Tag Archives: Christian fiction

NewAm–The Beginning (part 7)

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As promised, here’s the next installment of my free novelette that shows the beginnings of NewAm. the setting of my new Christian series, Messengers that will re-release on July 5th. I hope you enjoy this free novelette- NewAm—The Beginning.

You can learn more about the series if you click on the
link below. Thanks.

AMAZON LINK TO MESSENGERS SERIES

CHAPTER 13

No one spoke.

“Oh my.” Mama Rose patted Mary’s arm. “Oh my. This is…I don’t know what this is. I’ve never…it’s shocking. I…I don’t even know what to say.”

Pops shook his head. “I don’t care what they say. I’m not giving up my guns. I need them to protect my family. This is still America and I have rights.”

“I’m not sure about that, Pops. It sounds like maybe we don’t.” Mary pointed out.

“It sounds bad, Paul, but you heard them. They have our best interests at heart. It’s going to be OK. I think we can trust them.”

“Why? Because they said so. You heard them. They suspended the Constitution of the United States of America. No election. No guns. No rights. That doesn’t sound like America to me.”

“It’s the NewAmerica. Yesa, it’s different than what we’re used to do but they have our best interests at heart. They said so. I believe them.” Mama Rose kept patting Mary’s arm as she talked. “We have to believe them. We were at war. War changes things.”

 Mary didn’t know what to believe. Finally, she managed to mutter, “But I don’t want to go to the Army. I was supposed to go to college after graduation. I want to be a teacher.”

Her mother’s arms went around her. “She’s too young. She shouldn’t have to go to the army. They can’t make her do that, can they?”

Pop’s voice was shaky. “It sounds as if they’re planning on making her do exactly that—no matter what we want.”

Tears trickled down Mama Rose’s face. “What are we going to do? We can’t just let them take her.”

Mary sobbed.

Pops stood us. “Both of you need to calm down. We’ll get through this together. It’s just like they said, it wasn’t a shooting war. There’s no reason to think it will become one. It was a Technology War. They’ll see how smart you are, Mary. They’ll want to give you more training, probably in computers or something like that. We’ll win this war withith technology not a gun.”

“I don’t want to go.”

“And I don’t want you to go.” Pops looked at them. “I just don’t know what to say. Or what to do. But I know I’m not giving up my guns.”

Mama Rose shook her head. “They’re going to come in to our house and look for guns. If they find them, we’ll all be arrested. We’ll all go to jail. Is that you what you want, Paul? For all of us to go to jail?”

“Of course not.” He stood there staring at them. He took a deep breath. “Mary, you’ve been a Christian much longer than us. What do you think God wants us to do?”

“I’m not sure. I know there are verses that talk about submitting to authority.”

Mama Rose still sat on the couch, shaking her head. “We’ll need to read those verses, but right I don’t think we have a choice. We’re going to have to trust the government. Don’t you think?”

“You’re probably right, Rose. We’re going to have to trust the government. After all, they have our best interests at heart. I sure hope that’s true.”

EPILOGUE

In the end, Pops gave up his guns.

In the end, I went to the National Army Headquarters.

In the end, there were no more elections; but the citizens didn’t mind because the government kept their promise to take care of loyal citizens. They provided everything they needed and wanted as long as we were loyal citizens and followed The Guardian Rules.

And the ones who did mind seemed to disappear until there were no more protests—no more opposition. Only loyal citizens were left.

Mama Rose and Pops and I remained faithful to God, but it wasn’t easy as more and more restrictions were placed on the loyal citizens of NewAmerica.

I was sent to our nation’s capital where I worked for the Guardians of Freedom—the first guardians but certainly not the last. That was where I met, fell in love, and eventually married  Walter Matthias—a First Guardian.

I’ve come to the conclusion there are many kinds of truths. The truth you believe from your own experiences. The truth you’re told from those you trust. The truth others want you to believe when in fact it’s not the truth at all.

But in the end, there is only one “real” truth—God’s truth.

Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life.

I started these journals by saying I had a secret. I’m ashamed to admit that I’ve never shared it before, even though I know I should have. I was afraid of what would happen to me, but I’m not afraid any longer.

As I said, I’m an old lady now. My time here on earth is running out. Soon I will be in the arms of my dear Savior. But before I leave, I want someone to know the truth about NewAm.

Because Walter and I married, I ended up in a unique position to discover some truths about The Guardians of Freedom and NewAm that I’ve never shared—until now.

There was no Tech War.

America wasn’t attacked by enemies who wanted to destroy us. The war was created by those who were in power who didn’t want to give up their power. My husband, Walter Matthias was one of those people.

I would like to say he didn’t know what he was doing. That others tricked him into aiding in the massive deception. but I can’t say that.

He knew exactly what he was doing.

He wanted that power, just as the other First Guardians did.

And then we fell in love.

When I fell in love with Walter, I couldn’t not tell him the truth about God. I had to share my faith in God with him, no matter the consequences. Once again, I trusted God as I had so many times before. I chose to walk in faith not in sight as my Mommy and Daddy taught me. When I gathered up the courage to do so, I told Walter about God.

He believed me.

He became a Christian.

It may be hard to believe that Walter Matthias, one of the First Guardians, believed in God, loved God, and served God by trying to right his wrongs. He tried to mitigate the damage he helped create but to no avail.

By then The Guardians had all the power they needed to quell the truth.

Still in Walter, I saw how God could change a person. Walter went from being a cold and distant husband to the most loving husband I could ever wish for. Others noticed how he changed. They thought it was because of me, but it was all God.

I will end my story by telling you that God loves you and he sent his son to earth so that you could live with him forever in a place called heaven. This is my truth, but it’s also God’s truth.

May God Bless you,

Mary Frances Wayne Matthias

And there you have it! The Beginning of NewAm.

I had so much fun writing this series. It was a complete departure from what I usually write. I hope you’ll enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

AMAZON LINK

NewAm–The Beginning (part 4)

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As promised, here’s the next installment of my free novelette that shows the beginnings of NewAm. the setting of my new Christian series, Messengers that will re-release on July 5th. I hope you enjoy this free novelette–NewAm–The Beginning.

You can learn more about the series if you click on the
link below. Thanks.

AMAZON LINK TO MESSENGERS SERIES

CHAPTER 65

Mary stared down at her Bible for a moment and then back at her parents. By the expressions on their faces, Mary could tell they weren’t happy. She wasn’t quite sure what the problem was. “That’s my Bible.”

“Bibles are illegal, Mary. You know that.” Mama’s voice was gentle.

Pop’s voice wasn’t so gentle. In fact it was stern. Which didn’t happen often. At least not to her. “Where did you even get such a thing, Mary? They’ve all been destroyed. The government is very clear about the fact that there is no God and they refuse to allow others to propagate such a myth. Our only loyalty is to the government not some myth.”

She stared at both of them. They weren’t believers like she was. But up to now, they’d never stopped her from believing what she wanted. Of course, it wasn’t something they really discussed. She just assumed they knew she was a Christian. “I’ve had it since I was a little girl. Since I came here. I’ve always had it. I thought you knew I had it.”

“What do you mean you’ve always had it?” Pops stared at her. “Why didn’t we know about it?”

“I keep it in my room. Sometimes in my desk and sometimes under my pillow. Sometimes in the bookcase. I…it’s…” She threw up her hands. “I didn’t try to hide it from you. At least I don’t think I was. I just can’t believe you didn’t know I had it.”

Pops shook his head. “We’ve never tried to stop you from your ridiculous beliefs about your mythical God. Even though you’re very wrong, but…” He pointed at the Bible. “This is too much. This is illegal contraband and if it’s found it wouldn’t just be you that gets in trouble.”

She closed her eyes. Give me the right words, God and the right attitude. “God is not ridiculous. And he isn’t mythical. He’s just as real as you and me.” It was hard being the only Christian she knew. In all the years she’d lived with Mama Rose and Pops, she’d never met another one. In fact, sometimes it felt like maybe she was the last Christian on earth.

That was a troubling thought for her but then she’d remember that Mommy and Daddy had taught her to walk by faith not by what she could see. So, she’d remind herself that just because she couldn’t see other Christians, it didn’t mean there weren’t any.

Maybe, someday she would meet them.

Pops looked upset as he shook his head. “You’re getting off point. This isn’t about your beliefs. It’s about this contraband that you brought into the house. They could put all of us in jail. Why can’t you understand? He’s not real—it’s just a made-up myth.”

“But it’s been here for years.” Over the years, she’d tried to make her adopted parents understand God was real. They just wouldn’t listen. “Besides, there’s more to this world than what we can see. We have to walk in faith not in sight.”

“I’m not going to discuss this again, Mary. That’s not the point.” Her mother picked up her Bible. “This has to go, Mary. I won’t allow it in my house. Your father’s absolutely right. We would all be arrested. It’s our house so that makes it our responsibility.”

Mary couldn’t believe this. She met Mama Rose’s gaze. “I’m not going to get rid of it. It’s God’s Word. I need it. If it goes, I go with it.”

Her father rolled his eyes. “It’s a fairy tale. Not real. Why would you need it?”

“It’s not a fairy tale. I’ve done what you said, I don’t tell people that I’m a Christian. I don’t talk about God with anyone. Sometimes, I feel like I’m the last Christian in the whole world. And that’s a horrible feeling. But… I need my Bible. It keeps me connected to God.”

“We figured you’d outgrow this old-fashioned idea sooner or later. Now I understand why you haven’t.” Pops held out his hand and Mama gave him the Bible. “Once I get rid of this, you’ll forget all about these ridiculous antiquated and very dangerous ideas about God.”

God expected her to honor her parents, just as if they were her bio-parents. She loved them and had no desire to defy them or to hurt them, but God also expected her to be faithful to him.  She would stand firm, just like her Daddy had told her Mommy when they were sick with the virus.

She had no idea how to handle this situation.

She closed her eyes. Please, God, show me the right thing to do. Give me the right words. She opened her eyes and took a deep breath. “I love you. Both of you. But I also love God. I know you don’t believe he exists, but I know he’s real. The Bible’s taught me to honor you as my parents and I do. If you take my Bible from me, I won’t try to stop you. I will try by best not to be mad about it. And I will still love you, but I’m asking…begging you not to take my Bible.”

Mama Rose looked at Pops and shrugged. “You decide.”

Pops looked at her. “It would have been a lot easier if you’d argued with us like a normal teenager. But no…you tell us you love us. How am I supposed to deal with that?”

“The Bible’s taught me how to act.” She smiled sweetly at him. “If you like the person I am, you can thank the Bible for that. God teaches me so much through the Bible, including how to act.”

Pops sighed. “Fine. I guess you’ve had it all these years and nobody found out about it. I guess you can keep it. Just don’t tell anyone about it and be careful when you have friends over. Make sure it’s somewhere they can’t find it.”

“My friends would never tell on me.”

“I would hope that would be the case but let’s not risk it.” He handed her the Bible.

Her eyes filled with tears as she clutched it to her chest. This book meant so much to her. “Thank you so much. I’ll go put it away and then we can eat the delicious dinner Mama cooked for us.”

When she came back in, her parents were already eating. She sat down. Pops looked at her. “So, your first presidential election’s coming up. Are you excited about it?”

“I don’t know. I’ve been reading about all the candidates. It’s so confusing.”

Mama Rose passed her a bowl of mashed potatoes. “You’re not the only one who’s confused. I’ve never seen such a divisive election before. It’s just horrible.”

“I just vote party lines. It simplifies things.” Dad grinned. “But that’s just me. Of course, the party in control looks like they’re losing ground fast. I know they aren’t happy about—”

The lights went off.

CHAPTER 76

“What happened?” Mama Rose’s voice drifted to Mary in the dark.

“The lights went out.” Pops.

“Duh. Do you think?” Mary.

Pop’s shadow stood up. “I’ll go see if it’s the whole neighborhood. Rose, we got any candles handy? We might need some.”

“I’ll get them.”

Mary stayed in her seat and kept eating. No reason to let her food get cold. Fried chicken really was her favorite. The lights would probably be back on before Mama even found the candles.

But she was wrong.

Just as her mom lit the three candles on the table, Pops walked back in. “It’s the whole neighborhood. Might be the whole city. It’s really dark out there. I don’t think I’ve ever seen it quite that dark before.”

“Sit down and finish eating. There’s nothing we can do about it right now. No reason to let your food get cold.”

“Sounds like a plan.”

“This chicken is so good, Mama. It might be the best chicken you ever made.”

Mama Rose laughed. “I doubt that very much. You say that every time, but thanks.”

Mary stood up. “I’m finished eating so I’m going to go check my phone. See if anyone else is sitting in the dark.”

“Good idea.”

She walked over to where she’d left the phone by the chair. She picked it up. Across the screen, it said, NO SERVICE. She walked back over to the table. “That’s odd. The phone says it’s out of service too.”

“Strange. Must have something to do with the electricity.” Dad explained. “Who’s up for a little candlelight card game?”

“Me. Just let me clean up the table first, Pops.” Mary took her plate to the sink. She turned on the water.

Nothing happened.

She walked into the dining room. “Hey. The water’s not working either.” Mama Rose looked at Pops. “That’s strange. That doesn’t usually happen just because the electricity goes off.”

Don’t you just hate it when the electricity goes out? I know I do! The next installment will be here soon. In the meantime, you can pre-order all three books on Amazon at AMAZON LINK.

NewAm–The Beginning(part 3)

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As promised, here’s the next installment of my free novelette that shows the beginnings of NewAm. the setting of my new Christian series, Messengers that will re-release on July 5th. I hope you enjoy this free novelette–MESSENGERS–THE BEGIINNING.

You can learn more about the series if you click on the
link below. Thanks.

AMAZON LINK TO MESSENGERS SERIES

CHAPTER 4

Mary hated living at Miss Sophie’s house. There were lots of kids here and most of them were mean to her—and to everybody else. Nobody hugged her or told her that they loved her like Mommy and Daddy always did.

Mary sat on the couch in Miss Sophie’s office. Her suitcase sat on the floor beside her. She didn’t know why she was here. Miss Sophie told her to put on her best clothes and to be nice.

She was alone in the room, so she didn’t know who she was supposed to be nice to. But she always tried to be nice. Because her Mommy and Daddy told her that’s what Jesus wanted her to do. And Mary wanted to make Jesus happy.

The door opened.

Miss Sophie walked in with two people. She smiled at Mary. “This is your new Mommy and Daddy.”

Mary glared. “I don’t want a new Mommy and Daddy.”

Miss Sophie moved toward her and grabbed her arm then whispered, “You better be nice. This is your last chance. If they don’t want you, you’ll be going to the next proof. Do you understand me?”

Mary nodded.

The woman knelt down in front of her and smiled. “Of course, you don’t want a new Mommy and Daddy. We understand that. You loved them but they’re gone, and you need someone to take care of you. We want to take care of you now, Mary. Would you like that?”

The woman smelled pretty, but Mary didn’t want—didn’t need a new Mommy and Daddy, but she was tired of living here with Miss Sophie.

Miss Sophie wasn’t nice—at all.

Mary didn’t think she even liked kids.

Mary looked past the woman and then at the man. He waved. Mary asked, “Do you like kids?”

He shrugged. “I don’t know. I never had any before but…you’re not just any kid. I can see that you’re a very special little girl and I like you very much.”

Daddy always told her she was his very special little girl.

She looked back at the woman. “I’m not going to call you Mommy.”

“How about Mama Rose?”

“And you can call me Pops.”

Mary looked back and forth between the man and the woman. “I guess that would be OK.”

“Great. Let’s go home.” Mama Rose reached out her hand to Mary.

Mary took it.

CHAPTER 54

Mary sat in the chair with her legs folded under her and her phone in her hand. She was texting four different people at the same time. One of them in France. She couldn’t wait for him to come to the states so they could meet.

Her adopted mom stuck her head in, “Mary, time for dinner.”

“In a minute, Mama Rose. I’m texting something important.”

“How could you have something that important to say when you just saw them a few hours ago? Come set the table, please.”

“I didn’t just see all of them. We’re texting with Jean-Claude. I can’t wait to meet him when he comes to America next month. Who knows maybe we’ll get married someday and I’ll have little French babies.?.”

“Until that day, I want you to set the table Mary Francesis Wayne.”

“I will. I will. I promise Just give me a minute.”

Mama walked in from the kitchen and gave her the look—the mama look that Mary knew better than to argue with. She put the phone down on the stand but rolled her eyes wheen Mama Rose walked back in the kitchen. “OK. OK. I’m coming.”

“Thank you.”

Mary walked past her and kissed her on the cheek. “No, thank you, Mama Rose. You’re such a good mom. I love you very much.” And she really did. As much as she missed her real Mom and Dad, God had blessed her with wonderful adopted parents.

She hadn’t been very lovable when they brought her to this house. But Mqama Rose and Pops been incredibly patient and kind to her. Slowly, Mary had learned to trust them and then love came after the trust.

Mama Rose flipped the dish towel at her. “What do you want now?”

“Who says I want anything?”

“I say. What do you want?”

“Nothing really. It’s no big deal.”

“No big deal, huh?” Her mom walked back over to the stove.

Mary moved closer as Mama Rose flipped the chicken. “That smells awesome. Fried chicken is my favorite.”

“Like I don’t know that. Now, what do you want?”

“Not much. We want to go to the Friday concert this week, but I got no money.”

“I don’t have any money.” She corrected her English.

“Same problem here.” Mary laughed. “That’s why I need some from you.”

Mama Rose shook her head but smiled. “If you can talk Pops into giving you some, I’ll drive you and your friends to the concert. But I’m not guaranteeing he’ll give you any. That’s between the two of you.”

“Why not? He always does.”

“True but… I’ll just wait until he gets here. We need to have a serious discussion.”

“About what? I didn’t do anything bad at school today. Did I? I don’t remember doing anything bad.”

“Set the table. We’ll talk about it later. After dinner.”

“No. Tell me now. I want to know what I did.”

Pops walked in. “What did you do now?”

“That’s what I want to know, too. Mama said I’m in trouble, but I don’t know what I did. I really don’t remember doing anything bad—at least not too bad.”

“I didn’t say you were in trouble. I said we had something to discuss with you. There’s a difference.”

“We do?” Pops shrugged. “That’s news to me. But if Mama says so then it must be so.”

Mama Rose sighed. “We’ll talk after dinner.”

He looked at Mary. “I guess we have something to discuss with you.”

She winked at Mama Rose. “Before we get to dinner, can I have some money so I can go to the Friday Concert in the Park.?”

“I thought the concerts in the park were free.”

“They are but we want to go for pizza before. And I might want to buy a T-shirt.”

“Trying to hit me up before we have the discussion?”

She grinned and shrugged. “Of course.”

“Smart girl. I’ll give you a tentative yes on that. Let’s see what we have to discuss first. Rose, what is it that we need to discuss?”

“I should have waited until after dinner to bring it up. I don’t want the dinner ruined. I worked very hard making fried chicken.”

“Too late now.” Pops walked over the refrigerator and pulled out a two-liter of soda. “You’ve got both of us curious. And I’m sure Mary won’t be able to enjoy her favorite dinner without knowing. You wouldn’t want to ruin her dinner, would you? Might as well tell us now.”

“Fine.” She walked out of the room. When she came back in, she said, “This is what we need to talk about.”

Mama Rose set Mary’s Bible on the table.

IT’S ONLY FICTION…BUT COULD IT HAPPEN?

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I’m excited to announce that my MESSENGERS series is being re-released on July 5th by my publisher. I love this series. t’d never written a dystopian (futuristic) novel before so it was a learning experience for me. Here’s a little bit about the series. Read to the end for a surprise!

My new MESSENGERS series is fiction…but could it happen?

Life is perfect in NewAm: no crime; no poverty; no war; no discrimination, but also no God. The government decides where a citizen works, where a citizen lives, and how a citizen thinks, even though the Guardians would deny this.

Life is perfect until the moment you wonder…is there a God?

God will not be defined nor confined by man’s law.

Magdalena Denton is an unlikely messenger. She’s grown up in the godless world of NewAm where even saying the name of Jesus is a crime. But when God has a message, he will always find a MESSENGER.

All three books in the series are releasing at the same time so you don’t have to wait for these exciting stories.

MESSENGER (Book 1) Magdalena Denton is an unlikely messenger. She’s grown up in the godless world of NewAmerica where even saying the name of Jesus is a crime. But when God has a message, he will always find a messenger.

AMAZON LINK

UNCITIZEN (Book 2) Magdalena Denton’s bright future is gone. She’s been deemed an UnCitizen because she refuses to deny God. Her new-found faith is challenged as she struggles to stay alive, but God promises to never forsake his children.

AMAZON LINK

EXILE (Book 3) After a daring escape, Magdalena and friends face life in the Empty Lands—even more hostile than imagined. They discover that when you walk in faith, miracles become a reality.

AMAZON LINK

We’d like to believe that something like this could never happen in America, land of the free, but in my lifetime I’ve seen so many of our freedoms slowly being stripped away. A little here, a little there. Not enough to notice until it’s too late.

Yes, it’s fiction, but could it happen?

So here’s the surprise. I’ve written a short story about the beginnings of New Am. Over the next few weeks, I’ll share a few chapters to get you ready for the Messenger series.

AND FINALLY!

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Finally, the last post to talk about my latest release, WALKING THROUGH THE RAIN. Tomorrow, I’ll pick the winner of the $25 Amazon Gift Card and post it here. Now remember to get it, you need to respond to the post and send me your email address. That goes for the book winners as well. I will need an email address to get you your prize.

AMAZON LINK

I haven’t really talked much about what led me to write this book. As with most of my books, I have no idea when I sit down who the characters are or what will happen to them. What I did know was that I wanted to write a love story that would make the reader say….awww, how sweet!”

I hope that’s what I’ve done with WALKING THROUGH THE RAIN.

If you’ve read the book, I would love for you to post a review on Amazon, Goodreads, Barnes & Nobles or any of the other book sites. Reviews really help an author. The more reviews they get for a book, the more Amazon is willing to promote the book as well. If you’ve read other books of mine and didn’t post a review, feel free to go review them as well. It’s never too late to do a book review!

What else can you do to help me (or any author)? Word of mouth is still the best way to get a book noticed so if you like the book recommend it to your friends and that includes your friends on social media as well.

By the way, I had another book release a few months ago. SMALL TOWN SECRETS is a romantic suspense with lots of suspense and a little romance. Check it out, you might enjoy it.

AMAZON LINK

To celebrate my latest release, WALKING THROUGH THE RAIN,  I’m having a giveaway. When you leave a comment here, you will be automatically entered in the giveaway. From February 9th (release day) to February 15th, one winner will be chosen every day to receive a copy of WALKING THROUGH THE RAIN (ebook only) through Amazon.

 If you leave a comment every day, you have a chance to win every day!

On February 16th one winner will be drawn to win an Amazon Gift Card worth $25! If you left comments on more than one day, your name will be entered for each day. More comments—more chances to win!

If you have any questions, please ask me in a comment on one of the posts. Thanks.

Thanks for your participation in the giveaway and for your support.

GOD BLESS & GOOD READING!

What’s Your Love Story?

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Valentine’s Day is almost here.  Everyone loves a love story—even if you don’t want to admit it. But since it’s almost Valentine’s day, it’s OK to admit this time.

WALKING THROUGH THE RAIN is Rachel and Brandon’s love story. And as Shakespeare said, the course of true love never did run smooth. Truer words couldn’t be spoken about Rachel and Brandon. I’m not going to give the plot away, but I will tell you that both of their mothers aren’t happy about their relationship so…. You can imagine what happens next.

Like I said, everybody loves a love story so I’ll tell you mine.

I’ve sort of known my husband my whole life. His brother was married to my aunt. NO, we aren’t related to each other. Anyway…I had a crush on him but he was a few years older and he went off to the service while I finished high school then college.

Fast forward twenty some years and we reconnected .And what a reconnection it was! We’ve been married twenty-two years and have a wonderful marriage.

So what’s your love story?

Share your love story with us today as we celebrate love.

To celebrate my latest release, WALKING THROUGH THE RAIN,  I’m having a giveaway. When you leave a comment here, you will be automatically entered in the giveaway. From February 9th (release day) to February 15th, one winner will be chosen every day to receive a copy of WALKING THROUGH THE RAIN (ebook only) through Amazon. If you leave a comment every day, you have a chance to win every day!

On February 16th one winner will be drawn to win an Amazon Gift Card worth $25! If  you left comments on more than one day, your name will be entered for each day. More comments—more chances to win!

If you have any questions, please ask me in a comment on one of the posts. Thanks.

GOD BLESS AND GOOD READING!

HOW FAR IS TOO FAR?

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We’ve all heard of “helicopter” parents. They are the ones who hover over their children at all times. They love their children and want the best for them. The problem is they want to be in control at all times which makes it difficult for the child to have the freedom to thrive.

I’m not going to give away the plot, but there’s no question in my latest book, WALKING THROUGH THE RAIN, that there are some helicopter parents in the story.

AMAZON LINK

Rachel and Brandon are in love. They know what they want but… their mothers think they know what’s best for them. They go to great lengths to “help” their children.

Is it wrong to want the best for your child? Absolutely not! Is it wrong to make sure that happens? Maybe. Maybe not. It really depends on what the parent is willing to do to make sure that happens.

In other words, how far is too far?

As you read WALKING IN THE RAIN, I think you’ll find the answer to that question.

To celebrate my latest release, WALKING THROUGH THE RAIN,  I’m having a giveaway. When you leave a comment here, you will be automatically entered in the giveaway. From February 9th (release day) to February 15th, one winner will be chosen every day to receive a copy of WALKING THROUGH THE RAIN (ebook only) through Amazon. If you leave a comment every day, you have a chance to win every day!

On February 16th one winner will be drawn to win an Amazon Gift Card worth $25! If  you leave comments on more than one day, your name will be entered for each day. More comments—more chances to win!

If you have any questions, please ask me in a comment on one of the posts. Thanks.

DON’T FORGET TO LEAVE A COMMENT TO BE ENTERED IN THE CONTEST!

Don’t know what to say? How about telling us a short story about a time your parents went too far.

GOD BLESS & GOOD READING!

An Old-Fashioned Love Story with a Modern Twist

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My just-released novel, WALKING THROUGH THE RAIN is what I like to call an old-fashioned love story with a modern twist.

But what exactly does that mean?

It’s old-fashioned in the sense that it taps into that place in our hearts that says, “Oh, how sweet!” But the modern twists are that it deals with the realities of modern life. And not everything in modern life is sweet and romantic.

But don’t worry, WALKING THROUGH THE RAIN is a God-honoring book. There’s no bad language or explicit love scenes, but there are some scenes the reflect the realities of our lives these days.

You should also know that this isn’t a romance novel, it’s a love story. Big difference. Romance novels are about two people meeting, falling in love, and living happily ever after. You won’t find that in Walking Through The Rain. It’s a love story–it’s about an enduring love that overcomes obstacles.

To celebrate my latest release, WALKING THROUGH THE RAIN,  I’m having a giveaway. When you leave a comment here, you will be automatically entered in the giveaway. From February 9th (release day) to February 15th, one winner will be chosen every day to receive a copy of WALKING THROUGH THE RAIN (ebook only) through Amazon. If you leave a comment every day, you have a chance to win every day!

On February 16th one winner will be drawn to win an Amazon Gift Card worth $25! If  you left comments on more than one day, your name will be entered for each day. More comments—more chances to win!

If you have any questions, please ask me in a comment on one of the posts. Thanks.

DON’T FORGET TO LEAVE A COMMENT TO BE ENTERED IN THE DRAWING! Don’t know what to say? Tell us your favorite movie or book that’s a love story.

GOD BLESS AND GOOD READING!

WALKING THROUGH THE RAIN

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WALKING THROUGH THE RAIN is the title of my new release. But in reality the other part of the title should be WITHOUT AN UMBRELLA.

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WALKING THROUGH THE RAIN WITHOUT AN UMBRELLA is Rachel’s (main character) mother’s favorite saying. It means that when trouble comes she has no one to help her. She tells her daughter this over and over—not to count on anyone but herself—never to trust anyone, especially a sweet-talking boy.

It’s the mother’s bitter response to the disappointments and tragedies in her own life. She wants her daughter to learn to rely on herself—only.

But if that’s what we do, then where does God fit in?

God doesn’t want us to depend on ourselves. He wants us to trust and depend on him. And I know from my own personal experience God is trustworthy. He is faithful and his mercies are new every morning.

These are lessons Rachel and her mother need to learn.

So the question becomes will they learn the lesson or not?

You’ll just have to read the book to find out!

To celebrate my latest release, WALKING THROUGH THE RAIN,  I’m having a giveaway. When you leave a comment here, you will be automatically entered in the giveaway. From February 9th (release day) to February 15th, one winner will be chosen every day to receive an e-copy of WALKING THROUGH THE RAIN (ebook only) through Amazon. If you leave a comment every day, you have a chance to win every day!

On February 16th one winner will be drawn to win an Amazon Gift Card worth $25! If  you leave comments on more than one day, your name will be entered for each day. More comments—more chances to win!

If you have any questions, please ask me in a comment on one of the posts. Thanks.

DON’T FORGET TO LEAVE A COMMENT!

Don’t know what to say? Tell me your favorite cliche.

GOD BLESS & GOOD READING!

WALKING THROUGH THE RAIN

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I’m so excited to talk about my newly-released book,  WALKING THROUGH THE RAIN.

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Here’s the Back Cover Blurb:

Rachel and Brandon are teenagers when they fall in love and make big plans for their future. But plans don’t always pan out in reality.

Brandon’ s mother has big plans for her son’ s future as well, but they don’ t include a girl from the wrong side of the tracks. Sara Withers believes she knows what’ s best for Brandon.

She’ ll do anything to make sure that happens.

Life hasn’ t been kind to Rachel’ s mother. Amanda Stickley works hard to keep a roof over their heads and she wants a better life for Rachel, so when Brandon’ s mother offers her money to keep Rachel and Brandon apart, she agrees— reluctantly. She believes the money will help her give Rachel the life she deserves.

Both mothers want what’ s best for their child.
Both mothers are wrong.

Only strength, time, and a strong faith in God can untwist the lies and deception that drive a wedge between Rachel and Brandon and threaten to affect their entire lives.

WALKING THROUGH THE RAIN is what I call an old-fashioned love story. And as Shakespeare said, “the course of love never did run smooth.” And that’s certainly true in my new book. There is nothing smooth about Brandon and Rachel’s love. I’m not going to give away the plot but there are more twists and turns than on Lombard Street in San Francisco.

I loved writing this story, but they were some difficult scenes that weren’t easy to write. To tell Rachel and Brandon’s story, it had to be done. It is Christian fiction, but it does touch on some difficult issues. And those scenes are written realistically but with taste.

To celebrate my latest release, WALKING THROUGH THE RAIN,  I’m having a giveaway. When you leave a comment here, you will be automatically entered in the giveaway. From February 9th (release day) to February 15th, one winner will be chosen every day to receive a copy of WALKING THROUGH THE RAIN (ebook only) through Amazon. If you leave a comment every day, you have a chance to win every day!

On February 16th one winner will be drawn to win an Amazon Gift Card worth $25! If you left comments on more than one day, your name will be entered for each day. More comments—more chances to win!

If you have any questions, please ask me in a comment on one of the posts. Thanks.

GOD BLESS AND GOOD READING!