Hello, ladies, Welcome to Whispers in Purple blog. I’m so excited to have you here. We’ll be talking about the two of you, your ministry, and your new book, NO HALF-TRUTHS ALLOWED. Thank you for granting this interview. So, let’s get started.

I understand, based on your joint online bio, you both now currently reside in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, but that Rose hasn’t always lived there. So, how did you gals meet? What brought you together?

Rose: When my husband and I moved our family to Lancaster County we needed to find a new church. Finding a local one in the same denomination we were already part of, we went to the contemporary service one morning. When we walked in the door, Chris came over and introduced herself to us. We hit it off right away and spent the next week emailing each other back and forth. Our families have been close ever since, and we’ve served in ministry of some sort together ever since!

Aside from your online bio, tell us a little more about yourselves individually.

Chris: I grew up in Lancaster County, and my husband’s family is local to southeastern Pennsylvania too. We’ve been married for 31 years and have twin sons in the USAF. I enjoy working on the landscaping in our yard, playing golf, and traveling. We’ve had a number of cats and dogs over the years. I love reading. A good bit of my reading is Christian non-fiction, and when I’m not reading that, one of my favorite other non-fiction authors is Erik Larson. My favorite fiction genre is alternate history, which might surprise some people.

Rose: My husband, Ed, and I, have been married for over 33 years. Starting a few years ago, our kids started spreading out from us. We have a daughter in Mississippi and one in Georgia. Our two sons were both living in Pennsylvania a couple of hours apart, but our oldest is now moving to IN with his family. Besides missing our kids, an even bigger problem is that they insisted on taking our grandkids with them! So last fall, we sold our house and are living fulltime in an RV so we can travel between the four of them and spend a few months at a time with each. Its been a crazy experience, and one I wasn’t sure I was up for, but it has been amazing! God has stretched me and grown me through it, while bringing some pretty wonderful new people into my life! And, thanks to technology, I still get to work with Chris on a daily basis on our ministry, podcast, studies, and books; so I feel like God has given me the best of both worlds!

When–how–did you decide to create Proverbs 9:10 Ministries? Why that particular verse?

That verse is, “Fear of the Lord is the beginning of Wisdom; knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” Getting others to know God and learn more and more about Him is what we’re all about! First, through proclaiming the Gospel; and further through understanding Scripture better and better through our writing and teaching. We created the ministry during a time when our families spent a couple of years in a church that did not put any priority on reading and understanding the Bible, nor on theology and doctrine. This was after we’d both spent decades in churches that highly valued all of those. Encountering that lack of Scriptural knowledge made us start writing and teaching Bible studies together, start the ministry, and eventually turn the No Half-Truths Allowed – Understanding the Complete Gospel Message Bible study into the book! And in October 2019 we started our podcast, “No Trash, Just Truth!” where we do weekly 20-minute teaching sessions, usually either expositing Scripture, like in our “Women in Scripture” series that starts by going through the books of Ruth and Esther – or we give truth from the Bible on topical subjects.

I admit I’m intrigued about this book. I’m always curious about book co-authors. I tried it once and I know it’s not easy. We each have our own style. Which one of you did most of the actual writing?

We split it in half. That’s how we’ve always done the writing in our studies, our books, our podcasts, and our conferences. We’re very much on the same page but if one of us is not sure we’re comfortable with wording on something we discuss it and work on it til we’re satisfied. God has been so good to us in so many ways, and that is one area in which He’s really blessed us. We do both have our strengths when it comes to the other things that go along with the ministry like editing podcasts, doing the artwork for advertising, and things like that. And the social media we both work constantly on!

Now let’s talk about the book. What qualifies you write it, and why did you?

From the start, we both had a solid knowledge of the Bible, theology, and doctrine. When we started the ministry we also decided to learn more. We committed to completing the “Dimensions of the Faith” course offered through Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary. It took us 18 months of hard work, but we completed it and earned the certificate. Then we started online courses through Reformed Theological Seminary and Biblical Training’s Institute program. We’re always learning.

(Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/31vMFH7) 

Like we said earlier, we saw the need for deeper study and more knowledge of the Bible, and part of that was countering false ideas of what the Gospel is. The Gospel is the message every human being of every age needs, so you have to get it right. For instance, telling someone that God loves them and wants a relationship with them is true, but it’s not the Gospel. They need to know that they are sinners deserving of God’s wrath and that the only way to fix that relationship with Him is to accept that Jesus paid the penalty for them in their place and ask God for forgiveness based on what Jesus did for them on the cross. That’s what they need to have faith in and trust in. There are a lot of false gospels out there and they are used in Christian circles on a regular basis. We go through most of these false gospels in the book and point out why they’re not the Gospel. The book also gives a knowledge of basic Christianity. We have chapters on each of the three Persons of the Trinity and explain the rest of the basics too.

Finally, what’s in the future for both your ministry and your writing?

Our plan is to keep writing, doing podcasts and hopefully get back to doing conferences in the near future when the country opens back up. We have another book coming in early 2021 also through Ambassador International publishing called “The Bible in Six”. It’s an overview of the whole Bible – all 66 books – divided into 6 parts. It’s not to take the place of the Bible, but to help give an understanding of what each book is about and give some highlights to wet the appetite of the reader for studying their Bible. We plan on doing weekend conferences to go along with the book and maybe some other teaching formats for it too.

Thank you Rose and Chris for being my guests this week, and may God bless you and your ministry richly.

ALABAMA DAYS ~ Daphne Self ~ What's New Wednesday

Please Welcome author Daphne Self to What's New Wednesday as she talks about herself, her writing, and her new book ALABAMA DAYS.

Take it away, Daphne!

Of all the times in the past when I wrote guest blogs, I’ve never had difficulty in finding something to write about. Yet this time I find it not quite as easy as before. Yes, I can write about my new book, Alabama Days. It’s the second book in the Southern Saga series.

I can explain why my name is different on this book compared to the first book, Mississippi Nights. Yes, I can talk about the faith element in the book. But all this doesn’t seem “new” to me. Maybe it will be new to you?

Alabama Days was a book I started shortly after writing Mississippi Nights. This was way back in 2013. At the time I was still a widow with two young sons. Life, as it always, found a way to interfere with my writing dreams and everything was set to the side for a long, longtime.

In 2018, I finished a children’s book and sent it to my publisher. By then, I had already remarried and didn’t want to use my old name. To me it is an honor to share my husband’s name and I wanted to give it the recognition, so I moved from D.M. Webb to Daphne Self.

It was then, after The Case of the Missing Firehouse Dog was published, that I decided to bring Alabama Days from the “box”. Within a couple of months, I finished the story (it was already 2/3 written) and sent it in.

What is the story about? Other than what is written on the back cover, the story centers around two people: Scott and Angela. Scott experiences a trauma that has him questioning God and, in his anger, he turns to prescription drugs to drown his pain. Angela is a reporter whose path crosses Scott’s in many ways. Soon they are embroiled in the town’s corruption.

I wanted to show a story that highlighted how far a person will try to run from God, yet soon learn that he was actually running to God. Anger, pain, heartache, and grief color a person’s thoughts and behavior and I wanted to show how Jesus Christ can offer the peace and salvation needed to heal a heart.

Alabama Days is my newest book, which released on June 16, 2020. And yes, I did draw from some of my own personal experiences to write this. I know the overwhelming grief death can bring (which in my case was two, barely three, months apart). And though I had Christ who brought me through it all, I’ve always wondered about what would a person who didn’t have Christ do in a situation similar to mine? Thus, Alabama Days was born.

This is my first true romantic suspense novel. And it won’t be my last. I plan to have a few more to round out the Southern Saga.

What else is new? This fall will be another book release: Journey On. Not a novel, but a journal of sorts where I chronicled the ups and downs of being newly diagnosed with fibromyalgia and chronic pain. It started as a personal journal where I had 29 verses sent to me from various women when I had reached a low point in my life (chronic illnesses is notorious for causing depression). While on the “something-teenth” verse, it dawned on me that if I felt like this, what about those who have it even worse than me? So I finished the journal and sent it in to my publisher. It’s my prayer that the book will help others navigate a “new life” and “new normal” that chronic illnesses cause.

Well, I guess I did find something to talk about after all!

Before I end this post, though, I want everyone to know that it is only through the Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ that has brought me this far and I continually rely upon Him to carry me through the rest. And may His Peace be a blessing to you.

From the back Cover:

How could a loving God hurt so many people?

Paramedic Scott Wilson believes he can chase death away, but his spirit is shattered when people he loves are taken from him. As a paramedic, Scott sees every day the pain that people suffer, and he wants no part of a God that would allow bad things to happen to good people. As a result, he hides behind his work and addiction to ease the pain within his soul.
But once newspaper reporter Angela Mabry and her son, Max, move into town, Scott can’t help but notice the feisty redhead. Angela is determined to uncover the town’s seedy underbelly and reveal the strange coincidences of so many car accidents at one location.
When a prominent city official dies in a car wreck, Scott and Angela find themselves tangled in intrigue and deception. Together they search for the truth and discover that not all is what it seems.

Purchase links: https://ambassador-international.com/books/alabama-days/

https://www.christianbook.com/2-alabama-days-a-southern-saga/daphne-self/9781620207123/pd/207125?event=ESRCG

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/alabama-days-daphne-self/1136957218?ean=9781620207123

About Daphne:

"I am a stranger in the earth; Do not hide Your commandments from me" (Psalm 119:119). This verse is Daphne's life.
"Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, 'Peace, be still!' And the wind ceased and there was a great calm" (Mark 4:39). This verse is the promise made to Daphne.

Daphne Self, formerly published under the name D.M. Webb, resides in Iowa. As a Mississippian transplant, she spends her days in the Midwest state writing, editing, reading, antiquing, and planning adventures with her husband and sons. She pursues her dream as an editor and author with one goal in mind: To Glorify His Name. Daphne is also an avid reader who devours books in many genres. As a long-time member of ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers), she volunteers her time helping published and unpublished authors.

Where to connect with Daphne:

• FB: www.facebook.com/authordaphneself
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/authordaphneself
• Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4325821.Daphne_Self
• Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/daphne-self
• website: www.authordaphneself.blogspot.com