Please join me in welcoming Sara Beth Williams back to the blog today – she’s here to chat about her new contemporary romance, Anchor My Heart!
ANCHOR MY HEART
SERIES: A Second Chance Novel #3
GENRE: Inspirational Contemporary Romance
PUBLISHER: Anaiah Press
RELEASE DATE: March 16, 2021
PAGES: 338
In the aftermath of tragic loss, worship leader Matt Lawson is grappling debilitating anxiety. The blessings he’d taken for granted—a dream job, a woman he couldn’t wait to spend the rest of his life with, and his God-given musical talent—have crumbled at his feet, leaving him reeling in despair, unable to face the wreckage of the life he’d envisioned for himself.
Tara Pierce is ready to put past hurts behind her as she prepares to graduate college and take a leap of faith in her career. When Matt’s grief causes him to isolate himself from everyone he knows, she refuses to stand idly by and do nothing. She has traversed similar terrain before. No one deserves to travel that road alone.
Unexpected attraction flares as Tara reaches into the sea of Matt’s grief and helps ground him in reality. But Matt’s not ready to give himself away again. Can Tara risk her heart and their friendship and let God step in to heal where she can’t?
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Other Books in the Series
what’s in a title?
by Sara Beth Williams, author of Anchor My Heart
Are you a title snob? What kind of book titles do you like? Do you like straightforward titles that come right out and tell you what the story is about? (Sometimes this is good! You know exactly what you’re going to get) Or do you like thought-provoking titles where it takes you half the book to understand the meaning?
For me, I prefer the latter. In fact, all three books of mine have titles with double meanings. Including my latest release, Anchor My Heart.
In March, 2020, as I was going through one of my mom’s old journals and found one with a nautical theme. Bible verses were listed at the bottom of each page. Not all the verses were nautical in nature but I found this verse at the bottom of one page: Hebrews 6:19.
“We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.” NIV
The words anchor and hope stuck with me for months. As I waded through edits from my critique group, and later my editor, I knew the theme of my book was finding hope through extreme trials. But that hope isn’t just plain wishful thinking. I knew, for these two characters, it had to be an assurance in something greater than themselves.
I strongly believe God brings revelations to us at just the right time. For me, reading that verse in early 2020 was exactly when I needed to read that verse. Not any sooner. Not any later. This verse has been a blessing to me throughout 2020.
After some back and forth brainstorming with my editor and other author friends, we came up with this title: Anchor My Heart.
Before Anchor My Heart, I’d never experienced any major anxiety. Only after suffering through 3 deaths did I begin to have symptoms of anxiety. But God, in His infinite wisdom and love and knowledge, prompted me and inspired me to write these stories that deal so heavily with grief and anxiety before any of that happened to me – because He knew. He knew I was going to walk through similar experiences.
He is the one that anchors the soul. He anchors my soul. And in fact, He’s been doing so for the 12 + months of insanity that is this pandemic.
Whatever trial you’re going through, whatever difficulty you are or will encounter, I sincerely hope his story instills hope in readers as they journey with Matt and Tara.
What’s your favorite book title and why? Let me know in the comments.
Sara Beth Williams is a wife, mother of two daughters, and temporary caretaker of a lovable old lady pit and a spunky Pomeranian-Shih Tzu mix. She lives in Northern California. When she’s not held hostage by the keyboard, she enjoys music, teaching, reading and spending time with her family. She is all about connecting with readers! Find her on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Goodreads and Bookbub.
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What about you? What makes you want to read Anchor My Heart by Sara Beth Williams? What’s your favorite book title and why?
I love your title and the verse from Hebrews 6:19. It is indeed a great verse as we endure the pandemic and various other trials in life. Thank you for pointing it out to us.
This sounds like an interesting story that deals with anxiety and grief. My favorite title is probably Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers because of how she writes about how God redeemed us with His love through His son, Jesus Christ. It is especially appropriate during this Holy Season.