Father’s Day is coming up on Sunday, and today’s featured book, The Maritime Cure, fits the theme of this honored holiday.

Sage’s relationship with her father is strained at best. But when certain events start to unfold around her, she begins to question the vow she’s made to never speak to him again. Will experiencing the love of her Heavenly Father in her lovely surroundings help repair the relationship with her dad? 

Author’s inspiration:

“The inspiration for The Maritime Cure was my mom who bravely battled Multiple Sclerosis for nearly fifteen years.“

About the book:

Forgiveness can heal even the deepest of wounds

Nurse Practitioner Sage Patterson is accustomed to giving her time and resources to others—and she wouldn’t want it any other way. But when someone she thought she could trust puts her reputation on the line, she can’t find the strength to move past the embarrassment and hurt. To make matters worse, she must now sell her mother’s beloved beach house.  

Sage, along with her loyal rescue dog, Molly, head to picturesque Ocean Isle Beach where she finds refuge in watching the work of an unknown painter in the evenings. This tranquility is exactly what she needs to decompress… And then she meets real estate attorney Jacob Gable. He doesn’t just turn her world upside down; he steals her heart, too. But will Sage’s anger and fear of betrayal get in the way of everything Jacob has to offer? Or will they, together with God, be able to move on from past hurts to embark on a journey of forgiveness and love?  

Excerpt:

Although her surroundings reminded her of more pleasant times, she quickly pushed away any thoughts of that nature. She wasn’t sure she would ever be able to forgive the man she once looked up to and admired. And she certainly would never be able to forget the embarrassment and the seemingly inescapable position he had left her in. At least her mother hadn’t witnessed the wreck he had made of their lives, that was a small consolation. With memories of her loving mother at every turn, and thoughts of her dad as well, her emotions were suddenly on a roller coaster.

“How about a walk on the beach?” she asked Molly and was rewarded by ears which perked up promptly. Sage couldn’t wait to get out by the water. The smell of the ocean and waves surging in beautiful rhythm had a unique way of calming the senses. Her appointment with the real estate attorney from Gable and Vasquez wasn’t until eleven a.m. the next morning. She would have plenty of time to start packing up the things she wanted to save and get the house in order for a buyer.

She tucked the house key into her pocket and grabbed her cell phone from her purse. She had missed yet another call from him. She erased the voicemail without listening to it.

“Come on, Molly,” she said, calling the faithful dog who trotted right away to her command. She fastened Molly’s leash, and they left the little A-frame. Sage closed the door a little harder than she meant to, causing her heart to hurt even more. Her thoughts were as heavy and as leaden as the deep ocean that stretched before them. 

About the author:

Michelle Smith Lowe lives in Asheboro, North Carolina with her husband of twenty years, Brian, and their son, Jake. She is the proud owner of a very spoiled bluetick hound dog. Michelle is a Registered Nurse as well as a Certified Multiple Sclerosis Nurse. She has always loved to write and wishes to thank God most of all for her ability to write fiction. Her hobbies include searching for Native American arrowheads on her property and cooking for her family.

Author media links:

instagram.com/authormlowe

twitter.com/Author_MLowe

facebook.com/MichelleSLoweAuthor

Buy link:

In our part of the country, crops are planted in the spring and harvested in the fall. I used to expect God to work the same way, on a set timetable that I could comprehend. But I found that, through my dad’s illness, God had his own timetable. It took me a while to come to terms with it. Here is my Dad’s story:

In 1986, my dad was diagnosed with cancer. Multiple myeloma to be exact. I was sitting in his hospital room, beside my mother, when the doctor gave his diagnosis. It was a shock. My strong, healthy father had gone into the hospital just a couple of weeks before with severe back pain. I don’t remember much of what the doctor said that day, but I do remember that he told my parents that some of his patients lived as few as two years with that type of cancer, while others lived several years. I left the room to find a quiet place to cry while my parents listened to treatment options.

Our church prayed for Dad, and I believed with my whole heart that God was going to heal him of cancer. There would surely be a miracle for my father, who was a strong, yet humble, Christian.

After several weeks of radiation that left a burnt feeling in his chest, Dad began to undergo chemotherapy. He was off work for several months. Over time, it became evident that God hadn’t chosen to do an instant healing in my dad, but we saw evidence of many miracles in the years following the diagnosis.

The chemo was not pleasant, but it didn’t bring Dad down like we had seen with other people. He never really got sick from it. Nor did he lose all of his hair. (In a later treatment, he did, but it grew back, black instead of gray.)

He was able to return to work without restrictions.  

At the time of his diagnosis, he had only one grandchild, with a second one on the way. He lived to see all fourteen of his grandchildren.

For almost 20 years, he continued chemotherapy treatments. Many people thought he had recovered fully from the cancer, since he didn’t seem sick. And that was the way my father wanted it. He didn’t like to have people make a fuss over him. A quiet, humble man, he lived out his faith day-by-day, and never pushed his values onto other people. The cancer made him more aware of the needs of others, and he valued the time with his family.

Over time, I ceased asking God why He chose not to heal my dad of cancer. While I do not understand why or how things happen, God sees, and knows, and understands. The painful questioning stilled to a quiet wondering. A peace that God is in control, no matter what the circumstances are.

I still believe that we should pray for healing. The Bible says to pray for those who are sick. I often join with others in prayer and faith for healing for their loved ones who become ill or hurt, with full faith that God will heal them. How God chooses to answer those prayers is something over which I have no control.

Sometimes, prayer changes the circumstances. Sometimes, prayer changes someone’s heart. And sometimes, it changes me.

Shortly after Dad’s diagnosis, God gave me the words of this poem, which has a melody in my head:

The Promise of Harvest

They that mourn receive comfort

Sow in tears and reap in joy

Seek first His holy kingdom

Which nothing can destroy

Yes, the harvest time is coming

His promise shall come true

Trust in Him; await the harvest

Peace and joy He’ll bring to you.

If you wait upon the Lord

He shall indeed make you strong

In your heart so full of sadness

He shall put a joyous song

Yes, the harvest time is coming

His promise shall come true

His Word is never failing

And His promise is for you.

Child of God, lift your hands

Lift your voice and sing His praise

There awaits for you a harvest

In the abundance of His grace

Yes, the harvest time is coming

There will be a bright new day

His joy shall be your strength

As He lights your holy way.

Originally, I thought the words, “The harvest time is coming,” meant that God would heal my dad fully from cancer. That didn’t happen. Dad lived for almost 20 years after his diagnosis, but he took chemotherapy and other treatments for all of those years. God didn’t heal him instantly, but he gave Dad a healed life.

I still believe in the message of this song, but I no longer see it as an absolute message about divine healing. God has many promises: salvation through faith in Jesus Christ; everlasting life in heaven when our time on earth has ended; as well as the promise of healing.

I’ve come to recognize that God is the Gardener. He will work in His own way, and in His own time. His promises are true, and one day we will reap the harvest of those promises.

I believe that some will be healed instantly, others will receive healing through medication and treatments, and still others will see their healing fulfilled in heaven.

This month’s theme is “Summer Romance.” June is typically the month for weddings. Today’s featured book is Marrying Mandy, the first book in the Brides of Clearwater series by Melanie D. Snitker.

Inspiration behind the Book:

I love reading contemporary marriage of convenience stories, and I wanted to write one showing how two people can start off as friends and, with God’s help, fall in love and together become the family they’ve always dreamed of having.

About the book:

A marriage of convenience might be crazy… or an answer to both of their prayers.

Mandy Hudson swore she’d never marry. Abandoned by her parents and raised by her grandparents, she has a hard time trusting that real love will last. When her grandmother dies, Mandy’s shocked to discover a stipulation in the will. Considering marriage to her best friend may be the only way to keep her family’s beloved bed-and-breakfast.

The loss of his job threatens Preston Yarrow’s shaky financial stability. Besides, he can’t watch his best friend give up the only real home she’s ever known. Frustrated by Mandy’s stubborn refusal to let him help, he’s certain they are stronger together than they are apart.

Excerpt:

Mandy turned her head to look at Preston. He was staring out toward the river, his eyes narrowed. His serious expression worried her.

“I have an idea, but you’re not going to like it.” He shifted his focus to her.

Butterflies filled Mandy’s stomach and her heart flip-flopped in her chest. She knew where he was going and shook her head. “No.”

Preston moved until he faced her. They both sat cross legged, their knees touching. “Hear me out. And while you do, think about it logically.”

She fought against the instinct to leap to her feet and walk back to the house. If she had any other options, she probably would have. Instead, she straightened her spine, set the bag of muffins on the grass beside her, and crossed her arms in front of her chest. “Go ahead.”

“If we got married—” He held up a hand to stop her when she started to object. “You promised you’d hear me out.” Preston waited long enough to make sure she would keep her word and continued. “If we got married, there’d be no problem with you keeping the B&B. The lawyer said you only needed to be married a year. At that point, the house and land will be yours—just as it should be. You don’t have to put anything in my name.”

Mandy’s jaw dropped. “You’re suggesting a marriage in name only? What is this, the 1800s? You’re insane.” She considered what he said and frowned. “So, we’d stay married for a year, and then what? Get a divorce?”

“If that’s what you want.” Preston’s expression made it difficult for Mandy to tell what he was thinking.

Disbelief toward his idea gave way to anger. “You know what I dealt with as a kid. My parents got a divorce and signed me over to my grandparents like an old car or something. There are a lot of things I’m determined to not do and getting a divorce is one of them. So yeah, that’s not happening.”

“Then we don’t get a divorce.” His brows rose, and he stared at her with a look daring her to counter him. In the past, it usually preceded a list of reasons for why he was right, and she was wrong.

That wouldn’t work this time. He hadn’t dared her to climb a tree or race him to the edge of the river. This was marriage they were talking about. And since she didn’t believe in divorce, they were also talking about forever. It’d take a lot more than goading or stroking her ego to get her to agree.

About the author:

Melanie D. Snitker is a USA Today Bestselling Author who writes inspirational and sweet romance novels. She and her husband live in the beautiful Texas Hill Country with their two children who keep their lives full of adventure. They share their home with two dogs, a guinea pig, two lizards, three frogs, and a toad. In her spare time, Melanie enjoys photography, reading, baking, computer games, and hanging out with family and friends.

Author media links:

Website – https://www.melaniedsnitker.com/

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/melaniedsnitker

Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/melaniedsnitker/

Amazon – https://www.amazon.com/Melanie-D.-Snitker/e/B00MGOUYRW

Goodreads – https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8440136.Melanie_D_Snitker

Bookbub – https://www.bookbub.com/authors/melanie-d-snitker

Buy Link:

The star of this month’s Cat Tail is Dumbo, my brother’s cat. Dumbo is a 2-year-old Flame Point Siamese male. I asked my brother if he would share some photos and interesting details about Dumbo, who is very unique.

Dumbo is very friendly even to strangers. He greets everyone by walking around their feet and laying on his back for a short belly rub.

Dumbo likes to go outside. He gets up and sits on my laptop and stares at me to let me know he’s ready for us to go out.

Dumbo follows me everywhere outside in the yard like a dog. He even comes when I call. Climbs on everything, trees, cars,the house roof. He understands the word “No” and stops and sits down when you tell him no if I’m opening the door but want him to stay inside.

I give him rides in the wheelbarrow. He enjoys that and even jumps in by himself sometimes.