Well, it's been a while, but I am bringing back one of my favorite blogging events: August Amazingness. This is the part of the year when I offer a lot of freebies and fun things to do with my books. I hope you will find this as much fun as I do. Make sure to check back every day for a new deal or giveaway.

We are going to start with one of my most popular works - Kate's Innocence

What inspired Kate's Innocence?

I was watching Sue Thomas a lot as well as some other shows about teams doing things and growing together. I was in my late teens when I first had the idea. The first draft of the idea looked different. It started with Kate being a very bubbly person who thought she was deluvering a inncenct pacage to a friend, and it ended up having contraband. As the idea matured in my head, Kate became a woman with a lot in her past to deal with, and the case became a little more serious. The other characters also took on lives of their own.

What was the biggest challenge in writing this book?

Honestly, I had a first draft, and I felt it was missing heart. It took me a while to figure out some of the missing components. I could have done better, but in the end, I had a story I loved.

The second hardest would be knowing that people would be critical that this wasn't a realistic look at law enforcement. But seriously, if I had done it realistically, it would have been pretty boring.

Why read the book?

Those who enjoy fun mysteries, found family, faith-filled fiction, slow back story reveals, and longer series.

The story behind the dedication:

Last year, my birthday looked different. My husband didn't go to work at all. We spent the whole day together and had amazing food for each meal. Today, he had to go into work for a bit. Last year, I felt the tiny life within me move for the first time (at least the first time I was sure it was her). This morning, I'm trying to get my daughter to focus on eating her breakfast. Last year, I got to sleep in. This year, Hannah woke up happy at six, ready to start her day.

Some years, the changes between birthdays are huge. Some years, I could barely tell anything had changed. This year, so much has changed as I have entered motherhood. I'm finding it hard to fit in writing time at all. I'm finding that even though I've cut out a lot of sugar and have changed my diet some, my body is just holding on to the weight I gained during the pregnancy as fiercely as I hold onto the people I love. I've found motherhood so much better than I thought it would be (and I have wanted to be a mom since I was a kid). I am amazed at some of the ways I've grown, and I miss some things about my eighteen-year-old self.

New curtains to match my new quilt and a Paddington audiobook. Those were my evening plans. I hit the play button on the Paddington audiobook and pulled out the longest piece of fabric left over from my quilt. I quickly realized I would need to piece something together if I wanted a decent-sized curtain. I didn’t have enough of any one fabric to make a whole curtain. I looked toward the window, but there wasn’t much to see. Even though it was a lovely day, the blinds and the curtains that had been made over ten years ago were closed in an attempt to block some of the summer heat from seeping in.

I rolled my neck. Here it was, just the beginning of August, and already I was longing for the cooler temperatures. With August usually being our hottest month, I was not sure I would make it. How had people survived the heat before AC?

I smirked. Probably by living further north.

I settled on a simple pattern and cut out the pieces for my curtain rather quickly. I stopped only once to blow my nose. I was grateful my cold was mostly gone, and my symptoms were dissipating.

There was a knock at my door.

“Come in, but be careful,” I called.

Ben poked his head in. “Mind if I come and talk for a bit?”

I glanced around. I stood, making sure I didn’t disrupt my neat rows I had laid out. I moved my purse and bags, which I had dropped on my chair when I got off work, and motioned for Ben to take a seat.

“What are you making? Another quilt?”

I stared at Ben for a moment. His voice sounded weird, but I let it slide. I returned to laying out my pieces. “Curtains to match the quilt.”

“That’s nice.”

I selected the first row to sew and moved toward my sewing machine.

“How was work?”

“Okay, I’m still struggling to get back my stamina, but it was fine.” I set the pieces in place under the needle.

“That’s nice.”

I turned toward my brother. He was fidgeting. And did his face look a little red? “Ben?”

Ben didn’t look up. He rubbed his hands on his jeans. “Did you get dinner?”

I put my hand on my hip. “Yes, I did. Now, are you going to tell me what’s going on and what has your ears so red?” I could only remember a few times my brother had been like this. Most of those times had been in his teens. But who of us didn’t blush or turn red a few times in our teens? It’s an awkward time.

He grew redder. “I’m thinking about getting my own place.”

I swallowed and knew I needed to pick my words carefully. While I loved living with my adult siblings in our parents’ home, I had always known it wouldn’t last forever. Frankly, I had been more than a little surprised that the boys had stayed as long as they had. Independence often meant a lot more to young men.

“I think I might want to buy a house and… have my own place.”

I nodded and set aside my work. I sat on the edge of my bed and faced him. “Have a house in mind?”

I didn’t think Ben could get any redder. “Well, I…wanted to get some opinions I hadn’t…I mean, this isn’t just about moving out on my own… I mean, I want to be for the practice… but not because I don’t like living here. I…”

I raised a hand. “Ben, are you okay?”

He pulled at his shirt collar, which wasn’t tight at all, and cleared his throat. “I’m just thinking it’s time I start preparing for the future.”

Like a movie, my brain caught hold of images and started snapping them together. “Goodness, Ben, are you thinking of…” I cut myself off from saying getting married, because that was a huge jump forward. I swallowed “dating someone?”

I had been wrong. Ben could get redder.

“Well, I’ve been emailing with Natalie and I…” He blew out a breath.

My mind raced. Of course. Some of the Keller family had visited their church last week, and Ben had spent all his time with them. I had been occupied with Joan and my own disappointment that Evan wasn’t with them. But I found it was a minor disappointment. Perhaps I was finally growing out of my silly feeling for someone who barely knew I existed.

I remembered how Ben had talked about perhaps joining the church plant.

I remembered how Ben said he was keeping up with the Kellers via email, but I had been trying to suppress/deal with my feelings, so I hadn’t asked him questions or asked who.

Of course, Ben was interested in Natalie. I blinked. Ben was sitting there, clearly waiting for some kind of response from me.

I put a hand on Ben’s shoulder. “I think this is great, Ben.”

He lifted his eyes to meet mine. “You do?”

I nodded. “I hope things work out with you and Natalie, but even if they don’t. I think owning your own home is a great idea.” I figured I should encourage him on both fronts.

He smiled, and the color slowly returned to normal. “Do you think Mom and Dad will think I’m silly for doing a long-distance relationship or moving forward with buying a house when I don’t know if it will work out?” The red returned.

I thought for a moment. “I don’t know how Mom and Dad will respond right now.” I had to be honest with my brother, even if it wasn’t what he wanted to hear. “I know they have never liked the idea of long-distance relationships, but there is nothing biblically wrong with them. Besides, you and Natalie have known each other for years.”

Ben nodded. “Thanks, Pam.”

My heart squeezed tight. In that moment, I knew I was standing on the threshold of the way things had been and the way they were to become. I wasn’t ready, and yet, there was peace.

Weekly mercies:

Peace with the coming changes

My new curtains

Ben hearing back from Natalie. They are officially a dating couple.

Hello friends!

How is it almost the end of May? This time last year, I was entering the second trimester and had begun to think I might possibly get to hold this little one after three losses before. Now, my little girl fills my days with joy, smiles, and a lot of work. 

Here it is again, one of my favorite posts to do each year: the top ten reads from the year. I ended the year with 167 books read (thanks in part to a sprint of reading some short reads at the end of the year). It was one of those years where I would be way ahead of my reading goal and then behind by quite a few books (my goal was 150). My reading was in fits and spurts, instead of being consistent. I guess that is pregnancy and early motherhood for you.

You can see all my reading stats here. Here are the highlights:

Total books read: 167

Longest book: The Woman in White

First book of the Year: Becoming Elisabeth Elliot

Last book finished: Revive My Heart: A Year of Daily Reflections

Now, for my top ten reads!

10. The Trial by Charlotte Mary Yonge

This is the sequel to The Daisy Chain, which I read in 2024. I read this with my good friend Kelsey. I loved seeing this large family grow, mature, and change. Younge is one of my favorite Victorian writers. I am slowly reading all of her books. They are so wholesome and well-written.

Goodreads | My Review | Amazon 

9. Firmament: Progenitor by J. Grace Pennington

I've fallen behind in this series, so it was nice to pick it back up. I have loved it from the first installment. I so enjoyed getting to catch up with the characters. This is such a fun series that is like a Christian Star Trek.

Goodreads | My Review | Amazon 

8. Labor with Hope by Gloria Furman

I found out I was pregnant in March, and by the summer, I was reading a lot of parenting books. This was one of the few books I read about pregnancy and labor, and I loved it. It was so steeped in the gospel and biblical hope. It was personally very encouraging.

Goodreads | My Review | Amazon | Audible

7. Mind the Gap by Erynn Mangum

I like Erynn Mangum a lot. This book had a good message, but it was also so much fun. It made the list because I haven't had as much fun reading a book in a long time.

Goodreads | My Review | Amazon 

6. Parenting by Paul David Tripp

So far, of all the parenting books I've read (and I've read quite a few), this has been my favorite. It's so saturated in biblical wisdom. I know I will be coming back to this book again and again to remember what is most important as a parent. 

Goodreads | My Review | Amazon | Audible

5. Raising Worry-Free Girls by Sissy Goff

While I read this book in my quest to find parenting resources, I found this book incredibly helpful for me. It helped me understand some of the things I had struggled with as a child. I think reading this will help me in the future with my children, but it also helped me process some of my past.

Goodreads | My Review | Amazon | Audible

4. Just Like Molly and Other Stories by Elizabeth Allen

I love everything this author has done. I enjoyed as my husband read these stories aloud to me. I love each seasonal collection and know I will be revisiting these in the years to come.

Goodreads | My Review | Amazon 

3. 936 Pennies by Eryn Lynum

This book was beautiful. It's written to remind parents of the limited time they have with their children. I found this book to be thought-provoking and a pleasure to read. I just love it when wisdom and powerful wordsmithing are combined.

Goodreads | My Review | Amazon | Audible

2. The Curious Inheritance of Blakely Houseby Joanna Davidson Politano

About halfway into this book, I wasn't sure how I felt about it, other than (as usual) Politano's storytelling was amazing. In the end, I adored this book. It was beautifully written, had a hint of allegorical truths without being heavy-headed, and had a fantastic setting. I've found myself thinking about it often in the months after I read it.

Goodreads | My Review | Amazon | Audible

1. Hudson Taylor's Spiritual Secret

This book was impactful. It was one I read with a friend, which made it even better. Yes, the style is old-fashioned, but I found myself thinking back to this book throughout the year, remembering so much of the wisdom stored in it. I love how Hudson Taylor always put his relationship with God before is activities for God.

Goodreads | My Review | Amazon | Audible

What were your favorite reads of 2025?

The Arctic chill has hit central Texas. Freezing rain is expected to make roads impassable for a while. I am sitting here, catching snatches of writing time between nursing my little girl. My sweet husband is watching our little girl off and on, so I can write. I am also just soaking in the coziness of knowing that I get to have my husband with me for almost 48 hours without anywhere we need to go.

As we start 2026, I am thinking back. I'm thinking back to 2024, when I entered the year with a tiny life inside of me, only to be told before the end of the month that our baby had died. Here I am entering 2026 with a two-month-old in my arms.

I'm thinking back to entering 2021, struggling to navigate my single status and stressed about a lot of things, and exiting the year, married to my best friend. Here I sit, watching my husband of four years, playing with our little girl.

I enter 2026 with so much to be grateful for. So many hopes and dreams from my early days have been fulfilled. I always wanted to be a wife and mom, and now I am. Yet, no life is ever perfect. Sin will mar everything in this world until Christ returns and all is made new. I told the ladies of my community group I entered this year, tired of praying for a situation and wondering if anything would ever change. 

I feel like I have so many words bottled up inside of me. Since my daughter seems to wake up the moment I set her down (or start crying), my time to spill those words out is very limited. I'm excited because my mom is planning on coming once a week to help with my little girl and give me some writing time. My first priority is to finish editing the last Kate's Case Files book. My second priority is finishing The Weekly Mercies of Pam Ellis. 

I am looking forward to more blogging too, though it will have to be while my little girl is being held by others, or she is sleeping. 

 I have two announcements. One is a big sale...

 Hey friends,

Well, I didn't mean to disappear again from here for so long. I just had some challenges with the pregnancy, but before you worry, they had to do with my health; our little girl has been and continues to do great!

It started towards the end of July. I had some congestion that was making it hard to sleep lying down. I started spending about half of each night on our couch. Then pregnancy heartburn hit, and a UTI. What I ended up with was a perfect recipe for severe insomnia.

I didn't sleep for two days straight.

I went ten days with less sleep than I thought it was possible to actually cope with.

Scott missed work.

My Mom and one of my sisters were taking turns staying with me.

It took me almost a month to get back on my feet sleep-wise, but it hasn't returned to normal. I still spend some of each night on the couch. I still am struggling to get my needed sleep. Yet, God has been so gracious through it all.

Another week and another chance to choose something to bring joy for the week. I looked at the list I had made. I had contracted a summer cold. It wasn’t bad, but the stuffy nose made it hard to sleep, and I had a light cough that caught me at the wrong times. I needed something simple, something I could do in my room.

My gaze landed on an item toward the bottom of the list.

Finally put those stickers you’ve been collecting on a water bottle.

Yap, that was the one. I had trouble committing the special stickers I had collected to her water bottles. After all, I didn’t want to lose the stickers. But what was I saving them for?

I dug under my bed for my collection of water bottles. I selected a metal one that seemed like it would last a long time and then went to my desk. I pulled out a small box I had collected of special stickers.

I decided that even with the cold, I needed a further distraction, so I didn’t overthink using my precious stickers. I scrolled through a list of audiobooks from my library I had saved off and selected one that had been a favorite of my mother’s: A Bear Called Paddington by Michael Bond.

I started the audiobook and turned my attention to my task – bowing my nose, I wouldn’t drip onto the stickers at the water bottle. After this disgusting task was accomplished and my hands washed. I sat down to finally cover my water bottle with stickers.

I looked at the collection of stickers.

A beautiful sticker with watercolor flowers that said In Christ Alone. I put that front and center. Next went on my three different Jane Austen stickers. I smiled as I put the Booked to a Tea sticker on. Jared and Lacie had made them when they first opened the store. Jared hadn’t bothered to reorder them, so I was one of the few that had them for now.

There was the sticker from the aquarium for my birthday and the one from the state park.

When I finished, the bottle was covered with very little of the grey coating showing. I blew my nose and I coughed hard. It as time to curl up in my bed with a movie. Jane Austen was just the thing for a sick day. Oh! I needed tea to go with it.

 

I inhaled deeply of the tea I had brewed for myself. It wasn’t my favorite blend, but I needed to keep going today. Lots of tea to keep the congestion and sore throat at bay. That and a lot of hand sanitizer were used so I didn’t pass on my cold to the customers or Lacie. But Lacie and I were skillfully avoiding each other. I didn’t want to give her my cold. The further along in her pregnancy, the more paranoid she got about being sick.

I took another swallow of tea as a customer came up to the desk. Squirting on hand sanitizer, I took the selection of books from her. Five books, three children’s books, and two non-fiction from our Christian section. I rang them up and handed the woman her books. As soon as she was out the door, I blew my nose and again used the hand sanitizer.

Ah, the glamorous life of a customer service person with a cold.

 

“You look exhausted.” My mother looked me over as I entered the door.

I nodded and headed to the kitchen. “Working with a cold will do that. What smells so good?”

“I made you that green chili chicken soup you like so much.”

I turned toward my mother, feeling like my nose was twice its normal size and glowing red enough to give Rudolf the reindeer a run for his money. “Bless you. If I didn’t want to keep this cold to myself, I would hug and kiss you. Soup sounded so good, but I wasn’t sure I would have the energy to make anything.”

My mother smiled. “I like to be able to do things for you.”

I blew my nose and then washed my very dry hands before filling a bowl of the heavenly soup. I sat down at the table. Mom and I chatted about the little happenings of the day. She looked so tired.

“How has the counseling been going?” I asked.

She looked off to the window. “I have a wonderful, godly counselor who is helping me work through a lot of things from my past. Your father and I agreed that we would seek some personal healing before we tried anymore couples counseling.”

I nodded. It was hard to explain how that news was both encouraging and discouraging at the same time. I was glad my parents were still seeking help, that they hadn’t given up, but I had hoped we would be past this by now. I wanted our happy home back. However, I knew many of the things they were facing weren’t quick fixes. I had to be patient and wait to see how God would work things out.

I took a deep breath, coughed twice, before speaking. “I’m praying for both of you every day.”

She nodded and smiled. “We need that more than anything else anyone can do.”

I looked down at my bowl.

“How is Joan doing?”

I smiled, thinking of my mentor. “Oh, she is fine. We canceled our meeting as she tries to avoid respiratory illnesses. She has scar tissue on her lungs from an illness in her forties that makes her highly susceptible to making even minor colds into something serious.

My mother stood. “Well, I hope you get well soon. I need to go finish the laundry, and I promised my friend Jill I would call her this evening.”

I nodded, grateful my mother had a good friend to talk to. “Thank you once again, Mom.”

She smiled. “I love you.”

“I love you….” I coughed instead of saying too. And then I sneezed into my soup. Gross. I hated colds.

 

This week's Mercies:

Cold Meds

Hot tea

A mom who makes me good soup.

I found this Green Chili Chicken soup recipe, and it is a favorite. (Note, I'm endorsing the recipe, not the website, which I haven't fully explored. 

I actually have bought the In Christ Alone Sticker (and some others) from this cute Etsy Shop.

I also love the stickers from this literary Etsy Shop.

“Merry Christmas!”

Molly stood at the door eagerly handing out candy canes to people as they entered. Anna stood beside her, helping some, but mostly watching shyly.

Christmas in July had never been my thing, but I had to admit, our event was bringing in people to the bookstore. I had stayed late the night before, helping Jared and Lacie cover displays in fake snow, putting up a display of Christmas books, and setting out Christmas crafts for the kids. We even had two authors in for the day with their Christmas book offerings..

I tried not to feel awkward in my Santa hat and green apron. Instead, I tried to think about the extra pay I would get this week for working overtime. I also tried to enjoy the smiles it brought to the faces of the people coming in from the Texas heat.

Jared was busy snapping pictures of families and individuals with our Christmas photo backdrop and cardboard cutout of Father Christmas.

We had hot and iced chocolate ready to go. I knew I would be spending a lot of time behind the tea counter.

“Wow! Now this is a fun bookstore.”

I spun around and saw Asa standing, looking around.

Ben bumped him. “I told you; this isn’t what it normally looks like.”

Asa shrugged. “Too bad. I feel ten degrees cooler stepping in here. It gets you into the Christmas spirit.”

My mouth dropped open. “I thought you two said you were going to play Risk the whole day.”

Asa through his arm around my shoulder. “We may have exaggerated our plans so we could surprise you. It’s been too long since we visited your work. How long will this party last?”

I looked around. “Just for the day. I’ll be staying late to clean up and get all the summer displays put back up.”

Ben looked behind me. “Is that hot chocolate?”

I looked and nodded. “We also have iced chocolate.”

Ben moved toward the tea counter. “I’ll take the hot stuff.”

I shook my head, but obliged my brother. “How can you drink the hot chocolate when the temperature outside is…”

Ben held up his hand. “You drink hot tea almost every morning no matter how hot it is.”

I opened my mouth to say it was different, but I shut it again. I smiled. “You’re right.

“Make it two hot chocolates,” Ben said with a wink. “I want one for Asa and one for me. Let’s get into the Christmas in July mood!”

I laughed and obliged him.

We had been a mad house all day, but we finally closed the door. I let out a long breath and looked around the messy store. I sure had my work cut out for me.

Jared looked as tired as I felt. I reached to pick up a discarded coloring page from the floor when his phone started ringing. “Lacie? Yeah, we just finished up.”

I grabbed a box from behind the counter and loaded books from the Christmas display inside. Amazed at how many of the books had sold. I glanced from my work to see Jared looking at me with distress.

“Is Lacie okay?” I whispered.

He covered the lower half of the phone. “Apparently, she is feeling awful, Hosanna is throwing a fit, and Molly and Anna are crying.”

I knew what I needed to do. “I’ll do the clean-up.”

Jared looked around. “You’ll be here until two in the morning.”

I shrugged. “Your family needs you.”

He swallowed. “Lacie, sweetheart, I’ll be there in ten minutes.” He hung up. “I owe you.”

I smiled and waved him off. I shot off a quick text to my family, letting them know why I would be late, and dove into the work. At least Jared had cleaned out the hot chocolate urns when we ran out an hour before closing.

I put on my audio bible and loaded all the Christmas displays. And then returned all the summer books to the shelf.

A knock on the door had my heart hammering in my chest. I turned toward the door, phone in hand. My siblings were pressed to the window, waving like crazy people. What were Asa and Ben carrying?

I unlocked the door and let them in. “What in the world are y’all doing here?”

Ivy bounced in. “Well, we thought you could use some help.”

“And I thought, why not turn this into a Christmas in July party for us?” Asa said.

Ben grunted. “Hence the reason we lugged the TV screen from home so we could watch a Christmas movie while we worked.”

“Can we put it up here?” Ivy asked, pointing to the tea counter.

I waved my brothers in.  “The counter would be fine. Now, what movie did you bring?”

“It’s a Wonderful Life.” Ben held up the movie. “I figured it would save all of us from bickering over which cheesy movie to bring.”

I smiled.

“Well, put me to work,” Meg said, clapping her hands together. “I’m guessing the bathrooms need cleaning.”

I nodded. “Are you sure you want to do that?”

Meg shrugged. “Let’s get the worst out of the way.”

I gestured for her to follow, and we went into the back room for supplies. Ivy followed and found the bag for the fake snow. “I can put all the fake snow back into this.

Soon, the boys were busy with trash bags collecting cups and random trash as well as hauling the filled bags out of the dumpster. I listened to the movie while I finished counting out the register and put the display shelves back in order. George Baily wasn’t even married yet by the time we finished.

I turned off lights and made sure everything was secured for the night as my brothers took the TV out to the car. They were crazy for lugging it down to the store, and I loved them for it.

Even though I was exhausted when I was finally tucked into bed, I pulled out my mercies notebook and my list of things to bring joy. On the list, I added celebrate Christmas in July with my siblings and marked it off. No, it hadn’t been something I had planned on, but it was perfect.

Opening the mercies notebook, I forced my eyes open long enough to write down what was most important:

God’s mercies to me today:

My siblings

Christmas in July

 Getting to bed before two AM