My guest today is Author Barbara Phinney who has written for Love Inspired and now has–just like me–dipped into the new possiblities in self-publishing with an ebook, Souvenirs. First Barbara wants to share her experience on short mission trips to Bolivia and then she’d like to give one of you a coupon for a copy of her ebook, Souvenirs. Here’s Barbars:

“Strong Women! We all love to read about them, but you never fully know a truly strong woman until you minister to a woman in a third world country. I’ve been on 2 mission trips to Bolivia and met such women as this. The last time, we were blessed to work with a prison ministry. Some of these women are in conflict with the law, and some their husbands are so. But the children they invariably have make these women strong.

One woman I met on my first trip lived in a tiny shack, so small that she had to ask her neighbour to allow her 3 year old daughter to sleep in their equally small shack because the single bed in hers could only hold herself, her son and her infant daughter. She worked part time, and hadn’t seen her husband in years. My thoughts wandered to her baby. How did she become pregnant? I don’t know the truth, and would give the woman the privacy she deserves, but it spoke so clearly that this woman was indeed strong, brave, and trying her best to give her children what they needed and deserved. Thankfully, the last time I visited, I met up with her son, and they had moved into a bigger home, where they could all live together.  His mother had a steady income, now.

The other women I met lived in prison with their husbands, sent their children to the Casa De La Amistad, and each day, bravely faced the world around them.

My heroine in Souvenirs is not poor, nor does she live in a third world country, but Anna faces a similar situation. Her estranged husband has been murdered and she is the only suspect. Unless she learns to be brave, to trust God as many of the Bolivian women I met try to, she will crumble.  It’s not easy for her, but when her mysterious neighbor, Brent, forces her to stand up for herself, and to remind herself that she’s worth something in God’s eyes, Anna learns she is brave.

Trust is hard, for third world women struggling under difficult circumstances, and even for you and me.

My heroine must learn it, and even my hero must learn to trust himself, too, if they are both to find the killer before he strikes again. We may not have dire circumstances, but we can still turn to God to help us. Ask Him and He will give. He promises that.

I’ve seen it work in women in Bolivia. In my own life, too. And I know it will work in yours. God’s blessings!”–Barbara

Souvenirs

When Anna LaBonte’s estranged husband is found murdered, she becomes the main suspect. Only one person is willing to help her, her mysterious neighbor, Brent Stirling. Brent knows the only reason he’s helping Anna is to ease the festering guilt inside of him. But when the events turn personal, and he finds himself falling for Anna, Brent knows he can’t walk away. But he may be risking their lives.

Bio

Barbara enjoys creative activities, and with her grown children about to leave the nest, she’s anticipating getting even more creative.
Having written romance for over 10 years, mostly with Harlequin, Barbara enjoys writing suspenseful stories that inspire, uplift and entertain.
Barbara lives with her husband, some chickens and barn cats in Southern New Brunswick, Canada.

Note from Barbara: “I would love to donate a copy of Souvenirs to one of your readers.”

Great, Barbara. My blog guests love free books! Now if you don’t have an ereader, you can read the book on your computer in PDF version. So please leave a comment, encouraging Barbara in her writing and mission work. Have any of you taken part in a short term mission trip? Tell us about it too. I know one of my followers, Juanita, has a granddaughter serving in the far east right now. Alyssa was a guest on my blog this summer. Please pray for her. Do any of you have a missionary you’d like prayers for? If so, please tell us about them so we can say a prayer for them too.–Lyn

For more about Barbara and her books:

www.barbaraphinney.blogspot.com

www.barbaraphinney.com

Souvenirs — some mementos can kill

an inspirational romantic suspense