Carrie Fancett Pagels Interviews Diane T. Ashley

Diane T. Ashley

Diane T. Ashley and Aaron McCarver are the co-authors of seven books and one novella. Their most recent release is Lily, Book 1 of the Song of the River Series. I met Diane through some online groups, including ACFW and Goodreads.

Diane, welcome to Overcoming With God.  We appreciate your willingness to share your testimony of overcoming with our readers.  Would you tell us about one of the most difficult things in your life you have had to overcome, with God’s help?

I have been so blessed by God that I feel almost ungrateful to speak of the things that I’ve struggled to overcome. I suppose the most difficult time in my life was when my father died unexpectedly. My mother was already struggling with a chronic illness, and I was suddenly thrust into the position of being a caregiver. As a single female with no children, I was not equipped to cope with the situation. At times I thought I would not survive. The grief over my father’s death was profound and inescapable, and watching my mother’s health dwindle in spite of the best medical support made me feel helpless. 

I can remember clinging to my Bible, looking inside for answers to overcoming the pain. One night I dreamed I was speaking with God. He told me He could relieve the pain of my grief if I would do one thing. Thrilled beyond belief I asked what that one thing was. His answer was a single word…forget. I knew in that instant that I could bear the pain because forgetting my parents and all of the love we shared was a price too high.

What is your favorite bible verse and why?

I love Psalm 37 and turn to it whenever I begin to feel hopeless or frightened. The deceiver is always eager to whisper words of doubt into the ears of believers. The promise in the fourth verse is what I cling to during those times: Delight thyself also in the Lord: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.

Lily: Song of the River

What has been the most important thing you hope your readers will get from your books and why?

I hope our readers will turn to God in all things. Aaron and I like to create characters who are Christians but still cling to one or more areas of their lives, unwilling to let the Holy Spirit have complete control. Our title character, Lily, is exactly that sort of person. She is a strong female with great moral character, but she harbors hatred and a judgmental attitude in her heart. How she deals with those issues is the main point I hope our readers will take away from the book.

As you researched your books, did you learn anything that particularly touched your heart?

Forgiving someone—especially a family member—for something they did to you can be very difficult. As you work thorough that process, turn to God. He wants to help each of us.

Diane's and Aaron's books can be found by following any of the hotlinks below and at bookstores:

Barbour Publishing

Christianbooks

Amazon 

Here is a link to a nice video about Lily (click here.)

Giveaway: One of Diane's and Aaron's books will be given away this week. Extra counts given to OWG Followers. Simply put OWG at the end of your comment. 

Teresa's Fantastic Favorites for 2012

My List in No Particular Order

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A Bride's Flight by Murray Pura

This book by Murray was a pleasant surprise.

It was the perfect story, it had the right amount of murder and mayhem and the perfect cowboy to take care of the lady in distress. It reminded me of the good ole days of watching cowboy movies with my dad on Saturday mornings.
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A Love Surrendered by Julie Lessman

Julie Lessman wows us once again with another sweet love story from the Winds of Change Series. To say this one was extra special is an understatement, all of Julie's books are that, but this one brings to a close the story of a family I have come to love...The O'Connors. 
I'm going to miss them all!    

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Before the Scarlet Dawn by Rita Gerlach

What a amazing book this was, Rita truly captured my heart with this story and kept me hanging on until the very end. It will take you through a gamut of emotions. This is book one in the Daughters of the Potomac Series, the second is Beside Two Rivers and it was also excellent. Please take time to read these, I promise you won't be sorry.

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Double Blind by Brandilyn Collins

This book by Brandilyn had me sitting on the edge of my seat the entire time I was reading it. 
If you like good old fashion suspense bordering on terror you will love this book.
I can't wait for her next book.

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Hunter's Prize by Marcia Gruver

I loved this story, it has a lot of mystery and what I really liked the most was how she dealt with a disorder that effects a lot of children. 
Her characters were charming and I really fell in love with Ceddy.

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Love’s Reckoning by Laura Frantz

Once again Laura takes you back in time to a beautiful place 
that will bring joy to your heart and a smile to your face. 
I came to love Laura's work when I read the Frontiersman's Daughter, 
and I have enjoyed everyone of her books since.

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The Yellow Packard by Ace Collins

This is the first book I have read by Ace Collins and hopefully it will be the first of many. This is the story of a beautiful custom made car that seems to be cursed from the moment it rolls off the production line. 
If you love mystery, suspense and a happy ending this is a tale for you.
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The Christmas Star by Ace Collins

When I read this beautiful story by Ace I was so excited. It's the perfect Christmas story that's destined to become a classic. As you can see I have read two stories by Ace this year and loved them both.

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Veil of Pearls by MaryLu Tyndall

Since the first book of MaryLu's I picked up in the library years ago to this one I have never been disappointed in any of them. This one will take you to the beautiful city of Charleston, SC during its ultimate heyday before the Civil War and it will lay bare the horrors of slavery. It will have you wiping tears of sorrow and joy before it's over.

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Injustice for All by Robin Caroll

Robin certainly knows how to write a wonderful suspense novel. From the first you know that the good guys aren't always good and then it just gets better from there. This one had me frantically flipping pages until the end. It was so good!

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A Change of Fortune by Jen Turano

Oh what a fun story! I enjoyed this book from the first page until the last. Jen had me hooked from the very beginning with the lovely Lady Eliza. Eliza will have you rolling with laughter with her antics, I could so appreciate how the harder she tries to do something the more difficult it becomes. Having lived through a few of those episodes myself, I can fully understand Eliza's dilemmas. 

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Lily, Song of the River Series

By Diane Ashley and Aaron McCarver

I loved this beautiful story of a young lady that loved the mighty Mississippi so much she doesn't let anything stop her dream of owning a riverboat, not even a handsome gambler.

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Saving Hope by Margaret Daley

Book one in The Men of the Texas Rangers series.

In this fast paced tale Margaret tackles the serious subject of human trafficking and the abuse of young girls. This was a book that was filled with things that make us uncomfortable to think about but the good part is there is a handsome Texas Ranger that will stop at nothing to rescue these girls. 

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A Light in the Window by Julie Lessman

This book by Julie is a story that truly is the epitome of what the Christmas spirit is all about. It explains the beginning of the O'Connor family, and what a family this is. ~sigh~  Thank you Julie for sharing with us how Marceline chooses the love of her life.