Can A Parent Stop the Spread of Worry?

Worry is contagious...but you can stop its spread

Anxiety has an amazing ability to spread. Time and time again, when veteran counselor and parenting expert Sissy Goff has an anxious child or teen in her office, she's found they have at least one very well-intentioned but anxious parent. Anxiety is contagious, and it's likely affecting your kids, distracting you in the present, and making you feel like it will define your family's future.

It doesn't have to be this way. With over 30 years of experience helping both children and adults, Sissy offers you practical, well-researched tools that will make a difference in your life--and the lives of your children. Learn how to

· uncover the roots of your own anxiety
· process anxiety in healthy ways rather than passing it on
· model bravery
· discover a place of deeper, freer connection to your kids

Here is the help you need to experience freedom from anxiety, raise confident, courageous kids, and become a worry-free family in an increasingly anxious world.

Sissy Goff, M.Ed., LPC-MHSP, spends most of her days talking with girls and their families, with the help of her counseling assistant/pet therapist, Lucy the Havanese. She has worked as the Director of Child and Adolescent Counseling at Daystar Counseling Ministries in Nashville, Tennessee since 1993, with a Master’s degree from Vanderbilt University. Sissy speaks to parents and children’s ministers across the country, and is the author of twelve books, including the bestselling Raising Worry-Free Girls, Braver, Stronger Smarter (for elementary school girls) and her newest book for teenage girls, Brave. Sissy is a regular contributor to various podcasts and publications, including their own podcast called Raising Boys and Girls. 

You can find more information and resources at www.raisingboysandgirls.com.

Do You Too Struggle With Reality?

 

Abby Spenser, a sassy 49-year-old detective, who has recently become redundant, as the British say, begrudgingly leaves her job in the small town of Sweet Magnolia, Georgia due to her increasing issues with arthritis. But she can’t keep her nose out of the detective business too long, much to her ex-partner’s dismay. They may have taken Abby’s badge away but in her heart, she’s still a detective, and always will be. As she struggles with her new reality, she decides there is one more case to solve, one that has haunted her every day for more than a year. She is sure she knows who the killer is, but she wasn’t able to prove it. As she leaves the department on her last day she vows that she will solve it with or without the badge

Vickie Carroll is the author of 20 books ranging from “sweet” romance to cozy mysteries. Her love of history sent her looking back at WW2 and wondering how romance could possibly blossom in such circumstances. That led to a current work in progress, “Until We Meet Again” set in England. She has also gone back to her first love—the traditional cozy mystery,” It’s Only Murder.”

Vickie enjoys giving her main character a personal problem to solve, along with a mystery. “I want to take the reader on an escape. I give them something interesting to ponder as they go along with my sleuth (usually an amateur one). They get to be a part of the story while visiting a small town and meeting interesting characters.” They get to live in a world where they know that everything will work out as it should in the end, and they meet interesting, and often quirky characters along the way.

“I will continue to write about what interests me as I look forward to fall and maybe giving in and getting a dog. So far, I’ve just put them in my books.

https://Amazon.com/author/vickiecarroll

Can You Free Yourself From Hurt From the Past?

Heal Emotional Wounds and Free Yourself from the Past

We all experience emotional pain, but few of us know how to deal with it properly. Our unresolved pain accumulates deep within the recesses of our hearts, in a place Jimmy Evans calls the "hurt pocket." The more we accumulate, the more we are mentally, emotionally, and relationally crippled. But what if we could reach into that hurt pocket, confront our pain, and experience release and freedom?

In this life-changing book, Jimmy Evans shows you how to completely remove and resolve every negative event from your past that is compromising your present and keeping you from your God-given destiny. With inspired vulnerability and searing honesty, he helps you forgive others (and yourself) and discover true inner peace and hope for the future.

Jimmy Evans is a long-time pastor, Bible teacher, and best-selling author. He is the Founder and President of XO Marriage, a ministry devoted to helping couples thrive in strong and fulfilling marriages.

For 30 years, Jimmy ministered as Senior Pastor of Trinity Fellowship Church in Amarillo, Texas, where he now serves as Apostolic Elder. During his time as senior pastor the church grew from 900 to over 10,000 members. Jimmy loves mentoring pastors and helping local churches grow to reach their potential. He is a popular speaker at churches and leadership conferences across America.

Jimmy has written more than 50 books including Marriage on the Rock, The Four Laws of Love, 21 Day Inner Healing Journey, Look Up!, and Tipping Point.

Jimmy and Karen have been married for 50 years and have two married children and five grandchildren.

Frank Martin is the coauthor of many books,  such as this one, How To Find Hope When Life Hurts.

If She Discovers The Truth Will Her Heart Be Involved?

Roseanna M. White

In Edwardian London, not all that glitters is gold as a lady and an intelligence officer's secret mission take them from the city's dazzling ballrooms to its covert intelligence offices.
Sir Merritt Livingstone has spent a decade serving the monarch in the field, but when pneumonia lands him behind a desk in the War Office Intelligence Division just as they're creating a new secret intelligence branch, he's intent on showing his worth. He suspects an aristocrat of leaking information to Germany as tensions mount between the two countries, but he needs someone to help him prove it, so he turns to The Imposters, Ltd. No one knows who they are, but their results are beyond compare.

Left with an estate on the brink of bankruptcy after their father's death, Lady Marigold Fairfax and her brother open a private investigation firm for the elite to spy on the elite. Dubbed The Imposters, Ltd., their anonymous group soon becomes the go-to for the crème of society who want answers delivered surreptitiously. But the many secrets Marigold learns about her peers pale in comparison to her shock when she and her brother are hired to investigate her best friend's father as a potential traitor.

Lady Marigold is determined to discover the truth for her friend's sake, and she's more determined still to keep her heart from getting involved with this enigmatic new client . . . who can't possibly be as noble as he seems.

Roseanna M. White is a bestselling, Christy Award winning author who has long claimed that words are the air she breathes. When not writing fiction, she’s homeschooling her two kids, editing, designing book covers, and pretending her house will clean itself. Roseanna is the author of a slew of historical novels that span several continents and thousands of years. Spies and war and mayhem always seem to find their way into her books…to offset her real life, which is blessedly ordinary. You can learn more about her and her stories at www.RoseannaMWhite.com.

Do You Have The Strength To Weather Your Storms?

Unwanted, unexpected, and devastating life storms come in many shapes and sizes. They carry labels like addiction, death, infertility, divorce, bankruptcy, diagnosis, estrangement. So when the winds change suddenly and we’re caught in the middle of a downpour, where do we turn for help to survive the storm?

In Beyond: Finding Strength and Hope Through Unexpected Storms, Cindy Saab invites us to reach for the God of hope. Insightful Bible teaching, thought-provoking questions, and stories of those who have sailed similar seas create encouraging lessons to help navigate the rough waters. Brief daily lessons break down biblical concepts into easy-to-understand pieces. Journaling prompts create space to pour out a hurting heart to the Savior. An abundance of Scripture declares the great love and care of the Father. Learn how refuge, hope, trust, love, joy, and strength can be found even under the darkest clouds.

God has a plan for you—and it doesn’t include staying in this tempest forever. Reach for Christ and sail through this storm to something beyond.

Cindy is a graduate of She Speaks / Proverbs 31 Ministries and Speak Up Conference / Carol Kent. A Conference speaker for reNEW Writing/Speaking Retreat in New England and conference team member at Asheville Christian Writers Conference. She co-coordinated a local Meet and Greet Christian Authors event. She is the founder of New England Christian Women Writing/Speaking Meet-Up Group. A Certified Success Principles Intensive Coaching, Essentials of Christian Coaching, Destined to Coach. Destined to Speak. She was also a Ministry Coordinator for a non-profit organization. She is a New England native who resides in New Hampshire with her two adult children.

Visit https://cindysaab.com/

Are You Stuck In Grief?

NAVIGATE LOSS AND FIND YOUR PATH FORWARD

Grief naturally follows loss, but we do not have to be stuck in negative spaces forever. These biblical mental health techniques help you understand your emotions, accept your new reality, and step into the future, stronger.

Chuck and Ashley Elliott are authors of the book I Used to be ____ and spend much of their time equipping people to build spiritual and relational success. Chuck, as a pastor, and Ashley, as a counselor, have devoted their lives to help people fight negativity and leave a legacy. They earned master’s degrees in counseling, education, and organizational leadership. Chuck and Ashley live in Indiana with their three sons and enjoy spending time outside as a family. Find their book and many free resources at chuckandashley.com.

Do Books Have The Power To Bring Us Together?

 

A heartwarming story about the power of books to bring us together, inspired by the true story of the underground library in WWII Warsaw, by the New York Times bestselling author of The Last Bookshop in London.

All her life, Zofia has found comfort in two things during times of hardship: books and her best friend, Janina. But no one could have imagined the horrors of the Nazi occupation in Warsaw. As the bombs rain down and Hitler’s forces loot and destroy the city, Zofia finds that now books are also in need of saving.

With the death count rising and persecution intensifying, Zofia jumps to action to save her friend and salvage whatever books she can from the wreckage, hiding them away, and even starting a clandestine book club. She and her dearest friend never surrender their love of reading, even when Janina is forced into the newly formed ghetto.

But the closer Warsaw creeps toward liberation, the more dangerous life becomes for the women and their families – and escape may not be possible for everyone. As the destruction rages around them, Zofia must fight to save her friend and preserve her culture and community using the only weapon they have left - literature.

Madeline Martin is a New York Times, USA Today, and internationally bestselling author of historical fiction and historical romance with books that have been translated into over twenty-five different languages.

She lives in sunny Florida with her two daughters (known collectively as the minions), two incredibly spoiled cats and a man so wonderful he's been dubbed Mr. Awesome. She is a die-hard history lover who will happily lose herself in research any day. When she's not writing, researching or 'moming', you can find her spending time with her family at Disney or sneaking a couple spoonfuls of Nutella while laughing over cat videos. She also loves research and travel, attributing her fascination with history to having spent most of her childhood as an Army brat in Germany.


Check out her website for book club visits, reader guides for her historical fiction, upcoming events, book news and more: https://madelinemartin.com

How To Share Faith In Today's Culture

How to Engage Culture with the Good News of Christ

We in the church do not speak the same language as the culture. We use many of the same words, but they rarely mean the same thing. And speaking louder isn't the answer. If we are to faithfully and effectively share the Good News, we have to translate Jesus.

Embracing and unpacking the bilingual nature of spreading the gospel, pastor and teacher Shauna Pilgreen shows you how to learn the language of the culture so that you can clearly communicate the love of God in the three places Christ and culture meet: the gate, the cross, and the table. By learning how to share your story in the language of the culture, you'll not only find spiritual conversations more fruitful but also build a supportive and loving community of bilingual believers excited about inviting others to enter the kingdom of God.

Shauna Malcom Pilgreen is a rural-raised Georgia girl who now loves living the city life with her pastor husband and 4 kids! She loves being at home in San Francisco with her favorite word 'hi' and has yet to meet a stranger. You can connect with her at www.shaunapilgreen.com

A Fake Romance?

A Hollywood hair stylist.

Nevaeh Richards loves making those in the spotlight shine but prefers the anonymity of staying behind her stylist chair, where no one notices her. But when a photo of Nevaeh and Hollywood A-lister Lamont Booker goes viral for all the wrong reasons, her quiet life becomes the number-one trending topic.

The silver screen's latest heartthrob.

Lamont Booker's bold faith has gained him a platform, and the authenticity of his faith is well known . . . until the tabloids cause the world to question everything he claims to be. With his reputation on the line, he finds himself hearing out his agent's push for a fake relationship--something he never thought he'd consider in a million years.

A love that goes off script.

With their careers at risk, Nevaeh and Lamont have to convince the world that their scripted romance is more than just an act. But when fake seems to turn into something real, can Nevaeh trust her heart in a world where nothing is ever as it seems?

Reviews:

"This fake-relationship story is a must-read for fans of contemporary romance!"--BETSY ST. AMANT, author of Tacos for Two

"Shiloh offers a sweet romance with a strong dose of spiritual truth."--PEPPER BASHAM, award-winning author of Authentically, Izzy.

Toni Shiloh is a wife, mom, and an award-winning Christian contemporary romance author. She writes to bring God glory and to learn more about His goodness. Her novel, In Search of a Prince, won the first ever, Christy Amplify award. Her novels, Grace Restored, was a 2019 Holt Medallion finalist, Risking Love a 2020 Selah Award finalist, The Truth About Fame a 2021 Holt Medallion finalist, and The Price of Dreams a 2021 Maggie Award finalist.

A member of the American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) and of the Virginia Chapter, Toni seeks to help readers find authors. She loves connecting with readers and authors alike via social media. You can learn more about her writing at http://tonishiloh.com.

See What Detective Joe Kenda Says ~ His Debut Novel

When murder is your business, solving the case is personal….

The Homicide Hunter’s riveting debut novel proves that fiction really can be stranger than truth….

All Is Not Forgiven is the debut crime novel by Investigation Discovery star Joe Kenda, a former homicide detective, whose hit series Homicide Hunter and American Detective have been watched by as many as 3.8 million viewers in 186 countries.

In this first novel, the rookie Det. Kenda investigates a 1975 case that begins with the murder of a beloved Colorado philanthropist and society figure whose husband, a gambler and womanizer, appears to have an air-tight alibi.

Mentored by his veteran partner Det. Lee Wilson, a former Nashville singer turned skilled investigator, Kenda’s case quickly attracts attention from the FBI, CIA, and Interpol, for its similarity to a string of killings involving wealthy married women. All the murders appear to have been committed by a hired professional whose trademark is the use of an unusual form of lethal ammunition that leaves no trace.

Detectives Kenda and Wilson travel across the country, following leads to Las Vegas and a mob “made man” pit boss who moonlights as a matchmaker for hitmen. In this first extraordinary case, the detectives join a full law-enforcement blitz to track down a twisted killer who has made murder his business.

Joseph Patrick Kenda is a retired Colorado Springs Police Department detective lieutenant who was involved in 387 homicide cases over a 23-year career. He solved 356 cases, a closure rate of 92%.

Uncovering Family Secrets

 

Uncovering long-held family secrets may sting at first--but the result can be sweeter than honey

Beekeeper Beckett Walsh is living her dream, working alongside her father in their apiary, until his untimely death sends her world into a tailspin. She suddenly finds she must deal with a new part owner of the family business--one who is looking to sell the property. Beck cannot fathom why her father would put her into the position to lose everything they built together.

When Callie Peterson is named in the trust of a man she's never heard of, she's not sure what to do. Her fledgling business has just taken wing and her mother has reentered her life asking for help getting into rehab for her lifelong substance abuse issues, making Callie's financial situation rather . . . precarious. She's sure she has no right to someone else's farm, but the money from the sale could solve her problems and give her the stability she's always craved.

As these two women navigate their present conundrum, they will discover a complex and entangled past full of secrets--and the potential for a brighter future for both of them.

Before becoming a stay-at-home parent, Amanda Cox spent her time counseling children, families, and individuals through life’s challenging moments. Now she uses those same skills to develop layered characters and stories, bringing them on a journey of hope and healing. A journey she hopes her readers experience in their own lives as they read.

A few of her favorite things are the sanctuary of the great outdoors, the feeling of pen on paper, the sound of her children’s laughter, and exploring new places with her husband of 18 years. (Oh, let’s not forget good fiction and good coffee. She’s addicted to both.) You can stay connected with her latest writing updates at  www.amandacoxwrites.com. You can find her on social media by searching Amanda Cox Writes.

New Life Birthed Out of Tragedy

 

Like a River: Finding the Faith and Strength to Move Forward after Loss and Heartache

Like a River, a triumphant story of new life birthed out of tragedy, will teach readers how to face their failures, confront their pain, and connect with God—the true source of life.

On June 4th, 2019, country music singer Granger Smith was enjoying a final evening with his kids before heading to Nashville for the CMT Music Awards and his next tour. While helping his daughter London with her gymnastics, his youngest son fell into their pool. Granger did everything he could to get to him, but he was too late. River drowned, and Granger's world shattered.

The days, weeks, and months that followed River's death sent Granger on a dark and painful journey. Every time he closed his eyes, he replayed the horrific event in his mind, and every time he opened his computer, he was bombarded by the critique and criticism of people who blamed him for the accident.

Despite his best effort to get back on stage with a smile and song, it was all a façade. On the inside he was dying. Fortunately, that's not how his story ended. And now he is compelled to help people all around the world find strength, peace, and hope on the other side of tragedy.Like a River, life is full of twists and turns.
Like a River, people pollute our world with their critique and criticism.
Like a River, tragic events keep us dammed up.
But like a river, we can find the courage to keep moving downstream.

Rivers don't run on their own strength; they flow from their source. When we try to keep going on our own, we won't make it, but when we connect to the greater source, we will find the strength and the faith to keep living after loss. This triumphant story of new life birthed out of death will inspire every reader to live Like a River.

Granger Smith is giving everything to God. After 24 years touring as an award-winning, platinum-selling, country music singer-songwriter, Smith chose to leave the music business to pursue a future in ministry. The "Like a River" summer tour in 2023 will mark his last as he moves full throttle towards his faith. Compelled by the call to ministry, Smith intends to serve his local church under the teaching, council and leadership of his pastor and elders while he continues work on a master's degree at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, along with public speaking and authorship.

Over the course of his groundbreaking career, Granger amassed a rabid audience known as Yee Yee Nation, built through heavy touring and grassroots fan engagement. He has released ten studio albums, one live album, and two EPs. Granger has charted over eight singles on the Billboard country charts, including the number one hit "Backroad Song."

Granger is a highly sought-after speaker, actor, author, and host of the nationally syndicated iHeartRadio show After Midnight with Granger Smith. In 2017, he started the Granger Smith Podcast, where he discusses matters of faith, family, music, and the outdoors, while spreading messages of integrity, honor, truth, and restoration grounded in a Christian worldview. Granger's social media following exceeds twelve million, with more than one billion online video views. Granger and his wife, Amber, live north of Austin, Texas with their kids London, Lincoln, and Maverick. 

Learn More: https://www.grangersmith.com/

A Tale of Southern Charm Dripping With Intrigue and Romance

 

Two Sisters. One Single Event. A Family Changed Forever.

At the turn of the twentieth century, sisters Emmy and Callie Bullock are living a privileged life as the only daughters of a wealthy Alabama cotton farmer when their well-ordered household gets turned upside down by the arrival of Lily McGee. Arrestingly beautiful, Lily quickly--and innocently--draws the wrong kind of attention. Meanwhile, Callie meets a man who offers her the freedom to abandon social constraints and discover her truest self.

After Lily has a baby, Callie witnesses something she was never meant to see--or did she? Her memory is a haze, just an image in her mind of Emmy standing on a darkened riverbank and cradling Lily's missing baby girl. Only when the sisters are separated does the truth slowly come to light through their letters--including a revelation that will shape the rest of Callie's life.

Bestselling author Valerie Fraser Luesse weaves a complex and suspenseful tale dripping with intrigue, romance, and Southern charm.

Valerie Fraser Luesse is the author of Almost Home and the bestselling, Christy Award–winning Missing Isaac. Her third novel, The Key to Everything, was inspired by a true story. An award-winning magazine writer, Luesse is best known for her features and essays in Southern Living, where she is currently the senior travel editor. Specializing in stories about unique pockets of Southern culture, she has published major pieces on the Gulf Coast, the Mississippi Delta, Acadian Louisiana, and the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Her editorial section on Hurricane Katrina recovery in Mississippi and Louisiana won the 2009 Writer of the Year award from the Southeast Tourism Society. The author lives in Birmingham, Alabama, with her husband, Dave—and a mischievous orange cat named Cheeto.

https://www.valeriefraserluesse.com/

Determined To Put The Past In The Past

 

A stalker who wants to finish what he started. A US Marshal who's vowed to protect his charge. And one woman who is determined to put the past in the past.


Flight paramedic Raina Price has been running so long it's hard to stop. To escape a dangerous stalker, she changed her name and disappeared, building a new life with the help of a friend from her time in juvie. It feels good to put her energies into saving people's lives, but because her stalker was never found, she's never stopped looking over her shoulder. And one can only run so far before the past finally catches up.

US Marshal Vincent Corelli's job is to hunt down fugitives and protect those who are assigned to him. When Raina is almost killed right in front of him, he vows to protect her at all costs--whether it's his job or not. Together they work to solve the mystery of Raina's past. But someone is out to make sure Raina doesn't live long enough to do it.

Countdown is the breathless conclusion to USA Today bestselling author Lynette Eason's thrilling Extreme Measures series.

Award-winning, best-selling author, Lynette Eason writes for Harlequin's Love Inspired Suspense line and for Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group. Her books have hit the Publisher's Weekly, CBA and ECPA bestseller lists and have won numerous awards such as the prestigious Carol Award, the Selah, the Daphne, the IRCC award and more. Lynette is married, has two children, and lives in Greenville, SC.

https://www.lynetteeason.com/

Transforming Our Lives

Do you long for an intimate relationship with your Creator, but He seems elusive? Perhaps it is because something utterly essential is missing—the fear of the Lord. Don't let this frighten you. Fearing God is very different than being afraid of God. It's the key to everything.



Holy Fear is not a topic you'll hear much about these days. But if you want to build a faith that stands strong through troubled times, you cannot afford to ignore this book.

In The Awe of God, John Bevere invites you to take a fresh look at what it means to work out your salvation with fear and trembling. This healthy, holy, and largely forgotten virtue is the uncommon path to a more fulfilled and fruitful life. In this book you will see why godly fear is the foundation of:Wisdom, understanding, and knowledge
Foresight, clarity, and divine direction
Maturity and conformity to the image of Jesus Christ
Building an eternal legacy
Confidence, fearlessness, and security
Freedom from the fear of man as all lesser fears are eclipsed



If you look at the men and women in Scripture, the ones who lived and finish well all have one thing in common: they are marked by holy fear.

The Awe of God was designed to be read slowly and intentionally. At the end of each of the 42 chapters are five tools to help you deepen your understanding and apply what the Spirit of God is teaching you. With this compelling and convicting message, you can experience a revival in your relationship with God, whether you're new to following Him or have walked with Him for most of your life.

John Bevere is an international minister and best-selling author known for his bold and uncompromising approach to God’s Word. John and his wife, Lisa, are the founders of Messenger International—a ministry committed to developing uncompromising followers of Christ who transform our world. His heart to strengthen the local church has led to over 40 million translated resources being given to pastors and leaders in developing nations. When he’s home in Colorado, you can find John playing card games with his family or trying to convince Lisa to take up golf.

Website: https://johnbevere.com

Are You Torn Between Your Desires and Your Duty?

 

As the eldest son of a Levite and a Philistine, Avidan is torn between his duty to his family legacy and the desire for something more. After an enemy attack strikes close to home, he takes the opportunity to fight with his cousins for the newly crowned King Saul. But when one of the cousins goes missing during the battle, Avidan refuses to leave him behind.

Keziah is the daughter of one of the most powerful clan chiefs in the territory of Manasseh. On the brink of a forced marriage to a loathsome man decades older than her, she has no choice but to run, hoping to find sanctuary with her mother's family.

United during their journeys and battling to survive the dangers that surround them, Avidan and Keziah make a pact to travel together. As challenges pile up, they must not only rely on each other to stay alive but also learn to trust the true and eternal King of Israel to guide their every step.

Review:

"A stunning coming-of-age tale."--MESU ANDREWS, Christy Award-winning author of Isaiah's Daughter

Connilyn Cossette is a Christy Award and Carol Award winning author whose books have been found on both ECPA and CBA bestseller lists. When she is not engulfed in the happy chaos of homeschooling two teenagers, devouring books whole, or avoiding housework, she can be found digging into the rich ancient world of the Bible to discover gems of grace that point to Jesus and weaving them into an immersive fiction experience. Although she and her husband have lived all over the country in their twenty-plus years of marriage, they currently call a little town south of Dallas, Texas their home.

Visit: https://www.connilyncossette.com/

Ryan Steck Talks About "Lethal Range"

How was your approach to writing Lethal Range different from your approach to writing Fields of Fire?

There’s a saying in publishing: “You have your whole life to write your first book, but you only have a year to write your second book.” When I wrote Fields of Fire, I was able to take my time, revise, go back, and tweak things for as long as I needed to. With Lethal Range, I was under deadline for the first time, and that compressed writing timeline was a new experience. Thankfully, I had a couple of years after writing Fields of Fire before I had to start on the second book, so I knew where I wanted to go; it was really just a matter of getting the story out. And in the end, I actually like Lethal Range even better!

Matthew Redd has transitioned from a self-proclaimed loner to a family man, and that causes several conflicts in this book. How has this shift affected Redd?

At the end of Fields of Fire, Redd finds out he’s going to be a father. He swears he will be unlike his biological father, who chose to work for the FBI and “save the world” instead of being a dad. Redd swears he’ll never be like that, but my goal was always to make him stare down the same moral conundrum and see how he’ll handle it. In Lethal Range, he’s tested in new ways because of his commitment to being a father, and it certainly weighs on him. 

The first book ended with a shocking revelation about Redd’s father. What do you hope people with estranged family members might glean from Redd’s relationship with his father?

I’m a big believer that blood makes you relatives, but family is a choice. Three of my six children are adopted, and I love them beyond words. So incorporating adoption and themes like that was really important to me. The flip side is Gavin Kline, the man who gave Redd up when he was a child. Where does their relationship stand now? It’s not great, but I do believe people can be redeemed, and it’s important not to write someone off. Redd’s learning how to give Kline a second chance, but it’s not always easy for him.


Matthew and Emily have not been married for long in this story. How is their relationship challenged in this book? What can we learn from their relationship? 

I personally find it interesting that so many authors kill off their hero’s love interest. I always wanted to go the other way because, frankly, that’s what I know. I’ve been married fourteen years and know how much I lean on my wife. I wanted that for Redd too, but for him, there’s always the issue of wanting to protect Emily instead of turning to her for help in a dangerous situation. In Lethal Range, she doesn’t always appreciate that and wants to help Redd deal with some of the issues he’s facing. So they’re learning how to work together as a team, facing everything together, but they’re really up against it together in this one. 

Your love for Montana seeps out of your Matthew Redd series. Can you explain why Montana is so special to you? 

I think for most of us, there’s something so attractive about living off the grid. Or at least the thought of it! Many of us wouldn’t do well without our phones and a high-speed Internet connection, but deep down, we wish we could live that way. So that’s certainly one element, but even more important to choosing Montana for the setting of this series was the sheer vastness of the wilderness. Out there, backup is hours away, sometimes days. You really are on your own, and for someone like Redd, that heightens the tension and suspense, I think, knowing that he can’t just call for help at a moment’s notice. Whatever he’s facing, he’s pretty much facing it alone. It raises the stakes a bit. 

What about this story excited you while writing it? 

There were a number of scenes that I was excited to write. Without spoiling anything, I really wanted to show Redd as a father for the first time. My real-life best friend, Mikey Derhammer, becomes a central character in this book, and I was really pumped up to capture him on the page and show his friendship with Redd. And then, toward the end of the book, there’s an action sequence that I’d had in my head for years, and it was a blast to finally be able to write it.

What do you hope someone without faith takes away from this book? 

That you can be a big, manly, tough guy and still hold your faith near and dear to your heart. 

We hope you have enjoyed  hearing from Ryan Steck. You won't want to miss reading his new book, Lethal Range.

Ryan Steck, is an editor, an author, and the founder and editor in chief of The Real Book Spy. Ryan has been named an “Online Influencer” by Amazon and is a regular columnist at CrimeReads. TheRealBookSpy.com has been endorsed by #1 New York Times bestselling authors Mark Greaney, C. J. Box, Kyle Mills, Daniel Silva, Brad Thor, and many others. 

Ryan's newest book, Lethal Range, releases  August 8, 2023 from Tyndale Fiction. A resident of Michigan, along with his wife and their six kids, Steck cheers on his beloved Detroit Tigers and Lions during the rare moments when he’s not reading or talking about books on social media. He can be reached via email at ryan@therealbookspy.com.

Do You Let Your Past Define Your Future?

 

Christian Bevere

It's time to stop letting your past define your future.


Breakups are typically synonymous with rocky road ice cream, rom-com reruns, and rough crying sessions. But not this one! This is an invitation to liberation, a chance to release who you've been and discover who you truly are. Often, our former mistakes and regrets hold us back from where we're called to be. How can one heal and move on? To find your breakthrough, you must break up with what broke you.

You can leave your less for more.
You can silence shame's lies.
You can restore your original design.

With great compassion, Christian Bevere shows how to leave behind what's held you back. She offers practical ways to overcome regret, insecurity, and shame so that you can develop a positive, godly self-image and move into your future with confident expectation. With Christian's help, you can make a clean break today. No matter what left you feeling broken, God wants to redeem and rewrite your story.

Reviews:

"With vulnerable testimony and practical advice, Christian's writing is a powerful tool for silencing the lies of shame and living in the freedom God has provided for us."--Alex Seeley, lead pastor of The Belonging Co; author of Tailor Made

"These pages are full of encouragement for any woman who believes God has called her to more than what she's left in her past."--Rebekah Lyons, author of Rhythms of Renewal

Christian Bevere, is a renowned author and speaker. Christian is the creative director of  As the Sons and Daughters.She disciples leaders around the world through teaching and writing. Christian is passionate about equipping young adults, especially women, to redeem and restore their identity in Christ!

https://christianbevere.com/

Hope When the Pain Won't Quit

 

Hope for When the Pain Won't Quit

Everyone experiences pain at times. It can manifest physically, emotionally, relationally, or spiritually. It can follow tragic accidents, great loss, sudden betrayal, or unexpected and unwanted change. Often it is temporary. But what do you do when it isn't? When the pain just won't go away, when healing does not come, when the grief and hurt settle in?

Drawing on her own experience of chronic pain and her years as a board-certified clinical neuropsychologist, Dr. Michelle Bengtson provides a countercultural perspective on pain. Offering hope without any false promises or empty platitudes, Dr. Bengtson unwraps the complex emotional aspects of dealing with pain. She gives you permission to question God, helps you identify the lies you've believed about your pain, and reorients your perception based on the truth of God's Word. Each chapter ends with a recommended playlist, reflection questions, and a prayer.

Your pain may not change, but your experience of it can.

Dr. Michelle Bengtson entertained several dreams in her life: becoming a doctor, having children and writing a book. She studied neuroscience, becoming a board-certified neuropsychologist almost 30 years ago. A few years later, the birth of her first son brought her second dream into reality. God planted the third dream in her heart as a young girl. A few years ago, she published her first book, multi-award winning author of Hope Prevails: Insights From a Doctor’s Personal Journey Through Depression. Since then, she authored three more books including the award-winning Hope Prevails Bible Study and award-winning Breaking Anxiety’s Grip: How to Reclaim the Peace God Promises. Her next book, Today Is Going to be a Good Day: 90 Promises From God to Start Your Day Off Right, is scheduled for release through Revell in May, 2022. She expanded her vision and became an international speaker, podcast host, and coach with a mission to restore hope, renew minds and empower others to live in their God-given identity.

drmichellebengtson.com

Can Hope Be Found?

Jennifer L. Wright

Inspired by one of America’s most notorious couples, Bonnie and Clyde, Jennifer L. Wright delivers a riveting tale set during the public enemy era of the Great Depression.

Beatrice Carraway has dreams. Although she’s aged out of the childhood pageant circuit, she’s intent on carrying her talents all the way to the big screen—if only she can escape the poverty of West Dallas first. But as the Great Depression drags the working class further and further under, Beatrice struggles just to keep herself, her mother, and her younger sister afloat. After a string of failed auditions, she feels defeated.

And then in walks Jack Turner. Though Beatrice is determined to pull herself up by her bootstraps, Jack has decided on a different path out of the gutters. It isn’t long before Beatrice is swept into an exciting and glamorous life of crime beside the man she loves. Keeping one step ahead of the law, she sees her dreams of fame come true when her name and picture are plastered in newspapers across the country. Yet as their infamy grows, the distance between them widens. While Jack begins seeking bigger payouts and publicity, Beatrice starts to long for a safe, quiet life and something deeper to fill the emptiness in her soul. But when the danger of Jack’s schemes ratchets up, Beatrice fears her dreams—and her future—will end up going down in a hail of bullets.

In The Girl from the Papers, Jennifer L. Wright: 

• tells the story of nineteen-year-old aspiring star Beatrice Carraway, whose love affair with petty car thief Jack Turner forces her to choose between love and her future.
• reimagines the story of Bonnie and Clyde, bringing to life a new dangerous duo with the potential to choose a different path.
• explores the theme of identity through a young woman grappling with the questions “Am I too far gone to be saved?” and “Is it still possible to choose a different path?”
• illustrates the reality of an unhealthy relationship and how hope can always be found no matter the circumstances.

Jennifer L. Wright has been writing since middle school, eventually earning a master's degree in journalism at Indiana University. However, it took only a few short months of covering the local news for her to realize that writing fiction is much better for the soul and definitely way more fun. A born and bred Hoosier, she was plucked from the Heartland after being swept off her feet by an Air Force pilot and has spent the past decade traveling the world and, every few years, attempting to make old curtains fit in the windows of a new home.

She currently resides in New Mexico with her husband, two children, and one rambunctious dachshund.

https://jennwrightwrites.com/

Determination To Save Her Community`

 

Join New York Times bestselling author Liz Johnson for a season of rebuilding, restoration, and romance with this final book in the Prince Edward Island Shores series.

A hurricane may have destroyed her livelihood on Prince Edward Island, but she's determined to save her community

Kelsey Ahern has performed at the Victoria Playhouse on Prince Edward Island every summer since she was seven. But when a hurricane destroys the building, it's not just her memories that are in jeopardy. Her future as a teacher and drama coach are too. She teams up with Levi Ross, the facilities director at the high school, to produce a benefit show to raise money to rebuild the theater. He has a reputation for being able to fix anything, and Kelsey is sure there's more to the quiet man than meets the eye.

For his part, Levi has admired Kelsey for years, but he can't seem to find the words to tell her. When a popular weatherman arrives in town to cover the aftermath of the hurricane and takes an interest in Kelsey and her show, Levi realizes that the time has come to speak up--or lose the heart of the woman he longs for.

By day Liz Johnson works in marketing. She finds time to write late at night and is a Christy Award finalist and a two-time ACFW Carol Award finalist. Liz makes her home in Phoenix, Arizona where she enjoys theater, exploring local history, and doting on her nieces and nephews. She loves stories of true love with happy endings. Find out more about Liz at www.LizJohnsonBooks.com.

What Could Happen Thirty Years From Now?

Sid Balman, Jr.

I am not a climate scientist or a therapist counseling violent extremists. I’m a journalist, novelist, and writer in residence at Sul Ross State University in Alpine, TX. whose Seventh Flag Trilogy culminates in August with the release of Algorithms.

As far as climate change goes, I don’t need to be a scientist to see the changes wrought by our careless stewardship of earth: unusual seismic events caused by hydraulic fracking in the Permian Basin a few hours from my home; temperatures so high hikers are dying in unprecedented numbers a short drive from me in Big Bend National Park; and the smoke from wildfires as far away as Colorado.

And although I’m not a therapist, I have spent much of my life as a war and national security correspondent for a major international news agency covering fanatics, terrorists, despots, warlords, and the metastasizing extremism that is fueling culture wars in America that are threatening the foundations of our nation. It is a sickness, no different from a contagious virus, that grows out of abuse, disenfranchisement, disrespect, and brainwashing at the hands of skilled predators in the hidden chat rooms of the Web and the seats of power in Washington.

These are the dominant themes in my Seventh Flag Trilogy, which traces the journeys of two families in the tiny West Texas town of Dell City from World War II to thirty years in the future after what I call The Fall of civilization as we know it. The Laws and Zarkans are quintessentially American, the former a prosperous ranching family and the latter a family of Syrian Muslim immigrants that help them build an agriculture empire in the high desert of a uniquely iconic swath of the United States. And they are linked by the iconic common denominators that typify so many American families: sports, military service, hard work, loyalty, patriotism, betrayal, and love.

The first two novels, Seventh Flag and Murmuration, journey from the barns and football fields of West Texas to West Point and wars in the Pacific, Middle East and Central Asia, and to the annals of governance in our courts and the White House. The tip of that spear - the shiny, razor-sharp point in the trilogy – cuts to the bone in Algorithms, which hits bookshelves Aug. 1.

The first part of Algorithmsheraldedes on the culture wars, climate irregularities, military crises, and corrupt governance that herald a series of apocalyptic events which lead to a total breakdown in society. Hence the title, Algorithms, which have largely taken control of humankind through the dominance of artificial intelligence. Once an international hacker group manages to flip the switch on the Web and to turn off the digital dominance of malign machine learning, the world disintegrates into no-tech self-ruled fiefdoms, typified by the Free People of West Texas led by the matriarch of the Zarkan family, the indigenous Tribes of the Mountain West, and a cult of radicalized women warriors known as the Sisterhood. Their quest is to recover a cache of hard drives housing the digital infrastructure of the world that have been pilfered from undersea Internet cables by an aquatic acoustics expert in the U.S. government and inserted under the dorsal fin of what may be the world’s last surviving blue whale.

The whale, an actual leviathan that is currently being tracked by real-life scientists who named her 52 Blue for the 52-megahertz frequency at which for decades she has transmitted her otherworldly songs, and the Mountain Tribes of the West, comprised of the remnants of Lakota Sioux in the Dakotas and the Tarahumara in the northern Mexican state of Chihuahua, represent the antithesis of digital life. And it is their insoluble, spiritual connection to nature, which I call the Terra-Algorithm in the book, that imbues the remaining humans with the resiliency and self-reliance to prevail over climate catastrophes and culture wars. An author and a story are the sum of many parts. And this part of the novel came through the guidance of my most trusted content editor, who lives the Terra-Algorithm and helped me understand why it could be the last hope for humanity.

While some might view Algorithms as a tale of darkness and desperation, what one reviewer observed as a mix of Cormac McCarthy and Larry McMurtry, which I take as the highest compliment. I prefer the observation of another reviewer who wrote that it is a “convincing argument for optimism.”

Pulitzer-nominated war and national security correspondent Sid Balman, Jr. – currently a writer in residence at Sul Ross State University – is releasing a harrowing follow-up to his award-winning novels “Seventh Flag” and “Murmuration.” The third and final book in the series, “Algorithms” will be published on Aug. 1, 2023, with SparkPress.

He has covered wars in the Persian Gulf, Somalia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, and Kosovo, and has traveled extensively with two American presidents and four secretaries of state on overseas diplomatic missions. After leaving daily journalism, he helped found a news syndicate focused on the interests of women and girls, served as the communications chief for the largest consortium of U.S. international development organizations, led two progressive campaigning companies, and launched a new division at a large international development firm centered on violent radicalism and other security issues on behalf of governments. In addition to his current position as Writer In Residence at Sul Ross State University, Balman remains a working journalist and magazine contributor. A fourth-generation Texan, as well as a climber, surfer, paddler, and benefactor to Smith College, Balman lives in Alpine, TX, and has two children and a dog. You can find out more about him at: https://www.sidbalman.com/