Guest Post: Debra E. Marvin

Debra E. Marvin

I’m so pleased to visit Delia’s blog. Goodness! What a great blog name! When she and I chirped and chattered last month, I was actively promoting my novella, WHY NOT, part of the Valentine Matchmaker Collection from Forget Me Not Romances. I say ‘was’ because I’m now in the Land of Impending Deadline and working on two upcoming stories that (ahem) may or may not be late.

Confused? So am I. Some days I type in the wrong character name. 

But WHY NOT (purchase link) is available now, (Ebook), and I’m giving away the nine-novella collection. Let me know in the comments, if you’re interested.

While the action culminates at a Valentine’s Party held at the Grand Canyon’s El

Tovar Hotel, 1914, the theme resonates year round—control. 

Do I jest? Because if you still think you have control over things, you must be young or…slow to catch on.

Desiring control of our lives is part of the process of maturing and, dare I say, escaping from the whims of our all-too-flawed parents and teachers. Being in control lets us finally make our own incredibly insightful decisions.

In WHY NOT, we meet Amber Wynott, a confident, intelligent young woman eager to prove that she has more to offer the world than settling for the role of society wife and mother.  Amber’s station in life has provided a safe base for her dreams. And perhaps that’s half the problem. If she had no choice but to work—taking in laundry, for example—in order for her family to eat, she wouldn’t have time to pooh-pooh her limited options. Don’t worry. Amber is not as snooty as she sounds. She’s also a champion of the working class… and much more unsure of herself than she wants you to think.  But, bless her heart, she has something to prove.

Next along is Stone Morrison, a master stone mason, and he just happens to have even more to prove than Amber. He’s just not so obvious about it.

Amber and Stone are both desperate to control their futures, rather than fall into the old, un-escapable family expectations, and gave me a lot to work with! I hope you are tempted to find out how incredibly suited they are to one another.

Because I can’t quite control what you do, can I? No more than I controlled my children, my pets, or my undying love for baked goods. Wishing we had control over things isn’t a bad thing; we’d protect our loved ones, and help those in need. What about self-control? For me, I can manage to stay away from sugar, or avoid buying another book, or yard of fabric, but, boy, the big things like doubt, worry, depression? No. That’s when we learn that giving it up, turning it over by faith to our God is the better choice. He can guide us, but he won’t control us.

“Jesus, Take the Wheel”, right?

Unfortunately, right down the road, we grab that wheel right back when things get bumpy.

I suggest you give yourself a little break. We can start over every day, multiple times a day, if needed.  God wants obedience—not because He abhors free will (He gave it), but because He knows the plans He has for you. Just like parents would love to control their children if it meant keeping them safe from harm and pain.

Pinterest Page

About WHY NOT?

Love Puts These Two On the Edge!

Grand Canyon, 1914

Society girl Amber Wynott’s wintry escape to the Grand Canyon provides a chance to pursue her dream and prove she has what it takes to be a successful architect. It doesn’t take long to realize the incredible scenery can’t hide the simmering anger between ‘railroad money’ and the struggling locals.

Which side is master builder Stone Morrison on?

Amber has met her match in the handsome, hard-headed man. He’s been directed to keep an eye on her, but when iron meets iron—oh the sparks! As their unlikely old matchmaker tells them, pride goes before a fall, and this is a bad place to fall. Will danger finally knock some sense into the pair?

You can find me in too many places. Twitter, Facebook, Amazon, Pinterest, and my website, DebraEMarvin, where I’m currently offering a 1-in-50 chance for a $25.00 Amazon Gift Card for new subscribers to my newsletter.

About the Author

Debra E. Marvin tries not to run too far from real life but the imagination born out of being an only child has a powerful draw. Besides, the voices in her head tend to agree with all the sensible things she says. She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers, Sisters in Crime, and serves on the board of Bridges Ministry in Seneca Falls, NY. She is published with WhiteFire Publishing, Forget Me Not Romances, and contracted with Journey Fiction. Debra works as a program assistant at Cornell University, and enjoys her family and grandchildren, obsessively buying fabric, watching British programming and traveling with her childhood friends. 

Guest post and...COVER REVEAL! Barbara M. Britton

Once again, I'm happy to welcome fellow Pelican Book Group author, Barbara M. Britton, to Chirp 'N Chatter. It is no less a pleasure this time than it was on her first visit. Today, Barbara will talk about the editing of Building Benjamin while on radiation therapy, and then...she'll introduce her brand new cover for the next book in the series, Jerusalem Rising: Adah's Journey. What fun to be the first to see this stunning cover! 

In addition, Barbara will give away a copy of Building Benjamin to a commenter on this post. Winner's choice of digital or print format. So be sure to say hello in the comments. Let us know what you're thinking about this series...and about the new cover. 

Building Benjamin...Through the Fire of Radiation

Thank you for having me on your blog today, Delia—Again! 

In two days, my second novel in my Tribes of Israel series will release in print. I am a print book reader, so I am thrilled to actually hold this story in my hands. “Building Benjamin: Naomi’s Journey” was inspired by Judges 19-21 where the tribe of Benjamin is almost wiped out by the other tribes of Israel. I had no idea this story was in the Bible. A lot of chaos happens in these final chapters in Judges, and a lot of chaos happens to Naomi, Cuzbi, and Jael in my story.

But, God is at work to save the tribe of Benjamin. I’m happy He did! The apostle Paul is from the tribe of Benjamin as is Saul, the first king of Israel (although that didn’t work out as well).

If you open “Building Benjamin” to the acknowledgements page, you will see a list of doctors and medical professionals who helped save my life. We know God is the ultimate healer, but these surgeons and nurses and physical therapists gave me a chance to beat breast cancer. I’m optimistic my cancer will not return because I had radical surgery and radiation therapy. But even if it does, I know God is in control.

My radiation therapy was to catch and kill any cancer cells that were left behind from my surgery. It was during radiation therapy that I edited Naomi’s story.

At first, I almost panicked to get my edits when I had to go to the hospital every day. Not to mention, I had to rest, drink water at every turn, and be a big grease ball of lotion to keep my skin from burning. I added a drop, or two, of Calendula oil to my lotion to prevent burning, so not only was I greasy, I was yellow! My edits were a blessing in disguise. I could turn my attention from cancer and oncology wards to something fun and rewarding—my writing.

God guided me through my cancer journey. He gave me peace and strength to battle the fear of the unknown. I’m not a big fan of needles, and God provided the grit for me to make it through many unpleasant procedures. The prayers of His saints were like a vitamin elixir every morning.

And while I was getting ready for Naomi and Eliab to have their day in the publishing sun, God gave me the idea for another story. Since Delia has been a huge support to me during my publishing career, I thought her readers might like to see the cover to my next Tribes of Israel novel. I’m sure Naomi won’t mind sharing her release day with Adah.

My next heroine is a daughter of Shallum who helped build the wall around the city of Jerusalem with Nehemiah. Adah’s story will release in November of 2017.

I’m happy to answer any questions about Naomi, Adah, or breast cancer. God is good!

About BUILDING BENJAMIN:

Love Grows Where God Grafts the Tender Shoot.

Naomi desires to dance well enough to catch the eye of a wealthy landowner. Her father needs a substantial bride price due to the deaths of her brothers at the hands of the tribe of Benjamin. But when Benjamites raid the Ephraimite feast and capture young girls, Naomi is bound and carried from her home by Eliab, a troubled shepherd who needs a wife.

As Naomi awaits rescue, she finds Eliab has a strong faith in God and a just reason for abducting her. A reason that affects all the tribes of Israel. The future of the tribe of Benjamin hangs in the balance, but if Naomi follows her heart and stays with Eliab to rebuild his lineage, she must forfeit her family and become a traitor to her tribe.

Cover Reveal!

Jerusalem Rising: 

Adah's Journey

When Adah bat Shallum volunteers to rebuild Jerusalem’s wall, she soon discovers not all of Judah’s enemies lie outside the crumbling rocks.

Delia here: Isn't this cover gorgeous? I absolutely love it! All of the covers for the Tribes of Israel series have been breathtaking. Side by side, they're quite the eye-catching set of book covers. Don't you agree? :)

About the Author:

Barbara M. Britton was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, but currently lives in Wisconsin and loves the snow—when it accumulates under three inches. She writes Christian Fiction for teens and adults. Barb has a nutrition degree from Baylor University but loves to dip healthy strawberries in chocolate. Barb kicked off her Tribes of Israel series in October with the release of “Providence: Hannah’s Journey.” Naomi’s journey, “Building Benjamin” is out now. Barb is a member of the American Christian Fiction Writers, the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, Romance Writers of America and Wisconsin Romance Writers of America.

Connect with Barb: Website, Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, Book Video

Buy Links…. Amazon, B&N, Target

Guest Post: Amanda Cabot

A Hero’s Motivation

Why would a man with a successful career as the town’s only attorney decide to run for sheriff? That’s the question I asked myself when I created Travis Whitfield, the hero of A Stolen Heart. The answer wasn’t difficult to find. All I had to do was consider what was happening in Texas while Travis was growing up. T.R. Fehrenbach’s Lone Star: A History of Texas and the Texans provided some fascinating details.

Though Travis was too young to have served in the War Between the States, there’s no doubt that its aftermath shaped him. It wasn’t only his father’s bitterness at having lost the war…and a leg at Gettysburg. Even more importantly, Travis saw the excesses of the Carpetbagger regime and the problems that occurred during E.J. Davis’s term as governor of the Lone Star State.

Image courtesy of the Texas State
Library and Archives Commission

If you’re not a Texan, you may not have heard of Edmund J. Davis, so I’d like to share a bit of history with you. When Davis set his sights on being elected governor in 1869, he and his cronies were so determined that he would be victorious that they did everything they could—legal and not so legal—to ensure it. Some voting registrars summarily rejected not only men who’d fought for the Confederacy but also Unionists who didn’t agree with the Carpetbaggers. By keeping so many men from voting, Davis had a better chance of winning.

But he didn’t stop there. The Army, which was controlled by the Carpetbaggers, supervised the polling and was quick to shut down any polling place where someone protested. As if that weren’t enough, in one county the registrar fled, taking the list of voters with him so that no one could vote. In another, the votes were counted by only one man— a Davis supporter, naturally. After all that, it was hardly a surprise that he won.

As soon as he took office, Davis began to exercise his power through the passage of the Militia Bill, which gave the government the power to declare martial law at any time. The Enabling Act allowed the governor to appoint almost every official in the state, leading—as you might expect—to corruption. The Printing Bill established a state press, which helped control the spread of information. And then there was the creation of the State Police. Not only were a number of former criminals appointed to the police force, but the State Police were authorized to act as secret agents, which was not a common practice at the time. Contrary to prior law, the State Police were also allowed to take prisoners from one county to another to stand trial, presumably so they could control the outcome of the trial.

As you can imagine, all this led to abuses of power, something an intelligent and impressionable young man would abhor. Having seen what could happen when the wrong people controlled the police, Travis was determined that that would not happen in his town. And so he ran for sheriff.

As for E.J. Davis, he was defeated in the election of 1873 but tried to have the results overthrown. When that attempt was unsuccessful, he refused to leave the governor’s office and petitioned President Grant for troops to support him. That request was denied. Ultimately, Davis left the building but kept the key, forcing the new governor to have the door to his new office broken down. Davis’s reign was over but not forgotten, at least not by my hero.

About A Stolen Heart:

The future she dreamed of is gone. But perhaps a better one awaits . . .

From afar, Cimarron Creek seems like an idyllic town tucked in the Texas Hill Country. But when former schoolteacher Lydia Crawford steps onto its dusty streets in 1880, she finds a town with a deep-seated resentment of Northerners—like her. Lydia won’t let that get her down, though. All will be well when she’s reunited with her fiancé.

But when she discovers he has disappeared—and that he left behind a pregnant wife—Lydia is at a loss about what to do next. The handsome sheriff urges her to trust him, but can she trust anyone in this town where secrets are as prevalent as bluebonnets in spring?

Bestselling author Amanda Cabot invites you into Texas’s storied past to experience adventure, mystery—and love.

Purchase Links:

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Christian Book Distributors

About Amanda:

Amanda Cabot is the bestselling author of more than thirty novels including the Texas Dreams trilogy, the Westward Winds series, the Texas Crossroad trilogy, and Christmas Roses. A former director of Information Technology, she has written everything from technical books and articles for IT professionals to mysteries for teenagers and romances for all ages.  Amanda is delighted to now be a fulltime writer of Christian romances, living happily ever after with her husband in Wyoming. 

Social Media Links:

www.amandacabot.com

https://www.facebook.com/amanda.j.cabot

https://twitter.com/AmandaJoyCabot/

http://amandajoycabot.blogspot.com/

COTT: Vote for your favorite springtime read!

Clash of the Titles presents
four new springtime reads! 

Peruse the images, read the blurbs, then vote on your favorite in the survey. I know which one is my favorite.

Enjoy, dear readers!

~~~~~



He's a nature photographer returning to make amends, and she's a camera-shy naturalist seeking privacy. Their love for a boy brings them together, but the camera could drive them apart.

~ ~ ~

Lifestyle magazine editor Heather McAlister was in the wrong place at the wrong time, witnessing a crime that shakes the roots of the town’s power brokers and sends her life into a tailspin. Previously burned by love, Detective Kyle Taylor has spent his entire adult life protecting his hometown, but now he’s protecting a woman he’ll risk everything to save.

~ ~ ~

She’s ready to fly free of a life-long cocoon; he’s looking for anything but Raine. Can Paradise Pines find a miracle for two unwilling hearts?

~ ~ ~

When a homeless man rescues Glorilyn Neilson from violent assault, he's not the man he seems. What powerful secret keeps him on the streets?

VOTE BELOW!

If you have trouble viewing the entire survey Click Here to load a dedicated page to the survey. 

Guest Author: Lillian Duncan

Lillian Duncan

Broken Trust

My latest book, BROKEN TRUST, uses a butterfly to symbolize the spiritual aspect of the story. When we see a beautiful butterfly most of us don’t think about the caterpillar and what it went through to become that butterfly.

As it was hidden in the cocoon, it might have been thinking it was the end of the world, but it wasn't. It was actually being protected so it could become what God created it to be. We often have those same “cocoon” times in our life—a time to learn and grow so that we can become all that God created us to be.

Certainly childhood and young adulthood would be examples of that. But that doesn’t mean there won’t be other cocoon times in our life. A time when we need to step back and let God protect us as we change into yet another butterfly.

For the past five years I’ve been dealing with brain tumors and their aftermath of which some are still evolving and are permanent—such as a significant hearing loss and balance issues. It’s certainly been a cocoon time for me but I’m more than ready to transform into that butterfly.

One of the changes is that my writing is also in the process of transforming. Even though my books have always had a spiritual message, the message has deepened as my health issues have changed me.

BROKEN TRUST is an example of that change. The main character is Chrysalis better known as Chryssie. A chrysalis is another name for a cocoon and a cocoon is one of the necessary steps for a caterpillar to become a butterfly.

Chryssie wants to soar like a butterfly but because of a lifetime of bad choices she seems to be stuck in the caterpillar stage. She knows good choices can propel her forward but it’s not always easy to make the good choices.

Chryssie is only days away from graduating when she witnesses a murder. Common sense would tell her to call the police, but she’s so focused on taking her final exam for nursing school, she decides to take the easy way out—again.

Chryssie makes a bad choice—and even worse consequences follow! Her easy way out not only puts everything she’s worked so hard for in jeopardy but her very life!

Each day we make hundreds of choices—they may not be life and death choices like Chryssie faces in BROKEN TRUST, but they will either move us toward our goals or away from our goals. It’s not easy to break patterns and bad habits but it can be done—one choice at a time and with God guiding us in our choices.

Giveaway Information

To celebrate the release of BROKEN TRUST, I’m giving away Amazon Gift Cards. All you have to do is hop over to my blog, Tiaras & Tennis Shoes at www.lillian-duncan.com and leave a comment under one of the Broken Trust posts and you’re entered. Easy Peasy!

About BROKEN TRUST

Life is all about choices…and consequences. Chryssie Mason longs to soar like a butterfly, but a lifetime of bad choices has kept her in the caterpillar stage. After years of struggling, her dreams are finally within her grasp. Her only goal is to graduate from nursing school so she can have a better life—so she can morph into a butterfly. With her final exam only days away, she witnesses a murder. A butterfly would call the police, but she decides to take the easy way out…once again. Life has taught her to never trust anyone, especially herself. With her freedom and her very life at risk, it’s time to trust. And that choice changes everything.

Purchase BROKEN TRUST

About the Author

Lillian Duncan…Stories of faith mingled… with murder & mayhem.

Lillian is a multi-published author who lives in the middle of Ohio Amish country with her husband and a menagerie of pets. After more than 30 years working as a speech pathologist for children, she believes in the power of words to transform lives, especially God’s Word.

Lillian writes the types of books she loves to read—fast-paced suspense with a touch of romance that demonstrates God’s love for all of us. To learn more about Lillian, you may visit her at www.lillianduncan.net or www.lillian-duncan.com. She also has a devotional blog at www.PowerUpWithGod.com.

Author Interview: Pamela S. Meyers

I'm pleased to welcome Author Pamela S. Meyers to Chirp 'N Chatter...and you'll be pleased to know she'll be giving away a Kindle copy of her new release, Second Chance Love! Leave a comment to be entered in the drawing.

Pamela S. Meyers

Your book and you:

What inspired you to write Second Chance Love?

I’ve always loved cowboys since I was a kid and dreamed of even owning my own horse, but my parents put a kibosh on that because there wasn’t room in the budge. I eventually grew into my teens and became interested in other pursuits. About twelve years ago I met a former bull rider who has become one of my best friends and he took me to my first rodeo. I was hooked. Over all those years we’ve attended a Labor Day rodeo festival in Palestine, IL. It’s set in a unique little town that seemed to beg me to write a story set there during the rodeo. Of course, it had to be about a bull rider, and what better conflict than to have him fall in love with a Chicago-born-and-bred woman who couldn’t imagine digging up roots and settling down on a Texas ranch. Or could she?

What spiritual theme does this book include? How did it come to be a part of this story line?

My character Sydney Knight is scared to death to take a risk and trust God. She’d been abandoned in an emotional way by her dad when he died while she was in high school, by her brother whose debilitating accident had left him disabled for life, and by her fiancé on their wedding day. She’d done well avoiding anymore romantic entanglements until she met Jace McGowan. They’d met two years before the start of my story when his uncle (her boss) asked her to take him around Chicago for a day. In the course of one day, their chemistry was so strong, it left her head spinning, not to mention the one and only kiss they shared when they said good bye. Sydney has to learn to trust God and let go of her fears.

About you:

What household task do you most dislike?

Can we make it an office task? I am retired from my day job and writing is now my full-time work. I love writing and all things related to writing, but hate the behind the scenes work of keeping up with the business end of it. It seems papers keep coming in that need to be filed (despite we are in a digital age) and that means filing. I hated filing with I worked in an office and I still hate it today.

Which do you most enjoy?

Can’t think of any that I really enjoy, but what I do enjoy is when the tasks are done and my condo is dusted, vacuumed and disinfected. It’s such a great feeling for at least a day or two.

What smell do you love most, and why?

I love the smell of lilacs when they bloom in the spring. They aren’t around very long and perhaps that’s why I love the scent as much as I do. In part, too, because it takes me back to grade school when the classroom windows would be open on warmer days and the scent would ride the breezes into the room. On some of those days students would bring the teacher bouquets of lilacs and she’d place them around the room. I loved that heady scent so much.

God and you:

Where do you hide away when you want to pray, meditate, read, or just cuddle up with God?

Since I live alone, except for my two rescue cats, I don’t feel a need to find a place to hide so I can be alone with God. The place where I spend my morning devotions, one end of my couch. I put a Christian online music station on softly in the background (right now my favorite is www.soulkeepermusic.com, but Pandora also has some great stations for that as well) and begin by reading entries from a couple devotionals, then go to the Bible and read and meditate on scripture. I keep a daily journal and use that to write prayers to God after I’ve spent time in the Bible.

Please share your conversion experience, if you’re comfortable doing so.

I grew up in Wisconsin and attended Sunday school, but never heard much about a personal relationship with Jesus during those years. As I grew into adulthood, not having a solid biblical foundation, it was easy to drift away from church attendance. From age 25 until age 33, I lived in Southern California for seven years. Toward the end of those years, I began to sense there was more to life than partying and yearned to move back to the Midwest.

I transferred to the Chicago area with my employer and settled into the northwest burbs. A couple months later, my mom became seriously ill, and I promised God I’d start attending church again if she got better. She did, and I went to the church closest to my apartment. I knew little about what made up a good church and attended one that put an emphasis on earning your way to heaven, rather than by faith alone.

God made sure I would eventually hear the truth by having some Christian women move into my apartment building. One of the women shared the gospel with me. I politely listened, but thought I was already a Christian. I continued attending the church I first went to, and one Good Friday afternoon, while the biblical account of Jesus’ crucifixion was read out loud, the Holy Spirit opened the eyes of my heart and all that my neighbor had been telling me made sense. That Jesus went to the cross for me because without His sacrifice that covered my sin, I could never spend eternity with Him.

After the service, with tear-filled eyes, I told the pastor what had happened and he simply sent me on my way with a “God bless you.” Regardless of his dismissive response, I walked home feeling as if I was floating. My neighbor made sure I would be discipled properly by getting me into a Bible study and before long, I moved on to a church that preached the gospel. Since then, over these many years, I’ve grown in the Word and serve Him through leading Bible studies, my writing ministry and being on a calling team for my church’s radio ministry. I never cease to be amazed at how much Jesus had to suffer for the sake of all of us, and that by believing in Him we are seen as righteous by God. What a comfort to know I’m going to spend eternity with the Lord.

About Second Chance Love:

Chicago lawyer Sydney Knight and Texas bull rider Jace McGowan have nothing in common but everything to lose when they are thrust together during a weekend rodeo in rural Illinois. Neither one of them would have imagined two years ago that the deep attraction they sensed during a day-long outing would resurface when Sydney’s boss assigns her to Jace’s legal case.

Sydney has been through a world of hurt since losing her dad when she was sixteen, then being dumped the morning of her wedding. She’s sworn off romance and instead devotes her time toward a partnership in her father’s law office.

Jace has found faith in God and wants out of his sponsor contract with a risqué restaurant chain that requires him to pose with scantily-clad women. He’s about to bail on the contract and pay steep penalties—something he can ill afford, given that his deceased father left the family with unpaid taxes.

Sydney is determined she’ll get Jace out of his contract and return to Chicago with her heart intact, but Jace is just as determined to help her see they are meant to be together. Can a city girl with roots deep in Chicago and a bull-riding rancher with roots deep in Texas give themselves a second-chance love?

About the author:

A native of Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, author Pamela S. Meyers lives in suburban Chicago with her two rescue cats. Her novels include Thyme for Love and her historical romance, Love Finds You in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. Her novella, What Lies Ahead, is part of a novella collection, The Bucket List Dare, which is now available at Amazon in both print and Kindle formats. Second Chance Love from Bling!, an imprint of Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas, released in January 2017. When she isn’t at her laptop writing her latest novel, she can often be found nosing around Wisconsin and other Midwestern spots for new story ideas. Here’s the link to her Amazon author page where you can purchase Second Chance Love and any other of her books: http://amzn.to/2kqP5CC

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Guest Author: April W Gardner

I am thrilled and delighted to welcome this wonderful author to Chirp 'N Chatter! I consider April W. Gardner a dear friend, and I'm honored to showcase her latest novel. Her thoughtful post gave me plenty to think about...and I'm sure many others will be pondering her message for a while.

Mercy and Justice, a True Balancing Act

April W. Gardner

Have you ever taken one of those spiritual gifts tests? They’re quite revealing, but I’ve never needed one to know I score a big, fat zero in the mercy department. Justice though... I’m all about justice. Poor choices deserve the burn of consequences.

A kid lies? Bam! Restriction.

A driver speeds? Caught ya, sucker! Ticket for you.

Employees steal? They’re fired. Boom!

It all sounds peachy to me!

My poor children. When they step outside the lines, it is an active effort on my part to show compassion and be understanding toward their weaker natures. My knee-jerk reaction is to pull out the whip of the law.

Justice! One of my favorite words.

When God impressed on me the themes of my most recent novel—mercy and justice—I figured I was the least qualified person to broach the topic. However, in His perfect way, He knew exactly where I needed to be stretched, and over the seven months He used me to craft the story, He poked and prodded at my flaws, making them large in my mind, and reminding me that no one deserves any quantity of mercy, grace, or forgiveness, and that He alone is righteous enough to wield the gavel of justice.

My character, Marcus Buck, learns the same lesson. Because of wrongs committed against him, he drives through life seeking justice against those who hurt him—all in accordance with the law, of course, but swift, fierce justice nonetheless. The same story’s female lead, Lillian McGirth, knows beyond a doubt she deserves the most righteous justice there is—an eternity apart from God. Mercy is only for the deserving, she says. There will be none for her, an unwed mother with the label “traitor” hovering over her head.

What neither of these characters at first realizes is that God doles out mercy and justice as a packaged unit and in bountiful, equal measure. In our finite human minds, we tend to separate these two qualities, but God cannot give one without the other. More than that, He cannot be one without the other. He is all mercy and all justice in one perfect being.

Thomas Aquinas said, “Mercy without justice is the mother of dissolution; justice without mercy is cruelty.” I don’t know about you, but I scratched my head at the word “dissolution.” Come to find out, it’s a form of the verb “to dissolve” and an old way of saying “falling apart.”

In other words, those who pardon without also delivering some form of consequence are creating destructive situations for themselves and for those they’re forgiving. Conversely, those who dispense penalties that aren’t regulated by mercy are cruel.

You know which of those two stings my heart. Ouch! Do you identify with either of them? If so, in what practical way can you adjust so that your behaviors and reactions reflect Christ’s perfect character?

We’ll end on a beautiful piece of advice about balancing mercy and justice, given by God through the prophet Zechariah. “This is what the LORD Almighty said: ‘Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another.’” (Zech. 7:9)

About the book:

A man of abiding honor tested
by a woman of ruinous passion. 

A woman of unspeakable sins pursued 

by a God of unquenchable mercy.

For those who enjoy saga-length Christian historical romance. Bitter Eyes No More is a single, complete story. It is book four in the Creek Country Saga.

A man of abiding honor, tested by a woman of ruinous passion. A woman of unspeakable sins, pursued by a God of unquenchable mercy.

Spanish Florida once sheltered Lillian McGirth from her fears. Now, it feeds them. Mercy is for the deserving; for Lillian, an unwed mother accused of treason, there is only battering and defeat, but her fall breaks softly in the arms of an unexpected arrival, a man too beautiful of soul to stain with her lost character.

Captain Marcus Buck sails in on a pledge to save Miss McGirth from herself and from her child's father, a ruthless don. All the while, he’s to regard her as virtuous and worthy of protection and to guard said virtue from pilfering. But the terms are flawed since he must first guard her from himself. Regardless, he is determined. He will free her, repair her name—simple labor compared to dodging the army’s noose, mending wounds three years deep, and navigating a host of rebel Natives bent on inflicting more.

Through the steady crumble of his pledge, their friendship becomes a consolation, for she knows his pain as no other can or will. Their scars are one; their paths, however, might irrevocably become two…

Purchase Bitter Eyes No More

About the Author:

APRIL W GARDNER writes history with a Christian perspective and a little imagination. She is a copyeditor, military wife, and homeschooling mother of two who lives in Texas. She writes Christian historical romance with a focus on our Southeastern Native Tribes. In no particular order, April dreams of owning a horse, learning a third language, and visiting all the national parks.

April loves to hear from her readers at:

https://www.facebook.com/AprilGardnerBooks/

www.aprilgardner.com