Resting in the Good of the Now with Guest Jennifer Slattery

I hadn't planned it this way, but God knew. Then again, doesn't He always?

My mentor, a sweet woman from my old church in Kansas City, and I had planned our phone conversation nearly a month prior. Three weeks before my startling, confusing, and flat out discouraging hiccup had hit. My inclination was to mope, to retreat, a default tendency God is working out of me.

But then, in our conversation I learned my precious friend was dealing with much more than a hiccup. She was, in fact, awaiting news that had the capacity to level her family. Knowing this, her words to me held such power and challenge.

She said, "Recognize this moment, where you're at, is good."

Chew on that. Chew on it in light of whatever you are or might soon be facing, and chew on it in light of God's character.

If you’re honestly trying to follow and honor God, where you're at, wherever God has you in this moment, is good.

You did nothing wrong. You're not being punished. God's not done with you, or displeased with you. To the contrary, He's passionately in love with you and only has your absolute best in mind. Even in the hard, disappointing, or painful.* 

So I say to you, live in the good of now. Soak up every blessing that comes your way. Don't let the hard or disappointing keep you from the beautiful. And use every moment, every event, as an opportunity to lean harder on Christ as you recognize your utter dependence on Him.

Meditate on this promise, spoken by God Himself:

"Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord will personally go ahead of you: He will neither fail you nor abandon you" (Deuteronomy 31:8 NLT).

At this moment, regardless of where you are or are not, God is going before you, working everything out for your good and according to His perfect plan. So relax, trust, and keep moving forward, remaining fully present in the present. 

If you're in a time of waiting, rest. Relax. Enjoy each moment, knowing God will reveal your next step, in His perfect timing.

If you're trudging through the mundane, rest. Relax. Ask God to open your eyes to the hidden blessings He provides each day.

If you're in the hard, rest. Draw near, and let this time, as painful as it is, be a sweet, intimate moment between you and your Savior, a chance to come to know Him on a deeper level. 

If you're standing at the top of a mountain peak after a long treacherous climb, pause, rest, and rejoice in the God who brought you through. 

When you read God's promise in Deuteronomy 31:8, what thoughts came to mind? How does it feel knowing, at this moment, God is going before you, leveling mountains, breaking down gates of iron and cutting through bars of iron. (Isaiah 45:2) Share your thoughts or insights with us in the comments below, because we can all learn from and encourage one another. 

*Please note, this post does not apply to those living in sin or dealing with the consequences of sin. This is for those who, as they’re walking with God, have experienced a setback, disappointment, or difficult time.

Author, speaker, and ministry leader Jennifer Slattery writes for Crosswalk.com, is the managing and acquiring editor for Guiding Light Women’s Fiction, and the founder of Wholly Loved Ministries, a ministry that exists to help women experience God’s love and discover, embrace, and live out who they are in Christ. She and her team travel to various churches to speak to women and help them experience the love and freedom only Christ can offer. When not writing, editing, or speaking, you’ll likely find her chatting with her friends or husband in a quiet, cozy coffeehouse. Visit her online at JenniferSlatteryLivesOutLoud.com and connect with her and her Wholly Loved team at WhollyLoved.com

Healing Love

Buy on Amazon

Amazon  |  Goodreads

Genre: Women’s fiction with a strong romantic thread
Dual setting—Southern California, and El Salvador

A news anchor intern has it all planned out, and love isn't on the agenda.

Brooke Endress is on the cusp of her lifelong dream when her younger sister persuades her to chaperone a mission trip to El Salvador. Packing enough hand sanitizer and bug spray to single-handedly wipe out malaria, she embarks on what she hopes will be a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

But Brooke is blindsided by the desperation for hope and love she sees in the orphans’ eyes. And no less by the connection she feels with her handsome translator. As newfound passion blooms, Brooke wrestles with its implications for her career dreams.

Ubaldo Chavez, teacher and translator, knows the struggle that comes with generational poverty. But he found the way out – education – and is determined to help his students rise above.

When he agrees to translate for a mission team from the United States he expects to encounter a bunch of "missional tourists" full of empty promises. Yet an American news anchor defies his expectations, and he finds himself falling in love. But what does he have to offer someone with everything?

Research trips, with guest Jennifer Slattery

Jennifer and stained glass

If reading transports one to another world, what does that say about the book’s author? One might thing the act of writing is a sedentary act, and at times, that’s true. But before the ink hits the page, the writer often must embrace one adventure after another. From rock climbing to stained glass art classes and visits to state penitentiaries (though they never let me in and, well, I didn’t think it wise to force the warden’s hand), readers might be surprised the lengths a writer will go to research a story.

Luckily, most times, our research trips are fun. And filled with great food.

If you’ve read any of my novels, you may have picked up on my severe coffee and ice cream addiction. It seems I can’t write a story without including at least one coffeehouse and ice cream shop. And I love finding unique scene settings that capture the flavor of an area.

Restoring Love was especially fun to write as it’s set in my stomping ground—Omaha. My main character’s journey had been pinging through my brain for a while, begging to come out. She started in Kansas City, where her daughter’s story, Beyond I Do, is set. And I suppose I could’ve kept her there, but then, well … Omaha.

Old Market

If you’ve never been to this city, I encourage you to make a trip. We’re famous for our zoo, credited by TripAdvisor to be the best in the world. (Mitch, my hero, attempted to take Angela there on a date, but, well, his invitation turned incredibly awkward. And resulted in him painting a fence.) We’ve also got an incredible downtown area called the Old Market. This is my absolutely favorite Omaha location, and it’s a place my family and I visit often. In fact, this historical area is so romantic, it’s one of my favorite date night locations.

Since this does make it into my story, on the rare occasion Mitch doesn’t flub the invite, I’ll share more about it.

The Old Market has brick paved streets, a passageway that will make you feel as if you’ve stepped into an elegant Italian villa, musicians playing on various street corners, and it houses some of the best and most unique restaurants in Omaha, and perhaps all of Nebraska. My favorites are the Twisted Fork and Plank.

Plank

The latter made it in to my story. I’d tell you more, but I worry that’d be a spoiler. ;)

If you could visit any setting locations from one of you favorite books, where would you go and why? If you’re an author, share one of your favorite research trips with us. 

Novelist and speaker JenniferSlattery has a passion for helping women discover, embrace, and live out who they are in Christ. As the founder of Wholly Loved Ministries, she and her team put on events at partnering churches designed to help women rest in their true worth and live with maximum impact. She writes devotions for Internet Café Devotions, Christian living articles for Crosswalk.com, and edits for Firefly, a Southern fiction imprint with LighthousePublishing of the Carolinas. When not writing, reading, or editing, Jennifer loves going on mall dates with her adult daughter and coffee dates with her hilariously fun husband.

Visit with Jennifer online at JenniferSlatteryLivesOutLoud.com and connect with her on Facebook ; Twitter; Pinterest

Restoring Love

Mitch, a contractor and house-flipper, is restoring a beautiful old house in an idyllic Midwestern neighborhood. Angela, a woman filled with regrets and recently transplanted to his area, is anything but idyllic. She's almost his worst nightmare, and she s also working on restoring something herself. As he struggles to keep his business afloat and she works to overcome mistakes of her past, these two unlikely friends soon discover they have something unexpected in common, a young mom who is fighting to give her children a better life after her husband's incarceration. While both Mitch and Angela are drawn to help this young mother survive, they also find themselves drawn to each other. Will a lifetime of regrets hold them back or unite them and bring redemption along with true love?

Buy it: CBD   |    B&N    |    Amazon

A Road-Trip Romance and the Birth of a Story - by Guest Jennifer Slattery

I was young and googly-eyed in love when my husband and I took our first road trip, and it was a doozy. All the way from my home state Washington to a small town in the middle of Nebraska. A town I hadn’t heard of before. You might not have, either.

It’s a railroad town, and back then it was about one street long with a cluster of houses stretched in either direction. We had a bowling alley, a mall with maybe a dozen or so stores, a Mexican restaurant, and lots of bars. Probably more bars than restaurants. And though we enjoyed our time there and the people we met, every once in a while, we grew a little stir crazy. When that happened, we went on yet another road trip, four hours in one of two directions—to Denver, Colorado or Omaha, Nebraska.

Our marriage has been built and sustained on road trips. I think I may enjoy the time we spend together in the car as much, maybe more, as I do our little excursions. Maybe it’s the writer in me, and the adventurous hero in him, always ready to whisk his damsel away. We’ve been on more evening, weekend, and weeklong trips than I could count. It’s no surprise then, for our twentieth anniversary, we returned to the city where it all—he and I—began, Seattle, Washington.

Back when we met, I was young and incredibly unsophisticated. I thought a fancy date meant dinner at the local Denny’s. I mean, it was better than fast food, right? So when my redheaded man with ice blue eyes twined his fingers through mine and guided me toward the towering Space Needle one summer night and asked if I’d care to go to dinner, I quite literally swooned. And probably stared at him for a good ten minutes, bug-eyed and open-mouthed. Not my best look, although the amused smile he gave as he watched me indicated that was precisely the reaction he’d been hoping for.

That night was magical. We rode to the top of the needle then followed a hostess to a window seat, where we gazed out at the twinkling city lights beneath us. I couldn’t take my eyes off the view below and all around me. It was all so elegant. But every time I looked his way, I blushed to find him gazing at me.

Nothing makes a woman’s heart melt like feeling as if she’s all her man cares to see.

That feeling hasn’t gone away, twenty years later, because somehow despite my graying hair, sagging frame, and growing wrinkles, he continues to watch me, with that same twinkle in his eye and slight smile on his lips. Whether we’re at home, or back in Seattle, celebrating our twentieth anniversary.

That’s what we did this summer, and the timing couldn’t have been better, for you see, a few weeks before our planned get-away, I received my big-picture edits for Breaking Free, a novel set in my favorite city—Seattle. My editor loved my story but suggested I add more setting details. Reading her email I laughed then turned to my husband and said, “Looks like we’ve got some sightseeing to do.”

What a joy it was to tour Seattle not only as a couple but also as researchers! God brought my two loves together—my husband, and writing. We had a wonderful time visiting restaurants, looking for unexpected visuals and listening for unique sounds. We visited historical parks, went to a grunge festival (by accident) took a water taxi, road bikes along the coast of West Seattle, walked through Pioneer Square, shopped at Pike’s Place, and more.

And now, with the release of Breaking Free, I get to share many of those special places with you. I hope you come to love this culturally rich city as much as I do. It truly is a place where love and hope blossom.

What about you? Do you enjoy road trips? If so, where are some of the favorite places you’ve been? Where is someplace you’ve always wanted to visit?

Jennifer Slattery writes soul-stirring fiction for New Hope Publishers and devotions for Internet Café Devotions, the group blog, Faith-filled Friends, and her personal blog. She also does content editing for Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas’ Firefly imprint, and loves working with authors who are serious about pursuing their calling. When not writing, reading, or editing, Jennifer loves going on mall dates with her adult daughter and coffee dates with her hilariously fun husband.

Visit with Jennifer online at JenniferSlatteryLivesOutLoud.com and connect with her on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/JenSlatte

Breaking Free:

Sometimes it takes losing everything to grab hold of what really matters.  Women’s ministry leader and Seattle housewife, Alice Goddard, and her successful graphic-designer husband appear to have it all together. Until their credit and debit cards are denied, launching Alice into an investigation that only leads to the discovery of secrets. Meanwhile, her husband is trapped in a downward spiral of lies, shame, and self-destruction. Can they break free from their deception and turn to the only One who can save them? And will it be in time to save their marriage?

Read a free, 33-page excerpt here: http://newhopepublishers.com/2016/02/free-sample-of-breaking-free/

Buy it:

• Christian Book Distributors
• Barnes and Noble
• Amazon

A Love that Encourages by Guest Jennifer Slattery

When most people hear that I’m a writer, they think I’m naturally creative. I’m not, except with words and storylines. I’m the woman that needs the paint by numbers version. Better yet, one of those fancy adult coloring books, with easy to fill in borders. There was a time when I thought I was incredibly creative, however.

We were living in North Platte, Nebraska, and I had zero friends. I mean, zero.

Needless to say, I was bored. Terribly, painfully bored, and lonely. And completely unprepared for the long, hard winters we faced. Winters I largely spent indoors. Watching Gilligan’s Island, and the Wheel of Fortune, and those corny staged talk shows that pay people to say all sorts of insane things to one another on national television.

So, I started to dabble in cooking. That didn’t turn out too well. Maybe because I hate to follow a recipe. (That’s the creative brain, right?) Even so, I kept at it, experimenting with foods, trying new dishes, adding my improvisations, of course.

My husband dropped thirty pounds that year—I blame my over-abundant dill garden for that. And maybe my slightly obsessive need to use it in every meal.

Every. Single. Meal. Poor guy.

One day, I determined I wanted to start a catering business, being such a good cook and all. Although… I probably should’ve launched a diet company: Order my specially made meals and lose ten pounds a week.

But as bad of a cook as I was, my husband never said anything. Instead, he supported me 100%; encouraged me even.

That’s love. Or enabling. No, it’s love. Sweet, gentle love.

My catering plan? It never panned out, pun intended. I have no idea why. (sarcastic smile)

Even so, I didn’t hear one word from my husband. Not one “I told you so,” or “You should’ve known that wouldn’t work when you saw me choking on your dilled spaghetti.”

Nope. He didn’t say anything. Simply loved me, as I was. Hopeless dreamer and all.

Then I decided I wanted to try crafting, you know, like at those craft shows. By then I was pregnant, and on bed rest a good chunk of the time.

Talk about boring. I went insane. Literally. Okay, not literally, but man…

When the bed rest restrictions finally ended, I immersed myself in woodcrafts—the kind where you cut shapes out of pine, then paint them and turn them into wall hangings. I made some chunky pieces to stand in windows—snowmen, people caroling, pumpkins, that sort of thing.

Then I lined all my creations across the carpet, maybe so they could dry. Maybe because I didn’t have a place to put them, or maybe because I was kind of a slob. I think it may have been the latter.

Then, once I had a fairly sizeable creation, I brought them to antique and craft stores in the area to sell them on consignment.

Not a one sold. Probably because there were five hundred other pieces exactly like mine. Well, almost like mine. The other crafts were actually cute.

And yet, my husband never said anything. Not one, “I told you so,” or, “You should’ve known.” Not even a “Please don’t try that again.”

Nope. He didn’t say a word. He simply loved me. Maybe because he knew there were some things more important than success, sales, and dollar signs.

Like love.

But… after my history of cooking and crafting, by the time I decided to try my hand at writing, a career many consider unrealistic, one would think my husband had had enough. One would think he’d begin to redirect me to less fanciful things.

Nope. He didn’t say a word, except, “You can do this,” and “I believe in you.”

That love, that support and encouragement, carried me through rejections, discouragement, and computer crashes, and through the long, hard journey from my very first draft to publication.

Now may the Lord help me to show that same kind of supportive, encouraging, patient love to him. In whatever way he needs.

Because there are some things more important than success, sales, and dollar signs, and when were old and thinking back over our years together, we’ll remember every “failure” and success with fondness, because of the memories attached to them. Because of the love revealed through each endeavor.

What about you? Who has encouraged you, no matter what, and how has that impacted you over the years? Who do you encourage, and how do you do that?

Jennifer Slattery writes soul-stirring fiction for New Hope Publishers, a publishing house passionate about bringing God’s healing grace and truth to the hopeless. She also writes for Crosswalk.com, Internet Café Devotions, and the group blog, Faith-filled Friends. When not writing, Jennifer loves going on mall dates with her adult daughter and coffee dates with her hilariously fun husband.
Visit with Jennifer online at JenniferSlatteryLivesOutLoud.com and connect with her on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/JenSlatte

Abandoned by her husband for another woman, Tammy Kuhn, an organ procurement coordinator often finds herself in tense and bitter moments. After an altercation with a doctor, she is fighting to keep her job and her sanity when one late night she encounters her old flame Nick. She walks right into his moment of facing an unthinkable tragedy. Because they both have learned to find eternal purposes in every event and encounter, it doesn’t take long to discover that their lives are intertwined but the ICU is no place for romance….or is it? Could this be where life begins again?

Intertwined, part of New Hope Publisher’s contemporary fiction line, is a great reminder of how God can turn our greatest tragedies and failures into beautiful acts of love and grace. Readers will fall in love with the realistic characters and enjoy the combination of depth, heart-felt emotion and humor that makes Jennifer’s novels so appealing. Readers will be inspired to find God in every moment and encounter in their own lives!

Buy it:   CBD   |   Amazon   |   B&N

Weekly Windup: We have a winner!

Congratulations to who Melanie Backus was the winner of our weekend surprise giveaway of A Stitch in Crime by Cathy Elliott. 

If you are a winner, please contact us here with your address to claim your prize. 

 

This Week's Giveaway is:

When Dawn Breaks by Jennifer Slattery

As the hurricane forces Jacqueline to evacuate, her need for purpose and restitution forces her to head north to her estranged and embittered daughter and into the arms of a handsome new friend. Dealing with his own issues, Jacqueline isn’t sure if he will be the one she can lean on during the difficult days ahead. And then there are the three orphans to consider, especially Gavin. Must she relinquish her chance at having love again in order to be restored?

Special thanks to Jennifer Slattery for offering her book as a giveaway! Jennifer Slattery writes missional romance novels for New Hope Publishers. Visit her online at http://jenniferslatterylivesoutloud.com

This giveaway runs through March 8th. Comment on any post between now and then to enter, and remember, the more comments you make, the more entries you earn!

    Winners will be announced in the Weekly Wind-up.

 

Coming up this week:

Musing Monday: Work the Fruit with Caryl McAdoo

Tidbit Tuesday: Nantucket Lightships by Linda Matchett

Thoughtful Thursday: Book Review: A Heart Deceived by Linda Yezak

Fun Friday: Travel Abroad and View...Scaffolding by Terri Wangard

Sit-Down Saturday: Author Interview with Fay Lamb

We look forward to hanging out with you this week!

Check out our Prizes Galore Page to see all our giveaways!

Weekly Windup: Comment to Win When Dawn Breaks by Jennifer Slattery!

Congratulations to Holly Michael who was the winner Land of My Dreams by Stitches Author Norma Gail!

If you are a winner, please contact us here with your address to claim your prize. 

 

This Week's Giveaway is:

When Dawn Breaks by Jennifer Slattery

As the hurricane forces Jacqueline to evacuate, her need for purpose and restitution forces her to head north to her estranged and embittered daughter and into the arms of a handsome new friend. Dealing with his own issues, Jacqueline isn’t sure if he will be the one she can lean on during the difficult days ahead. And then there are the three orphans to consider, especially Gavin. Must she relinquish her chance at having love again in order to be restored?

Special thanks to Jennifer Slattery for offering her book as a giveaway! Jennifer Slattery writes missional romance novels for New Hope Publishers. Visit her online at http://jenniferslatterylivesoutloud.com

This giveaway runs through March 8th. Comment on any post between now and then to enter, and remember, the more comments you make, the more entries you earn!

    Winners will be announced in the Weekly Wind-up.

 

Coming up this week:

Musing Monday:  Devotion on Discipline by Jodie Wolfe

Tidbit Tuesday: 1800s Barn Raising by Michele Morris

Woven Wednesday: Crocheted Leg Warmers by Elaine Manders

Thoughtful Thursday:  Book review by Josie Downey

Fun Friday: "Paczki, anyone?" by Peggy Wirgau

Sit-Down Saturday:  Interview and Giveaway with Cathy Elliott

We look forward to hanging out with you this week!

Check out our Prizes Galore Page to see all our giveaways!

Daydreamers Unite by Guest Jennifer Slattery

There are a few setbacks to being a book addict. I lose a great deal of sleep. I’m usually pretty ignorant when it comes to public affairs. Or pop culture (except that which appears in books). I can lose huge chunks of time, have burned more dinners than I care to admit, and have even forgotten to pick our daughter up from school on more than one occasion. Okay, so frequently, though that happens most when I’m the one writing the story.

Are you old enough to remember Beaver from the Leave it to Beaver show? Not a program could play without that poor child getting lost in some type of inner story. And they called it daydreaming. Ha! We writers no better, don’t we?

Don’t you wish all of our elementary teachers knew that as well? Oh, the trauma we could have avoided! But I suppose there is some benefit to frequent detentions in that they gave us all the more time to slip into worlds of our own creation. Come to think of it, those punishments had to work against our teachers’ goals.

Hm…

When I was young, I’d throw a colossal fit for my turn of the television remote. I’m pretty sure I do for the pure power of the thing, because everyone knew I didn’t watch what played on the screen. At least, not for long. The stories swirling through my head were always much more fascinating, the actors and actresses more talented, and my brain had zero commercials.

I know I’m not alone. If you’re reading this post, chances are you’re either a writer or a veracious reader. Most likely both, which means, you’ve lost touch with reality on numerous occasions. You rather enjoy doing so, actually. In fact, you’ve slipped in and out four times while reading this post.

Yes, I know what that means in terms of the grabability of my writing. Sigh.

But today’s just for fun. Actually, it’s an informal survey of sorts, which I’ll include at the end. Pop back by to see how your brain’s stick-to-itness measures up to everyone else’s. :) But before you do, I’ll end with this: Yes, you’re a dreamer, but I’d venture a guess God made you that you way, and for a glorious, miraculous, eternal reason, too. So forget reality, at least for a time, and dive deep into storyworld. Who knows, you just might create (or stumble upon) something amazing.

Create your free online surveys with SurveyMonkey , the world's leading questionnaire tool.

Jennifer Slattery writes soul-stirring fiction for New Hope Publishers, publishing house passionate about bringing God’s healing grace and truth to the hopeless. She also writes for Crosswalk.com, Internet Café Devotions, and the group blog, Faith-filled Friends. When not writing, Jennifer loves going on mall dates with her teenage daughter and coffee dates with her handsome railroader husband.

Visit with Jennifer online at JenniferSlatteryLivesOutLoud.

When Dawn Breaks:
As the hurricane forces Jacqueline to evacuate, her need for purpose and restitution motivate her to head north to her estranged and embittered daughter and into the arms of a handsome new friend. Dealing with his own issues, Jacqueline isn’t sure if he will be the one she can lean on during the difficult days ahead. And then there are the three orphans to consider, especially Gavin. Must she relinquish her chance at having love again in order to be restored?

Read a free, 36-page excerpt here.
You can buy a copy here.

Interview & #Giveaway with Jennifer Slattery

Howdy y'all! Crystal here, and have I got a great gal for you to meet today. Jennifer Slattery is one my writer friends from ACFW, and her new story Beyond I Do is bound to bless many readers. Maybe even you. :) She's giving away a copy to one of today's commenters.

So Jennifer, tell us a bit about yourself.

Now that's a scary invitation. ;) I'm often goofy, sometimes moody, and always and forever deeply in love with Jesus. Having been married to a railroader for the past 19 years, I've moved a fair amount but have finally landed and put down roots in the blizzardy-tornadoey-sweltering-hot midwest. (A place I love, despite what my non-flattering description implies.) I have a sixteen-year-old daughter who fills our home with laughter and has one more year before she launches off to college. I have a fierce addiction to flavored coffee and frozen yogurt, and when I'm not writing or hanging out with my family, I'm buried deep in a book of almost any genre.

A railroader? I'm sure there's a story in that. :) Speaking of stories...Congratulations on your newest release! What is Beyond I Do about? 

It's about a pharmaceutical representative who, in her quest for security, lost sight of who God created and called her to be. Which is kind of a problem, considering she's about to make a life-long commitment.

Will seeing beyond the present unite them or tear them apart?

Marriage . . . it’s more than a happily ever after. Eternally more.
Ainsley Meadows, raised by a hedonist mother, who cycles through jobs and relationships like wrapping paper on Christmas morning, falls into a predictable and safe relationship with Richard, a self-absorbed socialite psychiatrist. But as her wedding nears, a battered woman and her child spark a long-forgotten dream and ignites a hidden passion. One that threatens to change everything, including her fiancé. To embrace God’s best and find true love, this security-seeking bride must follow God with reckless abandon and realize that marriage goes Beyond I Do.

Where did you get the inspiration for your story?

Much of this story came from the very depths of my heart. :) It centers on homelessness, striving to show the impoverished and homeless from a Christ-like perspective. I chose to do this because I went through a period of homelessness during my teen years, and years later as an adult and suburban housewife who successful hid her past, I often encountered some harsh statements from other Christians. Statements like: "If you give [the homeless] money, they're just going to drink." and "They choose to live on the streets." Or, "They did this to themselves."

Whenever those statements were made, they cut deep, and honestly, shocked me. I couldn't understand how one could proclaim the love of Christ, have the love of Christ dwelling within them, yet look with such disdain upon a human created by God's own hands. The more I thought and prayed about this, I came to realize this came from ignorance. Unless people had been there or encountered someone who had, they had no frame of reference from which to draw. I wanted to help them gain a different, hopefully more accurate, view of this broken and desperate population.

But now that the book has launched, I've come to see God had an even deeper role for this book and me. I've prayed on numerous occasions, "Why, Lord, did you choose to take a hopeless, homeless teen, set her in American suburbia, and give her a voice? Of all the people you could have created to write this book, why me?" The answer came very clearly: "So people would say no one, absolutely no one, is beyond my grace and transforming power."

That sounds like such a powerful story. I find it amazing how God uses our uniqueness in such special ways to glorify Him, and that is what it's all about.

Do you have a favorite scene in the book? If so, can you tell us a bit about it?

Oh, that's hard! There's one seen I find incredibly romantic, and that's where the heroine and her guy friend spend an evening at Kansas City's Plaza during the holidays. If you've never been to the plaza during Christmas time, I have to say, it's a must. The entire area is lit up, from trees to every storefront, and couples ride on horse drawn carriages--also lit up.

Ooo, that sounds beautiful. I'll have to put that on my bucket list of places to visit. :) What do you plan to work on next?

I've just finished plotting a third book to follow this one and am really hoping my publisher will contract it along with the second book in this series, Freedom to Love. I've been told I should be receiving substantive edits shortly on my second release, When Dawn Breaks, another missional romance scheduled to come out in 2015. I'm also researching a drama for Christ to the World Ministries, an international ministry that shares the gospel with 32 countries via radio waves. When I'm done with that, I plan to plot two books to follow When Dawn Breaks.

Wow, you are the busy bee. :) Where can readers connect with you? Where can readers buy your book?

Folks can connect with me at my personal website, http://jenniferslatterylivesoutloud.com, or on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/JenSlatte. As to where they can get the book--the normal online outlets like Christianbook.com, Amazon, and Barnes and Noble, and their local bookstore. (If their favorite bookstore doesn't carry it, they can always have the store staff order it.)

Last but not least, apart from writing, what is your favorite creative outlet? 

Hm... Does shopping count? (I have a teenager. ;) ) My husband and I are taking a painting class, so we'll see where that goes. I'm looking forward to creative-date nights! And would you believe the class was his idea? Yep, he's a keeper.

Most definitely a keeper. :) Thanks so much for sharing with us today, Jennifer.

Thank you so much for having me, Crystal! I'd love to hear from your readers. In the novel, I included a scene set in one of the most romantic locations in Kansas City (in my opinion). Where was the most romantic location you've ever gone to?

(Remember y'all, commenters are entered in today's drawing, plus this month's grand-prize giveaway.)

Weekly Wind-up It's Our Birthday!

Congratulations to Marisa who was the winner of last week's Giveaway of The Hesitant Heiress by Dawn Crandall!

Marisa, please contact us here to claim your prize. 

This week is Stitches thru Time's first birthday and we're celebrating!

Each week in the month of August, we'll have special guest bloggers with Surprise Giveaways, so stay tuned!

We also have a GRAND PRIZE to give away at the end of the month, so be sure to leave comments on the posts to get your name in the drawing!

The grand prize is a package of 5 books from beloved authors of historical and contemporary Christian fiction.  Leave comments during the month to enter!

Stay tuned this week for the Surprise Giveaways. Winners will be announced in the Weekly Wind-up.

 

Coming up this week:

Musing Monday: Adopted by God Devotional by Norma Gail

Tidbit Tuesday: Special Guest Vicki McDonough

Woven Wednesday: Special Guest Carla Olson Gade

Thoughtful Thursday: Special Guest Lynn Coleman

Fun Friday: Special Guest Nivine Richie

Sit-Down Saturday: Crystal L. Barnes interviews author Jennifer Slattery

We look forward to hanging out with you this week!

Check out our Prizes Galore Page to see all our giveaways.