Promise for Tomorrow
By Michelle De Bruin
Christian Historical Romance
Paperback & ebook, 290 Pages
November 19th 2019 by Mantle Rock Publishing
Living a life of faith isn’t going the way Logan and Karen hoped until some special visitors arrive and offer them their future back.
Karen Millerson dreamed of teaching high school but now finds herself boarding with a farm family and teaching country school. She is engaged to marry Logan De Witt and is getting prepared to share in ministry with him. But when she gets blamed for the tragic fire at the school, Karen’s future grows uncertain.
Logan De Witt is working to clear his family’s name with the bank. But when he breaks his leg, hindering his ability to work the farm, Logan is faced with life-changing decisions. When his best friend can’t offer the help he requested, can Logan find a way to care for his family and court Karen at the same time before his love for her destroys all of them?
By Michelle De Bruin
Christian Historical Romance
Paperback & ebook, 290 Pages
November 19th 2019 by Mantle Rock Publishing
Living a life of faith isn’t going the way Logan and Karen hoped until some special visitors arrive and offer them their future back.
Karen Millerson dreamed of teaching high school but now finds herself boarding with a farm family and teaching country school. She is engaged to marry Logan De Witt and is getting prepared to share in ministry with him. But when she gets blamed for the tragic fire at the school, Karen’s future grows uncertain.
Logan De Witt is working to clear his family’s name with the bank. But when he breaks his leg, hindering his ability to work the farm, Logan is faced with life-changing decisions. When his best friend can’t offer the help he requested, can Logan find a way to care for his family and court Karen at the same time before his love for her destroys all of them?
(Affiliate links included.)
Author Interview
What was your motivation behind Promise for Tomorrow? Why did you want to write it?
My motivation was to tell a story based on actual events that happened in my family. This book is dedicated to my parents. They had to make the difficult decision, just like the hero did in this story, to sell the family’s farm ground. I witnessed their sense of loss and also their triumph in the years following the sale as they remained steady in their faith and true in their relationships. I wanted to write the story because I detected much potential for the sharing of testimony to the power of faith.
What do you hope readers take with them after they’ve read it?
I would like readers to take away from my book the message that faith wins. Every day. All the time. This is true because God is faithful, and he carries us through trouble to the beautiful plans that he has dreamed up for our lives. When everything seems to be going wrong, or things don’t turn out the way we expect them to, we can still rest in the promises God has made to us because he will deliver and work his plan in our lives in his own good time.
Do you have a favorite scene that you can share with us?
My favorite scene is the one where Logan’s mother is starting to catch on to his feelings for Karen. He and his mother are having their noon meal together when she starts to interrogate him. Sandy, the mother, thinks he has been acting like a young man in love. Logan wants to deny it because he is still trying to figure out how to court Karen when she occupies a room in his house as part of her boarding arrangement.
Here is an excerpt from the book which includes a bit of dialogue and Logan’s response:
After a few moments Mama murmured, “Oh, my goodness.” Her gaze returned to him. Joy radiated on her face. “You’ve gone and fallen in love with our own dear, sweet Karen, haven’t you?”
Logan bit his lip. Never in his wildest dreams did he see things coming to this. Mama really should mind her own business more often.
“This is tremendous!”
Apparently no answer form him meant a “yes” in his household.
“How long have you known?”
Mama always did have a way of pressing him into honesty. Boy, he wasn’t ready to expose the depths of his love for Karen. Not here. Not yet. Mama deserved to know, but not over a mundane meal of soup. And not while he was still in a cast. And certainly not while he still slept in the house. Couldn’t Mama at least wait to get curious until he and Karen had a few more details worked out?
Logan puffed out his cheeks with the breath he’d been holding. “Too long.” That about summed up all his struggles.
“Does Karen know?”
Oh, yes. Karen knew. He’d kissed her passionately enough the night he proposed to leave no question. He nodded.
Mama smiled wide. “Does anyone else know?”
“I hope not.”
Mama’s happiness faded. “You aren’t excited. Is something wrong?”
Logan paused. His hand trembled as he held his spoonful of soup midair. A bit of soup spilled over the edge and splashed into the bowl below like a trapeze artist from a circus he’d seen one summer while in seminary. The poor man had failed to maintain his precarious posture on the tightrope. Like Logan right now with Mama. He dropped the entire spoon and remaining helping of soup into his bowl with a clang. Impatience threatened to hijack his voice. “Mama. Karen shares my address, my kitchen table, and even my . . . my . . .” As much as it convicted him, Logan must spit it out. “Even my . . . my . . . up . . . upstairs.”
If you could sum up the book in one sentence, what would you say?
Living a life of faith isn’t going the way Logan and Karen hoped until some special visitors arrive and offer then their future back.
Share something about you that is unique.
My favorite food is pie. I eat it for breakfast when there is some on hand. Cherry, lemon, pumpkin, and strawberry are my favorites. My tastes change along with the seasons.
My motivation was to tell a story based on actual events that happened in my family. This book is dedicated to my parents. They had to make the difficult decision, just like the hero did in this story, to sell the family’s farm ground. I witnessed their sense of loss and also their triumph in the years following the sale as they remained steady in their faith and true in their relationships. I wanted to write the story because I detected much potential for the sharing of testimony to the power of faith.
What do you hope readers take with them after they’ve read it?
I would like readers to take away from my book the message that faith wins. Every day. All the time. This is true because God is faithful, and he carries us through trouble to the beautiful plans that he has dreamed up for our lives. When everything seems to be going wrong, or things don’t turn out the way we expect them to, we can still rest in the promises God has made to us because he will deliver and work his plan in our lives in his own good time.
Do you have a favorite scene that you can share with us?
My favorite scene is the one where Logan’s mother is starting to catch on to his feelings for Karen. He and his mother are having their noon meal together when she starts to interrogate him. Sandy, the mother, thinks he has been acting like a young man in love. Logan wants to deny it because he is still trying to figure out how to court Karen when she occupies a room in his house as part of her boarding arrangement.
Here is an excerpt from the book which includes a bit of dialogue and Logan’s response:
After a few moments Mama murmured, “Oh, my goodness.” Her gaze returned to him. Joy radiated on her face. “You’ve gone and fallen in love with our own dear, sweet Karen, haven’t you?”
Logan bit his lip. Never in his wildest dreams did he see things coming to this. Mama really should mind her own business more often.
“This is tremendous!”
Apparently no answer form him meant a “yes” in his household.
“How long have you known?”
Mama always did have a way of pressing him into honesty. Boy, he wasn’t ready to expose the depths of his love for Karen. Not here. Not yet. Mama deserved to know, but not over a mundane meal of soup. And not while he was still in a cast. And certainly not while he still slept in the house. Couldn’t Mama at least wait to get curious until he and Karen had a few more details worked out?
Logan puffed out his cheeks with the breath he’d been holding. “Too long.” That about summed up all his struggles.
“Does Karen know?”
Oh, yes. Karen knew. He’d kissed her passionately enough the night he proposed to leave no question. He nodded.
Mama smiled wide. “Does anyone else know?”
“I hope not.”
Mama’s happiness faded. “You aren’t excited. Is something wrong?”
Logan paused. His hand trembled as he held his spoonful of soup midair. A bit of soup spilled over the edge and splashed into the bowl below like a trapeze artist from a circus he’d seen one summer while in seminary. The poor man had failed to maintain his precarious posture on the tightrope. Like Logan right now with Mama. He dropped the entire spoon and remaining helping of soup into his bowl with a clang. Impatience threatened to hijack his voice. “Mama. Karen shares my address, my kitchen table, and even my . . . my . . .” As much as it convicted him, Logan must spit it out. “Even my . . . my . . . up . . . upstairs.”
If you could sum up the book in one sentence, what would you say?
Living a life of faith isn’t going the way Logan and Karen hoped until some special visitors arrive and offer then their future back.
Share something about you that is unique.
My favorite food is pie. I eat it for breakfast when there is some on hand. Cherry, lemon, pumpkin, and strawberry are my favorites. My tastes change along with the seasons.
My thoughts:
This is the first book that I have read by Michelle De Bruin but as soon as I saw the cover I just knew it would be a book that I would enjoy and after reading the description, I was even more convinced it would be an enjoyable read. Turns out I was absolutely right in my thinking because I thoroughly loved the story of Karen Millerson and Logan De Witt. This is the second book in the series which I didn't realize but there was never a point in the story where I felt lost or couldn't figure out what had happened in the past.
I love a clean, sweet romance with obstacles that the characters must overcome and this one has plenty of obstacles and plenty of faith to get through the hard times. I'm also a fan of books that a feature a one room schoolhouse in a small community because you know there will be a little drama and a few smiles in the storyline. There are characters I rooted for and some others who just annoyed me but in this book I always wanted Karen and Logan to live their best possible live because they deserved it after everything they went through.
I received a complimentary copy from the author but was under no obligation to post a review. All opinions are my own.
Other Books in the Series
Hope for Tomorrow
By Michelle De Bruin
Christian Historical Romance
Paperback & ebook, 294 Pages
October 23rd 2018 by Mantle Rock Publishing LLC
When Logan De Witt learns of his father’s sudden death, he returns home to the family’s dairy farm. During his stay, he discovers his mother’s struggle with finances and his younger sister’s struggle with grief. Concern for his family presses Logan to make the difficult decision to leave his career as a pastor and stay on the farm. As a way to make some extra money, he agrees to board the teacher for their local school.
Karen Millerson arrives from Chicago ready to teach high school but her position is eliminated so she accepts the role of country school teacher. Eager to put her family’s ugly past behind her, Karen begins a new career to replace the trust she lost in her own father who had been in ministry when she was a child.
Logan and Karen both sense a call from the Lord to serve him, but neither of them expected that one day they would do it together.
Can Karen learn to trust again? Will Logan lay aside his grief in exchange for God’s purpose for his life?
By Michelle De Bruin
Christian Historical Romance
Paperback & ebook, 294 Pages
October 23rd 2018 by Mantle Rock Publishing LLC
When Logan De Witt learns of his father’s sudden death, he returns home to the family’s dairy farm. During his stay, he discovers his mother’s struggle with finances and his younger sister’s struggle with grief. Concern for his family presses Logan to make the difficult decision to leave his career as a pastor and stay on the farm. As a way to make some extra money, he agrees to board the teacher for their local school.
Karen Millerson arrives from Chicago ready to teach high school but her position is eliminated so she accepts the role of country school teacher. Eager to put her family’s ugly past behind her, Karen begins a new career to replace the trust she lost in her own father who had been in ministry when she was a child.
Logan and Karen both sense a call from the Lord to serve him, but neither of them expected that one day they would do it together.
Can Karen learn to trust again? Will Logan lay aside his grief in exchange for God’s purpose for his life?
(Affiliate links included.)
About the Author
Michelle De Bruin lives in Iowa with her husband and two teenage sons. She has a bachelor’s degree in Religion with a Christian Ministry emphasis, and in Music. Michelle is the spiritual services provider for an organization that offers services for people with mental and physical disabilities. She has been a member of American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) since 2015. Michelle writes inspirational historical romance about people who live in rural communities. Characters that bring to life the delights of farm and small-town living, whispers of Dutch heritage, and Christian faith make Michelle’s stories distinct. A romantic at heart, Michelle is always on the lookout for glimpses of God’s love through the window of a good story. Her first book, Hope for Tomorrow, released in 2018. The sequel, Promise for Tomorrow, released November 2019.
Tour Giveaway
One winner will receive a signed print copy of Promise for Tomorrow, chocolates, and a winter-themed quilted table runner (US only)
Ends February 26, 2020
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