Looking Out the Window: Carole Brown Talks about Her New Book, With Music in Their Hearts. She'll Give Away an E-book.

A Warm Welcome to Carole Brown

Carole shares a devotional based on her new book, With Music in Their Hearts.

She'll give away an e-book. To enter to win leave a comment and an e-mail address below.

 

Why Does God Ask Hard Things From Us?

 

For the life of him, he had no idea what he’d done to deserve two slaps in the face in one day. Tyrell stepped out of the booth and glanced at the cloudy sky. No sign of the sun, and no sign of God’s face smiling down ready to do battle for him. --From With Music in Their Hearts.

Have you ever wondered why God allowed you to go through that hard/dark/difficult period in your life? Has life always been the proverbial bowl of cherries?

Of course not! It just seems worse for those of us who serve a God in heaven because we falsely assume life will always be full of sunshine.

 Tyrell Walker, the protagonist in my WWII novel, lost his parents as a child. That’s a terrible blow to any child, but God had plans for him. Loving grandparents took over the task and raised him to be a God fearing young man who ultimately follows in his ancestors footsteps by accepting the call of ministry.

 Because of his parents’ marital problems, Tyrell assumes he will follow in their path if he should seek marriage. But God knows differently. He has the perfect person, the perfect plan for Tyrell--if he can only accept it.

 Tyrell has his career all planned out. He’s serving as a minister, but also plans to serve his country as a loyal citizen. What better way than to be one of the first to enlist in the service? Only God knows Tyrell can better serve in a way that the young man can never imagine.

Trust is the answer for Tyrell Walker. Trust and faith. And it’s the answer to any of us who love God. We might never understand why we have the problems we have. But God does.

There’s a song that goes something like this: Faith in God can move a mighty mountain. Faith can calm the troubled sea. Faith can make a desert like a fountain. Faith can see the victory. 

Faith. A simple little word, but how powerful!

About With Music in Their Hearts

 

Angry at being rejected for military service, Minister Tyrell Walker accepts the call to serve as a civilian spy within his own country. Across the river from Cincinnati, Ohio, a spy working for a foreign country is stealing secret plans for newly developed ammunition to be used in the war. According to his FBI cousin, this spy favors pink stationery giving strong indications that a woman is involved.

He’s instructed to obtain a room in the Rayner Boarding House run by the lovely, spunky red-haired Emma Jaine Rayner. Sparks of jealousy and love fly between them immediately even as they battle suspicions that one or the other is not on the up and up.

While Tyrell searches for the murdering spy who reaches even into the boarding home, Emma Jaine struggles with an annoying renter, a worried father (who could be involved in this spy thing), and two younger sisters who are very different but just as strong willed as she is.

As Tyrell works to keep his double life a secret and locate the traitor, he refuses to believe that Emma Jaine could be involved even when he sees a red-haired woman in the arms of another man. Could the handsome and svelte banker who’s also determined to win Emma Jaine’s hand for marriage, be the dangerous man he’s looking for? Is the trouble-making renter who hassles Emma Jaine serving as a flunky? Worse, is Papa Rayner so worried about his finances and keeping his girls in the style they’re used to, that he’ll stoop to espionage?

Will their love survive the danger and personal issues that arise to hinder the path of true love?

An Excerpt
A vehicle’s tires spinning gravel behind him warned him he’d not lost the black car. Slowing. Creeping. Engine purring. Only a few feet separated him from the car and making a sudden decision, he jogged around the corner and hugged the building trying to put distance between it. The car’s tires squealed as the car sped up. The driver took the corner, gravel crunching and spinning into the air.
They must have spotted him for the driver braked, throwing the passenger forward. Tyrell flung himself at the car and grabbed for the door handle.

The window slid down.

Something tugged at his arm.

And the handle tore from his grasp as the car accelerated.

The seemingly belated, reverberating crack of a gun vibrated the air around him.
The car spun around a far corner, and Tyrell reached up to rub his stinging arm. The sticky wetness drew his attention.

Blood. He saw the tear in his coat sleeve, the minute traces of blood oozing.

He’d been shot?

Why would they—whoever they were—want to shoot at him? It was a scratch, and they’d been close enough to kill him if they’d wanted to.

They didn’t want to. What were they after? A scare tactic? To warn him away? From what? Perhaps all this was a coincidence, a figment of his active imagination.

No sign of the car. Satisfied he was rid of them, he entered the hotel. At the reception desk, he filled out the necessary papers, climbed the stairs, and headed down the hallway.

At the far end, a red-haired woman inserted a key into the lock.

Was she the same woman who’d been in the recruitment office? That hat . . . He called out, “Hey, lady.”

She glanced his way, her luxurious hat tilted at just the right angle to hide one side of her face. With a flip of her plaid skirt, she shoved open her door and disappeared inside.

Tyrell hesitated at his own door, next to her’s, but inserted his key and entered. Inside, he switched on a light then as quickly flicked it off. He stepped to the window.

And drew in a breath as if he’d been sucker-punched.

Down below, across from the hotel, the streetlight reflected off a long, black Oldsmobile. Standing beside the car staring up at the hotel, stood Ben Hardy.

 His cousin and best friend.

With Music in Their Heart Buy Links:
Kindle Link:   http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00OVFWA5S?pldnSite=1
Print Link:    http://www.amazon.com/Music-Their-Hearts-Spies-World/dp/1941622038/ref=sr_1_1_twi_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1415113865&sr=1-1&keywords=With+Music+in+Their+Hearts

Bio:
Brown not only has her award winning (RWA International Digital Awards finalist in Inspiration, Laurel Award finalist, Selah finalist; Genesis semi-finalist) debut novel, The Redemption of Caralynne Hayman, available for purchase now, but a companion book called West Virginia Scrapbook: From the Life of Caralynne Hayman, filled with tidbits of information about West Virginia, quotes, recipes from West Virginia and from Caralynne’s life, pictures and discussion questions for the novel.

November, 2013, the first book in her mystery series, Hog Insane, released. It’s a fun, lighthearted novel introducing the characters, Denton and Alex Davies. Look for the second book, Bat Crazy, late 2014 winter.

Released November 1, 2014, is the first book in a new WWII romantic suspense series: With Music In Their Hearts. Three red-headed sisters. Three spies. Three stories.

Besides being a member and active participant of many writing groups, Carole Brown enjoys mentoring beginning writers. She loves to weave suspense and tough topics into her books, along with a touch of romance and whimsy, and is always on the lookout for outstanding titles and catchy ideas. She and her husband reside in SE Ohio but have ministered and counseled nationally and internationally. Together, they enjoy their grandsons, traveling, gardening, good food, the simple life, and did she mention their grandsons?