When Love Inspires: Belle's story

When Love Inspires: Belle's story

For as long as I can remember, I wanted to be a writer.

I was the little girl who grew up across the street from a public library and devoured books as fast as I could check them out with my library card. I still can recall that exhilarating feeling as I dove into a Nancy Drew mystery or one of my favorites, Little Women. As a teenager, I fell in love with romance novels. I think the idea of happily ever afters made me feel as if all was right in the world. As an adult, I realize that’s not always the case. We live in a world where there is pain, sickness, suffering, war, poverty and so many more issues that aren’t uplifting.

Although I write in the inspirational market, my books also qualify as sweet romances.

As a writer, I can create a sense of peace and love. 

The world that my characters inhabit is a world that I create, so I have the power to incorporate all the characteristics that are important to me.

Writing sweet romance allows me to create happy endings in a world where happiness doesn’t always triumph over the bad things. It’s really gratifying when I received correspondence from a reader who lets me know that my book helped them through a hard time or gave them a heartwarming feeling when they read my words. It lets me know that the path I’ve taken is the right one.

I also enjoy writing romances where the characters respond to each other on an emotional level rather than one of physicality. Of course attraction is important, and I make a point to portray the chemistry between the hero and the heroine. But for me, I enjoy the sweet heat level. I actually think it’s harder to write a romance where the couples aren’t intimate because the intimacy has to be portrayed through dialogue and experiences, as well as the intensity of the characters. You have to build a bridge between your characters and increase the depth of their connection.

I love the idea that a teenager (much like my teenaged self) can pick up a sweet romance and read it without being subjected to overtly sexual content or material that is way over their heads. That means the world to me. They can still get a romantic read without squirming or feeling as if they’re reading something they shouldn’t be! When you write sweet romance there’s a promise that the content will be appropriate for teenagers and above.

When I attended an event at my daughter’s school she introduced me to a new friend and unbeknownst to me, my daughter had given her a book of mine to read. It was wonderful to hear from the young lady about how she loved the book and enjoyed reading heartwarming love stories.

Writing sweet romance is perfect for me since I love creating emotional reads that leave the reader feeling as if they’ve been on an uplifting journey with the characters. I feel very fortunate each and every day to be able to send these stories out into the world.

~*~
Author Bio:

Belle Calhoune is a Publisher’s Weekly Best-selling author and a member of the RWA Honor Roll. 

She grew up in a small town in Massachusetts as one of five children. 

Although her mother was a doctor and her father a biologist, Belle never gravitated toward science. Growing up across the street from a public library was a huge influence on her life and fueled her love of romance novels. 

Belle is the author of ten Harlequin Love Inspired novels with four more contracted. She has indie-published the popular and best-selling inspirational romance series "Seven Brides, Seven Brothers." She was the first author to create a diverse Christian romance series. The Secrets of Savannah and Pelican Bay are both spin-offs of her debut series. 

Belle loves writing romance and crafting happily ever afters. When she’s not wrangling her two high maintenance dogs or spending time with her husband and two daughters, Belle enjoys travel and exploring new places. 

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Blurb for Belle's book:

Back in Love, Alaska, Joshua Ransom comes face-to-face with ex-fiancée Honor Prescott.

A single dad of an infant daughter, Joshua’s no longer the reckless cowboy who broke Honor’s heart. 

But discovering he’s selling his late grandfather’s land to developers puts them at odds. With the Diamond R’s fate unclear, so is their future. 

Will this second chance lead to Joshua being one of Love’s Alaskan Grooms?

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Connect with Belle:
Amazon Author Page, Facebook, Twitter and Website

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Devotionals for the Heart: Storms

Storms
A devotional by Paula Moldenhauer

“Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, and he brought them out of their distress. He stilled the storm to a whisper; the waves of the sea were hushed. Then they were glad when it grew calm, and he guided them to their desired haven. Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for mankind.” 

~Psalm 107:28–31 (NIV)

Sometimes storms come with angry fury. Wind-whipped tree branches are forced to the ground, majestic bows bending; beautiful leaves shredded and flung into the sky. Hail pelts, bruising flowers and crushing tender plants. Living, breathing creatures cower wherever shelter is found. Trembling, they seek safety.

Other storm systems are quieter but no less incessant. Snow falls for hours; hours stretch to days. Gray-white clouds hide the sun, the stars. The storm is relentless, but silent, ever falling, covering the world beneath, burying any sign of life. Sometimes its weight presses upon barren limbs, piling upon them until the strong trees crack underneath the cold, white mound. And the living huddle anywhere warmth can be found. They eye their reserves, hoping they have enough to outlast the ever falling, quietly swirling powder.

The storms in our life have different names: Illness, relationships, finances, grief, wounds, overwhelming busyness . . . the list goes on. Sometimes they attack with a fury that leaves us trembling and breathless. Other times they linger indefinitely, demanding fortitude and perseverance beyond our comprehension.

But always storms make us cry for a safe place.

The Bible tells about a time Paul, traveling by ship, faced a wind of typhoon strength. “The terrible storm raged unabated for many days, blotting out the sun and the stars, until at last all hope was gone.” –Acts 27:20 (NLT)

The storm was frightening, and it was long. The sailors gave up on their lives. But God sent an angel to Paul to tell him not to be afraid—that God’s plans for him required his life be spared.

Paul also faced a long, silent storm. He called it his thorn in the flesh and asked three times that God take it away. But God didn’t. He simply told Paul, “My grace is sufficient for you” (2 Corinthians 12:9a, NKJV).

These stories remind me of something I heard from Max Lucado. He said everything that comes our way is first sifted through the Lord’s hands—and that we should submit to God’s Lordship in our life, even in the storms.

At one level I understand this—even feel protected by it. But when something really hurts, I feel I’ve gotten the raw end of the deal.

Why does He allow such pain?

In the long run, I always come back to the same truth. Though I don’t understand why bad stuff happens, I don’t want to walk through a gale force wind without my Father. I can question His love and His wisdom or embrace the truth: God is love. God is wisdom.

God has our eternal good in mind at all times. His love is ever present, always available and abounding to us. He is there when we cry out to Him.

Sometimes our God rescues us from the storm. I’m comforted by Psalm 107:28 (CEV): “You were in serious trouble, but you prayed to the Lord, and he rescued you.

He made the storm stop and the sea be quiet. You were happy because of this, and he brought you to the port where you wanted to go.”

Other times the storm continues, unabated, and He whispers, as He did to Paul, “My kindness is all you need. My power is strongest when you are weak.” ~2 Corinthians 12:9a (CEV). No matter how hard a storm rages or how long it lasts, our Safe Place is always the same: the Father’s arms. Snuggled there our heart is at rest.

My Prayer: Precious Jesus, when it fits Your perfect plan, I ask that You still the storm. When in Your wisdom You allow a storm, focus my mind and emotions on your sufficient grace. Give me new understanding to see and respond to my situation from Your perspective. Empower me to rest in Your arms and to live in Your peace that passes understanding.

~*~
Author Bio:

Author, speaker, and mom of four, Paula Moldenhauer encourages others to live free to flourish. She shares this message when speaking at women’s events, and it permeates her written work. 

Paula has published over 300 times in non-fiction markets and has a devotional book series, Soul Scents. Her first published novella was a finalist in the ACFW Carol Awards, and she now has six published works of fiction. 

Paula and her husband, Jerry, are adjusting to a sometimes-empty nest in Colorado. Today’s devotion was adapted from her devotional book, Soul Scents: Rooted. 

Visit her at www.paulamoldenhauer.com and sign up for her newsletter to get a weekly Flourishing Moments and periodic updates on free days for her books. For daily Flourishing Moments “like” Paula’s author/speaker page. 

Join Paula in Denver at the Whole and Free Women’s Conference September 28 and September 29. Register here (by Sept. 27)!