ASC Book Reviews: BOOK BLAST and Guest Post from Author Marshalee Patterson!

About the Book

Title: A Shattered Life Restored

Author: Marshalee Patterson

Genre: Inspirational Christian Romance

Release Date: September 20th, 2018

Synopsis

Sitting at the Saint-Roch Train Station with tears in her eyes, Meg contemplated where her life had gone wrong. She was at a point in her life where she felt abandoned by God after the last remaining person who truly loved her, died. Now with a baby on the way, she had begun to lose hope that the future, she knew the Lord had promised her was never meant for her.

With a gentle tap on her shoulder, her gaze turned to meet that of Derek’s, the kind stranger whose smile brought warmness into her heart. “Was he sent to fulfil God’s promise in my life?” she thought. With assured faith, she followed him as he led her away, trusting that God had not forsaken her. Now she felt content to allow God to have his way in her life and totally surrender all to him.

Excerpt

Meg sat staring out the window of Olivier’s car for the duration of the drive to the cemetery. Her silence kept him glancing back and forth at her with a worrisome look on his face. Not even a sob escaped her lips, and the heavy breathing he observed from her chest made him wonder what was going through her mind.

The cemetery was fifteen minutes away from Jeanne’s house, and the environment was quiet and peaceful. When Olivier stopped the car and turned off the ignition, Meg turned to look at him. Her eyes were watery, and one blink would cause the tears to start flowing. He was not sure what he could say to make her feel better— he wasn’t sure of what was said between her and Jeanne.

“I’ll wait here and let you go talk to Ernie,” he said hoping that would help somewhat.
Meg nodded and gave him a little smile before she pulled on the lock and exited the car. As she walked towards Ernie’s grave, she breathed deeply in and out to get her breathing back to normal. The sight of other graves made her think about all the family she had lost back home in Jamaica, her life now without Ernie with a baby on the way, and what Jeanne had just said to her.

She felt hopeless.

She stood in front of Ernie’s grave and stared down. The sight of dead flowers only caused her tears to flow. She fell to her knees and wept aloud.

“How will I make it without you, my sweet? Your smile was always like sunshine to me. I need your strength for this baby, Ernie.” She sighed. “Would you believe what your mother said to me? She said I killed you, that I am carrying a bastard and that I was no good for you.”

Silence surrounded her, not a rustle of leaves from the nearby trees, or the chirping of birds. This made her tears flow even harder. No response, no Ernie. Meg leant against the headstone, wrapped her arms around it and closed her eyes.

“I miss you Ernie, please come back to me. I don’t know what to do anymore. Everyone I care for is all gone.” She blinked back the tears. “I want our child to grow with joy and laughter, not sorrow and pain.”

After about twenty minutes, the wind began to blow sending leaves everywhere. Meg kept her eyes closed, even as she felt something wet hit her cheek. She didn’t want to be away from Ernie or the place where his body lay.

“Meg!” Olivier shouted, rushing towards her.

She did not move.

He squatted down next to her the moment he approached her and pried her hands away from the headstone before she opened her eyes to take notice of the rain.

“Come on; let’s go before you get soaked.”

Meg wrapped her arms around Olivier’s neck as he scooped her up in his arms and then made a dash towards the car. By the time they made it to the car, the rain began to pour harder. Once inside, Olivier quickly switched on the heater to keep them warm.

“Are you alright?” he asked.

“No.”

Guest Post: How does one grieve the loss of a spouse?

Jeff and I were the best of friends, always sharing everything. I could even look at another man and say to my beloved, ‘Jeff that man looks nice doesn’t he?’ and he wouldn’t be jealous about it. He knew me well enough to understand when I compliment another that it’s just that and nothing more.

We knew each other for four years before we finally got married. It was great getting to know each other. We were in different countries at the time we courted and would write letters and called each other every day. What strengthened our relationship was our belief in Psalm 127—we always ended our phone calls with one reading the word and the other praying.

It built our spiritual lives and our relationship so much—we became a part of each other in more ways than a physical connection.

Friday, July 17, 2009, was the last time I spoke to Jeff; it was just before I left for church that night.

Strange thing too was after service that night my pastor’s wife told me she had a dream seeing me in a valley of blood, but she wasn’t sure if it was me or another Marsha who also came to the church.

I wasn’t sure what it meant at the time.

The following day—the Saturday I called Jeff like I usually did—his phone rang out. I thought he had gone to visit his friend who had a truck he usually helped with. I called again later that evening, still nothing. He usually called me when he got home so when he didn't that night, I wondered what happened and called his house—this time it was his cousin, Ann who answered.

She told me his mom was not able to speak and so she was the one who broke the news to me. It was a shock at first. When I hung the phone up I did not cry or reacted. I did not believe it. I never had such an experience before and it felt unreal.

The only thing I could think of doing was calling my pastor, and he told me not to get bitter. An advice many would shun but it kept me from turning from God. We had only been married 22 days before he died in his sleep because of prescriptions he mixed. He had fallen down the stairs some months previous and the pain had returned which caused him to reach for pain tablets- so a word of caution to those of you who try one medication for pain and because it doesn’t work you try another before that one is out of your system.

That Sunday I went to church and when the pastor spoke to the congregation about it, that was probably the only time I cried openly. It still hadn’t hit me as yet. I kept on praying for God to bring him back like he did Lazarus. It was one of those days while I was praying that the Lord revealed to me it was a test- like Abraham was.

Tested I was, as, since that Sunday of going to church, I withdraw to myself and didn’t go anywhere not even church. Sometimes I felt an eerie presence around me, which I knew wasn’t Jeff, but an evil spirit that was feeding off my pain-something I added to Meg’s experience in the book. I had to really do some warfare praying one night to rid myself of that evil presence that comes around us when we lose someone.

I thought I would have heard from my fellow brothers and sister in Christ during those days when they didn’t see me at church—but only two persons called me a few times to see how I was. Not even my pastor called.

I found myself thinking of so many others going through something similar all alone and wondered how they got through. Sure I had family, but none seem to understand my pain. I was angry at my church and thought about the parable of Jesus leaving the 99 sheep to look for that one lost soul. How many churches remember the members of their churches that don’t show up for some reason and seek to find out how they are?

Although I was hurting, God was allowing me to see many things that affect so many of us. It was his presence that kept me. It was always around me; no exaggeration. I felt him every day and it felt like he was hugging me. God loved me enough to stay with me through all that and at first I almost didn’t want it. I wanted just a hug- not someone to preach to me—just a hug. I cried every day and by myself. But soon I grew to appreciate God’s presence and embraced the experience to be able to give some of His love and hope to others.

I am healing but even though it has been 9 years, I still miss my best friend and I know many of you will always miss your loved ones as well.

Writing this book came to me with just seeing a woman sitting at a train station looking sad. I had no idea what God had planned through it but I knew that it is meant to heal and bring hope. I hope you will enjoy the story and that the characters will lift you up out of the darkness and help you feel God’s love around you as He was with me.

About the Author

Marshalee Patterson was born in Kingston, Jamaica. She has loved reading since she could walk. Growing up without a television sparked in her a love for reading and the world of imagination. Some of her favourite novels were written by Charles Dickens, Jane Eyre and Victor Hugo, as she found she liked the true to life stories that we all can relate to. She wrote her first novella-Predestined Love after travelling to Italy and wanted to write a romance novel about it, only she didn’t know that God had plans for her and that story, when he changed the direction of what she originally had in mind. It was then that she knew she was called to write stories to uplift and inspire readers, showing them how to find God in their struggles and the faith to trust Him through it. She is a lover of nature and the tranquillity of it. She finds the outdoors refreshing and peaceful. Marshalee loves Spanish ballads and dances salsa very well.

Connect with Marshalee

My Website / Facebook Page

Twitter / Add to GoodReads / My Blog

Links to Buy

Kobo

*Disclaimer: I have not read A Shattered Life Restored therefore I cannot give my opinion, nor say whether I agree or disagree, with or about anything expressed in the book (though I will say that I truly LOVE Marshalee!). Please use your own God led discernment when it comes to reading any books shared on my blog! Happy reading! ~ASC

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