Guest Post (and a Giveaway!): DiAnn Mills & Facing the Enemy

In Facing the Enemy, both protagonists are dealing with loss in some form, and I’m honored to welcome author DiAnn Mills back to the blog today to talk about coping with grief – a topic close to my own heart the last couple of years too.

FACING THE ENEMY by DiAnn Mills
GENRE: Romantic Suspense (Christian)
PUBLISHER: Tyndale House
RELEASE DATE: September 5, 2023
PAGES: 345

For the past five years, FBI Special Agent Risa Jacobs has worked in the violent crimes against children division of the Houston FBI. She’s never had reason to believe there’s a target on her back . . . until now.

When the long-awaited reunion between Risa and her brother, Trenton, ends in tragedy, Risa is riddled with guilt, unable to cope with the responsibility she feels over his death. On leave from the FBI, Risa returns to her former career as an English teacher at a local college, only to see her past and present collide when one of her students, Carson Mercury, turns in an assignment that reads like an eyewitness account of her brother’s murder, with details never revealed publicly.

Alarmed by Carson’s inside knowledge of Trenton’s death, Risa reaches out to her former partner at the FBI. Special Agent Gage Patterson has been working a string of baby kidnappings, but he agrees to help look into Carson’s background. Risa and Gage soon discover their cases might be connected as a string of high-value thefts have occurred at properties where security systems were installed by Carson’s stepfather and children have gone missing. There’s a far more sinister plot at play than they ever imagined, and innocent lives are in danger.

For fans of romantic suspense comes a heart-pounding thriller about loss, betrayal, and finding the strength to trust again.

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3 Ways to Cope with Loss and Grief

by DiAnn Mills, author of Facing the Enemy

A person who experiences the loss of a loved one is often hit unaware by grief’s emotional, physical, and spiritual symptoms. Every person’s journey is unique to them, a process. That includes the order of moving through the various stages of grief and the time to heal.

Never ignore the heartache of loss and grief. The pain isn’t willed away. Until the loss is addressed, agony will return with vengeance.

The following three ways to cope with grief and loss will help manage the pain and restore the sufferer physically, mentally, and spiritually.

1. Trust in God to restore you. He understands the tragedies of a fallen world and desires we hold on tightly to Him. Have faith in His love. Refuse to blame Him for the tragic circumstances. Be open to what God is teaching, and never doubt His provision.

2. Familiarize yourself with the five stages of grief and instill patience in your inner being:

• Denial—The shock and numbness can push us into a false emotional determination in which the loss didn’t occur. To heal we must face the truth.
• Anger—The horror of the loss pushes us to blame someone or a situation. Sometimes anger is toward those who we feel are responsible for the loss, even the victim.
• Bargaining—We want to control the effects of the loss, but we can’t restore what is gone. For the faith-based person, God hears our prayers, but His answer may not be to our liking.
• Depression—Sadness is a normal stage of grief causing depression. Our world has been hit with the inconceivable. When sadness moves to a level of isolation and thoughts of suicide, it’s time to seek professional counseling.
• Acceptance—This means we accept what happened, not that we are fine or moved past the loss. The happening occurred, and gradually the pain lifts. We might return to one of the stages, and that’s okay. We will heal and learn to live again.

3. Don’t ignore friends and family; this is not a time to abandon others. Those who care about you may feel uncomfortable, awkward, and not know what to say. Sometimes all we need is the physical presence of a loved one who lets us cry or cries with us.

Coping with loss and overwhelming grief is possible. When we emerge from the immense sorrow, we are stronger and better equipped to help another person who has walked through the same fire.

Note from Carrie – if you’d like more resources on coping with grief, check out this post ♥

DiAnn Mills is a bestselling author who believes her readers should expect an adventure. She creates action-packed, suspense-filled novels to thrill readers. Her titles have appeared on the CBA and ECPA bestseller lists and won two Christy Awards, the Golden Scroll, Inspirational Reader’s Choice, and Carol Award contests. DiAnn’s latest novel, Facing the Enemy, releases from Tyndale in September 2023. Connect with DiAnn at diannmills.com.

Tyndale House is offering a print copy of Facing the Enemy by DiAnn Mills to one of my readers! (US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.) 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 makes you want to read Facing the Enemy by DiAnn Mills?