A Devotional by Novelist and Scriptwriter Jennifer Dornbush

What Do You Do When Your Road is Broken?

A devotional by Jennifer Dornbush, author of God Bless the Broken Road

“Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”
~Matthew 17:20 (NIV)

What do you do when your life takes a turn and you find yourself traveling a broken road? Where do you turn for help when it seems like even God has abandoned you?

These were the top two questions that myself and my script co-scribe, Harold Cronk, started with when we first penned the script version of God Bless the Broken Road that later blossomed into a novel version.

I understood the pain of these questions first hand. I had traveled on the broken road of infertility for over a dozen years. There were many times I felt like God had left me completely. How could he be so cruel as to not give us the gift of children, especially when I had been so faithful to Him all my life? We had never done anything to deserve this. I felt abandoned by Him and completely out of sync with my family, friends, and pretty much all of society. And a lot of days, I still do.

In my new novel God Bless the Broken Road, war widow and single mom, Amber Hill is struggling with her own painful road when she loses her husband to a bomb in Afghanistan. Why would God take away the gift of her husband?

Amber feels she doesn't deserve the suffering and heartache God has put in her path. She's angry, bitter, and determined to "do life" on her own. I get Amber. I've been there. And, like Amber, I've found myself in those yelling matches with God - "Why did you do this to me?! Why would you give me this suffering?!"

When Amber finally reaches her breaking point and has nothing left, she comes to a place where she can be still and hear His voice. The voice comes from an unexpected place—I won't give it away—but it's in that moment she is finally able to see that God's goodness and blessing have been surrounding her, even at her lowest point.

I get that too. And you’ve probably been there too. Most of us have had those moments in our struggles where we are at the end of ourselves. We find ourselves in too much in despair to even want to go on.

The good news is that God doesn’t give up on us. Thankfully. He waits by our side until we have so exhausted our own efforts that He can speak into our desperate silence. His voice calls: "Look up. Look around you. See what I have done for you today. Know that I have been with you and I have a future of hope and promise for you." (Jeremiah 29:11)

And that's the message of God Bless the Broken Road. We just need to pay attention to see what God is doing for us today. If we have even the tiniest mustard seed of faith that God is who He says He is, then He can move the mountains of our suffering and bring us into triumph and hope, no matter how broken our path seems.

All we have to do is to open our eyes. Open our ears. Acknowledge Him. See His blessings. And give Him thanks. Thanksgiving...God With Us...God is with us. And believing this truth is what will save us from despair on the broken roads of our lives.

~*~

Author Bio: Jennifer is a writer, speaker, and forensic specialist creating a diverse range of stories that shed light on the dark places of the human experience. 

Her story creation is bred from a very unsheltered childhood as the daughter of a medical examiner whose office was in her home. She investigated her first fatality—an airplane crash—when she was 8-years-old and from there gathered a decade of on-sight experience in death investigation and 360 hours of forensic training through the Forensic Science Academy.

The stories she creates stem from the unique range of human experiences. Because of her background, she does not shy away from telling stories about tough circumstances and how characters choose to deal with them. Jennifer’s characters encounter light in their darkness… redemption where none seems possible…and bits of levity to sweeten the journey.

Her feature film, God Bless the Broken Road, is slated for release in 2017 in conjunction with the novel released on June 6, by the same title published by Simon & Schuster.

Jennifer has several crime-drama series being developed for television and a bilingual kid’s show, Team Abuelita, in production with Baby First TV.

Wanting to share her love of forensics with other storytellers, she scribed non-fiction work, Forensic Speak: How To Write Realistic Crime Dramas, published by Michael Wiese Productions, hailed as a north star to creating authentic crime dramas.

As a forensic specialist, she has consulted with TV writers on network and cable TV shows. She regularly leads seminars and webinars on forensics and crime fiction and has taught screenwriting on the high school and university level and mentored new writers.

Sign up for her newsletter and YouTube channel at www.jenniferdornbush.com.

~*~

Blurb for Jennifer's book: God Bless the Broken Road is a heartwarming story about a grieving army widow who finds her way back to her daughter, her faith, and a new love.

Amber Hill never imagined she would find herself a war widow and single mom. She feels robbed and is angry at God, and she doesn’t know how to help her nine-year-old daughter Bree through her grief. Where, Amber wonders, are the Sunday dinners, the picnics, the bike rides, the time together they should be enjoying as a family? Instead, Amber is left with a folded flag and an empty heart.

Cody Jackson has a death wish. Or at least that is what his manager thinks, as Cody pushes his race car and his luck in every race. Is he hiding something, or just daring God and other racers to end the path of destruction he finds himself on as he rounds the last turn? When Cody encourages Bree to join in a Derby car race for local youth, she finds a way to channel her grief into something good—and she likes that her mom and Cody are starting to become friends—or maybe something more.

Cody invites Amber and Bree to see him race, but as they watch Cody narrowly escape a devastating crash, she realizes she can’t lose another person in her life. It’s better to be alone than feel that type of grief again. But when Amber hits rock-bottom, she cries out to God and asks for help. With her faith, her life, her family, and her heart hanging in the balance, Amber is forced to decide between the broken road she knows so well and trusting that God will provide a new path.

~*~

Buy Jennifer's book on Amazon and AudioBooksNow

Watch the movie trailer for God Bless the Broken Road https://vimeo.com/191227455

~*~
Connect with Jennifer:
Website - www.jenniferdornbush.com

Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/jennifer.graeserdornbush
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/jenniferdornbush/
Pinterest - https://www.pinterest.com/jenidornbush/
Twitter - https://twitter.com/JGDornbush

Interview with LoRee Peery, author of "Touches of Time"

Welcome LoRee Peery to the blog! She's here to talk about Touches of Time, her new novel which releases today (March 1). Here's the cover photo for LoRee's book:

LoRee poured her heart into writing this novel. She speaks from experience because this story is close to home. Read on to find out why.

*Interview questions by Alexis in bold, answers from LoRee are not in bold...

~*~
Alexis: What inspired you to write Touches of Time?

LoRee: My father’s unsolved homicide has bothered me for more than two-thirds of my life. The driving desire to solve the crime on paper has lived with me for a long time, stimulating my imagination.

How did you research for writing this book? Share details.

I have saved publicized articles about the crime, along with letters written to me by strangers who responded to editorial letters, and a record of what I did trying to aid in the investigation. Ten years after the incident I started writing in journals. Many entries dealt with my struggles. The character of Lena, rather what she left behind, is based on those items.

What can you tell us about your heroine Sarah’s role in this story, without giving away the plot?

Sarah is a grieving daughter, as I was. My heart is in her character. I was seventeen days from delivering my son when my father was murdered. It made sense to me for Sarah to be pregnant.

Describe Sarah’s feelings when she meets the hero, Ford. What was her first impression of him? Would you say that it was a lasting impression? Why or why not?

Sarah is immediately attracted to Ford. The second time they meet she knows she has someone in her corner, as far as the cold case is concerned.

What did you find the most challenging about writing Touches of Time?

Myriad emotions hit me as my mind travels back. Some memories have grown dim with time, others may carry the impact of immediacy forever, and hit me every single time I read certain passages. My stomach churns, tears form. Prayer goes a long way when it comes to challenges.

What was the easiest part of the writing process for you?

I’m smiling as I answer this. Getting lost in the building romance between Sarah and Ford always takes me away from the reality of the tragic event that brought them together.

What drives Sarah to find out the details of her grandfather’s death?

Part of it is guilt. Readers will pick up on that. She’d also told her mother she’d try. Third, she seeks answers for the family. I hope my siblings, if they read this book, will understand where I was coming from. The part of the book from Lena’s perspective is a fictional memoir.

What makes Ford, who is a cold case investigator, want to help Sarah solve her grandfather’s cold case?

Something out of his control happened when he was young and made him despair for those left behind after violent crime. He strives to help family members of victims live beyond those events. Besides, he’s been drawn to Sarah on a personal level since first sight.

What is it about Sarah that makes Ford want to protect her?

She’s dealing with a double loss. He has empathy toward her, and being protective is part of who he is.

How did you weave your personal faith into this storyline? Explain.

Faith is part of who I am. Sarah’s mother Lena shared her belief and referred to Bible verses in her journals, which are based on my own writings.

What is the theme of this book?

Dealing with unfinished business can change your life for the good.

What is the moral of the story?

Faith abounds when Jesus is the quest.

Complete this sentence: When I finished writing Touches of Time, I felt____________________ because______________________.

When I finished writing Touches of Time, I felt it was time to close the books, so to speak, because even though what happened to both of my parents has something to do with who I am today, looking back sucks life from today. I’ve written from other characters’ perspectives that in order to move forward as people, we have to consider the past. We can’t run from it. Like Sarah, I need to focus on what God has called me to do in my various roles, living today but looking to the future.

Thanks for the interview, LoRee! Do you have any final comments?

Alexis, you’ve posed thought-provoking questions. I thank you for making me think.

~*~
Author bio: 

Christian romance author LoRee Peery strives to remember the Lord’s redeeming grace each day when she surveys her sense of place in Him and where He has placed her. 

LoRee clings to 1 John 5:4 and prays her family sees that faith. 

Her desire for readers, the same as for her characters, is to discover where they fit in this life journey to best work out the Lord’s life plan.

~*~
Connect with LoRee:
Website- www.loreepeery.com
Twitter - https://twitter.com/LoreePeery
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/LoReePeery
Pelican Book Group - http://tinyurl.com/kwz9enk