New Year, New Directions by Angela Arndt

Standing at a Crossroads

Well, the first full week of the New Year is over. Did you make any resolutions this year? How many are bent? Any broken? Or are you still reeling from all the hits you took last year and can't even think about resolutions? (Honey, I know the feeling.)

Last Year's Problems
Last year, did you have to really lean into God’s love? We all know that sickness, financial losses, work problems are hard on your overall health, but did you know happy times like weddings and celebrations can cause exhaustion, too? Psychologists have developed an instrument to measure the amount of stress you feel. The Perceived Stress Scale (the link goes to a modified version) measures the ugly, the bad and yes, even the amount of good stress in your life (if there is such a thing as "good stress").

A New Direction for 2019
You probably don't need a tool to tell you that you're stressed.  If you look online, you’ll find about a million ways to reduce stress and we all know that all the knowledge in the world is on the Interest, right?

No. Nope. No way

Don't trust your problems with people you don't know. If you're looking for a way to make 2019 a better year, here are a few suggestions.

What the Bible Says
Here’s a great place to start:

1. Be consistent in living a godly life. Titus 2, Romans 12:2
2. Set godly priorities. Hebrews 13:5, Proverbs 16:3
3. Read your Bible. Joshua 1:8, Romans 10:17
4. Pray constantly. (Yes, all the time.) 1 Thessalonians 5:17, Romans 12:12
5. Exercise. (I know it’s a dirty word, but you’ve got to do it.) 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, Proverbs 31:17
6. Laugh every day. Proverbs 17:22, Psalm 118:24, Proverbs 31:25
7. Spend time with your true friends. Proverbs 17:17, Proverbs 13:20

Speaking of New Directions
Speaking of true friends, the hostesses and regular contributors of Seriously Write are genuine friends. I’ve been so blessed by them, their encouragement, and their prayers. That’s why it’s so hard to say goodbye to you all. This is my very last post for Seriously Write as a hostess. I’ve decided to take a little bit of my own advice and step back, cut back on a few things, focus more on others.

Whatever positive step you decide to make, I pray that this year will be a better year than last.

Hugs, y’all!

Angela (Angie) Arndt

Seriously, folks ...
If you're experiencing other symptoms like depression, anxiety or panic attacks, it may be time to talk to a professional. Ask your pastor, doctor, or even your friends for recommendations. There are also apps to connect you to therapists if you're overwhelmed. If you can't connect with one, try another. Don't live this year in pain. Make 2019 the year you do something positive to help you feel better about your life.

About the Author

Angela Arndt

Angela Arndt writes women’s fiction with a thread of romance, telling stories of strong, independent women in difficult situations set in small Southern towns. Her biggest hope is that she will encourage her readers to overcome their own “back roads” and find joy in the Lord again.  Represented by Rachelle Gardner of Books & Such Literary Agency, Angela has a Master’s Degree from the University of South Carolina and continues learning the craft of writing fiction through the American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) and Novel Academy. Connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, weekly on Joy on the Back Roads, and quarterly on Learn How To Write A Novel.
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Listening to the Lies by Zoe M. McCarthy

Books on writing tell us to identify the lie our protagonist believes. This lie creates anxiety and drives conflict. Usually, in the protagonist’s journey, she/he has an epiphany concerning the lie, and changes in her/his life follow.

Zoe M. McCarthy

Do we believe a lie? Has the lie caused conflict and anxiety in our lives? Could we begin a journey in which we grow and change as a fictional character does in her character arc? Could we create our own epiphany by stepping out of our own story and identifying that lie we believe? Or perhaps we already know what the lie is but we don’t want to put it on the table. We think it’s easier to ditch the truth and believe the lie.

I imagine we believe many lies. Most likely we wouldn’t need therapy to make changes. Often reading the Bible with an open mind can help us recognize what our old Self wants to believe.

But this believing-lies idea intrigued me. So I opened The Emotional Wound Thesaurus by Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi. For every type of wound they provide “False beliefs that could be embraced.” For some lies we might believe, I chose five wounds from The Emotional Wound Thesaurus and picked two lies that might manifest.

Identity Theft

False Beliefs:
“Trying to make a better life is useless because someone will just take it from me.”
“Predators are everywhere; I can’t trust my information with anyone.”

Infertility

False Beliefs:
“God knows I would be a bad parent; that’s why I can’t have children.”
“People will pity me if they find out, so it’s better to pretend I don’t want kids.”

Living with Chronic Pain or Illness

False Beliefs:
“My life will never be better than this.”
“I’m useless. I’d be better off dead.”

Failing to Do the Right Thing

False Belief:
“I’m a bad person.”
“I’m untrustworthy.”

Being Disappointed by a Role Model

False Belief:
“People are all hypocrites.”
“Why try to be a good person when no one else is?”

I can see how these false beliefs could produce anxiety and keep people from living the abundant life Jesus wants for us no matter what our circumstances.

The next time I suffer anxiety, I’ll ask myself what lie I’m believing at the moment. Then with the Holy Spirits help I’ll tell the lie to jump off a cliff. I’ll also remember Philippians 4:6:

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

What lies have you struggled with or seen others believe?

About the Author

A full-time writer and speaker, Zoe M. McCarthy, author of The Putting Green Whisperer, The Invisible Woman in a Red Dress, Gift of the Magpie, and Calculated Risk, writes contemporary Christian romances involving tenderness and humor. Believing opposites distract, Zoe creates heroes and heroines who learn to embrace their differences. When she’s not writing, Zoe enjoys her five grandchildren, teaching Bible studies, leading workshops on writing, knitting and crocheting shawls for a prayer shawl ministry, gardening, and canoeing. She lives with her husband in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. Zoe blogs regularly at www.zoemmccarthy.com.

The Putting Green Whisperer

The Putting Green Whisperer by Zoe M. McCarthy

Suddenly unemployed, Allie Masterson returns home to Cary, North Carolina where she caddies for the father on the PGA Seniors Tour. There, she encounters a man who possesses an alluring gift of reading the contours of the green. Fascinated with his uncanny ability, Allie is excited to meet the Green Whisperer—until she discovers that the easygoing caddy is actually Shoo Leonard, the boy who teased her relentlessly when they were kids. Despite Allie's reservations, when Shoo is faced with having to overcome a hand injury, she agrees to use her sports science degree to become his trainer...and then she falls for him.



Shoo Leonard is grateful to Allie for her singular determination to get him ready for the PGA tour, but he isn't ready for anything more. Still raw from a broken engagement and focused on his career, he's content to be her fist-bumping buddy...but then he falls for her.



What seems like a happily-ever-after on the horizon takes a turn when Allie decides she's become a distraction to Shoo's career. Is it time for her to step away or can The Putting Green Whisperer find the right words to make her stay?

What Calms You Most? by Zoe M. McCarthy

My dear friend’s hip was in bad shape. She experienced much pain, especially at night. She could no longer sit on the floor with her great-grandchildren, and this devastated her. It determined her to schedule surgery for the love of her little ones. While she waited months for surgery, she didn’t let her pain keep her from coming to Bible Study. During the study, she told us that when she was with us deep in God’s word, her pain left her. The surgery went so well the doctor sent her home the following night. She has left me two phone messages. Praising God often, she said she no longer has pain, only soreness.

Zoe M. McCarthy

The bolded sentence above touched me and made me think of others in great physical or emotional pain.

Are you anxious, fearful, in pain, and sleepless?

Perhaps you have a

• book releasing in a few days,
• speaking engagement,
• pitch scheduled with an editor or agent,
• test results pending,
• surgery tomorrow,
• court appearance looming,
• appointment to face a foe,
• a child in the hospital,
• house inspection, or
• a trip on a rickety jeep in a foreign country.

Have you ever thought the following activities might calm you?

In God’s presence,

• shop for toys and school materials for four six-year-olds with a friend and together fill the children’s Operation Christmas Child boxes,
• gather with close friends, ask them to lay hands on you, and then tell humorous stories about each other,
• attend a Bible study that goes through a book of the Bible line by line,
• read Billy Graham’s and Corrie Ten Boom’s autobiographies or the biographies of George Müller, Oswald Chambers, or Eric Liddell.
• knit or crochet a shawl for someone that’s in a similar situation as you while watching inspirational movies,
• pray for the needs of a hundred people, then write notes to fifteen of the ones you prayed for,
• read through and pray the psalms, or
• memorize the twenty-third psalm and ten verses to recite in bed at night.

Pick one activity now and do it. If you’re concentrating hard enough, you won’t have room to host pain, fear, or anxiousness. May God bless you.

About the Author

A full-time writer and speaker, Zoe M. McCarthy, author of The Invisible Woman in a Red Dress, Gift of the Magpie, and Calculated Risk, writes contemporary Christian romances involving tenderness and humor. Believing opposites distract, Zoe creates heroes and heroines who learn to embrace their differences. When she’s not writing, Zoe enjoys her five grandchildren, teaching Bible studies, leading workshops on writing, knitting and crocheting shawls for a prayer shawl ministry, gardening, and canoeing. She lives with her husband in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. Zoe blogs regularly at www.zoemmccarthy.com.


Cooking Up Kisses (Five Sweetly Scrumptious Novellas)

Cooking Up Kisses (Five Sweetly Scrumptious Novellas)

LOVE ON A DARE BY MARY MANNERS
Alana Mulvaney’s life is in a holding pattern. Consumed by day-to-day operations of the family business, Alana has no time for fun or romance. But a little fun and a whole lot of romance is just what Alana’s sisters have in mind when they learn childhood friend Donovan O’Reilly has returned to town.

HUMMINGBIRD KISSES BY DELIA LATHAM
Toni Littlebird believes that when she meets the man God created for her, she’ll know—and she’ll love him in that very moment.
But then Dax Hendrick roars into Hummingbird Hollow on a noisy, crippled Harley, stinking up the air and chasing away her beloved hummingbirds. One look into the intruder’s eyes and her heart sinks. He’s “The One.” She’d been right about knowing, but wrong about something far more important: She will never love this man!

HEARTS ON THE HARBOR BY ROBIN BAYNE
Cara Peyton is content with her life, her trendy Baltimore bookshop is perfect for her. But when her ex turns up to remodel the store, asking for a second chance, she’s torn and unsure about risking her heart again. Can he convince her to trust him, and God, before the job is finished?

HIS VALENTINE PROMISE BY DORA HIERS
Another Valentine’s Day and Quinn Randolph prefers to spend it with her sweet rescue lab. Who needs men and their broken promises? Especially Pierce Karson’s! Years ago, his desertion shattered her. Now he’s trying to steal the property she targeted to expand her florist shop! Pierce only wants to belong…and for Quinn to choose him. His Valentine Promise…

THE INVISIBLE WOMAN IN A RED DRESS BY ZOE M. MCCARTHY
Candace Parks lives a passionless life in Richmond. The computer programmer returns to the empty family home in the Blue Ridge Mountains solely to evaluate her job, faith, and boyfriend. Her high school crush, Trigg Alderman, who barely remembers her, visits his Gram next door. Sorting her life out? How about nothing of the sort!É

You Can Wrap Anxious People in God’s Love by Zoe M. McCarthy

You can wrap anxious people in God’s love through your stories and various ministries. Here’s one successful ministry.

The Call. 

My call to start a prayer shawl ministry started with opening my big mouth. In our small rural church, my husband led a Sunday school lesson concerning service. At the end, he asked how we could serve people in our community. The class began the normal discussion. I thought talking about possibilities would be the end of the matter. So I said, “Why do we discuss it? Just do something.”

Right then, God told me to start a prayer shawl ministry for sick and hurting people in our community. Boy, was I convicted of my derisive comment. On overload with a full-time writing ministry and other ministries, I wanted to argue, but I knew I was the one to start this ministry. I’d been a member of a prayer shawl ministry in my prior city church.

Start up. 

God didn’t give me the call then desert me. He showed me that the people who participated in the ministry in any fashion could grow in faith and caring service. The ministry isn’t for the sick and hurting alone. In announcing the ministry in our six-charge churches, I asked church members to invite anyone in the community who enjoyed knitting, crocheting, or quilting.

Process. We meet once a month, bring in our completed shawls, share patterns, and enjoy fellowship. As we work on shawls, we use the prayer list in the charge-wide bulletin and word-of-mouth suggestions for identifying people inside and outside the community who need God’s love. We lay our hands on the new shawls and pray for the people who will receive them. I tie a card to the shawls that gives our church contact information and the following message. We have laid our hands on this shawl and prayed that God’s grace be upon you. May you be wrapped in hope, joy, peace, comfort, and love.

Participants. 

One, who is now with Jesus, was a faithful knitter for two years from age ninety-three to ninety-five. She created sixteen shawls. We named our ministry after her. Three are recent widows. Two are community members that don’t attend one of our charge churches. Two are snowbirds from Florida. Another lives in an adjacent state, a participant’s sister. Two women learned to crochet and now make beautiful shawls. A woman and her husband, who don’t knit, crochet, or quilt are excited to help deliver our shawls and pray with the recipients.

In between meetings, we often invite Sunday school classes, our congregation, Bible study attendees, or women’s group members to come and lay hands on and pray over shawls we want to deliver to others.

I’m convinced our prayer shawl ministry nurtures its participants and others we enlist to get involved, giving them a purpose and a way to share God’s love.

Recipients. 

Anyone needing a helping of love may receive a shawl. We have delivered shawls to our rural community and the three small cities near us. We’ve sent some to people out-of-state. Even though we don’t tell recipients who made the shawls or expect anything in return, we have a fat envelope containing thank-you notes that often tell stories of how the shawls and quilts have ministered to the recipients. One gentleman with terminal cancer always kept his shawl with him and often read the message on its attached card.

The item of love doesn’t have to be shawls. I know and have participated in ministries that collect inspirational books from authors to give to people in prisons, to libraries in third world countries, and to people in hospitals. Like for the shawl ministry cards, loving messages can be written in the front of the books by the authors.

What ministries have you been part of that wrap anxious people in God’s love?

About the Author

Zoe M. McCarthy

A full-time writer and speaker, Zoe M. McCarthy, author of The Invisible Woman in a Red Dress, Gift of the Magpie, andCalculated Risk, writes contemporary Christian romances involving tenderness and humor. Believing opposites distract, Zoe creates heroes and heroines who learn to embrace their differences. When she’s not writing, Zoe enjoys her five grandchildren, teaching Bible studies, leading workshops on writing, knitting and crocheting shawls for a prayer shawl ministry, gardening, and canoeing. She lives with her husband in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. Zoe blogs regularly atwww.zoemmccarthy.com.

 Cooking Up Kisses (Five Sweetly Scrumptious Novellas)

LOVE ON A DARE BY MARY MANNERS
Alana Mulvaney’s life is in a holding pattern. Consumed by day-to-day operations of the family business, Alana has no time for fun or romance. But a little fun and a whole lot of romance is just what Alana’s sisters have in mind when they learn childhood friend Donovan O’Reilly has returned to town.

HUMMINGBIRD KISSES BY DELIA LATHAM
Toni Littlebird believes that when she meets the man God created for her, she’ll know—and she’ll love him in that very moment.
But then Dax Hendrick roars into Hummingbird Hollow on a noisy, crippled Harley, stinking up the air and chasing away her beloved hummingbirds. One look into the intruder’s eyes and her heart sinks. He’s “The One.” She’d been right about knowing, but wrong about something far more important: She will never love this man!

HEARTS ON THE HARBOR BY ROBIN BAYNE
Cara Peyton is content with her life, her trendy Baltimore bookshop is perfect for her. But when her ex- turns up to remodel the store, asking for a second chance, she’s torn and unsure about risking her heart again. Can he convince her to trust him, and God, before the job is finished?

HIS VALENTINE PROMISE BY DORA HIERS
Another Valentine’s Day and Quinn Randolph prefers to spend it with her sweet rescue lab. Who needs men and their broken promises? Especially Pierce Karson’s! Years ago, his desertion shattered her. Now he’s trying to steal the property she targeted to expand her florist shop! Pierce only wants to belong…and for Quinn to choose him. His Valentine Promise…

THE INVISIBLE WOMAN IN A RED DRESS BY ZOE M. MCCARTHY
Candace Parks lives a passionless life in Richmond. The computer programmer returns to the empty family home in the Blue Ridge Mountains solely to evaluate her job, faith, and boyfriend. Her high school crush, Trigg Alderman, who barely remembers her, visits his Gram next door. Sorting her life out? How about nothing of the sort!

Your Choice: Anxiety or Peace by Zoe M. McCarthy

Zoe M. McCarthy

Have you ever felt guilty after reading Philippians 4:6-7?

⁶ Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. ⁷ And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

You’ve prayed, petitioned, and thanked God and then still feel rattled. You wonder if you’re not sincere enough. And you may wonder why 1 Peter 5:7 seems like it wasn’t meant for you.

⁷ Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

You’ve burdened Jesus with your anxieties, but still feel restless.

For me, I’ve learned one major reason anxiety remains. Before I share my revelation, let’s review what Jesus has told us about His peace.

³³ “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. ~John 16:33

Truth: Jesus possesses the peace we need. When we’re in Him, we can have His peace.

²⁷ Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. ~John 14:27

Truth: Jesus gives us divine peace.

I picture Jesus extending to me the special peace found in Him alone, the peace that transcends all understanding. I have a choice. I can receive Jesus’ peace that He holds out to me, or I can ignore it and wonder why I’m still anxious.

Jesus’ peace is right in front of me; I simply must receive it. But I can’t receive Jesus’ peace if I’m determined to obsess over my problem. When I do that, my mind and body have no room for peace, and I’m certainly not actively receiving Jesus’ peace. My problems blot out Jesus standing right in front of me offering His peace. It’s my fault that I’m ignoring Him and His heavenly peace.

When my mind churns like the arms of a drowning person, I remind myself that no one else is responsible for that activity except me. This usually happens when a thorny problem wakes me at night. Now, when this happens, I have a routine. Your routine may be different. But I’m convinced, it’s all about receiving the peace Jesus so freely gives.

• I get comfortable,
• take a few cleansing breaths,
• recite slowly the twenty-third psalm, picturing my Shepherd,
• say from my soul, “Jesus, I receive Your peace. I receive Your all-surpassing peace,” and then
• take His peace into my heart and mind. 

Sometimes, I immediately feel Jesus’ peace in my chest. My arms and legs become heavy and still. My mind calms. Other times, when I allow my thoughts to return to the problem, I may say “Jesus, I receive your peace,” a few hundred times, because too many repetitions are said by rote. But as I focus more and more on receiving and taking in Jesus’ peace, His peace manifests and my whole body and mind are at peace.

Let me testify here. Once I receive Jesus’ peace, it’s awesome. Jesus’ peace guards my heart and mind. Sometimes I tingle with it, and sometimes I’m dead still. And I always fall asleep.

In the morning, my spikey problem seems much smaller.

How could you picture Jesus giving you His peace, and then receive it?

About the Author

A full-time writer and speaker, Zoe M. McCarthy, author of The Invisible Woman in a Red Dress, Gift of the Magpie, and Calculated Risk, writes contemporary Christian romances involving tenderness and humor. Believing opposites distract, Zoe creates heroes and heroines who learn to embrace their differences. When she’s not writing, Zoe enjoys her five grandchildren, teaching Bible studies, leading workshops on writing, knitting and crocheting shawls for a prayer shawl ministry, gardening, and canoeing. She lives with her husband in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. Zoe blogs regularly at www.zoemmccarthy.com.


Cooking Up Kisses (Five Sweetly Scrumptious Novellas)


LOVE ON A DARE BY MARY MANNERS
Alana Mulvaney’s life is in a holding pattern. Consumed by day-to-day operations of the family business, Alana has no time for fun or romance. But a little fun and a whole lot of romance is just what Alana’s sisters have in mind when they learn childhood friend Donovan O’Reilly has returned to town.

HUMMINGBIRD KISSES BY DELIA LATHAM
Toni Littlebird believes that when she meets the man God created for her, she’ll know—and she’ll love him in that very moment.
But then Dax Hendrick roars into Hummingbird Hollow on a noisy, crippled Harley, stinking up the air and chasing away her beloved hummingbirds. One look into the intruder’s eyes and her heart sinks. He’s “The One.” She’d been right about knowing, but wrong about something far more important: She will never love this man!

HEARTS ON THE HARBOR BY ROBIN BAYNE
Cara Peyton is content with her life, her trendy Baltimore bookshop is perfect for her. But when her ex turns up to remodel the store, asking for a second chance, she’s torn and unsure about risking her heart again. Can he convince her to trust him, and God, before the job is finished?

HIS VALENTINE PROMISE BY DORA HIERS
Another Valentine’s Day and Quinn Randolph prefers to spend it with her sweet rescue lab. Who needs men and their broken promises? Especially Pierce Karson’s! Years ago, his desertion shattered her. Now he’s trying to steal the property she targeted to expand her florist shop! Pierce only wants to belong…and for Quinn to choose him. His Valentine Promise…

THE INVISIBLE WOMAN IN A RED DRESS BY ZOE M. MCCARTHY
Candace Parks lives a passionless life in Richmond. The computer programmer returns to the empty family home in the Blue Ridge Mountains solely to evaluate her job, faith, and boyfriend. Her high school crush, Trigg Alderman, who barely remembers her, visits his Gram next door. Sorting her life out? How about nothing of the sort!É

Anxiety Prevention: Bind the Slave Driver by Zoe M. McCarthy

A few Sundays ago, I was frustrated. What I wanted to do was accept my husband’s offer to take one of our wonderful afternoon drives in the mountains. But I said I couldn’t.

Zoe M. McCarthy

Earlier this year, I’d learned my lesson about my Sabbath. I now reserve it for worship, rest, spending time with God, and loving on others. But I’m still figuring out what that looks like. That Sunday, I had planned to prepare something to send to my grandchildren, do my devotional I hadn’t done that morning, and read the Bible Scriptures and commentary for the evening Bible study. We wouldn’t have time before Bible study to enjoy God’s creation on a drive. No. I’d hole up in my room and complete those tasks.

My husband, the man who does most of the housework so I can hole up in my office and work five and a half days a week, accepted my plan, but I sensed his disappointment.

Then realization hit me. In my office five days a week from 5:30 AM to 6:00 PM, I read devotions, pray my lengthy prayer list, listen to God, develop the Bible study I teach (reading the Bible and commentaries), prepare my Sunday school lesson, and then work on my writing and platform tasks.

Did I, the slave driver, expect me to hole up in my office on Sunday because what I was doing was related to the Bible? Did God expect that of me?

And that loving on others, I wasn’t doing much of that on my husband during the week or Sunday.

So, after Sunday school and worship that Sunday, I told John, “Let’s go for that drive.” Traveling through fields, pastures, hills, valleys, mountains, and stopping for a moose munch ice cream cone at a small country store blessed us. We thanked God for the beauty of His earth.

I relished time with my husband, and the drive rested me.

At the evening Bible study, someone always reads the lesson’s scripture aloud. I enjoyed the lesson without the unnecessary pre-work I usually did. And I still put together something for my grandchildren.

We can avoid much anxiety if we tell the slave driver in us to take a rest at least one day of the week.

About the Author

A full-time writer and speaker, Zoe M. McCarthy, author of Gift of the Magpie and Calculated Risk, writes contemporary Christian romances involving tenderness and humor. Believing that opposites distract, Zoe creates heroes and heroines who learn to embrace their differences. When she’s not writing, Zoe enjoys her five grandchildren, teaching Bible studies, leading workshops on writing, knitting and crocheting shawls for a prayer shawl ministry, gardening, and canoeing. She lives with her husband in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. Zoe blogs regularly at www.zoemmccarthy.com.

Gift of the Magpie

Gift of the Magpie by Zoe M. McCarthy

Amanda Larrowe’s lack of trust sabotages her relationships. The English teacher and award-winning author of middle-grade adventure books for boys has shut off communication with friends and family to meet her January 2 book deadline. Now, in the deepest snow accumulation Richmond, Virginia has experienced in years, Camden Lancaster moves in across the street. After ten years, her heart still smarts from the humiliating aftermath of their perfect high school Valentine’s Day date. He may have transformed into a handsome, amiable man, but his likeability doesn’t instill trust in Amanda’s heart. When Cam doesn’t recognize her on their first two encounters, she thinks it’s safe to be his fair-weather neighbor. Boy, is she wrong.

Purchase link for Gift of the Magpie: https://www.amazon.com/Gift-Magpie-Zoe-M-McCarthy-ebook/dp/B073M8X4YZ/