Tough Decisions Aren't Always that Difficult

In my new release today, Bold of Heart, two men capture Tamzin’s heart. She can’t keep them both on a string; she has a tough decision to make.

[Entering the giveaway at the end will be an easy choice.]

Speaking of difficult decisions: I don’t remember a time in my life in which I didn’t want to be a writer. (No, that’s not the big choice. Stay with me.) Through elementary school and writing short stories (some may have been only three or four sentences long!); through high school and college journalism; then newspaper reporting, and then tech writing.

But my dream was novel writing. Throughout my adult life, when I yearned to delve into fiction writing, I would pray and ask the Lord if this was His timing. The answer was “No” for many years. Then the Lord did something totally unexpected: He dropped me into the nascent homeschooling movement. Not only did He call me to teach my children at home, but also to establish one of the first statewide homeschool advocacy organizations in the country. It wasn’t long before I was also involved in the national leadership community.

No time for writing fiction, but I wrote a book about getting started teaching your children at home and hundreds of articles and newsletters over more than 35 years of homeschooling ministry.

Where does my hard decision come in? I’m glad you asked. <giggle giggle> After graduating my children from homeschooling and then another 20 years beyond that serving in the ministry, I began feeling the tug toward writing fiction again, so I dabbled a little after long work days. But it wasn’t going very well.

The Lord started working in mysterious ways. I became acquainted with a few authors who lived in my county and in SoCal. And, after years of clutching my ministry baby close to my heart, I felt the time had come for me to give it up, let the younger generation take over. Quit? Retire? How could I abandon the ministry I created?

Of course, it wasn’t me who created it; it was the Lord. Now He was telling me to trust Him with it and follow Him into pursing my dream of writing fiction.

What I thought would be a tough decision became simple. The Lord provided many divine encounters with authors and publishers, and He allowed me to become a little dissatisfied and even burning out from my long-time leadership role, paving the way to an easier release of my “baby.”

Following the Holy Spirit isn’t always this smooth, so I praise Him for making a way.

Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans. (Proverbs 16:3 NIV)

What hard decision must you make today? Granted, it may be much tougher than my decision was. Can you see the Lord making a way? How will the Lord lead Tamzin in her choice?

Guys (er, gals) . . . It’s release day for Bold of Heart! It’s so exciting to have a new book baby out in the world.

About the Book

Book: Bold of Heart

Author: Susan K. Beatty

Genre: Romantic Suspense

Release date: May 28, 2024

A reporter, a rich man, and a chaplain walk into a mystery…

Tamzin Murray has three goals: Follow Jesus. Control her no-filter mouth. And no romance. When her friend offers her a job as a reporter on the South Pacific Suamalie Islands, she jumps at the chance for a fresh start. But when she’s forced to meet the handsome, wealthy investor, she not only finds herself involved in a love triangle, but also a dangerous mystery.

When Wentworth “Sully” Sullivan’s yacht is sabotaged, he did not expect to fall for the reporter covering his story. Especially since his experience with women has mostly been with gold-diggers.

Émile Durand is too shy to date, but when he meets his sister’s new coworker, he can’t help his attraction to her. And the more he helps her out of scrapes, the further he falls in love with her.

As the mystery becomes more dangerous, and the more their hearts get entangled, how will Tamzin, Sully, and Émile get out of the messes they’ve put themselves into?

Take a trip to the Suamalie Islands where palm trees sway, the sand and sea pulse with life, and the people will steal your heart.