Early release for ‘ALASKA!’

Those of you who promptly pre-ordered Book 7 in my Daughter of Babylon series know it was set to release on November 28. I’m delighted to tell you it’s coming out early! The new release date for ALASKA is September 29, 2020. This is the final book in the series, and it’s packed with thrills, danger, and unexpected twists.

When you pick up ALASKA, you can plan on staying up late. While revising it, I had to binge-read… and I already knew what was going to happen!

Concluding this series is bittersweet for me. On the one hand, I’ve been chomping at the bit to begin my next series, Tribulation, so I’m excited to get started on that. On the other hand, it’s a little sad to say goodbye to the characters in Daughter of Babylon. They’ve become a big part of my life over the past twenty months.

If you’re new to this series, the first book, CALIFORNIA, will be free from September 30 through October 4. If you’re already a fan of Daughter of Babylon, perhaps you’d be kind enough to recommend it to a friend.

Looking ahead, I’m eager to introduce you to the cast of characters in the Tribulation series. They’re strong, quirky, and spiritual. I hope you’ll love them like you loved the Band of Believers and the cast from Daughter of Babylon. If you ever wonder what things might be like during the tribulation, I think you’ll really enjoy this series. Look for it in January 2021.

 Until next time, my friends, prep and pray!

Jamie

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

A ‘Daughter of Babylon’ secret

Hey, y’all…

Want to know a secret about my Daughter of Babylon series?

Alana Mills was not supposed to be in it! If you’ve read the series (so far), you know that in the first book, she’s the deviously scheming vice president of the United States. She’s a key player in the rest of the series, as well. I mean, can you imagine the series without her?

Neither can I! Here’s what happened…

I’m what authors refer as a seat-of-the-pants writer, as opposed to those really smart writers who OUTLINE their novels and series. Basically, it means I don’t really know exactly what’s going to happen in the book or series until it’s on the page (well, I do have general ideas and plot points, but a lot of the story just comes to me after I pray for help – which I do, A LOT).

So as I began this series, I had the villain (terrorist) and the good guys (Katie and Zach), but I felt like something was missing. My brainstorming notes say (in terribly scrawled handwriting): “Make it Bigger Scale. Grander Story. Add a subplot…. Add more characters – get the President and Sec. of Interior in on it. President is a woman.”

And so Basilia and Alana and their administration arrived in the story, forming a third plot line that weaves through the entire series!

Want to know more about my writing life? I’ve written a guest post for Suite T, an authors’ blog, on how an author can be successful without social media. Shocking, I know! You can read it here.

Before you go, I want to send out a huge “THANK YOU” to those of you who have written reviews for my books on Amazon. It’s impossible to tell you how much it helps me as a writer – and blesses me, as well. Thank you so much!

Good news in ‘an evil time’

For man also does not know his time:
Like fish taken in a cruel net,
Like birds caught in a snare,
So the sons of men are snared in an evil time,
When it falls suddenly upon them.  (Ecclesiastes 9:12, NKJV)

My husband and I are reading through the Bible this year, and we’ve just finished Ecclesiastes, which has a wealth of wisdom (no surprise, since it was written by Solomon, widely acknowledged to be the wisest man who ever lived). It’s also a difficult book, apparently written when he was older and more jaded (or realistic?).

It’s full of hard truths, like the one above, which reminds me of our country, upon which an evil time is suddenly falling.

But Solomon gives us nuggets of hope in the midst of these dark times, as well, such as:

Though a sinner does evil a hundred times, and his days are prolonged, yet I surely know that it will be well with those who fear God, who fear before Him.  (Ecclesiastes 8:12, NKJV)

So when it seems like evil will prevail, and things will always go well for sinners, remember: in the end, those who love the Lord will have their blessed reward. Don’t look at the present circumstances and believe this is the final reality – look ahead, down the road, and see Jesus. He is real. He is truth. And He will reward those who diligently seek Him. (Hebrews 11:6)

And now, a bit of happy book news: my new novel, “CANADA” is out today! And my friend Candle Sutton’s newest release, “NAMELESS,” is coming out today, as well. Be sure to check it out!

Also, the seventh book in my Daughter of Babylon series, “ALASKA” is on pre-order for this fall. I hope you all are enjoying this series!

Be well and blessed,

Jamie

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

‘CANADA’ available July 28… or pre-order now!

Hey, everyone! The wait is nearly over… Book 6 in the Daughter of Babylon series is now available for pre-order on Amazon for its July 28th release date! Yes, I’m just a little excited. 😉

What’s CANADA about? So glad you asked….

Just when things start to look up… everything falls apart.

After being pursued relentlessly, Katie and Zach Nelson have found a way to get out of the United States. But they had to separate their little family, which was the last thing they wanted to do. Can Katie and her son safely reach Canada? And will they be able to find Zach?

At the same time, Zach’s brother Evan attempts to find a way forward after his world blew up. He needs a job, a home and a new life. Will he and Elizabeth find true love?

Meanwhile, having survived an assassination attempt and the subsequent attack on the White House, U.S. President Alana Mills has found a momentary respite in Canada, and finally reunited with the ambassador to Israel. Does he have the answers she needs? Can he help save the devastated country?

Filled with unexpected twists, CANADA is the sixth book in the apocalyptic thriller Daughter of Babylon series. Begin the adventure today!

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Thank you very much!

Grace in a time of strife

DepositPhotos

Grace. It’s a gift. From God, yes. And also from one person to another.

Think about it for a moment: when was the last time someone was gracious to you? When did you last extend grace to someone else?

During these turbulent times, I’ve noticed society’s grace quotient plunging like the stock market did recently. People – even those who call themselves followers of Christ – are becoming more short-tempered, irritable and just plain mean-spirited, lashing out at others (oftentimes for a trivial offense or a neutral matter). Frequently they do this online, forever etching their frustrations in cutting, hurtful remarks to people they don’t even know and may never meet this side of Heaven.

How can this be acceptable behavior for a believer?

We are to be governed by the law of love (James 2:8). We cannot abide in love if we do not exercise self-control in our actions and our words. We are not loving when we lash out.

This month, let’s focus on loving others and extend grace whenever we have the opportunity. Let’s season our words with grace even when we are disappointed, anxious or frustrated. And especially when we are impatient or irritated.

Let’s think about the following scriptures:

Luke 6:36. “Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.”

Ephesians 4:32. “And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.”

Colossians 4:6 “Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.”

God bless you, dear readers, as you bless others. And have a grace-filled month of May!

A victory garden and a new book

Dear friends,

I pray you are growing closer to the Lord during this tumultuous time. We are so blessed to have such a wonderful and loving Heavenly Father!

In World War II, folks in the United States and Europe were encouraged to grow as much produce as they could in what came to be known as “victory gardens.” They supplemented home rations, boosted morale, and relieved a burdened public food supply chain.

This February, I told my brother I had planted veggie seeds because I didn’t want to buy grocery store lettuce that had been handled, coughed and sneezed on by folks with the virus. My farmer brother told his friends, “if my sister’s growing food, everybody should grow food!”  I laughed about this all the way through March, as I tried not to kill too many of my fragile lettuce and tomato starts. I’ve never thought I had a green thumb.

So far, the tomatoes, spinach and peppers have all survived, and most of the lettuce. Our Great Dane did “thin” the lettuce one day… that dog does love her salad!

Those of you who have read my Band of Believers series will recall that Willow and her friends were intently focused on gardening to provide food for themselves. I think it’s a useful hobby that all of us can learn for hard times.

And speaking of books… some of you have been patiently waiting for the fifth book in my Daughter of Babylon series. Well, “D.C.” is now available on Amazon! I hope you enjoy it. 

In closing, I want to encourage you to stay close to the Lord. If the world seems to shift under your feet, remember, He is the solid rock! Make your life’s firm foundation on Him.

Blessings and prayers,

Jamie

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Thank you very much!

Preparing your heart for a pandemic

Last month’s blog entry, “Faith or Fear,” provides the first step for this month’s blog, so you may want to read that one first.

There are a lot of articles and resources for those who are preparing for the pandemic, so I want to focus on the most important preparation of all – the spiritual component. Preparing our hearts will enable us to face the future (and whatever it may bring) with wisdom, courage and strength. Through His Word and the Holy Spirit, God provides the only prep that can see us through absolutely anything that comes our way.

So this month, let’s spend a little extra time fortifying our souls. Let’s meditate on scriptures that can bolster our faith and quell our fear. Here are some that have been speaking to me lately:

John 14:27 (NKJV)

27 Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

Philippians 4:6-7 (NKJV)

6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Matthew 6:25-26 (NKJV)

25 “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?

Exodus 11:4-7 (NKJV)

4 Then Moses said, “Thus says the Lord: ‘About midnight I will go out into the midst of Egypt; 5 and all the firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sits on his throne, even to the firstborn of the female servant who is behind the handmill, and all the firstborn of the animals. 6 Then there shall be a great cry throughout all the land of Egypt, such as was not like it before, nor shall be like it again. 7 But against none of the children of Israel shall a dog move its tongue, against man or beast, that you may know that the Lord does make a difference between the Egyptians and Israel.’

It’s that last part, that I emphasized in bold, that really stood out to me this month. Yes, I know the Bible also says that the rain falls on the just and the unjust. But God differentiates between his people and those who don’t know him yet (or who have outright rejected Him). I’ve found that really comforting, and I believe it’s important to recognize and embrace it. It’s good news for believers!

And finally… this passage from Isaiah may become more relevant than we expect, in the event we need to quarantine in our own homes (chambers):

Isaiah 26:20, 21 (NKJV)

Come, my people, enter your chambers,
And shut your doors behind you;
Hide yourself, as it were, for a little moment,
Until the indignation is past.
21 For behold, the Lord comes out of His place
To punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity;
The earth will also disclose her blood,
And will no more cover her slain.

Shall we pray?

Lord Jesus, our world is in crisis. But we are in Your hands, and we give ourselves to Your care. Please guide and direct us, and help us to be a blessing to others. Help us to follow You through this time, and the times to come. In Your name we pray, and ask for Your perfect peace. Amen.

Faith or Fear?

How often in life are we confronted with the decision – faith or fear?

For me, it seems like a daily choice. Why? Because we’re bombarded with bad news, frightful circumstances, and lingering worries. Turn on the television, see something to worry about. Get on the internet, same thing. Social media? Yes, there too. The doctor’s office? Oh, yeah.

What do we do with all this?

We make a decision. We can choose faith, or we can naturally give in to fear.

God is bigger than all the problems we face. Today, let’s choose faith. Tomorrow, let’s do it again.

Let’s rest in God’s peace. Let’s memorize Philippians 4:6-7, choose faith, and enjoy the peace that passes all understanding as it guards our hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Be blessed, my dear friends, in your faith!

“OREGON” is coming next week!

Hello, everybody! I hope you had a lovely Christmas and you’re looking forward to a new year (and a new decade!).

I’m pleased to announce the release of the fourth book in my “Daughter of Babylon” series on Dec. 30th. You can pre-order or purchase it here.

Here’s the scoop:

The water is off. The power is off. All bets are off.

Suffering a nearly fatal blow, the United States staggers forward, struggling to regain its footing. The latest attack, a massive EMP, has wiped out most of the nation’s electric grid.

In Oregon, Katie and Zach Nelson settle in a location that appears to be a safe hideout… but unexpected threats may make it untenable, and stress from their long ordeal begins to take its toll. Can this defenseless family live in obscurity, or will the forces mounting against them prevail?

Meanwhile, in the nation’s capital, President Alana Mills attempts to reassure and calm the populace while grappling with her new position and those who seek to undermine her. Was her predecessor murdered in the White House? Is she also in a killer’s crosshairs?

In Canada, Evan Nelson struggles to guide his mother and Elizabeth while reeling from unspeakable tragedy. Dwindling resources and growing hostility create new problems. With no money and few friends, how can they hope to survive?

Pick up your copy today! #ad

Paperbacks, finally! And a big Black Friday sale.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! I am truly thankful for you, my readers. You are a blessing to me. I’m also very thankful to those of you who leave reviews of my books on Amazon – it’s immensely helpful.

As a way to give back to all of you, I’m doing a huge price reduction on my Band of Believers and Daughter of Babylon series e-books all weekend. So, if you want to pick up any books you’re missing, or if you want to recommend my novels to a friend, now is a great time!

Also, a number of you have been asking about paperback books, and I’ve been working on that for a while.

They are finally ready! And they are on sale this weekend! So if you’ve been waiting, now is your opportunity to pick them up at probably the lowest price they will ever be.

Thank you all for your encouragement and support this year. God bless you!

Jamie