FEATURED BOOK:  The Hidden Legacy

AUTHOR: June Foster

PUBLISHER:  Winged Publications

GENRE:  Romantic suspense

SERIES OR STAND ALONE:  Series

TARGET AGE:  18-85

 

 

IT IS MY PLEASURE TO WELCOME AUTHOR JUNE FOSTER TO THE OVER 50 WRITER. JUNE TALKS ABOUT OUR ATTITUDE AS WE AGE AND WHAT REALLY COUNTS IN RECOGNIZING OUR IDENTITY.

 

 

GETTING OLDER

 

 

by

 

 

June Foster

 

 

A decade ago, my husband and I worked in an independent living facility for seniors who didn't care to live on their own. I met a lot of remarkable people during our short stint there, and I discovered some thought-provoking information.

 

 

Some of the residents wore a scowl on their face most of the time, griping and complaining about almost everything. They demanded the managers perform extra services other people didn't receive, especially in the dining room. If they didn't like an entree, they insisted the cook make something else especially for them. Frown lines etched their faces, and they appeared to be miserable. Very few smiles were evident.

 

 

Other residents seemed happy, always taking an interest in others. They thoughtfully sent cards on birthdays, gave a compliment, and smiled. I remember one couple who'd been married seventy-five years who were still in love.

 

 

I realize people's personalities vary, but I became curious about the obvious differences in attitudes. The married couple as well as others who appeared contented with their life circumstances, I soon discovered, were Christians. They were filled with peace and spoke of where they were going after leaving this earth. To spend eternity with their Lord and Savior. What an amazing difference!

 

 

I believe that many people derive their identity from their profession or accomplishments. But unfortunately, that's never enough. There will always be regrets about goals not achieved and missed opportunities along the way. If we have nothing else but our own triumphs, at the end of our lives, we have nothing. No wonder some of those residents scowled and were bitter.

 

 

Nothing in my life has brought me a sense of self-worth or pride. The only truth that sustains me is my relationship with the Lord. Jesus alone declares me significant and upright, and nothing in this world can accomplish that.

 

 

Oh, and in case you think I don't have the right to say these things, I do because I'm at that age and know from experience.

 

 

Let's not spend all our energy pursing goals but allow time to get to know the Savior, the only One who can give us purpose and declare at the end of our lives, "Well done, my good and faithful servant."

 

 

"Therefore, we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day" – 11Corinthians 4:6

 

 

Dear Lord, help me to keep my eye on the goal—a glorious eternity with You. Amen.

 

 

Blurb for The Hidden Legacy

Austin Ford has inherited the weight of his family's legacy, overseeing the sprawling Ford Ranch as his father steps back and his siblings forge their own paths. But when his beloved horse, Jack, falls gravely ill, Austin calls upon the new veterinarian in town, igniting a chain of events that will change everything.

Dr. Willow Lawson, a skilled veterinarian, is stunned when she first lays eyes on Austin Ford. The young, handsome rancher is the spitting image of her deceased husband, a shock that causes her to faint right in the horse barn. Determined to overcome the haunting memories, Willow throws herself into her work, even as her heart begins to stir for the charismatic rancher.

As Austin grapples with the strange, unexplained holes appearing on the North Pasture, he is drawn into a deeper mystery. Night flights over the ranch reveal flashing lights in the darkness, suggesting the holes are no mere animal burrows.

Amidst this growing unease, Austin and Willow's budding relationship is tested when her clinic is vandalized, leaving her devastated and out of work. The attacks seem to be more than random acts of violence, especially when Austin's father recounts tales of buried gold hidden on the ranch by their ancestor, Great Grandfather Jeremiah, during the Great Depression.

With prowlers encroaching on his land and his desire to protect Willow intensifying, Austin must navigate the treacherous waters of old family secrets and new-found love. Together, can Austin and Willow unravel the mystery threatening their lives and find solace in each other’s arms? Or will the shadows of the past and present prove too formidable to overcome?

 

Buy Link

 

An award-winning author, June Foster is a retired teacher with a BA in Education and a MA in counseling. June began writing Christian romance in 2010 as she and her husband traveled the US in their RV. Her adventures provide a rich source of information for her novels. She brags about visiting a location before it becomes the setting in her next book.

To date, June has written over thirty contemporary romance and romantic suspense novels and novellas. June uses her training in counseling and her Christian beliefs in creating characters who encounter real-life difficulties yet live victorious lives. She's published with Winged Publications.

June is active in her church and her ladies' fellowship group. She enjoys writing devotionals as well as fiction. She frequently attends writers' conferences such as Blue Lake Writers' Conference and Florida Christian Writers Conference.

Her novel, The Inn at Cranberry Cove, won the 2021 Selah award for Romantic Suspense. It is available on Amazon in paperback, hardback, and eBook format. In 2023, June won the Ames Award for her book Christmas at Cranberry Cove, book three in the same series.

Visit June at www.junefoster.com to see a complete list of her books.

 

 

 

FEATURED BOOK:  Paradise Unfallen

AUTHOR:  Chuck Richardson

PUBLISHER:  Robert C. Richardson

GENRE:  Christian fantasy

SERIES OR STAND ALONE:  Series. First book in a series

with the working title of: The Erimean Chronicles

TARGET AGE:  Adult

 

 

FROM TEACHING TO STORYTELLING: How I Learned to Write Fiction

 

 

by

 

 

Chuck Richardson

 

IT IS MY PLEASURE TO WELCOME AUTHOR CHUCK RICHARDSON TO THE OVER FIFTY WRITER. CHUCH TALKS ABOUT HIS LEARNING PROCESS ON HIS WAY TO BECOMING A PUBLISHED AUTHOR.

 

 

On September 26, 2022, I signed a contract with Elk Lake Publishing to publish my debut novel, True Status. It was released in July 2023 when I was 65 years old, just three months into retirement from a position developing technical training curriculum.

 

 

Five and a half years earlier, I had started writing that novel. After three years of work, I believed it was ready.

 

 

It wasn’t.

 

 

Three professionals in the publishing industry gave me direct, specific feedback. Their message was clear: the story didn’t work. It was painful to hear, but they were right. I didn’t yet know how to write a novel.

 

 

My background as a consultant and teacher showed on the page. Instead of telling a compelling story, I was trying to instruct the reader.

 

 

 

The problem was, I didn’t know how to fix it.

 

 

So I went to school.

 

 

Over the next eighteen months, I studied the craft seriously. I read novels with an analytical eye, worked through thirteen books on writing, and subscribed to multiple writing newsletters. One of the most valuable resources was K.M. Weiland’s Helping Writers Become Authors, where I read through an extensive series on story structure and theory.

 

 

Then I rewrote the book.

 

 

I cut roughly forty percent of the original manuscript and replaced it with stronger material. I restructured scenes to better align with story fundamentals and reader expectations. The result wasn’t just a better novel; it was a more enjoyable process. Writing was still hard, but I liked the story better, so refining it became exciting and fun.

 

 

Some of the craft books that helped me most include The Anatomy of Story by John Truby, The Emotional Craft of Fiction by Donald Maass, Techniques of the Selling Writer by Dwight Swain, Revising Your Novel by Janice Hardy, and Structuring Your Novel by K.M. Weiland.

 

 

Lessons I Learned

1. Start before you’re ready

Anything worth doing is worth doing poorly, at first. My early drafts weren’t good, but they were necessary. Improvement comes through iteration, not hesitation.

2. Learn the craft intentionally

Writing is not just self-expression; it’s a skill. Once I treated it that way, everything changed. The resources I needed were affordable and often free but were only useful once I applied them.

3. Listen to informed criticism

The feedback that hurt the most helped the most. Growth began when I stopped defending my work and started fixing it.

4. Not every “no” means stop

Even after improving the manuscript, I still received rejections. Three out of four submissions were declined. That didn’t mean the book had no value. It meant I needed the right audience and the right partner.

5. Protect your goals

Well-meaning advice can still lead you off course. Be open to guidance but stay aligned with the kind of writer and the kind of stories you want to create.

 

 

I recently published my second novel, Paradise Unfallen, this time through self-publishing. It required learning an entirely new side of the industry, but the foundation I built while rewriting my first book made the process far more manageable and quicker.

 

 

If there’s one thing I would tell new writers—especially those starting later in life—it’s this:

 

 

It’s not too late. But passion alone isn’t enough. Commit to learning the craft, accept that your early work will fall short, and keep going anyway.

 

 

Paradise Unfallen back cover blurb:

What if Adam and Eve had resisted the serpent?

Welcome to Erimea—Earth’s twin world, untouched by original sin.

Solis and Livi, the first parents of Erimea, begin their lives in perfect fellowship with God. But their obedience does not end the war. Satan and his legions simply turn their fury upon the new world.

As the population of Erimea rises, tensions crack the harmony of paradise. A powerful life-giving resource becomes scarce. Rumors spread. God is silent. And a restless humanity flirts with fear, force, and false gods.

To save their descendants from repeating Earth’s tragedy, Solis and Livi must confront deception, division, and the relentless pressure of darkness. Their journey—from innocence to holiness—will determine the future of an unfallen world.

If you enjoy Christian fantasy, biblical what-ifs, spiritual warfare, and epic worldbuilding, you will love Paradise Unfallen.

Perfect for fans of:

C.S. Lewis

Ted Dekker

Step into the world that might have been—and the war that still rages.

 

 

Chuck Richardson writes speculative fiction with a Christian worldview for people who question everything and seek truth, and he blogs about the Bible. Chuck is a former engineer, technical writer and freelance newspaper writer.

Chuck’s debut novel, True Status (2023), was a 2024 Next Generation Indie Book Award finalist.  His writing explores questions about sin, redemption, sanctification, and the battle between good and evil. Chuck’s second novel, Paradise Unfallen, imagines a world where the first parents did not sin.

Chuck is from Rome, New York, and he currently lives in Louisville, Kentucky with his wife, Ruby.

Chuck’s links

Email: [email protected]

Website: https://chuckrichardsonstories.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Chuck-Richardson-Stories-102476425056471

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chuckrichardsonwriter/

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/rcrichardson2222/