Healing Promises Blog Tour!!

I am SUPER excited to be a part of the "Healing Promises" by Amy Wallace Blog Tour!! Amy has been a friend of mine for many years and I had the priveledge of reading one of her very first manuscripts for the Defenders of Hope series. I feel I have walked this journey with her in prayer and it is SO EXCITING to see this lifelong dream of hers come true!

Much like the first book in the series, I found this to be an exciting story that I couldn't put down. It was, at times, very difficult to read because I have had many dear friends and family who have had to deal with cancer. Amy's story weaves the beautiful truth of God's goodness, even in the midst of crisis, and the reality of facing that trial as a human who struggles. I found this wonderfully told story to be honest and uplifting. I came away knowing God is good, all the time.

I had the opportunity to interview Amy about her latest book, Healing Promises:

What inspired you to tackle the difficult issue of cancer in your new book Healing Promises?

Two very different situations stirred my soul and led to writing Healing Promises and tackling the difficult issue of cancer.

The first was sitting in my Sunday school class and listening week after week to the prayer requests for family and friends battling cancer. God pricked my heart to pray for them. Something I desperately resisted because I’d prayed for a friend of our family’s as he battled cancer for three years. Attending his funeral rocked my faith to the core and I struggled to pray for a long time after my friend died. But God wouldn’t let me away from the reality or the pain of cancer.

The other situation that stirred me came from a question I posed to the amazing Secret Service Agent I interviewed before I wrote Ransomed Dreams. I asked what a federal agent would do if he was diagnosed with a life-threatening illness. My expert advisor said that many agents would end the battle fast. I knew then I wanted to explore how a Christian federal agent would handle a life-altering medical diagnosis. And I knew that diagnosis would be cancer.

Healing Promises is dedicated to the friend my family and many others asked God to heal for three years. Ken Whaley and his family showed me in action that even when circumstances don’t go the way we prayed, God is still on His throne and He is very, very good. Always.

I have found that once you face a diagnosis of cancer, people come out of the woodwork that have been touched in some way by the horrible beast, either themselves or a loved one. Has writing Healing Promises opened any unexpected doors to ministry for you?

Right now, God has allowed me the ministry and privilege of mixing my tears and prayers with people who have fought cancer by putting one foot in front of the other and holding tight to Jesus.

I cautiously look forward to what God is going to do through me as people read and discuss Healing Promises. I say cautiously because the battles fought and lessons learned through the writing of Healing Promises left my soul raw. More than dealing with the issue of cancer, Healing Promises tackles the even more universal issue of where is God in the midst of our pain and suffering. Can He be trusted? Is He really good?

If God allows me the privilege of helping people rediscover the reality that God is good even when life hurts so much that we struggle to pray, then I’ll lift up tear-filled eyes and praise Him even more.

How has writing the Defenders of Hope series changed you as a mother?

Researching kidnappings and the things parents fear most has made me more vigilant with my children and more dependent on Christ. It would be easy to live afraid given all the real-life stories I’ve listened to and read. But instead of cowering in fear, I’m learning that God is in control and is with us in every painful step of our personal storms. I don’t understand why evil happens, but I cling to the fact that God is good and I find rest there.

What is the hardest part of being a writer?

The hardest part about being a writer is fighting the lies the enemy whispers at every turn. Lies about my worth, my ability and the importance of other’s opinions. But praise God, there’s an answer for every lie. And that answer can be summed up with remembering who I am in Christ and that He has called me, not according to my works, but according to His purpose and grace which He granted all of us in Christ before the beginning of time. (Paraphrase of 1 Timothy 1:8-9)

Tell me about some exciting things coming up for you in the future...I know you have other projects in the works...when can we expect a new book from you?

Enduring Justice, the third book in the Defenders of Hope series, should hit the store shelves spring of 2009. This is Michael and Hanna’s story and focuses on a painful secret and a racially motivated killer. When circumstances simplify the options to fight or fear, Michael and Hanna learn that the difference between executing vengeance and pursuing justice is their choice to heal.


To find out more about Amy and her books, visit her amazing website at www.amywallace.com where you can sign up for her newsletter, read the first chapter of each of her books, and much much more!!!


About the Author in her own words:



I'm a wife, homeschool mom, writer, speaker, Bible study leader, and avid chocoholic. Those are the hats I love to wear, but who I really am is a daughter of the King learning to live and love with laughter.
Long and deep

I grew up all over the world. As a military brat (and often the bratty form of that moniker) I moved every three years of my life. During my school years I hated all the moving and constantly changing social situations. I mean, middle school in and of itself was bad enough—moving only made it worse. As an adult, I look back and see more positives than negatives though. The crash courses on cultural awareness and fast friendship 101 are lessons that still serve me well.

Home for me was Louisville (pronounced Lu-a-vul), KY. That’s where we always transitioned to for a time and where I ended up graduating from high school and college~ GO CARDS! What moved me from Louisville to Georgia was a gorgeous blue-eyed missionary named David. We met and married in ten months time and started a whirlwind romance that has been much like a supersonic roller coaster. Lots of exciting high points~ three so special their names reflect the gifts they are to their mommy and daddy.

But like every good roller coaster, for each thrilling high, there are crashing lows. Those have names too~ addiction, miscarriage, marital separation, job losses, diabetes issues. This probably sounds funny, but after over twelve years of struggles we’re thankful for “normal” marriage issues like how night owls and early birds ever get to bed at the same time. What brought us to the healing place we’re enjoying now were beloved friends who never gave up on us, the prayers of God’s people~ including our three incredible daughters, and a few amazing ministers/ counselors who have held out the truth and given us tools to walk with God whole, full, and healthy.

This is where my life and writing journey intersect. As God worked in my heart and my home, He also started planting tons of stories in my head. After September 11, 2001 I felt the overwhelming urge to write down the stories bouncing around my brain. Out of that national tragedy came a literal dream that wouldn’t let go. It included FBI characters and a deep desire to give tribute to the agents who worked tirelessly behind the scenes to see our country both protected and healed. The story I wrote in about six weeks also required me to walk through my greatest fear, that of losing my precious children. These two different plot lines converged to create a story entitled Ransomed Dreams.

From typing the words “THE END” on my first novel, there was no turning back. I’ve tried a few times over the years to quit, but God's calling to share my heart is too strong and the stories too loud to ever think I could walk away. Since completing my first novel, I’ve written two more novels for moms, two novellas, a fairytale for my princesses, and a growing collection of short stories. Four of those short stories have been chosen for publication, three were published in 2006. And my first novel, Ransomed Dreams, released in April 2007. If you'd like to learn more about the stories behind the books and read a chapter excerpt please visit www.defendersofhope.com

While married life and writing have been exciting journeys, my favorite part of it all is being a beloved child of my Heavenly Father. My heart is to share my awesome Daddy with the wonderful people God brings into my life. Even though life is hard, I've learned God is good. I know He has good plans for each and every one of His children.

Here’s to the journey. May you seek and find the One who fashioned you by His hand and lovingly calls you by name.


Purchase Ransomed Dreams and Healing Promises at www.amazon.com

Ransomed Dreams

I just had the opportunity to read the first chapter of a book written by a friend of mine. Her name is Amy Wallace (www.amywallace.com) and she is a fantastic writer!! I had the privilege of reading this book in manuscript form YEARS ago and boy has it changed!! It was good before but now it is absolutely fantastic. She writes a gripping and compelling story that pulls you in and makes you care about the characters from the very beginning! The book releases in April and I can't encourage you enough to get yourself a copy! You can pre-order it by going to www.amazon.com (In case it wasn't obvious from the title of my blog, the title of the book is "Ransomed Dreams"). Here's a blurb about the book from her website:

Can Dreams Be Redeemed?
Gracie Ann Lang is being watched by a man who will stop at nothing to hide the truth from her. Having lost the only man she ever loved and the children who were her world, the truth is all Gracie wants—an explanation for what really happened. She longs to move forward but is bound by chains of fear. Then she meets Steven Kessler. The FBI agent assigned to an international plot to kidnap the Ambassador’s daughter awakens more than memories. He revives the possibility of a life Gracie desires. A life where healing and peace crowd out the nightmares. But his case and her past are dangerously connected. Suddenly, Gracie must decide if she’s able—let alone willing—to pay the required ransom that redeems dreams and restores hope.


I guarantee you will love this book!! Check it out!!