Saturday, February 24, 2024

Epic Book Launch: The Last Disciple: Exile in Ephesus

About the Book



Book Title: The Last Disciple: Exile in Ephesus
Author Name: Kurt Brouwer
Genre: Christian Historical Fiction
Release Date: March 15, 2024

He awoke jailed in squalor…
Would he complete his final mission?
Or would he fail to record the story only he could tell?

The epic saga of the Last Disciple continues in this captivating Christian historical novel from Kurt Brouwer.


After surviving imprisonment, John faces his greatest challenge–exile in the distant city of Ephesus. Struggling with grief and despair over the destruction of Jerusalem, John doubts his ability to complete the mission entrusted to him by Mary—to write the true gospel account of Christ’s life.

But in Ephesus, John finds unexpected allies—Timothy, Priscilla, and Tychicus, who share his passion for spreading the message of God’s love.

As John shares the good news of Jesus, he makes dangerous enemies, including the influential high priest, Alexander Cosmo, who will stop at nothing to suppress the growing Christian faith. Amid opposition from without and internal divisions from within the early church, John must contend with those pressuring believers to adopt Jewish law and compromise the radical teachings of Christ.

When tragedy strikes those close to him, can John’s fragile hope be rekindled? Will he finally show the world all the signs, miracles, and events he witnessed on his journey with Jesus?

Don’t miss this page-turning story of faith, courage, and love.


Book Excerpt

He remembered his shock and anger when the emperor’s son arrested him. He growled as he saw yet again that smirking, leering face mocking him. Remembered being bound in chains and marched off.

John suspected he’d been beaten at some point, for every rasping breath hurt, but he remembered little. Only disjointed images and mostly questions, nothing but unanswered questions. What happened to Bartholomew and Emmaus? Why had the emperor’s son arrested him? Why had General Titus and Queen Berenice left without him?

With those fruitless thoughts running through his mind, he slipped into a dull, restless slumber. After a time, he started out of a feverish sleep at the loud clanging of metal doors, followed by a sharp, inhuman scream. All sound around John ceased. He heard one more whimpering cry and, after that, nothing other than the breathing of many men and the gibbering of hungry rats.

John lay there, knowing nothing would come of fighting the cold iron chains. His head hurt and he could not seem to think, at least not in any sequence or order. He remembered the man who’d spoken earlier. He raised his head. “Eh, my friend. Dozed off. Any water here?”


All Excerpts

Excerpt One: https://blossomsandblessings.blogspot.com/2024/02/the-last-disciple-exile-in-ephesus-by.html

About the Author




Kurt is a Christian and a member of a vibrant Christian church on the Big Island of Hawaii. He also loves to write. In addition to all the usual temptations writers face, Kurt has to fight off the lure of beautiful beaches, pounding surf, great weather, and lush golf courses. Can you imagine? Despite those temptations, he writes The Last Disciple series of Christian historical novels and he regularly writes blog posts at KurtBrouwer.com.

A few years ago Kurt did a study for his church on the Apostle John. That little project got him hooked on the man who started out life as a fisherman and then became the last disciple of Christ. The more Kurt learned about John, the more he wanted to know.

If you’ve ever been obsessed by anything, you’ll understand that he couldn’t stop researching the life of John and all those around him. And the result of all that research is:

The Last Disciple Series

The Last Disciple is a series of Christian novels based on the Bible and Christian history. The first in the series: The Last Disciple: Crisis in Jerusalem, begins in the year 62 AD. In it, you walk with John through the streets of Jerusalem. See how he faces multiple crises and comes to understand what it is to stand alone and lean only on the Lord. This book, The Last Disciple: Exile in Ephesus is the third in the series, with two more books planned. Kurt is now writing the fourth book, The Last Disciple: Gospel of John.

Friday, February 23, 2024

Book Spotlight: Relying on the Enemy by Danielle Grandinetti

Relying on the Enemy JustRead Blog + Review Tour

Welcome to the Blog + Review Tour for Relying on the Enemy by Danielle Grandinetti, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

About the Book

Relying on the Enemy

Title: Relying on the Enemy
Series: Harbored in Crow's Nest #4
Author:
Danielle Grandinetti
Publisher:
Hearth Spot Press
Release Date:
February 20, 2024
Genre:
Historical Romance, with suspense

She’s protecting her children. He’s redeeming his past.  But there’s nothing convenient about saving their patchwork family.  

Wisconsin, 1931—All widowed mother Marian Ward wants is to provide for her girls. However, she faces the dead of winter with no income and dwindling resources. Then she overhears a nefarious conversation, putting her life and that of her children in immediate danger. 

Aiming to make amends to the Wards, Gilbert steps in when the threat to Marian escalates. It costs him dearly. Either lose his career or marry her, and be tied to his past until death do them part. 

He leaves the decision to Marian, who will do anything to protect her girls, even marry the son of the man who ruined her family. How will their fledgling trust prove strong enough to fulfill their vows as winter tightens its grip and desperation stalks at the door? 

Welcome to Crow’s Nest, where danger and romance meet at the water’s edge.

PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | BookBub


More Books in This Series

Confessions to a Stranger   


Excerpt


Marian Ward battled the wind and her disgust as she pushed out of the door to the Lightning Bug, where the less reputable fishermen drank the winter away regardless of Prohibition. Never would she have considered asking for a job—and still not get one—at such a place, but she was desperate. If she couldn’t find a job, couldn’t heat their home, her little girls … she shuddered, and not because of the icy wind that ripped across a sluggish Lake Michigan only to slam into her threadbare coat.

Where else could she look for work? The Lightning Bug was the last place in Crow’s Nest for her to try, and without money to buy gas for the old truck, how could she drive to Hawk’s River to look for a job? Were there any open positions left? Just one, at a place willing to hire a woman instead of a man. A woman with children, even if she was a widow. As times became leaner, those types of jobs became even more scarce. And how she needed one.

Tears pricked her eyes as she turned her back to the deserted lake and ducked into the alley beside the Lightning Bug. Walking home along Main Street would provide a better buffer to the wind. It hadn’t snowed since the new year, making January bleak and gray. What little sunlight peeked through the overcast sky vanished in the narrow space between the buildings. However, she refused to give in to despair. Her girls, and her ill mother-in-law, depended on her. She would do anything for them.

About the Author

Danielle Grandinetti

Danielle Grandinetti is an inspirational romance author fueled by tea and books, and the occasional nature walk. A 2023 Finalist in the FHLCW Reader’s Choice Award, she has also won the UNW Distinguished Faith in Writing Award and the CROW National Excellence in Story Telling Award. Originally from the Chicagoland area, she now lives along Lake Michigan’s Wisconsin shoreline with her husband and their two young sons.

Connect with Danielle by visiting daniellegrandinetti.com to follow her on social media and sign up for email updates.


Tour Giveaway

(2) winners will win signed paperback copies of Refuge for the Archaeologist & Relying on the Enemy; a Crow's Nest Canvas Tote & a Crow's Nest paperback notebook!

Relying on the Enemy JustRead Tours giveaway

Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight February 19, 2024 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on February  26, 2024. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Giveaway is subject to JustRead Publicity Tours Giveaway Policies.

Enter Giveaway


Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!

JustRead Publicity Tours

Author Interview: Leading Ladies: Discover Your God-Grown Strategy for Success



About the Book


Book: Leading Ladies: Discover Your God-Grown Strategy for Success

Authors: Amber Weigand-Buckley & Lisa Burris Burns

Genre: Christian Leadership and Religious Leadership

Release Date: May 25, 2023

SISTERS, IT’S TIME TO GET DOWN TO BUSINESS!

Find out how to step up to God’s calling as these daring women redefine what leadership looks like. Authentic and heartfelt stories of world-changing women leaders of every hue, background, and job description, teach us by example how to battle to find our passion, connect with our gifts, and maintain forward-focused momentum in every season of life.

Join authors Amber Weigand-Buckley and Lisa Burris Burns — along with Babbie Mason, Candace Payne, Jacquelyn Marushka, Martha Bolton, Katy Nichole, Kymberlie Joye, and so many more powerhouse women–as they explore leadership purpose, and living a life that counts.

Click here to get your copy!


About the Authors


Meet Amber

Amber Weigand-Buckley is an author, speaker, multi-award-winning magazine editor, and art director, Advanced Writers and Speakers Association (awsa.com) marketing director, Bold Vision Books’ creative director, and owner of #barefacedcreativemedia (barefacedcreativemedia.com). The Springfield, Missouri native navigates bipolar and anxiety disorder while embracing her best life. At its peak, her mental illness almost caused her to take her own life. Amber is a mental health advocate who knows that a diagnosis does not disqualify you from God’s leadership call.Amber, whose vision birthed Leading Ladies: Discover Your God-Grown Strategy for Success, is energized by helping world-changing women of all hues, backgrounds, and walks of life to find their wings, hone their skills, and take their God-call to the next level.

She has two grown daughters, Saffron, Imogen, and one teen Penelope, with Philip, her British hubby of 28 years, two Great Pyrenees pups—Stanley and Stuart, and a zoo of exotic pets.


Meet Lisa

The diagnosis of an autoimmune disorder initially shattered LISA BURRIS BURNS’ ministry dreams as a vocalist and worship leader. Despite this, God opened opportunities for her journey and abilities to expand beyond what she ever anticipated for herself — to acting, stage performance, set design, and writing. As a vocal and performance coach with K.C. Superstar, a Kansas City-based competition likened to “American Idol,” she is passionate about fine-tuning artists’ creative expressions. Lisa thrives on the artistic process, especially everything yarn and crafty.

This avid Kansas City Chiefs fan lives with her husband, Randy, in Blue Springs, Missouri. The Burns have served in marriage and family ministry since 1988. They have six fantastic children, two amazing son-in-loves, and five adorable granddaughters.


More from Amber and Lisa

Are you ready to discover your God-given gifts and move in forward in all that He’s called you to be? Leading Ladies: Discover Your God-Grown Strategy for Success will help you identify your unique leadership abilities.

For a limited time, get the inspirational song “Lead Me On” recorded by Michaelah Weaver for FREE when your register as a Leading Ladies VIP at leadingladies.life.

Let “Lead Me On” be your empowering anthem as you read Leading Ladies and learn to boldly walk in your purpose. Download the song and book excerpt now at leadingladies.life!


Interview with the Authors


Q: Please give us a little introduction to your book. (Perhaps more information regarding what the book is about beyond the back-cover blurb? Or just explain what the book is about in your own words.)

Lisa: Our Leading Ladies book is a compilation of stories, thought provoking questions and notes of encouragement. Some of those stories are difficult to read about, while others are lighthearted and such a breath of fresh air. It was designed intentionally to inspire and encourage readers, with insights from voices they can relate to. We wanted to introduce you to women that when we see them we say “That! What she has. That’s a successful woman!” It was life changing to meet them, interview them, and now share them with our readers. They may come from entirely different backgrounds, cultures and life experiences, but their faith in, and reliance upon Jesus, is something we wanted to share. Life happens, and in the process we can all get off track and forget that we are here for a reason. We struggle with doubt, fear and feel like we don’t have anything to offer, when in reality we all have the ability to lead, influence and inspire right where we are right now. God has a plan and a purpose and our prayer is that what you read within these pages will help you reconnect with that vision.

Amber: Originally designed for women grappling with questions of purpose, feelings of loss, and self-worth tied to achievements, the book has transformed into a guide for self-discovery and empowerment. Its aim is to inspire women to recognize their intrinsic value and unique contributions, emphasizing that success should be measured by personal fulfillment rather than societal standards.


Q: What was the most surprising thing you discovered while researching and writing this book?

A: The most unexpected revelation came when the lady I invited to share her story, Tracy Glass, which appears after mine in the book inspired me to be more candid about my struggles. This newfound boldness allowed me to break free from feelings of shame and the fear of putting some things on paper that I never thought I would ever want to admit to those I loved, let alone for public knowledge.


Q: How long did it take you to write this book?

Lisa: Fall 2021 to Early Spring 2023, so roughly a year and a half.


Q: What do you hope readers take away from your book?

Lisa: My desire is that they recognize themselves in the stories of our amazing chapter contributors. You know, life tends to come at all of us (both the good stuff and the downright hard) and we get caught up in the whirlwind. Many of us start to put our God given dreams and aspirations on hold. We forget that we’re here with purpose, or we place those dreams up on the top shelf, way back in a corner. My greatest prayer for readers is that the book inspires them to rediscover their purpose and do whatever it takes with God’s help to step out, start over, keep going! Philippians 3:12-14


Q: Are you working on another book now?

Lisa: Yes we are! We are currently finishing up a companion workbook/journal to the Leading Ladies book. It should be released in March. It gives space to contemplate, journal and dream as you read Leading Ladies. We’ve added a few fun things like some


Q: Would you share something about yourself that most readers wouldn’t know?

Lisa: I absolutely love to watch those wilderness survival shows…you know, you’re allowed to take a few items with you and you’re dropped off in some remote place to build shelter and find food. I wouldn’t last a day out there on my own, but I sure like to think I could! Lol!

Amber: In addition to being a writer, my family is actively involved in herpetological education, caring for about 10 snakes and 2 lizards. We participate in community events to educate people about reptiles.


Q: In what setting do you enjoy writing the most? (Inside of outside? In silence or with music? Etc...)

Lisa: I like a cozy chair in a quiet corner, where I can put my feet up. Light my favorite candle and hand me a coffee with heavy cream and it's the perfect setting.


Q: What do you like to do when you aren't writing?

Lisa: I enjoy time with my family, travel, and anything yarn crafty. My favorite is loom knitting.

Amber: Outside of writing, I find joy in spending time with my family and cruising around town with my two Great Pyrenees pups, Stanley and Stuart, who accompany me everywhere, leaving a trail of white dog hair in my wake.


Q: What do you wish you’d known when you were younger?
 
Lisa: That everything is going to be okay even if I don’t have all the answers right now.


Q: What are you reading now?

Lisa: I just started the new Jackie Hill Perry devotional Upon Waking, and Ann Voskamp’s Waymaker.


Q: Who is an author you would recommend to anyone and everyone?

Lisa:
I appreciate fiction, mostly historical fiction. Harper Lee/To Kill A Mockingbird.


Q: Where can readers find out more about you and your book?

Amber: For more information, readers can visit leadingLadies.Life. Additionally, my co-author Lisa Burris Burns and I host a podcast called "Coffee Chat with Amber and Lisa: Real Life. Real Influence. No Makeup Required." It explores the messy aspects of leading ladies' everyday lives, providing insights and support for women striving to fulfill their purpose. The podcast is available on all major platforms.


Blog Stops


Godly Book Reviews, February 16

Artistic Nobody, February 17 (Author Interview)

Fiction Book Lover, February 18 (Author Interview)

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, February 18

Simple Harvest Reads, February 19 (Author Interview)

She Lives to Read, February 20

Library Lady’s Kid Lit, February 21 (Author Interview)

Texas Book-aholic, February 22

Beauty in the Binding, February 23 (Author Interview)

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, February 24

For the Love of Literature, February 25 (Author Interview)

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, February 26

Tell Tale Book Reviews, February 27 (Author Interview)

Cover Lover Book Review, February 27

Locks, Hooks and Books, February 28

A Reader’s Brain, February 29 (Author Interview)


Giveaway



To celebrate their tour, Amber and Lisa are giving away the grand prize package of a copy of the book and a $50 Amazon gift card!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

Link for giveaway: https://promosimple.com/ps/2a0cf/leading-ladies-celebration-tour-giveaway

Wednesday, February 21, 2024

Book Spotlight: The Rhythm of Fractured Grace by Amanda Wen

The Rhythm of Fractured Grace JustRead Takeover Blitz

Welcome to the Takeover + Review Blitz for The Rhythm of Fractured Grace by Amanda Wen hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

About the Book


The Rhythm of Fractured Grace Title: The Rhythm of Fractured Grace 
Series: Sedgwick County Chronicles #3 
Author: Amanda Wen 
Publisher: Kregel Publications 
Release Date: February 20, 2024 
Genre: Christian Split Time Romantic Women's Fiction

Is Siobhan too far gone to respond to the song of a God who's calling her back to him?

When a new customer brings a badly damaged violin into Siobhan Walsh's shop, it is exactly the sort of challenge she craves. The man who brought it in is not. He's too close to the painful past that left her heart and her faith in shambles. 

Matt Buchanan has had a rough start as the new worship pastor. A car accident on his way into town left him with a nearly totaled truck, and an heirloom violin in pieces. When he takes it to a repair shop, he's fascinated with the restoration process--and with the edgy, closed-off woman doing the work. As their friendship deepens and turns into more, they both discover secrets that force them to face past wounds. And the history of the violin reveals more about their current problems than they could have ever expected. 

On the nineteenth-century frontier, a gruesome tomahawk attack wiped out most of Deborah Caldwell's family. Her greatest solace after the tragedy is the music from her father's prized violin. Given her horrendous scars, she'd resigned herself to a spinster's life. But Levi Martinson's gentle love starts to chip away at her hardened heart, until devastating details about the attack are revealed, putting their love--and Deborah's shaky faith--to the ultimate test. 

Full of forgiveness and the message that no one is too damaged for God's healing touch, the final book in the split-time Sedgwick County Chronicles will thrill fans of Rachel Hauck, Lisa Wingate, and Kristy Cambron. 

PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon | Christianbook | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop | BookBub

More Books in Series

Roots of Wood and Stone The Songs That Could Have Been


Excerpt


Hot. Rich. Creamy. Sweetly spiced. And just enough rocket fuel to get her through the rest of the day.

Such was the perfect chai latte, Siobhan’s weekly indulgence at Frontier Coffee. Okay, more than weekly. But the only time she came in and sat down was during coffee dates with Sloane Kelley-Anderson. Siobhan marveled at the dark-haired woman across the table from her who shared half her DNA. Yet Sloane was someone she’d never even known about until four years ago. Her mother—their mother—Kimberly, had had another daughter. A daughter five years older, born from an affair and left on a city bus in Seattle, only to be randomly reunited in Wichita three decades later.

Well, Mom wouldn’t say it was random. Neither would Sloane. Both were quick to credit God.

Siobhan would have too, once upon a time.

And now these occasional coffee dates had a third party, the tiny bundle sacked out on Sloane’s shoulder. Domenica Rose Anderson came with her father’s deep-blue eyes, her mother’s dark-brown hair, and the fortunate ability to sleep through just about anything. So far, anyway.

(pg 27)

About the Author

Amanda Wen

Amanda Wen is a Selah Award–winning, Parable best-selling author of inspirational romance and split-time women’s fiction, including Roots of Wood and Stone and The Songs That Could Have Been, and a professional musician. Wen currently lives in Wichita, Kansas, with her husband and three children.

Connect with Amanda by visiting amandawen.com to follow her on social media or subscribe to email newsletter updates.


Tour Giveaway

(1) winner will receive a signed copy of the book, a mug, chai mix, and a kitsugi heart necklace!

The Rhythm of Fractured Grace JustRead Giveaway

Be sure to check out each stop on the tour for more chances to win. Full tour schedule linked below. Giveaway began at midnight February 21, 2024 and lasts through 11:59 PM EST on February 28, 2024. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Giveaway is subject to the policies found here.

Enter Giveaway


Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!

JustRead Publicity Tours

Sunday, February 18, 2024

Book Review: Ladies of the Lake by Cathy Gohlke

About the Book:



After the deep bond of friendship between two young women is torn apart, what will it take to bring them together again? In Ladies of the Lake, the beloved author of Saving Amelie and Night Bird Calling returns with a transformative new historical novel about the wonder and complexities of friendship, love, and belonging.


When she is forced to leave her beloved Prince Edward Island to attend Lakeside Ladies Academy after the death of her parents, the last thing Adelaide Rose MacNeill expects to find is three kindred spirits. The “Ladies of the Lake,” as the four girls call themselves, quickly bond like sisters, vowing that wherever life takes them, they will always be there for each other. But that is before: Before love and jealousy come between Adelaide and Dorothy, the closest of the friends. Before the dawn of World War I upends their world and casts baseless suspicion onto the German American man they both love. Before a terrible explosion in Halifax Harbor rips the sisterhood irrevocably apart.

Seventeen years later, Rosaline Murray receives an unsuspecting telephone call from Dorothy, now headmistress of Lakeside, inviting her to attend the graduation of a new generation of girls, including Rosaline’s beloved daughter. With that call, Rosaline is drawn into a past she’d determined to put behind her. To memories of a man she once loved . . . of a sisterhood she abandoned . . . and of the day she stopped being Adelaide MacNeill.


My Thoughts:

Ladies of the Lake by Cathy Gohlke landed as my first five-star read of 2024. This story gripped my attention from the start and the question of what happened between Dorothy and Adelaide urged me on. Gohlke’s smooth writing made the transitions between time periods easy to grasp. The expert plot pacing and clever prose kept me blind to an unanticipated plot twist. I actually reread sections trying to decipher how I was so hoodwinked!

The female friendships in Ladies of the Lake reminded me of the importance of connecting with others on a regular basis to maintain relationships. I loved how the characters’ friendships were presented in youth and adulthood, showing the way relationships can grow (or wither) over time. While the story emphasizes the power of friendship, quieter points about physical trauma, emotional brokenness, living with regrets, and speaking truth support the character journeys of Addie and Dot.

Ladies of the Lake by Cathy Gohlke has a permanent spot in my bookcase. I read this amazing novel with my church book club, and we had plenty of material to discuss plus a delightful chat with the author. Five stars for Ladies of the Lake!



Disclosure of Material Connection: I was provided a copy of this book by the author or publisher. All opinions in this review are my own.


Epic Book Launch: What Color is God’s Love? by Xochitl Dixon

About the Book




Book Title: What Color is God’s Love?
Author Name: Xochitl Dixon
Genre:
Children’s Picture Book
Release Date: March 19, 2024


All the colors displayed in this world that God made—
every glorious, fabulous, beautiful shade—
show how good God is and will always be.
But what is the color of love? Come and see!



In What Color is God’s Love?, a little girl and her service dog join their diverse friends through a whirlwind of adventures. As they celebrate the spectacular spectrum of colors God designed, each color invites readers to explore their God-given emotions and becomes a reminder of God’s unchanging character.

While encouraging children to acknowledge God’s constant presence with every turn of the age, What Color is God’s Love? also empowers children, with and without disabilities, to play, work, and serve God together, by simply letting the colors of His love shine through them.

With each turn of the page, the focus shifts to a specific color—orange, yellow, blue, green, pink, black, white, gray, brown, red, purple. Each lyrical rhyme invites readers to engage with God through empowering and faith-building truth-statements that incite worship and encourage a lifestyle of loving God and neighbors.

What Color is God’s Love? is now available for pre-ordering wherever books are sold.


Q&A with the Author

Q: Your logo and the cover of What Color is God’s Love? share an interesting flower. What is the name of that flower and what is its significance?

Xochitl: The flower on my logo and on the top corners of What Color is God’s Love? is called a Passion Flower. Darshika Varma surprised me and added the Passion Flower on the cover and in the book on the purple page. I mentioned it when we were in our first conversation. I didn’t ask her to add the flower. She added my heart to the illustrations, by listening to me and caring about what was important to me. You can feel her love and my love in this book.

I chose the Passion Flower as a part of my logo to symbolize a passion for Christ. You can find out why it’s my favorite flower, how God used and uses it to deepen my faith, and how the Passion Flower got its name, if you visit my website at www.xedixon.com and look under “The Passion Flower” page. It’s all about Jesus!


Q: What do you want kids to take away from your book?

Xochitl: For parents: I want kids to feel safe processing emotions in the constant presence of God, while using colors to remember biblical truth that affirms His unchanging character and His unconditional love flowing for them and through them.

For kids: God understands us and is always with us, using all the colors He made to remind us who He is, as He fills us with love so we can love others . . . together.


All Interviews

Q&A 1: https://www.artistwriterandstudentohmy.com/posts/what-color-is-gods-love-author-qa/

Q&A 6: https://www.amoderndayfairytale.net/2024/02/what-color-is-gods-love-epic-book-launch.html

About the Author





Xochitl (So-Cheel) Dixon, contributing writer for Our Daily Bread and God Hears Her, is the author of Waiting for God: Trusting Daily in God’s Plan and Pace. She loves Jesus and people, as she crosses cultural, generational, and international lines with encouraging and sound biblical teaching. Celebrating diversity and inclusion, she advocates for disability awareness with her beautifully diverse family and her service dog, Callie. Her first children’s picture book, Different Like Me, now available in Spanish, is a 2021 ECPA Christian Book Award Children’s Book Finalist. In March 2024, Xochitl’s second picture book, What Color is God’s Love?, is releasing with WaterBrook. She connects with readers at www.xedixon.com.