Devotionals for the Heart: Legacy

Sharing Our Legacy
A devotional by Jessica Brodie

Tied up in losing people we love is that no one will ever know us just like that—ever again.

When my Gram died a few years ago, I didn’t just lose a confidante who understood the quirky humor and drive beneath my serious, bookish nature, or a woman with a fierce intellect and the sort of deep soul-wisdom I craved. I lost how good it felt to be understood by her. She “got” me on a level few in my world did, and with her passing, part of myself felt like it was slipping away.

Flipping through a photo album with my kids, I was horrified when my daughter didn’t remember her. I realized my children were never going to know her like I did—or know me through her eyes. I needed to do my part to change that: sharing stories and memories, passing on her legacy of authentic goodness and wit. She shaped so much of my life, my personality and my childhood. My kids needed to know this!

When Jesus died, his apostles were bereft, inconsolable, but he sent the Holy Spirit in his place to live within each them. The spirit transformed them with the power to spread the Gospel, growing the church from a handful of persecuted believers to a worldwide harvest of millions.

Just like I want to share the legacy of my late Gram so her beautiful soul can carry on in my children, we as Christians are propelled with the authority and all-encompassing command of the Holy Spirit to be witnesses of the One True God, the Alpha and Omega, so all people can know Christ. The good news of the Gospel wasn’t gifted to humanity so it could be a secret for a select few but to be proclaimed so all can dance in the light of the Lord.

I love what the Apostle Peter wrote in his letter to the early believers: “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people who are God’s own possession. You have become this people so that you may speak of the wonderful acts of the one who called you out of darkness into his amazing light. Once you weren’t a people, but now you are God’s people. Once you hadn’t received mercy, but now you have received mercy” (1 Peter 2:9-10 CEB).

Jesus Christ called us out of darkness and into God’s glory. Why should we keep such good news hidden away? We are obligated to share, but more than that, we are honored to be able to share about the wondrous things that have happened to us because we chose to walk in the light. Because of this choice, we are God’s people. And because we share these stories, others can be God’s people, too.

Jesus said in the Gospel of Matthew, “You are the light of the world. A city on top of a hill can’t be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a basket. Instead, they put it on top of a lampstand, and it shines on all who are in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before people, so they can see the good things you do and praise your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:14-16 CEB). 

And in the Gospel of Mark, Jesus said, “Go into the whole world and proclaim the good news to every creature” (Mark 16:15 CEB).

Praise the Lord—we have an inheritance to share. Let’s do what we can to tell the world His story.

~*~
Author Bio:
Jessica Brodie is an award-winning Christian novelist, journalist, editor, blogger, and writing coach and the recipient of the 2018 American Christian Fiction Writers Genesis Award for her novel, The Memory Garden. 

She is also the editor of the South Carolina United Methodist Advocate, the oldest newspaper in Methodism, and a member of the Wholly Loved Ministries team.

Learn more about her fiction and read her faith blog at http://jessicabrodie.com/shiningthelight.

Cozy Christmas Reads: June's story

The Real Christmas at Raccoon Creek
A guest post by June Foster

A couple of years back, I got a contract to join with some other authors in writing a Christmas novella. The editor chose a theme—each story would center around a Christmas snow globe. Since I write contemporary romance, I fully expected my story to be in that genre. It is. With a twist.

I asked myself what if a young nurse, Emily Eason, who lives in her grandmother's fifties-style home buys a snow globe at the drug store in her tiny town of Raccoon Creek? What if she brings it home and falls asleep while gazing at the little village, the snowmen, and falling snowflakes then wakes up. Nothing looks different at first, but then she discovers her computer is missing and in its place is an old free-standing TV like from years ago. Her phone rings with the old timey ring tone, but when she looks for her cell phone, she discovers a black dial phone making the noise. Could that really happen? Well, yes, in my imagination.

Since we lived in Locust Fork, Alabama, population 750, I envisioned the story taking place in our town. Emily's 50's house I based on memories of my childhood home. Yes, I grew up in the fifties. I patterned the layout of Raccoon Creek after Locust Fork's time honored streets.

The 1950's drug store where the hero, Lance Hardwicke, is a pharmacist, is like the one in the middle of our little Alabama town. Only the present day store is updated for modern times but sells a few items one might find in shops five or six decades ago: old fashioned greeting cards, colorful plastic bracelets, fun sunglasses, jewelry items, and painted coffee mugs among others.

Though the imaginary Raccoon Creek is a bit larger than Locust Fork, the terrain around the town is the same. Well, I did add a little river near Emily's house. The real one, the Locust Fork River, is farther in the forest. The same evergreens grow in and around town. Emily and Lance experience a snow storm just like the one we had the first winter in our house.

This magical Christmas story was one of my favorites to write. It sent me on a sentimental trip to my childhood. How fun it was when some of my friends from Locust Fork and our church who read the story said they could actually picture present day Locust Fork as they read.

Merry Christmas, everyone. Hope you enjoy all the Christmas stories featured on Alexis's blog.

~*~
Author Bio: An award-winning author, June Foster is a retired teacher with a BA in education and MA in counseling. June's book Give Us This Day was a finalist in EPIC's eBook awards and a finalist in the National Readers Choice Awards for best first book. Ryan's Father was one of three finalists in the published contemporary fiction category of the Oregon Christian Writers Cascade Writing Contest and Awards. Deliver Us was a finalist in COTT's Laurel Awards. 

June has written four novels for Desert Breeze Publishing. The Bellewood Series, Give Us This Day, As We Forgive, and Deliver Us, and Hometown Fourth of July. Ryan's Father is published by WhiteFire Publishing. Red and the Wolf, a modern day retelling of Little Red Riding Hood, is available from Amazon.com. The Almond Tree series, For All Eternity, Echoes From the Past, What God Knew, and Almond Street Mission are available at Amazon.com.

June enjoys writing stories about characters who overcome the circumstances in their lives by the power of God and His Word. Recently June has seen publication of Christmas at Raccoon Creek, Lavender Fields Inn, Misty Hollow, Restoration of the Heart, Letting Go, and Prescription for Romance. Visit June at junefoster.com.

~*~
Blurb for June's book:  

Emily Eason wants to distance herself from her parents' opulent lifestyle in Birmingham, Alabama, and enjoy life in the rural village of Raccoon Creek and her fifties-style home. But after gazing into the little snow globe she purchased from Hardwicke's Drugs and Gifts, she finds herself transported to another time—her grandmother's era. 

Lance Hardwicke is the pharmacist and owner of Hardwicke's Drugs. Four years of pharmacy school didn't allow for much of a social life. Gorgeous Emily Eason, nurse and resident of Raccoon Creek, has captured his attention. The next time she comes in the store, he's determined to ask her out. Maybe take her to Birmingham to see the Christmas lights in his brand new orange and white '53 Pontiac Pathfinder.

Can love span the fifty-year gap standing between them?

~*~
Buy June's book on Amazon 

~*~
Connect with June:
Website - http://www.junefoster.com
Amazon - https://www.amazon.com/author/junefoster
Twitter -  https://twitter.com/vjifoster
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/authorjunefoster

~*~

Enter this book giveaway contest for your chance to WIN a copy of this book by filling out the entry form on the Rafflecopter widget below: 

SaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSavea Rafflecopter giveaway

A Guest Post by Christina Lorenzen about Rapunzel and a Lighthouse

Sweet Memories Create a New Twist on Something Old
A guest post by Christina Lorenzen

The sweetest memories I have are the times my grandmother would sit at the foot of my bed and tell me my favorite bedtime story, Rapunzel. My grandmother lived with us for as long as I can remember until she passed away when I was in my early twenties. As a child, my parents would go out for an evening. I would wait for bedtime when my grandmother would ask me what bedtime story I wanted to hear. And each time I would ask to hear Rapunzel. Just as I never tired of hearing her tell it and my grandmother never tired of telling me that fairy tale.

All these years later, when my publisher, Forget Me Not Romances, announced they were putting out a novella collection of fairy tales with a modern spin, I had the pleasure of writing my own version of Rapunzel. The classic tower became a defunct, dilapidated lighthouse and my heroine, Georgie Daniels, is a self-imprisoned longhaired damsel in distress. Raised by her father after her mother dies when she’s barely two years old, Georgie’s father passed away two years ago. Add to that the heartache of her fiancé abandoning her and she has shut out the world, finding security within the walls of the lighthouse cottage.

Writing this novella was such an enjoyable endeavor. I have wanted to write a story with a lighthouse setting for several years. Being able to combine that magical setting with my favorite fairy tale was more play than work. I researched lighthouses and learned quite a bit about them. My heroine Georgie is based on a friend from long ago. The hero, Colby Ford, was a combination of several ‘hero’ type men in my life. I’m proud to say that I have both an Air Force uncle and Navy uncle in my family.

After writing Rapunzel’s Lighthouse, my interest in putting a modern spin on another fairy tale has been sparked. There just might be another military hero in there too. That’s the wonderful thing about storytelling – there are no limits to the possibilities of ideas. Who would have thought that almost fifty years after first hearing my grandmother tell the tale, I would write my very own Rapunzel story? I think she would be pleased.

~*~
Author Bio: 

Christina started writing as a young teen, jotting stories in wire ring composition notebooks. Her first typewriter made it faster to get all those stories out of her head and down on paper. Her love of writing has sustained her through a myriad of jobs that included hairdresser, legal secretary, waitress and door-­to-door saleswoman.

Luckily for her, writing proved to be successful and a lot less walking than going door to door. Snow Globe Reunion, a Christian Christmas romance, is Christina’s third book. She is also the author of A Husband for Danna and its sequel, A Wife for Humphrey.

Christina is a member of Romance Writers of America and American Christian Fiction Writers. When she isn’t writing or reading, she can be found walking her dog, talking to her herd of cats and spending time with her family.

~*~
Book blurb for Rapunzel's Lighthouse: Georgie Daniels rarely leaves the cottage attached to the Salt Cliffs lighthouse, except when necessary for a trip into town for food. For the last two years, since the lighthouse was declared a historic landmark, she’s lived in the cottage out of sight and, she hopes, out of the minds of the town. With the defunct lighthouse in arrears and in disrepair, she knows it’s only a matter of time before the lighthouse will be on the auction block of the town hall’s steps. With long hair that no one has seen before, except in the fabled fairy tale Rapunzel, things were going well until new neighbor Colby Ford shows up on her doorstep.

Colby Ford didn’t intend to retire from the Navy, at least not right now. When he finds himself with an injury that pushes him into an early retirement, the possibility of opening a sailing school in the coastal town of Salt Cliffs is his only hope. Renting the Moore cottage, he needs to find the right location for his school and a place to store the boats. 

While in town, a conversation with a storekeeper makes his curiosity about the lighthouse burn even stronger – what kind of woman lives alone in a defunct lighthouse? 

In need of paint for the cottage porch, he pays Georgie a visit. Feeling like he’s seen her before, that’s when it hits him – Georgie Daniels is a real life Rapunzel. And this Rapunzel wants nothing to do with being neighborly. Until she’s forced to save him during a storm.

Georgie and Colby have both had their share of disappointments and heartache. Just as Georgie is beginning to open up to him, a letter she finds threatens to shut her down again. Can their shared desperate need for a home bring them together?

~*~
Buy Christina's book on Amazon

~*~
Connect with Christina:
Twitter - https://twitter.com/chrisfoxlorenz/
Facebook Author page - https://www.facebook.com/ChristinaLorenzenAuthor/
Website - http://christinalorenzen.com
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/christina_lorenzen/

A Prelude to Christmas: Carrie's story, "Moonlight Over Manhattan"

Welcome Carrie Turansky to the blog today! She's here to share an excerpt from her Christmas story, Moonlight Over Manhattan.

Book Blurb: Professional organizer Sarah Montgomery is hired to organize her elderly neighbor’s cluttered apartment by Justin Latimer, her neighbor’s grandson. Sarah believes free-spirited Justin is a lazy, unemployed poet who is taking advantage of his grandmother’s generosity. Though attracted to him, she guards her heart against her growing feelings. As Sarah and Justin work together to help his grandmother and enjoy Christmas events in New York City, romantic sparks fly. When Sarah discovers who Justin really is, she must decide if she will continue to hide behind her protective wall or open her heart and embrace love. Moonlight Over Manhattan (formerly titled Moonlight and Mistletoe) was originally published in "A Big Apple Christmas". It has been updated for new readers to enjoy.

~*~
Reader Review of Moonlight Over Manhattan (published on Amazon.com): 
5.0 out of 5 stars
Sweet Love Story
By Anne Rightler on October 10, 2016
Format: Kindle Edition

Moonlight Over Manhattan is an engaging novella by Carrie Turansky. Sarah is a professional organizer who seems unable to commit herself to a romantic relationship. Then she bumps into the neighbor's very good-looking grandson, Justin. Embers of love begin to flame and yet suspicions and fears have a hold on Sarah's emotions. Can she overcome the fears and give into the growing attraction for a "song-writing, Bible quoting poet"? Will she find the strength to follow God and trust Him with her future? The author has given readers a captivating love story set in New York City at Christmastime, the most magical time of the year. With realistic and likable characters and a sweet Christmas love story, Moonlight Over Manhattan will not disappoint.

~*~
Fill out the book giveaway contest entry form on the Rafflecopter widget for your chance to WIN a copy of Moonlight Over Manhattan: 

a Rafflecopter giveaway 
~*~
Story excerpt from Chapter 1 of Moonlight Over Manhattan:

Later that afternoon Sarah sat at the desk in her apartment. She glanced at the calendar on her phone, mentally calculating the time she’d need to leave for her first appointment tomorrow morning.

Molly whined and nudged Sarah’s leg.

“You don’t have to go outside again, do you?” She felt a little strange talking to a dog, but Molly seemed to understand. When she heard the word “outside” the dog’s ears stood up, she barked once, and the expression on her face looked like a doggy smile.

Sarah laughed and picked up the leash. “Okay, come on.” Molly dashed to the door, dancing with excitement. As Sarah clipped the leash on Molly’s collar, the doorbell rang.

She looked through the peephole and saw the back of someone’s head. They had shoulder length, light-brown wavy hair. With the distorted view, she couldn’t tell if it was a man or a woman. A ripple of apprehension traveled up her back.

She opened the door but left the chain lock in place. Better safe than sorry in this city.

The person turned around. Sarah immediately realized he was a man—a very good-looking man with a long straight nose, strong chin, and golden-brown eyes. He looked about thirty. She glanced at his clothes, and her eyebrows rose. He wore a dark-green baggy sweatshirt with a torn neck, worn black jeans, and slip-on leather loafers with no socks. She kept the chain in place and stood back a little.

He smiled, and a deep dimple creased his left cheek. “Hi. I’m Justin Latimer.”

Surprise rippled through her. She’d pictured Lillian’s grandson a little differently when they’d talked on the phone earlier.

He lifted his brows, reflecting her hesitant expression.

Heat radiated into her face. “Oh . . . yes. I’m sorry.” She unlatched the chain and opened the door wider. “I’m Sarah Montgomery.”

Molly lunged past her and leaped at Justin. Sarah hung on to the leash.

Laughing, he squatted to greet the dog. “Hey there, Miss Molly. What’ve you been up to? Giving this lady a hard time?” He scratched behind her raised ears and let her lick his cheek.

“How’s Lillian?” Sarah glanced down the hall toward her neighbor’s door.

He stood to face Sarah, and a serious expression replaced his smile. “She sprained her wrist, and they think she has a concussion.” He frowned and glanced away. “Her blood work came back with some strange results. The doctor wants to run some more tests. They’re keeping her overnight.”

“I hope she’s not too upset. I know she thought she’d be coming home today.” Sarah glanced down at Molly. Keeping the dog for one day had been a challenge. She’d had to rearrange her schedule and cancel two appointments. She wasn’t sure how she’d manage working and watching Molly tomorrow.

Justin held his hand out for the leash. “Don’t worry. I’ll take Molly.”

Sarah’s face warmed, surprised he’d read her thoughts, but she didn’t release the leash.

“It’s okay.” Amusement shone in his eyes. “I stay with Molly whenever my grandmother goes out of town. That was part of the deal we made when I got Molly for her.”

“You bought Molly for Lillian?”

Grinning, he nodded. “Yes, I’m the guilty party.” He leaned down and ruffled the hair on the dog’s head, his expression growing pensive. “She was lonely after my granddad died. I thought a dog would be a good companion for her.”

Sarah’s heart warmed as she watched him. “That was thoughtful.”

“Well, I’m glad it helped. Now Molly is one of the most pampered pooches in Manhattan.” He gazed at the dog with affection. “And my grandma has someone who needs her and a reason to get up in the morning.”

Sarah nodded and studied him. Even though he needed a good haircut and new wardrobe, a man who cared that much about his grandmother deserved a measure of trust. “Why don’t you come in, and I’ll collect Molly’s things.” She opened the door wider.

“Thanks.” He followed her into the apartment. His gaze traveled around the living room and dining room. “Wow, this is nice.” He hesitated and glanced at her. “Spacious and very . . . neat.”

She smiled. “You sound surprised.”

“It looks like the same floor plan as my grandmother’s apartment, but it’s a shocking contrast to her . . . housekeeping style.”

Sarah held back a chuckle. “Yes, I saw her apartment for the first time this morning.”

He lifted his hands. “She wasn’t always like this, but since my granddad died, it’s gotten out of hand. Hopefully, I can sort through some things and clean up while she’s at the hospital.”

Sarah tipped her head, considering the possibilities. “Maybe I could help you.”

His dark brows rose. “You want to help me clean out her apartment?”

“That’s what I do.”

“You’re a cleaning lady?”

She pulled in a deep breath and stifled her initial response. “No, I’m a professional organizer.” She reached in her suit jacket pocket and handed him a business card.

He took the card and read it, but the question in his eyes told Sarah he could use a little more explanation.

“I help my clients develop and implement plans to simplify and organize their lives, homes, and offices.”

He nodded, but still looked uncertain.

“I help them discover why they struggle with disorganization. Then I teach them how to overcome clutter, get organized, and realize their dreams.”

His eyes lit up. “That’s exactly what my grandmother needs.” He rubbed his hands together. “When could you start?”

~*~
Author bio: 

Carrie Turansky is the award-winning author of seventeen inspirational romance novels and novellas. She writes both contemporary and historical stories and has won the ACFW Genesis Award, The ACFW Carol Awards, and the International Digital Award. 

When Carrie is not writing she enjoys traveling with her husband, working in her garden, walking around the lake near their home in New Jersey, and cooking healthy meals for friends and family. Carrie loves to connect with reading friends through her website, Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter.

~*~
Connect with Carrie:
Website - http://carrieturansky.com/
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/authorcarrieturansky/
Pinterest - https://www.pinterest.com/carrieturansky/
Twitter - https://twitter.com/carrieturansky?lang=en

25 Days of Christmas Reads: Interview with Jodie Bailey, author of Quilted by Christmas

Meet novelist Jodie Bailey! She's a North Carolina native who loves coffee, the beach and good books. Today we're featuring her award-winning contemporary romance, Quilted by Christmas, which she agreed to give away for free! 

In order to WIN a paperback copy of Jodie's book, enter the book giveaway contest via the Rafflecopter widget below. But first, let's look at this lovely photo of Jodie's book cover! 

A truly beautiful photo that makes you want to decorate your house for Christmas, isn't it? Remember to enter the contest via the Rafflecopter widget:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Now, on to the interview! :)

*Words by Alexis in bold, words from Jodie are not in bold
~*~

Alexis: Your new novel, Quilted by Christmas is a contemporary romance. What do you love the most about writing in this genre?

Jodie: I love the “freedom” of romance. Generally, I write suspense, and there is a certain expectation and pace to that. With straight romance, I enjoy the focus on relationship, on watching two people grow and battle for (and sometimes against) one another. It’s all about the characters and their pull to one another. Being a character-first kind of girl, I love that! As for this one, I loved watching Justin bring out the “real” Taryn again. She becomes herself around him, the self she’s buried for years. It was so much fun to watch her change.

What was the inspiration for and the meaning behind the title of your book?

That was actually a call by Abingdon. The book was in the Quilts of Love series, and the focus was on the story of the quilt and how it needed to be finished by Christmas… and how it symbolized the re-creation of the relationship between Taryn and Justin. The original quilt is destroyed, and they have to work together to finish a recently discovered, half-finished new quilt. I’m a symbolism girl, and the quilts in the book pack a whole lot of symbolism into their stitches!

Tell us about your leading lady Taryn McKenna. What does she love the most about life? What brings her joy? What brings her pain? Why does she believe that she’s “easy to forget”?

Taryn was a challenge to write. She is vulnerable and broken by the choices of others and by her own choices. But she also has an inner strength that helps her overcome. She’s more tenacious than she thinks she is. Taryn loves being alive, and she adores her grandmother. Jemma brings her joy. In fact, everything about being a family brings her joy, but family also brings her the most pain, because hers is so fractured. Because her father dismissed her and because Justin so easily walked away from her so many years ago, she’s pretty certain she just doesn’t have what it takes to be loved. Losing Justin and her actions shortly after that loss cause her enormous pain, so she tries to run and hide. She’s so certain of her unworthiness, she misses the love all around her.

Taryn’s been through a lot with being abandoned by her parents and left behind when her sweetheart went to serve their country. So those are understandable reasons why she “vows to never love again.” But I have a feeling something changes that vow. Want to divulge the details without giving away your story?

Ooh… that’s a tough one. Taryn has believed a lot of lies in her life, and one by one, those lies are stripped away and the truth comes out. Justin is persistent in his friendship with her, in seeing her happy. He’s a hard man for Taryn to ignore. It takes some serious run-ins with unconditional love to make her understand what love really is.

Why does Taryn love the outdoors? Is this story set in the countryside?
Describe the story setting and its role in making Taryn come alive. Taryn was born and raised in the little Blue Ridge Mountain valley town of Hollings, NC. It’s growing as an artsy place, where old-school crafting and town life are blooming. Her family owned a huge apple orchard, and she was always outside as a kid. She’s totally at home on the peaks and in the valleys, and although she doesn’t get to do a lot of roaming in the story, it’s clear that’s where she’s the most alive, especially in one scene, which involves a four-wheeler and a very muddy hunt for the perfect Christmas tree. She finds solace where the people aren’t, because she can be her most authentic self out where she’s alone.

Why does Taryn choose to be a teacher of high school kids? Describe her relationship with her students. Do they love and respect her or give her a run for her money? Explain why.

Taryn was wounded the most when she was a teen, so she has very vivid memories of that time in her life. She holds onto those memories and does her best to see the world through their eyes. Her biggest pains and her biggest mistakes grew out of high school, so she’s determined to use those to help her kids. She’s a mentor to them, someone who loves them no matter what. They respect her and they come to her knowing she’s been there and she’ll tell them straight what they need, and she’ll love them through anything.

What impact did Taryn’s grandmother Jemma make on Taryn’s life before falling ill? What role does Jemma play in this story apart from being Taryn’s grandmother?

Jemma is Taryn’s constant. She has never stopped loving Taryn, ever. She coaxed Taryn through all of the hardest moments of her life, a voice of reason and wisdom. But when it comes out that Jemma made one very big mistake and has kept one very big secret, Taryn has to find her own way to forgiveness and to realize that her grandmother isn’t perfect, but perfection isn’t what it’s all about. Love is. Jemma’s role? She “drives the bus.” That woman is a straight up, take charge meddler, and she’s got her hands all into everything… even from the hospital.

What is an Irish chain quilt? Describe the history and meaning behind it.

I created a history of the quilt for Taryn’s family. For each marriage, the women of the McKenna family hand sew a quilt for the new couple. The quilt serves as a way to link the family together through the generations. The quilt sewn for Taryn’s mother hangs on her bedroom wall, even though her parents’ marriage was a disaster that colored Taryn’s entire life, a symbol of why she herself did something questionable and regrettable out of love. The story begins when Taryn finds an unfinished Irish chain in Jemma’s attic, because there was no bride to go with the quilt. It’s a mystery, but as the book progresses, it’s clear God knows exactly what He’s doing.

How does the quilt-making process help Taryn see her value?

Taryn had one great love in her life, Justin Callahan. One mistake drove them apart, and Taryn compounded that mistake in a way that meant they could never be together again. However, when Justin comes home from the military, he inserts himself into Taryn’s life again. When Jemma is injured and can’t sew the Irish chain for Taryn’s cousin’s upcoming wedding, Taryn has to step in. And Justin keeps showing up to help. His patience, the time they have together where the focus isn’t on them, helps her to heal, to see that love and forgiveness are tied together, even when the hurt may seem unforgiveable.

Is this a love story? Why or why not? I ask because I don’t see a mention of a male lead/hero in your story description.

This is totally a love story. Justin Callahan and Taryn grew up together and fell in love in high school, but they wrecked their own relationship, and Taryn did something she sees as unforgiveable in order to protect him. The problem is, Justin doesn’t know what she did, and when he comes home, he wants to pursue the friendship they used to have. When the feelings grow deeper, Taryn has to deal with her own abandonment issues, her secrets, and Jemma’s mistakes in order to accept Justin’s love. And Justin has to decide if he can forgive Taryn for lying to him for years.

What role does your faith in God play into this story as the author? What can you tell me about the faith of your main characters?

Justin is solid in his faith, but Taryn is a bit shaky. She has to come to understand that God loves her no matter what, that his grace is so much bigger than anything she can imagine. His love… Wow, his love. It’s this all-encompassing thing. I was blessed to have a father totally unlike Taryn’s earthly father, so I understood that God loved me. However, like Taryn, I struggled to find my value. When I finally did, it changed my whole life, just like Taryn.

What do you want readers to treasure the most about Quilted by Christmas?

Jemma, Taryn’s grandmother. She is an amalgamation of both of my grandmothers.

My Nanny is this gentle soul who loves without reservation or condition, and she is a lot of Jemma’s soft side.

My Bopum (grandmother), who had a huge hand in raising me, died the year before I wrote the book, and Jemma gets her hard-headed, fiery, bossy side from her. I grieved a lot in the writing of the book and put a few of my grandmothers’ stories into the narrative. Anyone who knows them has come to me and told me how much of these wonderful women they see in the writing, and that means a lot. So I hope they love Jemma and embrace her. She’s pretty awesome.

Thanks for the interview, Jodie!

Thanks for inviting me!

~*~
Author bio:

Jodie Bailey writes novels about freedom and the heroes who fight for it. She is the author of 2015 RT Reviewers Choice Award winner Crossfire, from Love Inspired Suspense, and 2014 Selah Winner and CBA bestseller Quilted by Christmas from Abingdon Press. 

She is convinced a camping trip to the beach with her family, a good cup of coffee, and a great book can cure all ills. 

Jodie lives in North Carolina with her husband, her daughter, and two dogs.
~*~
Book blurb for Quilted by Christmas: The town of Hollings, North Carolina, nestled in a valley of the Blue Ridge Mountains in North Carolina, is preparing for Christmas. Taryn McKenna, however, is feeling anything but festive. Her grandmother Jemma, the only love in her life since her mother died and her father abandoned her, is facing a medical crisis. 

As her cousin’s New Year’s wedding draws near, Jemma asks Taryn to finish the quilt that is traditionally hand sewn for brides in their family. She finds herself reluctantly accepting help from Justin Callahan, the man she would have married…until one mistake cost them more than their relationship. Taryn has a secret that could derail not only Justin’s life, but the life of a total stranger. 

 When Justin learns the truth, will he continue to stand by Taryn’s side, or will her life unravel one stitch at a time? 

~*~

Buy Jodie's book:

Amazon.com - http://amzn.to/1TDrWUN
Barnes and Noble - http://bit.ly/1lAg3TU
Christianbook.com - http://bit.ly/1XLZCjC