A FRAGILE HOPE - Cynthia Ruchti - One Free Book on This Blog, Plus More

Welcome back, Cynthia. As an author, I know it takes a lot of people to birth each book. Who were the people involved in the birthing of this book, and what were their contributions? 

Two women who may never know of their influence on this story stirred my heart and emotions during the research for A Fragile Hope. Their videos are online. I’d be happy to share the links with those who have read the book, if they contact me. To share them before they read A Fragile Hope would give too many spoilers. So all I can say is that their courage and determination in the face of unbelievable odds helped me know hope was possible in the situations Josiah and Karin faced in the story, the outrageous can be true, and what love looks like when it is stretched beyond recognition.

If you teach or speak. What’s coming up on your calendar?

I have several exciting events coming up in the next few months. In fact, it would almost be easier to tell you the days I’ll be home! I’m heading to Little Falls, Minnesota, at the end of April for a women’s afternoon event on the 25th, followed by a library event the next night—the 26th—from 6:30-8:00 in Upsala, Minnesota. They have a great library and librarian who is a big, big fan of Christian fiction. That Saturday, the 29th of April is a multi-author book signing at Bethany Books and Gifts in Baxter, Minnesota. Gabrielle Meyer will join me for that one.

In May, I’m journeying BACK to Minnesota to speak at a book club tea on the 7th, then the Minnesota Christian Writers’ Guild on the 8th. I’m speaking/teaching at the Cedar Falls Writers’ Workshop in early June, then leading worship and serving on faculty at the Write-to-Publish conference on the Wheaton College campus immediately after that. Toward the end of June, I’m serving at CBA’s UNITE gathering in Cincinnati. In July, I breathe. J

Sounds wonderful. If you had to completely start over in another place, where would you move, and why?

Since I live in the heart of Wisconsin, and spring is always slow in coming, I think I would choose someplace warmer with a longer growing season and avocadoes for 42 cents. San Diego is appealing, and it’s within driving distance of my birthplace—Oceanside. However, I would miss lilacs and a white Christmas.

If you could only tell aspiring novelists one thing, what would it be?

My counsel on this subject hasn’t changed a lot, despite the changes in the industry. I strongly advise connecting with ACFW—American Christian Fiction Writers—as one of many means by which to grow in the craft as a novelist. Attend conferences that offer education plus networking plus camaraderie with other writers (ACFW is a great example), and learn how to wait with grace. No matter the publishing path, waiting will always be part of the journey.

You’ve been asked to be in charge of a celebrity cruise. Who would you ask to take part, and why? (AS in what program, singers, etc. [it doesn’t have to be writing related])

Chip and Joanna Gaines (from HGTV’s Fixer Upper) would provide the program, entertainment, and humor. They’d let me talk about spiritual restoration a time or two. My family would use it as a reunion and provide the music. Only Chip and Joanna are celebrities, but it would still be fun.

I love that show and the fact that they’re so open about their faith and love their family. Tell us about the featured book.

A Fragile Hope is a story that asks the question, “Where does a relationship expert turn when his wife leaves him and can’t explain why?” Josiah Chamberlain’s life’s work is threatened by his wife’s unexplained distance—and then threatened further when she’s unexpectedly plunged into an unending fog. Josiah quickly finds that his expertise, quick wit, and clever quips are no match for a relationship that is clearly broken. Betrayed, confused, and ill-equipped for a crisis this crippling, he reexamines everything he knows about the fragility of hope and the strength of his faith and love

Please give us the first page of the book.

CHAPTER ONE

This wave of pain will pass. So will the next.

Life’s hard seasons rock us. Hold on.

Some years, spring comes early.

~ Seedlings & Sentiments
from the “When Sorry Isn’t Enough” Collection

She punched the blender’s Off button hard enough to rock the unit. Not good. All she needed was for that slurpy mixture to go flying across the shop. Maybe Josiah had a point about the blender noise. She couldn’t think with it whirring. How could she expect him to?

But thinking could be dangerous.

“I love this one.”

The voice came from behind her. She had no trouble discerning who it belonged to. She gripped the handle tighter to override the slick of her sweating palms.

“Karin, did you hear me? I said I really like this one.”

She lifted the blender pitcher from its base and held it close to her body. Not a traditional self-defense posture. With his work cap too far back on his head to hide the questioning crease in his forehead or the tuft of artificially bleached-blond hair that teased the creases, Wade Frambolt waited for her response.

“It’s part of our ‘When Sorry Isn’t Enough’ collection,” she said as casually as she could manage. “Still so new, the ink isn’t dry yet.” She should turn, empty the contents of the blender onto the mold-and-deckle screen prepped for it. She should.

Wade’s mouth drew up on one side. “I don’t know how you two keep coming up with these things. You find a way to express what people are thinking but don’t know how to say.”

Karin’s tension eased one notch on an emotional belt with its holes punched too close together. Not much help. “We’d better be able to do that, or we shouldn’t have gotten into this business.” Her nervous laugh belonged to a fourteen-year-old girl, not a business professional. With a husband.

Wade pulled at his lower lip. She followed the path of his gaze. The shop. Her shop. Seedlings and Sentiments.

Where can we find you on the Internet?

http://www.cynthiaruchti.com or http://www.hemmedinhope.com

http://www.facebook.com/CynthiaRuchtiReaderPage

http://www.twitter.com/cynthiaruchti

When your life's work revolves around repairing other people's marriages, what happens when your own marriage begins to fall apart? Find out what happens to Josiah Chamberlain in Cynthia Ruchti's new book, A Fragile Hope. Feeling betrayed, confused, and ill-equipped for a crisis this crippling, he reexamines everything he knows about the fragility of hope and the strength of his faith and love. Love seems to have failed him. Will what's left of his faith fail him, too? Or will it be the one thing that holds him together and sears through the impenetrable wall that separates them?

Celebrate the release of A Fragile Hope by entering to win Cynthia's Sign of Hope Giveaway!

One grand prize winner will receive:

• A copy of A Fragile Hope
• A metal wall scripture hanging

Enter today by clicking the icon below, but hurry! The giveaway ends on May 3. The winner will be announced May 4 on the Litfuse blog.

Thanks so much for this opportunity to touch base with your readers, Lena!

Thank you for sharing this new book with me and my readers. Your books deal with the hard stuff with grace and truth. All of them have changed my perspective in some way. That’s why readers come back to your books over and over.

Readers, here are links to the book. By using one when you order, you help support this blog.

A Fragile Hope - Christianbook.com
A Fragile Hope - Amazon
A Fragile Hope - Kindle

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