Thursday, January 31, 2013

Guest Author - Susie Finkbeiner

It is my sincerest honor and pleasure to bring to you debut author, Susie Finkbeiner. I acquired and edited her wonderful novel, Paint Chips, for WhiteFire Publishing. It is a beautiful story of hope and healing, and I hope you all will check it out. ~ Dina Sleiman

Susie Finkbeiner
I hate driving in the winter. There. I’ve said it. As a Michigan native, it is shameful to fear driving on icy roads in white-out conditions. I just cannot seem to keep my mind from constructing all the “worst case scenarios”.
The thoughts that I allow to work into anxiety are worse than the actual snow and ice. They consume me, causing me to forget who is in control of the wind and the waves, the ice and the snow.

In my novel “Paint Chips”, Cora considers the various storms she has weathered throughout her life. She doesn’t understand why God allowed her to suffer. When recalling the story of Jesus calming the storm (Mark 4:35-41), she stops short of the end.

She remembers that Jesus and His disciples were on a boat and that Jesus slept through a deadly storm. That the disciples feared for their lives. That they cried out, asking Jesus if He cared that they were about to drown.

Somehow, through her hardships and loss, Cora forgot that Jesus woke. That He calmed the storm. That the disciples stood in awe of this God-man who could command the wind and the waves by the sound of His voice. She forgot that Jesus cared for His disciples.

When I allow my imagination to formulate those “worst case scenarios”, I have forgotten as well. My anxiety is stuck, thinking that Jesus is sleeping, unconcerned with me. That He is numb to my fears. I let myself feel abandoned by Him.

However, when I call out to Him, He is there. He shows Himself to be good and loving. To be in command. He calms the storm. He gives me peace. Why? Because He loves me. Because He cares. His help comes in ways different and better than I could ever imagine.

“The words of Jesus ran through my mind.
‘Peace, be still.’
Gladly, Jesus. Thank you.”
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What lies beneath the layers of hurt?

Though haunted by her troubled past, Dot has found a safe haven. She has a fierce protector and a colorful collection of friends...but sometimes she wonders if her life will ever be normal again. Though college and romance await her, embracing them requires a new kind of strength--one she isn't sure she has.

Emerging from years of confusion, Cora struggles to latch hold of the sanity she needs to return to the real world. She yearns to find a place of peace...but first she must deal with the ghosts of her past.

Can this mother and daughter overcome abuse, betrayal, abandonment, and the horrors of sexual trafficking, and make it back into each others arms? Facing the past is never easy. But as they chip away the layers, they might just find something beautiful beneath the mess.

Susie Finkbeiner is the writer of fiction, both short and long. Her deepest desire is that her fiction reflects the love of Jesus in a broken world. She and her husband are raising their three children in the beauty of Michigan. http://susiefinkbeiner.com/

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In what areas do you struggle with anxiety? Has Jesus ever calmed a storm in your life?

11 comments:

  1. Susie, thanks for visiting us today.

    Anxiety is a fierce beast and when it hits it's so easy to forget how loved we are. I like your reminder to focus on Jesus when it hits instead of letting all of those "what ifs" take control.

    Congratulations on your book. If Dina loves it, I know it's good, so I'm adding it to my nook.

    I love the cover. It's so interesting. I would love to know the story behind its creation. Another Roseanna creation?

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  2. Hi, Suzie! I love your name!

    I have struggled with anxiety most of my life. It sure is a beast.

    Thanks for the congratulations. And, yes, Roseanna is the creative genius behind the cover. she's so talented, isn't she?

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  3. Yes, Suzie with a Z, Roseanna designed it. I think the idea came from Susie F. though. Isn't it tres gorgeous!!!

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  4. Thanks for being here today, Susie F. I'm so excited about this book.

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  5. Congratulations on your release, Susie! Dina has raved about this story and I can't wait to read it.

    (I'm a Susie, too, btw, so we're having a bit of a party around here today.)

    Roseanna does create lovely covers.

    As for anxiety--I can relate. I'm very good at imagining worst case scenarios and forgetting that Jesus is in the boat with me during the storm.

    Thanks for the post.

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  6. Yes, a Susie/Suzie party!!! By the way, I just found out it's Susie F.'s birthday. So more reason to party. Whoo hoo!

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  7. Dina, any chance we can dub you the fourth Susie/Suzie?

    Thanks for having me here today, ladies! Such an honor!

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  8. Um...I have an aunt named Susie. Does that help...at all?

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  9. Oooh, what an intriguing book cover! Beautifully done.

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  10. I've heard a lot of talk about your book Susie, and I didn't even know it was a WhiteFire release. I do recall Dina telling us how excited she was about some of their upcoming releases, though!

    I'm so sorry to hear that white-out conditions caused a couple major accidents today -one in Detroit. We can't help but have some anxiety about such things, but it can become debilitating.

    I fought with fear just this week. The enemy knows where my weak points are and I had to really work at reclaiming the promises of God.

    I hope you have phenomenal success with this story and hear many stories from readers about how it touched and healed their private pain.
    Thank you for visiting. We could really use another Susie/Suzie! Because we've found they are rather sweet and wonderful. Why stop at two?

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  11. Sorry the spammers have been rabid today. I'm guessing the title of the novel makes them think we're doing home repairs. LOL.

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