Solomon's Secret

My last book in the Hers to Redeem series publishes tomorrow (8-1-23). I've loved writing in this series and hate to see it end. I'm trying to work in at least one more book, but so far, my schedule has been too tight with me committed to writing too many other books. However, I'm still excited about Solomon's Secret.

On his deathbed, Solomon’s father asks him to move West and hide his Jewish heritage. With misgivings, he does so, but his life in Nebraska doesn’t turn out as he expected. He’s kidnapped and robbed of all his money. A helpful pastor takes him to the farm of a young woman who’s known for helping those in need, but even as he hides his secret, she inspires him to deepen his Christian faith. Yet with some people suspicious of him, he has no idea what his future might hold.

The print and Audible versions of Solomon's Secret are already out. Adam Skousen did the narration for the Audible version. He also produced the Audible for Simon's Shame. He's one of the strongest narrators I've ever worked with because he has such a wide range of voices. I'm hoping he will agree to do another project for me soon.

Although the ebook for Solomon's Secret doesn't publish until tomorrow, you can preorder it today, and it will come to you tomorrow when you'll also pay for it. That way you won't forget. If you've read my other books in the series, you'll certainly want to get this one, and you get to choose your favorite format.

Link to order Solomon's Secret

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Only God

Read Psalm 62

David realized that only God could be what he needed. He was David's rock, the One he could depend on -- strong, sturdy, solid, never failing. In times of need, in all times, David waited on the Lord. Men often let him down, but God never would. God shielded him, protected him, and saved him both physically and spiritually.

The Lord was his fortress and his stronghold. A fortress is a strong, impenetrable structure designed to withstand any onslaught or attack. A stronghold can be a synonym for fortress, but it also can refer to thoughts, arguments, and reasonings that take root and become ingrained in our lives. When these are adhering to God's Word and truths, they make us stronger, better people. However, if we let Satan misguide us and establish errant strongholds of his making, it's an entirely different story. (Read Ephesians 6:12-16.)

"God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble" (Psalm 46:1). He comes to our defense, guards and shields us, protects us, gathers us to Himself in the shelter of His wings. (Read Psalm 91:4.) David tells us to trust God at all times and pour our hearts before Him. He and He alone is worthy.

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 Moving to Montana and More

 

My fourth book in the Hers to Redeem series has just published. As some of you have heard me say, this is my favorite multiple-author series. I love the premise where something happens in the hero’s life that causes him to change and withdraw. However, the heroine comes along and makes him reassess his decision to be a recluse.

 

        

         

Inman’s Impersonation is set in Montana, one of the most majestic states I’ve ever visited, and I’ve been to all fifty. With gorgeous scenery, an abundance of wildlife, and a wealth of natural minerals, it’s been called the “Treasure State. The Rocky Mountains and Yellowstone National Park are two features that draw many tourists each year. The state is also known as “Big Sky Country.” It is cowboy country with a beautiful backdrop.

After his invalid father dies in Tennessee, Inman Lowe sells the farm and heads to Montana to find his older brother who left home five years earlier. When he finally finds him, Garvis is secretly mixed up with a group of thieves. Two of the bank robbers are caught and falsely tell the sheriff that Inman is also involved. At his brother’s advice, he runs and ends up being mistaken for the expected new sheriff in a small town. Being caught off guard, Inman goes along with the ruse, thinking it’s a good way to hide. He tries to be reclusive, but when he starts to fall for the storekeeper’s daughter, things get complicated. Why did he have to meet the woman of his dreams when he was living a lie?

 

Whenever I’m writing a book in this series, it becomes my favorite, and Inman’s Impersonation was no exception. I fell in love with Inman and the stray dog he picks up along the way. The man has a good heart, but he makes a bad decision and pays dearly for it. Come along with Inman and experience his adventures as he travels from Tennessee to find his older brother and ends up in Meadowlark, Montana where his life takes even more unexpected turns. The book just released and is available on Kindle, KU, print, and audible.

 

Here is an excerpt:

As he did with most growing towns, Inman skirted Missoula and headed north. About fifty miles out of Missoula, he decided to stop at the next town he came to because he needed to restock.

Meadowlark looked promising. He liked the neat town that had more businesses than he expected. He rode through to get the lay of the town, tied his horses, and turned to walk around on foot.

“What do you think, Driff?” Inman looked at his dog. “Do you think this might be a good place to settle?”

He didn’t intend to live in the saddle indefinitely. He wanted to find a place where he might fit in while he lay low. A town like this should have some kind of job he could do or at least at one of the surrounding ranches.

He decided to go to the general store first and see if he could gather any news. They would likely know of any jobs around.

“Hey, stranger,” a well-dressed man stopped him. “You look like you might be the man we’ve been looking for.”

Inman raised his eyebrows, but he didn’t say a word. He didn’t know what to say.

“We don’t get many strangers in Meadowlark, so I assume that you’re our new sheriff. I got a telegram, saying that you were on the way and should arrive today.”

The man put out his hand, and Inman shook it. “I’m Phineas P. Bradbury, the mayor of Meadowlark.”

“Inman…” Inman faltered. He couldn’t give the man his real name. He shouldn’t have even said Inman since an unusual first name would stand out.

The mayor looked pleased. “I know. Inman Lane. Except the telegram gave your name as I. J. Lane. Welcome to Meadowlark, Mr. Lane. We’re so glad you’re here. We're desperately in need of a sheriff. Come on; let me show you around and help you settle in. The rooms in the back of the jail should fit your needs for now. Do you have baggage?”

Inman’s Impersonation link -

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Blogging Mystery

The strangest thing has happened, and I can't explain it. While my husband and I took a long road trip to South Dakota, I didn't blog. I posted that I would stop for a short while and then return to it. During the three weeks I didn't post blogs, my daily page visits soared, getting as many as  947 and always having numbers in the triple digits. However, now that I'm home and blogging again, the numbers have dropped drastically. I don't understand it.

I have always been faithful in posting my blogs, thinking that consistency would draw more readers since they would know when to expect them. I began by blogging seven days a week, but an expert told me that was too often, and I soon discovered she was right, so I moved to three times a week. As I published more books, managing everything became more involved, and I dropped to posting a blog about books or writing on Mondays and a Christian blog on Thursdays, and that's where I've been for the last few years.

Since the blogging mystery, I've been wondering if it matters when I post. I've decided to take more time off from blogging when situations warrant, and not worry about it, although I still plan to post on Mondays and Thursdays most of the time. Tomorrow (7-20-23), I have a book signing for most of the day, and I don't plan to post my regular Christian blog. I will post this instead. If you have any thoughts on any of this, please let me know. I'll see how the more flexible blogging works and then reassess everything.

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Hannibal and Mark Twain

After staying a night with my son in Knoxville, Tennessee, on our way to South Dakota, Jim wanted to visit his sister near St. Louis, and we spent two days there. Jim was living in Missouri when I met him, and I've always told him I wanted to go to Hannibal to the Mark Twain Museum someday. Well, the day finally came.  It wasn't out of our way to swing by there on our way north, and I found it well worth it.

The museum exhibited items and told of events from Samuel Clemens's life, especially those experiences and characters that found their way into his books. It's been a while since I've read much of Twain, and I was charmed anew by his wit, wisdom, and humor. I was also struck by how his family often struggled financially. I found the museum fascinating and could have spent more time there.

Becky Thatcher House

Huck Finn House

There were several buildings onsite, each housing a different theme. The Huck Finn house and Becky Thatcher's house stood out. We also toured the apartments over Grant's Drugstore where the Clemmons family moved when they couldn't afford rent. Across the street was a fence Tom might have painted in Tom Sawyer. I found all this to be very inspiring for an author, and Hannibal might just find its way into some future book.

House with Fence

Grant's Drugstore

        

I took tons of photos. Here are just a few more:

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 Losing Control

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil (Matthew 6:13a)

When we give in to anger, fear, or hopelessness, we are giving Satan control. We have all likely felt it. You find things coming from your mouth that you had no intention of saying, know you shouldn't be saying, and don't even mean. Often, you're lashing out to hurt someone, because they've wounded you in some way.

Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do even so to them (Matthew 7:12a).

This isn't the person God wants you to be, and it's not the person you really want to be. Jesus teaches us to be kind to others, even our enemies. Yet, we sometimes treat our loved ones worse than we do our enemies. We're to treat everyone the way we would like to be treated. We are to love them.

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

It's Satan who directs us to be cruel and unkind. He encourages us to give in to fear or hopelessness. But we don't have to let him have his way. We have a choice of who controls our lives. If we give our lives to God and surrender to Him, we won't exhibit those negative attitudes and emotions. Having our focus on Him brings peace and joy no matter what is happening around us.

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Trip to Deadwood

Lodge at Deadwood

My husband and I left on June 6 to go to Deadwood, South Dakota. An opportunity came up, and we took advantage of it. Not only is Deadwood an old western town where I planned to set an upcoming book, but they were holding Wild West Days, which also included an author/ book festival called "Deadwood Reads." I could do research, attend author sessions, and meet some of my favorite fellow authors, whom I knew online but had never connected with in person.

After checking on airline tickets to Rapid City (the closest airport to Deadwood) and a rental car, we decided to drive. Even booking more than three months ahead, the flight and rental would be over $2000, and driving would give us more flexibility. We could stay with my son and his family in Knoxville and Jim's sister near St. Louis, and we wanted to stop and see some sights on the way.

We got home on June 23 after having driven for 3,670 miles. We were tired because these older bones get stiff and achy faster than they once did, and we had changed time zones twice (four times round trip), but it had been a good trip. Although I am still trying to play catch-up from being gone, especially with my writing-related tasks, we accomplished what we'd planned. I will be blogging much more about all this in between telling about my about-to-be-published books, so stay tuned.

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 Be a Rope Holder

But Saul increased the more in strength, and confounded the Jews which dwelt at Damascus, proving that this is the very Christ (Acts 9:22).

After Saul's conversion, he stayed in Damascus, regained his sight, and preached about Jesus. It confused the Jews there. They knew of Saul, the man who had persecuted the newly formed sect that followed Jesus, but they didn't understand this new version who had joined the very group he'd once sought to irradicate.

And after that many days were fulfilled, the Jews took counsel to kill him: But their lay in await was known of Saul. And they watched the gates day and night to kill him (Acts 9:23-24).

The Jewish leaders in Damascus got together and decided their best course of action was to kill Saul. No doubt, they rationalized this would keep him from misleading the people. Apparently, they planned to kill him outside the gates as he left the city. The city of Damascus had seven gates at this time, but they watched them day and night.

Then the disciples took him by night and let him down by the wall in a basket (Acts 9:25).

Saul knew of the plot, so some believers let him down outside the wall by lowering him in a basket, and he escaped. We know almost nothing about these men who helped Saul, just that they are called disciples. We don't know their names or even how many they were. They have remained anonymous throughout history, but what a great impact they had. Because Saul, who later became known as Paul, survived, churches were planted among the Gentiles, countless people came to know Christ as their Savior, and Christianity flourished and spread. His influence is still reaching people today through the books of the Bible he wrote.

These men who held the ropes to let Saul down outside the Damascus wall never knew what a great influence they would have for Christ. They just did the simple task God called them to do. But because of them, perhaps the greatest missionary of all survived to spread the Good News. The same is true for us. We may never know in this lifetime how much influence we will have on others, but if we follow God in obedience, we will have it. Everything is important when we're serving in God's kingdom building.

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 Patriotism in Books

Since the United States celebrates tomorrow as Independence Day and the birth of the nation, I thought I'd take a look back at some of my books that deal with patriotism. I decided to do this in chronological order instead of the order in which they were published. Appropriately, the first one is set during the beginning of the Revolutionary War.

A Bird in the Hand tells the story of families as the colonists choose sides. Jonas Wright becomes a spy for the colonies, using carrier pigeons to deliver messages. When he leaves for the College of Philadelphia, he asks his twin sister, Jocelyn to take over. It could be a dangerous endeavor because, not only are their parents loyalists, but they are housing British soldiers. And the man Jocelyn can't keep thinking about, Bennett Hart, also appears loyal to the crown.

Link to A Bird in the Hand

Uprooted by War is set in the Appalachian Mountains during the Civil War. When Luke Moretz thinks he's about to be conscripted into the Confederacy, he travels to Tennessee to join the Union Army and eventually ends up in the Confederate prison at Andersonville. But the soldiers aren't the only ones to face difficulties. His family members back home face their own problems, but through it all is the strong thread of faith and hope that will see them through.

Link to Uprooted by War

Maneuvers is set during the extensive military maneuvers just prior to World War II and the war itself. However, since my books are character-driven instead of plot-driven, the book is not so much about the war as it is about the people, especially the people left at home. It is a time of uncertainty, but Paul Martin and Donna Huneycutt are determined to handle it by being faithful and honoring God.

Link to Maneuvers

Hurting Hero, my latest book, isn't about a war, but it is about a soldier wounded in action and in a wheelchair. His life has changed so drastically in such a short time that he has trouble adjusting. Will the feisty widow he meets through friends help or hurt his self-concept? She certainly gives him plenty to think about and makes him consider that just maybe his future can be brighter than he thought.

Link to Hurting Hero

Since I like writing historical novels, it was inevitable that I write some dealing with America's wars. And since I focus on people, when I agreed to write a book appropriate to the theme of a small town Fourth of July, I chose a wounded warrior as my hero. Although some of these books are part of a series, as with all my books, they can also be read as a standalone. I don't think you would be disappointed in any of these warm-hearted reads.

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