5.07.2022

To Disguise the Truth ~ Review

To Disguise the Truth
The Blecker Street Inquiry Agency #3
By Jen Turano

Eunice Holbrooke, one of the partners at the Blecker Street Inquiry Agency, is about to face the past she thought she'd left behind seven years ago. Sitting before her is none other than Arthur Livingston, the man her late grandfather had planned on her marrying and taking the reins of the family business. Thankfully Arthur has no idea who she is, thanks to her black widow's weeds and masking veil. And there is no way her agency is going to take on his case because she refuses to find herself. 

But Arthur is determined to find Eugenia Howland and return her to her home in Butte, Montana before she is declared dead. If Eugenia is declared dead, she will lose the fortune her grandfather left to her. 

But Eunice has vowed to never return to Montana, and she has very good reasons for not doing so. The main reason her grandfather's murderer just might be waiting for her.

To Disguise the Truth is a Historical Fiction with mystery, romance, and humor running throughout. Eunice and Arthur have several exchanges that seem contentious but at times are rather amusing. And the Howland family, oy, what a mess. This is one book you most definitely have to read it is a most enjoyable diversion and the perfect way to escape from the stresses of the day. 

I was provided a complimentary copy of this book with no expectations but that I provide my honest opinion - all thoughts expressed are my own.

About the Book:
When a man arrives at the Bleecker Street Inquiry Agency, anxious to hire them to find a missing heiress, Eunice Holbrooke realizes her past has finally caught up with her . . . and that she may no longer be able to hide under the disguise that has kept her safe for so long.

Arthur Livingston's goal in life is to make his mark on the world as a mining industrialist, but after the man who could help him achieve his goal is murdered, Arthur feels compelled to seek justice for the family--but he's left with more questions than answers after the eccentric Bleecker Street Inquiry Agency refuses to take on his case.

Desperate to conceal her real identity and avoid the irritatingly handsome Arthur, Eunice takes on a different case that requires her to go deep undercover and entangles her in one troublesome situation after another. When other secrets come to light, Eunice has no choice but to confront her past, hopeful that it will set her free but knowing it could very well place her life--and the lives of those she loves--in jeopardy.

5.06.2022

To Tame a Cowboy ~ Review

To Tame a Cowboy
Colorado Cowboys #3
By Jody Hedlund

Savannah Marshall is the daughter of The Ranch King, and she's about to marry Double L's ranch manager. Doing so will help out her parents by allowing them to return to Atlanta. But the thought of giving up everything that she is is a scary thought. And she has only one course of action - run away and gain herself a little time to think and get herself more of a mind to marry Chandler.

Brody McQuaid has troubles stemming from the war and the soul-breaking things he witnessed. Brody hates to see anyone mistreated, and he'll do anything he can to help them. And the Mustangs that roam the land are in particular danger from the ranchers who call the area home. When he steps in to help a Mustang, he leads with his fists and earns the attention of South Park's new lady veterinarian. 

Savannah can see the care that Brody has for broken and hurting critters and his gentleness in how he handles the wild horses. But she can see that he is broken too. And when she asks about a job as the ranch veterinarian, she is pleased that she has a home base for however long she calls South Park home.

Savannah soon learns that her hiring has a twofold purpose help Brody and provide vet care. She just needs to be sure to not cause more harm than good, especially when she leaves. 

To Tame a Cowboy is the third book in the Colorado Cowboy series, and there is a bit of time that has passed since the series began. Brody and younger brother Dylan are causing trouble for the rest of the McQuaid family with their issues. And we get to enjoy Ivy's less than ladylike antics as she pokes and prods her brothers in her own way of caring. But at almost 17 years old, Ivy is well on her way to adding to Wyatt and Flynn's stress. 

This book takes a few twists and turns as it progresses, so you aren't quite sure if the end result will be what you are expecting. And the last few chapters definitely will have you scooting to the edge of your chair. I love how the last chapter is setting us up for the next book. Definitely a recommended read.

I was provided a complimentary copy of this book with no expectations but that I provide my honest opinion. All thoughts expressed are my own.

About the Book:
Brody McQuaid is a broken man, and he knows it. While his body survived the war, his soul did not. Besides loving his little niece, his only other sense of purpose comes from saving the wild horses that roam South Park. Ranchers in the area have taken to killing the horses, which are competing with their cattle to feed on the open grass.

Savannah Marshall is a veterinarian on her family's Colorado ranch. She longs to keep her father happy following the tragic death of her older brother, including marrying a man of his choosing. But days before her wedding, she gets cold feet and disappears to South Park. As she learns more about the destruction of the horses, she joins Brody in an attempt to save the wild creatures. But when Savannah's family and the resentments of the area cattlemen catch up with them both, Brody and Savannah will have to tame their fears if they've any hope to let love run free.

5.05.2022

Willow ~ Review

Willow
The Metcalfes #2
By Ronie Kendig


She always felt she had to prove to the rest of the family she deserved to bare the Metcalfe name. But here in Africa, she finally has found a place where she belongs.

Chijioke never thought he'd have to choose between his mission or the woman who wasn't supposed to be there. This mission could cost him his soul and his life, but he vows to keep the sister of his friend safe. Now, if she'll only let him do so.

** This book is not a clean read, nor is it a gentle read. It will leave you unsettled and uncomfortable, which I believe is the whole point. This book, Willow, like the previous book in the series - Stone, takes us into the world of human trafficking, and it is anything but pretty. As you make your way through the pages, it will touch and break your heart. Which it should. All too often we live in a protected world and never grasp the evil that exists.

I was provided a complimentary copy of this book with no expectations but that I provide my honest opinion. All thoughts expressed are my own.

**This book is a PG-13+ or M rating due to the nature of the subject being covered - human trafficking and the abuse those taken face.


About the Book:
To save her, he must become the evil he fights.

Aftercare specialist Willow Metcalfe joined Mission: Liberate Everyone to help trafficking survivors navigate the healing process. When MiLE’s Obiora Compound is attacked by the Nigerian mafia, she’s taken hostage. Against nightmarish odds, she and the victims attempt an escape—and are thwarted.

A decade after leaving his beloved homeland, Chijioke “Chiji” Okorie returns to find his sister and fight for his own country. Believing a global trafficking ring behind her abduction and a string of kidnappings across Nigeria, he goes undercover to find the head of the serpent and his sister. Chiji is stunned to discover among the hostages a familiar face—a friend’s sister, Willow. The woman he vowed years ago to marry.

The man who has interfered with her escape attempts seems … familiar, kind—but Willow knows better. He reeks of the warrior ethos that has devoured many a good man. Engaged in an impossible battle and losing at every turn, Chiji is determined to complete his missions—all of them. Even if it kills him.

5.04.2022

The Rancher's Want Ad Mix-Up JustRead Blog + Review Tour

Welcome to the Blog + Review Tour for 
The Rancher's Want Ad Mix-Up by Megan Besing, 

The Rancher's Want Ad Mix-Up

The Rancher's Want Ad Mix-Up 
By Megan Besing 

Della Mae Wagner thought her dream of being a teacher had finally come true. The want ad she answered took her from Indiana to Missouri, but it wasn't a teacher that Roy and Alice Lamson were looking for but rather a wife for their widowed son and a mother for their grandsons. Della is shocked and dismayed to learn the truth. 

Hank Lamson is more than a little perturbed at his parents' underhanded method of attempting to find him a new wife. Worse he doesn't see the need of hiring a teacher - not with his ma handling the boys' schooling. Giving her seven days to prove herself seems the perfect way to get rid of her. After all, he knew what his boys were capable of and he knew how teachers could rile up a boy with their keeping of order. Nope, he'd soon be rid of Miss Wagner.

The Rancher's Want Ad Mix-Up is a sweet read. All isn't happy as Hank works through his broken heart at the loss of his first wife and the stream of "ladies" wanting to be the next Mrs. Lamson with access to his money. Della has her own heartbreak that she has had to deal with. It is interesting to see how they both deal with life so differently. Hank has turned his back on God, while Della sees Him in the everyday. I loved the way Hank's boys and parents came to appreciate and love Della. And then there is Mabel, who just might be my favorite literary chicken character ever.

I was provided a complimentary copy of this book with no expectations but that I provide my honest opinion - all thoughts expressed are my own.


ABOUT THE BOOK

Title: The Rancher's Want Ad Mix-Up 
Author: Megan Besing 
Publisher: Love Inspired Historical 
Release Date: April 26, 2022 
Genre: Inspirational Historical Romance 

A mail-order mistake… 

Or a made-to-be match? 

When Della Mae Wagner’s train arrives in Missouri, she’s shocked to find that the couple who hired her don’t just want a teacher for their grandsons but a wife for their son! After a broken engagement, marriage is not in Della’s plans. And Hank Lamson isn’t pleased—with his parents, with his unexpected guest or with Della’s unfairly appealing smile. But his plans to send her packing are foiled as his family comes to love her…and he feels the walls around his wounded heart start to fall. 

Megan Besing 
PURCHASE LINKS*: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | BookDepository | IndieBound | Christianbook | BookBub

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Despite always adoring happily-ever-afters, Megan Besing didn't unlock a love for reading until her mid-twenties, which quickly expanded into writing. Her own stories have won many awards, including the Selah for her novella, Perfect for the Preacher, along with the Pre-published Maggie for The Rancher’s Want Ad Mix-up. And now she’s thrilled to be a Sunrise Publishing author. However, her most cherished achievements are being a wife and mother. She lives in a pocket-size Indiana town, centered around extended family, where she's always planning a road trip with a view. Yet, her favorite place may just be on her front porch drinking tea. Connect with Megan at meganbesing.com.



CONNECT WITH MEGAN: Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

TOUR GIVEAWAY

Grand Prize Package: (1) winner will receive a $20 Amazon gift card, signed copy of The Rancher's Want Ad Mix-up, rose necklace, 1 Cor. 13:13 tote, apple oven mitt, apple kitchen towel, and a Great is Thy Faithfulness bookmark!

2nd Prize: (1) winner will receive an engraved rose leather journal!

Third Prize: (1) winner will receive a signed copy of The Rancher's Want Ad Mix-up!

The Rancher's Want Ad Mix-Up JustRead Giveaway

Be sure to check out each stop on the tour for more chances to win. Full tour schedule linked below. Giveaway began at midnight May 2, 2022 and lasts through 11:59 PM EST on May 9, 2022. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Giveaway is subject to the policies found here.

ENTER GIVEAWAY HERE


Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!

JustRead Publicity Tours 

*NOTE: This post contains affiliate links.

5.03.2022

Release Day for To Tame a Cowboy

 


Jody Hedlund's To Tame a Cowboy is 
now available at most retailers.

They share a passion to heal what is broken, 
but it's their own hearts that need to be made whole.

Brody McQuaid is a broken man, and he knows it. While his body survived the war, his soul did not. Besides loving his little niece, his only sense of purpose comes from saving the wild horses that roam South Park. Ranchers in the area have taken to killing the horses, which are competing with their cattle to feed on the open grass.

Savannah Marshall is a veterinarian on her family's Colorado ranch. She longs to keep her father happy following the tragic death of her older brother, including marrying a man of his choosing. But days before her wedding, she gets cold feet and disappears to South Park. As she learns more about the destruction of the horses, she joins Brody in an attempt to save the wild creatures. But when Savannah's family and the resentments of the area cattlemen catch up with them both, Brody and Savannah will have to tame their fears if they've any hope to let love run free.

5.02.2022

Release Day for Shadowed Loyalty

 


Shadowed Loyalty by Roseanna M. White is now available!
Available on Amazon 

About the Book:
Sabina Mancari never questioned her life as the daughter of Chicago’s leading mob boss until bullets tore apart her world. The man she thought she loved turned out to be an undercover Prohibition agent. Now she sees how ugly the underworld can be. Ambushes, bribes, murder, prostitution—she thought her beloved Papa was above all that, but clearly, he isn’t. What does that mean, though, for her and their family? Maybe Lorenzo, the fiancé who has barely paid her any attention in the last two years, has the right idea by planning to escape their world.

All his life, Lorenzo’s family assumed he would join the Church, but he had different ideas—marrying Sabina and pursuing a career in the law. But despite his morals, he knows at the core he isn’t so unlike his father and brothers, which has always terrified him. Has he, in trying to protect Sabina from his flaws, in fact, harmed her? It sure seems that way when he realizes he all but forced her into the arms of the Prohibition Agent, now bent on tearing her family apart at all costs. But how can they rebuild what has so long been neglected…and do it in the shadow of the dark empire of the Mafia?

Shadowed Loyalty, set amid the glitz and scandal of the Roaring Twenties, examines what love really means and how we draw lines between family and our own convictions, especially when following the one could mean losing the other.


Shadows in the Mind's Eye ~ Review with Author Interview and Giveaway

Shadows in the Mind's Eye
By Janyre Tromp

Charlotte Anne Mattas's husband Sam is back from the war, but his homecoming was less than stellar. Annie now has a deep fear of the man who had rescued her, who had gotten her out of her father's home. But Sam is having trouble of the mind from his time fighting in the war. Battle fatigue - is it something he'll get over, or has it changed him forever?

Shadow's in the Minds Eye finds Sam Mattas struggling to adjust to returning home after three years away fighting in the Pacific Theater, but what he saw has left its mark on him - a few visible scars and the memories. But when he starts seeing things in the remote areas around his home, he first questions whether he really saw something on the mountain.

This is an interesting book that tells a story from both Sam and Annie's viewpoints. It is interesting to see how their thought processes and actions progress through the book and how they each respond to the same circumstances. Many returning soldiers suffered similarly from after-war issues (I know that my grandfather did), but it was something that was hushed up and considered a weakness. This is an excellent debut, and I think it would be a suitable book club selection if you are looking for a title that offers depth. This book will keep your attention as you hope for Sam and Annie to get back what was lost.

I was provided a complimentary copy of this book with no expectations, but that I provide my honest opinion - all thoughts expressed are my own.

About the Author:

A person with the hand on the chin

Description automatically generated with medium confidenceJanyre Tromp (pronounced Jan-ear) is a historical suspense novelist who loves spinning tales that, at their core, hunt for beauty, even when it isn’t pretty. She’s the author of Shadows in the Mind’s Eye, and coauthor of It’s a Wonderful Christmas.

A firm believer in the power of an entertaining story, Tromp is also a book editor and published children’s book author. She lives in Grand Rapids, Michigan, with her husband, two kids, two crazy cats, and a slightly eccentric Shetland Sheepdog. 


Learn more about Janyre Tromp on her website www.JaynreTromp.com.

You can also find her on Facebook (@JanyreTromp), Instagram (@JaynreTromp), and Twitter (@JanyreTromp)


About the Book:


In Shadows in the Mind’s Eye (Kregel Publications), debut novelist Janyre Tromp delivers a deliciously eerie, Hitchcockian story filled with love and suspense as she takes readers back to 1940s Hot Springs, Arkansas.


Charlotte Anne Mattas longs to turn back the clock. Before her husband, Sam, went to serve his country in the war, he was the man everyone could rely on—responsible, intelligent, and loving. But the person who came back to their family farm is very different from the protector Annie remembers. Sam’s experience in the Pacific theater has left him broken in ways no one can understand—but that everyone is learning to fear.


When Sam claims to have seen men on the mountain when no one else has, Annie isn’t the only one questioning his sanity and her safety. If there were criminals haunting the hills, there should be evidence. Is he really seeing what he says, or is his war-tortured mind conjuring ghosts?


Annie desperately wants to believe her husband, but between his irrational choices and his nightmares leaking into the daytime, she’s terrified he’s going mad. Can she trust God to heal Sam’s mental wounds—or will sticking by him mean keeping her marriage at the cost of her own life?


Q: The back of the book describes Shadows in the Mind’s Eye as, “A deliciously eerie, Hitchcockian story filled with love and suspense.” In your own words, introduce us to your debut novel. 


Charlotte Anne Mattas wants to go back to the way things were before her husband, Sam, left their farm for the war in the Pacific. Sam used to be her protector, but when he arrives home in Spring of 1946, his battle fatigue has everyone questioning his sanity and her safety… especially after he nearly kills his brother, then claims to see men on the mountain where no else has seen them. Are there really dangerous men on the mountain or is his twisted mind conjuring things that aren’t there? 


In the tradition of Hitchcock with a hint of psychological thriller, In the Mind’s Eye explores the illness we now call PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder) and persistent love in a world determined to destroy it.


Q: Sam and Charlotte Anne both expected life to go back to normal when he returned from the war, but that doesn’t exactly happen. How was life post-war different from what they expected? How does each of them respond to those differences?


This story actually began while talking to my grandparents over a glass of lemonade. My U.S. History professor had given us an assignment to talk to family about the Depression and/or World War II. Until that point, I’d had no real concept of what the war was like, either for the soldiers or their families back home. I guess I’d thought that the greatest generation slid back into life and easily became the loving people I knew my grandparents were in their 70s. When I discovered that wasn’t the case, I wondered how they had survived the fear and drastic changes. 


Like my grandfather, Sam glorified the home front, anticipating a glorious homecoming, delicious food, a soft bed, and an easier life. Charlotte Anne expected Sam to quickly become part of the team again as they worked their peach orchard. Instead, Sam has nightmares and reacts to food he used to love (I even gave Sam a reaction to orange marmalade just like my grandfather). Sam tends to jump to conclusions because he doesn’t understand the context, struggles with the physicality of farm work, and is overwhelmed with the amount of work that has to be done since Charlotte Anne wasn’t able to do a lot of the upkeep. 


At first, neither Sam nor Annie knows quite what to do with one another, but they’re determined to understand each other. Eventually they each open up to Sam’s mom, Dovie May, and she becomes a healing balm for each of them. If I had to give Dovie a theme, it would be: “You’d think holding joy right up against sadness would shatter a body. But it don’t. Joy, it sneaks in all around, sticks everything together, and finds a way to make you whole. See, light sneaks through the broken places.”


Q: In our current day, we are very aware of what PTSD is, and that it is very prevalent among men and women who have been in the military and seen war. What was known about PTSD back in the 1940s after World War II?


Although the general population didn’t shame WWII soldiers with PTSD symptoms as much as they did their WWI counterparts, WWII era doctors knew little about how to treat trauma of any kind. Battle fatigue, as it was known then, was treated with electroshock therapy (something that was terrifying and had limited success), and many of the men who suffered from it were often divorced, angry, confused, and quietly addicted to drugs and alcohol. Of course, I didn’t want to leave Sam and Annie here, so I dug for treatment options and talked with a few modern therapists.


In my research, those who fared best were often those who lived a little off the grid, in places where they could be physically active, with people who loved them and gave them the space to remove themselves when necessary. Sam also stumbles on a bit of a modern treatment technique by accident. Most folks have heard that going for a walk can help with mental stability. What isn’t as familiar is that the rhythm of walking combined with talking can actually replicate bits and pieces of EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) therapy which is one of the most successful battlefield PTSD treatments. 


Q: What are some struggles Sam deals with upon returning home to Hot Springs? Is he able to hide what is going on from those closest to him or does it become apparent to everyone around him?


Sam’s reactions to “normal” stimulus are off the charts. If he hears a sound or sees a shadow, he immediately jumps into fight/flight/freeze reactions. As is normal for people when they’re first dealing with PTSD, he has no tools to hide his responses and lacks a bit of impulse control. He’s a good, good man with an enormous heart and his reactions cause a horrendous amount of guilt for him. The last thing he wants is to put the people he loves in danger.


As the story progresses and circumstances continue to slide sideways, Sam faces his own mental instability. Imagine watching yourself become more and more unstable and wondering if there’s anything you can do to stop it. 


Q: Sam claims to see and hear things going on around him that no one else does. How does Annie deal with what’s going on with her husband?


At first Annie is supportive of her husband and backs him up. She lists all the reasons she believes him: He’s a man she has always trusted. He’s amazing with his daughter. He’s gentle and kind and strong. Unfortunately, circumstances continue to prove that Sam is unstable, and she’s forced to question his sanity. She is rightfully terrified and confused.


To deal with her husband’s instability, she leans on her family—Sam’s mom and brother. They give Annie perspective and help with both the emotional and physical toll of working through unexpected circumstances. One of the things I’m most proud of in Annie is that she doesn’t allow Sam to abuse her even by accident. She holds the line and doesn’t budge from that. It’s something I hope all people do for themselves. That said, Sam is horrified by the fact that he hurt Annie in his sleep and refuses to put her in any further danger. But he also doesn’t give up.


Q: Hot Springs, Arkansas, is an unusual setting for a book. How did you choose the location and how does it play into the story?


Even though the book idea started with wondering how my grandparents’ marriage survived the pressure of war, the book isn’t biographical. So, I needed a setting other than my grandparents’ hometown. For the characters that I was building, I needed a small town. When one of my good friends told me she had an entire book of stories from her family in Arkansas, I jumped at the chance to read first-hand history. Amongst the Hughes family stories, I acquired the basis for Dovie May and Hot Springs, Arkansas—home to the largest illegal gambling racket in the country.


Well, I don’t have to tell you that mobsters and illegal activity are an excellent backdrop for a story with a bit of suspense. The book The Bookmaker’s Daughter by Shirley Abbott confirmed that Hot Springs mobsters operated with full permission of the authorities. In Shirley’s stories, I also discovered the foundation for Charlotte Anne’s father. All of which gave me a location and a cast of characters that could stoke Sam’s fears and make everyone (including the reader) wonder whether or not he was crazy.


Q: What kind of research did you do on the effects of war during that time period? What sparked the inspiration for that part of the story?


As I mentioned, the initial interest came from my grandparents and their stories. But PTSD is also something I’ve struggled with for years. I had some childhood trauma that I worked through back in college. I started writing this book using the nightmares and struggles I had as a kid. Then my daughter became very, very ill which sparked a new trauma all its own. 


That said, battlefield PTSD has different components than the trauma I suffered. To research that, I had several long conversations with a friend who treats battlefield PTSD. She’s the one who reminded me that EMDR is, in essence, any activity that uses bilateral stimulation to trigger both sides of the brain—thus the positive effects of walking and wide-open spaces. I also read Soldiers from the War Returning by Thomas Childers to get an idea of the authentic story of the men returning from war; The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk, M.D. for how PTSD affects the brain and body; and Wounded Warrior, Wounded Home by Marshele Carter Waddell and Kelly K. Orr, PhD, ABPP to understand the battlefield specific emotional wounds, and how that affects a warrior’s family.


Q: An author often writes part of herself into the story, or at least something she knows about. How have you been affected by PTSD?


There have been long stretches of my life where I was all too familiar with debilitating fear. I still have occasional flashes from my childhood, the rush of adrenaline causing my pulse to pound and hands to shake. I was terrified to have kids, to be the one responsible for their physical/mental/emotional wellbeing. The last thing I wanted was for them to have the same problems I had. But, as Dovie May says, “The best place for miracles is where we don’t fully believe, where our believing has run out.” My husband, Chris, and his family, as well as my good friend, Sarah De Mey, and my mom (who worked hard to get help), have been amazing role models for me as I navigate what it looks like to raise emotionally healthy kids.


All that peace came crashing down when my daughter became ill. She was hospitalized seven times over a few months’ time and the doctors had no idea what caused her illness. After months of visiting doctors to find out why my thirteen-year-old daughter was experiencing increasing abdominal pain, she collapsed at school. What followed was a living nightmare. Doctors found her abdominal cavity full of a fungal infection that quickly went septic. That was the first time we almost lost her. Months later, she’d lost more than forty pounds, and both she and I were wracked with nightmares, an inability to drive anywhere near the hospital, or be in a room with needles. To this day, I can’t smell rubbing alcohol without my body responding with panic. 


On paper she should not have survived, and I can’t describe the immense fear that comes from the Pediatric ICU or a parade of doctors. My girl is doing great now, but I don’t think it’s a coincidence that I didn’t finish the book, and hadn’t found the path to hope until after my daughter had walked out of the hospital for the last time.


I’m enormously grateful for EMDR, my therapist, and the grace of God that much of my fear is gone.


Q: The novel includes a good deal of discussion about the nature of evil and the character of God. The characters acknowledge that God doesn’t stop bad things from happening. How do they reconcile the hurt and pain in their lives with their concept of a loving God?


The problem of pain is one that even the best and brightest theologians and thinkers don’t have a perfect answer for. There are pat answers—God uses hard things to make us better or God walks with us through our pain. But when I was in the hospital, totally overwhelmed and crying in the bathroom so my daughter wouldn’t hear me, the easy answers didn’t help. And so I (and my characters) often sit with C. S. Lewis saying, “I never knew grief felt so much like fear.” Fear is the great consumer. Sam is afraid he’s going crazy and that he can’t protect his family. Annie is afraid she won’t ever be able to cope, and that the Sam she married is lost forever. And when they (or we) focus on fear, there are no solutions, no ways to move forward because they cannot solve fear on their own. We aren’t trustworthy enough or strong enough to fix it. 


And so what do we do?


In the story, Sam says, “If you pop in the middle of the story, you might just mistake the hero for a failure or worse, a monster. But it’s the scrabbling out of trouble and finding the truth deep inside him that transforms that character into a hero of light and goodness.” In essence, “Remember that it ain’t over until it’s over.” I’m a huge proponent of looking for and celebrating the beautiful even when it isn’t pretty. Gratitude isn’t a pretty bandage to slap on a hemorrhaging wound. It is a way to shift your attention while the master healer does his work. 


Annie and Sam find their way to gratitude—for simple joys of a birthday Karo nut pie, collard greens, the sunrise, and mostly the people in their lives. Their determination to be the good in each other’s lives is what slowly, over time, turns their attention away from the shadows and back on the life they have. As Dovie May says, “Sometimes God uses broken things to save us . . . Ain’t no light that can get through something solid. It sneaks through the broken places.” It isn’t immediate. And it isn’t easy. But the sunrise always follows the dark night.


Q: How does the imagery of light and darkness, especially in a spiritual sense, weave throughout the story?


Early in the story, Annie says, “A body can hide where the light was closed out, but the devils can hide there just as easy.” The temptation for both Annie and Sam (and all of us, really) is to either give up (wallow in the darkness) or to run away from it (which only keeps us in the darkness longer). While wallowing or running seem like easier choices, they’re also dangerous and far more painful in the long run. Both Sam and Annie try to fight the darkness alone, each not quite trusting anyone else. 


Throughout the book, they both learn that the dark places are really where strength starts. Since Sam and Annie are farmers, they come to think of it in terms of seeds. “There ain’t no growth without darkness. You know that better’n most. If you throw a seed atop the soil, it’ll get snatched away by the wind or the birds. You gotta bury it in the good, rich soil, and then it’s gotta split open afore it can grow. . .. We were all made to grow and stretch into the sunlight.”


Q: You’ve been on the publisher’s side of things for many years, both in marketing and as an editor working with authors. Have you always wanted to write as well? Has anything surprised you being on the author side?


I didn’t start writing or really even think about being a writer until a few years into my career as the marketing manager for a publisher. I actually started college as a chemistry major and ended up as an English major by default. There’s a whole story in here about me being a sassy know-it-all seventeen-year-old punk, and my mom being right. But suffice it to say, the major change was me heeding my mom’s advice to do what I loved (reading). 


Anyway, I was freelancing for our editorial department, and our managing editor asked me if I would consider writing a book. It sounded interesting. I wrote a short novel for the middle schoolers I mentored at my church, then I did a few picture books for my daughter, and then I took a long break to raise my kids. When I found time to write a book again, it was so life-giving, I don’t even have words to describe it. I was hooked.


But let me tell you that being an author has changed drastically in the last decade. There’s a much heavier load to lift for authors now—both in terms of tracking story trends and marketing. But it’s also easier than ever to be in contact with readers. I absolutely adore the opportunity to chat with folks about their lives on Facebook, see their pictures on Instagram, and just talk books with the world. It’s crazy to me that I can chat with friends in California and Australia and South Africa and Brazil just by typing (or speaking) into a little box on a screen. I will forever love technology for that.


The writing community also took me by surprise. I don’t think I’ve ever been in a varied group as welcoming and helpful as this group. They’ve been a tremendous support as I’ve worked through edits and marketing and all the highs and lows that come with publishing. There’s so much love and joy there. Julie Cantrell, Rachel McDaniel, Janine Rosche, Susie Finkbeiner, J’nell Ciesielski, and so many more have been absolutely amazing.



Book Giveaway:

The prize pack includes:


- A copy of Shadows in the Mind's Eye,

A custom made silver peach tree necklace inspired by the book,

- A "Light speaks through the broken places" t-shirt, also inspired by the book.







a Rafflecopter giveaway