Guest Post & Giveaway: Delia Hayward, Author of From Turmoil to Peace

 

Delia Hayward, one of eight children, grew up during the Hippie Era in a dysfunctional family, for whom emotional and physical abuse was a normal occurrence of her childhood.

Her marriage further deteriorated what little self-esteem she retained from her childhood. Perhaps these torments are what made her desperately seek God and a personal relationship with Him.

When her marriage fell apart, she rose to the challenge of raising three sons alone. With the help of God and sheer determination, Delia managed to instill positive self-esteem and a love for God into the hearts of the next generation.

As you read this book, may you also find hope in the midst of your storm, and may God bring you from turmoil to peace.

GUEST POST:

Title: When Pain Meets Purpose — Sharing My Story and God's Grace

 

Writing my story felt like standing at the edge of a cliff and trusting God to carry me across the canyon. It was terrifying, exhilarating, and deeply healing. Putting your life on paper—especially the parts marked by trauma, heartbreak, and spiritual transformation—is no easy task. You're laying your soul bare for strangers to read. But for me, the thought that my story could help someone feel less alone, or guide them toward hope, made it all worth it. I’ve received messages from readers saying they couldn’t put the book down—and that alone has been one of the greatest confirmations that the risk of vulnerability was not in vain.

The journey from journaling my experiences to publishing a book was never a straight path. God planted the seed in my heart long before I could see the fruit. I always had the sense that my story wasn’t just mine to keep—it was meant to be shared. But it wasn’t until I was laid off from work in 2014 that the vision truly came into focus. I had started writing while working full-time, but progress was slow and sporadic. When the job fell away and doors didn’t open elsewhere, I felt a clear nudge from God: “This is the time. Finish it.” What felt like a loss of career turned out to be a divine invitation to create something lasting.  Throughout the process, my faith anchored me. I trusted that if God called me to write this book, He would also equip me to finish it. And He did—but not without patience. It took eleven years of starts and stops, before it finally came to life in printed form. I had to learn to wait, to be okay with God's timing, which rarely matched my own.

 

The most helpful companion in this journey, without question, was my relationship with God. In moments when self-doubt crept in or the words wouldn’t flow, I leaned on Him. I also had friends and family who encouraged me along the way, reminding me that the pain I endured had purpose, and that sharing it could bring healing—not just to me, but to others.  This book isn’t just a testimony—it’s a love letter to anyone walking through the fire, wondering if there's a way out. 

 Read sample here.

From Turmoil to Peace is available at Amazon and Barnes&Noble.

Delia Hayward is a proud mother of three wonderful sons, a beautiful granddaughter and a precious grandson. God put it on her heart to write this book "From Turmoil to Peace" so that people could benefit from her life experiences. She has been blessed and hopes her book blesses others.

You can visit her website at https://deliahayward.name/ and follow her at Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/delia.hayward.14. 

Giveaway Details:

Delia E. Hayward is giving away TWO $25 Amazon Gift Cards!

Terms & Conditions:

• By entering the giveaway, you are confirming you are at least 18 years old.

• Two winners will be chosen via Rafflecopter to receive a $25 Amazon Gift Card.

• This giveaway starts August 18 and ends on September 18.

• Winner will be contacted via email on September 18.

• Winner has 48 hours to reply.

Good luck,

everyone!

ENTER TO WIN!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge: Authors I Wish More People Knew About

 

The Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge is hosted by Long and Short Reviews. They offer this blog hop as a weekly prompt to help you gain new friends and visitors. You don't have to participate every week, but if you decide to post and join the blog hop for a week, Long and Short Reviews asks that you share your link on their weekly post on their website (it will be the top post on the home page each Wednesday morning). The link list remains open for new links for 48 hours. Visit the other bloggers participating to see what they discuss that week. Comments are appreciated.  

Happy Wednesday! Today, we're discussing authors we wish more people knew about. In the years I've been blogging, I've come across some really wonderful authors. Here are five that came to mind today.

I came across H.B. Berlow thanks to my job as an acquisitions editor. The Day of Calamity is one of those books that got away. I loved it in draft form. Loved it even more in published form. I'm looking forward to reading the next two books in the series, one of which is coming out next month. 

Duffy Brown is a well-known author. She has two series, one book in a new series, and she is a National Bestselling Author. I read her entire Consignment Shop Mystery series and was disappointed when it ended. I wanted more! If you enjoy cozy mysteries with a hint of humor and some romance, she is an author to explore. 

K. M. Daughters is a sister writing team who have published fourteen award-winning novels and three novellas in the inspirational romance and romantic suspense genres. I reviewed Beyond the Code of Conduct first, and then went back and read the first book in The Sullivan Boys series. Superb!

Author Holly Bush seems to have written two books: Romancing Olive and Reconstructing Jackson, which was one of the most amazing books I read in 2013. It is a book that I loved so much, I still recall bits and pieces from it. 

F. M. Meredith is the alternate name of Marilyn Meredith. As F. M. Meredith, she wrote the Rocky Bluff P.D. series, which introduced me to one of my favorite fictional cops, Gordon Butler. Under the name Marilyn Meredith, she wrote the Tempe Crabtree Mysteries series and numerous standalone stories. She has also written three memoirs. She has chosen her latest book, My Writing Life, to be her last. Her friendship has been a true blessing to me for almost two decades. 

Hope you check out these authors. What is an author you wish more people knew about? 

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Literary/Bookish Candles I’d Make & Tell Me Something Tuesday: What Would You Do If You Won The Lottery?

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.    

Here we are on Tuesday again. How exciting! Now that the partners are back from their vacation, it will be a meeting day, and I have photos at a new listing. Caught up on my paperwork over the weekend and created some of the systems I've been meaning to put together for at least a year. Go me! Maybe that will free up some creativity for this post. 

Heather at The Frozen Library suggested this topic. She gets a gold star for being super creative. This will be a text-heavy post, so bear with me. 

Top Ten Literary/Bookish Candles I'd Make

Lemon Verbena on Plum Creek

Miss Beadle was Laura's first teacher in Walnut Grove in the television show, Little House on the Prairie. Laura loved the way she smelled, which was attributed to Miss Beadle's lemon verbena perfume. On the Banks of Plum Creek is a book in Wilder's famous children's books. This would be a  candle that is the color and scent of plums infused with lemon verbena.

Madhatter's Unbirthday Cake 

The Madhatter from Lewis Caroll's Alice in Wonderland served unbirthday cakes. This golden candle would smell like molasses and brown sugar. 

Frosted White Witch

Keeping in mind that the White Witch from The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis had an affinity for cold and snow, this vanilla candle would be blended with white musk and mint. 

Summer on Tradd Street

Karen White set her Tradd Street series in Charleston, South Carolina. To celebrate, let's create a peach-colored and scented candle infused with jasmine and magnolia. 

Butler's Barbershop

Gordon Butler is my favorite character from F. M. Meredith's Rocky Bluff P.D. series. To celebrate that clean, barbershop scent cops often wear, let's create an amber candle that combines sandalwood and orange. 

OBX Lighthouse

Eva Gates set her Lighthouse Library series in our beloved second home, the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Blending driftwood essential oils with eucalyptus and sage, you could create a sage green candle that reminds you of the ocean and marshlands. 

The Haunted Woods

This deep green candle features scents of pine, cedarwood, eucalyptus, rosemary, and sandalwood, reminiscent of the Haunted Woods in Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery. 

Cedarville Holidays

My small town romance, Home for the Heart, which I will shop around in the new year, is set in a New England town at Christmas. A green candle with balsam, cedar, and hollyberry scents would be a wonderful match. 

Sticky Buns at Promise Lodge

Charlotte Hubbard's Promise Lodge series makes me think of all the great food happening in that community. This golden brown candle would have scents of cinnamon, brown sugar, pecans, and maple. 

Thorn & Nectar

In A Christmas Journey Home by Kathi Macias, a young couple crosses the border from Mexico into Arizona. This white candle would blend scents of agave, orange, cactus flowers, and jasmine.

Which one is your favorite? Which books on this list have you read? 

 

Tell Me Something Tuesday (TMST) is hosted by Jen Twimom at That's What I'm Talking About. TMST is a weekly discussion post where bloggers discuss a wide range of topics from books and blogging to life in general. Participation is optional, and you leave your comments in the weekly post if you are participating. Check it out if you would like to join.

This week's topic is: What would you do if you won the lottery? 

Keeping in mind that I don't usually play, the answer depends on the size of the pot. To change life dramatically, it needs to be at least ten million dollars. After taxes, that would likely only leave three to four million. If spent unwisely, that won't last long. In short order, I would:

• Pay off the mortgage
• Set aside an inheritance for the three kids
• Make a generous donation to Rick's Place
• Rehab historical properties so people could better afford to live in them
• Take more time off

Not sure the winnings would cover all that, but it's nice to think about. 

How about you? What would you do if you won the lottery?

Book Review: Like Driftwood on the Salish Sea by Richard I. Levine

 

If you are looking for a deeply emotional, well-written contemporary romance with a riveting plot, pick up a copy of Like Driftwood on the Salish Sea by Richard I. Levine. 

From the moment Mitchell "Mitch" Brody silenced Jessica Ramirez's bully in grade school, the two were inseparable. They spent years planning their ideal life together. Then 9/11 tore them apart. Mitch joined the Marine Corps, and nothing would ever be the same. 

Like Driftwood on the Salish Sea is the story of two people torn apart by things outside of their control. In this engaging, complex, and masterfully told novel, the reader travels through present and past times as Mitch and Jessica's story unfolds, slowly, carefully, like diving into a letter from a distant relative that reveals secrets, truths, and long-held feelings. Mitch has avoided everyone and everything he once held dear as he struggles with PTSD from his strict upbringing and time in Iraq. Jess never gave up hope in what they had, which makes this story so touching.

If you are looking for a typical romance--boy meets girl, they fall in love, they live happily ever after--you will not find it here. What you will find is a romance that touches every bit of who we are, how family dynamics play out, how idyllic life in a small town can be a blessing and a curse--especially when you are pulled out of it into something emotionally charged and devastating, and how love can survive against it all. You will need an entire box of tissues to make it through this one. 

• ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0FB98HVW4
• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Independently published
• Publication date ‏ : ‎ June 4, 2025
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Print length ‏ : ‎ 396 pages
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 979-8547584473

I purchased a copy of this novel from Amazon. This review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way. 

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? and Mailbox Monday - Sept 15

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is a place to meet up and share what you have been, are, and about to be reading over the week. It's a great post to organize yourself. It's an opportunity to visit, comment, and add to that ever-growing TBR pile! So welcome, everyone. This meme started with J Kaye's Blog and was then taken up by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn at the Book Date.

Happy Monday on a Sunday! I have a day of appointments on Monday, so I figured I would release this post early. Did you have a great week? Mine was good. Got into the kitchen on Sunday to make turkey soup. Reviewed some books. Here are a few photos:

Taco pizza

Turkey soup in the making 

Flowers add a nice touch to any room

This week, I will list a new property, have a closing for another property, have inspections at a property, and Theo will get his sutures taken out. Only three meetings this week, so hopefully my evenings will be mostly free. Also have a small editing project. 

In my reading world, my review of "Like Driftwood on the Salish Sea" by Richard Levine appears today.

Posted my review of Generating Business Referrals Without Asking by Stacey Brown Randall on Sunday. Loved this book! You can read that review here. 

I reviewed 364 Days Until Halloween by Allison Edwards at my children's book blog. You can read the review here. 

I didn't read Behind the Scenes by Elizabeth Hobbs Keckley on my Kindle this week. 

Look for my First Chapter Review of Ride a Dark Trail by Winter Austin coming toward the end of September. 

Wrote the reviews for these books. They are coming this week. 

Little Angel's Christmas Song by Kerstin Hau. Love the artwork on this one. 

Never Let a Unicorn Meet A Reindeer by Diane Alber. This one is funny!

These are review books I need to read.

Singing the Forge by G. H. Mosson is a poetry collection. 

The Man Next Door is another romantic comedy by Sheila Roberts.

Zigzag Girl by Ruth Knafo Setton is a thriller. 

I also want to read Old Flames, New Beginnings by Lea Schizas during the holiday season. 

Mailbox Monday is a gathering place for readers to share the books they added to their shelves the previous week. This weekly meme is now hosted by Vicki at I'd Rather Be At The Beach. 

The first two books are freebies from authors whose newsletters I signed up for last month. 

Grabsenstein's book is a NetGalley download.

This poetry collection is for a November review. 

My review of Sheila Roberts' latest is coming on October 31. 

The last two I ordered because they were of interest to me. 

Upcoming Events

• Like Driftwood on the Salish Sea by Richard Levine - Sep 15 (Review)
• From Turmoil to Peace by Delia E. Hayward - Sep 18 (Guest Post)
• Ride a Dark Trail by Winter Austin - Sep 23 (First Chapter Review)
• The Bell Tolls at Traeger Hall by Jaime Jo Wright - Oct 29 (Review)
• The Man Next Door by Sheila Roberts - Oct 31 (Review)
• ZigZag Girl by Ruth Knafo Setton - Nov 12 (First Chapter Review)
• Singing the Forge by G. H. Mosson - Nov 25 (Review)

The latest Christmas... in the news post is up at Christmas Year Round. This week, I am talking about Amazon's Top 100 Best Christmas Decorations, a teen cancer and heart failure survivor who is starring in a Hallmark Channel Christmas movie, and a Christmas tree farm convention. Check it out here.

At The Children's and Teens' Book Connection, I posted the review of 364 Days Until Halloween, and two more will be posted this week. 

Laura's Little Houses has two new posts: "Top Five Favorite Episodes from Little House on the Prairie - Season 1," and the latest chapter in the "Times Are Changing" Season 9 rewrite. You can find those here and here. 

And that wraps up this Monday's posts. Looking forward to your comments. 

Audible Book Review: Generating Business Referrals Without Asking by Stacey Brown Randall

 

If you work in a business driven by referrals, then you must read Generating Business Referrals Without Asking by Stacey Brown Randall. 

In this informative and engaging resource, Randall pushes back against the traditional methodology of asking for referrals, replacing it with a system aimed at increasing profit and productivity. She explains why asking doesn't work, and why changing how you give and get referrals will change everything.

I loved this book when I first listened to it. Loved it even more the second time I listened. Keeping in mind that I work in a business that depends upon referrals, why Generating Business Referrals Without Asking resonated so well with me is that it validated my long-held feeling that there must be a better way than sitting down daily or weekly to call your client base and ask them who they knew needed your services. I hate it when it's done to me, so why would I do it to someone else? I felt heard by Randall. The author also clarified for me what a referral is, versus what I thought it was, which will allow me to give better referrals in the future. 

Randall narrated this book, and her passion for the subject shines through as she shares the process she uses and trains others to use. There are also resources available to those who purchase her book, my favorite of which is the "What It Is Like To Work With You Assessment." 

So glad I circled back around to gather my thoughts on this amazing business resource. I am looking forward to putting Randall's system into practice. 

Listening Length	3 hours and 14 minutes
Author	Stacey Brown Randall
Narrator	Stacey Brown Randall
Audible.com Release Date	October 23, 2019
Publisher	Morgan James Publishing
Program Type	Audiobook
Version	Unabridged
Language	English
ASIN	B07ZH14MH2

I purchased a copy of this book from Audible. This review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way.

We Remember