Monday, November 4, 2024

The Locket’s Revenge by LE Richmond

About the Book

Book: The Locket’s Revenge (Chronicles of the Undersea Realm Book 2)

Author: L. E. Richmond

Genre: YA Fantasy (Little Mermaid Retelling)

Release date: October 22, 2024

A Trinket Could Unleash a Tempest

Locklyn Adair thought that finding the Sea Enchantress would lift her family’s curse. But the ramifications of her desire for a tail reach further than she could ever have dreamed. Now the entire Undersea Realm is in peril, as Circe, armed with the locket capable of controlling the Loch Ness monster, journeys to the North Sea in pursuit of revenge.

Darin Aalto’s specialty is tracking down treasure. When it looks as though a magical locket has fallen into evil hands, he joins Locklyn and her crew on an expedition to recover it, hoping to find a key to his past identity along the way. Despite having no memory of the Mermaid leading the quest, he wonders if she was more than a friend all along.

As a vengeful enchantress, fiery monster, and impending war threaten the Undersea Realm, Locklyn and Darin must decide what they are willing to sacrifice in order to stop the locket’s revenge.

Click here to get your copy!

I received a complimentary copy of this book and all opinions given are my own and not an endorsement of all author’s opinions.

Author Interview

How do you weave Biblical truths into your writing?

○ I try my best to write a good story and let the Biblical truths enter as organically as possible. But all of my books have a Creator referenced in some form because I strongly believe that any world without a Creator is impossible. The other common element in all my stories is redemption. None of my books end in despair because I know that nothing is beyond God’s reach, and I want my writing to reflect that.

● Was your writing process spontaneous as it came to you or very planned and organized? Why?

○ I am definitely a pantser. My usual process for book writing is to jot a bunch of random notes on the back of an envelope and then start writing. This is mostly due to my personality since I don’t tend to be super organized, but it is also because I love the process of drafting, so when I get a new story idea I can’t wait to jump into it.

● Do you have a favorite time of day you are most productive in your writing?

○ I have three little children, and my most consistent time to write is in the afternoon during their naptime.

● How many books do you personally own?

○ About three bookshelves worth (however many that is 😊).

○

● What is your next big goal as an author?

○ My next big goal as an author is to win a major award. The Mermaid’s Tale was a finalist for the Carol Awards this year, and I would really love to someday see a shiny gold sticker on one of my books.

About the Author

L.E. Richmond was born and raised in the Pacific Northwest by an American writing teacher and a German bookseller. Her childhood largely consisted of imagining stories for her Playmobil

characters and checking out as many books from the library as would fit on six library cards. Now she spends her time chasing three little Muggles, reading aloud to the hazel-eyed young man who has her heart, and attempting to transfer the stories in her head into words for others. Her passion is for words and stories that thrill the soul, and she is endlessly amazed by the One who not only used words to bring this world into being but also crafted the most epic story of all time.

More from L.E.

Somebody is going to die. But they didn’t at first.

Minor spoiler alert, a character is going to die near the end of The Locket’s Revenge. But in my first draft of this story, this person didn’t die. It wasn’t until I was going back through and trying to flesh out the book a bit that I realized that this character needed to die. My family knows that I am a discovery writer, but they still laughed when I told them how so-and-so squeaked through alive on the first draft, but the death sentence came in the second one. To me, this is actually one of the most fun things about being a discovery writer. During the drafting process, I get to experience the story for the first time, just like any reader. Most of the time, I don’t actually know what is going to happen next. And I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Blog Stops

Texas Book-aholic, October 31

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, November 1 (Author Interview)

Wishful Endings, November 1

Artistic Nobody, November 2 (Spotlight)

Fiction Book Lover, November 3 (Author Interview)

Locks, Hooks and Books, November 4

A Reader’s Brain , November 5 (Author Interview)

Inklings and notions, November 6

Simple Harvest Reads, November 7 (Author Interview)

Blogging With Carol, November 8

Stories By Gina, November 9 (Author Interview)

Min Read and Reviews, November 9

Tell Tale Book Reviews, November 10

Holly’s Book Corner, November 11

Guild Master, November 12 (Spotlight)

Becca Hope: Book Obsessed, November 13

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, L.E. is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon card and a signed copy of the book!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/00adcf5483

Sunday, November 3, 2024

Unison Parenting by Cecil Taylor

About the Book

Book: Unison Parenting: The Comprehensive Guide to Navigating Christian Parenthood with One Voice

Author: Cecil Taylor

Genre: Parenting/Family, more specifically Christian Parenting

Release date: September 17, 2024

Singing in unison is when all voices sing the same note, at the same time, to emphasize the text. Similarly, families need to parent in unison to emphasize the message they want to send to their children.

Cecil Taylor uses his personal parenting experience, and those of the families he’s taught and ministered to over decades, to create unique foundational strategies for unison parenting within a Christian context. Learn how to stay on the same page throughout the trials of parenting, provide children with a solid faith foundation, and balance loving nature with firm boundaries to create a warm, stable environment where the child and parent can eventually collaborate to bring the child to full, responsible adulthood.

Whether in a traditional or nontraditional family structure, Unison Parenting leads parents through the ages and stages of childhood into mature adulthood. Additionally, Cecil lays out parenting fundamentals to manage your child’s growing need for independence during their teen years, while gradually building trust through incremental decision-making.

Click here to get your copy!

I received a complimentary copy of this book, and all opinions given are my own and not an endorsement of all author’s opinions.

Author Interview

What was your process to align your book with your target audience?

I first had to realize that my book is not designed from cradle to diploma. I don’t address the diaper days. My book really starts when children are old enough to realize their role in the family and do their first chores, perhaps age three to four.

I also realized that families exist in many combinations. Only 46% of U.S. children live in households that are considered traditional: Man + Woman + First Marriage. That means the majority of children live in what are considered non-traditional families, and I needed to address their unique living situations as well. That’s why I have a chapter dedicated to just non-traditional families.

What was the most challenging part of writing your book?

A majority of the material first came from parenting classes that I taught for fifteen years to seven hundred families in my church. I quickly discovered that a given lesson doesn’t necessarily map well to a book chapter. So the challenge was in deconstructing and reconstructing the material in a format that would make sense to readers. Just because something was taught in a lesson series didn’t mean it qualified for the book.

After creating the new construct, the next challenge was how to supplement and enhance that base with my new thoughts, new material, and new research.

Was your writing process spontaneous as it came to you or very planned and organized? Why?

Oh, every book is very planned and organized. I don’t write anything until I know where I’m going end to end. From teaching adult Sunday School for decades, I have developed a style where I lead the learner to a particular point, so I need to understand the beginning, the middle, and the conclusion.

The same applied to this book. Actually, I created one chapter and content sequence, didn’t like it, and started over. I didn’t completely rip it up, but I did move chapters and content within those chapters quite a bit. You might think of it as a puzzle. Once the puzzle took shape, I began writing.

Did you learn anything new during your writing process?

This book is the first that I’ve written through a more traditional publisher. Part of the learning was their publishing process, but a part was also understanding another way to write the book itself.

A major transition arose because I have always used Associated Press style standards, coming from a journalism background. But the publisher required Chicago Manual style, which contains substantial differences. I rebelled against this at first before realizing that the styles are pretty much six of one and half a dozen of another. I had to get over myself and return to the Oxford comma I learned in grade school and had wrenched out of me by journalism.

How many books do you personally own?

This question sent me on a counting expedition, because I had no idea. I estimate that I own a little over two hundred books. My wife, who both reads more and buys more than I do, probably has 350, from which I borrow. A retired musician, she also owns perhaps two hundred books of sheet music. These 750 books are spread across five bookcases and a pile along one wall of our bedroom.

About the Author

With more than 30 years’ experience as an adult Sunday School teacher and as many in youth ministry, Cecil Taylor has impacted lives in local churches throughout his adult life. He founded Cecil Taylor Ministries to broaden that impact, teaching Christians to live a 7-day practical faith through books, video studies, and speaking engagements. His ministry is cross-denominational, focused on the common struggle Christians face in putting their faith into practice and applying scripture and faith principles to life situations.

Cecil has written three previous books, all of which have been awarded across international, national, and regional contests. For each book, Cecil has created a study guide, a video study, and downloadable free leader guides.

More from Cecil

Would you like to know the surefire, guaranteed way to get your teen to open up and talk to you? You’ll find it in my new book, Unison Parenting: The Comprehensive Guide to Navigating Christian Parenthood with One Voice.

Unison Parenting is the culmination of my fifteen years leading parenting classes in my church, my thirty years of youth ministry, and my raising of three children (one adopted) to adulthood. I taught and tested the parenting advice with seven hundred families that attended my classes, so I am convinced the structure and tips you’ll find in the book are well-proven.

One of those tips is how to get your teen to talk to you. I have never had anyone return to me to say that the technique doesn’t work; in fact, they laughingly complain that the technique works too well, and they can’t get their teen to stop talking!

An overarching theme of the book is, of course, getting and staying in unison as parents, but not only as parents – as a family. Another way to put it is a spirit of collaboration. You begin building this collaboration when the children are young, and as they grow, you expand the collaboration to partner with them on the common goal of helping them become mature adults who make good decisions.

I can tell you from experience that the collaborating spirit of such a family continues into adulthood, fostering solid on-going relationships and a desire for family community, even across distance.

This is not to say that my wife and I were perfect, nor that our children were perfect. We all made regrettable mistakes along the way. Our learnings, plus the positive and negative experiences of families I encountered over decades, will help you avoid pitfalls as you create a unison atmosphere among parenting partners and with your children.

Blog Stops

Lots of Helpers, October 23

Simple Harvest Reads, October 24 (Author Interview)

Texas Book-aholic, October 24

Artistic Nobody, October 25 (Author Interview)

Guild Master, October 26 (Author Interview)

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, October 27

Fiction Book Lover, October 28 (Author Interview)

Vicky Sluiter, October 29 (Author Interview)

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, October 30 (Author Interview)

Locks, Hooks and Books, October 30

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, October 31

Library Lady’s Kid Lit, November 1 (Author Interview)

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, November 2

Blossoms and Blessings, November 3 (Author Interview)

A Reader’s Brain, November 4 (Author Interview)

Jodie Wolfe – Stories Where Hope and Quirky Meet, November 5 (Author Interview)

Giveaway

To celebrate his tour, Cecil is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon card and a copy of the book!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/00adcf5475/

Saturday, November 2, 2024

Visible by Darlene Corbett

About the Book

Book: Visible

Author: Darlene Corbett

Genre: Romantic Women’s Fiction

Release date: May 15, 2024

Therapist Rachel Karem is accustomed to helping emotionally wounded individuals navigate the murky waters of dealing with complicated family dynamics, relationship issues, and life transitions. When individual therapy hits a brick wall for five successful professionals, she persuades them to engage in a ten-week group therapy program. But working through these sessions with her clients reveals Rachel’s own brokenness.

Widowed, childless, and estranged from her family, Rachel wonders if she will ever have a second chance at love. She is amazed when her own therapist advocates for her to “get back in the game.” To her surprise, Rachel enrolls in dance classes where she learns the Tango. Romantic, passionate, intense, sensual, dramatic, the Tango embodies everything that is missing in Rachel’s life. As she grows more confident in her dance steps, her life becomes more entwined with her handsome dance partner, Michael. But past betrayals haunt Rachel’s emotions, and current rivals for Michael’s affections feed past rejections.

Even as her clients in the therapy group learn to support each other in their quest for personal wholeness, Rachel yearns for a deeper connection within herself to propel her into the next stage of her life. But will it be with or without Michael?

Click here to get your copy!

I received a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions given are my own and not an endorsement of all author’s opinions.

Author Interview

● How do you weave Biblical truths into your writing?

I bring in verses, and as the story progresses, you find that faith helps many of the characters to heal.

● Are any of your characters based off of yourself or those close to you?

The protagonist. She’s a similar character to me regarding the role as a therapist. Also, I’m half Syrian/Lebanese, so I thought I create a woman with a Jordanian background.

● Why did you pick this genre for your book?

Because it involves a woman’s journey. A therapist whose own healing parallels her clients. Themes of personal responsibility, hope, dancing, fun, romance, and love.

● How many books do you personally own?

So many, I could name it Darlene’s Library. I used to have a bookmark, BookWomen, and she surrounded herself with books. That’s me. Here’s a quote from Goodreads which depicts me and other bookaholics:

Yes, I have 5 books I haven’t finished on my nightstand, and yes, I also just checked out 9 books from the library. Your point?

● What is your next big goal as an author?

I’m revising my contemporary romance, Mesmerize, the first in a series about female storytellers.

About the Author

Darlene Corbett views herself as a lifelong learner, a pursuer of excellence, a work-in-progress, and a truth seeker.

Serving others as a licensed psychotherapist has been her primary professional position for over thirty years.

Now, she includes Author/Writer and Speaker.

Her wealth of experience in human behavior prompted Darlene to write her ideas on paper, which set the stage for her book, “Stop Depriving the World of You,” published by Sound Wisdom in 2018.

Darlene wrote her first novel, Visible, a women’s fiction about second chances, published by WordCrafts Press in the spring of 2024, and plans on writing two more books in this series.

And right now?

Also, she’s finishing a contemporary romance, the first in another series.

Besides being an avid reader, Darlene loves animals, especially dogs, which you’ll see in her novel. Also, she treasures learning another language, yoga, fitness, traveling, and connecting with her inner circle.

She belongs to many organizations, including the ACFW, FHL-CW, and AWSA.

She makes her home in Central Massachusetts with her beloved Shih Tzu and remains excited about the next chapter of her life.

More from Darlene

I created the protagonist, Rachel, with a Jordanian background. I’m half Syrian/Lebanese, so I thought I’d share an easy but delicious recipe given to me by my mother:

Hushwee:

1 lb. of ground lamb or lean beef

1 stick of butter

2 cups of white rice

5 cups of water and 5 chicken bouillons

1 tablespoon of cinnamon

1 table spoon of allspice

A handful or 2 of pinenuts

On medium heat, stir-fry the beef with the butter.

Once it’s browned, mix in the dry rice, cinnamon, allspice, and pinenuts

Put aside

Boil 5 cups of water with the bouillons.

Once water has boiled, spoon in the mixture, bring the heat to low or one above, and cover.

20-25 minutes and should be done.

You may adjust according to your preference and stovetop.

This can be a side dish or the main mean with a nice Syrian salad such as Tabouli or Fattoush.

Bon Appetit

Blog Stops

Simple Harvest Reads, October 24 (Author Interview)

Artistic Nobody, October 25 (Author Interview)

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, October 26

Fiction Book Lover, October 27 (Author Interview)

Library Lady’s Kid Lit, October 28 (Author Interview)

Guild Master, October 29

Tell Tale Book Reviews, October 30 (Author Interview)

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, October 30

Blossoms and Blessings, October 31 (Author Interview)

Holly’s Book Corner, November 1

Stories By Gina, November 2 (Author Interview)

A Reader’s Brain, November 3 (Author Interview)

Texas Book-aholic, November 4

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, November 5 (Author Interview)

Locks, Hooks and Books, November 5

Pause for Tales, November 6

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Darlene is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon card and a winner’s choice of a paperback or eBook copy of the book!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/00adcf5476/

Friday, October 25, 2024

The Time Door by Shannon Mc Dermott

About the Book

Book: The Time Door

Author: Shannon McDermott

Genre: Adult Science Fiction

Release date: October 8, 2024

A reckless last mission on Mars, a crusade for justice on Earth …

Reuben Jackson is the only one who still cares about Mars. In the shambles of the Great Collapse, Earth has abandoned the Mars explorers to their fate. But Reuben will make a stand for the Mars team—even against the powerfully united politicians and scientists.

In too deep, he discovers hidden conspiracies and unexpected allies.

As the conflict mounts on Earth, time runs down on Mars. Left to face Mars alone, Commander Donegan Moynihan and his team have no hope of surviving after their supplies are gone. Willing to accept a quicker death than starvation, the explorers strike out on a dangerous mission. They venture deep inside the ancient volcano of Arsia Mons, into perils and secrets long buried. What they discover would move mountains on Earth—but will it be enough to save themselves?

Click here to get your copy!

I received a complimentary copy of this book, and all opinions given are my own and not an endorsement of all author’s opinions.

Author Interview

● What was the most challenging part of writing your book?

There is a sequence where the explorers discover a buried region on Mars. It is, of course, deserted, but the environment itself seems to oppose them. I found it challenging to write opposition that appeared to both be deliberate and come from unconscious forces.

● What was the most enjoyable part of writing your book?

Coming to the scenes in which characters who had never liked each other came, finally, to understand each other.

● How do you weave Biblical truths into your writing?

Most often, subtly. I always make some references to God or the Bible, but overall, there is little overt religion in my novels. But the story is shaped by my understanding of human nature, right and wrong, and the ultimate hope in the universe, and my understanding of all those things is shaped by my Christian faith.

● Are any of your characters based off of yourself or those close to you?

Sometimes I project elements of my own experiences or personality onto characters. Yet they are made up of other things, too. I have never written a character who is myself, disguised or otherwise.

Still less have I ever based a character off of someone that I know. Not worth the lawsuit.

● What is your next big goal as an author?

The Eternities Series is currently planned as a duology. I am hoping to expand it, including to a book that is, shall we say, different in its combination of space and vaudeville.

About the Author

Shannon McDermott is an author of science fiction and has been occupied for years with constructing scenarios of the colonization of Mars. Always a fan of the genre, she reviews Christian speculative fiction with Lorehaven. Her interests include history, classic

literature, and lattes. She lives in the great Midwest, where she does her best to avoid icy weather, sweltering heat, and tornadoes, according to the season.

More from Shannon

There is a story of an abandoned space colony. Still young, still unsteady, and suddenly cut off from the mother planet—the colony will either learn fast to survive alone, or it will die altogether.

The story has been told again and again, a thousand variations on the old theme. When I was getting acquainted with it, through battered paperbacks and anthologies gathered from the old “scientifiction” magazines, I noticed that the colonies were usually abandoned because of a space plague, or aliens, or interplanetary war.

Exotic, exciting problems, the stuff of science fiction. But I had a thought: What if the reason for abandoning a space colony were a bit prosaic? What if there was just no more money?

The national debt is very much a thing (and an ever-growing thing, at an ever-increasing rate). We would be in trouble if that debt were ever called, or even if no more could be contracted. If it suddenly became time to pay the piper, if the money running off the press was no longer good enough—America couldn’t afford to support a colony on Mars. And we would have too many problems of our own to care very much about theirs.

A classic sci-fi story with a modern twist, something fantastic mixed with something prosaic. I liked it.

As I set to work on the idea, I soon made another variation to the theme. The abandoned colony did not take the whole stage. I gave equal space to those who had abandoned it. Good or bad, they had their reasons; they had their story, too. And as I began to write it, I realized that both stories were about survival. The struggle over whether they survived, and how, and what they would become on the other side.

These ideas grew into The Time Door—two parallel stories, separated by the distance between Mars and Earth, and yet united in the end. Whether abandoned on Mars, or caught in the collapse on Earth, they all need a way out; they all need to find a door.

Blog Stops

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, October 17

Blossoms and Blessings, October 18 (Author Interview)

Wishful Endings, October 18

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, October 19

The Lofty Pages, October 20

Artistic Nobody, October 21 (Author Interview)

Texas Book-aholic, October 22

Guild Master, October 23 (Spotlight)

Tell Tale Book Reviews, October 24

Blogging With Carol, October 25

A Reader’s Brain, October 26 (Author Interview)

Fiction Book Lover, October 27 (Author Interview)

Mary Hake, October 27

Simple Harvest Reads, October 28 (Author Interview)

Locks, Hooks and Books, October 29

Lily’s Corner, October 30

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Shannon is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon card and a copy of the book!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/00adcf5470/

Sunday, October 20, 2024

Preach It, Grace: A Girl’s Testimony of Faith by Susan Count

About the Book

Book: Preach It, Grace A Girl’s Testimony of Faith (Dream Pony Book 5)

Author: Susan Count

Genre: Middle-Grade

Release date: February, 2024

Sharing a pony worked perfectly, until it didn’t.

The pony share Grace worked out with her elderly neighbor was ideal—she thought. Mr. Harvey bought the buckskin gelding’s food and Grace fed him. The pony was important to both of them so it made no sense when the elderly man sent him away. And why won’t he tell her where?

Click here to get your copy!

I received a complimentary copy of this book, and all opinions given are my own and not an endorsement of all author’s opinions.

Author Interview

• What was your process to align your book with your target audience?

To make sure the voice is appropriate for the age, I do a lot of reading the manuscript out loud. It is also read out loud by my critique group to reveal awkward sentences and to assure child-like dialog.

What was the most challenging part of writing your book?

Since I can only compose or edit in complete quiet and solicitude, the most challenging part of writing is not being interrupted.

• What was the most enjoyable part of writing your book?

I like the entire process, but I love taking it through critique group because lots of educated eyes on the manuscript make it better.

• How do you weave Biblical truths into your writing?

Hopefully, seamlessly. I strive to weave into a story Biblical values without drawing too much attention to that fact. Subtle works better for me than a club. Still, I’ve gotten comments that the books sound too religious, which grieves me because it is exactly those families where I’d like to reach the children. It is difficult to achieve the right balance. One thing I take care not to do is make the main character too goody-goody. She must be real, and my goal is for the story to reveal her values.

• Are any of your characters based off of yourself or those close to you?

There has been only one character named after someone I know. My granddaughter, Selah, inspired my first series – Dream Horse Adventures.

• Was your writing process spontaneous as it came to you or very planned and organized? Why?

I am both a planner and a pantser. Once I figure out who my character is and what she wants more than anything, I make post-it-notes for plot points. Every writing session, I read some of what I wrote previously and, with my sights set on the goal, craft one obstacle after another. If the progress gets sluggish, I’ll set a modest, daily word count goal. It’s a wonderful thing to be walking in God’s gifting.

• Do you have a favorite time of day you are most productive in your writing?

I’m most productive about mid-morning after I finish taking care of the horses. But anytime the house is quiet and empty, you will find me working on a story.

• Why did you pick this genre for your book?

I took what I wrote to my Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators critique group. Many of the members are traditionally published authors and all have been studying the craft of writing. This group easily identified that the voice of the novel was middle-grade. I didn’t pick it — it’s my natural voice.

I wrote horse books because they were what hooked me as a young reader and I love horses.

• How many books do you personally own?

I saved all the books from children’s youth and passed them on to my grandchildren. I keep a library of writing craft and marketing books. Otherwise, books that come in are generally regifted.

• What is your next big goal as an author?

Completely depends upon if the Lord lays a story on my heart. I have one more in the Dream Pony Series to publish this fall. Feeling like it will be the last in that series. This is the first time in eleven years that I don’t have another story in the plotting stage. At this point, waiting on him.

About the Author

Susan Count is a Kingdom Scribe who has published nine books in two equestrian series. As a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, American Christian Fiction Writers, and Texas Association of Authors, she takes studying the craft of writing seriously. Revision is her super-power.

Susan is a life-long equestrian and owned by a Rocky Mountain Horse that is kind hearted enough to take her on long, forested trail rides. She says the only thing more fun than riding might be writing horse adventure stories and she invites you to saddle up and ride along.

Read an Excerpt

Saturday started early for Grace’s family. Serve Out Saturday was the church’s biggest outreach event all year, and everyone who could turned out to help. Grace manned the church’s front-door sign-in desk. After everyone got their work assignments, she ran with her clipboard for the van headed to the retirement home. When they arrived, many residents were already gathered.
She lined up with six other girls, and they sang the gospel songs the residents requested. She searched their faces until she found Mr. Harvey in the last row. Giving him a quick wave, she sang directly to him.

He didn’t sing along like many of the residents, but he stayed for the program. That counted as a victory. Did he recognize her? She couldn’t tell.

She stepped to the microphone. “Hello. I’m Grace. That means blessings from God.”

She grinned at the residents, and they smiled back at her. “Horses are my favorite thing, and they’re also blessings from God. If you’ve ever seen a horse, then you know they are magnificent, mighty creatures.”

Grace held a booklet high, then pointed with it to the residents. “This explains how we can know the God that blesses us. And how we can go to heaven to be with him someday. It says he sent his Son, Jesus, to teach us about eternal life.”

She placed her hands over the open Bible on the podium. “No matter how hard we try, we can’t be perfect, but because of Jesus, we are forgiven for all the things we do wrong. He suffered and died on the cross, was buried, then raised to life on the third day.” She looked into Mr. Harvey’s eyes. “He loves us that much.”

As she closed the Bible, she softened her voice. “Pray to your heavenly Father—ask him to help you believe in Jesus.”