Author, Marlene Bierworth 

Hello everyone. Author Marlene Bierworth here today to spend some time with you all. I have been a happy retiree since 2014, married for 54 years, 2 children, 5 grown grandchildren, and 4 great grands. I live in Canada in the summer and Florida in the winter.

I started publishing contemporary and historical Christian romance after retirement, and now have over 100 books listed on Amazon—all available in KU for subscribers. It is not simply my goal to entertain, but to also bring hope and encouragement to readers through the words and lives of fictional characters.

Fans tell me they love the characters I create and their growth through the trials on the way to their happily-ever-afters. They look forward to my delivery of unexpected twisted plots, watch for the diverse threads of mystery, adventure, intrigue, faith, hope, love, and romance, and are blessed for my threading differing degrees of the Gospel message into each storyline.

"Life is an adventure waiting to be told"

and it is my goal to

"help book lovers experience it to the fullest."

           

I have written many books in a fictional or USA setting, but when presented with the opportunity to build a storyline in Canada’s own Banff National Park, I jumped at the chance. This is a brand-new series, round one presently unfolding, with two more planned for the future. There is no more a majestic location to place historic characters and a romance story, than in the National Parks.

See Round 1 Here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F9VRGMWP

 

My book—Rosa: Banff Hot Springs Bride, is #5 in the series.

Rosa has her world turned upside down after Frank McCabe, and brothers William and Tom McCardell, all Canadian Pacific Railroad workers, stumbled upon the hot springs—an event that led to the creation of Banff National Park. Indigenous Peoples and mountain dwellers knew of and used the hot springs long before the railroad arrived. Their presence was too close to Rosa’s home tucked away in the Alberta Rocky Mountain range, for comfort, leaving her on edge—especially after her encounter with Stewart and the gunmen at the springs. The naïve girl has known or experienced nothing beyond what her sheltered mother—a released captive from the Dakota tribe since childhood—and her father, a rough and tumble trapper, have taught her. Isolated, mountain living, with mostly Natives as her neighbors, did not prepare her for the surge of civilization converging at the base of Sulphur Mountain.

GET ROSA HERE: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0F8BG3G8K

 

Book’s Description

When the Canadian Pacific Railroad workers discover the Banff Hot Springs while linking the east coast to the west, life as Rosa has always known it in the Canadian Rocky Mountains is changed forever.

Taking Stewart Craig, an injured man, to her cabin to heal, opens the door not only to the good, but the bad of the civilized world, whose goals are to destroy the peaceful isolation of her homeland.

Change never comes easy. The invasion of her quiet life in the Rocky Mountains and co-existence with her native friends is threatened by the arrival of the railroad workers and the higher powers that seek profits from tourism

Is Stewart a bridge, sent to help in Rosa’s transition, or is he leading her into a time of personal devastation? Rosa is torn as her heartstrings are pulled and her surrender to transformation becomes inevitable.

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Change never comes easy. To have one’s small isolated world enlarged to such a degree must have been overwhelming for those living off the land. The healing waters of the hot springs the Natives had enjoyed for generations were no longer theirs, and with nowhere to hide from tourism and civilization, the last of the clans surrendered to the reservations farther south.

The orphaned Rosa, is faced with the same dilemma.

No—change did not come easy.

This is an elevated view of the Banff area and Tunnel Mountain.

 

The exciting thing for me is that not only did I do research online, but I actually went to Banff National Park on holidays one short year ago. I took the background picture above, and below is a photo of my hubby and me standing at the top of Sulphur Mountain overlooking Banff and the smaller Tunnel Mountain where Rosa grew up. I could almost hear her whisper, “Now you know why I love it here.”

 

8,041 feet above sea level…

No, I did not climb all of it. The gondola brought me up most of the way,

but we trekked the 33 feet upwards to Sanson’s Peak

 

Vacations are made of this!

Authors find storylines everywhere in God’s Creation.

 

BEFORE you LEAVE:

Did you check out my September release, Rosa Banff Hot Springs Bride? It comes highly recommended.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0F8BG3G8K

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The God Spot

Know ye that the Lord he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture (Psalm 100:3).

Did you know there's a place in your brain that engages in a special way when you pray and connect with God. In his book, Divine Rest, Aubrey Duhig talks about this: "Our minds aren't just racing at bedtime--they're searching for closure, for meaning, for connection. Prayer and meditation don't just calm the nervous system; they satisfy this deeper longing. ... Let me share what happens in your brain when you pray or meditate before sleep, because it's more remarkable than you ever imagined."

Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:6-7).

"Dr. Andrew Newberg, a neuroscientist at Thomas Jefferson University, has spent decades studying the 'God spot' in our brains using SPECT scans. When people engage in focused prayer or contemplative meditation, something extraordinary occurs. The Prefrontal Cortex Lights Up: This is your brain's CEO--responsible for attention, decision-making, and emotional regulation. During prayer, it becomes hyperactive, creating what Newberg calls "a state of focused calm." The Parietal Lobe Quiets Down: This region helps you understand where your body ends and the world begins.  When it goes quiet during deep prayer, people report feeling 'at one with God'.... The Amygdala Shrinks: Your brain's alarm system literally becomes less reactive. MRI studies show that people who meditate regularly have amygdala that are 8% smaller than non-meditators. But here's what makes this research particularly fascinating for Christians: The brain changes are most pronounced when people pray to a personal God rather than engaging in generic mindfulness."

My meditation shall be sweet: I will be glad in the Lord (Psalm 104:34).

"Dr. Amy Wachholtz at the University of Colorado compared three groups: those who practice secular meditation, those who used spiritual meditation with generic terms like 'universe,' and those who prayed to God using personal language like 'Heavenly Father.' The personal prayer group show the greatest reduction of anxiety and the most significant improvements in sleep quality. The implications are profound: Your brain is literally wired for relationship, even--or especially--with the divine." Science is telling us what believers have known through the ages. We are made by God, belong to Him, and do better when we turn to Him.

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 Heather Is Coming

In my soon to be published novel, Heather, Hot Springs Bride, Heather Perry helps her family run a boarding house in Hot Springs National Reserve. Anson English and his grandmother come to take advantage of the waters at the bathhouses, hoping to strengthen Anson's legs, injured in a riding accident and confining him to a wheelchair. The reservation had become popular for all sorts of health concerns, especially since the Civil War. Anson goes to the newly constructed Fordyce Bathhouse, the most luxurious one.

Here is some of what Anson experiences:  As soon as they checked in at the bathhouse, Stedman pushed him into the men’s section of mahogany changing rooms. To Anson’s dismay, the rooms were small, little more than a closet, and wouldn’t accommodate a wheelchair. Stedman helped him maneuver from his chair to the bench seat in the room, but it wasn’t easy. In fact, one of the attendants came to help. There he undressed and wrapped a sheet around himself like a Roman toga.

The men’s bathing section was more impressive, and since he doubted the other bathhouses’ facilities would have been any more accessible for a wheelchair, he found himself glad that Grandmother had insisted on the Fordyce. The eye-catching marble fountain in the center of the room drew his attention at once. It featured a statue of Hernando de Soto, the Spanish explorer who was believed to be the first Caucasian to see a hot springs in America.

Anson liked the soothing sound of the flowing water. The ceiling above the fountain held a gorgeous stained-glass scene depicting an aquatic design. The calming colors and intricate motifs created the feeling of being under the sea. Even the walls in the large rectangular men’s bathing hall were made of decorative tiles in pretty designs as was the floor. The marble-line bathing pools, complete with marble partitions and mahogany doors, added to the elegance.

The hall also had other amenities such as massage rooms, steam cabinets, and cooling rooms. They had thought of everything except accommodation for wheelchairs. An attendant adjusted the settings and filled the tub with water the right temperature. Then he helped Stedman get Anson into the water.

The thirty minutes of soaking in the hot mineral water went faster than Anson expected. He also found the experience more pleasing than he’d anticipated. He suspected it was more than just the water itself; it was the whole experience, including the ambiance of the place. He left feeling a little weak but better than he had in a long time. He just doubted it would last.

Be sure to get your copy of Heather, Hot Springs Bride, now on preorder and releasing on October 3.

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 Obey

If ye love me, keep my commandments (John 14:15).

Part of living a Christian, God-pleasing life is being obedient to Him, not out of fear, but in reverence and love for who He is. Scripture shows us that obeying the Lord is foundational, not optional. There are consequences for making poor choices and wrong decisions. The stories of biblical kings, prophets, and others give vivid illustrations of this.

And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord, and served Baalim (Judges 2:11).

Think of how many times the Israelites suffered for their disobedience in the Old Testament because they turned from God and sought to worship the pagan gods of those around them. These stories serve as powerful reminders of the consequences of sin. God is merciful, yes, but He is also just. Obedience invites blessings, while rebellion and sin bring correction.

Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you (James 4:7).

We need to fully submit to God's commandments, His guidelines, and His will. This isn't always easy. Satan works hard to convince us otherwise, appealing to our desire for control and independence. He whispers deceptive thoughts to plant seeds of doubt and distraction. We often call these rationalizations -- subtle excuses that lead us from God. However, we can stand firm in our faith, resist the enemy's lies, and let our trust in the Lord send Satan fleeing. Let's choose that path.

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Heather, A New Novel on the Way

In anticipation of writing Heather, Hot Springs Bride in the National Park Brides series, my husband and I drove to Hot Springs, Arkansas, and toured the park. I'm so glad we did because it turned out to be different than I expected, and seeing it helped me to capture the true essence of the area. I don't think I could have done that without seeing the park for myself.

Unlike most other national parks, the main portion of the park is in the downtown portion of the city. It incorporates eight historic bathhouses along Bathhouse Row - two of which (Quapaw and Buckstaff) still operate as bathhouses for the experience. The Fordyce, which is the new one when Anson visits in my novel, is now a great museum.

The hot springs are bubbling out all over the place, but today, many of them are capped because people kept throwing trash in or misusing them. And just because the most visited part of the park is in the city doesn't mean there's not plenty of nature to see within the park. Hot Springs Mountain has a tower rising 216 feet above the summit and offering panoramic view from 1,256 feet above sea level. Gulpa Gorge Campground is operated by the park system and has camping, picnic areas, and an amphitheater. This is where the photo for my cover came from.

Good research is essential to writing a novel, especially a historical one like this, and there's nothing better than firsthand experience. Accuracy and authenticity help bring the story to life. Perhaps that's what makes this novel so special to me, and hopefully to readers as well. Heather, Hot Springs Bride will release on October 3 and is now available for preorder.

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 Worship the Lord

The Lord is my strength and song, and he is become my salvation: he is my God, and I will prepare him an habitation; my father's God, and I will exalt him (Exodus 15:2).

"Worship isn't a warm-up before the Word. It's a weapon of warfare." When someone mentions praise and worship, most Christians might think of hymns and Christian music. These can be important, but worship is much more than that. It's a condition of the heart. You can listen to Christian music and not worship, and you can worship any time and any place, not just in church or with singing. 

O come, let us worship... (Psalm 95:6a).

Worship and praise come from a joyful, thankful heart. It flows from an understanding, at least in part, of who God is, and you're awed by Him and all that He's done for you. Worship is an opportunity to demonstrate that God owns your heart and to draw closer to Him. Satan hates true worship, and he will flee from it.

And when they began to sing and to praise, the Lord set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, which were come against Judah; and they were smitten (2 Chronicles 20:22).

"In the Old Testament, when God's people worshiped. walls fell, enemies fled, and victories were secured. Worship confuses the enemy and shifts the atmosphere.... In 2 Chronicles 20, when Judah was surrounded by enemies, King Jehoshaphat didn't send warriors first -- he sent worshipers. They didn't have to fight. God did it through their worship."

Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name; worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness (Psalm 29:2).

"You don't need perfect words -- just a surrendered heart. Worship in your home, in your car, in your spirit. Let praise rise, and the enemy scatter." Worship God with all that's within you!

(The quotes above are taken from: Violet James and Krystal Kuehn, The Full Armor of God).

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Building Something Beautiful

I am excited to introduce my newest book in my long list of those published. Building Something Beautiful came together smoothly (dare I say beautifully), and I enjoyed writing it. The title came from the fact that Isaiah Yates, the hero of the story, is a skilled carpenter. However, there is also a double meaning that becomes apparent toward the end.

As they often do, I think the children in the story steal the show, especially Leanne Moss's nine-year-old twin boys. Sammy is the mischievous one and Danny the more responsible; yet they are steadfastly loyal to each other. Many times, they had me smiling as I wrote.

The story has a theme that comes out loud and clear: honesty is always best. The way it plays out has an ironic twist similar to "The Gift of the Magi" by O. Henry that I remember from high-school literature class, but the main characters learn their lesson, and this story has a happy ending. One reader has already told me how much she loved it and that she stayed up late to read, wanting to finish it.

It's available in print, Kindle, KU, and Audible. Be sure to check it out - https://www.amazon.com/Building-Something-Beautiful-Affection-Determination-ebook/dp/B0F2B84YD2.

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Attitude

. . . for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart (1 Samuel 16:7b).

Christians need a Christlike attitude. The Bible implies over and over that we need to serve the Lord in the right spirit, not grudgingly or from a sense of duty, but from our hearts. Attitude is important. When I taught school, I tried to impart this to my students. I recalled a quote that I read from some motivational speaker. It said, "It's attitude, not aptitude that determines altitude."

I know a young man that illustrates this well. He loves baseball but wasn't necessarily built for the sport or gifted with remarkable talent. However, he worked harder than anyone, putting hours and hours into extra practice. And he had a great attitude, friendly, supportive, and encouraging with his teammates and easy to work with for his coaches. He has done well and gets lots of playing time. Currently, he's a catcher for a college team.

I like what Charles Swindoll writes about attitude: “The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, the education, the money, than circumstances, than failure, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company... a church... a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice everyday regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past... we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude. I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% of how I react to it. And so it is with you... we are in charge of our Attitudes.”

Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life (Proverbs 4:23).

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 Appalachian Language

I find language and how it evolves fascinating. Part of that might be due to my Appalachian background. For years, Appalachia was an isolated pocket that maintained the language handed down from the Old Country longer than the rest of the country. Terminology resembling Elizabethan English was spoken there well into the twentieth century. In fact, I heard some of it as late as the 1980s.

Google says Americans are and were more likely to call the piece of dining room furniture a sideboard than a buffet, yet my parents called it by the older term, a buffet. When I took some college courses a few years ago, a literature class studied a Renaissance-era play that included the term "fly flap." None of the other students knew what it meant, but my mother often used the term, especially in the summer. It means a fly swatter.

Some other common words that are familiar to me, and perhaps to you, that directly came from Renaissance England and found in Appalachia today are afeared (afraid), britches (pants, trousers), poke (bag), sallet (wild greens prepared like collards), yonder (over there), reckon (think or suppose), hit (it), and right smart (a lot). There are many more. I've used these in writing the dialect for my novels set in the Appalachian Mountain. Refer to last week's blog, and check them out.

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