Deceiver Review Giveaway

img_0654

Have you read Deceiver? If so, and you want to enter to win this fabulous prize package, you can do so by leaving a review on Amazon. Once your review is posted, simply copy and send the review to lisa@lisaheatonbooks.com. That’s it – easy peasy.

Even if you didn’t purchase your copy on Amazon, with an account you can still leave a review for the book. You don’t have to say much, just if you liked the story.

Winner to be announced on Monday, November 21st at LisaHeatonBooks.com and on Lisa Heaton Books social media sites.

If you already have left a review, follow the same procedure. Go find your review, copy, and email.

Note: This prize package is only for a review on Deceiver.

________________________________________________________________

A word about Deceiver

Blog – Deceiver to Discipler

That’s me. I can think of no better way to describe my transformation over the past decade. If you’ve read Deceiver, then you’ve stepped inside elements of my personal story. Where Unmending the Veil depicts my spiritual journey, Deceiver tells some of the most intimate and tender details of my personal healing.

The term deceiver described me well for the majority of my life. Most saw me as independent, bold, and confident, when in truth I was tremendously wounded beneath the surface, vulnerable in a way I allowed few to see. It was never intentional deception on my part, as if I wanted to mislead people. Instead, I was simply trying to hide the worst of me: my shame, warped memories, and a skewed perception of sex and love. I spent my entire life hiding who I was deep down and the wounds that shaped how I saw myself and who I believed myself to be.

As I was finishing up with Deceiver, Jesus was working through some of my deepest healing, removing blame that I had allowed to follow me for more than four decades. We came to this topic of scars and how mine and my story would benefit others who need healing. I ran across this:

“But the poppy is also hopeful: of life following death, of the triumph of beautiful nature over the ugliest of man-made scars.” (from the site: Gardens: why the poppy is more than a symbol of remembrance)

gardens-poppies-006

My scars were man-made, but Jesus triumphed over them. I’m no longer bound by the shame of what happened. I no longer need to deceive. As a matter of fact, my openness in ministry in this area has led to even greater freedom for me, not to mention the countless women who have contacted me with similar childhood histories and how they are now pursuing the same healing.

That summer I finished the book and found that quote, I found myself feeling a sense of triumph of my own as I understood that God had taken what was intended for evil and was intending to use it for good. Jesus won!

As I wrote the epilogue of the book, Casey’s story after her story, I was well aware that I am currently living out my own epilogue. This is my offering back to the God who heals. Nothing about sharing my story is easy, but what makes the greatest impact for the Kingdom’s sake rarely is. Truly, it was an excruciating season of my life as I poured myself out onto the pages of the novel. But now I can say this, it was worth the tears and worth the pain.

I would love to hear your thoughts on the book. What did you think of Casey and Nikolai’s story? I have to remind myself, though one  darker theme of the book hits me more personally, there are other issues explored that touch millions of women’s lives: learning to live out new found faith, being married to an unbeliever, dealing with the aftermath of an affair, working through forgiveness toward someone who has lied to you, living estranged from family. We have many conversation starters here.

As always, thanks for your encouragement and support. Without it, I may have thrown in the towel on many occasions.

Grace and peace,
Lisa

 

Short Story Available November 7th

out-of-the-woods

Beginning Monday, November 7th, the Out of the Woods mini-reading event will begin. Monday through Thursday of that week, a new part of the story will be available each day at LisaHeatonBooks.com.

If you are signed up for my emails, all four parts will be delivered directly to your inbox. You can still sign up for that now by sending your email address through private message.

I’m excited to have a new story available, even if it is in short story form. I always enjoy your feedback, so once the story is available, I would like to know your thoughts.

Until next week…
Lisa

 

 

Falling Forward

img_0229

As I wrap up my fall blog series, I will leave off with a future note, of what’s next for me as near as my limited vision will allow me to see. After falling away, falling back, and falling in love with Jesus, I find myself falling forward toward an unknown future. Many doors are ajar all around me, and I find myself waiting in breathless expectation of what God might do next in my life and ministry. It’s exciting, and honestly, if I didn’t know God and trust Him fully, I would likely pee my pants out of sheer terror. I did just say that.

Recently, I read the account of the ten lepers and how, once they were healed, only one came back to Jesus, “praising God in a loud voice.” (Luke 17:11) The moment I read it I realized I always want to be like “the one.” (It’s not lost on me that my last blog used “the One” in regards to Jesus.) That one man in the story recognized what had happened and praised God for it. Certainly the others recognized what had happened, but they likely went back to their homes and families and eventually back to life in general. The miracle eventually got lost in the shuffle of a busy life.

All of us who have received salvation have been healed of our sin problem. Praise God! Most of us have been healed of much more, like abuse, sickness, shame, and a long list of other ills. Sadly, we typically only hear the few praising God for it – at least for very long. These days, the loud Christian voices we hear are fighting and complaining and belittling. If only we were that loud in our praises of what God has done in and for us, the lost might see us as more than a people to avoid. I’m just saying…

That’s what I want this future I’m falling into to be about, praising God in a loud voice, giving thanks for how He has healed and transformed me. I never want to go back to “life in general” lest I forget what’s happened to me over this past decade. Maybe even more than how He has healed me, I praise loudly for how He loves me for who I am and where I am, relentless love that hasn’t given up on me and never will. I plan to never stop telling of this crazy and unimaginable love He has for me. Once you know love like this, how can you?

This morning I heard a song that I like, The God I Know, by Love and the Outcome. Here is a brief line from the song:

I Want You To Know The God I Know
Oh, You Gotta Know
Oh, The God I Know

Now that I’m on the well side of healing, I want you to know the God I know. Oh, you gotta know. I can’t stop praising in a loud voice. People think I’m weird because of it. I totally see the looks on faces when I hardly ever shut-up about Jesus. But truthfully, I consider weird those who have no desire of loudly praising God after tremendous healing. Even if not healed of anything more than your sin problem, you have cause to praise God – yes, with a loud voice. Do you?

That’s where I will leave you today: Have a conversation with yourself – a quiet one is suggested. Then pray about it. Are you praising the God I know? Do you even know the God I know? The One who saves, heals, and restores? The One who loves unconditionally and for no other reason than He is love? I want you to know the God I know. Oh, you gotta know. Oh, the God I know. Enjoy the song.