Amber Schamel has graciously offered to give away an electronic copy of this new release. You can enter by using the Rafflecopter link at the end of the post. (Giveaway ends October 19, 2017. If you are the randomly chosen winner, I'll contact you and pass on your information.)
The Message Behind Solve by Christmas...
When the story idea for my first-ever mystery popped into my
head, I knew it would be tricky. But I didn’t know just HOW tricky it would be.
Mostly because it deals with a very sensitive issue. Suicide and depression. I
felt God leading me to explore this issue through one of the most palatable
venues possible. A fiction novel. As I researched and prayed, and then began to
write, one thing rose to the surface. As Christians, we have the key to unlock
the prison cell of depression. We have hope. We have the chance at a change of
nature and a better future. We have freedom from guilt through the blood of
Jesus Christ.
In my novel, my main character,
detective Jasper Hollock, is faced with a challenge of dissuading one of those dearest to him from committing suicide. As I
wrote, I didn’t know how the book would end, or exactly how Jasper would solve
Mr. Rudin’s case. There were several times during the first and second draft
that I just laid my computer aside and hit my knees. “God, I don’t know how to
write this!” Some of those scenes were SO hard to write. Having battled
depression and suicidal thoughts in the past, I know how strong it can be and
how hard it is to turn someone’s thought process around.
But as I prayerfully worked through to ‘the end,’ I began to
see that God doesn’t always work as tidy as we’d like Him to, but He does pull
through. We DO have the weapons to defeat depression and suicide. Because
Christ has the answer to every question. If it’s worthlessness and lack of
love …Christ is love, and He says we’re worth dying for. If it’s guilt … Christ’s
blood cleanses that in a supernatural way nothing else can touch. If it’s
grief … Christ is there to weep with us as He did with Mary and Martha but also
to help us pick up the pieces and start anew. If it’s failure … His mercies are
new every morning.
All it takes is a personal, real touch from Jesus
Christ. I’ve never been the same. And He will do the same for you, your friend,
your loved one, or anyone struggling against these deadly mindsets.
What advice would you
give my character who is contemplating suicide? Leave us a comment to get your
name in the drawing for an ebook copy of Solve by Christmas!
About Amber...
Amber Schamel writes riveting stories that bring HIStory to
life. She has a passion for history, books, and her Savior. This combination
results in what her readers call "historical fiction at its finest." A homeschool graduate from a family of 2 children, Amber found her calling
early in life. First published at age 21, she has continued to hone her craft
and has been awarded the 2017 CSPA Book of the Year Award in Historical
Fiction. Between ministry, family, and working in their family-owned businesses,
Amber loves to connect with readers and hang out on Goodreads with other
bookish peoples. Find her on the Stitches Thru Time blog or on any of the
major social media sites. Amber is an
active member of American Christian Fiction Writers.
Where you can find Amber online...
website: http://amberschamel.com/
Newsletter & updates: http://www.amberschamel.com/newsletter-signup.html
Blogs - http://stitchesthrutime.blogspot.com/
http://www.hhhistory.com/
http://amberschamel.blogspot.com/
Blogs - http://stitchesthrutime.blogspot.com/
http://www.hhhistory.com/
http://amberschamel.blogspot.com/
Twitter - @AmberSchamel https://twitter.com/AmberSchamel
Pinterest - http://pinterest.com/AmberDSchamel/
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