Melissa Jagears Debut book reviewed by Carrie Fancett Pagels

A Bride for Keeps

A Bride for Keeps by Melissa Jagears
Bethany House, 2013

Reviewed by Carrie Fancett Pagels

This debut fiction novel by Melissa Jagears is a solid read. (I read the ARC and not the final novel so there may be some differences but none that should affect this review.) 

Poor farmer Everett Cline has been jilted numerous times, both by mail order brides and by a local gal.  So he's abandoned the idea of trying again. But gorgeous Julia Lockwood arrives in his life after his best friend's wife sets him up.  And there is no escaping. But Julia has attracted the attention of one wicked man, also.

Spoiler alert

Bibliotherapy aspects: Both characters have a lot of emotional numbing which continues the majority of the story. The heroine, Julia, has had a terrible experience with her ex-fiancé that has basically caused PTSD symptoms that are pretty severe--so severe that there is a near-tragedy. And she's also experienced her mother's and baby brother's deaths that traumatized her. She's convinced that because her mother and grandmother suffered so many miscarriages and stillbirths that she's unlikely to give birth to a healthy child. So she convinces herself that she will never be able to be a mother. There is a stalking and assault in this story and another woman is a battered wife. 

Spiritual arc: Although Everett professes to be a strong Christian he soon discovers that his faith is lacking when it comes to Julia.  The heroine is basically an unbeliever so it is interesting to see her story arc in faith.

You can find this at Amazon, Christian Book.com, Deeper Shopping, Barnes & Noble and other outlets.

Giveaway: A gently used ARC copy (mine!) will be given away to one of the commenters this week as well as a new paperback copy. (Disclaimer: I "won" an ARC copy from the publisher in a contest after I'd already ordered my own copy.  No review was required.)

Leave a comment and your email address!

Christians Recovering from Trauma

We have wrapped up our Susan May Warren week. In her interview, Susan shared how she and her family survived assault and robbery while serving the Lord in Russia. Why does this traumatic stuff happen? I don't know. We can only trust God and let Him work it out for us. But what can we do to cooperate with that process? As Christians we need to turn to God, pray, search His word, and follow His directions. One of my favorite resources is Blackaby's book - Experiencing God. Christian Book Distributors list of Henry Blackaby resources also includes other great titles.


Recovering from trauma is much like dealing with death. There are many stages you have to go through to get to a healing point or even a "living with it" point. I highly recommend that people find a Christian psychologist to help them talk about their experiences. Be sure whatever therapist you see has a background treating survivors. While God can certainly use anybody to deliver a message, we do well to to seek out a fellow believer for counseling. 


A newer and promising treatment, particularly with our wounded warrior veterans, is the use of neurobiofeedback or neurotherapy.  EEGInfo is a great online resource that explains about neurobiofeedback and also has links to providers.


Psychiatrists can also prescribe medications to help deal with the initial severe emotional reactions such as depression and anxiety.  The need for medications for reaction to trauma typically is short term.  There are antidepressants, for instance, that are more suited to briefer periods of use (such as bereavement). 


Mindfulness - being aware of what situations triggers PTSD reactions is important. God can heal the broken-hearted and He can make these hurtful memories and images lessen. For some it is almost instantaneous but for most it takes time. Hypervigilance is another issue that resolves with God's help, in time.


Bibliotherapy - Look for Christian books that have a hero or heroine who are addressing their recovery from trauma.  This is one reason I include this element in my reviews.  


We will be discussing PTSD again in future posts. 


Our winner this week will be announced later this evening.


What about you? Have you survived trauma and how has God pulled you through?

Interview with Melanie Dickerson

Melanie Dickerson is the author of The Healer’s Apprentice and of The Merchant’s Daughter.


Interview by Carrie Fancett Pagels

I met Melanie Dickerson through HisWriters, an online group for those who have either published or planned works with European characters. I have also been blessed to get to hang out with her at the ACFW conferences.

Melanie, welcome to Overcoming Through Time – With God’s Help.
 

Would you share either the most difficult thing in your life you have had to overcome, with God’s help, or the most tragic situation or circumstance one of your character’s has had to get past?

Wow, where should I start, Carrie? LOL! I grew up poor in a very poor area in south Alabama, but it made me determined to succeed and escape my circumstances. I definitely have that in common with my heroine, Rose! God blessed me and has brought me through some very lonely times into a place of trusting God completely (or at least, complete trust is my goal when I’m not trusting as much as I should). I’m thankful for my husband and two kids, and I have confidence in God that I can overcome anything, any disaster or tragedy, that might come my way. For years I was trapped by fear and low self-esteem, but I feel God healing me, and he has healed me, to a great extent. God is faithful!

One of the most difficult things we have gone through as a family is the loss of my husband's job over fourteen months ago. Then, on April 27th, our area was hit with several tornadoes in one terrible day, but God spared us.In this difficult economy, we are clinging to God's assurance that He will provide. He has provided, in so many ways, and he has blessed me with seeing my first book receive lots of acclaim, including being a finalist for a Christy Award. And then a dear friend told me, just days before the ACFW conference, that God nudged her and told her to help me get to the conference. In a matter of a few hours, she had raised, through ACFW members, enough money to send me to the conference. I was blown away by my friends’ kindness and generosity, as well as with God’s provision. God is amazing. Absolutely amazing. But I know many families out there are suffering like we are with the head of our household unemployed. It’s hard to see your husband go through this. We certainly are not alone.

What is your favorite bible verse and why?

“Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” I Peter 5:7  This used to be my favorite verse because I used to be so riddled with anxiety! But as I said, God has healed me of this problem, to a great extent.

A current favorite is “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.” Galatians 5:1  Whether you are a slave to sin or a slave to guilt or a slave to legalism, God wants to set you free in Christ! This is a theme that I have set for my life, as I have struggled with these things, and still struggle at times.

And I also love “Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” Ephesians 5:1-2 That’s pretty much the whole gospel right there! And what romance writer doesn’t want to claim the verse that says “live a life of love.”

Disability friendliness:

Is this latest release available in audio format or do you have any other works available on audio? 


Wow, I wish it was available on audio! How cool would that be? It is on Kindle and all the other e-book formats. There is also a large print version available.

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

I really hope they will get the message that Jesus is the name above every name, and is more powerful than the darkest power. I also hope they will see that trusting God and listening to his leading will serve them well! God has a wonderful plan for your life if you allow him to work things out. So many times we get in the way because we want our own way, we think we know best, and we just mess things up. But God loves us and he has a good plan for us.

Carrie Fancett Pagels and Melanie Dickerson at ACFW Conference

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

I actually was surprised that things haven’t changed as much as people might think since the middle ages. People always wanted love, always wanted to succeed and be happy. That never changed. People always wanted to connect to God and wanted to learn about him, and that hasn’t changed either. Emotions and conflicts are the same, but it was also fun to write in the middle ages because some of their values are different, and their laws and society were different, making great fodder for conflict and angst—for any writer with an active imagination!  

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

The Merchant’s Daughter deals a lot with overcoming fear, overcoming feelings of betrayal and relational pain, and learning to trust God and rejoice in the Lord. I think it can be helpful for someone who’s going through emotional trauma of some kind.

CFP note:  In The Healer's Apprentice, Melanie also addressed these issues: Self esteem, trust, abandonment, adoption.


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


Giveaway:  Leave your comment and your email for a chance to win a copy of one of Melanie's books!