About the Book

Title: Breath of Heaven

Author: Alana Terry

Genre: Contemporary Christian Fiction

Release Date: December 9, 2017

She hasn’t fallen out of love with her husband. She just can’t stand his church.

Nobody told Katrina being a pastor’s wife would be easy. But she never imagined that the stress she and her husband would face from his new job could so easily destroy their marriage.

In spite of her mother’s disapproval, Katrina marries a pastor whose job immediately plucks her away from her music, her symphony, and the city life she loves and plants her in the small town of Orchard Grove, Washington.

If she knew going into her new life that she’d be sacrificing her music career for a congregation full of gossips and backbiters and that the pressure of her husband’s new job would turn him into someone she hardly recognizes anymore, she might have reconsidered marrying him in the first place.

Unfortunately, it’s too late to do anything about that now.

Or is it?

About the Author

Alana is a pastor’s wife, homeschooling mom, self-diagnosed chicken lady, and Christian suspense author. Her novels have won awards from Women of Faith, Book Club Network, Grace Awards, Readers’ Favorite, and more. Alana’s passion for social justice, human rights, and religious freedom shines through her writing, and her books are known for raising tough questions without preaching. She and her family live in rural Alaska where the northern lights in the winter and midnight sun in the summer make hauling water, surviving the annual mosquito apocalypse, and cleaning goat stalls in negative forty degrees worth every second.

Guest Post from Alana Terry

I used to think being a pastor’s wife would be glamorous. Now I know better!

Although I’ve loved the different churches where my husband has been called to serve, being a couple in full-time ministry can definitely take its toll on a marriage.

Breath of Heaven is a novel in my Orchard Grove Christian women’s fiction series, which deals with real-life couples facing real-life issues. In Breath of Heaven, two newlyweds are thrown into the world of church politics, and the honeymoon period is quickly over.

I wrote this novel to give an inside peek at what it’s like if you’ve never been a pastor’s wife as well as to offer some hope and encouragement to women who know the stress of being married to someone in full-time ministry.

One of the things I like best about this author is how she takes a subject and writes honest and realistic stories that readers can relate to. I appreciate her transparency and compassion as she tackles subjects that are hard to talk about. As I started reading the book, I instantly started having memories of my dad. He was a baptist preacher and I remember how my brothers and I were under a microscope among the congregation. My mother was always this quiet person who obeyed whatever my dad said. We presented ourselves as this loving family  to the church .  What people didn't know was the dark secrets that were hidden from the church. 

Katrina is a wonderful character who wanted to make her husband proud of her. Her position as the pastor's wife was prestigious and the congregation watched her every move. The author portrayed Katrina  perfectly as she felt pressure from everywhere. There is always that one woman in the church who takes it upon herself to tell the pastor's wife what she thinks of how the church is running. Mrs. Porter maybe meant well, but  I felt she put a lot of pressure on Katrina. It is so easy to point fingers at someone else, so you don't have to address your downfalls. " The problem with sins was they were like dirty dishes. No matter how many you confess, there were still more to be forgiven for the next day."

Greg is a good character who wants to succeed as pastor so bad, that sometimes it interferes with his home life. I wondered if he would ever catch on that his wife was so unhappy. Gregg is focused on the elders, phone calls from the congregation at all hours of the day and trying to juggle a home life. There is also the gossip that goes on at church. There is no hiding from it, it is always lurking ready to pounce and cause friction in the church.  I loved how the author talked about control and acceptance. I have found it to be one of the hardest things to overcome especially in a church. Katrina wants to be accepted so bad, that she allows others to control her and ultimately make her insecure.

Bitterness creeps up on Katrina throughout the years and suddenly spills into her marriage. One of the key messages in this book is about communication , pride and forgiveness. The deeper Katrina felt trapped in her marriage and the guilt she feels, the more isolated she becomes.  Temptation sure has a way to enter our lives so innocently  that before we know it, we are trapped. Gregg and Katrina seem to drift apart. Will they be able to find their way back to each other? Can Katrina deal with her past and find peace? The book takes a look at sin in a way that allows readers to not feel condemned but allows us to know that we can be set free from sin. The key is to remember that when we hold in our sin, the enemy has a way to push you deeper into guilt and isolation. I loved how the story is centered on a pastor and his wife. We take for granted that they should always be there for their congregation, but forget they need  encouragement and prayer. Thank you for a book that everyone should read to better understand the pressure ministry can put on people.

I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit. The review is my own opinion.

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Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Alana is giving away a grand prize of books 1-3 in the Orchard Grove Christian women’s series (paperback or ebook)!!

Click below to enter. Be sure to comment on this post before you enter to claim 9 extra entries! https://promosimple.com/ps/d06f/breath-of-heaven-celebration-tour-giveaway