My mind is still hovering within the clouds.

Last week my unpublished historical romance novel The Rescue won the OCW Cascade Award! I still can’t believe it! If only you knew the struggles I had writing this novel.

In 2012, while writing, researching, and working on this historical romance novel, doctors discovered I had cancer.

There are many times in a person’s life where he or she may reach an obstacle. It may be an illness, an accident or a difficult decision that must be made. I’d reached that point in my life. It was a defining moment, not only dealing with my cancer prognosis, but asking the Lord if He truly called me to write as I thought, or was I mistaken. I stuffed my historical romance novel away and almost gave up on God’s call to write.

But through the fears and searching for God’s direction, I learned He did indeed place this desire to write on my heart and no matter what I was facing in my life, it didn’t diminish His call. I’m inspired by the Lord to write inspirational Christian fiction so people may know the love of Christ. To know the depth He will go to have a relationship with us. And though we struggle, He uses us—people like me, the ordinary—to do out of the ordinary things. Unexpected things—like writing.

The Rescue is a story of hope, and about a future only He can provide.

I can still recall how my eyes filled with tears when I wrote “The End.”

To God be the glory!

Here are the 2018 Cascade Winners listed below. Congratulations, everyone!
 
UNPUBLISHED
 
Children’s Picture/Chapter Book
Jennifer Bingham, Nothing Changes Everything: A Simple Retelling of the Truth
 
Contemporary Fiction Book
Michelle Aleckson, Riptide
 
Historical Fiction Book
Tanya Eavenson, The Rescue
 
Memoir
Jessica Domagala, Abstract Love
 
Middle-Grade Book
J.D. Rempel, Melanie on the Move
 
Nonfiction Book
Marlys Johnson, Inconvenient Love
 
Speculative Fiction Book
Christina Gollings, Citlali Means Star
 
Young Adult Book
Cheryl Bostrom, Climb, Run, Drown
 
Articles, Columns, and Blog Posts
Marissa Hunter, “Cutting the Cord”
 
Devotionals
Donna Hues, “A Wee Lesson in Grace”
 
Poetry
Rebecca Johnson, “The Horse of Death”
 
Short Story/Flash Fiction
Robert Gilbert, “Elysia’s Doll”
 
PUBLISHED
 
Contemporary Fiction Book
Kristen Joy Wilks, Athens Ambuscade
 
Historical Fiction Book
Anna Zogg, The Marshal’s Mission
 
Memoir
Carolyn Wade, Five Hundred Letters
 
Nonfiction Book
Lynn Hare, The Quest for Self-Forgiveness: Discovering the Secret of Guilt-Free Living
 
Speculative Fiction Book
Jill Williamson, King’s Blood
 
Young Adult Book
Sally Apokedak, The Button Girl
 
Articles, Columns, and Blog Posts
Dorcas Smucker, “What We Truly Believe Will Show”
 
Devotional
Bethany Hayes, “The Great Exchange”
 
Poetry
Kristen Wilks, “Praying for Bugs”
 
Short Story/Flash Fiction
Jennifer Anne F. Messing, “Labor Day Delight”

Hi! I'm Ashley, a reader, reviewer, and blogger at The Rustic Reading Gal. I want to thank Tanya for letting me visit her blog today and share my review for Storm Front (Montana Rescue #5) by Susan May Warren.

About the Book
A tornado has destroyed a small Minnesota community and among the missing are not only a group of students but PEAK Rescue team leader Chet King. Ty Remington will stop at nothing to rescue his mentor, not even when the girl he loved--and lost--walks back into his life. But Brette needs his help more than he knows, despite her stubborn determination to push him away. And when he gets a second chance, loving her just might cost him more than he can imagine.

A blogger for Vortex Storm Chasers, Brette Arnold didn't expect her adventures to land her in the same place as Ty, the guy who she walked--no, ran--from over a year ago. She had her reasons--good ones. The kind that tell her that falling for him again would only lead to heartache. But Ty isn't the kind of man to give up--not on the missing students, or on her.

Life and love hang in the balance in Susan May Warren's breathless story of holding on to hope during a deadly summer of storms. 

Storm Front was another wonderful addition to the Montana Rescue series. It's extremely fast-paced and hard to put down. There's many stressful, heart-pounding moments that had me completely captivated. It's one of those stories that completely sucked me in, made me feel like I was right there in the midst of the storm with these characters. 

Ty, gosh... I completely fell for this guy. He's got a heart of gold and is willing to do anything to help a person in need. Sure he has his faults, but he's such an admirable and good man. He always seemed to be in the background in the first couple of books and I never took much notice of him – that is until book three, A Matter of Trust, when we got to know Ty just a little bit better. He stepped out of the shadows and we learned some more about him. And oh my gosh, how in the world did I ever ignore this lovely man? Brette went through some struggles and was scared to give her heart to Ty. There were times I wanted to shake some sense into her, tell her to stop running from Ty, to run TO him instead. I greatly enjoyed reading about their journey.

Like with all Susan May Warren books, Storm Front features a very strong spiritual thread woven seamlessly throughout. And this one is a very powerful one, indeed.

I was already looking forward to the next book in the series, Wait for Me, but after that cliffhanger of an epilogue it can't come out soon enough. 

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. All thoughts and comments are my honest opinion.
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​I'm Ashley Sapp and I'm a native Texan. My love of books started before I could even read thanks to my parents. In my free time, when I'm not reading, I love spending time with my four dogs, mischievous goats, and spoiled mini donkey. I have a blog, The Rustic Reading Gal, where I talk about and review books.​

​​Hi! I'm Ashley, a reader, reviewer, and blogger at The Rustic Reading Gal. I want to thank Tanya for letting me visit her blog today and share my review for Oath of Honor (Blue Justice #1) by Lynette Eason.
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About the Book
Police officer Isabelle St. John loves her crazy, loud, law-enforcement family. With three brothers and two sisters, she's never without someone to hang out with--or fight with. And she knows they'll be there for her when things get tough. Like when her partner is murdered and she barely escapes with her own life.

Determined to discover exactly what happened, Izzy's investigation sends her headfirst into a criminal organization, possibly with cops on the payroll--including someone from her own family. With her dead partner's handsome homicide detective brother Ryan shadowing her every move, Izzy's head is spinning. How can she secure justice for her partner when doing so could mean sending someone she loves to prison? And how will she guard her heart when the man she's had a secret crush on for years won't leave her side?

With her signature fast-paced, edge-of-your-seat action, Lynette Eason invites readers into a captivating new series where justice is a family affair.

I know when I read a Lynette Eason book I'm in for an intense and thrilling ride full of suspense and intrigue that's impossible to put down. I've gotta say, Oath of Honor is Eason's best book to date and is, hands down, my favorite. I was hooked from the very beginning. It was very fast-paced and I could never guess what was coming next. The action starts quickly and consistently builds to the thrilling conclusion.

We're introduced to a lot of characters in the beginning, which was a bit intimidating, but it wasn't long before I became familiar with everyone. I really loved the big family dynamic and cast of characters. The next book, Called to Protect, can't come out soon enough! Oath of Honor was a fantastic start to the Blue Justice series. I highly, highly recommend it!

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. All thoughts and comments are my honest opinion.
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​I'm Ashley Sapp and I'm a native Texan. My love of books started before I could even read thanks to my parents. In my free time, when I'm not reading, I love spending time with my four dogs, mischievous goats, and spoiled mini donkey. I have a blog, The Rustic Reading Gal, where I talk about and review books.

Today I thought I’d share three glimpses into my latest release, To Gain a Bodyguard. From the very beginning of the story, when my husband and I took a trip to Georgia, to the end, when our church helped host an event to bring awareness to human trafficking, it’s amazing how God worked behind the scenes and brought this story together.

When deciding the location for story, an author has several choices. For me, what’s most important is determining if I’m going to make up a city or town, or use a real location. Years ago, my husband and I took a group of youth skiing during their Christmas break. We came across a quaint town called Helen, Georgia, and I immediately fell in love with its Bavarian-style Alpine Village and Christmas shops. Then when the time came for me to pick the setting for my Gaining Love series, it was no surprise Helen, Georgia, came to mind. The scenic views, rustic chapels, and lovely shops had swept me off my feet. While the first story in the series, To Gain a Mommy, takes place in Melbourne, Florida, the last two are located in Helen, Georgia.

After deciding the location for the stories, it was time to determine the characters (that is, if they haven’t already made themselves known). Thankfully, Madi and Brice were already “alive” in my mind, but I was in the beginning stages of learning who they were. Madi, the spunky and strong undercover agent, was somewhat easier since she was in the previous novella, To Gain a Valentine. However, my hero, war veteran Brice Johnson, wasn’t so easy. Little did I know that God would use my life experiences to bring Brice to life. 

“Protecting you is a job worth dying for; loving you is a gift worth living for, and I want both. To my very last breath.” Wow. This quote from the hero of the book, Brice, says all that needs to be said about his character. He’s a war veteran plagued by PTSD and now working as an undercover agent with Madi. He’s the silent, solid, dependable, loyal type who doesn’t think he deserves Madi. Madi is spunky and good at what she does as an undercover agent. She’s loved Brice for a while now, it seems, but he keeps pushing her away and she’s confused by all of it.” —MH, Amazon reviewer

For the past six years, I’ve worked with a federal program to help senior citizens stay active in their communities. In doing so, I’ve joined with several organizations to assist with volunteerism, and one of them is our local Veterans Administration. Through health fairs, health summits, and more, I’ve spoken with active military and veterans who’ve battled PTSD. I’ve also learned the signs, affects, and treatments that are available for this disorder, and one of my heart’s desires is to help bring more awareness to it. Although To Gain a Bodyguard is fiction, it’s real in the sense that Brice represents so many of our military—their sacrifices and their love for their families, country, the brothers and sisters they’ve left behind, and the struggles they face back in the States. 

​“In Tanya Eavenson’s book, To Gain a Bodyguard, Madi Reynolds is strong while still managing to be vulnerable. Madi is an ICE Agent, working undercover for Homeland Security. Things get complicated when she starts to be attracted to her bodyguard, Brice Johnson. Thanks to some cliffhangers and the clever use of post-it-notes, the reader can’t wait to see what happens next. While a work of fiction, this novel addresses the very real issues of PTSD and human trafficking. I love Tanya’s writing style. It draws you into the scene, and her work is very well researched.” —SP, Amazon reviewer
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One thing that plagues writers from time to time is doubt. From the middle of To Gain a Bodyguard to the last chapter, I was bombarded by thoughts of my inadequacies, wondering if I could really bring my characters to life for my readers. I’m an author who wants her readers to “feel” the hero and heroine and their struggles. At the same time, I was also questioning if I should only mention the topic of human trafficking, or dive deeper.

At the end of the editing process, with my concerns about my characters resolved, doubts still lingered about the human trafficking aspect of the story. That was, until my church was asked to help host an event to make local communities more aware of human trafficking. The event was held at a high school, and my husband, as a youth pastor, was very involved. I wasn’t able to attend, but he bought me a book by the author who was speaking, Rescuing Hope by Susan Norris. Honestly, I couldn’t finish the book. The real-life hurts and pains brought on by human depravity… I knew at that moment that while I could touch on the subject of human trafficking, I couldn’t add more of it to my manuscript. It wasn’t my story to write.

I’ve learned that the Lord will always direct our paths, including in our writing—that if we follow Him, He will never lead us astray. The proof? This wonderful 4-star review from RT Book Reviews of To Gain a Bodyguard:

"Eavenson brings characters to life and includes excitement, romance and action in her latest novella. While some of the themes or situations are not drawn out as long or as deeply as they could be, readers expect that when reading a book of this length. The relationship between ICE agent Madi Reynolds and her bodyguard Brice Johnson is realistic, at times strained and other times emotional. The novella moves at a quick pace and starts the action early on, drawing readers in and keeping them engaged through the end."   —RT Book Reviews

I hope you enjoyed this behind-the-scenes look at To Gain a Bodyguard. Out of the three aspects of building the story, which did you find most interesting? Isn’t it amazing how the Lord directs and guides our steps. 

Thanks for joining me. Have a blessed weekend!