Today we start a new month, Sentimental September, where guests will share good advice they have received. My guest today is Author Carrie Turansky who shares the “unspoken” advice from her mother-in-law. Here’s Carrie:

“My mother-in-law, Shirley, is one of the strongest and bravest women I’ve ever known. Since we met thirty-three years ago, she has been a wonderful example and an inspiring mentor for me. Shirley and her husband, John, were in the ministry together for almost 50 years. They planted churches, led hundreds of people to the Lord, and encouraged and discipled countless others. Though Shirley has been committed to helping many people in their churches over the years, her main focus has always been loving and caring for her family. I’ve learned much from Shirley. Sometimes she passes on wisdom to me through helpful hints in conversation or sage advice in an email. But her most powerful lessons have been caught through her example.

She has shown me how to nurture my children, cook healthy and beautiful meals, make every holiday special, exercise and stay active, and greet each day with a smile and a positive attitude. Those are valuable lessons I will never forget. But keeping that positive attitude hasn’t always been easy for Shirley.

Five years ago John suffered a stroke that totally altered their lives. Shirley manages everything now, from car maintenance to house repairs, and she never complains. She lovingly sets out John’s clothes each day and helps him stay on a schedule that makes him comfortable. Though she never expected her life would take this turn, she keeps her focus on loving her family ad trusting her Savior. And that is a beautiful example of love and faithfulness I try to follow.

Shirley’s trust in God through the storms in her life inspired me to create my heroine, Rachel Thornton, in the novella “A Shelter in the Storm.” Like Shirley, Rachel faces life-altering trials, and she must decide if she will put her hope and trust in God or give in to fear and despair. I hope you will pick up a copy of A BLUE AND GRAY CHRISTMAS and enjoy Rachel’s story. Please visit my website for more information about my books, sample chapters, delicious recipes, family photos, writing tips, articles related to topics in my books, and much more.

Surrender yourself to the forces of love in four engaging Civil War Christmas romances. Join up with Leah Woods as she searches for her missing fiancé in Fredericksburg, Virginia. Stick to your guns with Arabella Lambert as she pledges her allegiance to pacifist Barry Birch, a man labeled a coward. Ride out the storm with Rachel Thornton as she resists her attraction to the wounded artist James Galloway. Saddle up with Confederate-born Hannah McIntosh as she falls for Chris Haley, an embittered Union soldier. Can these couples forge an everlasting union in the tide of civil war?”–Carrie

Sounds like four great holiday stories and a great gift idea of another lady too. Thanks, Carrie. –Lyn