ABOUNDING HOPE

ABOUNDING HOPE
Friday, September 29, 2023 by CINDY KAY STEWART

Categories: Friday's Fiction / GUEST AUTHORS

PLEASE WELCOME

CINDY KAY STEWART

FICTION FRIDAY

THE STORY BEHIND THE STORY

Do you love learning about real events from history? Do you enjoy experiencing those events through the lives of fictional characters?

Historical fiction gives readers the opportunity to see, hear, and feel life as it really happened in days gone by. After all, people faced the same struggles in the past that we experience today. Christian fiction adds a deeper dimension by reminding us of God’s faithfulness during the worst and the best of times.

My desire to learn about WWII began in high school when I first read The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom. Although this work is non-fiction, it piqued my interest to learn more.

Many years later, I discovered the Zion Covenant Series by Bodie and Brock Thoene. I’ve read these books over and over again. At the end of the sixth book, Warsaw Requiem, WWII has just begun, and the main characters flee from Warsaw by boat on a river. I was so curious about how they successfully made it out of Poland that I began researching the possibilities. And wow! My findings were fascinating. Thus, the Circle of Hope Series was born.

The Circle of Hope is a group of more than a dozen U.S. citizens who had attended boarding school together in France, had grown up in a variety of European countries, and had pledged to assist each other in times of crisis. WWII is such a time.

Abounding Hope, Book 1 in the series, is set in Poland and Hungary one week before the onset of WWII.

AN EXCERPT FROM ABOUNDING HOPE

(Circle of Hope, Book 1)

By Cindy Kay Stewart

How could she say she loved God when she only served Him on her own terms?

Piotr patted her shoulder. “If our worst fears come true, we must cling to God’s promises. Nothing can remove us from His love. He is with us, even when we’re too distraught to feel His presence.”

Irena sniffled. She had trusted in His promises. In His love. She’d given her life to serve Him. But it wasn’t enough. Nothing was turning out the way she’d expected. It wouldn’t do to throw those words in Piotr’s face, so she remained quiet.

He squeezed her shoulder. “Get plenty of sleep tonight. You will need it.”

Irena raised her head as Piotr rose and lowered the wick on the kerosene lamp. The flame died. “Don’t forget to blow out the candles.”

Oh, Lord, please forgive me. I’ve been so stubborn. And about the war—I want the fighting to end, but not at the cost of Poland’s defeat. And dear Teresa. Strengthen her. I was supposed to be with her . . .

A soft whisper spoke to her heart . . .

“When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee.”

Calm spread over her. Tears pooled in her eyes but no longer gushed like a fountain. She sat up and repeated the verse aloud. Oh, Lord, so many lives are at risk, and it seems the waters are about to swallow us whole.

MORE ABOUT ABOUNDING HOPE

Poland’s looming defeat forces an American teacher to escape with children wanted by the Nazis.

It’s late August 1939, and the world is on the brink of war. The Nazis are threatening Poland, but American teacher Irena Simmons refuses to flee to safety. She’s dedicated her life to serving in her church and school, and she’s watching over the little German boys she whisked to safety the year before. When Jonathan, her former classmate, surprises her in Lvov and insists she leave with him before the war starts, Irena balks. Nothing will interfere with her work—especially a man making demands.

American shipping magnate Jonathan Huntwell had a crush on Irena in school. When their former classmates select him to travel to Poland and escort her out before it’s too late, he doesn’t expect the inner turmoil she ignites in him. Although honor-bound to aid any friend in trouble, Jonathan acknowledges that Irena is more than an obligation to him. However, he must keep his feelings hidden, or he’ll jeopardize their friendship.

Irena soon discovers that the Gestapo agent she successfully evaded in Germany has found her in Poland, and he’s after her young charges. When the Germans invade, Jonathan is in Denmark on business, too far away to help. As the rising danger threatens everything Irena holds dear, she must find a way to protect those she loves.

Based on true events and backed by extensive research, Abounding Hope is sure to delight fans of WWII adventure cloaked in sweet romance. Come to the place where the war began and discover hope in the darkest places.

Abounding Hope releases on 10/3. Also available in Kindle Unlimited.

BUY LINK: Amazon

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Connect with the author online:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cindykstewartauthor

Website: https://www.cindykaystewart.com

Amazon Author Page:

https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B0CGVSW4GF/about

Goodreads:

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/43733828.Cindy_Kay_Stewart

ABOUT CINDY KAY STEWART

Cindy Kay Stewart, a retired high school social studies teacher, writes stories of hope, steeped in love, and anchored in faith. Her manuscripts have won the Touched by Love Award, the First Impressions Contest, and the Sandra Robbins Inspirational Writing Award. They've also finaled in the Maggie Award of Excellence, the Cascade Awards, and semi-finals in the Genesis contest. Cindy is passionate about revealing God’s handiwork in history. She resides in North Georgia with her college sweetheart and husband of forty-two years. Her daughter, son-in-law, and four adorable grandchildren live nearby. Cindy’s currently writing a fiction series set in WWII Europe.

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