Ruth Logan Herne Interview by Carrie Fancett Pagels

Author Ruth Logan Herne

Ruthy, welcome to Overcoming With God.  We appreciate your willingness to share your testimony of overcoming with our readers. 

Would you tell us about the most difficult thing in your life you have had to overcome, with God’s help?

Hmm… well I’m never big into degrees of difficulty! Life issues chances and challenges and I’ve always believed that using everything God gave me to the best of my ability was the expectation, you know? I’ve got a great story about dealing with my parents’ alcoholism in “The Power of Forgiveness”, in December’s “Chicken Soup for the Soul”. I love that they grabbed that story and featured it because forgiveness is the key to so much. We weigh ourselves down with a lot of baggage when we hold onto grudges and angers. Resentment anchors us in darkness and I’ve always preferred the light of joy for that very reason! My faith sustained me as a child, I was blessed by the kindness and high expectations of a great Catholic school, and I knew that if I could hang on… become an adult… I could carve my own paths, my own way, with God’s help. And I did!

What passages in the Bible have been most helpful to you in those times?

Ecclesiastes 3 is my mainstay for everyday living. I believe that for everything there is a season, and God wants us to identify those seasons/times and live peacefully while benefitting others. Pope Francis recently tweeted (I love that the Pope tweets!!!) that charity is the best way to evangelize. Simple words, a great truth. Actions speak louder than words. Have you guys ever heard the beautiful hymn “Make My Life an Alleluia”?

I love it, here’s a link to a quartet of girls from the Philippines who do an amazingly sweet version of this beautiful song. These words are how I want to live my life, being the best example I can be in everyday things. We all know that old saying “Preach the Gospel at all times. If necessary, use words.” I love that! I’m smiling, just thinking of those sage words! I’m a Martha type, and we like to act first, beg forgiveness later! J

I have two favorite New Testament verses, both rally around forgiveness. When Jesus challenges the crowd to throw the first stone and no one dares lift a hand to curse the accused woman… How powerful is that image? To have the mirror held to our own faces? And then the command to forgive seventy times seven. Oh my stars, we get so up in arms over perceived slights. Little things. We’re kind of ridiculous really, from time to time, so I love keeping that image of warmth and forgiveness front and center.

Disability friendliness: Is this latest release available in audio format or do you have any other works available on audio?  Do your e-books have audio capability? Do you have any in large print? 

This is an interesting question! All of my Love Inspired books are available in large print version when they’re on the sale shelves of stores, or for a few months online, but once those are gone… They’re gone! Which is why I’m so blessed to have e-copies of all of my work now. It’s so easy to increase the font size, enjoy the story with little or no eye strain, and the new generation e-readers are just plain fun. None of my books have been brought out in audio as yet!

In this latest work, do you have any topics useful for bibliotherapy, or therapeutic influence through reading about a disorder or situation?  

It’s hard for me to specify a “latest work” right now, and I’ll happily tell you why! We had two delightful holiday collections release in November (Hope for the Holidays Contemporary and Hope for the Holidays Historical collections on Amazon) and I had a 4-Star reviewed Love Inspired release in December and I’m part of a historical novella collection that just released from Barbour Publishing “Homestead Brides”… Just delightful!

I have a charming Zondervan novella releasing in three weeks, set in Old City, Philadelphia, a place I love. I love the rich history of Philadelphia, the image of how many people fought and sacrificed for our freedom. 

“All Dressed Up in Love” is funny, charming and heart-warming and shows the difficulties of obeying two masters, God and money…. But also that we need to keep our hearts and souls open to God’s direction!

In “Her Holiday Family” Tina Martinelli is part of an angry, dysfunctional family. Estranged from the few local members of her family, and with her parents deceased and her popular café burned to the ground by arsonists, Tina is ready to wipe the dust of her hometown off her sassy boots. But timing is everything in God’s world, and when her dear friends need her to help run their family hardware business while the owner fights cancer, she agrees. And when their son realizes it’s time to lay the guilt of the past to rest and come home to help his parents, they realize they’re meant for each other… but Tina doesn’t think she can stay and Max knows he can’t leave…. Resentment, guilt, anger and assumptions played a big role in messing up Tina’s family, but can she be strong enough to break the cycle?

Of course she can!

Question you’d like to ask readers:

Do you have a to-die-for recipe you should be sharing with me? Because I love to cook and bake and when you’re the mother of six and grandmother of thirteen, you love to try new things!

GIVEAWAY: Leave an answer to Ruthy's question to enter for a chance to win a copy of one of her books. We'll be giving away two this week and Ruthy will be giving away one, too!

.

Diana's Review of 'At The Edge Of A Dark Forest' By Connie Almony

At The Edge Of A Dark Forest

At The Edge Of A Dark Forest by Connie Almony

CreateSpace Independent Publishing (February 17, 2014)

Reviewed by Diana Flowers

5 stars*****

Beauty…and the Beast

In At The Edge Of A Dark Forest, Connie Almony has written a haunting but breathtakingly beautiful story reminiscent of the classic tale; The Beauty and the Beast. Set amongst the alluring beauty of a lush, green pine forest sits a huge mansion that wreaks of wealth, wherein a lonely man resides—scarred both inside and out—an ugly, disfigured "beast" unworthy of love and acceptance, at least in his own mind.

An IED in Iraq has cost Cole Harrison the loss of an arm and a leg and numerous scars, not to mention his self respect. Immersed in guilt over a long buried secret and shame of his ghastly appearance, Cole drowns himself in alcohol and self-pity. His "beastly" behavior extends to all those around him, including Carly Rose who contracts to live with Cole and train him to use his new limbs; a new prototype prosthetic which she invented herself. As Carly (who he has nicknamed Beauty) and Cole begin to draw closer, she sees beyond his outward appearance—to the nightmares and mental anguish the war has inflicted upon this man's spirit. She can help him use his new limbs, but must she walk away from Cole permanently…and leave his inner healing to the One who knows all? Will a mysterious package from the past help hold the key to Cole's healing as well? 

Connie Almony is a new author to me and what an awesome talent she is! I was drawn into this emotive, powerful story from page one and I quickly devoured it. My emotions were all over the page (literally) and ranged from compassion towards Cole, to anger, to frustration, to deep sorrow…as I know Carly's were as well. What an amazingly tough and realistic heroine she is! This story is such a beautiful tribute and "thank you" to all of our wounded warriors and members of the military who sacrifice their lives daily for our freedom—and to those who help them to heal. I highly applaud you, Connie Almony, for such a compassionate portrayal of one such warrior and one such lady.

This book may be purchased through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and your local bookstore.

GIVEAWAYS! We are giving away TWO copies of Connie's book this week, a Starbuck's Gift Card Giveaway AND also a Giveaway from Connie this week -- a $10 Gift Card to an online bookseller such as Barnes & Noble or Amazon! **Please leave a comment and an email address in order to qualify.** 

 

 

Noela Nancarrow reviews 'AT THE EDGE OF A DARK FOREST' by Connie Almony

At the Edge of a Dark Forest (Fairwilde Reflections)

By Connie Almony

CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (February 17, 2014)

Reviewed by Noela Nancarrow

5 Stars *****

A modern-day retelling of Beauty and the Beast

This deeply compelling, raw, and insightful story of Connie Almony's, inserts the reader into Cole Harrison’s intensely troubled life… A life that’s filled with self-loathing, self-absorption, and alcohol abuse. Cole Harrison was only half a man. Ugly on the outside, and ugly on the inside. At least, that is what he thought of himself. A war veteran amputee that suffers from PTSD, he frequently has visions and nightmares of the worse kind, carries an ever-present peace-consuming guilt, and exudes a surliness that he uses along with his disfigurements to keep everyone at a distance.

Cole makes a somewhat hesitant agreement with a man he recently comes across, to try out and potentially invest in the prototype prosthetic's that this man’s daughter Carly Rose has developed. Carly, upon Cole’s insistence, moves into his mansion and life to help train Cole with his new limbs. But Carly soon realizes that Cole’s brokenness isn't just physical and that she’s unable to help this terribly damaged man.

Can Cole become a whole person again – even though he’ll always be missing limbs? As Carly draws closer to him and begins to see Cole may actually contain a heart - a package from his past arrives for him and everything begins to fall apart for Cole. Carly has to leave and now alone, Cole now faces an even greater battle than he did while on active duty. Can he battle his demons enough to let in the only one that can help? And could the contents of the package that broke his resolve, possibly be also what’s needed to pull him back together again?

This modern-day retelling of the classic Beauty and the Beast story was intensely heart-stirring and inspiring! Barely able to pause from reading, I was surely a captive of this heart-rending though heart-warming novella, as Cole Harrison was of his precarious mental prison. 'At the Edge of a Dark Forest' is immensely well-written, but what I found particularly engaging, were the conversations and thoughts of the characters… They were exceptionally realistic and captivating throughout the entire story! The romance was also tender, sweet, and credible, and brought an overall sheen to this uplifting tale. It is a story that discerningly demonstrates that it is only God that can renew our spirit and fulfill our deepest needs. Thank you Connie Almony for this remarkable story, that is both a tribute to the brave men who risk life and limb to fight for our freedom, as well as those who work tirelessly to help those brave men recover from the ravages of war with the assistance of prosthetic limbs. Highly recommended!! 

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

This book may be purchased through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and others.

* * * * * * * * * * * 

GIVEAWAYS! We are giving away TWO copies of Connie's book this week, a Starbuck's Gift Card Giveaway AND also a Giveaway from Connie this week -- a $10 Gift Card to an online bookseller such as Barnes & Noble! Please "like" Connie's FB author page and let me know you did in order to qualify. Remember to leave your e-mail so that we may contact you if you win!

Interview with Author Robin Hatcher

Author Robin Lee Hatcher

Robin Lee Hatcher is the author of over 70 books, including A PROMISE KEPT. 

Best-selling novelist Robin Lee Hatcher is known for her heartwarming and emotionally charged stories of faith, courage, and love. She discovered her vocation after many years of reading everything she could put her hands on, including the backs of cereal boxes and ketchup bottles. Winner of the Christy, the RITA, the Carol, the Inspirational Reader’s Choice, and many other awards, Robin is also a recipient of the prestigious RWA Lifetime Achievement Award. She is the author of over 70 novels and novellas with over five million copies in print.

Robin, welcome to Overcoming With God.  We appreciate your willingness to share your testimony of overcoming with our readers. 

Would you tell us about the most difficult thing in your life you have had to overcome, with God’s help?   

I've had a number of difficult challenges in my lifetime, but I believe the most difficult was learning to be thankful to God in all things, including my marriage to an alcoholic, and trust God with the outcome. Loving an alcoholic or an addict of any kind—whether child, spouse, or parent—is never easy. Discovering how to be supportive without being an enabler takes a lot of soul searching and a lot of trust in God to see us through.

I am amazed at how God can take painful experiences in my life and turn them to good. Because of those painful experiences, I have learned to hold onto the foot of the cross so tightly it’s as if I can feel the splinters in the palms of my hands. I hope that through the words I write I can encourage others to hold onto the cross in the same way.

I consider my life lesson to be this: Nothing, absolutely nothing, enters my life that isn’t caused or allowed by God—filtered first through His loving hands—for the purpose of making me more like Jesus.

And because I believe this life lesson to be true, it allows me to be open and vulnerable—as a woman and as a writer—in order to offer hope and encouragement to others.

Disability friendliness: Is this latest release available in audio format or do you have any other works available on audio?  Do your e-books have audio capability? Do you have any in large print?    

Yes, A PROMISE KEPT is available in audio and it will be available in large print. The majority of my Christian fiction releases are available in audio, and I believe all of them are available in large print within three to six months after a new book releases. Many allow the text-to-speech feature.

In this latest work, do you have any topics useful for bibliotherapy, or therapeutic influence through reading about a disorder or situation? Answer: 

A PROMISE KEPT is my attempt to glorify the God who answers prayers in His own timing and in unexpected ways. It is my attempt to encourage other believers who trust in God’s promises but don’t see those promises manifested in their lives in the way they expected—or at all—to keep right on trusting in His promises because I know Him to be faithful.

Purchase Robin's books at:

Amazon:

Barnes & Noble:

CBD:

iBooks:

You can connect with Robin on:

Facebook: 

Twitter:

Google+: 

Pinterest: 

Goodreads: 

Thank you, Robin, for agreeing to answer these questions.  Have a blessed day and keep on writing!!

Giveaway: CONNECT with Robin on your favorite venue (see links above) and tell us which one you "liked" or "followed."   You can abbreviate with FB, T, G, P, and GR.  Tell us why you like that social media, too!  Leave your email if we don't already know you.  We're giving away winner's choice of book and format (international - ebook or audiobook only) for this interview and also another giveaway later in the week on the reviews.

.

Julie Lessman's new release "A Love Surrendered" Reviewed by Carrie Fancett Pagels

A Love Surrendered

A Love Surrendered
by Julie Lessman
(Revell, 2012)

Loved this book! 

Susannah Grace Kennedy, or  "Annie" used to be called Grace by her older sister and parents. Now an orphan, Annie brings her younger sister, Glory, to Boston where they must live with a spinster aunt. (Beautiful story arc with the aunt.) Their older sister, Maggie, lives in Hollywood and from all the tales she told of her time at college in Boston, Annie longs to follow in her sister's footsteps.  Unfortunately, the innocent young women has no idea of how "fast" her sister's crowd was.  She's about to find out!

Enter Steven O'Connor, prohibition agent and Maggie's former beau, who knows all too well the cost of failing to keep himself from moral turpitude.  Although Annie knows who he is, Stephen doesn't realize the young beauty he attempts to protect is Maggie's little sister. He makes it his mission to protect her from both the young women she's been associating with and the men who seek to take advantage of her innocence.

Julie does a great job of moving the reader past the "ew" factor of having two sisters in love with the same man, who has been a lover to the older sister. She's dealt with similar territory before in the extended O'Connor family and knows how to hook the reader and get them so involved they can understand why the characters might still fall in love.

Stephen and Annie both have their own spiritual issues to resolve. Annie finds a woman at church who begins guiding her--Stephen's older sister! Beautifully rich scenes where Annie is pulled into the circle of the O'Conner women's open arms. In fact, the entire extended O'Connor clan shows up in this novel, which is marvelous!

Wonderful secondary storyline woven in of Patrick and Marcy's progress in making decisions whether to adopt their foster daughter or not.  Always love the scenes with the parents and can't wait to read their story "A Light in the Window" which is available for pre-order now. 

Bibliotherapy: Sexual abstinence, foster parenting vs. adoption, sibling issues, alcohol use and abuse,  forgiveness, and loss of parents. Lots of great reading about overcoming!

The only problem with this book is that it concludes Julie Lessman's six books series! BUT--I ordered the audiobook, the first audiobook available, and so I can listen to this story again! And I have the pre-quel ahead of me!  I could not wait for the audiobook so I read the NG download on my Kindle.

As usual we have Passion with a Purpose all through this book.  Julie's mission is to caution young women about making poor decisions in relationships that have veered toward the mainly physical attraction and to find God's best for their lives.

A Love Surrendered has been placed on my Best of 2012 list!!!

I received a copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for my honest opinion. 

Julie Lessman's books can be purchased on CBD, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Lifeway, and other book stores.

GIVEAWAYS: Leave a comment and your email to be entered in this week's contests. Three drawings will be done this week for all the posts, with the last one late Saturday, your choice of Julie's books and choice of format*. Void where prohibited by law. 

*International winners will only receive the book in ebook format, not as a paperback.

Readers: Which of Julie's books have you most related to?  Which had a theme of overcoming that resonated with you?