Waking Up Joy by Tina Ann Forkner

Do you remember your first love? How long did it take you to get over the pain after the breakup?

Joy, a forty-something spinster in a small town, falls into a coma because of a freak accident. While unconscious, she hears conversations by her somewhat dysfunctional family. Jimmy, her love interest from twenty plus years ago, attempts to kiss her while she’s unconscious.

This book was deep. Told in the first person, you learn all about Joy’s life, how she’s pined after the same man for twenty-plus years. Her old beau, Jimmy, ended up marrying someone else. But, their love was shattered one day and a dark secret haunts Joy, and initially, she can’t get over her pain.

But, this book is about Joy’s journey, as she learns to deal with her pain. You also see her interacting with her weird family, as well as her ex, Jimmy. Sparks still fly between Joy and Jimmy, and Joy wonders why Jimmy has not made an attempt to befriend her since his wife died five years ago.

This book also shows that we can’t rely on charms, magic apple trees, and superstitions for happiness. We need to rely on our Heavenly Father for happiness.

So, do you remember your first love? How long did it take you to get over the pain after the breakup?

Are you willing to read my novel, give feedback, before I publish it? All I ask is that if you enjoy the novel, you leave a review on Amazon, or some other commercial website (like Goodreads, Barnes and Noble, etc.) once the book is released. I plan on releasing the novel later this year. Email me at dowdywriter (at) aol (dot) com if interested! It’s a Christian contemporary romance novel! Here’s a summary of Raspberry Kisses:

Facing eviction, Rhea Morrison, a young grieving widow, must save her failing bakery. Her recently-injured twin sister, Raven, loans her money – stipulating Rhea attend a singles retreat to spy on Martin Lane, Raven’s new love interest. Disgruntled, Rhea attends the retreat and is attracted to Martin. She discovers that Martin can help save her bakery.

 Pastor Martin laments over his secret, traumatic past mistakes. He’s destined to lead his father’s church, despite blatant rejection. He can’t love Rhea – he’s yet to forgive himself for his past, and if Rhea knew how he used to be, she would have no interest in pursuing a relationship with him. In spite of their shared attraction, he helps Rhea form a plan to save her business. Martin, a former successful bakery owner, can expertly create delicious pastry recipes.

 Rhea feels torn about her attraction to Martin – he’s a pastor, and after her husband’s death, she vowed to never get involved with another pastor. Plus, her twin sister, Raven, has strong feelings for Martin. Can Rhea let herself have romantic feelings for Martin – knowing it would hurt her sister?

 Can Martin and Rhea overcome their past so that they’re free to love again?

Chasing Hope by Kathryn Cushman

Have you ever had a dream that was lost? Did your faith suffer because of your lost dream?

Sabrina has transferred colleges because it’s hard for her to stay at her former school. A former star runner, she finds it hard to be around others who excel at sports, and since her dream has been shattered, she’s unsure about how to put the pieces back together in her life.

Her faith has dwindled, and her life drastically changes when arrangements are made for her to coach a Brandy, a juvenile delinquent/talented runner. Brandy’s off-putting attitude makes Sabrina cringe, plus, it’s initially hard for her to embrace the role of coach.

Chasing Hope is about trying to strengthen your faith after your dreams have been lost. I liked how the theme of running played throughout the story. The characters were real and vivid and Koen, Sabrina’s boyfriend, sounded like a really nice, good-looking guy! The romance was not the main focus of the story, but, it hovered in the background.

So have you ever had a dream that was lost? How  did you deal with it?

Have you ever felt that your parents favored one child over the others? If so, have you ever wondered why they loved one child more than the other(s)?

In Genesis, Jacob (Israel), favored Joseph over all of his other sons. The Bible states that Jacob loved Joseph more because he had him in his old age. However, I kind of feel like he may have favored Joseph more because he was Rachel’s child. Jacob obviously loved Rachel – he worked fourteen years just to have her. He’d also been tricked into marrying Rachel’s homely sister, Leah.

Also, initially, Rachel was barren. I felt she desperately wanted to have a child, which was why she asked Leah for some mandrakes. Jacob probably thought his favored wife would never have children, so, when she surprisingly had Joseph, Jacob was probably joyous. Due to his deep love for Rachel, he favored Joseph over his brothers, causing deep animosity between the siblings.

So, have you ever felt that your parents favored one child over the other? If so, have you ever figured out why?