Thursday, August 10, 2023

About the Book

Book: Love’s True Calling

Author: Lori DeJong

Genre: Contemporary Christian Romance

Release Date: June 27, 2023

After years of jumping through other people’s hoops to be all they thought she should be, and enduring a tragedy no mother should, self-described “newbie” Christian, Harper Townsend, has finally found her true calling … and her true love. Until it appears that to follow one may mean leaving the other behind.

Adolescent Psychologist, Wyatt McCowan, is beyond delighted to have the-girl-that-got-away back in his life, and his heart. But even as they fall more in love, he realizes that being obedient to God’s calling on each of their lives may pull them apart. She rejected him once in favor of another, which left him hurt and angry. But this time, he can’t fault her for following hard after the God she loves with all her heart, even if it means leaving him once again.

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Lori enjoys writing stories full of grace and the redemptive power of God’s love that inspire hope, joy, laughter, and perhaps even touch a soul or two to get to know Him better. She resides in Georgetown, Texas, with her husband and two fur-babies and is the mother of one grown daughter. Love’s True Calling is the 2022 winner of the ACFW Genesis Award for Romance.

More from Lori

I’ve had a dream for a very long time. In fact, I had this dream long before I was even doing anything to achieve it! Turns out I’ve wanted to be a published author since the 1990’s. And I didn’t even start writing, join writers’ groups, or attend conferences to learn the craft until 2002. Something inside me apparently knew more than I did when I put on my 1996 long-term goals list: To be a published author.

Fast forward to 2023 and my debut novel is being published. I’m not great at math, but even I know that’s A LOT of years that have gone by since I first identified that long-term goal. So the take-away from that should be, if you set a goal, no matter what it is, make a plan. Immediately. Not years later. Seriously. Don’t be me.

So, I chugged away at this writing goal for a few years, until my husband was laid off when the economy tanked in 2009 and our lives turned upside down. I didn’t write again until 2020, when we found ourselves empty-nesters and I started listening once again to those voices in my head begging me to write their stories.

Which brings me to how my first published novel was born. Would you believe it was homework? True story! When I came back to writing in 2020, I needed to re-hone my skills. So I took an online class that required us to plot an entire manuscript based on our characters’ motivations. What do they want out of life and why do they want it?

That’s how I came up with Wyatt, the high school geek now an accomplished and handsome college professor and adolescent psychologist, and Harper, the high school Miss Everything who’d weathered plenty of storms in her life before going back to school a decade after graduation to finally get her degree. What happens when Wyatt sees the girl who broke his teenage heart sitting in his class?

I plotted out this story as homework, never intending to write it. But I fell in love with these two and they were clamoring for me to tell their story. Two years later, that story won the ACFW Genesis award and is now being published by Scrivenings Press. Best takeaway from that? Never. Ever. Give. Up.

Who knew that a class assignment could bring about the realization of a twenty-some-odd-year-old goal? Make a dream come true? God did. And I’m so glad I listened to Him as I put this story to paper.

I hope you’ll read and enjoy Love’s True Calling, a story of love rediscovered, the joy of finding purpose, and the blessing of obedience.

MY REVIEW

This story is an easy read and flows well. I loved Harper because Harper has finally started listening to God for her direction. It was funny how she returns to college years later only to run into an old friend. Well I don’t know if I would call Wyatt just a friend. As you read more you discover the history these two have . The backstory on them is pivotal to the book because it lays a foundation of their relationship. It shows how forgiveness can lead to being free from negative thoughts.

The best part of the story for me is when Harper volunteers at ConnectUp. Wyatt is a big part of the organization and at times Harper wasn’t sure he wanted her there. The at risk teens they minister to have real issues and I love how the author handles subjects like depression, suicide, self image, abusive relationships and bullying. Bring a part of the meeting after the kids leave, Harper becomes intrigued by the ministry, I like how Wyatt explains that they use terms that the teens will understand. They break down scripture so it is relatable to them at their level. What a great way to reach the youth and also give personal examples so they see that you do understand what they are going through.

Harper has overcome a tragedy in her life that I didn’t suspect at all. As she talks about it, I felt tears forming and was hoping for her to let go of her pain. In the tough times she seemed to be alone because she didn’t know how to express her feelings. She was surrounded by family but the pain was overwhelming for her. Now it makes sense why she is so drawn to kids. She has a lot to offer but something is holding her back? Is Wyatt not sure she can be trusted? Is he afraid that she will not be able to minister without saying the wrong words? He needs to accept that Harper is not the same person he knew in high school.

The author deals with one particular subject that I am certain we have all faced. Bullying is something that damages a person emotionally and can push them over the edge. When Harper finds out what happened to someone she knew in high school her heart drops. Wyatt all this time has blamed her for being a part of something she had no idea about. I know what it feels like to be bullied in school. I hated going to high school where everyday I was faced with a group of girls who tortured me with their hurtful words. I appreciate how the author talks about bullying in the story and the effects it can have on someone.

This story is such a good look at following your direction from God. Harper struggles trying to figure out if she is being called to ministry. She still feels like she would be letting her parents down if she walked away from a degree. Wyatt is very encouraging and together they start to heal from their past. I loved how the author uses these two characters to illustrate how we can carry hurt for years without realizing that we judged someone unfairly.

I didn’t realize how much this story affected me until the end. Our past can hold us back if we allow it. Harper and Wyatt are good examples of learning to forgive and letting go of the past. Do Harper and Wyatt end up together? Will their paths connect or divide as they each seek God for their future? Don’t miss this powerful story of redemption, opening doors to helping teens and second chances.

“If given to the Lord to use as He sees fit, He’ll turn all of that ugliness into something beautiful.”

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