In celebration of Valentine’s Day, “HEARTS” will be the theme for our Friday Features this month.

Today’s featured book is A Heart Held Captive, a contemporary Christian romance by Katy Eeten. I enjoyed reading about Emily and her struggle to understand the concept of grace, which I could easily relate to.

About the Book:

Physical therapist Cole Pearson has had his share of shallow relationships. But a year spent focusing on God opened his eyes to what he really wants in life. When he learns that ER nurse Emily Jenkins has volunteered to pay for a foster child’s therapy, he is inexplicably drawn to her generous spirit. If only he can convince her to take things beyond their casual conversations at the clinic.

Emily is a prisoner to her past mistakes and insists on paying a price God never asked her to pay. When she finally allows herself to grow closer to Cole, her faulty theology is shattered and her wounded heart begins to mend. But when tragedy strikes, Emily is sent into a tailspin. Can Cole help her grasp the freedom of God’s grace, or will she revert back to the captivity of her old ways and shut Cole out of her life for good?

Excerpt:

What am I doing?

Emily shook her head as she gazed into the bathroom mirror on Friday morning. How had she gone from seven years of solitude and contentment to suddenly longing to see a man whom she had only met a month ago? Was this really what God wanted for her? She wasn’t sure, but the fact remained, she was enamored with Cole.

While a batch of cookies baked in the oven, she assembled sandwiches and put fruit, chips and bottled water in a small cooler for their lunch date. She arrived at PT Possibilities as Cole was giving a goodbye fist bump to a young girl in the entryway. The girl left, and Cole smiled at Emily. “Perfect timing. Do you mind if we eat outside?”

“That would be great. It’s a beautiful day.”

“Okay good. There’s a picnic table out back. One sec.” He turned to the receptionist at the front desk. “Shannon, can you add these notes into Megan’s file and make a copy of this form for me?”

The woman nodded as she took the papers from Cole. “Thanks. By the way, I’m clocking out for lunch now.” Then he turned toward Emily. “Alright, let’s head out.”

They walked to the back of the facility and out a rear door Emily didn’t realize existed. She spotted the picnic table, and though it wasn’t exactly picturesque next to a dumpster, it would do the trick. After placing her cooler on the table, she unloaded the food she’d packed. Out of nowhere, two hands gently slid around her waist from behind.

“I didn’t get a proper hello.” Cole’s voice was lighthearted as he leaned his chest against her back, squeezing her tight.

“Ah, I was not aware of the rules. My apologies.” Emily’s breath caught in her throat at the unexpected backwards hug. Her hands stilled as she leaned back to enjoy the moment. “I hope you like turkey sandwiches.”

Cole removed his arms and walked around to the opposite side of the picnic table. “Oh yeah, I’m not picky. Thanks for doing this, by the way. My coworkers noticed I was unusually excited for lunch today.”

Emily suppressed a giggle, then handed him a paper plate and gestured toward the food. They loaded their plates and sat to eat. “How’s your day going?”

“Pretty good. Though I gotta tell you, one of my favorite clients is no longer coming on Fridays. So, it will be kind of a let-down when I get to the end of my shift.”

Emily raised an eyebrow. “One of your favorite clients? Should I be worried?”

Cole laughed. “Okay, okay, you’re my favorite. Hands down. There, I said it.”

About the Book:

Katy Eeten is from southeast Wisconsin where she braves the cold with her husband and two sons, ages 10 and 12. She works full time crunching numbers and analyzing spreadsheets, but writing has always been her true passion. She has four published books, all contemporary Christian romances available on Amazon. When she’s not writing or working, she can be found reading, baking, taking walks, playing board games, and spending time with her family.

Author media links:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KatyEeten/

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/KatyEeten

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/KatyEeten/

Website: https://katyeeten.wordpress.com/

Buy Link:

https://www.anaiahpress.com/product/a-heart-held-captive/8?cp=true&sa=false&sbp=false&q=false&category_id=2

Today’s feaured book is the first in the Sunflower Saga, a Christian fantasy series written with adults in mind but can be enjoyed by teenagers as well.

About the book:

Elvensty is about a young man and woman, Khomar and Aya, who find themselves unexpectedly married and fleeing into the wilderness from unknown assailants.  As they seek to uncover the mystery of the identity and purpose of their attackers, our heroes find their faith in God put to the test as their lives spiral out of control.

Elvensty is the first book in the Swordflower Saga which takes place on another planet with its own cultures and unique challenges.  We enjoyed taking a fresh look at Christianity as we stripped it down to its core elements and explored it within the context of a new world.

Excerpt:

Raising her gaze, she saw the expanse of Jyrya before her.  If she had been of a better temper, it would have been a stunningly beautiful sight.  She could see the forest they had hiked through now lying in the long shadow cast from distant mountains to the west.  She could just make out the outline of the river that ran down to the island of Elvensty and through the forest beyond.  In the distance, she could see the arid plains of Jyrya, and in her mind’s eye she imagined the capital of Jyantral on the far horizon.

A mist was rising over the land, starting to shroud it from view.  She trembled with anxiety and fatigue.  Tears began to run down her cheeks as she watched the only life she had known sink beneath the shadows.  God, where are you?

About the authors:

There are two of us who write under the pseudonym, M. B. Aznoe.  We are a husband and wife writing team, and we decided to use our combined initials instead of our names spelled out (initials sound cooler anyway).  Our names are Matthew and Bethany.  We have been married for 16 years and have 6 children whose ages range from 8-15.  As you can imagine, we have a very busy and active household which is why most of our writing is done either in the early morning or late at night when the kids are in bed.  Our passion is to share the hope found in Jesus Christ.  Whether in songs or stories, we strive to infuse our art with the truth of God’s Word, to demonstrate the hope of the Gospel in all of life’s circumstances.  It’s also why after 20+ years as a software developer, Matthew has chosen to change careers and become a lead pastor in a small town on one of the Native American reservations in Montana even as we continue to write our books.    

www.swordflowersaga.com

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I’m a fan of simple recipes with only a few ingredients. I also like to use what I have in the pantry or freezer before I decide what to make.

This is one of my 4-ingredient recipes. I created the following using leftover, stale chili-cheese Frito chips, taco-seasoned ground turkey from the freezer, a can of chili beans, and shredded cheese.

It’s the perfect recipe to chase away the winter chill, and it only takes a few minutes to prepare.

4-Ingredient Frito-Chili Pie

Ingredients:

1 cup Frito chips

1 can chili beans, undrained

1 cup taco-seasoned ground turkey or beef

1/2 cup shredded cheese

• Lightly spray pie pan.
• Spread chips over bottom of pan.
• Mix chili beans and taco meat. Spread over chips.
• Sprinkle cheese over bean mixture.
• Bake in 350 degree oven for 25-30 minutes.

While going through some old files recently, I found the following poem. I’m not sure when I wrote it, but judging by the handwriting, it was more than twenty years ago. Though the inspiration behind it is long forgotten, the sentiments expressed within are still meaningful to me.

Would I Turn Back Time?

If I could turn back the clock and go back in time, what moments would I change?

Would I let fall by the wayside—

-those lonely hours when I longed for companionship and found a relationship with God?

-the pain and grief that taught me to be compassionate towards others?

-the divine intervention that led me along unfamiliar, uncharted paths and brought me into the fullness of God’s love?

-the times when I was defeated that made the victories, though often far between, sweet?

O, would that I could erase the years of foolish pride and earthly conceit that led me far from You

—but not the failures and earthly stumbles that brought me to my knees in humble pleas, praying “Forgive me, Father,”

—where I found eternal peace.

Not one moment would I change, could I do so, for every moment is a footstep in my walk with You.

Today’s featured book is a new release from Anaiah Press, Writing Home, a contemporary Christian Romance by author Amy Anguish.

About the Book:

Christiana Jones dreamed her whole life of living in Huntsville, Alabama, so she can’t figure out why it doesn’t feel like home. Her relationships—on social media and in real life—seem shallow and empty. When she unearths a stack of her grandparents’ letters, it spurs an idea. Could she find something deeper with a penpal? 

Jordan White is taken aback when his cousin Tina suggests he become penpals with her childhood best friend. What could a Louisiana boy have in common with a girl two states away? After all, he’s happily settled on his family’s property and working the job he always wanted. But every letter they exchange has him wishing for more. 

As they grow closer through their written words, the miles between them seem to grow wider. Can love cross the distance and bring them home? 

Excerpt:

Tina’s phone rang and she pressed it to her ear with a look of apology.

“We’re next.” Chris motioned to the ride.

“I’m sorry. You go ahead without me, and I’ll try to ride again with you later.” Tina waved as she walked off to finish the phone call.

Seriously? Tina just ditched her? After convincing her to come up here this weekend in the first place, too. Should she just ride alone? That didn’t sound as fun.

The carnival worker motioned to Chris as the next bucket lowered and the couple occupying it got off. Chris hesitated an extra moment, looking over her shoulder at Tina, but she seemed engrossed in her conversation. With a sigh, Chris stepped up and sat on the seat by herself.

“Wait!”

Chris looked to find where the man’s voice had come from. Someone pushed through the Ferris wheel line, trying to get to the front. He ran up to the worker and handed him some tickets. The grizzled operator glanced at her, pocketed the tickets with a shrug, and motioned the guy into the seat next to her. He locked the bar down before she had a chance to protest, and their bucket swung backwards as it started its ascent.

How dare he? Of all the nerve! To just run up and force his way past everyone in line to jump on with someone who didn’t even know him! She turned to let him have a piece of her mind—and froze.

Brown hair just long enough to tousle and curl a bit above his eyebrows. Brown eyes staring straight at her with a hopeful expression. That face that she had secretly pulled up on her phone several times a week for the last few . . . ever since his cousin sent the picture to her in the first place.

He was here.

“Jordan.”

“Hi, Christiana.” His voice was low, soft, as if he was afraid to startle her.

“You’re here.” Was her belly doing flips because of the ride or because of him?

About the Author:

Amy R. Anguish grew up a preacher’s kid, and in spite of having lived in seven different states that are all south of the Mason Dixon line, she is not a football fan. Currently, she resides in Tennessee with her husband, daughter, and son, and usually a bossy cat or two. Amy has an English degree from Freed-Hardeman University that she intends to use to glorify God, and she wants her stories to show that while Christians face real struggles, it can still work out for good. 

Follow her at http://abitofanguish.weebly.com or http://www.facebook.com/amyanguishauthor 
Or https://twitter.com/amy_r_anguish 

Learn more about her books at https://www.pinterest.com/msguish/my-books/ 

And check out the YouTube channel she does with two other authors, Once Upon a Page (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEiu-jq-KE-VMIjbtmGLbJA)