DADDY,, I FELLED ~ Linda Wood Rondeau ~ devotional

It's time for this week's Faithful Friday devotional. 

Please welcome author Linda Wood Rondeau who also shares a peek into her brand-new release.

Welcome, Linda!

Daddy, I Felled

By Linda Wood Rondeau

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1).

In my social work career, I often came across families who taught me important lessons in my spiritual journey. Sometimes, in everyday occurrences, God enlightened me through a child’s eyes.

The two-year old darted around the apartment like a butterfly in a flower garden, touching this and climbing that.

“Kaylee, get down. You’re going to get hurt,” the father repeatedly warned.

Kaylee’s desire to explore her world proved insatiable, every chair and stool a challenge waiting to be conquered.

The father used diversion, stern threats, and still Kaylee refused to listen.

“Kaylee, sit down now while I fix your soup,” the father said.

Hungry and always asking for her favorite soup, the father hoped she would settle down. Kaylee scurried to her favorite chair. But while her father’s attention was turned away, she stood and rocked it, tumbling unto the floor with a loud bang. Her father rushed to her side, swooped her up and checked for injuries.

Tears streamed her cheeks as she sobbed, “Daddy, I felled.”

The father knew the fall was the child’s fault. In her stubbornness, she pursued the course of disobedience. But rather than chide, the father simply kissed her tears and said, “It’s alright, Kaylee. Daddy’s here now.”  

From that moment on, Kaylee sat in her chair as a proper young lady should.

As I witnessed this father’s tender interaction, I thought of how many times I’ve tempted God with my disobedience, even though He has repeatedly warned me that I will fall if I’m not careful. How many times, have I run to Him with watered eyes, “Daddy, I felled.”

Yet, whenever I seek Him in my contrition, He picks me up, wipes away my tears and reminds me with all the love a father has to give, “It’s alright, Linda. Daddy’s here now.”

SECOND HELPINGS is perhaps one of my favorite books to write. I can so relate to Jocelyn’s crazy world. My three children were close in age and their antics crowded our days. A veteran social worker, I have counseled many dysfunction families. Perhaps there is a little of me in my character Naomi. Written in a you-are -there mode, the first-person present tense point of view will allow you to journey with Jocelyn as she zips through her forty-fifth birthday. I trust you will identify with her dilemmas and perhaps laugh a lot. It’s okay. Jocelyn won’t mind.

Today is Jocelyn Johnson’s 45^th birthday. Unhappy with her marriage of 22 years, the parenting talk show host has planned a noonday tryst with her cohost. A phone call from her college daughter, a peek into her teenaged son’s journal, a sick preschooler, a Goth daughter’s identity crisis, a middle-school son’s prank, and her husband’s inflamed suspicions, not only interfere with her hopeful birthday plans but throw her family into more chaos than a circus on steroids.

In desperate need of counsel, Jocelyn invites a Christian to dinner, her guest from her morning talk show segment. However, the evening holds little promise of calm. In the midst of bedlam, a forgotten faith rekindles causing Jocelyn to rethink her life and her marriage.

You will laugh and you will cry from the first page to the last as you journey through the day’s events and Jocelyn’s search for Second Helpings.  

Buy Link: https://www.amazon.com/Second-Helpings-Humorous-Contemporary-Novel-ebook/dp/B087C744HZ/  e book

https://www.amazon.com/Second-Helpings-Humorous-Contemporary-Novel/dp/195197042X/

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lLinda Wood Rondeau

A multi-published, award-winning author, I am the Managing Fiction Editor for Elk Lake Publishing, Inc. I live in Maryland with my spouse of over forty years, a patient man if ever there was one. I enjoy hearing from my readers. Contact me at lindarondeau@gmail.com

VALENTINE'S DAY IN CHRISTMAS TOWN LeAnne Bristow

Valentine’s Day in Christmas Town

Yes. You read that right. My two favorite holidays smushed together! Before I get to that, let me introduce myself.

My name is LeAnne Bristow and I love meeting new people, which is why I’m so excited to be here! This is my first visit to Whispers In Purple, but I promise, it won’t be my last! Unlike many writers, I’m a complete extrovert. The more people around, the better. When my children were small, they dreaded standing next to me in line at the grocery store because, you guessed it, I struck up conversations with everyone around me. My husband hates going anywhere with me because I have to stop and talk to people. I can’t help it. I’m a people person.

People often ask me how my husband and I manage. He’d be happy living the life of a hermit, while I thrive on new experiences. At a party, he sits in the corner while I mingle. When my oldest daughter was stationed in Germany with the US Air Force, I flew to Europe and traveled with her while he stayed home. He is a math whiz, I can’t balance the checkbook. He hates to read. I love it so much I became a writer. Our opposites are endless, but after almost thirty years of marriage, I can confidently say that it works. He keeps me grounded and I push him out of his comfort zone just enough to try something new occasionally.

This year, I have a story in a wonderful Valentine anthology and I have to admit that I used some personal experiences to create my characters. My heroine is a feisty, outgoing, people-loving teacher who can’t do math and my hero would rather stay home and play with numbers. Sound familiar? He’s cynical. She’s optimistic. He’s guarded. She’s willing to take chances. They are complete opposites who don’t realize how much they need each other. 

Before I introduce you to them, let me tell you about Christmas Town.

Two years ago, I was asked to join the Heartwarming Christmas Town anthology and I was thrilled! The Christmas Town anthologies have been going on for several years now and the town and its characters have taken on a life of their own. From the shenanigans of the Knotty Elves (a group of retired women who ban together to do some serious matchmaking), to the magic of a kiss under the mistletoe at the gazebo in the town square, Christmas Town has quickly become one of my favorite places.

This year, we decided to shake things up a bit and do a Valentine anthology. Here’s what is in store for you!

Be My Heartwarming Valentine

Christmas Town to the rescue! An abnormally cold and snowy winter wreaked havoc in Christmas Town. Pipes froze, snowy roofs caved in, and even the famed gazebo in the town square was blown over! But the hardest hit was the historic town library, where pipes burst – flooding the main floor and destroying all the books and computers. While insurance helps, it won’t cover everything. Christmas Town’s solution?

Calling all bachelors!

The Knotty Elves decide a Valentine’s Day Bachelor Auction kills two birds with one stone – raising money to save the library while working their matchmaking magic. From a personal chef to the town’s snow plow operator, there’s one thing all these handsome, homespun heroes have in common: they’re about to find love, Christmas Town style.

The anthology consist of eight connected stories by Harlequin Heartwarming authors, and releases on February 11^th.
Here is a quick blurb about my story in the collection.

Head Over Heels.

High school English teacher and former college gymnast, Karen McFadden, wants nothing more than to open her own gymnastics facility, but a math learning disability makes completing the paperwork for a business loan almost impossible. The last thing Daniel Lassiter wants to do is get stuck with an attention-seeking diva who wants to relive her college glory days, but when his accounting services put him in the library's bachelor auction, he has little choice but to help her. He doesn't believe that she wants to open the gym so she can help underprivileged teens. She doesn't think he'll stick around long enough to find out. Will they realize what's right in front of them before it's too late?

You can find out more about Christmas Town by visiting 

http://www.heartwarmingChristmasTown.com. Get a free copy of the Prequel to the anthology by signing up for the newsletter, which by the way, is awesome! It is full of recipes, decoration tips and all kinds of fun! We also have a really fun Facebook Group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/1091942694272780/
 You can pre-order your copy of Be My Heartwarming Valentine now!

·       Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Be-My-Heartwarming-Valentine-Christmas-ebook/dp/B07Z8CXBWP

·       Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/be-my-heartwarming-valentine-anna-adams/1134146353

(Available on Kobo and ibooks soon!)

  LeAnne Bristow often hid books inside her desk and read during class. When she outgrew Laura Ingalls Wilder and Beverly Cleary, she graduated to Walter Farley and Judy Blume. Then her favorite aunt gave her an old box of Harlequin romance novels and she was hooked. After reading the entire Americana series by Janet Dailey, LeAnne dreamed of becoming a writer. Life happened and LeAnne followed her country boy from a small town in central Texas to a smaller town in southern Arizona. She spent the next 25 years corralling three of her own children and 20+ kindergarteners. Now an empty nester and grandma, pursuing her dream of bringing you emotional stories that make you hold your breath waiting for that first kiss.

She loves to hear from readers! Find her on her website: http://www.leannebristow.com or connect with her at:

·       Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/leanne.bristow.1

·       Twitter: https://twitter.com/LeAnneBristow

Writing from the Middle: Chris Manion,

Writing from the Middle:

The Inside Story of Writing My Memoir

by Chris Manion

Before I began writing my memoir, everything was going great. My marriage was happy; my children were healthy and strong in spirit and faith; my home-based business continued to outperform its previous year’s achievements. I had carved out time for Bible study as well as church choir and teaching Sunday school.

How My Memoir Got Started

Have you noticed how parenting children causes most people to fall on their knees for one reason or another? I found myself praying more than usual in the early years of being responsible for our two little ones. Somewhere in that Bible studying and prayer time, I noticed God wooing me like a suitor. I found my prayer time changing, deepening in response to what I only knew as an inner longing. God started to act like an impatient child attempting to get her mother’s attention as she spoke to someone else.

He got my attention all right with some breath-taking experiences, what Thomas Keating O.S.C.O. calls “divine intimacy.” I wrote an article about the first experience, hearing the voice of God. As He tapped me on the shoulder again and again in my early forties, I received the message He wanted me to write about the experience, to use one of the talents He gave me.

That’s how the memoir began. A persistent inner knowing.  I understood I had received a calling to share the experiences because I knew how to write and others needed the encouragement. Others needed to know it was Him tapping their shoulders. Too many of us treated Him like spam callers on our phones, resisting answering the call, unsure who was calling. Too many don’t recognize the Caller.

How My Memoir Got Finished

After I got the experiences written, it occurred to me I needed to fill in some background story since most readers didn’t know me. I had to figure out when I first noticed God asking me for a “date,” a little quiet time together. After that, I realized what I’d written consisted of the middle of the story. It needed a beginning and end.

I wish I’d known about James Scott Bell, author of “Writing from the Middle: A New Approach for Plotters, Pantsers and everyone inBetween” while I wrote mine. I discovered him after publication; nevertheless, it made me feel better knowing others used my seat-of-the-pants approach too. According to Bell, writing from the middle did not necessarily reflect a novice writer’s ignorance of the craft. Phew!

After I had everything in chronological order, another realization hit me. The hook in the memoir came far too late in the book. I needed to move it from page 150 to page 1. Making that move changed many chapters and confused me. What did the reader now know by moving two chapters forward that he didn’t know in the previous draft? To end my confusion, I re-outlined the 33 chapters. A laborious task, but the chapter shuffle made the book far more readable and probably contributed to earning its two CPAs (Catholic Press awards). The turmoil would continue in the process of publishing, but that’s another story.

The middle can be a great way to start a book or a sandwich. All that’s left is to choose a great roll, slice it, and fill it up with the perfect combo of condiments and characters.

Taste the first two chapters free at www/tinyurl.com/Godispatient. God’s Patient Pursuit of My Soul talks about divine experiences many people have no words for and therefore cannot talk about. Not talking to one another about “God-incidences” makes the devil happy. One goal of my book is to disturb his happiness and increase God’s delight in us.

Before I began writing my memoir, the devil didn’t bother me much. I understand spiritual warfare better now and I’m okay with getting that kind of attention. I’m happy to be one of God’s authors and delighted to be one of the whispers in purple.

Book Blurb

When high achiever, direct-selling superstar, Chris Manion encountered the idea that Jesus could be her best friend, she sat stunned. The possibility followed this inspirational leader and award-winning catechist on a winding path of spiritual discovery that would change her life.

God’s Patient Pursuit of My Soul addresses spiritual matters common to many of us that we don't talk about publicly; sacred matters we have no vocabulary for; the importance of sharing moments of divine intimacy. This vulnerable story of one woman's response to God compels readers not only through the pages of this book, but their own inner discoveries in their lives and careers as well.

Chris Manion received her BA in Communication Arts with honors from the University of Dayton. With her honky laugh, and love for God and chocolate, Chris delights crowds with faith-filled stories grounded in authenticity and vulnerability. Known as a leadership expert and mentor, Chris uses the skills she developed in building her $20 million sales organization to teach how God calls us. Chris’s writing and speaking focus on her mission to nurture the tender relationship between God and all souls. Chris lives with her husband of forty-plus years in Florida ‘s panhandle where she kayaks and photographs the Gulf coast’s natural beauty. She is a grandmother of five little angels, an award-winning catechist from Chicago, a stringer and blogger for Northwest Florida Daily News and her website ChrisManion.com.

It makes her happy to serve and foster the development of Christian writers. She feels close to the apostles in their early years of discipleship. Like them, she joins writers who’ve been given a heavenly mission to go out and use their talents and the art of storytelling/writing. She works and prays about how to do that, how to please our Lord. It is a holy quest.

amazon.com/author/chrismanion

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A Tender Hope ~ Amanda Cabot ~ Behind the Story ~ Goveaway

A Tender Hope – The Story Behind the Story

by Amanda Cabot

Blame it on my readers.

Ever since Paper Roses was published, readers have asked me what happened to Thea, the heroine of that book’s little sister. At the time, I had no answers, since I was busy working on other stories, but I didn’t forget how easily Thea had caught readers’ imagination and how intrigued they were by her. It took ten years, but at long last, I’ve been able to answer their questions and tell Thea’s story.

Thea’s grown up now, and while I’d like to say her life has been as happy as her sister’s, that’s not the case. She’s had more than her share of tragedy, which is why she’s eager to leave Ladreville and build a new life as Cimarron Creek’s midwife.

If you’re wondering why I made her a midwife, it’s because I knew that this story would have an abandoned infant in it, and I wanted Thea to be the logical person to care for the baby, even if it was the last thing on Earth she wanted to do. Plus, if you’ve read A Borrowed Dream – and of course I hope you have – you know that the town, and in particular Lydia, needs a midwife.

And so Thea Michener comes to Cimarron Creek, hoping to escape her past only to discover that it’s harder to outrun the past than she ever dreamed possible.

Then there’s Jackson Guthrie. While he himself might question his motives for becoming a Texas Ranger, there’s no doubt that he’s a good one and one who’s determined to bring the Gang of Four to justice. As you might have guessed, he’s the man who finds the abandoned baby and insists that Thea care for the infant. What makes the whole situation more complex is that – for very good reasons – Jackson suspects Thea of being part of the Gang. And, as if that weren’t enough, the sight of the abandoned baby touches chords deep within him, reminding him of the single most painful event of his life.

What made me decide that my hero would be a Ranger? Besides the fact that Rangers are inherently heroic, I firmly believe in the line from an old Peter, Paul, and Mary song, “Justice will somehow prevail.” As an author, I enjoy creating plots where the good guys win, where justice does prevail, and – since I write romances – where the hero and heroine surmount seemingly insurmountable obstacles to reach their happily-ever-after.

It’s not an easy road for Thea and Jackson, but if I’ve done my job well, when you turn the last page of A Tender Hope, you’ll have a smile on your face and the knowledge that this seemingly mismatched couple has found their happy ending.

Back Cover Copy

As far as Thea Michener is concerned, it’s time for a change. With her husband murdered and her much-anticipated baby stillborn, there is nothing left for her in Ladreville. Having accepted a position as Cimarron Creek’s midwife, she has no intention of remarrying. So when a handsome Texas Ranger appears on her doorstep with an abandoned baby, Thea isn’t sure her heart can take it.

Ranger Jackson Guthrie isn’t concerned only with the baby’s welfare. He’s been looking for Thea, convinced that her late husband was part of the gang that killed his brother. But it soon becomes clear that the situation is far more complicated than he anticipated—and he’ll need Thea’s help if he’s ever to find the justice he seeks.

About Amanda:

Amanda Cabot’s dream of selling a book before her thirtieth birthday came true, and she’s now the author of more than thirty-five novels as well as eight novellas, four non-fiction books, and what she describes as enough technical articles to cure insomnia in a medium-sized city.  Her inspirational romances have appeared on the CBA and ECPA bestseller lists, have garnered a starred review from Publishers Weekly, and have been nominated for the ACFW Carol, the HOLT Medallion, and the Booksellers Best awards.  A popular workshop presenter, Amanda takes pleasure in helping other writers achieve their dreams of publication.

 Social Media Links

www.amandacabot.com

https://www.facebook.com/amanda.j.cabot

https://twitter.com/AmandaJoyCabot/

http://amandajoycabot.blogspot.com/

Buying Links

Amazon 

Barnes & Noble 

Christian Book Distributors

About the Giveaway:

Amanda is offering to giveaway one free print copy of A Tender Hope to US residents. Entering is easy ... Just leave a comment in the section below with your name and contact information to be included in the drawing. Amanda is requesting a minimum of 7 comments before drawing a winner. So, to increase your chances of winning, get your reader-friends to come on over and leave a comment, too.

Giveaway ends one week from today, Wednesday, March 13, at MIDNIGHT, CDT. 

Looking forward to interacting with you.

New Beginnings ~ Jude Urbanski ~ Story Behind the Story ~ Giveaway

Please help me welcome author Jude Urbanski as she shares the story behind her new release "New Beginnings." I searched for an appropriate header picture to go along with this post and found this. What better symbol of "new" could there be? Besides, it's purple :)

Crocus - courtesy pixabay.com

  Hi Peg, thanks for having me on your blog. We talked about my writing ‘the story behind the story’ and here goes! 

My newly-released novel is called New Beginnings and wouldn’t you know, whenever I plug the title in on Amazon, Debbie Macomber’s New Beginnings pops up. First, of course, but I feel in very good company. Had to laugh though.

After many title considerations, the words new beginnings said it all for my heroine Savannah, who was left at the altar. This title also has become my article of faith as I have adjusted to my dear husband’s death and began my new, unexpected journey.

This book, that I consider my best, had a long birthing process. I started, I stopped. I almost had an agent. She died. I had a publisher, but they went MIA. I became weary of submitting.

I know I am preaching to the choir, but I am glad I slugged it out, glad other writers encouraged me. Sounds familiar I’m sure. The story moves me every time I reread. I write stories of men and women who spin tragedy into triumph with God’s help.

Here is a very brief synopsis of New Beginnings:

           

Nurse Practitioner Savannah Banks is betrayed at the altar. When she discovers her reluctant groom’s departing gift is an unexpected pregnancy, only God’s mercy and a platonic friendship with an ill-and-aging artist bring faith to hope and trust again. Once healed and healthy, excitement propels Savannah as she carts special-needs Baby Gabriel and Alberto to her new job at a Jamaican clinic.

Idyllic island life rapidly turns complicated and threatening. Conflict comes in the form of two, handsome doctors and turn-of-life events for both Savannah and Alberto. Caught between romantic feelings for Khenan and terror of Anders, Savannah is pressured by her best friend to tell Gabriel’s father, Judson, he has a son. Judson and his wife arrive on the island and surprise abounds when Alberto discovers in Judson the lost family for whom he’d been searching.

The truth about Anders’ behavior evolves from unlikely sources, clearing Savannah’s name, but snagging Anders cold. When she’s on the verge of leaving the island, thinking all is lost, Khenan proclaims his love.

An endorsement for the book: “New Beginnings” touches all the reader’s emotions and stays long after the last page is turned. A five-star novel with great characters and timeless themes. Highly recommended.” – JoAnn Durgin, USA Today bestselling author of The Lewis Legacy.

About Jude:

Jude Urbanski, pen name for Judy Martin-Urban writes women's fiction featuring inspirational romance. She invites you to stories of heroes and heroines who spin tragedy into triumph with help from God. She was first published in nonfiction, and still enjoys that genre, but writing inspirational romance is her passion. Jude currently guest blogs and was a former editor. She has a Master’s Degree in Nursing, taught nursing, and worked as a nurse practitioner in women’s health. She is a member of national and area chapters of American Christian Fiction Writers and NonFiction Authors Association. Beautiful ancestral Tennessee is now home and when not writing, Jude enjoys her large, blended family, travel, church work, genealogy, painting, volunteering, and popcorn.

*Find Jude*

www.judeurbanski.com

https://authorcentral.amazon.com/gp/profile

https://twitter.com/judeurbanski

https://www.facebook.com/jude.urbanski

mailto:urbanski4u@aol.com

The Giveaway: Jude says, "I am happy to give away an electronic copy of the book New Beginnings. Just leave a comment and if you are led, an honest review on Amazon is appreciated." (Amazon link:  https://amzn.com/B07K5KS7Q1)

To enter, just leave a comment below with your name and contact information so we can contact you if you're the winner. Giveaway ends one week from today on December 27, 2018, at MIDNIGHT, CST.

Thank you, Jude, for being my guest today. Blessings, and best wishes for a MERRY CHRISTMAS, and a HAPPY, HEALTHY, PROSPEROUS, and PRODUCTIVE NEW YEAR!

Kathy Cretsinger ~ Smoky Mountain Brides ~ Giveaway

Please welcome author/publisher Kathy Cretsinger (AKA Katt Anderson) to Whispers in Purple blog

 Mountains, courtesy pixabay.com. See below why this picture appears here

Hello everyone! Kathy Cretsinger here. I am so happy to be on this blog and tell you a little about what I do as an author and publisher. In truth, authoring is very little, but publishing is a lot. I love the work, the stress, and above all getting to know the people we work with.

Twelve years ago, I began to have thoughts that I could write. I knew nothing about writing, but I still had the desire. A friend told me I could do it. I must have believed her because that’s exactly what I did. I should have learned the craft first, but I like to dive in and then find out what a mess I’ve made.

Remember that book you thought you had to write? Mine was so horrible it’s hidden on a flash drive somewhere. I really don’t want to find it. It was that bad.

Now let’s look at one that turned out to be good. The next book I wrote turned out to be a wonderful tale sprinkled with my ancestors. Callie’s Mountain was the first book I published, and that book started my publishing career.

Like myself, there are a lot of authors that need someone to see the future in their book. They need help in writing a finished product and publishing that product. That’s where we come in at Mantle Rock Publishing LLC. We want a perfect printed copy. We are human and sometimes a mistake is made, but if we all work together as a team, we’ll have a perfect book.

The last book I wrote is Smoky Mountain Brides. My editor, Pam Watts Harris, and I decided we wanted to write a sweet romance set in the Smokies. We both love the mountains, and we’ve both been there many times. It wasn’t hard to come up with two career girls who find true love and get married. I loved working with Pam, and I love this book. 

Smoky Mountain Brides by Pam Watts Harris and Katt Anderson (I forgot to tell you I have a pen name) can be found at https://www.amazon.com/Smoky-Mountain-Brides-Katt-Anderson-ebook/dp/B075QQLKW6/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1544822985&sr=1-1&keywords=Smoky+Mountain+Brides. And I’m giving a free copy to one person who makes a comment.

At the present, I’m writing a romantic suspense set in a real place. [Peg here ... see image above] My husband grew up in a small community in the mountains of Northeast Tennessee, between Bristol, TN and Boone NC. This book is set in the community where he grew up. I am very conscious of the people who live there, and I want this book to be enjoyable to them. It will release in June 2019. I won’t give a name until later.

Thanks for visiting with me for these few minutes. Have a blessed day.

Kathy Cretsinger writes under the name of Katt Anderson. She lives in Kentucky with her husband of fifty plus years. They have two grown children, four grandchildren, no cats or dogs, but a few squirrels who live around the walnut trees. 

When not writing, you’ll find Kathy people watching, reading, enjoying her flower garden, going to activities her grandchildren are involved in, or helping authors with their manuscripts. Kathy also speaks at writer’s conferences. 

She and her husband Jerry are owners of Mantle Rock Publishing LLC. You can visit her at www.mantlerockpublishingllc.com. 

 

To enter Kathy’s giveaway, just leave a comment below, including your name and contact information. Giveaway runs for one week, ending December 26 at Midnight, CST. Winner will be drawn and notified via email on Thursday, Dec. 27, which is why we need your contact info. Thanks.

MERRY CHRISTMAS, EVERYBODY! 

The Timeoess Act of Waiting ~ Lauralee Bliss

 It is my great pleasure to bring you a thoughtful post from author Lauralee Bliss, and, as the title indicates, the act of waiting. Welcome, Lauralee.

The Timeless Act of Waiting

By Lauralee Bliss

Image from Pixabay.com

“Trust in the Lord and do good.Dwell in the land and feed on His faithfulness.Delight yourself in the Lord,And He will give you the desires of your heart.”  - Psalm 37: 3,4  NKJV

How important it is to wait on God for the next dream in life, to be content with where we are, to remember His faithfulness until it’s time to move on. So it is with the hero and heroine in my new novella, The Belle of the Congaree, in the Southern Belle Brides Collection. Mason and Elisa are at crossroad in their lives during a difficult time in the post-Civil War era. They wish things were different and desire change yet it requires selfless action on their part while waiting for God to fulfill their dreams.

Sometimes we desire to move ahead to get out of the trap of trials. We want circumstances to change as quickly as possible. But instead of waiting on His perfect timing for the desires of our hearts, we forge ahead on our own. And oftentimes we end up in a worse situation because of it. Too often that has happened to me. I am naturally an impatient person when it comes to waiting on God. Of seeing Him bring to pass the work I feel called to do, especially when years have passed. I try to jumpstart the idea. Can You speed this process up a little, Lord?  Or try to do something out of His will. But He is the Creator of all, not only of this world but also of the hopes and dreams we each have. His desire is to move us from glory to glory, but only He knows the perfect time. And it is our duty to stay in faith and dwell where He has placed us for now.

So it is with Mason and Elisa. Both desire to move past their current situations. They meet and take time to discover things about each other and themselves. But when secrets are uncovered, it appears unlikely anything will work out for good. Which can lead to impatience, frustration, and anger. And we all know where that can end … to nothing good …

I enjoy writing stories that convey the essence of what I am going through. We do not exchange modern times for the ninetieth century but instead realize we are all human with weaknesses, but the God of yesterday still moves and directs us today.

I hope you enjoy Mason and Elisa’s journey to God’s perfect timing and how we too can wait in faith, even when it’s difficult. Be sure to pick up a copy of The Southern Belle Brides Collection with seven stories of a time long past but God’s working hand still active today.

  

About the Book:

The Southern Belle Brides Collection—where seven sweet and sassy ladies of yesterday experience romance in the southern states.

In The Belle of the Congaree, Mason Bassinger reluctantly travels to war-torn South Carolina, seeking lands his carpetbagger brother can buy. Elisa Anderson barely survives after her family’s plantation is destroyed. She welcomes visits by the handsome and wealthy Mason, who makes the cottage by the Congaree feel like a home. But when Mason’s true purpose is revealed, will her heart be broken by betrayal?

Find The Southern Belle Brides Collection at:

Amazon  

Christianbook.com

About Lauralee:

Lauralee Bliss is a published author of over twenty romance novels and novellas in both historical and contemporary with nearly 600,000 units sold. Lauralee enjoys writing books that are reminiscent of a roller-coaster ride for the reader. Her desire is that readers will come away with both an entertaining story and a lesson that speaks to the heart and soul.

Lauralee enjoys traveling this great nation, having been to 49 out of 50 states and learning unique historical lessons to incorporate into her books. She makes her home in the historic state of Virginia with her husband and dogs Eve, Buddy, and Skye. 

To find out more about Lauralee and her books online, visit:

Website:  http://www.lauraleebliss.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Readers-of-Author-Lauralee-Bliss

Blog: http://www.blissfulwalk.com

Hiking Blog: http://www.blissfulhiking.com

Twitter:  @LauraleeBliss