It’s always exciting to visit the blogs of readers and writers to talk about books. It’s a great way to learn about new authors! Ten blogs hosting me and/or posting their thoughts about my latest release. You can follow the blog tour at the all stops listed below and learn more about Mistletoe Movie Star.
Nov 20th: Looking Out the Windowteaser: As winter temperatures dipped to life-threatening lows, concern for those without warm and safe beds grew. Several people from different churches banded together to combine their energy and resources into serving this community that had been surviving in tents. Their passion for the least among us inspired my heroine, Charlene. Char’s drive for those less fortunate in Mistletoe Movie Star shines in her speech to the town council. Her line about the transient community being made in God’s image and deserving of dignity and stability come right from my friend’s speech to our city council.
Nov 26th: Andrea Thom Faith in Fearteaser: … Regardless of why or how fear has come, its presence will either move us to focus on the circumstances that we can see, or move us to trust in the One who controls the circumstances. When our minds fill up with worry, let’s meditate on Jesus’ sovereignty. When our emotions fear rejection, let’s lean into His acceptance. Like Char, let’s step out in faith whenever we fear by calling on God’s power and presence to overcome the worry that we cannot. The very fear that distresses us can be the means God uses to grow our faith and testify to the One who ushers in peace …
Nov 28th: Faith, Encouragement, and Happily-Ever-Aftersteaser: Often, the things I am studying in the Bible, or life events that rock my world, make their way into my novels. At the time of writing Mistletoe Movie Star, I attended a local city council meeting regarding our growing homeless crisis. As my friend gave a speech that championed the transient community made in God’s image and deserving of dignity and stability, I found my heroine Charlene.
Dec 1st: Christian Bookaholicteaser: … The reader becomes cocooned in the friendly welcome from the town of Mistletoe. It is a town with a social conscience and a heart for the homeless … Everyone wants a place to call home. We have physical homes and spiritual homes but sometimes ‘home’ is wrapped up in the ones we love. No matter what we do or where we go, we all long for a home.
Dec 3rd:Penelope Marzec Bookish Thoughtsexcerpt: Char forgot all her volunteer training about keeping a safe distance and respecting the personal space of others. She wrapped her arms around Natalie, careful not to squeeze Cinnamon, and let the girl cry. She stroked Natalie’s hair as quiet sobs shook her body. When only the occasional sniffle remained, Char pulled back to look Nat square in the eyes. “Thank you for trusting me with the truth.”
Dec 5th:Where Faith and Romance Meetexcerpt: Jonas held up a hand and ignored the questions until the crowd settled. It was like watching a kindergarten teacher reign in a room of four-year-olds.
Jonas spoke softly, and the crowd hushed, leaning in to hear his instructions. “If you let the children through without bothering them, I’ll give you a few minutes before going into the house. If one person says anything to the girls, snaps any photos of the girls, or reaches out to touch the girls, the interview is over, and charges will be laid.”
With surprising respect, the reporters lowered their cameras.
Jonas nodded at Char.
“OK, girls,” Char said, “go right into the house or directly to the barn. Keep your heads down and don’t talk to anybody.”
They nodded.
Char looked at Suzy. “You good?”
Suzy lifted her chin. “I’ve dealt with worse.”
I’ll bet you have.
Dec 10th:Writing to Foster Faith that Flourishes, Needs, Humanity, and Baby Skunks teaser: I love it when fiction does more than tell an entertaining narrative. I love fiction that forces me to think deeply about my faith and consider how God might be prompting me to respond. There are a lot of loveable characters in Mistletoe Movie Star who might stir this response in your soul, and my favorite is Charlene Kelley, the town veterinarian. Charlene not only sees a great need in Mistletoe Movie Star, but she strives to be part of the solution. She observes the growing homeless crisis and steps in to help, but this crisis becomes deeply personal when three young girls land in her care. As a woman of faith, she worries about not only helping them physically but also introducing them to a Father who loves them.
Dec 12th: Pam’s Wild Rose Saturday Spotlight, Excerpt: “Kittens sound like fun.” Jonas winked at her.
Beth yanked off the lid. “Look how little they are.”
Small gasps and yelps rolled through the press. They collectively leapt back.
A quick bark of laughter escaped Char as she reached in and pulled out a baby skunk. Its folds of skin layered over the petite frame, and one tiny eye slit wiggled as if it wanted to open and see who dared to disturb its rest.
Dec 14th:Fear Warrior Blog. Escaping Anxiety and Fear teaser: In many ways, we are approaching a Christmas like no other. We battle a global pandemic and an uncertain future. The ever-changing circumstances tempt us to shift our eyes from God and fix them on the brewing storm, the evolving virus, or the angry headlines. As our attention diverts, anxiety rises. Stomachs churn. Hearts pound. Palms sweat. Uncertainty and fear birth physical symptoms that cause real, physical pain. I suspect that Christmas isn’t playing out exactly as many of us had hoped or planned. One of my coping strategies, when anxiety rises, is to temporarily escape into a fictional world where I am confident that despite the obstacles in the story, the ending is happy.
Dec 16th:Giveaway series on ReadingIsMySuperPower, It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas teaser: … You see, the miracle isn’t on 34th Street; it’s found in a manger that led to a cross. The miracle is how God made it possible for every weary soul to rejoice. He accepts Christ’s death as payment for my sins and then raises Jesus to life again with a promise to raise also all who believe in Him. When we embrace that gift, this becomes the most wonderful time of the year …
Fear. It robs peace, paralyzes progress and incites ongoing worry. It can creep onto the throne of our hearts in sly, slow progression, or as a catastrophic blast in the wake of overwhelming circumstance. Do you ever fear? Fear transparency? Fear of battling what you face?
In Mistletoe Movie Star, we see characters like Char exercise faith – not in the absence of fear, but in the midst of it. The Mistletoe characters often fear transparency. Char feared a broken and bare heart in the hands of Jonas Blade. Jonas feared rejection in the absence of fame or any humanitarian success to commend him. Natalie feared the exposure of her impoverished living circumstances. One of the greatest human needs is to belong – to be fully known yet fully loved anyway. To be accepted - not in the absence of our failings, but in the presence of them. To be adopted into committed intimacy with God and one another. Our longing to belong is inescapable – it reflects our Designer who Himself is community – being Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Char exemplifies Christ’s acceptance of the destitute girls when she leaps to embrace them in distress and persistently advocate for their adoption. She knew that when Jesus’ hands were nailed onto pieces of wood, He surrendered to becoming sin so that invitation could be made for our adoption in.
Circumstances can also paralyze us with fear. In the absence of a known ending, Char was plagued with fear-filled questions about Nat, Beth and Suzy’s future, and plagued with insecurity about her capability in running a shelter effectively. Yet in the face of these fears she repeatedly recalls Scripture, calls others to pray as a community, and looks to her Lord’s proven character to work all things according to His glory and the good of His people. God cannot be less than He is, and He is always victorious.
Regardless of why or how fear has come, its presence will either move us to focus on the circumstances that we can see, or move us to trust in the One who controls the circumstances. When our minds fill up with worry, let’s meditate on Jesus’ sovereignty. When our emotions fear rejection, let’s lean into His acceptance. Like Char, let’s step out in faith whenever we fear by calling on God’s power and presence to overcome the worry that we cannot. The very fear that distresses us can be the means God uses to grow our faith and testify to the One who ushers in peace.
…do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7
Mistletoe Movie Star releases Dec 1st! Don’t miss your chance to read what others have called the best Mistletoe book yet!
Andrea Thom is a married mom to three kids and a therapist. She teaches the Bible through her writing and speaking ministry and has authored two Bible studies: Ruth—Redeeming the Darkness and Amos—Come Awake! You can connect with Andrea at AndreaThom.com
Today, I remember the men and women who have fought for my freedom. It cost many their lives. Acknowledging their courage and sacrifice does not seem like enough.
Both my grandfathers fought in the war. My parents remember those days. My mom has spoken of living on war rations, pulling closed the blackout curtains, and hearing the planes in the air. I’ve been privileged to never know the horror or fear of that kind of uncertainty. In thanks for the peace and security that our soldiers won for our country, I will stop and remember.
I am thankful to those still fighting for freedom. Freedom always comes at a price. I can sleep in peace because someone else is watching over me. I can speak, believe, and live without fear because men and women in our country have fought to protect this freedom.
I remember those men and women, and in doing so, I can’t help but also remember the Lord. Freedom from eternal death comes at a price. Jesus gave his life so I wouldn’t have to. I know security because Christ won it for me. I sleep in peace because God watches over me. His life for mine, I must never forget.
We must never forget the great price that has been paid for our freedom.
Canadians are known across the world for maple syrup, ice hockey, and (my favourite) butter tarts. We eat KD, toboggan, and bring a box of Timbits to the office. We are well known as an overly polite group of people. We apologize even when we’ve done nothing wrong and seek harmony. With all this in mind, it seems fitting that during a year when the Coronavirus hogs every headline and when politics have stirred up a hornets’ nest, to choose thankfulness. I’ve started a list. I remember all the Lord has done for us, and what better time is there to be thankful than Thanksgiving?
I am very thankful to live in such a wonderful community filled with kind neighbours.
I am thankful that we have a home to live in, clothes to wear, and food in the cupboards.
I am thankful that God has made a way for us to know Him through Jesus Christ.
I am thankful that God calls us to repentance and gives us the faith to believe in Jesus.
I am thankful that Jesus covers us with His purity when we repent and believe.
I am thankful that God holds us in the palm of His hand and nothing can separate His children from his love.
To my Canadian friends, what are you thankful for this Thanksgiving? To my American ones, you have another month to make your list! I’d love to read it when you are finished. To the rest of the world, you don’t need to wait for a holiday. Every day is a good day to practise thankfulness.
Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.
Matthew 10:29-31
Author Karen Malley’s book, Following the Sparrow, releases today. She is here to tell us about her new story and how those verses above connect to it. Welcome, Karen! First, please tell us more about you.
Karen: I’ve spent my whole life devouring books. I fell in love with Christian fiction several years ago, when I realized I could draw closer to God through the lives of the characters I read. Now I create those characters myself in hopes my readers will feel the same way. I’ve spent most of my life in Pennsylvania where I live with my husband and two sons. I spend my days working as a scientist, and my off hours trying new recipes, playing games with my family, reading, or writing!
Now, about those verses in Matthew. Why are they special to you?
Karen: God, the infinite Creator of the universe, knows us so intimately he has all our hairs numbered. There is nothing we can do to make God love us less, and even more amazingly, there’s nothing we can do to make Him love us more. In a fickle world where we can be unfriended, unfollowed, or laid off with no notice, it is such a source of comfort to rest in the knowledge our Heavenly Father loves us unconditionally.
Have you worked these verses into your upcoming book?
Karen: Yes! This is part of the message of my debut novel Following the Sparrows. It is a story of people who either struggle with finding God’s will for their life or struggle with accepting that God even has use for them. Many of us fall into one of those two categories. I pray that if you’re in the latter category, you’ll fall into the former soon!
Ohh, that sounds wonderful! Tell me more about Following the Sparrows.
Karen: In Following the Sparrows, Kathryn Baker is trying to escape her past. After the tragic death of her husband, Kathryn throws herself into her scientific career. She hopes to right the wrongs of her past before they catch up to her. But when she runs into a handsome stranger, she discovers he just might hold the key to her future.
The handsome stranger – nice! Can you tell us more about him?
Karen: Adam Harrison is tired of running from his past. After losing everything he worked for in life, Adam is finally ready to follow the path God has for him. When a series of chance meetings brings him to Kathryn, he considers the possibility of loving again. But Kathryn is still on the run from God and from her past.
Can Adam convince Kathryn to stop running and trust him with her secrets, or will her fear make it impossible for them to have a future together?
That sounds fantastic. Can we read a snippet?
Karen: Sure, here is an excerpt.
“One of the officers who worked on the scene of Robert’s accident is a member of this church,” Mark said.
Kathryn’s pulse quickened. “Did they find out something more? Was it not an accident?”
“No, they are convinced it was an accident. Robert was on the phone, and was a little distracted, but the other driver ran the red light.”
“That’s what they told me, too. But what about the other driver? Did he hit Robert on purpose?”
Mark’s eyes narrowed. “Katie, it’s not normal to think someone would hit Robert on purpose. The other driver was a teenage boy. He simply didn’t have much driving experience.” His eyes bore into hers. “Why do you believe someone has a reason to hurt Robert?”
Kathryn paled. This conversation wasn’t going the way she expected. “I, I don’t…” she stammered. “I simply asked the officers why the wreck happened.”
“Does this have something to do with what happened in California?” Mark asked.
Kathryn’s head jolted up, her eyes wide. “How could you possibly know?” She clapped her hand over her mouth, willing the words back in, but it was too late.
Mark folded his arms across his chest. “Katie, I need you to tell me if there is a reason why you, Robert, or anyone else in my family might be in danger.”
Kathryn’s insides twisted into a knot. Guilt and dread filled her. She never thought about her connection to the Campbells. If anything happened to those kids because of her stupid mistake…
Mark put his hand on hers. “Katie, you can talk to me in complete confidence.”
Kathryn met his eyes, hers filling with hot tears.
“What do you know about California?” she asked.
“Only that Robert was worried about you. The last year you were out there, he said you grew distant, almost paranoid. He said he tried to ask you about it, but you always found a way to avoid the conversation. You were always away from home, spending all your time at the university. At first he thought there was another man, but later he thought there was more to it.”
Kathryn slumped against the chair as Mark continued.
“He confided in me because he needed someone to help him process it all. We talked about it a lot when you first moved back here, but he seemed to think it was no longer an issue since you moved. Now with the way you’ve reacted to the accident, I put two and two together and assumed it was related.”
Kathryn’s gaze fell to the table. Would she never be rid of this guilt and shame? She couldn’t handle the idea of Mark and Anne finding out what she’d done, but she needed to see if Charlie was still a threat to her.
“I was never involved with another man,” she said. “But something did happen out there that made me scared. I didn’t know what to do.”
Mark patted her hand and passed over a box of tissues. He was obviously not a stranger to having people break down in his office. Kathryn wasn’t about to lose it now, not after braving so much. She studied his face. She’d kept silent for so long. Mark was a pastor, after all. She could trust him…
But no, that was it. She didn’t want him to realize what a terrible person she was. She would handle it on her own, the same way she always did.
“I wanted to tell Robert, but I didn’t want him involved. I thought if I told him, they would go after him. I thought they finally found me and went after him anyway.”
Mark’s eyes were wide. He was visibly shaken. “Katie, if you’re afraid you’re in danger, you need to talk to the police.”
Her head jerked up, panic stricken. “No! I couldn’t do that.”
That is intriguing. And the cover is absolutely beautiful! Where can we learn more about this book? Are you active on social media?
You can find me at KarenMalley.com. and find short stories and devotionals on my blog. I’m also on Goodreads and Twitter. I love to connect with readers!
