How writing Courage to Hope has changed me:

When the story first developed in my thoughts, I was entering into a very difficult time in my life. Before long, my world came crashing down. Everything I had believed in seemed to vanish. When the dust settled, my faith in God was still there, but it was weak.

I felt like I was starting over. The outline for the series had already been done. I remember looking at the titles of the books I had envisioned: Courage to Hope, Courage to Trust, Courage to Love, Courage to Forgive, Courage to Stand. Did I have the courage to hope again? As I learned again to hope in God, would I find the courage to trust Him? Would I ever be able to stand in my faith again?

It was a gradual climb out of the ashes. I could not have made it without the loving support of my family. I will forever be grateful for the time and energy they gave as they helped me grow emotionally stronger. My husband never gave up on me. He was my rock, strong and faithful. His arms mirrored the loving arms of my Heavenly Father.

I began to write again. Now it was with a renewed faith, a deeper understanding of human suffering. Emotions that I had never experienced before gave the books more depth, made the characters more real. When they were published and people began to read them, the feedback was positive. The characters struck a chord with so many readers, people who faced struggles and heartaches of their own.

For me, the Courage series is the beauty that rose out of the ashes. My prayer for all who read it is that they will find the Courage to Hope.