inspirational romance

Facing A Goliath?

/ Dora Hiers / 6 Comments

You remember the story of David & Goliath, right? Armed with only a slingshot and his faith, little David fought Goliath, the giant Philistine who taunted the Israelites during a battle while the Israelite warriors cowered and hid. Do you remember the outcome? Who won?
The underdog. David.

What Goliath’s are you facing today? What fears do you need to conquer?
Anybody? Not yet? OK, I’ll share my Goliath.

DEATH.

Not mine. But death of a loved one. Hubby, father, mother, sister, son, daughter-in-love, grandchild. Take your pick. Death hit our family hard this year. We’ve lost two family members already, but death may not be done knocking yet.

Everybody dies, right? It’s a fact of life. Maybe my fear stems back to watching my grandpa say goodbye to his wife of over seventy years. Or imagining waking up every morning to an empty bed, the pillow next to me vacant, untouched, cold. How could I cope if I lost my hubby? How could I go through the day knowing he wouldn’t walk through the door at night? I’d miss his jokes, his optimistic outlook on life, his larger than life personality, and dread the black hole that would engulf me. And what if a loved one dies without knowing Jesus, drifts into eternity without salvation? Could I have done more?

Just like God provided David with strength, courage, and the confidence he needed to overcome Goliath, God will grant me what I need to face my fear, to overcome my Goliath. How do I know? Because He’s done so in the past and because of His promises:

2 Timothy 1:12 (NIV) ~…because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until that day.
Psalm 23:4 (NKJV) ~ Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
Philippians 4:13 (KJV) I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

I can trust God for my loved ones who don’t know Him, the ones I’ve poured out my heart to Him for years. Confident that in His great mercy, He’ll send an angel in their last moment to offer one more chance to say “yes” to Him and to guide them on their journey home. I can trust God to walk with me through the valley of the shadow of death, faithful to never leave my side, to guide me out of the darkness and into the light.

Now it’s your turn. Are you facing a Goliath? What fears do you need to overcome?

Chelsea Hammond ~ What a Character!

/ Dora Hiers / 7 Comments

Ever found a teenager hiding in your barn? Um, not making out, but actually hiding? The cowering in a stall, brandishing a pitchfork, kind of hiding?


Yeah, that’s what I thought.  


Hi, I’m Chelsea Hammond. An ordinary woman with dreams budding in my heart and grief choking me from my past. But it’s time to move on, to push toward the dreams and let go of the past. That’s what I hoped to do by opening Journey’s End, a shelter for troubled teens, in honor of my late husband. 


Did you catch that? Hoped? Because I didn’t expect my first arrival, Jake, to be the son of my husband’s murderer, scared and running for his life. Or to call in the marshals office because Jake wants to testify against his father. And who shows up? Trey Colten. The guy in charge of the undercover operation that killed my husband. Trey claims his job is to protect me. Ha! God definitely has a sense of humor!


If Trey thinks I’m going to sit around and twiddle my thumbs waiting for Jake’s father to show up, he’s mistaken. I don’t need his protection. And although I may be ready for another relationship, especially with a guy who helps with the dishes and feeds my animals, it won’t be with another law enforcement officer. Or will it? Did I mention he makes killer hot chocolate?


I hope you enjoyed meeting Chelsea Hammond from Journey’s End. To check out the fabulous reviews or to purchase Journey’s End, please visit  White Rose Publishing or Amazon.


Check out some other cool characters as part of the Christian Book Blog Festival hosted by Edgy Christian Fiction Lovers on Thursday.

HEARTS COMMUNION by Marianne Evans

/ Dora Hiers / 3 Comments

Jeremy “JB” Edwards dreams of one thing: Having a loving wife and children of his own. Not a surprising ambition, since he was raised at the heart of a large, tight-knit family.

Monica Kittelski spends her days at Sunny Horizons Daycare Center pouring her heart and faith into other people’s children. But Monica harbors one impossible dream: Having children of her own someday.

JB and Monica seem the perfect match, but what will come of their electric, sassy relationship when Jeremy learns of Monica’s infertility?

Hopes and reality collide when they must confront the idea of finding God’s plan and following His will when a dearest hope is destined to remain unfulfilled.
Can these two loving, passionate hearts survive a communion of dreams and reality?
Sound sweet? Yep, thought so. You can purchase HEARTS COMMUNION at White Rose Publishing.

Meet Marianne:

Marianne Evans loves to tell a good story. In fact, she’s been enthusiastic about writing ever since she could string sentences together. Joining White Rose Publishing gives her the opportunity to combine two of her greatest passions – love of the Lord and exploring the world of romance.

She’s seen a number of her books published. Kensington Publishing purchased her first book, Friends & Lovers. Her second contemporary romance, Right Hand Man, followed shortly thereafter. Her third release from Kensington, Hannah’s Heart, won critical acclaim in The Oakland Press. Her fourth book, a novella entitled With This Kiss, is her first offering at The Wild Rose Press. Hearts Crossing is her first inspirational romance and marks her debut at White Rose Publishing.

A resident of suburban Detroit, she’s happily married with two kids and a family that never fails to support and encourage. An active member of Romance Writers of America, she’s a long-time member of Greater Detroit RWA where she served the chapter in a number of capacities, most notably as treasurer and two terms as president.