Kelly Harrel's Blog, page 7

Celebrating the Best Day Ever

It was Friday the 13th, December 13th, when God brought this handsome man to my doorstep. Twenty-one years ago. And my life has been blessed ever since.

So, I want to bless YOU this week with free books. You can download both Angel Discovered and Angel Defined (which is dedicated to him) on Kindle for FREE through Friday, Dec. 15.

If you want to read about that magical night that our love began, you can read about it here. And if you have read the series and know Jeff, I’d love to know who you think he resembles more…Tyler or Adam. We have conflicting opinions on the topic, so maybe you can help us settle the debate once and for all.

Click here to go to Amazon and download your copies!

CYBER MONDAY SALE

Looking for reasonably priced and inspirational gifts for teachers, friends, and family for Christmas? Take advantage of my Cyber Monday sale! 20% off all my inspirational Christian fiction. I will ship it to you OR directly to the person you love and save you from having to stand in line at the post office! (local delivery to Temecula and San Diego also available)

Remember to add the coupon code SAVE20 before checking out. Offer good Monday,  November 27 only. Click HERE to start shopping!

Happy Thanksgiving from Danny’s Family to Yours

Happy Thanksgiving! I’m very thankful for my readers, for the sweet messages and reviews you send. I write first for the Lord and then to encourage and inspire, so it’s always a blessing to hear how the Lord has touched you with my writing.

As a gift to you, I wanted to share a Thanksgiving scene from my next book, The Deceived. If you read the Lauren Drake series, you’ll remember Tyler’s friend, Danny. This series takes place when Danny is in high school. Beware…you are about to enter the head of a very sarcastic teenage boy.

I’m praying your heart is filled with thanksgiving and peace this holiday season.

Excerpt from Chapter 9 – The Deceived (Book one of Once Lost…coming spring 2018)

“Good morning.” I shuffle into the kitchen wearing my slippers and pajamas, smiling at the smell of bacon and cinnamon. I’m not surprised to see all three of my sisters and my mom showered, dressed, and looking like they’ve been working for hours. “What time’s dinner?”

“Do you see the turkey? It’s not even in the oven yet.” Mary is at the sink holding the cavity of the bird open while Anna shoves cornbread stuffing inside. My favorite.

“Snacks at noon. Dinner at two o’clock. Cinnamon rolls are on the table.” Mom kisses me on the cheek. “Happy Thanksgiving.”

“Happy Thanksgiving.” I grab one from the plate and sit at the bar, watching Lydia peel potatoes.

“Twelve.” She drops the skinned one in a pot of water. “What’s Willow doing today?”

“Think they’re going to her Grandma’s for their vegan feast.” My first bite of cinnamon roll is oh-so-sugary-sweet. The thankfulness for good food begins.

“You could have invited her over,” my mom says from the other end of the bar where she’s rolling out pie crust.

“Sure, to have all things meat and animal product.” I lick the frosting off my fingers. “Even the mashed potatoes and pies are destroyed with dairy. Nothing is sacred.”

“Thirteen.” The water splashes when Lyd drops another potato in the pot. “There’s fresh green beans.”

“With bacon,” Anna calls.

“Exactly.” I laugh. “It’s okay. She can have her nuts and grain with tofu turkey. I’ll stick with the real stuff.” I watch Lydia concentrating on her potato. The moment she drops it in the pot I say, “Sixteen.”

She purses her lips, then glares at me. “Danny!”

“Eighteen?” I polish off the rest of my roll and grab another before she snaps me with the towel.

I’m showered and dressed by ten. After watching some football with Dad, I make my way into the kitchen to graze. My sisters and Mom don’t mind because they enjoy bossing me around in between bites.

“Danny, can you grab me that?”

“Hey Danny, I need your help over here.”

“Danny, when you get a minute do you mind…”

I’m seriously considering a career as an assistant to a sous chef. I’m excellent at sauteing, stirring, chopping, even garnishing, And eating. That’s the best part.

True to Mom’s word, the food is on the table at two p.m. Once everyone is seated, we join hands to pray. Everything feels right for the first time in months.

Angel Resolved—The Fourth Book in the Lauren Drake Trilogy

The Lauren Drake series was meant to be a trilogy. Three books. Angel Discovered, Angel Defined, and Angel Reconstructed. That was my plan, but not God’s.

There I was, about two years ago, wrapping up the rough draft of Angel Reconstructed. I had developed the characters, added the conflict, and shown the depths of depression along with God’s faithfulness. The problem was I reached 90,000 words and wasn’t done. In fact, I felt very far from “happily ever after.” I sat on my couch toward the end of the summer two years ago perplexed. So, I did the only thing I knew to do. I prayed.

“God, what am I suppose to do? It’s getting too long.”

Write a fourth book, immediately came to me, freaking me out. Four books in the series? What in the world?

“But where would I cut this one?” I argued, scrolling backward. When I stopped, I gasped. “Not there.” Then I went forward and frowned. As always, the Lord was right. The best place to end Angel Reconstructed was indeed on a cliffhanger.

“My readers won’t be happy with me,” I said aloud, cutting the dozen pages I had beyond that heart-wrenching scene. “I don’t even have a name for a fourth book,” I said as I pasted the extra pages into a document. Angel Resolved immediately came to mind. This was shocking because, well, most of my books don’t have an official name until the rough draft is almost complete. But as I typed the title page, it felt right. Thus it began. The book that was never meant to be.

By the time I reached the third chapter, the theme had begun to form in my mind. It came clear during a conversation between Shelly and Lauren.

“No more drama for a while though, okay?”

Lauren chuckled. “I don’t know, Shel. I’m beginning to think life is one big drama. I guess as long as God is the author and director, we’ll be okay.”

I laughed as I typed the words, thinking of all the drama my best friend, Tammy, had walked through with me over the past eleven years. Depression, serious financial hardship, severe physical pain, brain trauma and anxiety due to the car accident. Yes, there have been times when we laughed until we cried, fun homeschool field trips with our kids, and relaxing nights in her spa while our hubbies were at work and our kids watched a movie. But there was a lot of drama, many hardships. That’s why I dedicated this book to her.  Out of appreciation for her constant prayers, encouragement in the Word, and believing God for miracles in my life. When I typed out the dedication at the end of January after finishing the rough draft, I remember thinking, “Lord, there’s no way I could ever be that good of a friend to her.”

I’ll never forget how my heart sunk two months later when I received the following text from her:

“I found a lump. Please pray.”

I prayed and prayed and prayed. And unfortunately, every time I did, I had this awful feeling that it was going to be cancer. And it was.

The journey was long with a myriad of emotions, but we took it together. On our knees. Most nights when we sat together, I felt at a loss for words because my heart ached too. I didn’t want this road for my friend. I would have gladly taken the burden from her because when you see a loved one suffer, you feel completely helpless.

But there was surgery and a complete diet change. And lots of prayers. July came and we celebrated my birthday together, and though we didn’t talk about it, we both believed she had beat cancer. It seemed we had reached the other side and I was grateful.

Weeks later more tumors appeared and then there was a scan showing it was in her liver and lungs. More drama when we were so done with it. More tears and questions. Not because we lost our faith but because it was so hard and kept getting harder until she ended up in the hospital in tremendous pain. That was the point that I realized the truth behind the novel I was now revising. We are meant to do this life together. Suddenly nothing was as important as being at my friend’s side. I was still caring for my family, still working, but she was my priority. Sitting at her side, making sure her kids were taken care of. Organizing meals and answering texts and messages from others in her life was not a burden, but a necessity. I cried more tears that I could count and prayed the same prayer with almost every breath.

“God, heal her.”

Because she’s my friend and we were meant to go through life together.

And then when my husband had a heart attack the day after she came home from the hospital, I texted her husband the news so he could tell her. She was in so much pain I didn’t want to burden her with the news, but we’re friends and we do this life together. I cried when her text came.

“What can I do? I feel so helpless.”

I cried because I knew she would and honestly, I wished she felt better so she could be by my side. Yet God knew what I needed was to rely on Him, to worship Him in the midst of the hardship (read about it here).

I’d like to say the healing has come, but we’re still waiting, still praying, still believing. If there’s one thing my friends Lauren and Tyler have taught me through this novel, it’s that God is good and we can trust Him to carry us through the hard times.  Though our faith is personal, we aren’t supposed to walk alone. God brings us different friends for different seasons. In the past two years, I’ve gained an amazing author friend who makes me laugh harder than I thought possible, a church friend who understands me deeper than most people who have known me for decades, a prayer warrior who prays without ceasing. The lie from Satan is we need to be ashamed, strong enough to endure on our own. Angel Resolved is not a fictional story, it’s a reality that can be lived out in our lives. “We do this together” should be the anthem of every Christian friendship. Tammy and I have both been blessed by the people who have rallied around us with prayer and support. But it requires transparency, honesty, commitment. A commitment to God and His people. Imagine how different the world could be if only it was a reality…

Well, I don’t have to imagine because I’m living it. Is it easy? Not at all. Heart-breaking? At times. Exhausting and mentally draining? Absolutely. But then there’s this peace that surpasses all understanding. I can’t explain it because, well, it’s indescribable. But it’s real. When you care, when you sacrifice for others, when you love, it will cost you time, effort, and a piece of your heart. But it’s worth it.

“We’ll get through this, together,” was a phrase I found myself typing over and over again through this novel because that’s the reality. To live in victory, to make it through the valleys, we need to walk together. My prayer is Angel Resolved will bring that reality to light for you. That God will bring you Christians to walk with and support you as you go through life. He is good all the time and His glory will prevail when we trust fully in Him, but we’re only human. We need others to remind us, walk beside us, carry us when we are weak. Ah, what a beautiful thing it is, the body of Christ, the love of our Savior in the flesh. Maybe that’s why this is my favorite book in the series. I hope you feel the same.

You can purchase a paperback book here or order the Kindle edition here.

Preorder of Angel Resolved and Kindle SALE!

It’s finally here! Angel Resolved, the fourth book in the Lauren Drake series, is available for preorder through November 9 in paperback and Kindle. 

Don’t have a Kindle but want to read on the go? You can download the Kindle app to any smartphone or device!

About Angel Resolved:

In a new chapter of life, Lauren finds herself struggling to manage her mania and depression in the face of overwhelming responsibilities. So much has changed, except Tyler. He’s still beside her, encouraging her and praying for her. But as her need for him increases, Lauren can’t help but wonder if she’s holding him back from finding his true love.

For eight years Tyler has loved Lauren. As he witnesses the refining of her faith, that love only continues to grow, and he counts it a privilege to be by her side. Though she finally seems within his reach, Tyler must decide if their chance at happily ever after is worth the risk of losing her altogether.

To preorder Angel Resolved in paperback (and receive $2 off the regular price), click HERE.

To preorder Angel Resolved on Kindle, click HERE.

To download Angel Discovered and Angel Defined for FREE and Angel Reconstructed for 99 cents (through Nov. 5), click HERE.

The Whole Truth

It started when I picked up the mail. I wondered what the large white envelope was in our box until I grabbed it and I heard the rattling of the pills. My husband’s medication that he needed since his heart attack.

Heart attack.

That was three weeks ago. Jeff is doing great…sticking to his diet, exercising, and back to work. Really, he’s doing fabulous. But in that moment, the only reality I was focused on was my husband had a heart attack and life isn’t the same. A dozen other truths followed, but not the encouraging kind of truth. The truth that rips the air from your lungs and leaves you gasping for breath.

I have a ton of work to do and a deadline rapidly approaching.

I’m so busy I’m not spending much time with my kids.

I haven’t wrote on my next book in over two months.

I have more tasks to do in the day than time to do them.

My best friend has cancer.

By the time I made the short drive home from the mailbox, tears streamed down my face. I’m used to battling the lies. I have practice in detecting and deflecting them. But when faced with the overwhelming truth of my life in its current state, I crumbled.

Are you at that point? Somewhere between overwhelmed and falling apart? I texted a friend the next day and told her I felt as if my reality was crushing me. Her response? Romans 8. My favorite chapter in the Bible. Nothing can separate me from the love of God.

There is no denying the truth of all the statements above, however, I had my mind set on earthly things not heavenly things. My reality in Christ?

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

He will give me all the wisdom I need.

He created me for His special purposes, which includes writing, so He will make a way for me to finish more books.

He loves and holds my children close even when I can’t.

God is refining the faith of my husband, my friend and her family through the trials.

He is doing a new thing.

He WILL work all the hard out for good because we love Him.

Those realities fill my lungs with air and my heart with hope. And when mixed with the hard truth, they tell a story of God’s glory and grace. The best is yet to come, my friend, if we keep our eyes fixed on Him.

Living in Awe

“How long will he be in the hospital?” I asked the cardiologist after he explained the procedure he did on my husband to open the vessel that was blocked in his heart. It was all a bit surreal. Twelve hours before Jeff and I were celebrating our son getting his driver’s license. Eight hours before the four of us sat around the kitchen table enjoying lunch as a family. Six hours before I was taking a picture of him as he drove to work in his new convertible. I told him not to call me on his lunch break because I’d be teaching my Bible study on Depression and Anxiety. An hour and a half later his boss called to say the paramedics took him from work to the hospital for severe upper back pain…

“All day tomorrow for observation,” the doctor said. “He’ll probably be released Saturday.”

I nodded. “And how long should he be off work?”

“I tell my heart attack patients they should be off at least a week.” That’s when his eyes locked with mine. “He had a heart attack.”

The words didn’t hit me until four hours later, after two a.m. We were in Jeff’s hospital room. For the first time since the procedure, he was awake. I sat on his bed, holding his hand, listening to him recall what happened.

“The pain started on the way to work. I broke out in a cold sweat and felt nauseous. My upper back hurt. I just prayed God would get me to work.”

He made barely made it. As soon as he walked into the backroom, he asked his boss to call the EMTs and laid down on the floor because the pain was unbearable. Minutes later they were rushing him to the hospital.

I told him about the procedure they did and prayed for him. When he drifted back to sleep, I returned to my recliner bed and cried. I wept at the realization of all I almost lost in the past two weeks…first my best friend to cancer and then my husband to a heart attack. The two people I love most in this world. The two people who have walked with me through so much and truly know everything about me. My favorite days are hanging out with both of them, laughing, talking, laughing until we cry. The weight of it all hit me, but it didn’t crush me. Gratitude for another hour, another day, with them, grew inside me.

Slipping in my earbuds, I chose my worship playlist. I started with In Awe by Hollyn. I cried while I worshipped, amazed by the peace that surpasses all understanding in my heart. Last week when I went to see my best friend in the hospital, I cried in the bathroom stall before going to see her because hospitals are one of my triggers for anxiety. Since my daughter’s hospitalization a year and a half ago, I have anxiety whenever I pass one. Five days I visited my friend, breaking down after but keeping it together while there. And here I was, in the hospital with my man who just had a heart attack worshipping God. It’s not where I want to be, but it’s where God’s brought us. He’s here with us. I see Him in the sweet nurses, caring doctors, and paramedics. I feel Him in the prayers of our friends and family. I hear His voice in the texts and comments of friends, telling me to breathe, be strong, trust in Him and His timing.

His timing.

I wanted to be at a writer’s conference in Texas this week. Oh how I prayed I could go, but God kept telling me ‘no.’ I thought it was because it was my son’s 16th birthday. Now I realize He knew this was going to happen. I’m so glad I chose to submit to His will and not push my own.

It’s almost four in the morning. I’ve had little sleep, but that’s okay. In a few hours there will be another EKG, more blood work. After three weeks on an emotional roller coaster, my heart longs for a day of peace. Now I realize that doesn’t come with lack of drama but in the presence of my King. I should know this because it’s the basis of my next novel, Angel Resolved. Peace comes when we rest in our heavenly Father’s arms and trust Him.

How is that possible in the midst of trials? Through prayer and petition, with thanksgiving.

I’m thankful for good nurses and doctors.

I’m thankful that I was able to be next to him, holding his hand, when his pain was off the charts.

I’m thankful for the sound of Jeff snoring because it means he’s asleep and no longer in pain.

I’m thankful for the prayers of saints, the offers of so many to do whatever.

I’m thankful for one more day.

Life is but a mist, my friend. Take nothing for granted. Not your relationships with family, friends, or God. Especially not God because He will be consistent in every uncertainty, comfort in each trial, shelter in every storm.

Thank You, God, for Your unfailing love. I am living in awe of You. Carry us through this time, this season, for Your glory and our good.

FIGHT – Overcoming Depression and Anxiety

Thursday September 21, 2017 – Thursday November 16, 2017

To Soma

Map and Directions | Register

Description:

Do you struggle from seasonal, situational, or constant depression and/or anxiety? During this 6-week Bible study Kelly will teach you biblical truths and strategies to not only FIGHT but overcome. You are more than an overcomer in Christ! There is a $5 suggested donation to cover the cost of printed materials which includes weekly lecture notes and homework. Once you register the exact address of our meeting location will be emailed to you. You can pay via paypal when you register or bring cash the first night of the study.

See what other participates have to say about FIGHT:

“This study first helped me realize that some of the issues I was having – I am not alone. The study also taught me when and how to go to God and to recognize the triggers that set off my depression or anxiety.”


“I lived in the bondage of depression for years. Going through this study has helped me stand against the devil and his schemes.”


“Sharing my struggles of anxiety with others was very helpful. I learned that there are a lot more people out there struggling with the same kind of issues that I have. It brings me comfort in knowing that I am not alone in this battle.”


“Depression used to cripple me. Now that I have learned to forget the lies and focus on the truth of God’s Word, I feel like a new person in Christ.”


“I actually realized on my worst day of anxiety this week how important it is to tell others about my struggle with anxiety. I had a very bad anxiety attack this week, and I unfortunately did not detect my triggers early this time. Thankfully my husband did. It was him that had to show me what was going on, and thankfully he reminded me of the things I needed to do. He prayed with me and recited scriptures with me. By the time we were done, I was able to overcome the anxiety attack and breathe again.”

Register

Back-to-School SALE!

 Teachers, need a little escape? Homeschool moms, need some alone time? Teenagers, ready for a study break? Download any of these great books on Kindle for only 99 cents through Friday, August 25th! Once you have the Kindle version of either book in the Walking the Walk series, you can download the audiobook for a reduced price. And don’t worry, book 4 of the Lauren Drake series is coming THIS FALL! Click here to purchase your Kindle books today!

From Sprint to Marathon

Summer is my time to write. Since I still work full time as a teacher (though I’m blessed to do it out of my house), I make the most of my breaks and pour myself into my writing. My goal at the beginning of this summer with simple—revise Angel Resolved (book 4 of the Lauren Drake series) so I could send it to beta readers and complete the rough draft of my next book, Once Lost. Simple enough, right? After all, my mind wouldn’t be divided by having to do school work and I’d have a lot more hours in my day. What I didn’t anticipate was having to spend so much time revising Angel Resolved. I might have forgotten that in my push to finish the rough draft in January, it ended up being very rough. So, I poured myself into creating every scene to make sure it was what it should be.

By the time I wrapped that book up the second week of July, I only had three weeks left of my vacation. So, I open the rough draft of Once Lost and figured out how many words I needed to reach 80,000 (the size of the typical novel) and then divided it by twenty-one days. 3,000 words a day became my goal, roughly four hours of typing. Not easy, but definitely not impossible. What I forgot to figure in was research time. I found myself spending hours watching baseball videos on youtube, reading blogs about workout programs, researching cities and places my character goes to. I was spending about six hours a day writing and researching and still didn’t meet my daily goal of 3000 words. When I reworked how many words per day I needed in order to finish in a week and a half, I was up to 5,000. I laughed as I stared at the number on my calculator thinking, “Lord, how in the world am I going to do that? There’s no way.” But the Holy Spirit was gracious to remind me that I can do all things through Christ who gives us strength.

In that moment I shot up a simple prayer. “God, I’m willing but you have to help me. You have to make it flow. When I sit down to write, you have to bring it out of me.”

The next week was an amazing testimony of God’s love and faithfulness. I quickly realized typing 5000 words a day would be impossible if I was going to continue being an effective mom and wife. The interesting thing about this book is from the beginning I’ve heard the main character, Danny, speaking the words to me. Like he’s dictating the story I need to write from his perspective. That led me to the conclusion that if I’m simply recording the words coming to my mind, there’s no reason I couldn’t speak them, then go back and edit. A whole new world was open to me. One day I went grocery shopping and by the time I returned home I had spoken 1500 words of my book. I suddenly saw how God was truly going to help me achieve this goal. A goal that seemed completely out of my reach except with His help. This became my norm. Speaking words at random times into my phone and then transferring them from the email draft that I start into my actual document to add quotation marks, punctuation, and tighten up the writing. With the kids on vacation with friends, I poured myself into my writing. I was on a roll, writing/voicing 6500-7000 words in one day! I watched the word count climb daily. The end was near and I was sprinting to the finish line.

When I reached 58,000 words, I realized I had a serious problem. There were major chunks of my novel missing and I should have been over halfway done. The story was like an onion—with every layer I peeled off it grew more intense. The emotions, the spiritual lessons, the deeper understanding of who we are as people, whether teens or parents. That’s when I realized I needed to go deeper and develop these characters the way they should be so people could relate. So people could see their own story in these fictitious characters to be inspired that God gives us the power to stand against temptation. So they would truly understand the redemption of Christ and how completely loved we are by our Father, regardless of our behavior. The thought that kept rolling around in the back of my head was that I wasn’t writing one book but a series. This overwhelmed me because I was determined to finish this summer. I pushed the idea to the back of my mind and continued writing.

That day I wrote over 7,000 words. When my husband returned home from work early the next morning and I finally shut my computer, I sighed.

“My book is too long. With every scene I write I realize I need to go deeper. I don’t know what I’m going to do.”

“It sounds like you’re writing a new series,” he said.

I immediately yelled “Yes!” because in that moment he spoke the words confirming what God had already put on my heart.

That’s how one book became three. The next morning I divided them and suddenly my word count was back in the 20,000 range, but now it was spread across three books. It was little discouraging, however, I made a new goal. By January, I will finish three rough drafts for the Once Lost series. I figured that’s not too outrageous of a goal considering I almost wrote an entire draft in three weeks.

My sprint has turned into a marathon. Danny is still whispering his story to me and honestly, it’s a hard story to tell. But I’ve made this commitment, to myself and the Lord that I’ll write the stories He gives me.

My summer break is over. In another week the amount of driving I need to do for the kids will double. By the end of the month, it will triple and we will begin our 11th year of homeschooling.  There will be papers to grade and lessons to teach and a whole lot of work to do for my teaching job. But I won’t let that stop me from achieving my goal, the goal God has placed in front of me and in my heart. I’ll keep speaking the words as they come, then polish them on paper. And most of all, I’ll keep praying. I’m praying for wisdom, inspiration, guidance, that He will multiply my time, that I can glorify Him with my time and with my effort. I’ll continue running this marathon, striving toward the finish line when it will all finally come together. I know my Father will be looking upon me saying, “Well done, My good and faithful servant.”

Has your sprint turned into a marathon? Is the healing taking longer than you expected? Is that perfect job nowhere in sight? Is that dream so slow in coming you feel as if you’re crawling to the finish line? Don’t give up. It’s time to finish well. Whether it takes an extra day, week, month, or year, God’s timing is perfect. Commit yourself and your plans to Him. Ask Him to use your life for His glory. When you do, He will be your coach, encourager, and counselor along the way. You don’t need to fear the marathon because He is both beside you AND at the finish line cheering you on. It’s your race, my friend. Determine to run it well.