I’d like to take the time today to tell you about a great group that I have been a part of since December 2019: The Christian Women Writers.

Here is an introduction from their website:

“First, a word about who we are. Our founder, Jen Gentry, established Christian Women Writers to create a caring and loving Christian environment that provides support to women of faith in their writing. With our combined resources, we can assist each other in our efforts to bring a light into the dark world in which we live.
As Christians, we believe the Bible is the inspired Word of God, and is our source of truth. Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, came as a man but was still fully God. He was tempted but lived without sin, died, was buried, and rose again as the perfect sacrifice for sin. He lives today to intercede for us.
The book you promote with us need not be overtly Christian, but it should be a clean read that is not offensive to the Christian faith. In addition, we request that promoting authors behave in a manner that is loving, caring, supportive, and kind. CWW’s Code of Conduct goes into more detail.“

Also from the website:

“The goal for this promotion is to build bridges of friendship with Christian women readers. As you know, Christian women face a bewildering array of reading choices. Where can they find compelling, entertaining, and thoughtful fiction that is supportive of their Christian worldview? Books that do not contain offensive language and/or sexual scenes? Amazon categories labeled “Christian” are no guarantee!

Basically, these readers are asking, “Whom can I trust?”

This is where we come in. Our Facebook parties give readers the opportunity to meet authors through chatty interaction and games. We want readers to enjoy our events, and to return again and again. Not because we have book ads blasting, but because our authors are likeable and engaging and fun. And also because readers can win eBooks and learn about special sales and other stuff.

Keep in mind that once Christian readers find an author they enjoy, they are incredibly loyal. Your job is to create trust and good feelings through friendly exchange. Book sales will come later.

All hosting takes place in this Facebook group: Free Christian Books and More. During the party, you will be given the ability to post. A moderator will be hovering in the background, should you run into any trouble.” (The Christian Women Writers)

As a reader, I’ve run into into “Christian” books on Amazon that had some shocking scenes and language that I didn’t expect for that genre. As stated above, it’s hard to find new authors that I can trust to present romance that has a Christian worldview.

As an author, I have participated in the Free Books and More events and have thoroughly enjoyed it. I have become acquainted with readers and garnered interest in my books. The events are fun to host and participate in.

If you are interested in connecting with readers, you can follow the link below to find out more about Christian Women Writers, Free Books and More Facebook group, and the Baskets Full of Books Event taking place in March.

https://www.freechristianbooksandmoreevents.com/?fbclid=IwAR28h4xvoMNluND_Kvwtbmk36h4S49AmGu8NV6vhG-yUAGCWS4z5Vgp6mUY

We are in the middle of February, the month when we are surrounded by hearts. Back in high school, a student could buy a carnation for their sweetheart to be delivered on Valentine’s Day. I always wanted to receive one, but never did. I suppose like any teenaged girl, the longing for a boyfriend was a huge one. I wrote stories about romance back then, but I admit that I had no personal knowledge to back them up.

In the first few weeks of my freshman year of college, I dated someone and ended up with a broken heart. It wasn’t the last one I’d ever have, but the pain was real. During the breakup, I heard a song called, Dreamer’s Dream, by Pete Carlson. (I tried to add a link here, but it wouldn’t work. You can find it on YouTube and listen to it.) The song speaks of broken dreams and how we can trust God to heal us.

I wish I’d never dated anyone before my husband, but then I might not have known how special he was. The first time he kissed me, my lips tingled. It didn’t take long to fall head over heels in love with him. He was the one I’d been looking for all along, and I’m so thankful for the twenty years I had with him.

I think back on the pain I felt each time the person I thought I was falling in love with turned out to be the wrong one. Without those failed relationships, I might never have known what true love was when I found it in my husband. Garth Brooks’ song, Unanswered Prayers, is definitely true in my life.

Broken hearts are painful at the time they happen, but they make excellent material for writing romance novels. As an author, I like to write about second chances in love. Most of my characters have loved once and lost, before falling in love again.

In my romance novel, The Reluctant Billionaire, Jessica returns home with a broken heart. Her longtime friend Liam is there to help her through it, showing her what it means to be cared for. They find that with God, and true love, broken hearts can be healed.

Romance is in the air as Valentine’s Day approaches. The day when sweethearts show their love for one another with cards, flowers, and candy. Many weddings are celebrated around that day. For myself and my husband, it was no different.

Pat and I started dating in May 1989. By August, we were unofficially planning our wedding. In November, the night before Thanksgiving, he proposed on bended knee and presented me with a diamond solitaire.

When we tried to figure out a wedding date, my grandma said, “Why don’t you have it in February? There’s nothing going on that month.”

Pat liked the idea of a February wedding. His birthday was February 12th, and Valentine’s Day of course is on the 14th. What easier way to remember his anniversary than to have our wedding on February 17th?

We didn’t have many weeks to plan or pay for our wedding, but somehow, we pulled off that big day. I had my dream wedding after our fairy-tale romance. We vowed to love each other “for as long as we both shall live.” For us, that was only twenty years.

I thought we would grow old together, but Pat passed away in August 2010 from a tragic work accident. Although time has healed my grief, February holds bittersweet memories.

The photo above was taken around the time of our engagement. I loved that dress. I’d looked at it in the store for a few weeks before I had the money to buy it. You can tell that I had stars in my eyes.

In spite of my loss, I’m a big fan of romance. In fact, I write about HEA’s (Happily Ever After’s) and believe they are possible. My marriage to Pat was too short, but the time I had with him was a gift from God.

This post was originally published in January 2021.

Jesus My Belayer

Anyone who knows me well knows that I’m not an outdoorsy type person. I’m also very afraid of heights, so you would not ever catch me rock climbing. However, the idea of rock climbing became very significant to me last week.

I was under a lot of stress and felt like I was falling into a pit of anxiety and depression. I’ve been there before. I’ve worked very hard in the past 7 years to stay out of the pit. There have been times when I’ve slipped and almost fallen. Thanks to God’s grace, and the support of family and friends, I’ve managed to find the footholds to climb out before I hit the bottom.

This past week, however, I struggled with the idea of trying to claw my way out of the pit that stress had caused.

Psalm 94:18-19 reads:

“When I said, my foot is slipping, your love, O Lord, supported me. When anxiety was great with me, Your consolation brought joy to my soul.” (NIV)

The image of a rock climber came to mind as I thought about my struggle. Not knowing anything about it, I took a look at some photos and watched videos of rock climbers. I was impressed by the use of a belayer to assist in a safe climb.

Wikipedia describes the belaying process as follows:

“As the climber moves on the climb, the belayer must make sure that the climber has the right amount of rope by paying out or pulling in excess rope. If the climber falls, they free-fall the distance of the slack or unprotected rope before the friction applied by the belayer starts to slow their descent. Too much slack on the rope increases the distance of a possible fall, but too little slack on the rope may cause the climber to “whip” or swing into the rock at a high velocity, possibly injuring themselves. It is important for the belayer to closely monitor the climber’s situation, as the belayer’s role is crucial to the climber’s safety.”

I had the idea that Jesus is my belayer as I climb the wall of life. He holds the rope, and He is attached to me through my relationship with Him. Though my foot may slip, He’s not going to let me crash to the ground.

Of course, I have some personal responsibility when it comes to my safety. I have to choose my path wisely. I can’t expect Jesus to save me when I am climbing outside the safety of His will. And the Bible makes clear what His will is in almost every situation that I face.

To stay out of the pit and climb successfully through life, I need the firm foundation of the Word of God. That foundation is the truth of who I am in Christ.

What is that truth?

God loves me.

God forgives me.

God accepts me.

I am a child of God.

As you climb the rock wall of life’s stresses, harness yourself to the One who created you, who knows you better than you know yourself, and who wants you to be fulfilled and blessed.

Make Jesus your belayer.

He will make sure you have the right amount of rope to safely climb and succeed in your life.