Welcome to the 12 Pearls of Christmas - featuring Susan May Warren!

Enjoy these Christmas "Pearls of Wisdom" from some of today's most beloved writer's (Tricia Goyer, Suzanne Woods Fisher, Shellie Rushing Tomlinson, Sibella Giorello and more)! Please follow the series through Christmas day as each contributor shares heartfelt stories of how God has touched a life during this most wonderful time of the year.

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Enjoy the Ride! By Susan May Warren

We sit poised on the top of a cliff, a near drop off before us, that falls to a rushing river. In the middle, a bridge of snow and ice hints at our destination. My husband guns the snowmobile engine. “Ready?”

Ready? For a face plant into a tree, maybe reconstructive surgery? To feel my stomach ripped from my body as we plummet down the mountain? Let’s do it!

We live on five acres of woods in northern Minnesota that butts up to a national forest. Hence, our backyard is about a hundred thousand acres. Aside from harboring deer, lynx, fox, cougar and bear, it also makes excellent snowmobile terrain. And not long ago, Mrs. Claus gave her Santa a snowmobile for two.

I love snowmobiling. Flying over the snow, catching air over drifts. I love to drive, to be at the helm of the beast as I weave around trees and over hill and dale, my husband sitting behind me. I also love riding behind my husband as he drives, feeling those powerful arms as he’s muscling the snowmobile into the wilds. We follow unknown trails, driven by a Magellan spirit, hoping that we have enough gas to get us back to civilization. I love hanging on, simply trusting him, knowing that wherever he’s taking me, he’s going first.

But there are times, when I see where he’s taking me, and I just have to bury my head in his back. Like straight down a cliff.

However, my heart cheers, despite the terror as we gun it down the hill, over the river, up the opposite side. And, if we hadn’t let ourselves go, we would have never discovered the beauty of a winter river, a hidden jewel buried deep in the forest. Nor the exhilaration of facing the challenge together.

Further on, we find an enchanted forest of towering white pine. Catch a view of Lake Superior, discover an old cabin in the woods.

It occurs to me that snowmobiling is much like my spiritual life. Occasionally, I drive, and it’s me setting our course, weaving through the trees, getting us hopelessly lost. But when God takes the “wheel” and I hang on, trusting Him for the speed and destination, I see the scenery. I trust him to keep me safe. I trust him to bring me home, where there is an eternal supply of hot chocolate.

As Christmas season becomes more hectic, what if I let God drive?  Maybe everything doesn’t have to be perfect, and maybe I don’t have to control every tradition, every holiday nuance. What if I just held on for the ride?

I’ll bet I’ll still get there, and I might even enjoy the scenery along the way.

How have you let go, and “enjoyed” the scenery of this hectic, exhilarating Christmas season?

Merry Christmas!

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Susan May Warren is the RITA award-winning author of thirty novels with Tyndale, Barbour, Steeple Hill and Summerside Press.  A four-time Christy award finalist, a two-time RITA Finalist, she’s also a multi-winner of the Inspirational Readers Choice award, and the ACFW Carol Award.  A seasoned women’s events speaker, she’s a popular writing teacher at conferences around the nation and the author of the beginning writer’s workbook: From the Inside-Out: discover, create and publishthe novel in you!.  She is also the founder of www.MyBookTherapy.com, a story-crafting service that helps authors discover their voice.

‘Baby, It’s Cold Outside’ by Susan May Warren – Book Review

Susan May Warren’s latest release, ‘Baby, It’s Cold Outside,’ continues, as far as I am concerned, her streak of consistently entertaining and well-written novels. 

Here is the synopsis of this novel:

Five Strangers with broken hearts. One raging blizzard. Baby, it’s cold outside!

Dottie Morgan has no desire to share her home – or her heart – this Christmas. After all, her holiday spirit froze over when she lost her son in World War II. But when the blizzard of the decade descends on Frost, Minnesota, trapping Dottie in her home with four near strangers, she discovers that opening her door might also open her heart to a miracle…and a new reason to celebrate Christmas.

Here is the biography of this author:

Susan May Warren is the RITA Award-winning, best-selling author of more than thirty novels, many of which have won the Inspirational Readers Choice Award, the ACFW Book of the Year award, the Rita Award, and four books have been Christy finalists. Her novels have compelling plots and unforgettable characters that have won acclaim with readers and reviewers alike. Susan holds a BA in mass communications from the University of Minnesota. After serving as a missionary for eight years in Russia with her family, Susan returned home to a small town on Minnesota’s beautiful Lake Superior shore where she, her four children, and her husband are active in their local church. She now writes full-time and cheers on her two sons in football and her daughter in local theater productions (and desperately missing her college-age son!) as her husband runs a lodge on Lake Superior in northern Minnesota, where many of her books are set. She and her family enjoy hiking and canoeing.

Susan's larger than life characters and layered plots have won her acclaim with readers and reviewers alike. A seasoned women’s events and retreats speaker, she’s a popular writing teacher at conferences around the nation and the author of the beginning writer’s workbook From the Inside-Out: discover, create and publish the novel in you! She is also the founder of the My Book Therapy website, a story-crafting service that helps authors discover their voice.

This book is set in December, 1949, four years after the end of World War II, in Frost, Minnesota. A huge snow storm strands five people in the home of Dottie Morgan. Each person in the story is going through struggles pertaining to the War to end all wars.

This book is named after a duet that was big that season, ‘Baby, It’s Cold Outside,’ by Dinah Shore and Buddy Clark. In case you’re not familiar with this song, here’s a more contemporary version – Zooey Deschanel and Leon Redbone from the ‘Elf’ movie soundtrack. What a great song!

I’ve always loved Susan’s descriptive writing style. Here is war veteran Jake describing war veteran Violet:

Oh, she was beautiful. More than he’s guessed from Alex’s descriptions. Slim, but shapely enough in those brown pants and her dark green cardigan. He could imagine her in her WAAC uniform – no wonder Alex had chased her across Fort Meade. She had dark chocolate, slightly curly hair and green eyes that had the capacity to whisk his breath away, if it weren’t already lost. And those lips – heart shaped, red, and so expressive, even now as she caught her lower lip between her teeth. (p. 61)

Another highlight of Susan’s writing is how she glorifies God, and shows her readers that He is forgiving and loving, and that Jesus is our Savior – the Reason for the Season. Here is an exchange between Dottie and Violet:

         

Dottie held up a finger, her eyes sharp. “Don’t you talk to me of God and second chances. God took my son, and I deserved it. There are no chances left for me.”

Violet stilled. Dottie’s words landing in the back of throat, scraping it raw. She found her voice, kept it gentle. “Dottie, the point of Christmas is second chances for all mankind.”

“I don’t celebrate Christmas anymore.” She shook her head. “There’s nothing left in it for me.”

“Except, of course, Jesus.”

Dottie turned away. “You’ll find the thermometer in the bathroom cabinet.”

“We’re trapped here for a reason. What was it we prayed last night? ‘Come, Lord Jesus, be our guest’? Isn’t He here with us?”

Dottie stared out the window. “I hope not. He’s done enough already. He’s had His say in my life.”

“I don’t think God is ever done speaking into our lives. Even when we don’t want to hear it. Even when our hearts are cold.” (pp. 151-152)

Later on in the book, Violet shares one more truth with Dottie:

         

“I know it seems easier to say God doesn’t love you when terrible things happen. But the truth is, God’s love isn’t measured by the good – or bad – things that happen to us. God loves us, period. He already loved us completely when He sent His Son into our dark, painful, sinful world. We were His enemies, Dottie, and He loved us, even then. I guarantee you are not His enemy now. So, the fact is, He still loves you, even though He took away Nelson. And he’s been trying to comfort you---” (p. 199)

There are several twists and turns throughout this wonderful book, and the ending is very satisfying (you’ll have to read it to find out the ending!).

I have reviewed several of Ms. Warren’s novels on my blog: 'Double Trouble' (you can read my review here), 'Licensed forTrouble' (you can read my review here) 'Sons of Thunder' (you can read my review here), ‘Nightingale’ (you can read my review here), and ‘My Foolish Heart’ (you can read my review here). There has not been one book that has not left me wanting to read more – and ‘Baby, It’s Cold Outside’ is no exception! It makes for a terrific holiday read. I would recommend it as a gift to those who follow Christ, and those who will after reading about His love and forgiveness in this book.

You can order this book here.

This book was published by Summerside Press. I am pleased to be part of the LitFuse book tour with these other bloggers.

‘My Foolish Heart: A Deep Haven Novel’ by Susan May Warren – Book Review

One of my favorite authors since I have been reviewing books is Susan May Warren. I have never been disappointed in any of the many novels of hers that I have read. Her latest, ‘My Foolish Heart’ can be added to that satisfaction pile!

Here is the synopsis of this novel:

When it comes to love, sometimes you have to be a little foolish. Unknown to her quaint town of Deep Haven, Isadora Presley spends her nights as Miss Foolish Heart, the star host of a syndicated talk radio show. Millions tune in to hear her advice on dating and falling in love, unaware that she’s never really done either. Issy’s ratings soar when it seems she’s falling in love on-air with a caller. A caller she doesn’t realize lives right next door.

Caleb Knight served a tour of duty in Iraq and paid a steep price. The last thing he wants is pity, so he hides his disability and moves to Deep Haven to land his dream job as the high school football coach. When his beautiful neighbor catches his eye, in a moment of desperation he seeks advice from My Foolish Heart, the show that airs before his favorite sports broadcast. 

Before he knows it, Caleb finds himself drawn to the host—and more confused than ever. Is his perfect love the woman on the radio . . . or the one next door?

Here is the biography of this author:

Susan May Warren is the RITA Award-winning, best-selling author of more than thirty novels, many of which have won the Inspirational Readers Choice Award, the ACFW Book of the Year award, the Rita Award, and four books have been Christy finalists. Her novels have compelling plots and unforgettable characters that have won acclaim with readers and reviewers alike. Susan holds a BA in mass communications from the University of Minnesota. After serving as a missionary for eight years in Russia with her family, Susan returned home to a small town on Minnesota’s beautiful Lake Superior shore where she, her four children, and her husband are active in their local church. She now writes full-time and cheers on her two sons in football and her daughter in local theater productions (and desperately missing her college-age son!) as her husband runs a lodge on Lake Superior in northern Minnesota, where many of her books are set. She and her family enjoy hiking and canoeing.

Susan's larger than life characters and layered plots have won her acclaim with readers and reviewers alike. A seasoned women’s events and retreats speaker, she’s a popular writing teacher at conferences around the nation and the author of the beginning writer’s workbook From the Inside-Out: Discover, Create and Publish the Novel in You! She is also the founder of the My Book Therapy website, a story-crafting service that helps authors discover their voice.

One of my favorite aspects of Susan’s writing is the deep faith exhibited by most of her characters. Even if they have questions about their faith, they usually come back to the Lord. Many of the books that are considered to be ‘Christian’ don’t get around to bringing up the subject until deep into the storyline, and then it is very thin or peripheral. That is not what I have found in Ms. Warren’s work. And I appreciate that! They are not overly preachy; but they all exalt and lift up the Lord!

Being a fellow Midwesterner who is closer to the Canadian border than the Mexican border, I could really relate to the lifestyle of these characters, which are in Northern Minnesota. I am also familiar with the intense rivalry that is prevalent up there. Here is a fun exchange between newcomer Caleb Knight and Pastor Dan:

        ….”I grew up in the church.”

        “Where was that, Caleb?”…

“Little town on the border of Minnesota and Wisconsin called Preston. It’s a farming community. My father ran a hardware store.”

“So were you a Packers or Vikings fan?” Dan asked.

“It’s not whether you get knocked down; it’s whether you get up,” Caleb said, quoting Vince Lombardi, the Green Bay Packers’ legendary coach.

Dan shook his head. “Well, we’re going to have to keep it friendly when the Packers play the Vikings.” (p. 81)

Football plays a really important role in this novel, needless to say! Fortunately, I am a football fan, so that enhanced my enjoyment of this book. I loved the comparison Caleb makes between football and life:

         

“I’m serious. Life is football. It’s pushing ahead, and maybe you make yardage or maybe you don’t, but you get knocked down all the same. And right then, you have the choice to get back up. If you have enough people cheering for you, and enough heart, you push to your feet and get back in the huddle and go another round. Life is football.”

“Sometimes, though, players get hit so hard they’re slow to get up. And then they’re afraid of getting hit again. Afraid of really throwing themselves into the game.”

….”What do you tell these players, coach?”…

“I tell them to shake it off. And then I tell them to get out there and give it back. Don’t let them beat you. You’ll never feel good if you don’t play with all your heart.” (p. 200)  

Being a big strong football player, Caleb dealt with an issue that all of us can struggle with – pride. Pastor Dan imparts some Godly wisdom to his friend:

        “I have accepted grace--”

“But have you let Jesus wash your feet here? Or is your pride saying, ‘God, You’ve done enough. Don’t wash me’?”

Caleb drew in a breath. “It just seems weak. I can’t go through life constantly needing God.”

“Why not? That’s the point, I think. God says, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” Dan turned the heat down. “God is glorified not in your strengths and not in your gratefulness, but in your weaknesses and in your trust in His future grace. In your faith that God didn’t let you down in the past…and He’s not going to let you down in the future.” (p. 236)

I was touched by the heart of the author that was shared at the back of the book in ‘A Note from the Author’:

         

In every book I look for that profound moment from the Lord to show me how He wants to change me through the writing of it. That moment came when I wrote, God loved most foolishly. He came into the dark world to rescue people who might never love Him back. I stared at that line for so long I almost deleted it. It felt blasphemous. God is not foolish. But He is love. Big, overwhelming, incongruous love that looks foolish. A love that, even now, doesn’t seem wise. I mean, really, has He taken a look at the people He loves recently? What a mess they are! (And I’m not looking at anyone but myself when I say that!)

But see, that’s the amazing part. His love is perfect. Not messy. Not uneven. Consistent. Overwhelming. Freeing.

Life-changing.

And he offers it to us, no strings attached.

May you have a foolish heart for Christ, just as He has for you. (p. 357)

         

I have reviewed several of Ms. Warren’s novels on my blog: Double Trouble (you can read my review here), Licensed for Trouble (you can read my review here) Sons of Thunder (you can read my review here), and Nightingale (you can read my review here). Ms. Warren is a prolific and talented writer. She can write expertly and well in many different genres – historical fiction, comical suspense, etc… This book falls into the category of Romance, and she handles this genre very well also. She is one of the most talented writers that I have read, and I know that whenever a book from her computer crosses my path, I will be entertained and enlightened. It has happened again with ‘My Foolish Heart’!

You can read an excerpt from this novel here.

You can order this book here.

This book was published by Tyndale Fiction. I am pleased to be part of the LitFuse book tour with these other bloggers.

‘Nightingale’ by Susan May Warren – Book Review

I am fascinated by reading novels that are set in another time period. It is a bonus when the book is wonderfully well written! I found those qualities in the latest book from Susan May Warren, ‘Nightingale.’

Here is the synopsis of this novel:

Esther Lange doesn’t love her fiancé – she feels trapped in the engagement after a mistaken night of passion. Still, she grieves Linus when he’s lost in battle, and the letters sent by medic Peter Hess, who stayed by Linus’s side as he lay dying, give her a strange comfort. So much so that she strikes up a correspondence with Peter, a wholesome Iowa farm boy. But is he? Peter is hiding a secret, something that could cost them both dearly, especially when the past comes back to life. In this bittersweet home-front battle between duty and the heart, only one will prevail.

Here is the biography for this fabulous author:

Susan May Warren is an award-winning, best-selling author of over twenty-five novels, many of which have won the Inspirational Readers Choice Award, the ACFW Book of the Year award, the Rita Award, and have been Christy finalists. After serving as a missionary for eight years in Russia, Susan returned home to a small town on Minnesota’s beautiful Lake Superior shore where she, her four children, and her husband are active in their local church.

Susan has wonderful attention to detail. Here is an example; it gives us an idea what life was like during World War II, and the book is chock-full of this type of passages:

Esther treaded down the hallway in the kitchen. Yes, there on the stove, in the aluminum pot, a batch of milky porridge and covered in a towel, fresh bread.

She lit a match, turned on the heat to the stove, poured herself a glass of milk from the icebox, and then cut herself a piece of bread, standing at the counter to tear it into pieces, watching a squirrel contemplate its way up the cottonwood outside. (p. 33)

One of my favorite things about this book is the letter exchange between Esther and Peter. Here is an excerpt from a letter from Peter to Esther, with Peter creating a wonderful word picture:

Yes, I do remember, by the way, the Ferris wheel at the Iowa State Fair. Perhaps you were the girl in blond braids with pretty red bows at the end, waving to her parents as she took flight over the midway? I remember standing in the middle of the grounds, the cotton candy dissolving in her mouth, watching her raise her hands above her as the wheel reached its zenith, as if she might fly. (p. 90)

There are some powerful spiritual elements in this book. Here is Peter’s forgiving observation to Esther:

“Listen to me. Don’t despise the grace given to you by staring at your sin. You must turn around and keep your eyes on the face of love. The face of grace. This is where you’ll find forgiveness.”

….” Esther, you’re not lost. God knows exactly where you are. You just have to stop and let Him find you.” (p. 182)

I was fascinated by the fact that German prisoners of war were transported here to the United States during World War II; I was not aware of that aspect of the war. Susan, in her ‘Author’s Note,’ provides more detail:

Did you know that, in 1945, Wisconsin and Minnesota hosted German POWs in over 140 POW camps throughout the state? In fact, America held over 200,000 German POWs from 1942-1946. What’s most interesting is that these POWs worked on farms and in canneries throughout Wisconsin, Minnesota, and other states, right next to first-generation German immigrants who, ten years earlier, might have been their neighbors. Indeed, some of the German immigrants had family fighting for Germany, and relatives in the very POW camps nearby. I read a newspaper account about a woman who was moved because she heard hymn, sung in German (her native language) coming from inside the camp, which was housed just across the street from her home. It made me realize that beneath the stamp of enemy just might be a fellow Christian, pressed into serving their country. (p. 317)

Susan goes on to point out another main theme in her book:

An even bigger theme in Nightingale was, just because someone made a mistake once, did he or she deserve to be imprisoned inside that mistake forever? I applied this theme broadly to both Peter and Esther. Esther might be a healer, but she’s trapped inside her sins, unable to see God’s grace setting her free. And I wanted Peter to see that his service in the war might be to fight the demos that held her captive. His story is a Daniel story, of sorts – a prisoner sent into a forgiven land to do good and hold onto faith. Esther’s story is that of the woman caught in sin – and set free to sin no more. Both of them have to surrender themselves into God’s hands, to let Him set them free and mold them into who He wants them to be.

If you have made a mistake, don’t let it mold your life. Let God set you free with His grace, His forgiveness, and discover who you are when you let God take over. Be found in Him. (pp. 317-318)

This is the fourth Susan May Warren book that I have read. Two that I have read are ‘Double Trouble’ (you can read my review here) and ‘Licensed for Trouble’ (you can read my review here). Susan is a versatile author. These two books have as their main character P.J. Sugar, a private investigator. They are set in the current day and have a humorous bent. This book is set in 1945, during the last days of World War II and its aftermath. The styles could not be more different. That, to me, is the definition of a talented and terrific novelist – and Mrs. Warren is the personification of that! The third book of hers I have read is ‘Sons of Thunder,’ the first book in this ‘Brothers in Arms’ series (you can read my review here). This book is second in that series; ‘Part the Waters’ will be releasing in 2011. I look forward to joining the adventure that Susan takes us on next!

You can order this book here.

This book was published by Summerside Press. I am happy to be participating in the LitFuse Publicity Group’s blog tour with these other bloggers.

We Have a Winner of 'Licensed for Trouble' by Susan May Warren!

The Random Number Generator has chosen the winner of Susan May Warren's 'Licensed for Trouble.'


The winner is - drum roll, please! ----


Pam!


Congratulations, Pam! I will be momentarily sending you an email to get your snail mail address.


Thanks to Tyndale House Publishers and the Litfuse Publicity Group for the review and giveaway copies. Also - thanks to the many who entered! Please come back soon for more reviews and giveaways!


For those of you who didn't win, you can order this fun book here!

‘Licensed for Trouble: A PJ Sugar Novel’ by Susan May Warren – Book Review and Giveaway

I love it when a character captures my imagination and heart. That happened to me with apprentice private investigator PJ Sugar in Susan May Warren’s latest, ‘Licensed for Trouble.’

Here is the synopsis of this entertaining novel:

          “You, PJ Sugar, have inherited the Kellogg family fortune.”

PJ Sugar has no idea why she is the sole beneficiary of the town’s wealthiest widow, a woman she barely even knew. But the timing doesn’t be more perfect – PJ has clearly worn out her welcome at her sister Connie’s house. Even if there’s barely enough in the inheritance to pay the real estate taxes, at least it will be a roof over PJ’s head.

Unfortunately, the place has seen better days, and PJ is short on cash to make the necessary repairs. Rescue comes in the form of Max Smith, a mysterious handyman who is willing to trade his skills for PJ’s help in investigating his past.

But between trying to catch a bail jumper, working toward her PI license, and nurturing a budding romance with her boss, Jeremy Kane, PJ’s caseload is full. If she’s not careful, she’ll inherit more trouble than she knows what to do with.

Here is the biography of this author:

Susan May Warren is the RITA award-winning author of twenty-four novels with Tyndale, Barbour and Steeple Hill. A four-time Christy award finalist, a two-time RITA Finalist, she’s also a multi-winner of the Inspirational Readers Choice award, and the ACFW Book of the Year.
Susan's larger than life characters and layered plots have won her acclaim with readers and reviewers alike. A seasoned women’s events and retreats speaker, she’s a popular writing teacher at conferences around the nation and the author of the beginning writer’s workbook: From the Inside-Out: discover, create and publish the novel in you!. She is also the founder of www.MyBookTherapy.com, a story-crafting service that helps authors discover their voice.

Susan makes her home in northern Minnesota, where she is busy cheering on her two sons in football and her daughter in local theater productions (and desperately missing her college-age son!)

The character of PJ Sugar is adorable! Here is an interaction between her and her boss (and potential love interest), Jeremy Kane, regarding her attempts to make contact with her mother:

          “Have you heard from her yet?”

“No. I left a number of messages at her house and a few on her cell, although she barely knows how to turn it on. My mother has the technical acuity of a gecko. Still, she should be able to answer her phone. I might need to do a drive-by today.” (p. 20)

Here she is getting ready to head over to her newly inherited Kellogg estate, which she lovingly refers to as the mushroom house:

If a gal had inherited a house, it wouldn’t hurt to look around the place, would it?

PJ tapped her brakes as she drove up to the mushroom house on the hill, past the icy-laced stone walls. The house overlooked the glistening waters of Lake Minnetonka, and the afternoon sun poured over the rolling thatched roof, throwing thick fairy-tale shadows into the overgrown yard. The place could have been read aloud into existence straight from the storybook pages, the ones with witches and goblins and ogres prowling through dark forests. (p. 45)

Jeremy has his opinion on why PJ inherited the home, and why she is reluctant to live there:

“…I have a theory. You won’t even consider moving into the house…because you don’t think you belong. You’ve longed for this your entire life, yet when it’s offered to you, you see yourself as homeless, the girl who lives in her car, with only a ragged duffel bag to call her own. You might consider that there’s a reason God gave you this house.”

“You think this money pit is a gift from God?”

“I think God could have big plans for you with this house, if you have the courage to say yes. You have always dreamed of living in it – God often gives us our dreams to also show us something we didn’t even know we needed.” (p. 71)

Max Smith, the man who comes into PJ’s life looking for her to help him find his own life, explains amnesia is a manner understandable to his handyman self:

          “So you have no memory at all”?

 “Snatches – mostly sounds or smells that I know connect to something. But it’s like – well, it’s like a fuse is out. Something should be working, but there’s no connection. I can’t help but think if I can recognize something from my past, it might jump-start the entire system…” (pp. 112-113)

Later on, PJ reflects again on what Jeremy said about perhaps God giving the Kellogg home to her for a specific purpose. This is a terrific example of Susan’s amazing writing talent:

And why had God given her this house? The question did laps in her brain until she finally turned on her light. It bathed the stacks of books she’d unpacked – a dog-eared novel she’d been trying to finish, her journal, her Bible, perilously unread in recent weeks.

She picked it up, opened to her bookmark. 1 Peter 2. She scanned down to her last-remembered stopping place.

…for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light.

Oh, sure, her eyes would wander there, sitting in the middle of the fairly-tale house. “God often gives us our dreams to also show us something we didn’t even know we needed.” She still didn’t figure out what she might need, but it did feel as if God has suddenly turned His full wattage on her. Limelighted her in some fanfare of blessing.

Chosen. Royal.

Heiress.

She’d like to believe that, really she would. As she closed the Bible, she let that thought drift upward, then listened briefly for a reply.

Only the wind, knocking some branch against her window.

She turned off the light. “You can show others the goodness of God…for he called you out of the darkness…”

Darkness…

Dark… (pp. 127-128)

Jeremy and PJ had another conversation with spiritual significance. Jeremy begins:

“Remember how after Peter betrayed Jesus, he returned to fishing? He panicked…and despite all the change God had done in him, all he’d learned about Jesus, the Messiah, he went back to what he knew – the simple life of a fisherman. He only saw him as a fisherman.

“But he wasn’t supposed to be there, and Jesus went after him. He called him back from his past, forgave him, reminded him that He had a new life in him, and then empowered him to go to be that person.”

Jeremy hiked up the collar on her jacket. “You’ve been forgiven and renamed, PJ. Don’t slip into your default mode and start thinking of yourself as only trouble. You’re going to have to start thinking of yourself as someone else.” (p. 201)

PJ had the opportunity to do something I WILL do one day – skydive. PJ was reluctant at first - then she jumped:

And then she was flying. The wind battered her ears and sucked away her breath, cold and angry. But she drank it in, her arms out.

Flying. Like Supergirl.

She put her legs together, spread her arms, barely aware of Windchill [her tandem partner] over her, his own arms spread wide. She might have screamed, might have whooped, but the wind ate the sound as they hurtled toward the earth. She gulped in the freedom, the exhilaration sweet on her lips.

Flying.

And for the space of seven seconds, she forgot who she was, who she’d been. Forgot Boone and Jeremy and Max and why she’d hurtled herself from a plane….

Flying.

It scooped her up whole and filled her with a new breath, tingling in every pore. Tears whisked her eyes, and inside she heard a voice.

Princess. (p. 263)

In the Author’s Note at the end of the book, Susan explains that we can understand ourselves better when we look at the person of Jesus:

I think that Christians, despite the transforming power of God in our lives, can be trapped by who we were, the identities of our past. What does it look like to be adopted by God and then live today, with that new identity, in this world? It’s just not that easy.

And if we’re adopted by God, what does it mean to be coheirs with Christ?

If you’ll indulge me for a moment, I believe the answers are found through a journey of looking who Christ is, a look at His Sonship. Throughout the Gospels, Jesus points out that He and the Father have a unique relationship. The Son and the Father are in close communion, so much so that if you’ve seen Jesus, you’ve seen God. God empowered Christ to do miracles, to obey, to live sacrificially. More than that, because of their relationship, God’s love for us poured out through Jesus, so much so that our entire destiny was changed.

…When we become Christians, our adoption changes us fundamentally. We are given a new identity as children of the King, with all that entails – access to our Father, all the Kingdom powers on our side, God’s love’s transforming our lives so much that we could also impact our world. That is what it means to be a coheir; this is our earthly inheritance. (pp. 372-373)

That is indeed Good News!  

This is the second PJ Sugar novel I have read; the other one is ‘Double Trouble’ (you can read my review here). Book # 1 is 'Nothing But Trouble.' I found both books (# 2 and # 3 in the series) to be equally funny and uplifting! I am not sure what Susan’s plans are for future PJ Sugar Novels, but I will be first in line when the next one comes out! Susan is a wonderful writer who comes up with some pretty entertaining plot twists.

You can order this book here.

This book was provided by Tyndale House and the LitFuse Group for review and giveaway purposes.

I am happy to be participating in the blog tour of ‘Licensed for Trouble’ with these other bloggers in association with the LitFuse Group.

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I have a copy of this book that I would love to send along to one winner! 

There are several ways to gain entry:

1) Leave a comment here on the blog, telling me what which Susan May Warren titles you’ve read, and what you think of them. If you haven’t read any, this is your chance to do that! Please make sure to leave your email address in this format – sample[at]gmail[dot]com.

2) Follow me on Twitter; I will more than likely follow you back!  If you are already a Twitter follower, that counts, too!  Please leave a new comment to that effect.

3) Follow me as a Google Friend on this blog; if you are already a Friend, that counts, too!  Please leave a new comment to that effect.

4) Become my Facebook friend.  Please leave a new comment to that effect.

5) Follow this blog as a NetWorked Blog Follower after you’ve become my Facebook friend.  Please leave a new comment to that effect.

So there are five chances to enter!  Please limit one entry per option.

This giveaway is for U.S. residents only.  The deadline for entry is Tuesday, September 7, 2010 at 11:59 p.m. EST.  A winner will be chosen via the Random Number Generator on Wednesday, September 8, 2010 and will be contacted via email.  The best to all of you!