Kathy Harris's Blog, page 3

Guardian ~ Cathy McCrumb

Cathy McCrumb has always had a love for stories. She graduated from Biola University with a degree in English Literature.  

Although writing is one of her favorite things to do (and most of her imaginary friends are nice people), she also enjoys reading, long hikes, long naps, gluten-free brownies and raspberries, and crocheting while watching science fiction movies with friends and family. 

Cathy and her husband, whom she met while writing letters to soldiers, have five children and currently live within the shadow of the Rocky Mountains.

 

What started you on your writing journey ?

I’ve always told stories, and from a very young age, I wanted to write. I stopped, however, after I had kids. Then, about seven or eight years ago, I emailed a friend about a strange dream. She emailed right back: Where’s the story?

That simple question reignited my words.

Just as all good novels include a plot twist, the Author and Creator of our lives often writes in a twist that ultimately blesses us more than our original plan. Have you ever experienced such a “Divine Detour”?

Oh, so many of them that it’s hard to pinpoint one to share. There have been forks in the road in which one small thing altered everything. I can’t say how often disappointment hits, but then—God shows up.

The Lord has provided when funds were low, when people have passed, when we lose the things that matter to us. In the midst of pain, it isn’t so much that God explains WHY things happen but that He is there.

I’ve been thinking about this over the past couple of weeks. How when Lazarus dies and Mary and Martha grieve, Jesus doesn’t give a detailed line-by-line explanation of why everything happens. He gives them the gift of His presence. Daniel refuses to stop praying, and he is thrown to the lions. And God stops their mouths. It’s the powerful presence of God that changes the story.

Honestly, there have been situations I would never have chosen. Even now I face challenges that feel overwhelming.  I suspect most of us feel this way—tides seem too strong and waters too deep. But in the midst of unforeseen circumstances when I don’t know why things go awry, God’s steadfast presence is an anchor.

Let’s talk about your new book, Guardian (Enclave Publishing, February 2024) the third in your Children of the Consortium series. Please tell us about the new book.

Guardian is the final book in the trilogy, which is about a young woman with no name, no family, no friends who loses everything that defines her and finds hope, freedom, and friendship for the first time. The Children of the Consortium series is set in the undefined future, where most citizens have abandoned faith, and a system of Recorders observe and document everything.

The Recorder was donated to the Consortium before birth, and her sole purpose has been to maintain and verify the records. When the technology controlling her is destroyed, she tastes freedom for the first time. Answering a call for help, she once again draws scrutiny from the organization that raised her. She returns to the place where she nearly lost her life in the hope of finding something—anything—to save her friends and countless others. Her friends are determined to keep her safe, but for the Recorder, saving others comes first, no matter the cost.

Now labeled an aberration by the Consortium, the Recorder is not yet free. Time is running out as an engineered bioweapon wreaks havoc on friend and foe alike. Stopping both the biological agent and the people who created it is no easy task. Without Consortium technology, the probability of neutralizing the threat plummets  to nothing. In order to save her allies, the Recorder must rely on the technology that controlled her, but success might destroy any hope for freedom, a future, and a name.

What led you to write this series? Who is your target audience?

One of the things that led me to begin this series was that I enjoy science fiction and it was difficult to find science fiction that aligned with my faith. I wanted to read something that had the adventure and the challenges of sci-fi but asked thought provoking questions.

As I wrote, however, the story took on a different meaning. I began to see it as my love letter to people who felt left out, which became central to the whole series’ themes. Each one of us is unique and valuable, and we must choose to hold fast to hope. Even when things seem dark, we are, indeed, never alone.

I wrote it with adults in mind, but the nature of the questions about worth and the value of life has drawn in teen readers as well.

A few fun questions…

When the words aren’t flowing—or when you want to celebrate if they are—what is your favorite comfort food and why?

When words aren’t flowing, almonds! I like lightly salted ones, but if I can have Korean BBQ flavor, that is even better.

To celebrate my first book, I asked my husband for berries and chocolate. Blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, and chocolate remain among my favorites. Berries and chocolate… no need to ask why, right? (Although, a gluten free brownie with berries and whipped cream will also suffice. )

What Bible passage or story best describes your journey of faith?

I’m not sure that it quite compares, but lately I have been rereading Joseph’s story. The Lord knows why seasons can be so hard, and although being in the midst of them is not enjoyable, there is a huge measure of peace in knowing that He has a plan I cannot see.

In the story that is your life, are you the strong, female lead; the girl next door; the mysterious woman behind dark glasses; the super heroine; or the little girl trying to walk in high heels?

This is such a fun question! I think that I’m probably closest to the girl next door, but if I could be the strange woman with the magnificent flower, vegetable, and herb gardens and a plethora of cats (and maybe a dog or two!), that would be amazing. Alas, I don’t have any of those at the moment, but imagination is a powerful thing in their places.

Thank you, Cathy! It’s great to have you as a guest at Divine Detour.

~ ~ ~

For more information about Cathy, visit her website and/or on Facebook or Instagram.

To order Guardian and the first two books in the series, go to –

 

 

Country Faith: 70 Inspired Stories from Leading Country Music Stars ~ Deborah Evans Price

Deborah Evans Price has been a well-known and loved journalist in the country and Christian music industries for thirty years. She is the author of the COUNTRY FAITH series and co-founder of Country Faith LLC. She is a Country Music Association Award-winning writer, as well as a freelance writer for Billboard, Rolling Stone Country, and Country Weekly.

She and her husband live in Nashville, Tennessee and have one adult son.

 

If someone asked you to describe yourself with one word, what word would that be?

Blessed

The Author and Creator of our lives often writes in a twist that ultimately blesses us more than our original plan. I’m guessing that the Country Faith brand may have been just that. How did it all start more than ten years ago?

As a journalist, I’ve covered country and Christian music in Nashville for more than three decades. I never expected those paths to intersect the way they did with Country Faith, and it’s been a wonderful journey.

It all started when my friend Johnathan Clements told me he knew of a publisher who was looking for someone to write a book on country artists and their favorite scriptures. He set up a lunch meeting with Bob DeMoss from Zondervan Publishing. Part of Bob’s job was to find ways to get people more engaged in reading the Bible, so he had the idea for a book where country singers talked about their favorite scriptures. He thought it would be of interest to country music fans. By the time I left the lunch, Bob had offered me a contract to write the book. From there I had three months to deliver it and thankfully we were able to get 56 artists for the first Country Faith.

Let’s talk about your new book, Country Faith: 70 Inspired Stories from Leading Country Music Stars (February 2024, Dayspring). Please tell us about it.

I loved talking to artists about their favorite Bible verses for the first book, and I think the country community really enjoyed having a platform to talk about their faith. Contemporary Christian and gospel singers get to talk about Jesus every day. It’s kind of part of their job description. But country artists don’t always have that opportunity and Country Faith allows that. It paved the way for some of my favorite interviews ever.

I was so happy we got such great response to the first Country Faith book that we did a decade ago.  Last year, my business partners and I met with executives from DaySpring and were thrilled that they wanted to relaunch both the original Country Faith book, which is available now, and Country Faith Christmas, which will publish in October.

I loved getting a chance to have some really meaningful conversations in this new book. Even artists that I thought I knew fairly well, like Joe Nichols and Travis Tritt, I felt like I came away knowing them much better.

Who are some of the special Country and Christian music stars included in this book?

I loved having the opportunity to update Country Faith. There are so many great young country artists that weren’t around when we did the first book, so I really enjoyed getting to add Mitchell Tenpenny, Brett Young, Chris Janson, Jordan Davis, Breland, and Michael Ray, among others. Due to the fact that the first book was done on a tight deadline, there were some artists we couldn’t get at in time, but are now included in the new book such as Reba McEntire, JoDee Messina, and Travis Tritt.

One thing I appreciated about the team at DaySpring is that they also wanted to add Christian music artists with ties to the country community so the new book includes Zach Williams, Mac Powell, Steven Curtis Chapman, and Matthew West in addition to country legends like Alan Jackson, Barbara Mandrell, Wynonna, the late Charlie Daniels, Gene Watson, Jeannie Seely, and The Oak Ridge Boys.

It’s been such a privilege to have interviewed all these artists and talked to them about the scriptures they hold dear and why they have had such an impact.

I love what you wrote about the book and the Scriptures in your introduction. What is your personal favorite Bible verse. And why?

Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

There are a lot of verses I hold dear, but I have to say that is my favorite. Whenever I’m having a stressful day or facing a challenge that feels insurmountable, I remember my favorite verse and immediately feel God’s peace and strength. It’s such a beautiful reminder that He always has our backs, and we don’t have to always be strong because our God is.

Thanks, Deborah! It’s great to have you back at Divine Detour.

~ ~ ~

For more information about Deborah and this series, visit the Country Faith website .

To order Country Faith, go to —

 

Steven James ~ Fatal Domain

Steven James is the bestselling, critically acclaimed author of nineteen novels that have won more than a dozen national and international awards, including four Christy Awards for suspense and an International Book Award. His thrillers have been praised by Suspense Magazine, Booklist, and the New York Journal of Books and received starred reviews from both Library Journal and Publishers Weekly, who called his work “thought-provoking” and “riveting.”

When he’s not writing, he teaches other writers at events around the globe.

 

If someone asked you to describe yourself with one word, what word would that be?

Polyphiloprogenitive (it means you have an overactive imagination).

Just as all good novels include a plot twist, the Author and Creator of our lives often writes in a twist that blesses us more than our original plan. Have you ever experienced such a “Divine Detour”?

I thought I wanted to have job security back in the 90s when I started off on this journey of becoming a storyteller and an author—but that wasn’t going to happen. Instead, I had a friend who encouraged me not to do what made the most “financial sense” but to pursue what God was calling me to do. In that moment, I knew I was meant to write and tell stories—even if there wasn’t a lot of income involved. I’ve had to learn to trust as I pursue this career. But in all honesty, God has taught me that He will never let me down.

Let’s talk about your new book, Fatal Domain (Tyndale, April 2024), which is set in Uganda and Washington D.C. It’s a story dealing with both terrorism and espionage. What do you hope readers will take away from it?

First and foremost, I want them to be entertained from the first page to the last. I want them to enjoy the light touches of humor, to feel white-knuckle suspense at the right times, and to fall in love with the characters. I want them to think about some big, philosophical questions along the way, but this is a thriller, it’s a roller coaster, and I want them to enjoy the ride.

You teach seminars on writing, and I was fortunate to attend one a few years ago. What are some of your basic philosophies when it comes to writing good fiction?

I really emphasize the contingent nature of fiction (in other words, that everything must follow naturally from what precedes it), understanding and managing the substantive status of the characters in different social contexts, and writing toward a pivot—a moment that is both unexpected and inevitable.

Many people think of a story as a progression of events—first act, second act, third act. But stories are much more collisions of desire than they are progressions of events. Because of that, I think that approaching story from that perspective is not as helpful as other approaches. I’ve come to believe that there are four elements in every story (character, setting, struggle, and pursuit), and two additional aspects that all great stories have (pivot and payoff).

So . . . great storytellers introduce us to a memorable and irresistible character who faces a pressing and intimate struggle. They give her choices and sacrifices that matter, invite us to see the pursuit unfold in an evocative setting, then lead us to gasp at the pivot and to nod at the unforgettable payoff. That’s what I’m trying to do.

A few fun questions…

When the words aren’t flowing—or when you want to celebrate if they are—what is your favorite comfort food and why?

Ha! I love to snack on cheddar cheese flavored rice cakes (I know, very specific, but they are my new-go to snack.)

In the story that is your life, are you the tall, dark stranger; the romantic lead; the mythical warrior; the mad scientist; or the child in an adult’s body?

Most of the people who know me well would say that I’m the child in an adult’s body. If that’s the case, I hope I never grow up.

Thanks, Steven! It’s great to have you as a guest at Divine Detour.

~ ~ ~

For more information about Steven, visit his website or follow him on Facebook or X.

To purchase Fatal Domain, log on to– 

 

 

Sally Jo Pitts ~ Sweet Deceit

Sally Jo Pitts is a former educator, who now writes whodunit mysteries. She holds B.S. and M.S. degrees in Home Economics Education from Florida State University and a certification in guidance and counseling from Troy State University.

After a career in teaching and counseling, she worked for thirty years as a licensed private investigator with certification in Voice Stress Analysis (lie detection) alongside her late husband in his investigations agency. Investigative work now takes a back seat to her love for writing. When Sally Jo isn’t dreaming up new things for her website, she is searching out ways to complicate life for her fictional characters, who are ultimately searching for God’s purpose in their lives. Her new book, Sweet Deceit, releases this month.

Sally Jo resides in North Florida with a Schnauzer named Gibbs.

 

If someone asked you to describe yourself with one word, what word would that be?

Tenacious. Since I retired from education and investigations, I have felt pressed to write. I have this scripture sitting on my desk that sums up the feeling—“For I am full of words and the spirit within compels me.” (Job 32:18)

Love that scripture! What books have you read lately that inspired you?

David Baldacci – The Fix

Cleo Coyle – Roast Mortem

Both of these books challenge me to learn what I can from their giftedness in storytelling. Baldacci holds my interest with his plots and his interesting protagonist, Amos Decker.

Cleo Coyle has an amazing ability to tap the senses of taste and smell with her talk of coffee blends and she has a knack for writing in-depth character descriptions that really flesh out the different aspects of the person.

Let’s talk about your new book, Sweet Deceit (Elk Lake, March 2024). Please tell us about it.

The spark for Sweet Deceit was based on my late husband’s true experience (before I met him) of being appointed sheriff in a small Florida county after the governor removed the elected sheriff for malfeasance. Both he and the tight knit community initially didn’t want him to be there. His experiences while there fascinated me.

To make it a romantic suspense, I combined truth with fiction and intentionally picked an incongruent title to contrast the idea of good vs evil that he had to deal with.

Here is the back cover blurb:

Someone will stop at nothing to keep the secrets of Sweet County hidden.

Public Relations consultant ANNIE MCAFEE hopes to spend a quiet summer in Sugarville waitressing, housesitting, and job hunting. But her plans are upended after she’s run off the road and narrowly escapes with her life.

Rookie state investigator WILL BRICE is looking forward to a bright future with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement until the governor removes the Sweet County Sheriff and appoints Will to take his place.

Propelled into the middle of Sweet County’s dark secrets, Will and Annie find that deceit hides beneath its sugar-coated façade, and the townspeople prefer to turn a blind eye to wrongdoing.

Confronted with a web of mysterious threats, life threatening crises, and the death of a teenager, the two must work together with the help of an unusual sidekick to expose the corruption.

Can this unlikely crime fighting trio crack the town’s sweet cover?

Do you have a writing hero or mentor?

Susan May Warren. I’ve learned an incredible amount about story crafting from her by belonging to Novel Academy and attending Deep Thinker retreats. She is generous in offering all kinds of writing assistance while churning out bestselling books herself.

What keeps you on your writing journey when life tries to get in the way?

What keeps me on my writing journey when life happens relates back to the first question.

Something nags me if I have to miss working on a writing project. I see what I can put off in order to make up for lost time. Housework gets the biggest hit! I’ve adopted what a motivational speaker once said to a room full of teachers starting a new school year, “I consider dust a protective covering on my furniture.”

Please tell us about Book 2 in the series.

Book 2 in the Sweet County Secrets series is Sweet Double-Cross

If anyone had told research scientist Trudy Fields that she would consider marrying a man she’d met less than 24 hours earlier and trust him with secrets that could affect the world, she’d have called it ludicrous. But here she was, in this exact situation.

Thanks, Sally Jo! It’s nice to have you back at Divine Detour.

  ~ ~ ~

For more information about Sally Jo, visit her website and follow her on Facebook , X , and Instagram .

To order Sweet Deceit, go to –

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Lynn Austin ~ All My Secrets

Lynn Austin is the bestselling author of nearly thirty novels and was one of the first inductees into the Christy Award Hall of Fame. A former teacher, who now writes and speaks full-time, Lynn has sold more than one and a half million copies of her books worldwide. Her novel Hidden Places was made into a Hallmark Channel movie starring actress Shirley Jones.

She and her husband have three grown children and make their home in western Michigan.

 

If someone asked you to describe yourself with one word, what word would that be?

Adventurous. I chose to attend a college 750 miles from home, where I later met my husband. He’s a musician, and he proposed by saying, “If you marry me, we’ll never be rich, but we’ll see the world.” I liked that! Since then, we’ve lived in two foreign countries and have traveled to many, many more. None of our three children was born in the United States. I enjoy seeing new places, trying new foods, and meeting new people from other cultures.

Let’s talk about your new book, All My Secrets (Tyndale, February 2024). Please tell us about it and what inspired it.

I was initially drawn to the Gilded Age because of the excesses of the era—the enormous, overly decorated mansions, the lavish lifestyles of the rich, the rags-to-riches stories of the Gilded Age tycoons. I wanted to explore what might happen if these fortunes were lost, or if my characters began to acknowledge the emptiness of a life lived only for pleasure. People today often envy the rich and famous, so I wanted to take a peek behind the scenes of a time period that is similar to ours in many ways and explore some of the values that shaped it.

In All My Secrets, Addy is being given conflicting advice. Her grandmother’s wisdom, her mother’s financial needs, society’s pressures, and her own growing social conscience are all pulling her in different directions. These influences are easy to see in a novel but aren’t so obvious in our everyday lives. I hope readers can gain insight into what might be influencing their own decisions and learn to discern God’s plan for their lives as they read Addy’s story.

What role does faith play in the story?

Faith plays a role in several ways. Some of the characters discover that their past mistakes can be forgiven through faith in Christ. This renewed faith provides them with a fresh start, even if they still must face the consequences of their mistakes. Other characters grow in faith throughout the story because of what they experience and learn to make better decisions by trusting God’s plan for their lives. And faith causes some of the characters to question the misplaced values that have shaped their lives.

What can readers look forward to next from you?

I’ve just finished writing a Christmas novella, which continues the stories of the characters from All My Secrets. It will be released in late fall 2024 in time for the Christmas season.

What do you find to be the most challenge part of writing? How would you advise young writers who are just starting out?

Researching within a vast sea of information (without pursuing endless rabbit trails) is challenging, but I enjoy that process. Creating complex characters and a fresh plot that hasn’t been overused is also challenging, especially after writing nearly thirty books. After all these years, I’ve learned about the daily discipline that’s required in order to write a book—and write it well—and still meet the publisher’s deadline. But it’s still one of my biggest challenges.

I would advise young writers to learn to set priorities in their life and writing, and allocate their time accordingly, aware of the endless distractions that will try to divert them from God’s call to write.

Happy Valentine’s Day! Do you have any favorite memories from Valentine’s Days past … or special traditions?

My husband Ken and I hadn’t been dating long when the college held a Valentine’s Day dance. They asked all single men and women to put their name in a hat, and the two winners would get a free dinner together at the city’s fanciest restaurant. Amazingly, Ken and I won! (I took that as a good sign!) Our Valentine’s Day tradition ever since has been to celebrate together at a fancy restaurant.

Thanks, Lynn! It’s nice to have you back at Divine Detour.

~ ~ ~

For more information about Lynn, visit her website and follow her on Facebook , Instagram, and X .

To order All My Secrets, go to –

 

Patricia Bradley ~ Fatal Witness

Patricia Bradley is the author of fifteen Inspirational Romantic Suspense and two sweet romance novels, all set in the South. The winner of a Selah award, and an Inspirational Readers’ Choice Award, she has been the keynote speaker at several conferences where she also teaches workshops on writing fiction.

She and her two rescue kitties call Corinth, Mississippi home, and when she’s not writing, she likes to throw mud on a wheel to see what comes out.

 

Let’s talk writing. What kept you on your writing journey when life tried to get in the way?

Writing gets into your blood. It something I can’t not do, if that makes sense. I can’t imagine not doing it and right now I’m living my dream.

What’s your writing schedule like? Do you write seven days a week? Morning, afternoon, night?

YES! At least when I’m on deadline. Otherwise, I try to write five days a week. And I write to a word count, usually 1,000 words a day, five days a week. Usually after I get about half the book behind me, my word count increases.

Where do you write?

I have an office, but weather permitting, you’ll find me on my screened-in deck.

Please tell us about your new book, Fatal Witness (Revell, February 2024).

As a child, artist and potter Dani Bennett witnessed the brutal murder of her parents. With no memory of the incident or her true identity, she was forced to take on a new name and a new life, hidden away in Montana for the past twenty-five years. Mae Richmond has spent the same stretch of time searching for her granddaughter, who went missing the night her daughter and son-in-law were murdered. Convinced the woman she saw in a pottery magazine feature is the woman she’s been searching for, she enlists the help of K-9 officer Mark Lassiter of Pearl Springs, Tennessee, who tracks Dani down. Skeptical but curious, Dani sets out on a journey to uncover the secrets of her past and reclaim her true identity. But someone close to her is determined to keep the truth of what happened all those years ago hidden.

What was the catalyst for the story, the setting, the character, or the plot?

I’ve always been interested in people who go off the grid and just completely disappear. Like why would anyone do that? That started a what if chain … and the character of Dani Bennett popped into my mind. Mark Lassiter was in Counter Attack, the first book in the Pearl River series, and I wanted to dig deeper into his story. And I’ve long wanted to set a book around Chattanooga.

What’s next for you as a writer?

I’ve just turned in a proposal that will take me back to Logan Point, the setting of my first series. It follows up with Scott Sinclair, who was a really messed up teenager in Shadows of the Past. He’s now working undercover for the FBI and he connects with Tori Alexander who is a crime podcaster seeking justice for her sister. I’m really excited about writing it.

Your Top Ten favorite things…

Texting or talking? Texting, especially if I’m on deadline.

City you have lived in? I’ve only ever lived in Memphis and the surround area until I moved to the small town where I now live.

City you have only visited? Natchez … and I’d go back there in a heartbeat!

Season of the year? Spring or Fall

Dogs or cats? Cats. I have two rescue kitties … they are much easier to take care of than dogs…

Coffee or tea? Coffee in the morning, hot tea in the afternoon.

Ice cream flavor? Vanilla … sorry. lol

What’s something you could eat for a week straight? Bread. It’s the one thing I missed the most on a low carb diet!

All-time favorite (or most-watched) movie? Phantom of the Opera.

Favorite Bible story? Anything with David in it. He’s my favorite OT character.

Thanks, Pat! It’s great to have you back at Divine Detour. Looking forward to reading this book!

~ ~ ~

For more information about Patricia, visit her website and follow her on Facebook , X , Instagram, and BookBub .

To purchase Fatal Witness, go to –

 

Jamie Ogle ~ Of Love and Treason

Author photo by Jodi Sheller, Copyright © 2022. All Rights Reserved.

Jamie Ogle is a predawn writer, a homeschool mom by day, and a reader by night. Inspired by her fascination with the storied history of faith, she writes historical fiction infused with hope, adventure, and courageous rebels. 

A Minnesota native, she now lives in Iowa with her husband and their three children, and she can usually be found gardening, beekeeping, and tromping through the woods.

 

Just as all good novels include a plot twist, the Author and Creator of our lives often writes in a twist that ultimately blesses us more than our original plan. Have you ever experienced such a “Divine Detour”?

When I was a kid, my favorite Sundays at church were the ones when foreign missionaries came. They’d set up their table of pictures, candy, and cultural items, then spend the service telling stories of the country they lived in, the people who lived there, and the amazing things God was doing among them. And I decided at age seven that whenever we played “church,” and when I grew up, that’s what I wanted to do too—set up tables of candy and pretty things and tell amazing stories about God.

I wanted to do those things because they were good, worthy—and yet, the older I got, the more I seemed to wrestle with it. Like a coat that didn’t quite fit, but I clung to it anyway because, hey, “It’s the best coat I’ve ever had, and if I give it up after all this time, what else is there?” (Okay, maybe not the best analogy, but did I mention I’m from northern Minnesota? Coats are important.) Somewhere along the way, in that space between middle school and college, God planted a love for writing alongside my love of story. It was years before I finally accepted that writing was the work God had called me to, and when I surrendered, all those wrestling feelings were gone.

But it wasn’t until recently that I realized the things I loved best about the foreign missionaries—how they told stories about what God did and was doing in other people and places—those are the things I still get to do as a writer. And it feels like such a gift.

Congratulations on your debut novel, Of Love and Treason (Tyndale, January 2024). Please tell us about the book.

I was never really a fan of Valentine’s Day. I thought it was a dumb, commercialized holiday, and my research (for this book) began as an attempt to justify how stupid I thought it all was. But the more I dug into Valentine, ancient Rome, and church history, I found myself falling in love with the story. As scenes and snippets of conversations popped into my head, I started to write them down, and pretty soon I’d written the first draft of the novel.

Valentine defies the emperor and becomes a hero . . . and the most wanted man in the empire. Compelled by his faith, he has nothing to lose, until a chance encounter with the daughter of a Roman jailor changes everything.

Rome, AD 270. In the wake of the emperor’s marriage ban, rumors swirl that there is one man brave enough to perform wedding ceremonies in secret. A public notarius and leader of an underground church, Valentine believes the emperor’s edict unjust and risks his own life for the sake of his convictions. But as his fame grows, so do fears for his safety.

Iris, the daughter of a Roman jailor, believes regaining her sight will ease the mounting troubles at home. Her last hope rests in searching out Valentine and his church, but the danger of associating with people labeled a threat to the empire is great. Still, as Iris’s new friends lead her to faith in God, Iris is drawn to Valentine and they both begin to hope for a future together beyond the treacherous empire.

But when a past debt and a staggering betrayal collide, Valentine, Iris, and everyone they love must fight for their lives . . . and wrestle with trusting a God who can restore sight yet does not always keep His followers from peril.

What do you hope readers take away from it?

I hope readers are as captivated by this story as I was. Digging into the courageous stories of how our spiritual ancestors deemed God worthy of their worship and obedience no matter the cost changed me and challenged my own faith to go deeper. The thing I love most about history, and especially church history, is that in the darkest moments, when all seems lost, there’s always a spark of light rebelliously pushing back the dark. I find these stories incredibly hopeful, because if God could use ordinary people to do extraordinary things back then, He can do the same with us today. I hope readers come away from this story with that same knowledge.

When the words aren’t flowing—or when you want to celebrate if they are—what is your favorite comfort food and why?

Chocolate. Chocolate chips. Chocolate cake. All the chocolate things. Why? It’s chocolate.

What Bible passage or story best describes your journey of faith?

Ephesians 2:4-5 says, “But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved” (ESV).

What faith journey could I, or anyone, have without that? I love that the Bible is full of stories showing God constantly, patiently, lovingly at work to make a way for our relationship with him to be mended and restored. Not because he needs us, but because we need him, and he is so merciful and gracious to make a way for us to be with him.

In the story that is your life, are you the strong, female lead; the girl next door; the mysterious woman behind dark glasses; the super heroine; or the little girl trying to walk in high heels?

The other options sound like a lot of fun, but I’m definitely the girl next door. For sure. I do love a good adventure, and if the super heroine or the strong female lead offer to drive, I’ll go along. But I’m also content to stay home and bake, read, and raise chickens and children.

Thanks, Jamie! It’s nice to have you as a guest at Divine Detour.

~ ~ ~

For more information about Jamie, visit her website and follow her on Facebook and Instagram.

To order Of Love & Treason, go to —

 

Allen Arnold ~ Risk the Real

Allen Arnold has a talent for exploring deep topics while using simple words. He is an encourager, a noted creativity speaker, a coach, and an author, who helps people actively pursue their creativity with God. As a former Fiction Publisher, Allen oversaw the launch of more than 500 novels. He is the acclaimed author of The Story of With, Chaos Can’t, and Waves of Creativity.

He lives in Colorado and loves blue oceans, black coffee, hot salsa, and big ideas.

 

What started you on your writing journey ?

I’ve always been drawn to story. In boyhood, that involved a love of Superman comics, the original Star Trek television series, and novels of adventure and mystery. My 11th grade English teacher first gave me the courage to move from a love of reading to writing short stories.

My love of story eventually led to me launching a Fiction division at Thomas Nelson where, over the course of a decade, I was the publisher of more than 500 novels. In a world that did its best to make God irrelevant, it was my passion and honor to offer well-told stories from a God-centered worldview.

Yet even though I worked with writers, I never imagined that I would one day be an author…until God stirred my heart to do just that. Only then did I realize I had been in training to be a writer since boyhood. In the past eight years, I’ve written five books. All are unique but at their core, they focus on how to pursue the things we love with God by getting to know Him intimately as our Creator and Father.

The Author and Creator of our lives often writes in a twist that blesses us more than our original plan. Have you ever experienced such a “Divine Detour”?

I used to be an extremely driven man. I based my worth in what I accomplished so I was constantly trying to do more. I chased efficiency and productivity and tried to control every aspect of my life. I hated detours because they were so inefficient and uncontrollable.

Thankfully, God refused to leave me there. Over the course of several years, He revealed how I could be more rather than simply do more. I learned to see through the illusion of control and learned to live from a place of wide-eyed wonder and expectancy rather than clinging to my expectations of how the day should go.

Now I actually love God’s “divine detours.” I see each day as a road trip with Him. I now enjoy going at His pace and lead. No matter what happens, we will go through it together. Jesus was pretty clear that we live in a world of chaos but also that we could live from a place of peace…with Him. I love how He puts it: “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)

Let’s talk about your new book, Risk the Real (December 2023). Please tell us about it and why you wrote it.

The best stories reflect, in some way, the journey the writer is currently experiencing. And for the past year, I found that more and more areas of life were being invaded by the artificial. And everyone around me, including me, seemed lost in what I now call a “Partificial Daze”—partially present and fully disoriented by an artificial haze of anxiety, exhaustion, and addiction.

Something within me rose up against that but I couldn’t quite put words to why. So I asked God to shine a light on what was going on within me…and in the world. And wow, He did in some truly amazing ways. I didn’t realize where that rabbit hole would lead but the end result was my book, Risk the Real: How to Defy the Rise of the Artificial.

What I discovered was there’s a clash between the real and the artificial. It is intensifying. And we are the prize. Yet we miss what’s at stake when we assume it’s inevitable, natural, or even neutral. It actually began in Eden when the serpent offered Adam and Eve a counterfeit reality based on the Tree of Knowledge and the promise to become like gods.

These ancient roots continue to entangle us in more ways than we realize. We seek to redefine reality in our image. We look to the unreal to make us more real.

Risk the Real reveals how to pursue the real, defy the artificial, and risk well for what matters most. I believe it’s an incredibly important message for interpreting and standing strong in such a time as this.

Your definitions of real and artificial are basic to your premise. Please explain.

In Risk the Real, I offer a reality reinterpretation—a way to see with more clarity and live with greater intentionality. I begin by offering a new way to understand the real and the artificial.

Real isn’t how we feel. It’s aligning with God’s design for reality and for us. He is the uncreated Creator and the most real being ever. When we orient ourselves to the most real, we become more who we were created to be.

Artificial isn’t just AI or fake things. It’s any lie that lures us away from God. No matter how modern the offering, the roots can always be traced back to the Tree of Knowledge.

Once we understand this ancient clash between the real and the artificial, we understand how to risk wisely in a world that continually lures us to the unreal.

You are an encourager to others, not only as a writer, but as a speaker, coach, podcaster, blogger, and video producer. If you had to choose only one platform, which would you choose—and why?

I love this question because I ask myself that all the time. If I could only choose one, it would be writing. And I say that because books are how I have come to know thinkers throughout time and been transformed by their stories and life-changing ideas. Today, I just finished reading A Grief Observed by C. S. Lewis. It was written decades ago in another part of the world. And yet I felt as if we were having a conversation as I turned each page. There’s something timeless about books that draws me not only to them as a reader, but as a fellow writer. To think that something we offer could impact someone decades or even a century from now is mind-blowing and humbling. So I would ultimately choose writing books above anything else. I don’t think a better, more timeless container for our ideas to be presented, pondered, and take root in the hearts and minds of others has ever been invented.

A few fun questions…

When the words aren’t flowing—or when you want to celebrate if they are—what is your favorite comfort food and why?

My comfort place is a favorite local Mexican restaurant. I love the atmosphere, the music, the sizzling fajitas, the margaritas, and the robust conversation that happens every time I go there. Most everyone who works there knows my name and greets me when I walk in. So far, so good. I mean, everything I’m describing is real, not artificial. Right?

As recent empty nesters, my wife and I eat out more often. The problem was my go-to Mexican restaurant ended up being the only place I ever suggested going. After several back-to-back dinners, my wife made the observation that I might have an addiction to the experience. Deep down, I knew she was right. I was looking for something there that the Mexican restaurant could never provide. I was turning to it, rather than to God, for comfort and relief. So now, I try to make sure my motive is joy rather than relief before suggesting it. And even then, I do so less often. Because I don’t want it to have a hold on me.

In the story that is your life, are you the tall, dark stranger; the romantic lead; the mythical warrior; the mad scientist; or the child in an adult’s body?

In the story of my life, I feel a lot like Walter Mitty. Perhaps that’s why The Secret Life of Walter Mitty is my all-time favorite movie. It is the story of a man who has no live (even though he works at Life Magazine) stops living in his imagination and steps into a story of adventure, risk, and love. And a key part of it is when he finds a travel journal his dad gave him long ago. All the pages are blank but the opening inscription from his father stirs his heart. It says simply: Have Fun, Dad.

I want to pursue my life that way, filling all the blank pages with God. Knowing He’s a good dad who is constantly inviting me into more…with Him.

What Bible passage or story best describes your journey of faith ?

I love the story of the Wise Men. They left a life of safety and privilege to follow a star that led them, ultimately, to the Creator of stars. They defied a king and refused to bow to his orders to tell him where this baby was—in order to bow to the only true King. And yet we don’t even know their names today. This isn’t a Christmas story to me but a story of pursuing the real and risking everything for what matters most. I love it and want to orient my entire life by the one true North Star that is Jesus.

Thank you, Allen! It’s a pleasure to have you as a guest at Divine Detour.

~ ~ ~

To learn more about Allen, visit his website and follow him on X and Instagram.

To order Risk the Real, go to – 

My Favorite Non-Fiction Books of 2023

I spend a lot of time here interviewing fiction authors, because I love to read and write fiction. But I’m also an avid fan of non-fiction. Here are three of my favorite non-fiction books published in 2023.

GOD NEVER GIVES UP ON YOU: WHAT JACOB’S STORY TEACHES US ABOUT GRACE, MERCY, AND GOD’S RELENTLESS LOVE

From the publisher

God Never Gives Up on You is a book for the members of the Lost Halo Society. For the strugglers among us and the fumbler within us. For those of us who are part saint, part scoundrel. We mean well, but we don’t always do well. We have breakthroughs and breakdowns, often in the same hour. We need no reminder of our failures, but we could always use a refresher course on God’s perfect plan to use imperfect people to do great things.

Jacob’s story invites us to believe in a God who sticks beside the unworthy and underachievers and leads us safely home. If God can use Jacob to further His kingdom, He can use us too.

My take

This book is for anyone who has ever thought about giving up. In short, I dare say, it’s for EVERYONE. I originally bought it for a friend, who encouraged me to read it first. And I’m glad I did. Non-stop.

Max Lucado has a gift for words. And for edifying. And Jacob of Genesis fame provides the perfect subject matter. Remember Jacob? He’s the guy who is famous for wrestling with God. Enough said?

It all worked out for Jacob, and it can for you too.

 

A MINUTE FOR CAREGIVERS: WHEN EVERY DAY FEELS LIKE MONDAY

From the publisher

Family caregivers struggle with keeping their heads above water while caring for an impaired loved one. Most caregivers feel their well-being is sacrificed for the well-being of those they love. But caregivers can live a life of meaning and not just simply survive. A Minute for Caregivers offers families or single caregivers with special needs children, aging parents, wounded warriors, and any other chronic impairment the practical, emotional, and spiritual help they need.

My take

As somewhere who was a caregiver for more than a decade, I sincerely believe that every caregiver will be blessed by this book. Each chapter is a one-minute inspirational (and informational) read. I’ve read all of Peter Rosenberger’s books and listened to countless episodes of his radio show. Caregivers are a special breed of love-givers in this world. If you are one, or know one, check out this book.

 

YOU CAN’T MAKE THIS STUFF UP: LIFE LESSONS FROM SPECIAL KIDS

From the author

Throughout my career, I discovered new ways to teach students with special needs that were certainly not described in the lessons from the college courses and associated textbooks. Following my 42-year teaching career, I felt compelled to share the students’ stories and provide glimpses of their struggles, triumphs, and educational journey while in my classroom. You Can’t Make This Stuff Up! was a statement that fellow teachers and I would say when we encountered what often was funny or unique when teaching our students with special needs.

My take

You don’t have to be a special needs parent or teacher to appreciate this book. Or to love special needs kids. Debbra Laneville shares heartwarming stories that will make you laugh, cry, and understand just how special these kids really are. She also includes ten valuable life lessons, providing useful information for teachers, parents, and anyone who interacts with those with special needs. Check out Debbra’s blog here for additional insight!