Romantic Reads: Delayed Justice

The Story Behind Delayed Justice by Cara Putman:

If you've followed along with my writing for any length of time, you know I love writing. It's also one of the hardest things I do. Writing is hard work plain and simple. To give readers an emotional experience I have to dig deep. I need to cry. I'll want to chortle. For any emotion to resonate, I have to be willing to go there.

For some books that's relatively easy. I'm writing a book set in WWII on the home front. There's rationing. There's boys going to war. But there's also dances. And games. And the importance of family.

Then there are the books that require deep things from me. Delayed Justice was one of those books. Jaime Nichols was a character who was shy to make her story known. In Beyond Justice, she said a few snarky lines and gratefully slid into the shadows. In Imperfect Justice, she hinted at darker secrets, but kept her difference. But in Delayed Justice her story erupted. It oozed with pain and angst...and to get her to a point of healing and hope, I had to walk through the pain, too.

That meant I had to research the lingering effects of childhood abuse on adults. I had to explore the trauma's impacts in emotional and physical ways. I had to talk with survivors and read their stories, so I could honor their experience in the telling of Jaime's. I also wanted to write the story in a way that conveys hope without triggering those who may have experienced the painful realities.

To do that I balanced Jaime's journey with her stand-offish cat Simba and a lovable Golden Retriever named Aslan. The two of them provided comic relief and a mirror for the growing friendship between Jaime and Chandler Bolton. The animals also reflect the shifting nature of Jaime's spiritual journey. I also surrounded Jaime with friends, and made sure she couldn't escape one. It was impossible for her to continue to hide behind a mask when Caroline is around. We all need friends like that, don't we?

The other element that made Delayed Justice a challenge to write is that Jaime doesn't know God as her personal Father. She's heard about Him from her friends, but He's not good and He's not safe. If He were, He would have protected her. As I was writing Delayed Justice I was wrestling with those questions in a very personal way. I'll be writing more about that in the coming weeks, what God's been showing me and what I'm trying to learn.

God actually used the writing of this story to allow me to wrestle with some of these hard questions. Where is God when things don't go well? When we obey and follow Him and He drops us off the cliff? Where is He when we're hurt or abused? How do we reconcile that reality of living in a fallen world with the truth that He is good?

These are hard questions. They don't have easy answers.

And Jaime wrestles with them, just as I wrestle with them. Maybe you do, too.

Isn't that what a faith journey is about?

Some days we are running down the path God has in front of us. The path is clear. The light shines brightly and I can see Him. I can see His smile. I can feel the warmth of His love.

Then there are other days, weeks, and months, where the path is shrouded in fog and darkness. In those days my journal is filled with questions. God, where are You? What did I do? What am I supposed to learn? Help me follow You when I can't find You or see You. These are the days that faith is hard. Some days I have wrestled to continue believing what I know is true, when my heart is broken and hurting.

But I'm finding after the deconstruction comes reconstruction. It's hard work, but God meets me in it. Jaime gets to discover some of that truth too.

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Book Blurb for Delayed Justice:

Jaime long ago gave up the desire to be loved. Now she only needs to be heard.  

Jaime Nichols went to law school to find the voice she never had as a child, and her determination to protect girls and women in the path of harm drives her in ways both spoken and unspoken. As Jaime, now a criminal defense attorney, prepares to press charges against someone who wronged her long ago, she must face not only her demons but also the unimaginable forces that protect the powerful man who tore her childhood apart.

Chandler Bolton, a retired veteran, is tasked with helping a young victim who must testify in court—and along with his therapy dog, Aslan, he’s up for the task. When he first meets Jaime, all brains, beauty, and brashness, he can’t help but be intrigued. As Chandler works to break through the wall Jaime has built around herself, the two of them discover that they may have more to offer one another than they ever could have guessed—and that together, they may be able to help this endangered child.

This thrilling installment of the Hidden Justice series explores the healing power of resolution and the weight of words given voice. And as Jaime pursues delayed justice of her own, she unearths eternal truths that will change the course of her life.

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Author Bio:

Since the time she could read Nancy Drew, Cara has wanted to write mysteries. In 2005 she attended a book signing at her local Christian bookstore. The rest, as they say, was history.

There she met a fellow Indiana writer Colleen Coble. With prompting from her husband, Cara shared her dream with Colleen. Since those infamous words, Cara’s been writing award-winning books. She is currently writing book 35 and dreaming up future books, not hard when she sees what-ifs everywhere.

Cara Putman is an active member of ACFW and gives back to the writing community through her service on Executive Board. She has also been the Indiana ACFW chapter president and served as the Area Coordinator for Indiana.

Cara is also an attorney, full-time lecturer at a Big Ten university, active in women's ministry, and all around crazy woman. Crazy about God, her husband and her kids that is.

She graduated with honors from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (Go Huskers!), George Mason Law School, and Purdue University’s Krannert School of Management.

You can learn more about Cara at www.caraputman.com.

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Buy Cara’s book:
Amazon ~ Barnes and Noble ~ CBD ~ Target ~ Walmart ~ Cara’s website

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Connect with Cara:

Website: http://caraputman.com

Twitter: http://twitter.com/cara_putman

Facebook: http://facebook.com/cara.putman

Instagram: http://instagram.com/caracputman

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/cara-putman

Goodreads:https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/939004.Cara_C_Putman

Romantic Reads: Beyond Justice

The Story behind Beyond Justice by Cara Putman:

Beyond Justice was my first legal romantic suspense. 

This book was a little different from the others because editors were asking me for a legal proposal. One thing that I learned early in my writing process is that I have to find an idea I can fall in love with for two years. Yep, you read that right. Two years. It takes roughly two years to go from building the proposal to writing and editing the book then through marketing the book as it releases. I knew I had to find an idea with Beyond Justice that could carry me through that space of time.

I was very deliberate about working toward that idea.

I quickly had the idea that the series would focus on a group of friends who became close in law school. Each book allowed a different woman to step forward as the heroine, and because I set the books in Alexandria, Virginia, I had immense flexibility about what they could do with their law degree. Each book wouldn’t have to be a courtroom driven drama.

But I still needed the hook for Beyond Justice. What would be the quest that Hayden, the first heroine, embarks on? What would motivate her to change throughout the course of the book?

It started with a headline. The United States was experiencing a flood of unaccompanied minor illegal aliens – a theme that is repeating in headlines now. I began to wonder what that experience was like for the children and young adults. How should we care for them when they entered the country? Then I saw the photo of the Syrian refuge toddler who drowned while fleeing with his family. Combined, these different stories made me think. What would it take to make a mother believe that her child was better off taking the horrific risks both journeys involved to reach the freedom offered by another country? And what if a child died while in custody of the United States at a detention facility? Those questions became the genesis of Beyond Justice.

I added in a feisty heroine, a strong hero, and layers of problems. The result is a book I hope you will enjoy reading.

Be sure to click here to read the first five chapters of Beyond Justice.

~*~
Author Bio:

Since the time she could read Nancy Drew, Cara has wanted to write mysteries. In 2005 she attended a book signing at her local Christian bookstore. The rest, as they say, was history. 

There she met a fellow Indiana writer Colleen Coble. With prompting from her husband, Cara shared her dream with Colleen. Since those infamous words, Cara’s been writing award-winning books. She is currently writing book 35 and dreaming up future books, not hard when she sees what-ifs everywhere. 

Cara Putman is an active member of ACFW and gives back to the writing community through her service on Executive Board. She has also been the Indiana ACFW chapter president and served as the Area Coordinator for Indiana.

Cara is also an attorney, full-time lecturer at a Big Ten university, active in women's ministry, and all around crazy woman. Crazy about God, her husband and her kids that is. 

She graduated with honors from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (Go Huskers!), George Mason Law School, and Purdue University’s Krannert School of Management. 

You can learn more about Cara at www.caraputman.com.

~*~

Book Blurb for Beyond Justice:

Hayden McCarthy is on track to become the youngest partner in her prestigious D.C. law firm . . . if the case she's just been handed doesn't destroy her first. 

Hayden McCarthy knows firsthand the pain when justice is not served. It's why she became an attorney and why she's so driven in her career. When she's assigned a wrongful death case against the government, she isn't sure if it's the lucky break she needs to secure a partnership—or an attempt to make sure she never gets there.

Further complicating matters is Andrew, her roommate’s distractingly attractive cousin. But Andrew’s father is a Congressman, and Hayden's currently taking on the government. Could the timing be any worse?

The longer she keeps the case active, the higher the stakes become. Unknown enemies seem determined to kill the case—or her. Logic and self-preservation would indicate she should close the case. But how can she, when justice is still just beyond her reach?

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Buy Cara’s book:
Amazon ~ Barnes and Noble ~ CBD ~ Target ~ Walmart ~ Cara’s website

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Connect with Cara:
Website: http://caraputman.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/cara_putman
Facebook: http://facebook.com/cara.putman
Instagram: http://instagram.com/caracputman
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/cara-putman
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/939004.Cara_C_Putman

Devotionals for the Heart: No Law

There Is No Law
A devotional by Allison M. Wilson

Key Scripture: Galatians 5:22-23, Proverbs 25:2, Philippians 4:4-8 (NASB)

We’ve come to the end of the Fruit of the Spirit, and I have to say, God’s shown me some pretty neat things about these gifts. The progression of them has such deep meaning. I look forward to letting Him bring out more and more.

The last line in this particular set of verses has always been interesting to me: “…against such things there is no law.” Why would that need to be said? Who could think any of these fruit would be a bad thing? I mean, love is what makes the world go around, right? And kindness has had movies made about it. Songs are written about these qualities, so why point out that there isn’t a law against them?

Christ knows we are dense sometimes. I don’t say that to be mean. It’s a reality. We see the Word repeating things … a lot. That’s because we need it to be repeated. Just once isn’t enough. Repetition is how we learn. There are some who say that it takes 7 or 8 times of hearing something you’d like to remember before it starts to stick. It would have taken a lot of space to repeat all of these fruit here in the section.

We need something to snap us out of our stupor and make us pay attention. The Word says that it’s to the glory of God to conceal a matter, and the glory of kings to seek it out. I think this might be one of those places. Why is it important for Christ to tell us there’s no law against these fruit?

Whether we all agree what it is, we’re all born with a moral compass. One person’s may be different than another’s, but everyone has something in them that tells them something is right or wrong. Yet, don’t we see great wrongs being done every day, and by those who should “know better?” At that point, what do we tend to do? We judge that person’s walk, their faith, their relationship with God. God alone knows the heart, however, we feel we have seen enough to make a judgment on that person, sometimes based on less than a minute of time.

What if we attach the fruit of the Spirit to those situations? Since there is no law against them, put love alongside the issue. Where does that leave you in the situation? And joy? Or faithfulness? Oh, don’t forget peace.

We can’t exhibit too much of any of these things. Honestly, we can’t exhibit any of them on our own. But, Christ wants these to be our first line of defense against all the things that come at us each day. We are strengthened when we know and walk in His love. That springs joy up through us, and spills out on those around us. We’re peaceful, making everyone feel at ease or welcome, solely due to our encounters with the love of God.

I see nowhere in Scripture where we’re told to dwell on our past…our sins. What I do see are several lists of positive things that God wants us to focus on for a huge benefit. We gain a guarded mind and heart when we do. Who here needs that today? All of this stems from knowing there is no law against, and no reason not to have, these fruit freely flowing through us. They are the very essence of Christ living in us to a world that desperately needs His love. Be fruitful, and multiply.

Let’s Pray: Dearest Jesus, we know Your ways are better. We know the Fruit of the Spirit that You’ve given us are for our benefit, but they are even more for others. Let there be no boundary on how Your Fruit are used in and through us for Your glory. In the Name of Jesus Christ we pray, Amen.

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Author Bio:

A very early reader and lover of the written word, Allison M. Wilson has been writing since the age of eight with the heart to impart stories and God's truth. 

She has judged countless contests for the last 25 years, reviewed for several online publications, professionally edited, and written articles and devotionals.

Wife, mother, writer, editor, teacher, mentor, and mompreneur, God keeps her busy while living in east central Florida with her family.

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Connect with Allison:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/allisonmwilson
Twitter: https://twitter.com/amwilson