Davalynn Spencer's Blog, page 22
July 4, 2021
Celebrating Freedom
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer
I celebrate this Independence Day by honoring my husband, Mike Spencer, who won his freedom from a lengthy disability on June 28.
He is now riding the grassy ranges of God’s High Country, where the streams run clear and the air is fresh as a newborn calf.
Cowboys are a patriotic breed, strong on God and family. The days surrounding the Fourth of July are known among rodeo families as Cowboy Christmas due to the number of rodeos contestants can make, particularly in the Northwest.
Mike’s favorite place to celebrate the Fourth was the Home of Champions Rodeo at Red Lodge, Montana, tucked in the shadow of the beautiful Beartooth Mountains.
I’m sure the hills of heaven dwarf our earthly ranges, even the magnificent Rockies.
How perfect is God’s timing that my cowboy celebrates freedom in heaven this year, during this most appropriate of times on the rodeo cowboy calendar.
~
I love you, Cowboy. You must be seeing some incredible country and praising God with those who arrived before you. I miss you, but I praise God too, knowing that you are with Jesus and free of the paralysis, pain, and confusion at last.
~
He will wipe every tear from their eyes,
and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain.
All these things are gone forever.
Revelation 21:4
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(c) 2021 Davalynn Spencer, all rights reserved.
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June 27, 2021
Are We Prepared?
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer
Merriam-Webster: prepare
verb
pre·pare | \ pri-ˈper \
prepared; preparing
Definition of prepare
1a: to make ready beforehand for some purpose, use, or activity – prepare food for dinner
b: to put in a proper state of mind is prepared to listen
2: to work out the details of: plan in advance preparing a campaign strategy
3a: to put together: prepare a prescription
b: to put into written form: prepare a report
intransitive verb
: to get ready: preparing for a career
Preparation is not a strange concept. We prepare our garden soil for planting. We prepare meals for friends and family. We prepare income taxes – or we have someone else prepare them for us.
But rarely are we prepared to die, even though we know this flesh and bone suit we’re wearing isn’t bullet proof or immune to age.
Years ago my husband taught elementary school in a tiny Northern Colorado town. One of his students was a little boy with cystic fibrosis. Some mornings, the school nurse would “clap” on the boy’s chest and back to break up the fluid and ease his breathing.
Everyone knew this child probably wouldn’t see sixth grade. The boy knew it too, but his mother had prepared him, given him the sweetest attitude and a joyful heart. She had prepared her son to die.
No adults attending that boy’s funeral were prepared for the emotional impact of its “Gone Fishing” theme that he had chosen himself.
That little guy knew Jesus was waiting for him on the other side of his painful and frightening condition. He had the faith of a child – a child who had been taught that he was just passing through and Jesus loved him.
But he and his mama weren’t the only ones who had prepared for his arrival in heaven.
God has long been busy getting ready for His kids, the little ones and the older ones too.
Many biblical passages tell us about God’s preparations, but I like the following three the best.
I go to prepare a place for you.
John 14:2
No eye has seen, no ear has heard,
and no mind has imagined what
God has prepared for those who love him.
1 Corinthians 2:9
But they were looking for a better place,
a heavenly homeland. That is why
God is not ashamed to be called their God,
for he has prepared a city for them.
Hebrews 11:16
God is getting ready for you. Are you getting ready for Him? If you’d like to know more about Him before you meet Him face to face, tell Him. He’s listening. He’d love to hear from you.
~
Are we prepared?
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“If I leave enough food prepared,” Livvy said, tucking her napkin under her plate, “do you think you could get by without me for a day?”
A solid protest jumped into Whit’s throat, ready to bust out of his mouth in a loud, “No!”
Her grandfather leaned back against his chair and considered Livvy’s request a moment. “And what takes a whole day in town?”
She set her cup easy in its saucer and dropped her hands to her lap. “I want to stop and see Martha Hutton.” Her face flushed a bit but she pressed on, keeping her eyes fixed on her grandfather.
“When Whit and I were in town last, Mrs. Hutton said I could stop by any time. I’d like to take her up on that. For a visit.”
Whit would go with her.
Baker smiled for the first time in several days. “I think that is a fine idea, Livvy. You need other women’s company. Stay the night. I’d rather you not drive back alone near dark, and the three of us here can hold this place together in the meantime.”
But if Whit went with her—wait, the three of us?
Her smile ravished the fire’s light and kindled anxiety in Whit’s middle. Livvy gone? For an entire day and night? ~Straight to My Heart
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June 20, 2021
Dad’s Best Advice
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer
My farmer father taught me how to drive by starting me out on a tractor when I was about 10. His instructions included the following:
Stand up on the brake if you can’t push it down. Stop at intersections even if no cars are coming. Signal before turning at that intersection. (I’m convinced people don’t know how to do that today.)Watch the edge of the pavement, not the center line, so you stay in the right-hand lane.In the field, plow a straight line by fixing your eyes on a distant point ahead. Don’t look back over your shoulder.One summer afternoon at our house in town Dad said, “Take the pickup out to the ranch for me.”
I guess he figured it wasn’t that much of a jump from the tractor to the truck, and he didn’t say a word while I ground through the gears of the old Chevy with “three on the tree.” But I made the nine-mile trip without getting a ticket or running over anyone’s dog or cow.
Today, in heavy fog or a snow storm, I hear Dad telling me to watch the edge of the road rather than the center line. Signaling and observing stop signs also serve me well, but I don’t stand on the brake any more.
However, Dad’s best advice was number five – literally and figuratively: Watching where you’re going is the best way to get there.
We all learn from our dads, whether it’s what we want to do with our life, how to do it, or how not to do it. Sometimes those dads weren’t our fathers, but they filled in the gaps and shored us up.
Others had dads who were abusive or mean. That kind of childhood skews our image of a loving heavenly Father who is there waiting for us to come to Him so He can heal our heart-wounds.
Whatever your situation may be, this Father’s Day, find someone to honor with a thank you for their support. And give God a chance. You may not know Him yet, but He loves you more than you can imagine.
Can a woman forget her nursing child,
and not have compassion on the son of her womb?
Surely they may forget,
Yet I will not forget you.
See, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands;
Isaiah 49:15-16 (NKJV)
~
How about you? What’s the best advice you received from your dad or father-figure?
Ty set the tray on the family picnic table beneath the sprawling overhang and sat on the side facing the cut grass that sloped down toward the arena. Crickets took up a chorus from the pond south of the barn while the sun slid toward the mountains. He unscrewed the lid from the salsa jar and dumped a pile of it on one end of his burrito.
“Thanks, Lord.”
Lifelong habit forced a cursory nod to God, but the full-mouth prayer wasn’t the kind of blessing he’d grown up with. Prayers like his father prayed had faded after the three-in-one funeral. It’d been hard to thank God for anything when Ty felt like everything had been ripped from him.
He took another bite of burrito and chased it with cold cola. Not exactly Ronnie Fare’s sweet lemonade and fried cheese.
The memory of her golden hair and tanned legs swamped his good sense as an arrow of Canada geese sailed past on their way to the pond. He wondered what she was making for dinner.
And he wondered what his mom would think of a girl with a boy’s name and a smile that made him want to be a better man. ~”Taste and See” from Always a Wedding Planner
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Revised from an earlier post in June 2015.
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June 13, 2021
All Things Work Together …
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer
Rarely have I seen a true silver lining on a cloud, but often I have heard that every cloud has one.
John Milton is said to have coined the phrase in 1634. It has become a cliché encouragement to those in trying situations that something positive can result from something negative.
The idea supporting the silver-lining theory is the fact that the sun is behind the cloud. Even though we can’t see it, we see evidence of the sun’s presence.
God’s word says something similar but with deeper significance:
And we know that all things work together for good
to those who love God,
to those who are the called according to His purpose.
Romans 8:28 (NKJV)
Nothing surprises God, and He works every situation into something good – here’s the catch – for those who love Him.
Do we love Him enough to set our own purposes aside to follow His? Do we take the time to even find out what those purposes might be? Do we stick with Him long enough to see what He will do in the situation?
The sweet peace of God’s presence is an enduring comfort. And knowing that He is working even bad things out for our good encourages me to press on.
~
I have heard that every cloud has one.
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Last week’s winner of the author-signed copy of Always a Wedding Planner is Alicia Haney. Congratulations!
“I can’t taste or smell anything because of an infection I got on the ship,” Ronnie said.
All three of her business partners glanced at each other and then back at her.
“Why didn’t you tell us?” the baker asked.
Ronnie took a shaky breath. “Because who wants a chef who can’t smell or taste?”
“From what I heard tonight,” Cassie said, “it didn’t make a bit of difference.”
“And it doesn’t make any difference to us,” the baker added. “You know what you’re doing, and you do it well. I certainly hope you’re not thinking of quitting.”
“But I may never get my taste and smell back. There are no guarantees.” ~ Taste and See from Always a Wedding Planner
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June 3, 2021
Take Refuge in Him – (and a giveaway!)
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer
Last month I visited the Ark Encounter in Williamstown, Kentucky. After my initial amazement at how large the replica Ark was (built according to biblical dimensions), I was humbled by the lengths to which God would go to save His people and creation. The great floating refuge withstood the ravages of storm and endless sea for nearly a year (Gen. 7:11, 8:13).
Countless historical details surround the ark’s construction, and I won’t go into them here. However, as is often the case, the Lord dove-tailed this visit with another event in my personal life, generating a deeper understanding on my part – the Ark Encounter and the release of my latest story, “Taste and See” in Barbour’s Always a Wedding Planner.
In “Taste and See,” the key scripture in the lives of my characters is Psalm 34:8 – “Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him” (NKJV).
When I cross-referenced other versions of this verse, I discovered that most of them said, “blessed in the man who takes refuge in Him.” Curious about why, I looked up the Hebrew word for trust used in the Psalm and discovered that it translates as “flee for protection.” Figuratively used, it means to confide in, have hope, make refuge, (put) trust*.
I imagine Noah trusted God more than his own experience and reasoning. I imagine God’s command to build the ark was not the first time Noah had heard from the Lord. And I imagine that Noah knew only God could provide refuge from the judgement about to come upon the earth.
Noah didn’t speak Hebrew, but he understood trust in the deepest sense of the word. And his trust resulted in salvation for himself, his family, and early generations of every animal kind on the planet.
For me, the Ark Encounter was a huge visual representation of an even bigger God in whom I can entrust my life.
Taste and see that the LORD is good.
Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in him!
Psalm 34:8, NLT
~
This week I am giving away a copy of Always a Wedding Planner, signed by all four authors – a rare and limited item. Comment below to be entered in the drawing by answering the following question:
In what way has God proven to you He is trustworthy?
Noah trusted God.
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Ronnie peered through teary eyes at the barnboard sign her mother had given her when she graduated from her culinary training. The black script letters were only half of the verse in Psalm 34—the challenge part.
The encouragement part wasn’t there, but it had been tattooed on her heart by two loving women over the years, and even now ran through her mind in her Gramma ’Cine’s voice: “Blessed is the wo-man who trusts in Him.”
For as long as Ronnie could remember, Gramma had added wo- to the verse, insisting that it didn’t alter the promise, but directed it to a more specific audience. Years of hearing that affirmation had laid a foundation of trust. ~”Taste and See” in Always a Wedding Planner
*From Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, Hebrew word for trust, used in Psalm 34:8 – 2620: to flee for protection; figuratively to confide in, have hope, make refuge, (put) trust
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May 30, 2021
Remember the Price Paid
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer
More than a century ago, the Civil War uprooted dreams, decimated families, and divided the nation. Those who survived were determined to remember the price paid by decorating the graves of their fallen loved ones with flowers and flags on Decoration Day. Gradually, the name *Memorial Day became the more commonly used term for this day of recognition.
After WWI, the honor of remembrance was extended to include those who had died in any war during which Americans had served. Battlefields were clearly on the minds of the founders who established this day of remembrance, but many sons and daughters gave their lives on battlefields that were often not recognized as such.
During WWII, countless women went to work outside their homes for the first time, picking up the slack left in the wake of their deployed husbands, fathers, and brothers, gladly joining the war effort.
A young bride was one of thousands of civilians who took to the Long Beach shipyards in southern California while her new husband served on the damp airfields of England.
But it was the husband who came home to a funeral, for the young woman’s lungs could not withstand the ravages of tuberculosis, and she left a toddler in his arms when she died.
Every year on Memorial Day, my husband bows his head for this woman he never knew. The woman who gave him life and ultimately her own for her country.
Others whose names we may not know have given all of what they had to give on a battlefield of mud or concrete, salty sea and riddled skies, or technological minefields cluttered with unseen enemies.
And today, the giving goes on.
This Memorial Day, we would do well to remember with gratitude the fallen upon whose sacrifices we stand. May we live our lives in ways that honor such examples of faith and selflessness.
~
Greater love hath no man than this,
that a man lay down his life for his friends.
John 15:13
Remember with gratitude the fallen upon whose sacrifices we stand.
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*In 1967, Memorial Day was declared the official name of the federal holiday. The following year, Congress moved Memorial Day from its traditional date of May 30 to the last Monday of May for convenience sake.
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May 23, 2021
Always a Wedding Planner – Story 4
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer
Thank you for joining me for this “Takeaway” series with input from all four authors in the upcoming contemporary romance collection from Barbour Publishing, Always a Wedding Planner. We have heard from Toni Shiloh, RL Ashly, and Leeann Betts. Today I share what I hope readers take away from my story, “Taste and See.”
As I mentioned three weeks ago, takeaway is what stays with a reader long after the story is over. And if it’s a solid takeaway, the story never really ends. That’s what I like to write—stories that stay.
Simply Trust
In this collection told from the perspectives of four business partners, each with something to hide, I was quick to decide upon my story’s scriptural connection. Writing from the chef’s point of view, and with “insider’s” knowledge about the big secret she was hiding, I went to one of my favorite Psalms.
Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good:
Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!
Psalm 34:8
Taste and smell are the two physical senses so closely connected, not taste and see. Why are these two paired in this passage? Perhaps the verse could be interpreted as meaning “try God out and discover how good He is.” But I’ll leave translations up to the scholars and focus on what the scripture actually says.
My cooking character, Saffron (Ronnie) Fare has a barnboard plaque hanging above the counter in her commercial kitchen with this verse inscribed on it. The plaque was a gift from her mother. An encouragement for her career as a chef and a reminder that those who trust the Lord are blessed – whether they are man or woman.
However, when Ronnie came down with an infection that rendered her senses of taste and smell useless, she was devastated. Fear threatened to undermine her confidence as a chef. Of all the senses she needed the most in order to do her job, taste and smell were critical. Without them, she was forced to depend on the senses of others and their reactions to determine if she had succeeded with a new recipe or an adjustment to an old one.
Ultimately, she realized that she had to apply the second half of the verse and trust God. She chose to use the unexpected provisions God had supplied rather than let fear take over.
When our back is up against the wall and we’re pushed into a corner, God is there. When we’re faced with losing our livelihood and all we hold dear, God is there. And when fear threatens to strangle our confident praise into squirming panic, God is there. It’s the letting go and trusting that is so hard because trust comes at the great, bloody expense of self-will.
My prayer that accompanies this light-hearted tale is that readers see their real-life challenges met with hope that the real-life promises of God are true and worthy of our trust. I pray they will take God at His word, then taste and see how good He truly is.
~
At the great, bloody expense of self-will.
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Ronnie peered through teary eyes at the barnboard sign her mother had given her when she graduated from her culinary training. The black script letters were only half of the verse in Psalm 34—the challenge part.
The encouragement part wasn’t there, but it had been tattooed on her heart by two loving women over the years, and even now ran through her mind in her Gramma ’Cine’s voice: “Blessed is the wo-man who trusts in Him.”
For as long as Ronnie could remember, Gramma had added wo- to the verse, insisting that it didn’t alter the promise, but directed it to a more specific audience.
Years of hearing that affirmation had laid a foundation of trust.
Trust sounded a whole lot like taste. And right now it was just about the only thing she could do in the face of this potentially life-altering challenge. ~”Taste and See” from Always a Wedding Planner
Pre-order your copy today!
~
Bestselling author and Will Rogers Gold Medallion winner for Inspirational Western Fiction, Davalynn Spencer is the wife and mother of professional rodeo bullfighters and can’t stop #lovingthecowboy. When she’s not writing Western romance, she teaches writing workshops and wrangles Blue the Cowdog and feline mouse detectors Annie and Oakley. Join her newsletter readers and receive a free historical novella!
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May 16, 2021
Always a Wedding Planner – Story 3
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer
Thank you for joining me for week three in our “Takeaway” series by authors of the soon-to-release Always a Wedding Planner. So far, we have heard from Toni Shiloh and RL Ashley.
Today, author Leeann Betts joins us to share what she hopes will be the takeaway from her story in the collection, “The Worst-Kept Secret.”
Hiding from God
The theme for The Worst-Kept Secret is that we can’t hide anything from God. He already knows. Yet we spend so much time making excuses, taking unnecessary detours, and simply avoiding the truth. If, instead, we invested our energies in deepening our relationship with God, He would point out those areas that need to change so we could deepen our relationship with Him and enjoy the fullness of His gifts of grace and mercy which He extends to us each day.
My heroine, Cassie, has a secret which she desperately feels she needs to hide for two reasons: she doesn’t want to disappoint her friends and business partners, and she doesn’t want them to ask her to leave the partnership. Another job she can always find; three great friends like Kiki, Ronnie, and Felicity are a treasure of great worth.
The hero, Brady, also has a secret, not one he consciously tries to hide, but which he prefers to keep a secret because of client confidentiality. He’s heard the rumors around town about his reason for coming to Colorado, but the fact is, if he makes known why he really chose a small town near the Rocky Mountain National Park, he could lose his client base. After all, most of the folks who rent limos are out for a night on the town before they head to the Park to ski and booze. And yes, occasionally do drugs. Well, he can’t stop them, and if there is money to be made in renting cars, he’ll do it. He needs to live and keep a roof over his head and office space available if he’s going to help folks who really want to make changes in their lifestyle.
The contrast between Cassie’s conservative lifestyle and what she perceives as Brady’s party-boy life demonstrates the difference between trying to make ourselves righteous in our own works and choosing to live a life that we know isn’t pleasing to God. However, we learn Cassie was wrong about Brady, and in this is the lesson that we shouldn’t listen to rumors. Scripture tells us to go to the person if we have anything against them. Brady also tries so hard to first change Cassie’s opinion of him, and then later to win her back because the applause of others is important to him. He learns through this story that he need please only one: God, which is something we all need to realize too.
My goal is that readers will finish reading this story with a better understanding that God wants to be the center of our entire life, not just our prayer life, our Sunday or church life, or our private thought life. He longs to be included in every decision we make, in how we vote, in how we spend our money, and in how we treat the disadvantaged and disenfranchised in our neighborhoods and the world. We are all weak, broken vessels in dire need of a Savior, and presenting Him—and us—in this light is my heart’s desire.
For nothing is secret that will not be revealed,
nor anything hidden that will not be known and come to light.
Luke 8:17 NKJV
He longs to be included.
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Business coordinator Cassie Blackthorn is an introvert who hates talking to people. But she has a great sense of what people really want. Brady Millman wears two hats. By day he owns and runs a limousine company, and by night he is an addictions counselor.
Pre-order your copy of Always a Wedding Planner today!
Leeann Betts writes contemporary suspense, while her real-life persona, Donna Schlachter, pens historical suspense. Together she and Donna have published more than 30 novellas and full-length novels. They ghostwrite, edit, facilitate a critique group, teach writing classes, blog regularly for Heroes, Heroines, and History, judge writing contests, and are members of ACFW, Writers on the Rock, SinC, Pikes Peak Writers, Capitol Christian Writers Fellowship, Christian Women Writers, and Christian Authors Network. www.LeeannBetts.com
Connect with Leeann via her website: allbettsareoff.wordpress.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LeeannBettsAuthor
Twitter: Leeann Betts (@LeeannBetts) / Twitter
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May 9, 2021
Always a Wedding Planner – Story 2
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer
Thank you for joining me in week 2 of our Takeaway series from the authors of Always a Wedding Planner. Last week we heard from Toni Shiloh, author of the first story in the collection, “Finally a Sweetheart.” This week’s takeaway thoughts are shared by R.L. Ashley, author of the second story, “Hemmed In.”
Relationships – With God and Others
Hemmed In focuses on God’s relationship with the individual and the individual’s relationship with others. When I was writing the story, I chose the following verse as the theme:
You hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me.
Psalm 139:5 NIV
As a professional seamstress, the New International Version’s use of the word “hem” appealed to me. A garment or project without a hem looks sloppy and is unfinished. The fabric unravels and deteriorates over time. The item lasts longer and is more serviceable if it has a hem in it. Recognizing God’s protection and leading in our lives, reminds me of a finished seam.
The words “You hem me in” demonstrate God’s active participation in the believer’s life. Behind, before, and above denote the surrounding presence of the Lord in our lives. God stitches the broken places making them whole. “You hem me in” connotates a very deep and personal relationship with God. The language stresses ‘God and me.’ It’s cool to be tight with God.
Relationships are fun and at times difficult. In my story, Kiki develops a friendship with Bing and works on her relationship with Camilla. They succeed in some areas and struggle with others. Kiki and Bing learn to work together and even though it takes the entire story, Kiki and Camilla’s relationship improves.
Not only do stories seek to instruct and encourage, but they are also created for fun. Novels take the reader on many kinds of adventures. Entertainment serves its purpose when the one being entertained can forget about life’s struggles for a while and rejuvenate. My happy place would be a library with floor-to-ceiling shelves stuffed with books and a hammock.
~
You hem me in.
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Bing climbed out of the trash receptacle, scoped out the bear’s location, then helped Kiki down from the truck.
His ears turned red as he held her hand. “I was going to tell you I loved you later, but Crusher forced it out of me. Sorry, claiming my love from the floor of a dumpster is not very romantic.”
She squeezed his hand. “Depends on who you ask.”
He bent and kissed her on the cheek.
She’d never wash her face again. ~ “Hemmed In” from Always a Wedding Planner
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RL Ashly is a master seamstress with a Master of Arts degree in Literature. A mother and grandmother, she is active in her local writing community, never says “never” to a home-improvement task, and strives to one day write the great American novel.
Connect with her via Twitter: https://twitter.com/rl_ashly
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rlashlyauthor/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rl.ashly.1/
Website: https://rlashlyauthor.wixsite.com/rlashly
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May 2, 2021
Always a Wedding Planner – Story 1
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer
Last year an author friend approached me about writing part of a contemporary romance collection for Barbour Publishing. She and her two partners needed a fourth author. Would I join them?
Yes!
Always a Wedding Planner is a behind the scenes look into the lives of four friends who run a business called Weddings by Design based in Loveland, Colorado. Perfect, right?
Each author tells the story of one of the four business partners – all single, and each with a secret to keep. It was great fun working with everyone as we all linked our characters throughout the collection.
Possibly the most important element of writing fiction is giving readers a good takeaway – an idea or thought or encouragement they take with them after reading the last page and closing the book.
Beginning today and continuing the next three weeks, each author will highlight the “takeaway” from her story. Today I’m pleased to introduce Toni Shiloh who opens the collection with her story, “Finally a Sweetheart.”
Trust in God
In my story, “Finally a Sweetheart,” Felicity Edwards is a wedding cake baker who dreams of having a family one day. She deals with the conflict of knowing when to be vulnerable, feeling like she’s worthy of love, and opening her heart to new possibilities.
The biggest takeaway I hope readers will leave with is that you can trust God with it all. He’ll see you through the trials and tribulations. He’ll strengthen you when you’re weak. Bless you with wisdom when you’re conflicted on an issue.
I hope that people see the humanity in Felicity and the desire to be better as a person.
And now abide faith, hope, love, these three;
but the greatest of these is love.
1 Corinthians 13:13 NKJV
~
Trust God with it all.
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Felicity’s relationship with Will wasn’t without its ups and downs. But through it all, Will had shown her she was enough. ~ “Finally a Sweetheart” from Always a Wedding Planner
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Toni Shiloh is a wife, mom, and multi-published Christian contemporary romance author. She writes to bring God glory and to learn more about His goodness. Her novel, Grace Restored, was a 2019 Holt Medallion finalist and Risking Love is a 2020 Selah Award finalist.
Learn more about Toni and her many books at Toni Shiloh – Soulfully Romantic. Connect with her on Twitter @tonishilohwrite and Facebook
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