by Andrea Christenson, @AndreaC_Author
In the traditional Christian calendar the month of December isn’t actually Christmas season, instead it is Advent. A time when we look forward, or ahead, toward Christmas, the day we celebrate the birth of Jesus. The four weeks leading up to Christmas Day are filled with preparations, both physically and spiritually.
We buy presents, attend parties, and wish each other good tidings, but it is not until the 25th of December when Christmas truly begins.
As the winter overtakes us, bringing us nearer to the longest night of the year, we look forward to the lights and excitement of Christmas. And, it is usually worth the wait.
What an apt picture of the life of the writer.
We spend a long “advent” season preparing ourselves for our breakthrough. We buy writing guides, attend conferences, and work hard on our craft. Some of us even dare to tell others that we are an author.
Those days of preparation can feel long, like the winter in our soul is getting darker. We are looking for an agent or trying to land a publisher. We are struggling to finish our heart’s novel, or even just a simple blog post.
But then…
A far off chorus of angels begins to sing. Twinkle lights appear everywhere we look. We’re pretty sure we can even smell a hint of sugar cookies.
Because, one phone call or letter or email or moment of inspiration changes everything. That long season of waiting, of preparation, of doubt is over and the celebration begins.
So, if you are in a season of Advent, take heart, dear ones, Christmas morning is coming!
What are you waiting for today?
He just wants to erase his past. She can’t seem to escape hers. But facing it might put their future in jeopardy.
The day Jack Stewart walked out of jail, he vowed to keep his conviction a secret. The whole thing was just a terrible mistake, and he did his time. Now he wants a new life in a sleepy town where no one knows his name. Deep Haven is the perfect place to start over as a chef. The last thing the former pararescue jumper wants is to get involved. But when Boone Buckam—the guy he owes for getting him out of the slammer—asks for help, how can he refuse?
Colleen Decker has already escaped evil once—as a teenager, she was kidnapped by a murderer. But she’s put all that behind her as a trauma nurse in Minneapolis. Or maybe not, because a freak mistake in the ER sends her past crashing down on her. She needs a timeout in her hometown of Deep Haven. She doesn’t plan to stay—even when she’s roped into the job of flight nurse for the town’s Crisis Response Team chopper. Colleen’s not sure why she’s drawn to danger, but she’ll be safe enough—after all, she’ll need training, and her teacher is a handsome former pararescue jumper. What could go wrong?
When Jack said he didn’t want to get involved, he especially meant his heart—but being with Colleen feels like a fresh start. He’ll even climb aboard a chopper again, despite his vows. They’re headed for a happy ending…
But secrets never stay buried in a small town. And when disaster strikes one snowy night, they’ll both have to decide if the past will destroy them…or if it just might lead them home.
Cozy up to this perfect Deep Haven drama about discovering a season of second chances.
Andrea Christenson lives in Minnesota with her husband and two daughters. When she is not busy homeschooling her girls, she loves to read anything she can get her hands on, bake bread, eat cheese, and watch Netflix—though not usually all at the same time. You can connect with Andrea on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and on her website www.AndreaChristenson.com