Another visit with Judythe Morgan, award-winning author

Let's extend a new welcome to a returning guest! Judythe Morgan visits us again today with an excerpt from When Love Returns, which is the second book in her Fitzpatrick Family series. 

Here's the book cover:

Isn't it lovely?

I'm sure that you want to know more about this book so dive into the rest of this blog post with Judythe and enjoy your time here today.

God bless you! :)

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Excerpt From Chapter 5 of When Love Returns by Judythe Morgan:

A brittle silence descended in the dining room, now empty except for the two of them. The sound of water from the kitchen faucet echoed like Niagara Falls.

Becca finished off the last of her coffee and shoved away from the table. As she lifted the saucer to take to the kitchen, Ethan spoke, “We really do need to talk. Why don’t you come out to the farm with me so we can have some privacy?” His eyes never left her face.

The cup rattled on the saucer. She set it back on the table. Panic coursed through her muscles, like a slowly advancing paralysis. Go with him to the farm where they’d spent so much time planning their future? A future that his disappearance destroyed.

She might want answers, to know where he’d been, why he hadn’t contacted her, why he’d returned, but the memories at the Wells’ farm would suffocate her. She needed a more public place.

And being alone with him? Becca wasn’t sure that would be a wise move either. She’d fallen head over heels the moment she’d met Ethan Wells in their kindergarten Sunday school class. The crush had grown through the years and they’d planned a life together after graduation. His disappearance caused a heartbreak that had never completely vanished. A heartbreak she’d never openly shared. Not even with her twin sister. She’d simply put Ethan out of her mind and moved on. Now if he was back to stay, she wasn’t sure what would happen.

“We could go out on the porch swing,” she replied. At least there, if the discussion became too intense she’d have a safety net of her family close by.

His jaw tightened ever so slightly before he stood and pushed his chair under the table. “Becca, what I have to say is for your ears only. There are too many distractions around here. Come to the farm with me. Or I’ll go to your place.”

“I live with Sarah. She and Nick plan to go back to the house to play board games with Rachel. They do that on Sunday afternoons.”

He tipped his head, acknowledging her point. “Okay then, the farm it is. I’ll bring you back here when we’re finished.”

“I’m quite capable of driving myself.”

“I’m sure you are.” He uttered a short, little laugh and headed to the front door. “Don’t take too long. I’ll be waiting.”

Becca snatched her cup and stomped into the kitchen where she pulled Sarah aside. “Ethan wants me to meet him at the farm to talk.”

“Give the guy a chance,” Nick said over his shoulder and placed a dinner plate in the dish drainer.

Sarah gave her a tight hug. “Nick’s right. Go. There may be a logical reason why Ethan never contacted you. I never understood the real reason Nick left me until he came back. Ethan could surprise you too. At least you’ll have answers.”

Becca wasn’t sure what answers she wanted or what Ethan could say to explain his disappearance. For so long, she had hoped and prayed for his return, but hope had only been a tease, preventing her from accepting the reality that he wasn’t coming back.

She refused to consider his return meant anything.

~*~
Author bio:

Award-winning author Judythe Morgan juggles many hats. 

She’s an Air Force daughter, Army wife, one-time Department of Army Civilian, mother/grandmother, antiques dealer, teacher, mayor’s wife, and sometimes-church pianist.

Her diverse experiences bring life to her characters and you’ll always find a happy ending because she believes in true love, second chances, and forgiveness.

~*~
Blurb for Judythe's book, When Love Returns:

Becca Fitzpatrick fell in love with Ethan Wells at age five. At eight, he proposed. At seventeen, he disappeared and broke her heart.

Twelve years later, he returns with a new name - Ethan LaMotte - and a new life in Paris. He claims he’s never stopped loving her.

Once upon a time, Becca believed him. Not anymore. Now family, friends, and adoring students fill her life. Plus, she has an opportunity for the job of her dreams in her small Texas hometown.

Although their lives and jobs are an ocean apart, Ethan won’t lose Becca another time. But, will she risk her heart again and accept this new Ethan’s proposal?

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Review of When Love Returns, as posted on Amazon.com from Amazon Reviewer LovesRomance: 

When Love Returns is a beautiful story with fully-formed characters that will grab your heart. The Fitzpatrick family is warm and big, and just the kind of family we'd all like to belong to. Ethan and Becca are complex characters who have some hard choices to make. This story is about second chances and letting go of the past to embrace an uncertain, but hopeful future. There are a couple of nice twists that kept me reading. I can't wait for the next book in this series.

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Buy When Love Returns:
Kindle ~ Nook ~ iTunes ~ Kobo 
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Connect with Judythe:
Website ~ Blog ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Amazon Author Page ~ Goodreads

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Award-Winning Author Judythe Morgan shares a devotional and book

Welcome Judythe Morgan to the blog today!

She's here to share a devotional that she wrote that's based on a Bible verse and she's sharing information about her book, When Love Blooms. It is the first book in her Fitzpatrick Family series.

Enjoy! :)

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The Promise of Romans 8:28
A devotional written by Judythe Morgan

“We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him." ~Romans 8:28 (NIV).

This is one of my favorite verses. It says in all things God works. That’s so powerful.

Our God choreographs the “molecular movement” in every second of every minute of every day in every cell in the entire universe. In case you didn’t know, one cell has approximately 200 trillion molecules.

That’s a lot of molecules to work with. Not a problem for our Omnipotent, Omniscient, Omnipresent God.

As He orchestrates those molecules, He’s forming our lives into a design specifically patterned for each of us.

In our human mind, it’s hard to wrap our heads around that idea isn’t it?

But, think about it, when you look back at your life with 20/20 hindsight, can’t you see God’s hand at work? I sure can. He has unfolded events, sent people and things into my life to bring me to where I am now – a fiction writer.

Being a writer was not something I aspired to be. Yet, God synchronized events to bring that to pass. And it is good like Rom. 8:28 promises. I love my work.

So how did God arrange my life to accomplish that purpose for me?

I had no idea when I entered a writing contest called “Hearts Crossing” back in 2009 that the entry would become the first book in the Fitzpatrick Family Series about eight preacher kids, each with a sweet romance story of his or her own.

God knew because He’d planned my life so that I married a preacher’s kid. Five years later, we had a son, who became a preacher with his own ministry called NotByWorks.

All my life God has provided opportunities to serve in church ministries wherever we lived. I’ve made good Christian friends and writing mentors. Those friends began to prod me about writing a story set around my ministry experiences.

Finally conceding to their pressure in 2014, I pulled out that old contest manuscript and began a rewrite. In the process of the rewrite, Andy's seven brothers and sisters begin chattering in my head wanting their stories told and thus the Fitzpatrick Family series begin.

God took care of the plotting ideas when He moved my husband and me all over the U.S. and overseas. Lots of experiences to draw from. No need for extensive setting research.

The Fitzpatrick series takes place in a small (fictional) town in Texas like so many small towns where we’ve lived. You'll recognize Pastor Colin Fitzpatrick, his wife Ms. Pat, and the congregation if you've ever attended a small church.

When Love Blooms is the first Fitzpatrick Family novella and tells Andy and Darcy's story. Andy's twin sisters, Rebecca and Sarah Fitzpatrick, found their soul mates in When Love Returns. Brothers Joshua Fitzpatrick (an Army sniper), Samuel Fitzpatrick (a missionary), and, baby sister Faith (a lawyer) will share their stories over the next three novellas. I’m praying my readers will have as much fun reading the stories as I am creating them.

Sometimes I may balk at God’s leading, where He leads. It’s a human tendency we all share. We shouldn’t because wherever we are, whatever we’re doing we are there by His design. 

Remember the molecules. He’s in control. All. The. Time. working for our good.

That’s the promise of Romans 8:28.

~*~
Author bio: 

Award-winning author Judythe Morgan juggles many hats. 

She’s an Air Force daughter, Army wife, one-time Department of Army Civilian, mother/grandmother, antiques dealer, teacher, mayor’s wife, and sometimes-church pianist. 

Her diverse experiences bring life to her characters and you’ll always find a happy ending because she believes in true love, second chances, and forgiveness.

~*~
Blurb for Judythe's book, When Love Blooms:

Eight preacher kids, each with a sweet romance story of his or her own.

After a hit-and-run accident leaves her mother confined to a special care facility, Darcy Clark abandons her dreams of becoming an architect and moving to New York City. Instead, she stays in her small town to run the family’s struggling landscape business.

At-risk students from her old high school become the labor force on a city park project, and Andy Fitzpatrick shows up to supervise his students. The chemistry between Darcy and Andy is instant.

But will a secret link between Andy and her mother’s accident kill the attraction before love can blossom?

~*~
Buy Judythe's book:
Kindle ~ Nook ~ iTunes ~ Kobo 

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Connect with Judythe:
Website ~ Blog ~  Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Amazon Author Page ~ Goodreads