Deena Adams Inspires with her Book Stronger Than the Storm

 Join me in welcoming friend and award-winning Christian fiction author, Deena Adams, to the Diamond Mine! Deena's debut novel is an amazing testimony of God working in the struggles within a family. If you haven't had a chance to read it, treat yourself! You won't be disappointed. Without further ado, here's Deena! 

 As a Jesus girl for over thirty years, and a pastor’s wife for most of those, Deena Adams understands how important hope is to daily life. This belief fuels her passion to inspire others through hope-filled fiction based on true-life stories. She is a Certified Mental Health Coach, a multi-award-winning author, an active ACFW member, and a six-year ACFW Virginia board member.

First let’s learn a little bit about you. Can you share a few things about yourself that have nothing to do with writing?

Thank you so much for having me on your blog. I appreciate the opportunity to share about my debut novel. I grew up in Northwest Georgia, near Chattanooga, TN and met my husband in eighth grade. We married six months after high school graduation, and we'll celebrate our forty-fifth anniversary this December. We have three grown children and seven grandchildren.

In 1999, God called my husband to plant a church in Chesapeake, VA, two years before he retired from his twenty-year Navy career, and he still pastors that church. I've served as a ministry assistant there since the church started. I love it and I'm blessed to be part of a ministry that makes a difference for eternity.

What an amazing story! How blessed you are to have found each other so young. What drew you to write?

God planted a love for writing inside me many years ago, but it didn't blossom until 2018, after a two-year battle with grief and depression over a painful break my husband and I went through with our best friends and ministry partners. My counselor encouraged me to find something I enjoyed doing and pour my energy into that, so that's when I pursued writing novels. What started as therapy became a passion.

Isn't it amazing how that can happen? What’s your writing process?

To save myself from an extremely messy first draft, I've tried to become a plotter, but that hasn't worked out for me yet. My characters refused to follow my outline, and they always take over. I try to have a couple ideas for some major turning points in the story before I start writing, but even those change sometimes. So to answer your question . . . I'm ninety-five percent panster and five percent plotter. It's actually quite fun to find out where the story goes as I'm writing, but also a little scary.

I've had a very similar experience! I've almost given up and just let the characters do what they will (they're going to anyway ha!). How do you come up with your story ideas?

I've always been a fan of books, movies and television shows based on or inspired by true events, so that's what I write. The three manuscripts I've completed so far all have personal elements from my life within them.

That's awesome! I hope we get to hear a bit of the "story behind the story." I loved reading an early copy of “Stronger than the Storm” and I know a lot of readers are excited for it. Tell us about your new release.

This story is Christian Women's Fiction inspired by a personal experience we went through with a prodigal child twenty years ago. I didn't set out to write a book with so many hard topics, but as I wrote, the characters kept digging themselves deeper into a hole. I ended up with a novel that tackles family secrets, betrayal, domestic violence, crisis pregnancy, a teen runaway, marital strife, an a distressing DNA element.

Although I didn't originally intend for my book to be so weighty, the issues addressed are important to talk about, because life is messy and people deal with lots of hard stuff—even in the church.

Those in the trenches need to know they're not alone, and I think my book offers

encouragement and hope for readers who feel like they might not survive the

storm they're facing.

The topics are heavy, but you handle them well. Are there certain themes explored in the story?

Oh, yes. As I mentioned in the previous question, this story delves into a lot of hard

topics, so there are naturally quite a few themes that rise to the surface.

A huge one running through the book is how God is with us through every messy

situation. He’s working for good, even when the characters can't possibly see how

they will survive the chaos. 

Another is our identity in Christ. Beth and Leesa both struggle with self-worth and

must learn to see themselves as God does and know they're accepted by Him just

as they are.

One last theme I’ll mention is forgiveness. We have all faced, or will face, a situation

where forgiving a deep wound is challenging. Stronger than the Storm shows how

it's possible—with God, time, and counseling—to forgive the unforgivable and move

forward in love. I believe the combination of hard issues and God’s redemptive love

make this a great book club read.

make this a great book club read. There would definitely be no shortage of topics to

discuss!

So good!! And I'm sure that's why this story is touching so many hearts. Do you have any favorite characters in your books?

One of my favorites is Leesa’s friend, Jackson. He’s such a sweet, godly young man.

The kind of guy every mother hopes their daughter will bring home.

Jackson is a sweetie for sure! What are you working on now?

I’m currently editing book two in The Holbrook Family series, which revolves

around Keven and Beth's son, Tyler, and his new bride, Shelby. The heroine’s

dream is to purchase the music studio where she works as a dance and vocal

instructor and to offer lessons to underprivileged children. 

instructor and to offer lessons to underprivileged children. While participating

in a nationwide talent show to try and win the prize money, she contracts a horrific,

rare skin disease. My personal experience with this disease in 2022 inspired this

story, and the book will launch in June 2027.

Oh, I can't wait for that one! When you’re not writing, what do you enjoy doing?

I love to read, watch movies, and play cards and board games with my husband,

family, and friends. I also love being outside, so when the weather’s nice, I enjoy

taking walks, sitting on the swing reading, or heading to the beach. The last two

on my list don’t happen nearly as often as I’d like since I started writing!

Thanks for joining us, Deena!

A runaway teen. A wife’s devastating secret. A family’s reckoning.

Beth Holbrook has spent years building a life centered on faith and family. As a pastor’s wife, mother of three, and respected parenting coach, she’s devoted herself to helping families raise godly children. Now, with a publishing contract within reach, Beth stands on the verge of realizing a lifelong dream.

Then her daughter runs away.

Eighteen-year-old Leesa is tired of living under expectations she feels she can never meet. One impulsive decision sends her fleeing to Myrtle Beach, determined to take control of her life. But when she returns home weeks later with shocking news, the fragile peace inside the Holbrook family fractures.

As tensions rise, Beth struggles with growing conflict in her marriage, painful criticism from her mother, and the crushing realization that the advice she’s given other parents may not save her own family. Worse still, the secret she’s hidden for nearly two decades threatens to destroy the very foundation of her life.

When a powerful hurricane barrels toward their Virginia Beach home, the Holbrooks must confront the storm raging inside their hearts.

Can grace and forgiveness rebuild what secrets and betrayal have broken—or will the truth tear their family apart?

Purchase your copy: https://tinyurl.com/96kps246

Connect with Deena through her website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Goodreads, BookBub, Pinterest, and LinkedIn

Witty Clarice G. James Highlights Her Book The Least of These

Humor always makes life a little more bearable. This week I have an author whose posts always strike a chord of humor for me and many others. Clarice G. James (website here!) is here to focus on her book The Least of These. Jump on in the interview and discover more about this witty lass and her books. 

PT: As always, our readers want to know what drew you to be an author?

CGJ: Over the years, teachers, family, and friends often suggested I should do something with my “gift.” After my children were grown-up and gone, I took their advice.

PT: Many readers are glad you did! So, what genre do you write in, and what genre do you prefer to read in?

CGJ: I write women’s contemporary fiction and read mostly in that genre. I do enjoy historical fiction as well.

PT: Where is your favorite spot to write? An office? Outside? Coffee shop? Other?

CGJ: No noisy coffee shops for me. I need a quiet space to write, and I’m blessed to have a spacious office. But, as with all writers, I’m always writing in my head no matter where I am.

PT: I definitely agree with the quiet space. Have you always lived in the northeast or have you lived in different places?

CGJ: I have lived in the Northeast my whole life. Though I was born in Rhode Island, my family moved to Cape Cod, Massachusetts when I was a toddler. I lived there until I moved to New Hampshire twenty years ago.

PT: I'll be honest, I always think of you with a splash of humor, since you're so gifted in putting up such amusing posts. Does your humor find its way into your books?

CGJ: I love to laugh—alone and with others! So, yes, you will find humor in my stories.

PT: Do you ever have a book inspiration in an inconvenient time or place such as in the middle of the night or in the middle of the grocery aisle? Do you jot things on a scrap of paper or napkin or use a phone or other electronic device to record your ideas?

CGJ: I have to write ideas down or I will forget them! To the right of my laptop now is a “slush pile” of sticky notes, lists of character traits, snatches of dialogue, and plot ideas for my current work in progress.

PT: I confess I have a bit of a sticky note obsession myself. Do you have a Biblical principal or concept when you start to write, or does that slowly develop as you progress through the writing process?

CGJ: Not always. Sometimes the storyline gives me the Scripture passage as I’m writing.

PT: Do you outline your books or fly by the seat of your pants?

CGJ: My style is somewhere between the two. I start with a loose outline and character sketches, but seat of the pants writing often takes over.

PT: Tell us your current favorite Bible verse.

CGJ: “Whatever you do, whether in word or dead, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to the Father through him.” Colossians 3:17

PT: All right, let's have you spill the dirt. Tell 5 things about Clarice G. James that have nothing to do with writing.

CGJ:

1.            I’m not competitive. I don’t even win when I play Scrabble by myself.

2.            As a little girl I used to soak the family toothbrushes in Lestoil.

3.            If I ever invite you on a road trip, say “no.” I once got lost in a beach 

               parking lot.

4.            Every day, I find reasons to laugh—often at myself.

5.            As a young Catholic girl, I once wet my pants in a confessional booth

              —and didn’t confess it. Yes, I’m Protestant now.

PT: What was the inspiration and setting for your book The Least of These.

CGJ: A friend of mine suspected that the kind, generous physician she worked for was defrauding the Medicare system. She needed to get away before she was implicated.

I wanted the story set in a small town. Since my brother owned a vacation home in Andover, Maine, I was able to stay at his place while the friendly locals helped with my research.

Nurse practitioner Carley Rae Jantzen blows the whistle on Philadelphia physician Dr. Harrison Nichols for Medicare fraud. While waiting for the FBI to complete its investigation, she must work side by side with Dr. Nichols—without letting on what she knows or what she’s done.

So, when Carley receives an invitation to become a live-in assistant for Geneva Kellerman—a great-aunt she didn’t even know she had—she jumps at the chance to run off and hide in Andover, Maine, population 826.

Great-aunt Geneva soon learns that receiving help is not as easy as giving it. And Carley discovers the “assistance” her great-aunt had in mind has nothing to do with nursing but all to do with passing down a legacy of caring for the least of these.

PT: Oooh, juicy. Based on a true story? Intriguing. What's your next writing project?

CGJ: I am two-thirds finished writing my novel, The Longing Soul. The main character, Avalea Madigan, is a 53-year-old widow (twice over) who longs for God to lift her grief and fill her life with new purpose … or with another husband … or both. She and three friends meet weekly to learn how to better apply the Word of God to their lives.

PT: Boom! Another riveting Christian author bringing the goods! Clean, Christian entertainment. If ya can't wait to get your sweaty paws on this book, go here: The Least of These and snap that puppy up! Or you can take your chances on our drawing. We need 5 people to comment or leave info on our contact form. And as always, thank you, Clarice, and thanks to all of you readers who stopped by!

*******

Clarice G. James~

Clarice was raised on Cape Cod, Massachusetts. She married early, and she and her husband were blessed with two sons and a daughter. In her early thirties, Clarice began a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus. She says, “My life has not been the same since—thankfully.”
While raising her family, Clarice squeezed in a few English literature and creative writing courses. She continued along that path, writing articles for local publications, marketing copy for her employers, and newsletters for her church.When her husband Terry died, she continued writing as part of her healing process. Eight years later, she remarried and moved to southern New Hampshire. “David was a keeper,” she says, “and all grown up when I got him.” Sadly, she was widowed again just shy of fifteen years of marriage.
Clarice has written five women’s contemporary novels. Her stories are woven together with colorful threads of humor, faith, romance, and surprise. In 2022, she added Say Grace: A Scriptural Field Guide to Weight Loss to her list of published works.
Clarice says, “I credit my father for showing me the power of dreams and my mother for teaching me the value of working to achieve them.”

Welcoming Jane Vaughan and A Story of Grace

Thank you, again, to Diamonds in Christian Fiction for allowing me to share my friends' work. I am grateful to be able to support fellow authors this way. Please join me in welcoming Jane and her first published book!

  Introduce yourself—name, where you’re from, and something people notice when they meet you. Hi there! My name is Jane Bayly Vaughan. I’m from the lowcountry of South Carolina. When people meet me, they tend to notice my first name. There doesn’t seem to be many Janes around. I love it because often people ask if it is a family name and I get to talk about genealogy! 

 Tell us about your book—title and back cover blurb. The Ties That Bind is my debut novel and first in the series: A Story of Grace.

   

   In 1830s Cornwall, Grace Bayly faces 

   unimaginable events that threaten the 

   survival of her family. Her father and half

   of her large family are an ocean away 

   and her mother and remaining siblings are

   poised to follow. As hardships close 

   in, hopes of a new beginning grow distant. 

   She must summon fortitude borne of love 

   and sacrifice to hold her family together. 

   Amid the unyielding grip of loss and grief, 

   Grace steels herself to persist as she 

   faces the ultimate challenge that threatens 

   to break her. Will Grace find the 

   strength she needs to ensure her family 

   survives? A poignant tale of loyalty, 

   resilience, and the enduring bonds that 

   shape a woman’s courage when everything she cherishes is at stake. Inspired by real people and events. 

   Share one thing that you found difficult or challenging 

  about writing this book? My biggest challenge was using

  the genealogy information to find the story behind all those

  dates and dusty records. I wanted to write a historical fiction

  as close to the truth as possible to honor my ancestors and

  tell a compelling story. It was interesting getting “into their

  skins” to imagine what their lives were really like. 

 Do you enjoy family history? Share an interesting ancestor. I have several. One of my great grandmothers was the daughter of a captain of a British warship stationed in Charleston, SC a few years prior to the Revolution. She was born in England and was orphaned at the age of 3. She arrived in Charleston, SC at some point, married, and had many children. Then there was a great grandfather who had a silver mine in New Mexico. I could go on!

Social media and buy links: 

JaneBaylyVaughan.com Facebook: Jane Bayly Vaughan Author Instagram: janebaylyvaughan Purchase link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GXGMYM2Q

Interview with author Carrie Walker

 Hi, guys! V. Joy Palmer here! Since we are all friends here, you guys can call me Joy. ;-) And one of my favorite things to do is talk with my friends at coffee shops, then head to the bookstores. Yes, plural. After all, books and yummy drinks are the perfect combination! So consider this our virtual coffee shop. I'll wait a second for you to get your warm drink and a fuzzy blanket before we chat with today's guest. <3

Today we are going to pry into the private life of CHAT with author Carrie Walker!

Winner of the 2025 Faith Hope and Love Reader's Choice Award, Carrie Walker lives in Michigan with her husband and seven children. From her ten years serving as a high school youth minister, adventures around the globe, and raising a family, many stories have been knit within her heart.

As an avid reader she pens what she loves to read, contemporary stories that bring hope to a hurting world. Weaving romance among story lines of characters in struggle, she aims to show God working in all situations. When she’s not playing board games with her husband, shuttling kids in the Walker bus or wishing for snow, Carrie can be found at the keyboard bringing those stories to life.

Carrie’s writing has been recognized in many contests. Her debut novel, Emma’s Hero, won the silver medal in the Selah Awards, won the IAN Book of the Year for Christian Fiction, was a double finalist in the International Book Awards. 

Connect with Carrie on her website, Facebook, Instagram, BookBub, and Amazon!

Interview ~

This may be the most important question I ask -- no pressure or anything, LOL! 

*drum roll*

What are you drinking in our virtual coffee house? Coffee? Tea? Hot chocolate? Something else altogether?

Coffee!! (Though I like all 3 haha)

Perfect answer! If you could order anything in the world to eat (we can dream, can't we?), what would it be?

That’s a tough question, as I enjoy many things. Today a turkey sub and a smoothie :)

Classic yumminess! Where is your favorite place to write, and why is that your favorite place?

I really enjoy sitting on my sofa, with a footrest and a lap desk and writing there. It’s relaxed and cozy.

Very cozy! Do you have an odd habit that is only explained by your bookish, writer tendencies? Safe space. ;-)

Hmmm. I do have random piles of notebooks dedicated to each of my stories. If anyone were to open them up they literally make no sense. I often will just open to any page and write down whatever random thought/idea/quote/character name pops in my head. It 100% only makes sense to me.

I love that! What inspired you to write Someone to Lean On?

It was a combination of things. Firstly, the underscoring theme in this series is the impact of each human life. So I always envisioned, a story that showed in a small way how the baby from book one of the series, Emma’s Hero, was still touching lives years later. For this story, specifically, I really connected with Lucia as a foster teen in the second book and I see in her what I’ve seen in so many teens and adults. A good person, trying hard to do the right things, but being dealt a rough hand and struggling. So I really wanted to walk in her shoes, and watch her grow and find her happily ever after.

What a journey! What led you to write in this genre? 

I was led to write Romantic Women’s fiction because it’s my favorite genre to read. I love a story with depth and an inspirational message . . . but, for me, every story is better with romance :)

I wholeheartedly agree! What message do you hope to convey to your readers?

That even when things in life are hard, and not going the way you’d hope, that God can still work in the mess. Also, to follow the peace.

What a great message! Can you tell us a little about your next project(s)? 

My next story is the beginning of a new series. In this story, a cosmetologist searching for the daughter she placed in safe haven adoption years ago joins a dairy farmer on a quest to find the nameless love of his life. But she's been hiding under a false identity and this venture might risk their lives and their hearts.

That sounds interesting! Do you have a favorite Bible verse or story that inspires you on a soul level? 

I really love Lamentations 3:22-24. There is something so hopeful in remembering that the Lord's mercy is never spent and that we can always hope in Him. 

So hopeful! What are you currently reading? Inquiring minds -- mine! -- want to know. ;-)

I’m currently reading “Not what we pictured” by Becca Kinzer. I love a good rom com. When life is really busy (and it is SO busy in spring), laughing helps. And Becca is so, so funny.

So fun! Thanks for answering all of my prying questions, Carrie!

Check out Someone to Lean On below!

About the Book ~

They're seeking a peace they can't seem to find...

Aged out of the foster care system and struggling to raise her young daughter, Lucia Roberts loses her only source of income. When she’s offered a position caring for a four-year-old foster child, Timothy, it feels like the answer to a prayer—except for one catch. She must work in the home of Jordan Nowak, Timothy’s overly vigilant foster father who scrutinizes her every move.

Jordan has built his life around one promise: protect a foster child until they can find a happily ever after. But while Jordan fights to keep Timmy safe, his own world spirals out of control. The music store he co-owns with his brother is on the brink of bankruptcy after months of mismanagement. Torn between protecting Timmy, saving the store, and guarding his heart, Jordan grasps for any possibility to fix it all.

Mason Hughes is in his final year of medical school, on rotation under a difficult neurologist, and doubting his call to be a doctor. As the walls between Lucia and Jordan soften, Timmy starts displaying puzzling symptoms. Soon Mason must choose whether he trusts his medical instincts enough to fight an ethical battle.

As three adults seek control in their lives, a young child with no guarantees teaches them to trust.  

See you next time, and God bless you guys!!!

Hugs!

~V. Joy Palmer

V. Joy Palmer loves to write romantic and comedic stories that proclaim God’s deep love for us. In her spare time, Joy loves to sing (especially Disney songs), drink large quantities of coffee, and create aesthetic content for Bookstagram. When Joy isn’t fighting with fictional people, she’s hanging out with her husband and their adorable daughters. Connect with Joy via www.vjoypalmer.com!

Connect with Joy on her website, Facebook, Instagram, and Amazon Author Page!