Love Stories GIVEAWAY: Waltz in the Wilderness

in this post: Waltz in the Wilderness

Happy February – official (according to me) KissingBooks month! And welcome to another Love Stories giveaway post! This LOVE STORIES giveaway series is thusly named for two reasons – first, because I love stories and second, because I love Love Stories.

Throughout the entire month of February, I’ll be spotlighting swoony Christian fiction & ‘clean read’ romances. Three cheers for KissingBooks!!! So… grab a fan or two, your trusty fainting couch, and maybe a freezer just to be safe and start making your KissingBooks tbr list! Oh… and did I mention there are GIVEAWAYS with EACH POST in this series??!! (Because authors are awesome!)

Today’s next book is Waltz in the Wilderness by Kathleen Denly + the author shares what true love looks like!

WALTZ IN THE WILDERNESS
SERIES: Chaparral Hearts #1
GENRE: Inspirational Historical Romance
PUBLISHER: Wild Heart Books
RELEASE DATE: February 4, 2020
PAGES: 384

She’s desperate to find her missing father. His conscience demands he risk all to help. 

Eliza Brooks is haunted by her role in her mother’s death, so she’ll do anything to find her missing pa—even if it means sneaking aboard a southbound ship. When those meant to protect her abandon and betray her instead, a family friend’s unexpected assistance is a blessing she can’t refuse.

Daniel Clarke came to California to make his fortune, and a stable job as a San Francisco carpenter has earned him more than most have scraped from the local goldfields. But it’s been four years since he left Massachusetts and his fiancée is impatient for his return. Bound for home at last, Daniel Clarke finds his heart and plans challenged by a tenacious young woman with haunted eyes. Though every word he utters seems to offend her, he is determined to see her safely returned to her father. Even if that means risking his fragile engagement.

When disaster befalls them in the remote wilderness of the Southern California mountains, true feelings are revealed, and both must face heart-rending decisions. But how to decide when every choice before them leads to someone getting hurt?

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What Does True Love Look Like?

 by Kathleen Denly, author of Waltz in the Wilderness

When I was growing up, I watched a lot of romantic movies and read stacks of romance novels. I was one of those girls who started planning her wedding in elementary school and had her babies’ names picked out before she graduated high school. I had at least a dozen different ideas of how my future husband might propose and was grossly disappointed I didn’t meet him in high school like so many of the characters in my books did. How romantic would it have been to marry my high school sweetheart? To say that I was in love with the idea of romantic love wouldn’t be a stretch.

The problem was I didn’t really know what true love looked like until I met my husband.

After more than eighteen years of marriage, I can tell you this:

True love looks like a man who prays before broaching the subject of taking your friendship to a romantic level.

True love looks like a man who waits for three hours in a parking lot because he can’t wait to see you after you’ve been gone all weekend at a women’s retreat.

True love thinks you’re just as beautiful—actually more so—without your makeup on.

True love asks how you want to spend your time together and actually cares.

True love calls you every day just to hear the sound of your voice.

True love asks you important questions even if they’re uncomfortable.

True love calls you out on bad choices and character flaws, but does it in a way that isn’t harsh or hurtful, and helps you find ways to be a better person.

True love doesn’t run away or even balk at a life-altering medical diagnosis.

True love brings you flowers for no reason at all.

True love encourages you to reach your goals and takes steps to help you any way they can.

True love goes line dancing with you even if they don’t really like country music.

True love makes surprise dinner plans to please you.

True love forgives you when you make mistakes.

True love brings you small gifts just to see you smile.

True love expresses their feelings in words, spoken and written.

True love is honest and vulnerable.

True love puts the boxes of Christmas decorations back in the attic even when they’re exhausted because they know the clutter is driving you batty.

True love watches a romantic comedy with you even when they’d rather watch an action movie.

True love offers to take time out of his busy day to check the P.O. box that you haven’t had time to visit in a month and is probably overflowing.

True love cooks a special dinner to cheer you up even when he’s exhausted.

True love secretly gets all your kids to trace their hands and assembles them into a paper bouquet for Mother’s Day.

True love fills the gas tank in your vehicle every time they borrow it to run an errand and never says a word about it.

True love sleeps on the living room floor with your newborn so you can get just four hours of uninterrupted sleep.

True love takes his turn changing poopy diapers even if it makes him gag.

True love is always working to resolve any disagreement.

True love is teaching the woman you love how to waltz on her twenty-first birthday, on the beach, beneath the stars.

Or, in short:

True love sacrifices self—in little and big ways—for the other’s good, and is constantly on the lookout for new ways to please, serve, and show their love for you.

This is the kind of love I try to portray in my novels. The self-sacrificing, mutually benefiting, trial-enduring, God-fearing love between a husband and wife as the Bible exhorts us to demonstrate. Like myself and my husband, my characters are flawed and in desperate need of a Savior, but I hope they also reflect the love that Christ has for His bride, the church.

Whether you’ve found your earthly true love or not, always remember that there is One who loves you and has sacrificed everything—even suffered humiliation, torture, and death—to show His love for you. You are not alone. You are chosen and you are loved.

What do you think of my list? Can you add a few more things that True Love does?

Kathleen Denly writes stories to entertain, encourage, and inspire readers toward a better understanding of our amazing God and how He sees us. She enjoys finding the lesser known pockets of history and bringing them to life through the joys and struggles of her characters.

Sunny southern California, a favorite setting in her stories, is also her home. She lives there with her loving husband, four young children, and two cats. As a member of the adoption and foster community, children in need are a cause dear to her heart and she finds they make frequent appearances in her stories.

Kathleen’s debut novel, Waltz in the Wilderness, released February 4, 2020 and is available wherever books are sold.

When she isn’t writing, researching, or caring for children, she spends her time reading, visiting historical sites, hiking, and crafting.

Kathleen is also a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and the San Diego Christian Writers’ Guild.

Always happy to hear from her readers, you can email Kathleen and follow her on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest. You might also consider joining Kathleen’s Readers’ Club to learn the latest updates, receive exclusive content and be eligible for KRC exclusive giveaways!

Kathleen Denly is offering an ebook of her prequel novella Ribbons & Beaus + winner’s choice between a Kindle Fire 7 OR a Kindle Paperwhite to one of my readers! (US only, void where prohibited) This giveaway is subject to Reading Is My SuperPower’s giveaway policies which can be found here. Enter via the Rafflecopter form below.

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What about you? What interests you most about Waltz in the Wilderness? What do you think of Kathleen’s list? Can you add a few more things that True Love does?