inspirational romance

The devil stealing your joy?

/ Dora Hiers / 2 Comments
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. John 10:10 (NIV)

Have you considered what the devil attempts to steal from you? 
Could it be your joy? Your peace?
Does he plant the seeds of doubt in your job, 
little nuggets of distrust in your relationships, 
or snippets of resentment towards your daily tasks?
Anything to rob you of your joy.

In May last year, about a week before my first book released, 
he paralyzed me with fear and self-doubt. 
Sure, I wrote a book, but I had no idea
how to navigate the confusing world of publishing. 
For two days, the devil robbed me of joy and peace until I rebuked him by calling on the name of Jesus.

Fast forward to this year. 

My second Christian romance releases on March 30th. 
Already the devil has attempted to rob me of my joy and peace. 
Maybe he decided to start earlier because he sensed he would have to work harder. Or maybe he thinks with all the fiery darts he zings at me that I’ll give up writing.
Plant a little seed of doubt here, throw in a nightmare about sleeping through a booksigning, and toss in a few fears that I still don’t know what I’m doing. 

I’m having none of it! 

“Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” John 14:27b (NIV)
“If God is for us, who can be against us?” Romans 8:31b (NIV)
“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10 (NIV)

God promises that He will help me. He doesn’t want me to be troubled or afraid. He surely doesn’t want me to listen to the devil.
I trust God to vanquish my fears, to help me walk this path that He’s set before me and to hold my hand along the way. 
He’s done it before. 
I trust Him to do it again. 

What about you?
Is the devil stealing your joy today?

My Review of CHRISTMAS SANCTUARY by Merry Stahel

/ Dora Hiers / 1 Comment

The Blurb:

Dea Lacey is on the run. Scared and alone, she has to protect her endangered nephew. If she can find Garrett’s father, perhaps he’ll keep the boy safe and learn to love the child she’d trade her life to keep.

Jesse McTavish has lost his family. Abandoning his faith, the seeds of destruction are sown. As he struggles with grief, the last thing he needs is a woman showing up with a child who’s the mirror image of his dead son. But he can neither ignore nor reject the woman and child who threaten to break through the protective shield he’s built around his heart.

Through the ensuing storm of pain and loss, Christmas teaches Dea and Jesse about faith and forgiveness.

Sanctuary may be what we ask for, but God gives us so much more.

My Review:


Emotion packed!

I enjoyed so many aspects about this book. Let’s start with the characters. Dea Lacey has raised her young nephew, Garrett, since birth, without finalized adoption papers. When Garrett’s mother terrorizes them, Dea takes off with Garrett, her only concern protecting her little boy while she tries to find his father. She’s determined to find a safe haven for Garrett, even if it means prison for her.

With the devastating loss of his wife and son two years before, Pastor Jesse McTavish rejects his faith and the ministry. When Dea shows up with Garrett, a replica of his dead son, Jesse dives back into his grief and rejects them. Ms. Stahel does a fantastic job showing Jesse’s transformation from pain and grief to love and life.

Christmas Sanctuary is 246 pages of emotion-packed romance mingled with a message of faith and forgiveness that kept me turning the pages, never quite knowing what to expect. I enjoyed Jesse’s transformation, the connection between Garrett and Alex (Jesse’s dead son), and the correlation between Jesse and Jesus (carpenter & pastor).

I regret that I didn’t have time to read Christmas Sanctuary during the Christmas Holiday Extravaganza offering by White Rose Publishing, but don’t let the Christmas title bother you. Christmas Sanctuary is a timeless message of renewed faith, forgiveness and love, which is nice to read anytime!

Merry Stahel is a new author to me. I won’t wait until after Christmas to read her next book. Congratulations, Merry Stahel.

Disclaimer: The author provided a review copy in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.

Introducing Journey’s Edge

/ Dora Hiers / 2 Comments

Introducing…

Journey’s Edge 

Available on 3/30 
with White Rose Publishing
Book 2 in the Marshals of Journey Creek series

A Routine Audit? Hardly.

Red flags—including some goon who’s following her—raise McKinley Frasier’s suspicions that numbers don’t add up at the insurance firm. When someone tries to snatch McKinley’s daughter from school, she turns to police officer and ex-fiance, Renner Crossman—the cop who walked out on her a month before their wedding. But Renner’s not the same guy who broke her heart ten years ago. He calls himself a “new man.” She trusts the new Renner with her daughter’s safety…but what about her heart?