Showing posts with label Arizona. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Arizona. Show all posts

Wednesday, April 22, 2026

You're worth more than gold

Have you ever had a song come on that feels like it was written just for you—right when you needed it most?

That’s what happened to me when “Gold” by Britt Nicole played while I was writing Gone Missing, a story about a woman who had lost everything and was trying to believe she still had worth.


Let me introduce you to my heroine, Joslyn.

She's a young woman who has had to fight for everything she has. Growing up without much, she's been putting herself through school in computer programming while working at an electronics store in Los Angeles—the kind of quietly determined heroine you can't help but root for.

Then her world is shattered when her ex-boyfriend murders her father, and she's forced to flee everything she knows, landing in Oregon with nothing but grief and fear.

By the time the story begins, Joslyn has lost almost everything—her father, her baby, her education, her job, and the future she had carefully planned.

But in the middle of all that loss, something unexpected is taking root—faith. A kind woman who helped Joslyn through her darkest moments spoke openly about Christ, and those seeds have stayed with her, slowly changing her.

Now she's found a new beginning working for Liam and Elisabeth at their skip-tracing agency in Sonoma, California. They rescued her when she had nothing, and she is fiercely loyal to them for it. She gives everything she has to help their business succeed.

The skills she learns there become the key to finding her missing friend, Fiona, before it’s too late.

At its heart, Gone Missing is a story about a woman learning that she is not defined by what has been done to her or what she has lost. No matter where she's been or what has happened, she is deeply loved—she’s worth more than gold.

That was my prayer when I wrote every page of this book, that each reader would set it down feeling truly seen and treasured.

If you've ever felt like you were starting over, or like your story was too broken to be worth telling, I hope Joslyn's journey speaks to your heart the way that song spoke to mine.

Because sometimes the story that feels broken is only just beginning.

If you enjoy stories where faith grows in the middle of danger—and where finding someone missing might uncover something far more dangerous—you might love Joslyn’s story.

Start reading Gone Missing here.

Sunday, June 14, 2015

June Weddings by Merrillee Whren

June is often a month for weddings. Of course, people get married at all times of the year. Just for fun I thought I'd share some family wedding photos and have a little contest. You need to guess the month in which the wedding takes place. There is one June wedding. Two are in February. Two are in September. The rest are scattered throughout the year. The person who gives the most correct answers will receive a ten dollar Amazon gift card and copies of two of my books.

I'll start with the oldest wedding. The photo below is one of my parents.
The next is a photo from my in-law's wedding. Do you suppose the photographer told them not to smile?
This one is my husband and I. Can you guess in which decade this wedding took place?
We have two daughters, and the younger one got married first on the beach near our home, and we had the reception at our house.
Our older daughter also got married at the beach and had her reception at our house. Besides the beach there are some huge oak trees nearby, and they made a beautiful backdrop for some photos.
My youngest brother got married in Las Vegas only because his bride lived there. They got married in the church she attended there.That's my husband and I with them.
The next one is a photo of one of my nephews when he got married.
This next photo comes from the wedding of my husband's cousin. When we attended her wedding in Arizona, I never dreamed that I would eventually live in that state.

Jump in and take a guess about the months of the weddings. They will definitely be guesses. You might find a hint about some of the weddings on my personal blog

What do you like most about weddings?

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