Cynthia Roemer's Blog, page 13

Creating Characters ~ FOR THE WRITER

One of my favorite parts of writing is creating characters. It gives me a taste of what the Lord must experience when He creates each of us. What joy it must bring Him to weave together our unique features and characteristics.

TRUE-TO-LIFE

One thing I’ve learned as a writer is that readers enjoy characters that are true-to-life, ones they can relate to and root for. Characters that are perfect aren’t as enticing to read about as ones that are flawed. That’s because we as people are flawed and imperfect.

Readers want characters they can identify with, ones that change and grow as the novel progresses. For more on flawed characters check out my post: Flawed Characters ~ Making Them True-To-Life

IMAGINED AND REAL

There are two basic types of characters in novels: imagined and real. The characters in my Prairie Sky Series came almost entirely from my imagination. The series is full of flawed characters that must learn to rely on God’s strength instead of their own.

The Civil War novel I’m currently writing, Beyond These War-Torn Lands, is much different. Though the hero and heroine stem from my imagination, several of the minor characters are based on actual people. General Grant makes a couple appearances as well as a few other historical figures, though I won’t divulge their names to avoid spoilers.  =)

General Ulysses S. Grant.

Though photos are helpful in providing vague insights into historical figures, they don’t provide all the necessary details: the color of eyes, their stature, their interests, etc. It takes a lot of delving to find out these sort of details. But then, the research is half the fun for us historical writers. =)

 

THE KEY TO MEMORABLE CHARACTERS

. The key to creating memorable, inspirational characters stems from a desire to connect with readers. When characters face difficulties and rise above them through faith and growth of character, readers are drawn to them and to the story..

~ What characters (real or imagined) have inspired you over the years?

 

INSPIRATIONAL FICTION

Cynthia Roemer’s PRAIRIE SKY SERIES: Stories of faith and resilience on the Midwest prairie Inspirational Historical Romance

UNDER THIS SAME SKY  ~ BOOK ONE

UNDER PRAIRIE SKIES  ~ BOOK TWO

UNDER MOONLIT SKIES ~ BOOK THREE

~Available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble

**Connect with Cynthia Roemer on Facebook, Goodreads and Twitter.

 

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A Civil War Novel ~ FOR THE HISTORY BUFF

For the past year, I’ve had a Civil War novel in the works. My first, but hopefully not my last. Though I never dreamed of the many countless hours of research required to gain adequate knowledge of the era, I’m so enjoying the process.

 

EXCITING NEWS

Today, I get to share some exciting news regarding this novel project. Though the manuscript is still in the writing process, I’m thrilled to announce I’ve recently signed a contract with Scrivenings Press for publication of this, my fourth novel! So mark your calendars!  =)

Beyond These War-Torn Lands, is set to release August 3, 2021!

What a blessing from the Lord. May He alone receive the glory. It’s because of Him I write, and it’s ever my prayer that He will touch the hearts of readers through the spiritual truths woven within the stories He has entrusted me to write.

CIVIL WAR NOVEL RESEARCH

While my Prairie Sky Series required research of the time period, the majority of the storylines stemmed from my imagination. Beyond These War-Torn Lands, however, is steeped in actual historical events and personalities. Therefore, I’ve had loads of additional Civil War research to contend with.

Because I strive for historical accuracy on every page, I’ve had to ask lots of questions and research the smallest of details for this Civil War novel, such as:

How did soldiers salute and when?

What sort of insignia was used to designate soldier rank?

Was it rainy or sunny on a particular day?

These and hundreds of other questions slow the writing process, but are so vital in achieving a realistic story. And so intriguing! I often find myself so caught up in learning about the events of the times that I make little progress with my writing. LOL!

AN INSIDE GLIMPSE

A few months ago, I shared about the opening scene in the story at the Battle of Monocacy Junction. I hope you’ll take a moment to enjoy this glimpse into the upcoming novel.

To keep abreast with how the story is progressing, I invite you to join my Author Newsletter Subscriber list. As a subscriber, you’ll receive behind the scenes info, giveaway opportunities, and be the first to hear updates.

~ Do you enjoy real historical events and people in the historical novels you read?

Cynthia Roemer’s PRAIRIE SKY SERIES: Stories of faith and resilience on the Midwest prairie Inspirational Historical Romance

UNDER THIS SAME SKY  ~ BOOK ONE

UNDER PRAIRIE SKIES  ~ BOOK TWO

UNDER MOONLIT SKIES ~ BOOK THREE

~Available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble

**Connect with Cynthia Roemer on Facebook, Goodreads and Twitter.

 

The post A Civil War Novel ~ FOR THE HISTORY BUFF appeared first on CYNTHIA ROEMER ~ INSPIRATIONAL AUTHOR.

FOR THE HEART ~ This Can’t Be Undone

I’m honored to have my friend Laurie Driesen sharing about new life in Christ.

by Laurie Driesen

She found the answer!  After wondering and searching for years, she finally learned that the God she believed was out there somewhere is the God the Bible. Her faith is flourishing as she attends church, listens to Bible teaching podcasts and reads God’s Word. Now, her husband and kids regularly see her in the family room with a Bible open on her lap as she takes notes on what she is learning.

Sadly, her husband doesn’t agree with or understand the changes he has seen in her.  A discussion about it caused her husband to ask, “Why do you have to do this?  You were never into all of this before we were married!”  She calmly replied, “This can’t be undone. This didn’t come by human effort and it won’t stop with any human convincing.”

Friend, when you and I became Christians, we entered into a new life that can’t be undone!  This is a great spiritual truth that we can hold onto when we sin or stray or wonder if what we’ve done has disqualified us from salvation. We may feel like we have to earn it all over again or do something to atone for ourselves. But this is not what God’s Word teaches.

Jesus addresses the permanent nature of our new life in John 3:3-8.  He explained that we need to be born spiritually. In fact, He said that unless we are born of the Spirit we won’t see the Kingdom of God.

Why Do We Need to be Born Spiritually?

Spiritual death was the result of Adam and Eve’s sin in the Garden of Eden. Their pride and willful rejection of God’s command severed the intimacy they once shared with God. All descendants of Adam and Eve (including you and me) are also separated from God, born into sin and will eventually suffer physical death.

In the John passage, Jesus emphasizes that we need to be “born of the Spirit” in order to be reconciled to God and have eternal life with Him. When we place our faith in the Lord, He quickens us spiritually, fills us with His Holy Spirit and grants us the spiritual birth that gives us new life.

A Birth Can’t be Undone

A baby can’t control his or her birth. The baby can’t make it happen; it is done by a power greater than himself. Our spiritual birth also happens by a power much greater than ourselves.  We can’t make it happen, but we can repent of our sins and believe in Jesus. The Holy Spirit is the one who makes us alive spiritually. This is a permanent new life! And just as a newborn baby can’t go back into the mother’s womb, those who have experienced true spiritual birth can’t undo what has taken place.

We Will Never Die!

Jesus went on to say in John 3:15-16, whoever believes in Him will never die. A child can never change who his biological parents are and we can never change who our Father is once we are born into the family of God. Whether we fail or make a mistake, we are still a child of God and we will spend eternity with our Lord and Savior!

This truth compels me to strive to love Christ and serve Him with my whole heart. How about you?

“Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit.” ~ John 3:6

Laurie Driesen is a writer and entrepreneur.  She is the author of Beyond Regret – Living Your Life Purpose in Spite of Past Choices.  The book discusses missed opportunities, the “why” behind our mistakes, how regret can help us, and preventing future regret.  Beyond Regret sheds light on God’s true will and purpose for us and how we can live it out no matter where we are today.

Through her writing, she seeks to share the truth of God’s Word and help others grow spiritually. Laurie’s blog can be found on her website:  www.lauriedriesen.com

 

 

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FOR THE HEART ~ It Can’t Be Undone

I’m honored to have my friend Laurie Driesen sharing about new life in Christ.

by Laurie Driesen

She found the answer!  After wondering and searching for years, she finally learned that the God she believed was out there somewhere is the God the Bible. Her faith is flourishing as she attends church, listens to Bible teaching podcasts and reads God’s Word.  Now, her husband and kids regularly see her in the family room with a Bible open on her lap as she takes notes on what she is learning.

Sadly, her husband doesn’t agree with or understand the changes he has seen in her.  A discussion about it caused her husband to ask, “Why do you have to do this?  You were never into all of this before we were married!”  She calmly replied, “This didn’t come by human effort and it won’t stop with any human convincing.”

Friend, when you and I became Christians, we entered into a new life that can’t be undone!  This is a great spiritual truth that we can hold onto when we sin or stray or wonder if what we’ve done has disqualified us from salvation. We may feel like we have to earn it all over again or do something to atone for ourselves. But this is not what God’s Word teaches.

Jesus addresses the permanent nature of our new life in John 3:3-8.  He explained that we need to be born spiritually.  In fact, He said that unless we are born of the Spirit we won’t see the Kingdom of God.

Why Do We Need to be Born Spiritually?

Spiritual death was the result of Adam and Eve’s sin in the Garden of Eden. Their pride and willful rejection of God’s command severed the intimacy they once shared with God. All descendants of Adam and Eve (including you and me) are also separated from God, born into sin and will eventually suffer physical death.

In the John passage, Jesus emphasizes that we need to be “born of the Spirit” in order to be reconciled to God and have eternal life with Him.   When we place our faith in the Lord, He quickens us spiritually, fills us with His Holy Spirit and grants us the spiritual birth that gives us new life.

A Birth Can’t be Undone

A baby can’t control his or her birth. The baby can’t make it happen; it is done by a power greater than himself. Our spiritual birth also happens by a power much greater than ourselves.  We can’t make it happen, but we can repent of our sins and believe in Jesus. The Holy Spirit is the one who make us alive spiritually. This is a permanent new life!

We Will Never Die!

Jesus went on to say in John 3:15-16, whoever believes in Him will never die.  A child can never change who his biological parents are and we can never change who our Father is once we are born into the family of God. Whether we fail or make a mistake, we are still a child of God and we will spend eternity with our Lord and Savior!

This truth compels me to strive to love Christ and serve Him with my whole heart. How about you?

“Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit.” ~ John 3:6

Laurie Driesen is a writer and entrepreneur.  She is the author of Beyond Regret – Living Your Life Purpose in Spite of Past Choices.  The book discusses missed opportunities, the “why” behind our mistakes, how regret can help us, and preventing future regret.  Beyond Regret sheds light on God’s true will and purpose for us and how we can live it out no matter where we are today.

Through her writing, she seeks to share the truth of God’s Word and help others grow spiritually. Laurie’s blog can be found on her website:  www.lauriedriesen.com

 

 

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FOR THE READER ~ THE TEA CHEST

Today I’m thrilled to have inspirational author, Heidi Chiavaroli sharing an inspiring personal experience that ties into the theme of her novel, The Tea Chest. Plus, there’s a GIVEAWAY, so stick around!

I still remember sitting on the bed of my college dorm room, a few cardboard boxes at my feet. It was September 2001. And I wasn’t unpacking to begin my sophomore year. I was packing up to go home.

I had failed at college. But not with grades. (In fact, I’d ended the previous spring semester with a 3.98 GPA.) Instead, I had failed at my desire to be there. What I’d been working toward for years suddenly lost its appeal. My parents were mending a broken marriage, the country was reeling from 9/11, and I very much missed my high school boyfriend, now my husband. So I’d done the unthinkable—given up an amazing scholarship and the chance to pursue career dreams of becoming a dietitian. I quit so I could come home.

I failed.

This was something I thought about a lot as I sat down to write my fourth novel, The Tea Chest. While my historical heroine, Emma, dreams of supporting the side of liberty in colonial Boston even though her family is staunchly Loyalist, my contemporary heroine has some big dreams as well—she’s intent on becoming America’s first woman Navy SEAL.

Hayley was born when I stumbled on a news report about the first woman ever who entered the training pipeline to become a Navy SEAL. The report didn’t state her name but my imagination was already flying. Who was this woman? I could relate to something within her—this fierce desire to succeed, and even the feeling of failure if success didn’t prove possible.

I was the woman with the 3.98 GPA, after all. The one who spent her Friday nights in high school studying! The one who threw off dreams of becoming a writer, thinking they were impractical for someone who wanted to succeed at life. Instead, I threw myself into the sciences—and realized very quickly that God did not gift me with a methodical or even logical brain.

In The Tea Chest, Hayley struggles with intense pressure to succeed. It’s my hope readers will relate to lessons she learns—lessons that are dear to my very own success-driven heart! Because for so long, I felt my worth was in what I did and how well I did it.

Bringing these struggles to my fictional character Hayley wasn’t much of a stretch. I mean, this is a woman with some hefty goals! But I also wanted her to find freedom from this mindset. To feel that weight being lifted off her chest—to realize that her worth was not defined in what she did or how well she did it, but in whose she was. I wanted her to find true freedom, and give herself over to the One who has a way of turning disasters and disappointments into second chances, the One who brings forth new beauty in the midst of black ashes.

I know firsthand He can do this. Because five years after I sat in that college dorm room, facing my failure, I found myself sitting at a crooked, second-hand dining room table with a pen and notebook revisiting childhood dreams of writing books while two toddlers took their naps. I can honestly say that if I’d pushed forward toward my dreams of success in the world’s eyes—pursuing a career in the sciences—that I wouldn’t be fulfilling my ultimate dream of sharing words of God’s grace with beautiful readers like you.

Heidi Chiavaroli wrote her first story in third grade, titled I’d Cross the Desert for Milk. It wasn’t until years later that she revisited writing, using her two small boys’ nap times to pursue what she thought at the time was a foolish dream. Despite a long road to publication, she hasn’t stopped writing since!

Heidi writes women’s fiction, combining her love of history and literature to write split time stories. Her debut novel, Freedom’s Ring, was a Carol Award winner and a Christy Award finalist, a Romantic Times Top Pick and a Booklist Top Ten Romance Debut. Heidi makes her home in Massachusetts with her husband and two sons.



MORE INSPIRATIONAL FICTION

Cynthia Roemer’s PRAIRIE SKY SERIES: Stories of faith and resilience on the Midwest prairie Inspirational Historical Romance

UNDER THIS SAME SKY  ~ BOOK ONE

UNDER PRAIRIE SKIES  ~ BOOK TWO

UNDER MOONLIT SKIES ~ BOOK THREE

~Available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble

**Connect with Cynthia Roemer on Facebook, Goodreads and Twitter.

 

GIVEAWAY



**Now for the GIVEAWAY! Heidi has graciously offered to give away a copy of The Tea Chest ~ Print (US only) or E-book ~ winner’s choice) Enter the Rafflecopter giveaway below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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MY TRUE PURPOSE AS A WRITER

My life as a writer began in high school. My English teacher, Mrs. Holloway, encouraged my interest in writing by urging me to enter a local college writer’s contest. So, with hope in my heart, I entered two of my stories and waited eagerly for the outcome.

While one story didn’t make it off the ground, my other story earned First Place in the Fiction category. I knew then, I wanted writing to be a part of my life, but I wanted to do more than entertain or inform. I wanted the Lord to use my writing for His glory and to infiltrate His truths into the hearts of readers.

Read more of my early dreams of writing HERE.

BEING A WRITER 

Being a writer isn’t something I do, it’s something I can’t not do. it’s part of who I am. When it comes to speaking, I’m a lot like Moses “slow of tongue and speech”. LOL! So when I want to communicate something well, I write it. That’s the way God made me. And that’s okay. He gave us all different gifts. The important thing is that we use the abilities He’s given us to draw others to Him.

Whether your gift is writing, speaking, teaching, skilled nursing, adopting children, or whatever the Lord lays on your heart to do, use it as a means to glorify Him.

OUR TRUE PURPOSE

We may never do anything earth-shaking in this life, but if we’re faithful to our calling, we’ve fulfilled our true purpose for our lives. I’m a writer by choice and also by God’s design. I believe that with all my heart.

I’ll likely never be a highly-acclaimed author sought after by millions of readers, but that’s not my intent. If a few hearts are encouraged in their faith or touched by the words I pen, I’ve succeeded. Each time I hear from a reader who is genuinely inspired by what I write, my heart rejoices and my true purpose as a writer is fulfilled.

**How about you? What gift or purpose has the Lord burned on your heart to fulfill? I’d love to hear how He’s working in your life.

INSPIRATIONAL NOVELS

Cynthia Roemer’s PRAIRIE SKY SERIES: Stories of faith and resilience on the Midwest prairie Inspirational Historical Romance

UNDER THIS SAME SKY  ~ BOOK ONE

UNDER PRAIRIE SKIES  ~ BOOK TWO

UNDER MOONLIT SKIES ~ BOOK THREE

~Available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble

**Connect with Cynthia Roemer on Facebook, Goodreads and Twitter.

 

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FOR THE READER ~ Civil War Tensions

While researching for my third historical novel, Under Moonlit Skies, I began to wonder how high tensions were just prior to the onset of the Civil War (1859)? What I found may surprise you.

The story is set, in part, in Cincinnati, Ohio, a free state. Just across the Ohio River, was the slave state of Kentucky. I started wondering how free blacks were treated so near a state that embraced slavery. So, I delved a little deeper.

Uncertain Freedom

I soon discovered that at that pivotal time and place, free blacks living along the Ohio weren’t a lot better off than slaves. Yes, they had their freedom, but even that was shaky. The only proof they had of their freedom were free papers declaring them free. If the papers became lost or stolen, there was a stiff fee to purchase more which most blacks hadn’t money to pay.

Most free blacks lived in drafty shanties in a section of the city commonly referred to the Fourth Ward or “Little Africa”. A stone’s throw away from the Ohio River, many lived in fear of having their freedom snatched away. Many were employed on the numerous river boats as cooks, barbers or laborers. Few enjoyed the benefits of a good education and segregation was the norm.

The Fight to Remain Free

The hero of Under Moonlit Skies, Stewart Brant, learns first hand the dangers free blacks endured when his friends, Isaac and Abigail Simmons, face the threat of entrapment and having their freedom taken from them. Their fight to remain free embarks him on a journey he’s unprepared to take, but one the Lord uses to deepen his faith.

I can’t imagine the fear and anxiety free blacks along the Ohio must have endured during those unsettled times both prior to and during the Civil War. Many turned to God for strength and reassurance, knowing true freedom comes from faith in Christ. That’s one freedom no one could take away.

Cynthia Roemer’s PRAIRIE SKY SERIES: Stories of faith and resilience on the Midwest prairie Inspirational Historical Romance

UNDER THIS SAME SKY  ~ BOOK ONE

UNDER PRAIRIE SKIES  ~ BOOK TWO

UNDER MOONLIT SKIES ~ BOOK THREE

~Available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble

**Connect with Cynthia Roemer on Facebook, Goodreads and Twitter.

The post FOR THE READER ~ Civil War Tensions appeared first on CYNTHIA ROEMER ~ INSPIRATIONAL AUTHOR.

Faith-Filled Fiction

As an author of faith-filled fiction, it has ever been my prayer that the Lord would get my novels into the hands of those who’d be blessed by them. My publisher has made that a little easier today 

Special Book Deal

Today only (August 3) e-book copies of my entire Prairie Sky Series are only $0.99 each on Amazon. In case I’m a new-to-you author here’s a little about the series.

Prairie Sky Series Blurbs

BOOK ONE ~ UNDER THIS SAME SKY

~ She thought she’d lost everything ~ Instead she found what she needed most. ~ Illinois ~ 1854

Becky Hollister wants nothing more than to live out her days on the prairie, building a life for herself alongside her future husband. But when a tornado rips through her parents’ farm, killing her mother and sister, she must leave the only home she’s ever known and the man she’s begun to love to accompany her injured father to St. Louis. Catapulted into a world of unknowns, Becky finds solace in corresponding with the handsome pastor back home. But when word comes that he is all but engaged to someone else, she must call upon her faith to decipher her future.

Matthew Brody didn’t intend on falling for Becky, but the unexpected relationship, along with the Lord’s gentle nudging, incite him to give up his circuit riding and seek full-time ministry in the town of Miller Creek, with the hope of one day making Becky his bride. But when his old sweetheart comes to town, intent on winning him back—with the entire town pulling for her—Matthew must choose between doing what’s expected and what his heart tells him is right.

BOOK 2 ~ UNDER PRAIRIE SKIES

~ Beyond shattered dreams lies a realm of possibilities ~

Illinois prairie ~1855

Unsettled by the news that her estranged cousin and uncle are returning home after a year away, Charlotte Stanton goes to ready their cabin and finds a handsome stranger has taken up residence. Convinced he’s a squatter, she throws him off the property before learning his full identity. Little does she know, their paths are destined to cross again.

Quiet and ruggedly handsome, Chad Avery’s uncanny ability to see through Charlotte’s feisty exterior and expose her inner weaknesses both infuriates and intrigues her. When a tragic accident incites her family to move east, Charlotte stays behind in hopes of becoming better acquainted with the elusive cattleman. Yet Chad’s unwillingness to divulge his hidden past, along with his vow not to love again, threatens to keep them apart forever.

BOOK 3 ~ UNDER MOONLIT SKIES

She had her life planned out ~ until he rode in

Illinois prairie ~ 1859

After four long years away, Esther Stanton returns to the prairie to care for her sister Charlotte’s family following the birth of her second child. The month-long stay seems much too short as Esther becomes acquainted with her brother-in-law’s new ranch hand, Stewart Brant. When obligations compel her to return to Cincinnati and to the man her overbearing mother intends her to wed, she loses hope of ever knowing true happiness.

Still reeling from a hurtful relationship, Stew is reluctant to open his heart to Esther. But when he faces a life-threatening injury with Esther tending him, their bond deepens. Heartbroken when she leaves, he sets out after her and inadvertently stumbles across an illegal slave-trade operation, the knowledge of which puts him, as well as Esther and her family, in jeopardy.

I pray you’ll be blessed by these faith-based stories of forgiveness, grace, and redemption.

 

 

 

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Little Bits of Heaven

We’ve all had them. Those fleeting moments we long to hold onto, when our hearts are full. Whether it be enjoying alone-time with God in creation, or an ideal getaway with the one we love, or times of laughter and celebration with our family. Life holds special moments that we long to cling to. Memories we’ll always cherish. Little bits of Heaven on earth.

Perhaps that’s what they truly are–little bits of Heaven. Maybe the Lord gives us glimpses of what love and harmony look like so we can be excited about what’s to come.

GRASPING ETERNITY

While it’s impossible for our finite minds to fully grasp eternity, just imagine those blissful moments with the Lord and loved ones stretched over all time. That, my friends, is Heaven–being in the presence of the Lord and fellow believers in a place of perfect harmony,

Our blissful moments seem fleeting these days as we wade through a pandemic that threatens to isolate us from those we hold dear. But nothing can separate us from God’s love. (Romans 8:39) He has promised never to leave or forsake those who choose to walk with Him.

But there’s another choice–the decision to reject Christ and go our own way. For those individuals, the awaiting eternity won’t be so pleasant. Without Jesus in our lives, there can be no happy ending.

WHY I LIKE HAPPY ENDINGS

Maybe that’s why I so enjoy writing happy endings in my novels. My heroes and heroines may fall on hard times and their faith may be tested, but in the end, they find their little bits of Heaven.

There is a strong faith element woven within each of my books. I write to encourage and challenge readers in their commitment to the Lord. My constant prayer is for my novels to reach the hands of those who will be blessed by them. That is why I write…to inspire and instill hope in the hearts of readers.

Of course, if I can do so in an entertaining way, that’s a plus too. =)

**What book (fiction or non-fiction) has inspired you in some way? I’d love to hear about it.

Cynthia Roemer’s PRAIRIE SKY SERIES: Stories of faith and resilience on the Midwest prairie Inspirational Historical Romance

UNDER THIS SAME SKY  ~ BOOK ONE

UNDER PRAIRIE SKIES  ~ BOOK TWO

UNDER MOONLIT SKIES ~ BOOK THREE

~Available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble

**Connect with Cynthia Roemer on Facebook, Goodreads and Twitter.

 

 

 

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FOR THE READER ~ All Through the Night with Tara Johnson

I’m thrilled to have my friend and fellow inspirational historical author TARA JOHNSON sharing about a spiritual element and excerpt from her upcoming novel, All Through the Night releasing in January 2021. 

With each story I write, God teaches me something new. In Engraved on the Heart, God reminded me through the heroine Keziah that broken doesn’t mean worthless. In Where Dandelions Bloom, Cassie struggles to forgive her abusive father, but finally realizes there is no freedom apart from it. Cassie’s story was also a reminder of the hope that blooms, even amid the hardest times…a lesson I’m clinging to during this uncertain season in our lives.

My upcoming release is no different. In All Through the Night, Cadence Piper has always struggled to be accepted because of her stammering tongue and quiet ways. After the death of her mother, Cadence sets her heart on becoming a nurse, both to erase the stain her brother has left on the family’s honor, and to find long-sought approval in the eyes of her father. When Dorothea Dix turns her away due to her young age and pretty face, Cadence finds another way to serve…singing to soldiers in the hospital. When her life becomes entangled with a mysterious surgeon and the press gets wind of her talent, Cadence’s fame soars. Before long, Cadence is pulled in a dozen different directions…singing as the voice of the Union, caring for soldiers, managing her clandestine activities against an evil secret society, all while trying to finally grasp the elusive approval of her father.

Excerpt from All Through the Night

Cadence stumbled through the clawing darkness, but it panted against her heart like a beast waiting to snap her up. No light, no path. No one could see her. Hear her. She was alone.

Alone. Alone.

“No!”

Warm air invaded as her eyes snapped open. Something fluttered over her face. Her sheets? With a cry, she yanked the offending fabric away and breathed in long pulls of night air. Moonlight cut silver swaths of light across her room. Gasping, she collapsed against her pillow.

It was only a dream.

Sweat glued the fabric of her nightgown to her skin. Her heartbeat slowed as she twisted to stare up at the ceiling.

Only a dream, and yet it wasn’t.

Mother was gone, and she was to blame. Tate had fled and Father had little to do with her. Tears pricked her eyes as her throat swelled. In the ways that mattered, she was alone.

Even now, surrounded by darkness, long-held childhood fears reached out to choke her. Terrified of being noticed while yearning to be seen, truly seen and loved, despite her flaws. 

Clutching the sheets between her knuckled fingers, she pressed them to her chest, willing the tears to flee.

God, did you see me then? Do you see me now?

Cadence and I both fell for the lie that approval equals love. After years of exhaustion, of hiding behind my masks and dark depression, I’ve learned that approval and love are not the same thing at all. They are, in fact, polar opposites.

Approval is a stamp that says, “You meet my expectations”. Love says, “You’re a mess, but I’m crazy about you anyway.” Approval and love are not the same thing.

What I had to learn, and what Cadence did too, is my worth in God’s eyes. I’m tired of shackling myself to others’ expectations when obeying Him is all that matters. I’m tired of being sucked into a spiral of exhaustion when He has promised rest. I’m tired of living like everyone else’s opinion of me is more important than His. I have no desire to place people, and their approval, as my idol, my focus, or my hope any longer.

I pray those who read this story will find freedom from people-pleasing, and know that the unconditional love they’ve always longed for is found in the arms of Jesus.

Meet the Author

Tara Johnson is an author and speaker, and loves to write stories that help people break free from the lies they believe about themselves.

Tara’s debut novel Engraved on the Heart (Tyndale) earned a starred review from Publishers Weekly, and finaled in the Carol and Christy awards. In addition to be published in a variety of digital and print magazines, she has been a featured guest on Voice of Truth radio, Enduring Word radio, television and podcasts. Her third novel All Through the Night is set to release in January of 2021. She is a history nerd, especially the Civil War, and adores making people laugh. She, her husband, and children live in Arkansas.

Website: www.TaraJohnsonStories.com

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

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

Pre-order link for All Through the Night:

Order link for Where Dandelions Bloom:

Order link for Engraved on the Heart:

More Inspirational Historical Novels 

Cynthia Roemer’s PRAIRIE SKY SERIES: Stories of faith and resilience on the Midwest prairie Inspirational Historical Romance

UNDER THIS SAME SKY  ~ BOOK ONE

UNDER PRAIRIE SKIES  ~ BOOK TWO

UNDER MOONLIT SKIES ~ BOOK THREE

~Available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble

**Connect with Cynthia Roemer on Facebook, Goodreads and Twitter.

NOW FOR THE GIVEAWAY!

Tara is graciously offering a PRINT COPY of the winner’s choice of either

Where Dandelions Bloom OR All Through the Night (when it releases)

**Open to US Addresses only

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The post FOR THE READER ~ All Through the Night with Tara Johnson appeared first on CYNTHIA ROEMER ~ INSPIRATIONAL AUTHOR.