Welcome to the Courage Chronicles blog hop and giveaway!
I hope you’ve enjoyed visiting the first four posts of the giveaway! If you’ve missed any, you can read the stories about courage, plus, enter up to five times into our grand prize: A custom piece of art, hand painted by the authors, plus five novels—one from each of us!
Fri. May 10: Joanne Bischof (You’re here!)
G I V E A W A Y D E T A I L S
(ENTRY link below!)
After watching each video, you can enter the giveaway by answering a question that’s answered in the video (except for Joanne’s post … oopsie! You’ll find the answer to my secret question listed in the written excerpt below 😀 ). You only need to fill out one form from one author to enter for the prize (the painting + 5 books!) but you can earn up to five entries by visiting all five posts and filling out all five forms! Yay! The event runs May 6-10, 2019, with the giveaway closing May 17, 2019 at 9 am EST. The giveaway is open to residents of the U.S.
A N E X C E R P T F R O M D A U G H T E R S o f N O R T H E R N S H O R E S (this contains the clue to enter the giveaway!)
Cora moved about, and by the sound of it, was shifting bottles in her medic case. Her footsteps crossed the floor, followed by the gentle rattle of the chains that belonged to the hanging farm scale. Though most oft used for weighing bags of apples, it had been hung into place near the newly arrived cradle—both rituals belonging to the time just before a new babe.
With the scraping sound still in the yard that was much less familiar, Aven glanced out the window.
Haakon stood in front of the cidery and with a rasp in hand, ran it against the weathered wood, causing a portion of the vow written there to fade. Same as he’d been doing that morning. The shirt between his suspenders was dark with sweat, his boyish confidence gone, and in its place was a raw and real ability that bespoke years of sea and survival.
Cora’s own gaze moved to the window. A shadow passed over Cora’s eyes—brief but telling. The woman wasn’t pleased with the youngest Norgaard, that was certain. Cora watched as Haakon worked and Aven recalled that this very woman had helped bring him into the world once. Perhaps even in this very room. So close was Haakon in age to Cora’s daughter, Tess, that Aven had a sense Cora might even have been his wet nurse. A motherly bond that she couldn’t yet begin to fathom. ’Twas a broken heart shining in Cora’s eyes and it made Aven’s own chest ache even more.
At the washstand, Cora poured a glass of water while she watched Haakon scrape at the nearest board. “He due to have a time of it if he aimin’ to make that writin’ go away.” As Haakon continued his work, so softened Cora’s countenance. With the markings made be secret leaders of the Ku Klux Klan, Aven realized just how potent Haakon’s actions were to Cora. More than she had yet considered.
Yet ’twas a motherly protection for Aven in Cora’s voice. “How you farin’ with him home?”
“I’m not certain. At first I was stunned to see him. He came with no word or warning.”
“Ain’t that just like Haakon?”
Aye. The shock had worn off and now she just felt sore. “I don’t know what to think or believe. There has been time enough to prepare for that, but I don’t know that I’m as ready as I might have been.”
“I say you’re doin’ right fine. More than fine.”
“We’ve spoken briefly and he asked me to forgive him.”
Cora’s hands that had been busy adjusting a pillow stilled. “What had you to say?”
The scraping continued—muted by distance but steady with determination.
“I told him that I forgive him, but I’m not sure of what to do. I don’t feel any different, Aunt Cora. When he is around, I’m not sure how to be. I’m still uneasy. Though I don’t believe he intends ill will, I still know what he is capable of.”
Cora patted a cool touch to Aven’s arm. “There be no shame in unease. Not when it be of such a nature as you’ve known. Your trust been broken and he must bear the consequence.”
“But how can that be? If I’ve forgiven him…am I not doing something wrong?”
“Forgiveness be a gift taught to us by the One who forgave first and who forgave the most. You took that to heart when Haakon done asked you and I’m right proud of you and your answer. Mighty proud. But that you’s unsettled around him be the cost of his choice. Unlike forgiveness, trust be a cost only he can pay.”
Aven watched him through the window as he stood there, speaking to Sigurd who was helping. In this moment, she could see a trace of the kindness she’d once known was in him.
“It be trust he need to earn and that’s what sin does. Forgiveness…it pure and good, but it just the start of it. Offering one don’t mean the other be remedied as well. When a person be hurt, there need be a minding to both hope and sense.”
With Cora the faithful soul to have delivered most of the infants in the region for decades, she’d surely seen her share of injustice when it came to the ways of a man with a woman. How many trembling hands had she laid newborns in? How many misty-eyed mothers had she spoken these words of comfort to?
The side of Cora’s mouth tipped up in a smile…one that bespoke a faith as bright as the sunshine streaming in. The shawl still in hand, she lay the soft folds over the footboard of the bed. “Overcoming such hurts ain’t so different than what that man be aimin’ to achieve out there.” Her eyes shifted to the window once more. “All that been painted there may soon be scoured off, but the grooves of their doin’ will remain. Those hollows will serve as a reminder that iniquity be possible. And the scraping away is what the restoring does. Our hearts ain’t so different than the side of that barn. And we not so different in the hands of our maker.”
Here is our finished painting! Hand-painted and signed by each author!
You ladies did such a nice job with the watercolor! I really enjoyed this exercise and got to know some authors that I was not familiar with. I also liked the challenge that made this giveaway a bit more different and hands on. I enjoyed the challenge!
Perrianne, Thank you for joining us! It’s so nice to know that you enjoyed the giveaway process and the painting — and it makes it all the more special to us for you to be a part of it!
That painting came out beautiful. All of you have a hidden talent besides writting beautiful stories for us to read. Blessings as always.
Thank you, Keren! It was fun to step out of our comfort zones a little 😉 Thank you for joining us!
That painting is beautiful! Thanks for doing this, I’ve enjoyed watching all your videos and checking out the excerpts!
Amanda, we are so thrilled that you’ve enjoyed the videos. I’ve been watching them along with you and it’s so fun to get to see each author and hear from her heart. We are thankful you’re here!
Ah, I love seeing those trees come to life! Thank you for bringing the project home by adding them, concluding it all so beautifully. I loved getting to hear of Haakon’s journey, what a deep journey he had!!
Thank you for all your help and encouragement with these books over the years, Amanda. I am so thankful for you, and so incredibly proud for your novel to have headed out into the world, and for the way it is touching hearts, my own included!
You ladies did a marvelous job painting that piece of art. I absolutely adore it! And I really love what you all are doing by spreading this message of courage. I need so much of it in my life (especially as a writer who is struggling to finish a book right now hehe). ♥♥♥♥
Jen, I’m proud of you for your hard work and determination with writing. It’s definitely not easy. I still have the card you sent me with the necklace, and while that was a short piece of writing, it was SUCH an encouragement to me.
Kudos to you amazingly talented ladies. The painting is gorgeous! (Might prompt me to pick up my water colors again.) The courage messages powerful. And the entire journey a delight. I look forward to reading the books. Hope you enjoyed this as much as we did.
Mary,
I second your idea to pull out those water colors. I’d love to see what you do! Thank you for joining us for the chronicles. You’ve made it extra special.
Wow, I am truly intrigued by this small amount of your story, and cannot wait to read the whole book!! You girls painted a lovely picture and as I am just a beginning water color painter, I look forward to seeing if I can do something similar. Thanks for this opportunity! Blessings~~
Oh, Ramona, I am so delighted that this whet your appetite for more of the Norgaard’s story. If you get a chance to read the novel, I truly hope it’s a blessing to you. Thank you for visiting, and for your kind words about the painting! Best of luck with your upcoming artwork!! 😀
The wisdom of Cora shared! Looking forward to reading this following story!!! Kathleen ~ Lane Hill House
Kathleen, you are always such an encouragement. Thank you for stopping by!
<3
This was one of those “hang-over” books for me. It was so good, and it’s been difficult to find another to follow. I also loved Aven’s name. As I keep gaining more grandkids, I would try to convince someone in the family to use that name, except my oldest daughter’s name is Evan, and that’s just so close…but you never know. 😉 I’d love to know what you’re working on next.
Oh my word, Naomi, this gave me such a smile. I thrill to think of one of your grandkids being named after, Aven, but also know why it doesn’t always work out 😉 Thank you for reading these books and for being such a special part of this series! And I’m currently working on a few books: one non-fiction book and a few stories as well. I’m eager to get to share one of them soon!
I admire the completed watercolor painting and the courage it took for each of you to step outside your comfort zone in the process of completing it. So much symbolism, not only in the picture of nature but also in the working as a team for its completion. What an inspiration it will be to the person who wins it, along with the books. Thank you for sharing.
Y’all did a wonderful job! It’s beautiful! Thanks for the fun and giveaway!