Julie Arduini's Blog, page 13

Repairing Hearts Available for Pre-Order

What happens when a reality show creates a blight on sextuplet Ryan Hart’s life harsher than his dump of a home?

Ryan, the independent, brooding second oldest of the Hart sextuplets, can’t enjoy the solitude he craves when he agrees to star on a reality show. The plan is to discover a project manager to renovate his hole of a property. The show reveals that it’s more about Ryan’s dating life. Can he keep his guard up when everything around him is falling apart faster than the shingles on his roof?

BJ Wallace loves her quiet life in Wisconsin that she’s created far from her traumatic childhood. Everything changes when she learns she’s competing on Repairing Ryan’s Heart. As the show focuses more on Ryan than the house, BJ falls for him. Will she win the show and destroy Ryan with her secret, or sacrifice her heart to protect Ryan?

A small-town, reality show romance with family drama and a Christian thread of surrendering pride and anger.

This book.

This series.

I’m going to be blunt.

Before Surrendering Hearts, I liked my books. I enjoyed the characters. But I knew I had growing to do in the writing department. Anchored Hearts was the first book where I felt I “got it”. I was trained to write for journalism, so my instinct is to “write tight”.

Well, that doesn’t make for moving fiction.

Finally, FINALLY, I think I’m writing as an author and not a journalist.

Anchored Hearts kicks off the Surrendering Hearts series where a family experiences a unique birth story but stays in the spotlight due to tragedy. Now that the Hart sextuplets are adults, they are discovering their own identity and trying to find a love like their parents shared.

Anchored Hearts was Jordyn’s story and shared the surrender issue of giving up control and surrendering anxiety.

Repairing Hearts is Ryan’s story and shares the surrender issues of anger and pride.

What made this so fun to write was it revolves around a reality show. This makes for conflict, drama, and romance.

What wasn’t so fun writing this were the technical difficulties. Since starting Repairing Hearts last year I worked on four laptops and one very bad pair of glasses. I will never take those things for granted.

The softcover edition won’t be long to release so pre-order for Kindle. If you haven’t read Anchored Hearts, it is a stand-alone, but it definitely helps prepare you for Repairing Hearts. Check it out today!

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Trusting for Tomorrow by Jennifer Arrington

Trusting for Tomorrow

by Jennifer Arrington

Behind the story…

For the latter half of my twenties and into my thirties, I suffered from unexplained health problems. I went from doctor to doctor and was diagnosed with everything ranging from depression to chronic fatigue syndrome. Since I didn’t think I was depressed and because there was no apparent cure for chronic fatigue syndrome, I learned to live with my low-energy life. It quickly became apparent that a strict whole-food diet relieved my symptoms, so I enrolled as a master’s student at Texas A&M University as a nutrition major.

In one of my classes, I learned of celiac disease and decided to go gluten-free. I had tried a myriad of diets and supplements, but never this. Within one week, the symptoms that had plagued me for years were gone.

Gone.

A month later, we found out we were expecting our first child, something that, after eight years of marriage, we had assumed was impossible.

The simplicity of my cure astounded me, yet the frustration of six unnecessary years of suffering seemed ludicrous. Why hadn’t a doctor suggested this? How could I get the word out?

Twenty years ago, eating gluten-free was not “in vogue,” and it was difficult to purchase gluten-free food or to explain it to people. Everyone thought I was on the Atkins diet, and because I was thin, I received as much negativity about my diet as I had from doctors over my unexplained illness.

That’s when I decided to write a book and put celiac disease in the story. But I didn’t want it to be my story, so I gave it to Katherine’s daughter, Alyssa, and wove Katherine’s fight to get help for her daughter into a run-in with a stubborn (but handsome) pediatrician. Now, can you imagine this story playing out? A little bit? Are you smiling yet?

Good, because it makes for a great story!

Currently discounted to $2.99 on Kindle, you can download Trusting for Tomorrow and enjoy a fantastic faith-filled love story. Keep some tissues on hand, and make sure you have some free time because you won’t be able to put it down.

Jennifer Arrington started her first novel as a 9-year-old, writing in messy cursive, filling pages of an empty notebook. Her book was set in a boarding school for girls and included a schematic of the school, the dorms, the grounds, and of course, the netball courts.

Given that Jennifer has lived in four countries and five states within the United States, that manuscript is long gone. However, writing and journaling have always been her own personal therapy, and reading a reason to “get everything done” so she can focus on her TBR pile.

During her stay-at-home mom years, Jennifer used nap times to pen her first novel, Trusting for Tomorrow, inspired by her experiences with celiac disease. Ten years later, while recovering from multiple surgeries after recurrent breast cancer, she completed The Counting Tree, incorporating parts of her own breast cancer experiences into the story.

Jennifer self-publishes and spends her days on marketing, networking, and writing. She is currently working on a biography and a middle grade children’s adventure series. Although the styles and genres are far apart, Jennifer maintains that bouncing between the two keeps her brain fresh and helps maximize her writing time.

With a master’s degree in nutrition from Texas A&M University, Jennifer spent much of her career as a high school chemistry teacher and still tutors chemistry via Zoom. A self-proclaimed bibliophile, she also loves paddle boarding, snorkeling, and beach walking. Always reading, she often enjoys three concurrent books: an e-book, an audiobook, and a paper copy. That, she maintains, ensures a book is always on hand!

The Counting Tree by Jennifer Arrington

The Counting Tree

by Jennifer Arrington

In June of 2019, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. There was no family history; my only risk factor was being female. I was about to start a new job, and then everything happened at once: I underwent a lumpectomy, intraoperative radiation, and started hormone blockers. It ended up being a much “bigger deal” than I had imagined, but we came through it all and breathed a sigh of relief, putting that episode behind us.

A little over a year later, however, I discovered a new lump. That lump led to a double mastectomy and a long road of multiple surgeries and adjustments with lots of sitting around the house doing nothing. The enforced isolation and recovery depressed me, so I pulled out a manuscript I’d started about ten years before.

That manuscript turned into The Counting Tree and became my personal therapy. And, as part of that therapy, I gave my protagonist, Heidi, breast cancer (sorry, Heidi!). I finished the story and let my daughter and a friend read it, thinking the manuscript had served its purpose. But they told me the book needed to be published, so that’s what we did!

The Counting Tree, centered around thankfulness, opens in 1988 South Africa, where a young Heidi has flown halfway around the world to work as a camp counselor. In chapter 2, the reader learns of The Tree, a weeping willow where children hang personalized wind chimes. We peak in on Heidi as Johann, the enigmatic camp director, reluctantly shows her around the property. Here they are at The Tree:

Tears pooled in Heidi’s eyes as she scanned the hundreds of chimes hung throughout the branches. How beautiful and what a contrast… every placard proclaiming a child’s blessing hung in a weeping willow.

Words from the Psalms came unbidden, “We hanged our harps upon the willows in the midst thereof…” she quoted softly.

“…for there they that carried us away captive required of us a song.” Johann finished quietly.

The quoted words of Psalms resonated between them, filling the space; their eyes locked, his startled by the depth of her understanding, hers grateful for the connection.”

You will laugh and cry and cheer Heidi on as she navigates this new life and the beginnings of a beautiful love. But life isn’t kind to Heidi, and the reader follows Heidi’s journey back to the United States, through adoption, parenting twins alone, breast cancer, and eventually to another Counting Tree. This one, although a continent away, is startlingly familiar.

We released this heartwarming love story on Thanksgiving Day, 2022. Currently discounted to $2.99 on Kindle, you can download your own copy now. Just a warning: you won’t be able to put it down! Many reviewers state that they read it in one sitting, and the most recent reviewer says, “Reading this story is an emotional, inspiring, and rewarding journey. Highly recommend!”

The Counting Tree is the winner of the

2023 National Indie Excellence Awards

Category: Religious Fiction.

Jennifer Arrington started her first novel as a 9-year-old, writing in messy cursive, filling pages of an empty notebook. Her book was set in a boarding school for girls and included a schematic of the school, the dorms, the grounds, and of course, the netball courts.

Given that Jennifer has lived in four countries and five states within the United States, that manuscript is long gone. However, writing and journaling have always been her own personal therapy, and reading a reason to “get everything done” so she can focus on her TBR pile.

During her stay-at-home mom years, Jennifer used nap times to pen her first novel, Trusting for Tomorrow, inspired by her experiences with celiac disease. Ten years later, while recovering from multiple surgeries after recurrent breast cancer, she completed The Counting Tree, incorporating parts of her own breast cancer experiences into the story.

Jennifer self-publishes and spends her days on marketing, networking, and writing. She is currently working on a biography and a middle grade children’s adventure series. Although the styles and genres are far apart, Jennifer maintains that bouncing between the two keeps her brain fresh and helps maximize her writing time.

With a master’s degree in nutrition from Texas A&M University, Jennifer spent much of her career as a high school chemistry teacher and still tutors chemistry via Zoom. A self-proclaimed bibliophile, she also loves paddle boarding, snorkeling, and beach walking. Always reading, she often enjoys three concurrent books: an e-book, an audiobook, and a paper copy. That, she maintains, ensures a book is always on hand!

Anchored Hearts Has Lower Kindle Price

What if a celebrity sextuplet was terrified of change and suddenly transition consumed her life?

That’s the heart of Anchored Hearts, the first in my new series, Surrendering Hearts. The Hart sextuplets discover their own identity and try to find a love like their parents shared. Jordyn is the oldest, so her book kicks the series off.

I loved writing Anchored Hearts because I know how debilitating it can be to try to control everything around you. While writing this, just about everything spun out of control with my home and family. It almost broke me. But It also gave me a beautiful story to share with you.

The next book in the series, Repairing Hearts, releases next month. While I prepare for that, I lowered Anchored Hearts for Kindle to be sure you have the opportunity to read it. Each book can stand alone, but why would you want them to? Get to know the Hart sextuplets by reading them all. It’s easy to start—Anchored Hearts is the beginning!

I Didn’t Want it That Way

This is one of those journeys where we start on one topic and end up in France. Oh, how husbands love following that trail.

No, no they do not, LOL.

Anyway, in my head, maybe because of a boy band resurgence, is the Backstreet Boys I Want it That Way.

That got me thinking.

When I decided to take writing seriously and write for God, I never had bestseller aspirations or designs on big book signings. This introvert wanted to write books that entertained and transformed, and maybe, just maybe, earned enough royalties that I could keep writing by hiring a cleaning person.

Well, that hasn’t panned out yet.

What has panned out was results to an allergy test I took last wwek.

Turns out I’m allergic to 18 things.

Eighteen!

The administrator said, “Wow. You go big or go home.”

That’s definitely me.

The biggest allergies are mold and dust mites. Others are trees, weeds, and a mild allergy to cats and dogs. Through it all I’ve had peace about the path to take to live my best life.

The woman advised that I should no longer clean the bedroom or deep clean the house. Our daughter has the same allergy. My husband works 50-60 hours a week.

He looked at me and said, “Let’s research getting someone in to clean.”

I’m not sold on the idea, by no means am I down and out.

Honestly? I wanted it THAT way, like the song, by having enough royalties to take that on. Not because I have a bunch of allergies!

So there you have it. I started with a boy band and ended with a cleaning person search because of allergies.

Life takes turns like that, doesn’t it?

***

I have a new release coming out next month, Repairing Hearts. If you want to know more about it, check out my Link Tree.

Small Town Secrets by Lillian Duncan

SMALL TOWN SECRETS

It’s that time again—a new book releasing! SMALL TOWN SECRETS is based in the fictional town of Shady Valley, but does resemble my hometown of Shreve, Ohio. Except nothing this exciting happens in Shreve–which is a good thing. That’s why I like living there.

But nothing happening would make for a boring book so Shady Valley has a few secrets–secrets that could kill!

On the surface, Shady Valley seems to be the ideal all-American place to live with beautiful flowering trees lining both sides of the street as you enter the picturesque town. Neighbors help neighbors. Doors are often left unlocked.

Serious crimes are practically nonexistent—almost but not quite!

When Angie McVey disappears on her wedding day, rookie officer Cami Martine is determined to find her best friend. Unfortunately, there are no leads to follow.

Angie seems to have disappeared into thin air.

But not everyone in Shady Valley is what they appear to be.  Some have secrets—deadly secrets—that they hide behind the masks they wear. If Cami is to bring her best friend home, she will need to discover the deadly secrets of her friends and neighbors and find the one who wears the biggest mask.

SMALL TOWN SECRETS is a fast-paced mystery and suspense novel that will keep you turning pages past your bed time.

BIO:

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Lillian Duncan… turning faith into fiction.

For years, my tagline was Stories of faith mingled… with murder & mayhem, but no longer.

In 2012, I was diagnosed with bilateral brain tumors and a rare genetic disease (Neurofibromatosis Type 2). Because of that, I’ve changed and when a writer changes their writing changes. I wanted my tagline to reflect the new me.

I still love to write suspense and mystery but have spread my wings a bit to include other genres, including literary; women’s fiction; young adult; and devotionals. But not to worry, I still write the types of books I love to read—fast-paced stories that demonstrates God’s love for all of us with lots of action.

To learn more about me, check out www.lillian-duncan.com. I also have a devotional blog at www.PowerUpWithGod.com.

Fiction Finder: October 2023 New Releases

October 2023 New Releases
More in-depth descriptions of these books can be found on the ACFW Fiction Finder website

Children’s:
Road Trip Rescue by Becca Wierwille — After spotting a photo of her lost dog, twelve-year-old Kimmy embarks on a wild road trip to bring him home with her pink-haired, adventure-hungry aunt who makes some unexpected detours. (Children’s/Middle Grade/Chapter Books from Beloved Chronicles LLC)

Contemporary Romance:

A Christmas Romance by Annette M. Irby — A wannabe novelist with writer’s block. A best-selling children’s book author with a knack for story. And the romance they brainstorm together. Can they deny their attraction, or will they live their own Christmas romance? (Romance Novella from Prism Effect Publishing)

A Country Christmas by Lisa Carter — The rancher and the city girl have nothing in common…except the wedding that brings them together (Contemporary Romance from Love Inspired/Harlequin)

A Deeper Love by Heidi Gray McGill — There’s no such thing as going “too deep” where spiritual things are concerned. But I’ll stay at the surface and snorkel rather than dive into the depths when it comes to relationships. (Contemporary Romance from Celebrate Lit Publishing)

A Horseman’s Mission by Sandra Ardoin — A guilt-ridden horseman works to establish an equine therapy center for veterans with PTSD while attempting to ease the fears of an overprotective widow whose son suffers panic attacks. (Contemporary Romance from Corner Room Books)

Fields of Glass by Alyssa Schwarz — A rancher facing bankruptcy and a corporate sales rep who wants to buy his family land. Sparks fly when they are forced to work together toward a common goal, and discover what they’re willing to sacrifice to save those they care for most. (Contemporary Romance, Independently Published)

Mama Dated Santa by Amy R. Anguish — Trudy McNamara doesn’t do Christmas anymore. But Trudy finds herself tangled up with the toy store Santa and Christmas when she discovers her mom … dated Santa. Nick Russo, manager of Russos’ Toy Emporium, is at a loss as to how to save his family’s store. When Uncle Paul, the Santa and part-owner, hires Trudy to revamp their store, Nick’s life turns upside down. (Contemporary Romance from Scrivening’s Press)

Their Holiday Secret by Betsy St Amant — Preston Green will do anything for a fake girlfriend—even bid on one at a charity auction. Sweet and quirky baker Lulu Boyd is the perfect choice to stop his mother’s constant matchmaking. And it’s just for one holiday family dinner—until his father’s failing health makes ending their ruse impossible. Soon it feels all too real…but another secret might make this their last Christmas together. (Contemporary Romance from Love Inspired/Harlequin)

General Contemporary:
Secret Mercy by Lynn Waite Chapman — Talk to Liberty Cassell and you will hear her extoll all the advantages of living in her hometown of Twin Fawn. Little traffic. Easy parking. However, in this little town, when Harley Ottenweller failed to show up for dinner one day, most residents failed to notice. Those who did take note seemed grateful not to meet up with him on the street. His wife Willow and son Johnnie went on with life. No questions. No search. Does the tiny woman with wispy white hair and wild imagination know more about her husband’s disappearance than she’s telling? (General Contemporary from Winged Publications)

General Historical:
Appalachian Song by Michelle Shocklee — A young pregnant woman bonds with the midwives who take her into their Appalachian home. Decades later, a famous country singer heads to the Appalachian Mountains to search for the midwife who holds the truth about his past. (General Historical from Tyndale House)

The Kidnapped Groom by Susan Page Davis — Riding through the Flint Hills on his way to Dodge City, cowboy Sam Cayford finds himself the kidnapping victim of two children. When he meets their lovely mother, Maggie Piner—whom the kids insist he should marry—Sam starts to question God’s plans versus his own. (General Historical, Tea Tin Press)

Historical Romance:
Abounding Hope by Cindy Kay Stewart — Poland’s looming defeat forces an American teacher to escape with children wanted by the Nazis. (Historical Romance, Independently Published)

Against the Wind by Amanda Cabot — When a female doctor-in-training saves a handsome stranger’s life, little does she know that he’ll bring both love and danger into her life. (Historical Romance from Revell)

Angelina’s Resolve by Cindy Ervin Huff — Architect Angelina DuBois isn’t looking for love as she builds a town run by businesswomen. Carpenter and Civil War veteran Edward Pritchard’s dream of building homes for Chicago’s elite must be put on hold until he gains references. Serving as a contractor under Angelina’s well-known DuBois name provides that opportunity. But can Angelina trust her handsome new carpenter to respect her as his boss? Will the project take Edward one step closer to his goals, or will it make him a laughingstock? Can these two strong-willed people find love amid such an unconventional experiment? (Historical Romance from Iron Stream Media)

Chiseled on the Heart by Kelly Goshorn, Elaine Marie Cooper, Cynthia Roemer, and Candace West — Four generations carve out a journey of faith. The Gift of a Lamb by Elaine Cooper; A Lasting Legacy by Cynthia Roemer; Healing within the Pieces by Candace West; The Christmas Carving by Kelly Goshorn (Historical Romance from Revell)
The Case of the Missing Detective by Rebecca Hemlock — A spin off series of The Granton House Mysteries. We follow sixteen-year-old Dorothy Corbin as the family secrets are passed to her. She’s ready to discover her grandfather’s past, but nothing could have prepared her for what she’d find there. (Historical Romance from Bluecap Publishing)

Military Suspense:
Havoc by Ronie Kendig — Former Special Forces operator Sergeant Crew Gatlin is putting his life back together after a career-ending incident that separated him from the Army, half a leg, and his beloved working dog, Havoc K027. When he takes a job and is unexpectedly reunited with Havoc, it’s too good to be true. Their first assignment is to work as a K-9 team for a TV drama. Being a stunt double allows Vienna Foxcroft to fulfill her acting dream—with a side of MMA—and stay out of the limelight. Then in walks Mr. Mountain-of-Muscle and his tough-as-nails dog, and Vienna has a bad feeling her life is about to turn upside down as they head overseas for a location shoot in Turkey. When an attack sends the cast fleeing into the streets of Turkey, Vienna must face the demons of her past or be devoured by them. And Crew and Havoc are tested like never before. (Military Suspense from Sunrise Publishing)

Romantic Suspense:
Crime Scene Conspiracy by Jessica R. Patch — A string of staged deaths forces Texas Ranger Emily O’Connell on a covert mission to investigate a governor’s connection to the deceased women. She doesn’t trust anyone—including crime scene cleaner Stone Spencer. But when Emily’s questioning makes her the serial killer’s next target, she must turn to ex-ranger Stone for help. With threats at every turn, outrunning a merciless villain could be the last thing they do. (Romantic Suspense from Loved Inspired Suspense/Harlequin)

Christmas in the Crosshairs by Kate Angelo, Kelly Underwood, Sami A. Abrams — Christmas is about to get dangerous! Get ready for three brand new Elite Guardians romantic suspense stories from Sunrise Publishing in this exciting anthology. (Romantic Suspense from Sunrise Publishing)

Grave Secrets by Elle E. Kay — In the historic city of Philadelphia, a mystery begins to unfold that will lead to the tranquil beauty of Ricketts Glen State Park and the dark secrets hidden just beyond the park’s borders. (Romantic Suspense, Independently Published)

Holiday Menace by Jerusha Agen, Mary Alford, Lori Altebaumer, Danielle Grandinetti, Sarah Hamaker, Kendall Hoxsey, Karen Kirst, Pat O’Brien, Hope Welborn, and Terri Weldon — Will Christmas be merry and bright? Lives are in danger when menacing pressures threaten to derail Christmas in this heart-pounding suspense—plus a little romance—collection of 10 brand-new novellas from some of the genre’s most popular Christian romantic suspense authors! (Romantic Suspense, Independently Published)

Running to You by Robin Patchen — She dumped him, ghosted him for five years…and then showed up on his doorstep with bruises and a head injury she can’t explain. She has no memory of the years since she left him–or their breakup. She also has no idea why men are chasing her. (Romantic Suspense, Independently Published)

Shadows at Dusk by Elizabeth Goddard — A missing person. A murder victim. And two hurting people seeking justice, connected in ways they could never imagine. (Romantic Suspense from Revell)

Skye Fall by Paige Edwards — The dirty cop who left her for dead now lies in wait to silence her once and for all. (Romantic Suspense from Covenant Communications)

Snowbound Escape by Dana Mentink — After months tracking a colleague falsely accused of a double homicide, officer Tanner Ford and his K-9 partner finally locate crime tech Mara Gilmore—but the real murderer is closing in. Now they must run into a frozen wilderness to survive. Evading the killer is the only way for Mara to clear her name. But will the harsh winter conditions cover their tracks…or bury them forever? (Romantic Suspense from Love Inspired Suspense/Harlequin)

Western:
Another Christmas Story by Susan Page Davis — Beryl’s father is badly injured, and the wagon train leaves her and her little brother behind and at the trading post. They are at the mercy of the trading post manager, his wife, and their adult son, James. Grieving after her father’s death, Beryl sees that James loves her young brother. Soon she comes to care for James too. Come spring, Beryl will have to decide whether she and her brother will continue on to Oregon or go back East. (Western from Tea Tin Press)

Young Adult:
Royal & Ancient by Amanda Lauer — When a lightning strike transports a high school senior from modern-day America to 1600s Scotland, she must learn the ways of the Scots before a battle between England and Scotland decimates the land her true love is destined to rule. (Young Adult from Chrism Press/WhiteFire Publishing)

Plus check out these recent additions to Fiction Finder published within the past month:

April’s Promise by Terrie Todd — As a world war wages across the globe, the Kimball family faces a different kind of conflict at home. Will their personal battles drag them down and tear their family apart? (General Historical)

Center Point by Nancy J. Farrier — Her husband is married to someone else — or is he? (Contemporary Romance)Heart Restoration by Regina Rudd Merrick — A renovations expert and a contractor come across a corpse on the job site, along with a series of tunnels beneath the property. (Romantic Suspense)Malia’s Courage by Pamela Harstad , A Native Hawaiian interior designer and her architect co-worker encounter murder and threats after a company plans to build illegally on Hawaiian sacred land. How will they uphold their relationship and others’ rights, while trying to survive? (Romantic Suspense)Speaking Through the Silence by Linda Sammaritan , Will Debbie continue to keep quiet under the Mean Queen’s snarky abuse, or will she screw up the courage to speak through her self-imposed silence? (Young Adult)Tipsy in Love by Anne Greene, A hilarious tale of love almost lost. (Contemporary Romance)

Finally Defrosting

Happy Fall! It’s been a bit since I’ve been here and it sure isn’t for a lack of trying.

First things first.

If you read this in time, tonight I’ll be over at Maria’s Muses participating in Game Night. Last month I hosted and it was so much fun. This month I have a game from childhood ready to go. I think you’ll enjoy. Join me and bring a friend!

So defrosting. That’s a great visual for my life right now. The last three years have been rough for us all. This year I have battled the lack of movement in my life and calling. I felt frozen. Stuck. Circling like a plane with no airport. As I prayed and sought God, others prayed too. One let me know she saw me as she prayed. I was in a canoe on still waters going no where.

That tracked.

There was a shift, my word for the year, and suddenly I was on rapid waters. Nothing was the same. I needed an upgrade in my canoe and equipment.

When she finished she said things are going to look very different by the end of the year.

Well, we are there.

I have a shift going on in ministry. We have youth pastors in place after a two-year search. That lightened my load which was good because now I’m active with women. It started with teaching Revelation in Sunday school. A community is rising up and events are happening. I attended a conference. It’s been crazy good.

That’s not all. Last month I started receiving requests to go places and pray in a way I’ve never done. Some invites came from my Friend and Counselor the Holy Spirit. Others were from acquaintances and friends. They weren’t sweet little prayer chats. It was a throw down, send the devil packing with his tail in between his legs because the power of Christ was being proclaimed. It’s surreal, amazing, and a little scary, but I’m smart enough to know I don’t enter those situations on my strength. It’s all God and the blood of Jesus.

Then there’s writing. Most of this year I’ve wondered is this my life anymore? I believe the answer is yes, but not with the striving. Perhaps the fruit comes long after my work has been released. I don’t know, but I’m still writing the Surrendering Hearts series. In fact, after a frozen laptop, the third of four it has taken to write Repairing Hearts, I have a working laptop. What a difference when things work!

I’ll be talking about Repairing Hearts a LOT more, but TOMORROW/Thursday, my newsletter will have an exclusive cover reveal. If you want a peek, subscribe for free at Link Tree. I’m super proud of the cover and the story.

Slowly but surely I’m defrosting in every way. And it feels amazing.

Can you relate? Share your thoughts in the comments or contact me at juliearduini@juliearduini.com.

Fall Back and Find Me by Sarah Hanks

Fall Back and Find Me

My latest split-time novel, Fall Back and Find Me releases today, September 19th. This stand-alone novel is the second in the Sister in Arms collection, which features a secret female Civil War soldier in the historical storyline. (A Battle Worth Fighting was the first book in this collection.) While Willow’s story as a guerilla hunter in war-torn Missouri is fascinating in its own right, today I’m going to give you a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the modern-day protagonist’s story.

Amber Prichard is rocking her role as pastor’s wife and indispensable volunteer. She’s the first to show up at any church function and the last to leave. You know the type. Perhaps you are the type. She’s also an uber dedicated mom. Need someone to run the class party? Call Amber. She’s doing all the things and doing them well. Until chronic illness comes calling.

Here’s what the book’s back cover copy won’t tell you: Amber’s story is my own. Well, not exactly. This is fiction. I’m not Amber. She’s not me. But the feelings she goes through—the journey of the heart—I wrung that onto the page from my own soul.

Around nine years ago, I was living my best life as a children’s ministry director and mother of seven children when I started battling extreme fatigue. What the doctor initially thought was a thyroid problem didn’t improve with medication. For nearly a year, I worked with doctors to untangle the mystery of what was happening to me. Why could I barely get out of bed? Why did it hurt to lift my arms? What was with the chest pains? Then I began passing out.

A cardiologist finally solved the mystery. I had POTS (Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome), a form of dysautonomia. My autonomic nervous system was malfunctioning. I saw a specialist who did a tilt torture test—oh, I mean a tilt table test—to confirm the diagnosis, and yes. Upon standing, my heartrate would skyrocket, and my blood pressure plummeted. Cue lightheadedness and a whole host of symptoms.

Here’s what I was told: this is a chronic condition that will never go away. It isn’t likely to get better. In fact, it may get worse. Drink lots of water. Eat salt. Wear compression socks. Try to exercise on a recumbent bike. This is your life now.

I was in my thirties and using a walker to get around.

This was my life now.

I was in my thirties and had a handicap parking tag.

This was my life now.

I never knew when I’d pass out next. I’d fainted at the grocery store, at church, in the driveway, at public functions. I’d fallen down the steps of my home. The only safe place was in my bed.

I went from being the woman who could do it all to being able to do nothing. I couldn’t work. Couldn’t care for my family. Couldn’t do.

So, who was I?

As Christians, we “know” that our identity isn’t wrapped up in how we perform. I knew that I wasn’t what I did or a job title. Everyone knows that, right? But the gap between knowing and knowing can be a chasm. For me, it took having all of the doing stripped away to settle into allowing myself to be loved as a child of God.

If you want to know more about that journey, read Fall Back and Find Me. I poured it all into Amber and onto the page.

It took seven years, but the Lord healed my body completely. I’m eternally grateful for the work He did. I can do all the things I couldn’t do in that hard, dark season. But I’m not sad I went through it, because before He healed my body, He healed my heart. To Him, that was even more important. I praise Him for His wisdom and tender care for me. He held my hand and walked me through the valley. He spoke words of love over me until I believed them.

I only had to fall back to find Him.

Sarah Hanks is an award-winning author of Christian fiction in both the contemporary and historical genres. After spending over a decade mostly writing and teaching Sunday school curricula for churches in her community, she finally jumped into writing fiction full-time. She and her husband have nine children of their own, a couple of whom seem to have inherited their mother’s love for playing with words and crafting stories. Though Sarah dreams of a cabin by the beach, the family lives jammed together in beautiful chaos near St. Louis, Missouri. She buys earplugs in bulk.

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Website: www.sarah-hanks.com

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Fiction Finder: September 2023 New Releases

 

September 2023 New Releases

More in-depth descriptions of these books can be found on the ACFW Fiction Finder website

Contemporary Romance:

A Louisiana Christmas to Remember by Morgan Tapley Smith, Betsy St. Amant, Lenora Worth — Three heartwarming, interconnected stories of faith, love, and restoration, brought to you by three Louisiana-native authors. Will a rare snowy Louisiana Christmas bring restoration and hope to the hometown and hearts of three women from the town’s founding family? In A Louisiana Snow by Morgan Tarpley Smith, meet Mattie: A passionate visionary who learns to forgive and finds love in unexpected places… In Restoring Christmas by Betsy St. Amant, meet Jolene: An artist and prodigal daughter who discovers love exists in the very place she once called home…
In A Christmas Reunion by Lenora Worth, meet Adale: A beautiful widow who finally dares to love again… (Contemporary Romance from Barbour Publishing)

Redeeming the Cowboy by Lisa Jordan — Five years ago, bull rider Bear Stone lost everything. His best friend. His fiancée. His career. And Piper Healy, his best friend’s wife, never forgave him for the rodeo accident that killed her husband. Now they’re working together to save his family’s ranch. But can this cowboy choose between his last chance at the rodeo…and the woman he’s falling for? (Contemporary Romance from Love Inspired/Harlequin)

Where Love is Planted by Dawn Kinzer — A beautiful horticultural therapist.A handsome social worker in a woman’s prison. Will their loyalty to others cost them their own happiness? Or will something beautiful grow where love is planted? (Contemporary Romance from Morningview Publishing)

Historical Romance:

A Counterfeit Betrothal by Denise Weimer — A frontier scout, a healing widow, and a desperate fight for peace. At the farthest Georgia outpost this side of hostile Creek Territory in 1813, Jared Lockridge serves his country as a scout to redeem his father’s botched heritage. If he can help secure peace against Indians allied to the British, he can bring his betrothed to the home he’s building and open his cabinetry shop. Then he comes across a burning cabin and a traumatized woman just widowed by a fatal shot. (Historical Romance from Wild Heart Books)

Francine’s Foibles by Linda Shenton Matchett — World War II is finally over, and America is extra grateful as the country approaches this year’s Thanksgiving. But for Francine life hasn’t changed. Despite working at Fort Meade processing the paperwork for the thousands of men who have returned home, she’s still lonely and very single. Is she destined for spinsterhood? Grateful that his parents anglicized the family surname after emigrating to the United States after the Great War, first-generation German-American Ray Fisher has done all he can to hide his heritage. He managed to make it through this second “war to end all wars,” but what American woman would want to marry into a German family? Must he leave the country to find wedded bliss?? (Historical Romance from Shortwave Press)

The Legacy of Longdale Manor by Carrie Turansky — In 2012, art historian Gwen Morris travels to England’s Lake District to appraise the paintings and antiques of an old family friend, hoping to prove herself to her prestigious grandfather. When Gwen stumbles upon a one-hundred-year-old journal and an intricately carved shepherd’s staff similar to one in a photo of her parents, she’s left searching for answers. In 1912, after her father’s death, Charlotte Harper uncovers a painful family secret she can only confess to her journal. As Charlotte grows closer to shepherd Ian Storey and rebuilds her shattered faith, she must decide whether she will ever trust in love again. (Historical Romance from Bethany House)

Wooing Gertrude by Jodie Wolfe — Enoch Valentine has given up finding peace for his past mistakes. He throws everything he has into being the new part-time deputy in Burrton Springs, Kansas while maintaining the foreman position at a local horse ranch. But when trouble stirs on the ranch, he questions whether he’ s the right man for either job. Peace has been elusive for most of Gertrude Miller’s life, especially under the oppressiveness of an overbearing mother. She takes matters into her own hands and sends for a potential husband, while also opening her own dress shop. Gertrude hopes to build a future where she’ ll find peace and happiness. Will either of them ever be able to find peace? (Historical Romance from White Rose Publishing)

Literary/Contemporary:

The Wind Blows in Sleeping Grass by Katie Powner — After years of drifting, fifty-year-old Pete Ryman has settled down with his potbellied pig, Pearl, in the small Montana town of Sleeping Grass–a place he never expected to see again. It’s not the life he dreamed of, but there aren’t many prospects for a high-school dropout like him. Elderly widow Wilma Jacobsen carries a burden of guilt over her part in events that led to Pete leaving Sleeping Grass decades ago. Now that he’s back, she’s been praying for the chance to make things right, but she never expected God’s answer to leave her flat on her face–literally–and up to her ears in meddling. (Literary/Contemporary from Bethany House)

Split Time:

Fall Back and Find Me by Sarah Hanks — Two resilient women separated by over 150 years are linked forever by their challenges, values, and determination. (Split Time from SonFlower Books)

Thriller/Suspense/Romantic:

Facing the Enemy by DiAnn Mills — When the long-awaited reunion between Risa and her brother, Trenton, ends in tragedy, Risa is riddled with guilt, unable to cope with the responsibility she feels over his death. On leave from the FBI, Risa returns to her former career as an English teacher at a local college, only to see her past and present collide when one of her students, Carson Mercury, turns in an assignment that reads like an eyewitness account of her brother’s murder, with details never revealed publicly. Alarmed by Carson’s inside knowledge of Trenton’s death, Risa reaches out to her former partner at the FBI. Special Agent Gage Patterson has been working a string of baby kidnappings, but he agrees to help look into Carson’s background. Risa and Gage soon discover their cases might be connected as a string of high-value thefts have occurred at properties where security systems were installed by Carson’s stepfather and children have gone missing. There’s a far more sinister plot at play than they ever imagined, and innocent lives are in danger. (Thriller/Suspense/Romantic from Tyndale House)

Seeking Justice by Sharee Stover An agent and her K-9 partner risk their lives in the ultimate mission.
With her partner gravely injured in the line of duty, FBI agent Tiandra Daugherty has one shot to complete her mission. She’ll have to convince her partner’s twin brother, Officer Elijah Kenyon, to take his place undercover in a deadly drug ring. Together they must find justice for his brother and dismantle the gang. But the target is now on them, and the mission could prove fatal. (Thriller/Suspense/Romantic from Love Inspired/Harlequin)

Young Adult:

The Text by Julane Fisher — In 2048, 25 years after a pandemic killed one-third of the world’s population, America is flourishing under the department of Safety Threats and Reinforcement (STaR). STaR keeps citizens safe and healthy STaR’s social media app, Allicio, boasts two billion users. The a power outage shuts down STaR’s health monitors and disables millions of mobile phones. Sixteen-year-old Rami Carlton earned a starting spot on the varsity volleyball team. For fun, she races tech-genius Finley Drake to decipher the online identities of their techie friends. The game is harmless. So they thought. Rami receives a chilling text message that she’s being watched. That night, her mother disappears. Despite thousands of city-wide monitors, STaR’s Reinforcement Division cannot locate Rami’s mom. And Rami’s stalker threatens to kill her brother if she talks to Reinforcement Officers. When Finley hacks the nation’s cellular provider, Connect Mobile, he discovers STaR has a secret. STAR isn’t just watching. They’re manipulating Allicio. And Rami is their next target. (Young Adult from Infinite Teen)

Plus check out these recent additions to Fiction Finder published within the past month:

Cold Case Revenge by Jessica R. Patch — A kidnapped child. An unsolved cold case. This K-9 is on the trail. (Thriller/Suspense/Romantic) Daniel’s Oil by Urcelia Teixeira — Keeping a secret is easy. Getting away with it is the hard part. (Thriller/Suspense/Romantic) Escaping Illusions by Therese Heckenkamp — All she wants is a new beginning, but it will come at a chilling cost. (Thriller/Suspense/Romantic) Just Be Here by Susan Page Davis — If Nick gets the promotion he’s dreamed of, will it rip him away from the woman he loves? (Contemporary Romance) Reclaiming the Spy by Lorri Dudley — How can he protect her from himself when she keeps winding up in his arms? (Historical Romance) The Last Laird of Sapelo by T.M. Brown — Based on the tragic story of Randolph Spalding, the youngest son of Georgia’s most well-known antebellum-era coastal planter and influential political figure, Thomas Spalding. (General Historical)