Guest Post by Leanna Sain—Author of Hush

Please welcome Guest Author, Leanna Sain. I hope to read her new Novel soon.

When I began reaching out to other authors about the possibility of them hosting me on their blogs to help spread the word about my new suspense novel, Hush, I had no idea I’d get such an avalanche of positive responses. Alzheimer’s, it seems, has touched way more people than I realized. Some have termed it “the long good-bye.” It’s an apt description, but I call it a thief. That’s because it’s not content with merely killing its victims. No, it steals … everything. Not just their memories, it steals all their abilities. Anything that makes them the person they are, it slowly takes it all away; then it kills them. I hate this disease with every fiber of my being.

I thank God that He gave me the ability to write. Writing was my life-vest during the final months of my mother’s life, something that kept me afloat and able to function. Because I decided to make my main character’s mother suffer from this dreaded disease, too, we were able to journey the long, lonely road together. That helped me. A lot.

Another thing that helped was deciding to donate a portion of book sales to Alzheimer’s research. Since Alzheimer’s tends to be genetic and since both my mother and her mother died from it, I’m sure you understand why I’m a bit nervous. Each time I can’t remember something, I can’t help but worry about my future. Please help me by getting your copy of Hush. You’ll not only get a good book, you’ll be helping a good cause.

Hush – by Leanna Sain

Lacey Campbell dreams murders before they happen.

As head chef for a chic restaurant and primary caregiver to a mother with Alzheimer’s, she doesn’t have time for the nightmare and at first she tries to deny it. But the next day, she discovers it's a disturbing reality. When she dreams the second heinous murder she knows it’s time to tell the police.

Detective Ford Jamison is called back to the little coastal town to help with the case and soon notices an alarming trend: the killer is using the lullaby as a “blueprint” to target women who resemble Lacey. This doesn’t slow the killings and now Lacey is afraid to fall asleep at night because the next face she sees in her dream might be her own.

As a hurricane churns ever closer to the little coastal town, danger and suspicion spin out of control. Time is running out. Can they stop the killer before the last verse of the lullaby?

Bio

Leanna Sain, earned her BA from the University of South Carolina before moving back to the NC mountains. She calls Miracle Hill Farm home, but she lives mostly in her imagination. Her Southern suspense or “GRIT-lit,” showcases her plot-driven method that successfully rolls elements of best-selling authors Mary Kay Andrews, Nicholas Sparks, and Jan Karon all together, making it her own. She loves leading discussion groups and book clubs. For more information or to contact her visit: www.LeannaSain.com

Links:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/leanna.sain

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Leannasbooks

Website and blog: http://leannasain.com

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1323792.Leanna_Sain

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Hush-Leanna-Sain/dp/1645262502/ref=sr_1_1?

No Bad Babies

There’s a story in the Bible about a compassionate mother willing to let her baby live with another woman. She overlooked her own personal heartache to spare her child from a tragic outcome, so he would receive a chance to live a long and happy life (1 Kings 3:16-28). Allowing another woman to raise one’s child is nothing new, and reasons are often similar today.

In adoption, the birth mother desires for her baby to have a better life than she feels she can give. She makes a courageous and unselfish decision when she allows someone else to become Mom to her child. She desires our support as she anguishes over what she believes is best for her baby.

Often the child grows up thinking there must be something wrong with them. “Why didn’t my mother want me?” “How could she give me away?” “How bad a baby was I?”

The woman whose son was alive was deeply moved out of love
for her son and said to the king, “Please, my lord,
give her the living baby! Don’t kill him!”
1Kings 3:26a, NIV

As we look at the story of King Solomon’s wisdom in this circumstance, we do not see a bad baby. They may smell funny or may cry, but a baby is not terrible or unlovable. This mother loved her child, and she did not want him to die. She desired the best for her son.

I am thankful for the Cambodian mother who shared her daughter with me. She wanted to give her child a better life with plenty of food, good healthcare, and education. At the time of our daughter’s birth, her birth mother didn’t feel she could offer these things and gave from her heart. I am the one blessed by her gift.

In Cambodia there’s a mother who longs to wrap her arms around her daughter and hold her. We share a bond—two mothers loving the same daughter.

Please support birth mothers who have sacrificed so much for the future of their babies and adoptive moms who sometimes struggle to take her place. I am sure they, along with the children often caught in the middle, would appreciate our prayers.

November is National Adoption Month. Although our adoption was an international one, many children in the United States need homes and families to love them. Please consider opening your heart and home to one of these children. 

Blog adapted from a post on beyondfirst.org. Used by permission.

Gratitude

In June I became more mindful of gratitude. To note items in a journal didn’t work for me, but when a friend suggested an app, I got on board. During June and July, I made entries 33% of the days. That was good for me! Since then, I’ve only updated the app twice.

As I reviewed my entries, I found a recurring theme—I love sunshine! Additional items I noted more than once included God’s peace and blessings, spending time with my husband and family, and good health. Other things I was grateful for included lunch with friends, my church, worship music, and being appreciated.

As Thanksgiving draws near, I’d like to share a few other blessings I am grateful for in my life.

• My Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. I cannot imagine my life without God.

•  My husband’s love and commitment to the Lord, our family, and me. I am a blessed woman.

This year’s blessings include the following:

• My eldest daughter and her excitement over my first two books along with the love we share for hiking trails and photography. I’ve enjoyed our time together.

• My son and his love for family games, even though he likes some games that I think are odd. I enjoy playing them with him and his family.

• My youngest daughter who cons me into buying her stuff she doesn’t need and teaches me new dance steps that I cannot do well. I enjoy spending time with her, anyway.

• The ladies in my Bible study group who pray for me and bless me.

• My writing critique partners and first readers of my novel who have encouraged me and given me honest feedback to improve my story.

• Those who have subscribed to my website’s email list and those who enjoy my blog posts and leave comments or share my posts on Social Media.

• Two devotions accepted this year for online publishing. One posted on christiandevotions.us in September, and one is scheduled to post on www.cbn.com on November 23. Also, I was a guest blogger on Suite T-The Author’s Blog.

• A recent blessing—I am thankful to have signed a contract for a three-book series with Winged Publications, Forget Me Not Romances. Book 1 is coming soon!

I am grateful for many things, although I don’t write them down as I should. I do thank God for them all.

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.

(Psalm 118:1, NIV)

Do you keep a gratitude journal? Please share something for which you are thankful.

Who Does God Say I Am?

As I prepared this blog post, I became emotional. I am moved by who God’s Word says I am. These are wonderful reminders to all of us regarding our position in Christ.

I am God’s friend

Not only is Jesus my friend, but I’m His friend too. I can tell him anything in confidence. I mean, who’s He going to tell? And He’s confided in me through His Word.

I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know

his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends,

for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.

John 15:15

I am a child of God

My dad passed away ten years ago. But my Father is alive, and I am His beloved daughter. I believe in Him and received Him into my heart and life.

Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name,

he gave the right to become children of God.

John 1:12

I am loved, alive with Christ, and saved by His grace

But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy,

made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—

it is by grace you have been saved.

Ephesians 2:4-5

I am a citizen of heaven

Earth is my temporary dwelling place. I await my eternal home.

But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await

a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Philippians 3:20

I am God’s coworker

Working side by side with Christ to be a light in the darkness, to love and encourage others, and to spread the Good News.

As God’s co-workers we urge you not to receive God’s grace in vain.

2 Corinthians 6:1

I am God’s workmanship

I am His work of art. He created and designed me for a purpose—to do good works.

For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works,

which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Ephesians 2:10

I am strong in Christ

He strengthens me with power, courage, and wisdom. Equips me with whatever I need so I can do what He’s called me to do. Christ is enough.

I can do all this through him who gives me strength.

Philippians 4:13 

If you know Christ Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior, these “I am” statements are yours too.

Be blessed today knowing how important you are to Him.

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All scripture is from the New International Version.

Photo by Pawel Czerwinski - Unsplash