Tears filled her eyes as her heavy heart softened. She was caught in the middle of a lot of things, and it was all her fault. She was trying to do things her way, instead of fully surrendering to God and who He had made her to be. She was basing her identity and value on her accomplishments, not on being a child of God.
If she could have fallen on her knees, she would have.
She closed her eyes, letting her tears fall as she opened her heart to God. The song played on as she prayed. Lord, I’m sorry. I’ve been trying to do this all on my own. And I can’t. Please, make Your will clear to me. Bring me back to You.
————————————————————
Sample Sunday Number Four shows you this is not just a book about horses. It’s about healing, identity, and learning to trust God with your life.
Caroline’s Lighthouse releases September 29! You can preorder today!
Tag: Caroline’s Lighthouse
Caroline’s Lighthouse Delivered!
Something special arrived yesterday… 📚📖🐴 remember you can preorder yours and have it in your hands on release day, September 29!
Tidbit Thursday Number 3!
Benji tilted his head sideways, begging with the sweetest expression in his eyes.
“Alright, buddy,” Caroline said, removing the wrapper from the Rice Krispie treat. “Here you go.”
Benji gobbled up the treat, nodding his head in appreciation.
Connor shook his head. “He is the only horse I know that likes Rice Krispies.”
Caroline smiled, patting Benji’s neck. “Me, too,” she said. “And I found out by accident. He stole one from my lunch one day. And now they’re his favorite.”
“Silly guy,” Connor said.
————————————————————
This Tidbit Thursday shows a piece of real life turned to fiction. This is my horse, Cidney Benjamin, the inspiration behind Benji in Caroline’s Lighthouse. He truly does love Rice Krispie treats, and the first one he ever had was stolen from my lunch!
To learn more about Benji, make sure to read Caroline’s Lighthouse! You can preorder it today here! Release day is September 29!
Sample Sunday Number Three!
Sample Sunday Number 3! A peak into Caroline and Connor’s relationship as she navigates who she is now 🩷
The show secretary, Milly, approached them. “Can I help you with something?”
Caroline cleared her throat before responding. “Yes, I’m here to pick up my ribbon. Caroline Davis, Number 134, Novice Senior Division.”
Milly checked the paperwork in front of her and smiled. “Well, I see congratulations are in order.” She turned toward the back wall where the ribbons and prizes were displayed. Carefully, she pulled a long, royal blue ribbon off its hanger. She then selected a leather halter wrapped in clear plastic, reaching over the counter to hand it to Caroline.
“Thank you so much,” Caroline said as she collected her winnings.
“You’re very welcome,” Milly responded. “It looks like you’re picking up right where you left off a few years ago.”
Connor looked at Caroline’s face, gauging her reaction to Milly’s words. Her cheeks turned red, and Caroline blinked a few times.
“Well, not quite, but thank you,” Caroline said, turning away.
Connor smiled at Milly as he followed Caroline out of the grandstand. Caroline was a few steps ahead of him as they left. He jogged a couple of strides to catch up, putting his hand on her shoulder.
“Caroline, hey, wait up,” he said, turning her toward him. She looked up at Connor, tears brimming in her eyes and her cheeks still glowing red. “What’s wrong?” Connor asked.
Caroline sniffed. “Just what Milly said back there,” she murmured. “About picking up where I left off.” She turned her eyes down, away from Connor, pulling the blue ribbon through her fingers.
Connor put his hand under her chin, lifting her eyes to his. “She didn’t mean anything by it, Care. She was congratulating you and giving you a compliment.”
Caroline nodded her head. “Maybe. But I’m not her. I’m not that Caroline Davis anymore. I don’t know how to be. Not yet anyway.”
“You don’t have to be ‘her’ anymore.” Connor tried to soothe her. “You can be you, now, in the present. Everyone grows and changes. No one is expecting you to be ‘her’ anymore.”
“They are, though.” Caroline’s eyes looked around the fairgrounds. “Everyone here remembers and thinks I’m still her.”
Tears filled her eyes again and spilled onto her cheeks. Connor wrapped his arms around her. He just held her for a few moments, trying to think of what he could say.
God, give me the words. Help me comfort her, he silently prayed.
Connor smoothed his hand over her hair, taking a small step back so he could look her in the eye. He used his thumb to wipe away one last tear from her cheek. “Caroline Grace, they don’t know you or this beautiful heart you have. Please don’t let them define you. Or hurt you. Or make you feel sad about today. Yes, you won your division, and that’s great. Yes, you were very successful in the past. But that doesn’t matter. What matters is that you were brave enough to try this again. What matters most is that you are trusting God with your life again.” Connor paused, looking deep into her blue eyes. “Okay?”
Four weeks until the release of Caroline’s Lighthouse! You can preorder today!
Tidbit Thursday Number 2!
Caroline gave Edison more rope, letting a loop of slack hang between her and him. She took a couple of steps back toward Connor and the door, and spoke softly under her breath, making Connor strain to hear her.
“Come on, bud. You can trust me,” Caroline whispered and waited.
Edison stretched his nose toward her and snorted. Caroline lifted her hand, letting Edison smell her fingers. Edison blinked, then took a small step forward. Without hesitation, Caroline turned and walked out of the stall. Edison matched her steps…
————————————————————————
Today’s Tidbit Thursday! Edison is such an important piece of Caroline’s story. This is just the beginning!
Preorder Caroline’s Lighthouse today so you can find out what’s next! Release date is September 29! Here’s the link.
Sample Sunday Number Two!
Sample Sunday Number 2!
Today I’m sharing a longer excerpt to show that Caroline’s Lighthouse is about more than just horses.
Her heart was heavy as she let her mind wander back to last night’s fight with her mom. If it was like every other conflict they’d had since her accident, nothing more would ever be said about it. They’d just go on like it hadn’t happened, until the next fight built on it. The cycle was exhausting, and she wanted it to end. No matter what it took.
Her mind flipped back to her mom walking away from her minutes before. She lost herself in the rhythm of Benji’s walk as another image of her mom walking away played out in her head.
Fluorescent lights buzzed overhead as Caroline clutched the warm blanket with one hand. Her right arm was throbbing, and the chilling cold of the hallway was making it worse.
The ER was so packed that there weren’t any rooms open. Caroline was in a recliner in the hallway, watching the scurry of doctors and nurses, patients and paramedics.
Her dad sat in a chair next to her, while her mom paced back and forth, checking her watch every few minutes.
“This is really taking too long.” Holly sighed, exasperated.
“They’re pretty busy, honey,” Doug said calmly, squeezing Caroline’s left hand softly. “You’re doing okay, right, kiddo?” Caroline nodded her head, her eyes never leaving her mom…
——————————————————————-
What happens next? Caroline’s Lighthouse releases in about five weeks! You can preorder yours today!
Tidbit Thursday!
Tidbit Thursday! I’m excited to share another excerpt from Caroline’s Lighthouse!
After everything Caroline has been through, getting back in the saddle means more than just competing. It’s about facing fears and chasing rekindled dreams.
And maybe finding herself again.
Caroline’s Lighthouse releases September 29! The link to preorder is here.
Sample Sunday!
Sample Sunday! 📖 We are officially six weeks out from the release of Caroline’s Lighthouse! To celebrate—and to count down to release—I’ll be sharing two excerpts a week until release day. Here we go!
Six years ago, Caroline could clear fences several feet higher than this one. So why is a 2’11” jump terrifying her?
Preorder Caroline’s Lighthouse today so you can find out this—and so much more—on September 29! 🐴📖 Here’s the Link.
