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cover blurb
She left belief behind…
Yet this family could change her mind
With two boys to raise, a fledgling contracting business to run and a family ranch to keep afloat, widower Drake Owens finds his hands aren’t just full—they’re overflowing. When Faith Nichols is hired to help him renovate the church, he’s drawn to the beautiful artist, but he can’t fall for a woman who isn’t a believer. Can love restore her faith…and his heart?
Yet this family could change her mind
With two boys to raise, a fledgling contracting business to run and a family ranch to keep afloat, widower Drake Owens finds his hands aren’t just full—they’re overflowing. When Faith Nichols is hired to help him renovate the church, he’s drawn to the beautiful artist, but he can’t fall for a woman who isn’t a believer. Can love restore her faith…and his heart?
Please
tell us five random things we might not know about you.
I have a fierce ice cream addiction which my
husband encourages. I may have three containers of Blue Bunny Peanut Butter
Party ice cream in my fridge at this moment—as he wants to see I never run out!
My daughter jokes that I would quickly choose coffee over dinner, if forced to
make a choice—and she’s not entirely wrong. I would also much prefer a leisurely
walk with my man on a sunny day than a fancy steak dinner. I’ve attended eight
colleges in five different states but only acquired one degree. I’m a terrible
cook.
Why did you choose to
write this book?
Normally, my story ideas start with a character—her
struggle, fears, dreams, etc. But this time, it began with a church. A series
of churches, actually, sprinkled throughout Texas. They’re known as the Painted
Churches of Texas, and they are gorgeous. I was immediately drawn to their
artistry, the symbolism in many of their images, and the history behind them.
As I spent time learning about these churches, Faith, my heroine, emerged, and
the plot took form.
What
one thing about writing do you wish non-writers would understand?
Hm … That God made me to be strange. It’s just a
symptom of the creative brain. ;)
What
is the toughest test you've faced as a writer?
These are questions I’ve never thought of. I think the toughest
test will likely be a continual one—will I serve myself or stay obedience to
Christ, however He leads.
What do you hope
readers to take away from your novel?
That faith can carry us through really difficult challenges,
families can stay strong through chaos if they hold tight to one another, and
close-knit communities make life easier and more fun.
What accomplishment(s) are you most proud of,
writing-related or not?
Holding tight to
my marriage and (both my husband and I) choosing to get help and push through
when we wanted to quit. We almost got divorced some 20 years ago but God
radically transformed our marriage, and I’m so glad He did. And that, by His
grace, we stayed.
Please give us the first page of the book.
The long, deserted road felt much too
similar to one Faith had taken decades before, with all her belongings crammed
in a pair of tattered suitcases. Hopefully Sage Creek would be nothing like her
experience in Alpine, back when she’d been a gawky, metal-mouthed kid in
desperate need of a friend.
She’d received taunting and rejection instead.
Her cell phone rang, and she glanced at the
screen. It was her best friend, Toni. As a fellow artist fighting to survive
Austin’s competitive market, she understood Faith in a way few others did.
She answered through her Bluetooth. “Hey, girl.
What’s up?”
“Girls’ night out this Friday. Bahn mi French
fries, baby!”
“Sounds fun but can’t. I’m on my way to that
contract job I told you about. I’m just over fifteen miles out. With no sign of
civilization, except the occasional longhorn, in sight.”
“You make Sage Creek sound so appealing.”
Faith glanced at her wobbly trailer through her
rearview mirror, packed with, she hoped, everything she’d need to restore
Trinity Faith’s historic stained glass windows, which had decorated the church
since its founding. “Let’s just say I haven’t had the best experience with
small town Texans.”
“Not all ranching communities measure a person’s
worth based on how well they bake a casserole. Besides, those people didn’t
hire you to make friends.”
“True.” She was going to, hopefully, get some
media exposure, enough to salvage her career. If she, and whoever else she’d be
working with, pulled this job off well, the church stood a good chance of
receiving historical status. “Depending on how this deal turns out, I may even
be able to get Jeremy Pratt from Lone Star Gems to write a feature
article on me.”
“Wow. Just a mention in that magazine would for
sure get folks’ attention. But a full story? That’d put your name on the map
for sure.”
She gripped her steering wheel with both hands as
something black—a tire?—came barreling toward her in the opposite lane, while a
red pickup screeched past, throwing sparks.
She screamed and slammed on her brakes. Her
trailer tugged right, then left as the oncoming tire rammed into her front end.
It bounced off, flying ten feet into the adjacent field.
Smoke seeped from beneath her hood as she veered
onto the shoulder, and the acrid stench of burning rubber pricked her nose.
“Faith, you okay?”
“I…” Her throat felt scratchy. What had happened? “Can
I call you back? I was just hit by a…a flying tire. The front of my car is
smoking.”
Her supplies! She shot a glance to her
trailer—lying on its side—behind her. She groaned and closed her eyes.
Faith pressed trembling fingers to her temples.
Now what? All her sheets of specially ordered glass, potentially shattered. She
didn’t have time to order new. And what about the damage done to her car?
Fighting the urge to hyperventilate, she focused on her breathing—in through
her nose, out through her mouth. In, out…
Did Sage Creek even have a mechanic? Probably one
that charged outsiders ten times what they should. Through her rearview window,
she watched a tall, broad-shouldered cowboy step out of his now lopsided truck.
Dressed in faded jeans and a Stetson, the man had to be at least six foot five
and was built like a linebacker.
What do you do for fun when not writing?
I love spending time with my husband, our adult daughter, her
boyfriend, and her dog. It doesn’t hugely matter what we do, though playing
games always leads to laughs. Oh, and coffee must be included at some point. I
also love spending time with my friends and reading. Does brainstorming count
as writing? Because that’s crazy fun for me also!
What are you working on now?
I’m plotting a book I plan to write a proposal for soon. I’m super
excited about this one. It’s also set in Sage Creek.
Bio:
Jennifer Slattery is
a writer and speaker who’s addressed women’s groups, church groups, Bible
studies, and other writers across the nation. She’s the author of seven
contemporary novels, including her latest release, Restoring Her Faith. She
also maintains a devotional blog found at JenniferSlatteryLivesOutLoud.com. She has
a passion for helping women discover, embrace, and live out who they are in
Christ. As the founder of Wholly Loved
Ministries, she and her team partner with churches to
facilitate events designed to help women rest in their true worth and live with
maximum impact. When not writing, reading, or editing, Jennifer loves going on
mall dates with her adult daughter and coffee dates with her hilariously fun
husband. Visit her online HERE to find
out more about her writing, ministry, speaking engagements, or to book her for
your next women’s event.
Where else
can readers find you online?
They can visit my website at JenniferSlatteryLivesOutLoud.com or
find my blog on Crosswalk. They
can also visit my ministry’s website, WhollyLoved.com, find
me on Facebook, Twitter
(though I’m nearly nonexistent there …) or Instagram.
