I’m happy to welcome Carol James back to the blog. She has a devotional to share, as well as an introduction to her newest novel, Always and Only, which I know you’ll enjoy! You can find my review at the end of the post.
The Easter Surprise
by Carol James
The year was 1979, and we were moving into our first house. I was pregnant with our first child. And sick everyday…all…day…long. If I let myself get hungry, my stomach rebelled. So, I ate in self-defense. Any thing I could, any time I could, all day long. And added pound after pound. As one of my friends helped me unpack the kitchen items, my stomach churned, and I searched for something…anything…to eat. All we had was some butter, milk, and eggs we’d brought with us from our old apartment. We didn’t have a cooler, but we didn’t want to waste
anything, so I’d hand-carried the items in the car. The rest of the food was in boxes with my husband, in the back of a truck, on its way from our old apartment. So, barely cooked eggs it was.
We had moved to Georgia, away from our family in Texas, and now we’d moved across Atlanta from our church and most of our friends. My husband had changed jobs and would be traveling five days a week. I knew no one in the neighborhood, and I began to wonder if we’d made a mistake moving here. At a time that had so much to be joyous about, my life felt like a barren desert.
Time passed, and things were looking up. Our first daughter was born. I had adjusted (as much as I could) to my husband being gone from Monday through Friday every week. We loved our neighborhood. The people were warm and kind. We were young and many of our neighbors felt like parents to us. Plus I had begun to make some neighborhood friends. Before long, Easter
and the hope it brought would be here.
I stood in the kitchen washing dishes one morning, looking through the window at our tree-covered backyard…which we loved, since the landscape around our part of Texas was flat and pretty much treeless. I noticed that someone had thrown some purple paper into the edge of our ivy patch.
I went outside to get it, and as I neared, I discovered it was not paper, but purple
crocuses. A beautiful surprise I had no idea the Lord had waiting for me, at the right time, to find.
Isaiah 35:1-2 tells us:
The desert and the parched land will be glad; the wilderness will rejoice and blossom. Like the crocus, it will burst into bloom; it will rejoice greatly and shout for joy. The glory of Lebanon will be given to it, the splendor of Carmel and Sharon; they will see the glory of the Lord, the splendor of our God.
Every year when Easter nears and the crocuses begin to bloom, I remember this one spring and can’t wait to see the glory of the Lord and splendor of God in the tiny purple flower that brought me such joy and hope.
May the hope of Easter fill you with joy.
Thanks so much, Carol. I find it funny you still remember eating those eggs so many years later! I’ve seen lots of crocus recently here in Pennsylvania. I never noticed crocus were in the Bible!
Readers, keep reading to learn more about Carol’s latest novel.
Caleb Daniels returns home to Texas after his wife has an affair and asks him for a divorce. When he temporarily goes to work for an ex-fraternity brother, he’ s assigned to share an office with Aurora Prentiss. There’ s only one problem: Rory and Caleb were high school sweethearts, but to please her father, Rory ended her relationship with Caleb soon after graduation.
Aurora Prentiss never stopped loving Caleb, but has always felt a filial respect to her father that makes her bend to his will. When Caleb returns, Rory thinks this may be her chance to make things right with him. The only problem? She’s engaged to a man chosen by her father.
Will Caleb be able to forgive the woman who broke his heart years ago? And if he does, will Rory be willing to risk her relationship with her father, cancel the wedding to the fiancé she doesn’t love, and finally make a life with the only man she’ s always loved?
You can find Carol at the following hangouts online, and also find the links to purchase her latest story.
Carol’s Website: CAROL JAMES – Home
Facebook: http://facebook.com/CarolJamesAuthor
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/caroljamesauthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CarolJamesAuth
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/19149238.Carol_James
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/carol-james
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3duHqKc
Newsletter Signup: https://www.carol-james.com/staying-in-touch.html
Book Links:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Always-Only-Carol-James-ebook/dp/B0DYN6LQMF/
Pelican: https://pelicanbookgroup.com/ec/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=37_46&products_id=1703
Carol James has done it again! The story was so engaging I had to keep reading, even when I told myself I would only read “one more chapter.” I love how Carol James crafts her characters, creating such a deep, relatable connection.
What I loved most about Always and Only was how the characters weren’t perfect—they felt like real people with real struggles, which made them so much easier to relate to. Rory was trying to live according to what she felt was God’s plan for her life. That struggle between desire, faith, and real-world challenges was portrayed so well. Rory tried to balance what she felt was God’s will with her desire to please her earthly father, without thinking about what she wanted. And Caleb may have made some mistakes in his previous relationship, but he’s absolutely the kind of guy who deserves a second chance.
Another highlight was the way the book dealt with the subtle red flags about Rory’s fiance. It was done in such a natural, believable way, without over-dramatizing the situation. Those little moments of doubt were woven into the story. It wasn’t about big, obvious drama; instead, it was the quiet, nagging feeling of something not being quite right.
As always, Carol James has written a beautifully crafted story with compelling characters that I could really connect with. I appreciated how everything felt genuine and heartfelt. If you enjoy stories with a journey toward growth and faith, this one is absolutely worth staying up late for.
Karen, Thank you so much for letting me visit your blog and share about hope and crocuses!
I just finished reading Always and Only, and I love it! I love reading all the reviews because I see how Carol James’ characters touch each reader differently. For me, it was the sassy sister and the protective but loving father. I didn’t have that experience as a child, and to read Carol’s portrayal of Rory’s dad really comforted me. It was a doorway into what could have been. Thank you, Carol James for sending out a message of God’s love through your writing. Thanks Karen, for an engaging blog.
Suzy, thanks so much for your kind words. I’m glad you liked the post. Thanks for stopping by.
Thank you so much, Suzy. I’m glad you enjoyed the characters. I appreciate your kind words.
What a lovely post. I have always been partial to the crocus, the earliest flower of spring.
I enjoyed your book very much 🙂
Me, too, Jean. The flowers are such a welcome sign of new life after the doldrums of winter. Thanks for stopping by.
Yes, Jean, they are a little emblem of hope after the bleakness of winter.