A few years ago, I was walking through our church sanctuary when I overheard a group talking. They mentioned books, and how they were transformed by them. One of the women exclaimed that of course, she meant through the Bible and Bible studies. Fiction books? Her face scrunched. She made it clear fiction books had no place in her world when it came to her growth in Christ.
That hit hard because writing fiction is the call on my life. More specifically, writing contemporary, Christian romance is my ministry. I believe God created me to write stories with flawed characters who not only find each other, but Jesus. Each of my books carries a surrender message as well as a chocolate message. After all, my tagline is “Surrendering the good, the bad, and—maybe one day—the chocolate.”
In my new series, Surrendering Hearts, the overall premise is: What if a family with a unique birth story stays in the national spotlight due to tragedy? I created the Hart sextuplets and each sibling will have their own book to discover their own identity as well as find a love like the one their parents shared.
In Anchored Hearts, Jordyn is the oldest sextuplet and she’s taken care of everyone as long as she can remember. She reminds her father to take his cholesterol medication. Before she prepared for prom, she was curling Paige’s hair and straightening Ryan’s tie. Now that they are young adults, everything is changing, and Jordyn is lost. On top of that, her job is transitioning. She is now the co-anchor of the local morning show with a colleague going through his own crisis. The chemistry between them is amazing, but they both need to let go of their desire to control everything.
I loved writing Anchored Hearts because God took me through that journey first. I lost a complete year writing the story because my mom needed care and I left home to do so for two months. She recovered, only to suddenly pass. I never had control, but the surrender process as I navigated the trauma everyone went through in her sickness, followed by the shock of her death and the need for me to close her affairs nearly broke me. Surrendering to Christ wasn’t easy, and I am someone who has been in the faith for decades.
There are readers who reach for fiction for escape, and I get that. My heart is to give you even more. More than a swoon-worthy hero and a clean romance. Spencer Collins re-discovers his faith in Anchored Hearts. Jordyn realizes what her parents set as their foundation is exactly what she needs, Jesus. I don’t take for granted that God gives me the honor to type out these stories that I believe started with Him.
I love participating in Bible studies. I need His word every day. But I am blessed to write contemporary romance that can display Biblical principles through the surrender lens for readers.
Can two go-getters surrender their need to control and find a happily-ever-after?
Jordyn Bell Hart succeeds in everything she does. Her promotion to morning show co-anchor blossoms her career in the same way her mother’s work had. Jordyn keeps tabs on her family and enjoys helping them grow. When life around her starts to change, can she surrender her desire to control?
Spencer Collins knows how to balance a busy life. He has his work as a reporter, his time caregiving for his grieving father, and looking out for his little brother. When he learns he’s the new co-anchor of a morning show with Jordyn Hart, can he handle working with a celebrity who brings a lot of challenges to life on and off the set?
Buy the book here: Kindle | Softcover
Julie Arduini loves to encourage readers to find freedom in Christ by surrendering the good, the bad, and—maybe one day—the chocolate. She’s the author of the new contemporary romance series SURRENDERING HEARTS (Anchored Hearts, Repairing Hearts, +four more.) Her other romance series is SURRENDERING TIME (Entrusted, Entangled, Engaged.) She also co-wrote a YA series with her daughter, SURRENDERING STINKIN’ THINKIN’ (You’re Beautiful, You’re Amazing, You’re Brilliant.) Her stand-alone romances include MATCH MADE IN HEAVEN and RESTORING CHRISTMAS. Julie maintains a blog at juliearduini.com and participates in the team blog Christians Read. She resides in Ohio with her husband and two children. Learn more by visiting her at http://linktr.ee/JulieArduini.
Jennifer, thank you so much for letting me share my thoughts here. I really appreciate it. Blessings to you!