The Story Behind The Quilt of Love Series | Guest Post by Angela Breidenbach and Sandra Moore

I had the pleasure of interviewing the ladies of The Quilt of Love series yesterday on Living Inspired! They were so fun to chat with. If you didn’t have the chance to listen to the interview, you can do so by clicking here. And if you haven’t had the chance to read their books yet, be sure to read through the rest of this post because you’ll have the chance to win their books at the end! Then come back tomorrow for part two of their guest posts!

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My debut novel, A Healing Heart, is about heart health. The significance of writing about a character battling workaholism was part of the Lord’s orchestration to reach deep into my heart and prepare me for change.

I’m seeing layers of God’s journey with me surrounding A Healing Heart. We’re supposed to be excellent stewards of our bodies to carry out the plans God has for us. That means caring for my body through proper food consumption, exercise, and rest. Rest rejuvenates but also regulates hormones in my body. Rest refreshes my attitude and raises my production level. Rest protects me from depression, burnout, and irritability.

I’ll ignore my body signals to intense fatigue to feed my work habit. I’m asking the Lord to help me honor the Ten Commandments, not just nine. Can you imagine not wanting a day off? God wants me fresh and available, not burned out. He’s asking me to embrace His plan.

One of my favorite verses is as convicting as the fourth commandment. 1 Corinthians 10: 23 (NIV) says, “I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial. “I have the right to do anything”—but not everything is constructive.” Oh, snap! Old Testament or New Testament, God’s not letting me out of this spot. He wants my whole heart healthy. It’s really all about my heart, you know, and it’s all about yours too.

What do you understand about your own heart health, both spiritual and physical? Are you willing to change if God calls you to it?

Angela Breidenbach is a captivating speaker, coach, and author of A Healing Heart, from the Abingdon Press Quilts of Love series, Gems of Wisdom: For a Treasure-filled Life (women’s Bible study & small group book), and countless articles, devotions, and compilations. New book, Snowflake Tiara, coming September 2014. She is certified in mentor/peer counseling as a CTA life coach, as a Stephen Minister, and a weight loss/nutrition/fitness coach. Angela volunteers as the Christian Author Network’s public relations director. Her professional positions include editor with Choose Now Publishing and support editor for the Thinking About Suicide blog. Angela is owned by #Muse, the dog-like cat, whose antics and articles can be found on his new blog, A-Muse-ings. #Muse also knows social media and visits Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest sharing his favorite books as the most well read cat in the world. Visit Angela’s website for more info, or connect with her on Twitter/Pinterest (@AngBreidenbach) and on Facebook.

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I write historical fiction because the genre speaks to me on a level that I find immensely satisfying. I am a detail-oriented person and enjoy reading about places and events that occurred decades and centuries ago, but foremost I am a writer, an author, who loves to take truth and weave amongst those threads an element of romance and wonder. My greatest inspiration for writing in the historical romance genre is my father. He also loved history—especially the Civil War period. I lost him when I was still young, only 23, so I never got to know him as an adult, but his passion for history found root in my heart.

Specific to this book, A Heartbeat Away, my inspiration for Elizabeth was my daughter who has CP. I wanted a heroine with a disability, a problem she could not change but that she had to come to peace with on some level in order to embrace life. I found that I drew from my own experiences in order to round out the emotional/physical challenges Elizabeth would face throughout the book. It was rewarding to use personal experience to show a mother/daughter relationship and the heart of the mother as she, in her own unique way, tries to reach out to her prodigal daughter.

Sandra Dionne Moore is a historical romance author who resides in South Central PA with her family, surrounded by the beautiful Cumberland Valley and lots of fun, historically rich locations. She is a weekly contributor to “The Borrowed Book”, a blog for book-lovers and “Cozy Mystery Magazine”, for all things cozy mystery. Find out more about her at her website, or connect with her on Twitter.

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