Welcome to those of you joining us from today’s Proverbs 31 Devotion. We’re glad you’re here and we’re delighted to introduce you to this month’s featured author, Christa Allan.
Christa Allan, a true Southern woman who knows that any cook worth her gumbo always starts with a roux and who never wears white after Labor Day, weaves stories of unscripted grace with threads of hope, humor, and heart. She contributes to Exemplify and Afictionado, the e-zine of American Christian Fiction Writers. Her essays have been published in The Ultimate Teacher, Cup of Comfort, Chicken Soup for the Coffee Lover’s Soul and Chicken Soup for the Divorced Soul. Christa is the mother of five adult children, a grandmother of three, and a teacher of high school English. She and her husband Ken live in Abita Springs, Louisiana, where they and their three cats enjoy their time between dodging hurricanes.
And because the only thing we love more than books is giving them away, two lucky readers will each win a copy of Christa’s debut novel, this months book club selection, Walking on Broken Glass. In addition, we’re also giving the grand prize winner a New Orleans Sweet Treat gift basket from Cajun Creations. Simply leave a comment on this post, or sign up for our monthly e-mail newsletter to enter. Winners will be randomly chosen on Friday.
You can read the first chapter of Walking on Broken Glass, here.
Leah Thornton, already sloshed from one-too-many at a faculty party, is cruising the supermarket aisles in search of something tasty to enhance her Star-bucks–Kahlua, for example. Two confrontations later–one at the grocery and the other with her friend Molly–Leah is sitting in the office of the local rehab center facing an admissions counselor who fails to understand the most basic things, like the fact that apple juice is not a suitable cocktail mixer. Rehab is no picnic, and being forced to experience and deal with the reality of her life isn’t Leah’s idea of fun. But through the battle she finds a reservoir of courage she never knew she had, and the loving arms of a God she never quite believed existed.
The moment we read the opening to Christa’s novel, we were hooked. And we’re certain you will be as well:
Patient Discharge Statement
If I had known children break on the inside and the cracks don’t surface until years later, I would have been more careful with my words.
If I had known some parents don’t live to watch grandchildren grow, I would have taken more pictures and been more careful with my words.
If I had known couples can be fragile and want what they are unprepared to give or unwilling to take, I would have been more careful with my words.
If I had known teaching lasts a lifetime and students don’t speak of their tragic lives, I would have been more careful with my words.
If I had known my muscles and organs and bones and skin are not lifetime guarantees, that when broken, snagged, unstitched, or unseemly, cannot be replaced, I would have been kinder to the shell that prevents my soul from leaking out.
If I had known I would live over half my life and have to look at photographs to remember my mother adjusting my birthday party hat so that my father could take the picture that sliced the moment out of time – if I had known, if I had known – I would have been more careful with my life.
Leah T.
August 4th
As you can see, Walking on Broken Glass is the sort of novel you settle into so that it can unsettle you. Smart, witty, and poignant, you’ll never look at grief and addiction the same way.
Would you please give Christa a warm welcome to the She Reads family? And make sure you enter to win a copy of this gripping debut novel.
About Ariel Lawhon
Ariel Lawhon is the co-founder of She Reads, novelist, blogger, and life-long reader. She lives in Texas with her husband and four young sons (aka The Wild Rumpus). Ariel believes that Story is the shortest distance to the human heart.
Wow! I could not quit reading that chapter. This looks like an amazing book and one I definitely will not be able to put down until I have read it through. I can not wait to get a copy of it and read the whole thing.
This book sounds amazing!
It sounds like a really good read. I hope that it is in Aussie christian bookstores if I don’t get to win a copy I’d like to buy one. I can never log on to the Us sites that sell these books from Proverbs 31 or RShe Reads. There is never another country or state option.
Sounds like a great read! I love to read so this site is just what I need to find Christian authors. Welcome, Christa!
Welcome Christa! I cannot wait to read the rest of your book!
Seems like and awesome novel! Looking forward to reading it in the future!
I can’t wait to read your book..I am always looking for GREAT Christian books…
Wow! This sounds like such an awesome book! Looking forward to reading more….
Your post today was awesome. Thanks for being honest! Please include me in the giveaway.
Looking forward to reading this one!
I am a God delivered alchoholic. I would love to read the book. he delivered me from drinking 2-17-2009. He never stops blessing me. I could talk about it all day but I won’t loved the devotional today.
G od Bless You!!!!!!!!!!!
Oh I would so love to win this book! Thank you for such an awesome giveaway!
Smiles & Blessings,
Cindy W.
countrybear52[at]yahoo[dot]com
Thank you so much for sharing your story. I look forward to reading your book. God bless you.
As a southerner and a recovering alcoholic, I look forward to reading ” Walking on Broken Glass”
Love what I have read so far, hope I am the winner but God knows who needs it best.
i would love to win this book! i read her devotion on p31 devotions this morning, enjoyed her testimony!!!!
Well, I’m hooked. It sounds like such an interesting book. I have a child with an undiagnosed condition and living with the fear of the “what if…” is almost too much sometimes. I appreciate Christa’s honesty about her own life and would love to dive into such a book. It sounds like she writes from the heart and that I would love to read.
would love to read your masterpiece Christa…thanks for the opportunity
Wow sounds like some thing I will want to read…I grew up in a family of alcoholics, I drank a bit bit walked away many years ago… that life is so sad, yet not easy to follow or understand, it has such a strong hold on those that enjoy drinking…
I love a good christian based novel… with real life happenings…
Wow! I can’t wait to read the rest.
I am so excited to have another book to read. Always looking for a good book, especially one with Christian values! God bless!!!
Welcome Christa, I look forward to reading your novel! To me nothing beats a good book & some quite time to enjoy what I’m reading. Thanks!
This first chapter is wonderful! I would love to be able to read the rest of the book. We are so blessed to have sincere, compassionate Christian authors like Christa. Welcome and God bless!
The testimony shared brought tears to my eyes. I was addicted to pain killers and it took a long hard road to realize God’s love could deliver me. I look so forward to reading this book . Thank you for sharing Christa, may God continue to bless and enrich your life as you enrich the lives of people like me that want to read your book.
I just read your guest post at Proverbs 31 Encouragement for Today and felt God talking to me! I really liked your scripture references, too. Thank you for your honesty and your message of hope!
After reading the devo I’m ready to read anything by this author! Very talented writer. I’m sure the book will be a great read.
That Patient Discharge Statement is so good it should be a “birth statement given out with birth certificates. Wow! Sounds like a great book. I just finished Her Mother’s Hope by best-selling author Francine Rivers about four generations of women trying to reconcile their relationships with their mothers through their faith. Walking on Broken Glass will be a good follow-up.
Looking forward to reading this book My marriage has recently ended after almost 36 yrs & I struggle with food & drink as a means to cope. I thank God I committed to reading the Bible in a year,[again] but this time I commit to finish .Thanks “She Reads”………….JoJo
I can’t wait to read this book!! It looks incredible. I hope to share it with my friends that aren’t Christians as a way to share God with them.
I hope to one day read this book. Never in my wildest dreams would I have thought my family would totally be destroyed after a 26 year marriage. Perhaps “Walking on Glass” can reach me in this place of anger, bitterness and, at times, utter despair. Alcohol has been my medication of choice to ease the pain……..
Looks like a great book! Will be waiting to read it for sure.
Looking forward to reading Christa’s debut novel.
I can’t wait to read your book! God uses us in ways we can’t even see everyday!
Thanks for writing this.
Looks like a great book!
Can’t wait to sit down tonight to read the first chapter. I really enjoyed the devotional this morning.
Inspiring devotion, thanks!
I have just recently subscribed to Proverbs31 Daily Devotionals(after hearing one of your speakers @ our church’s women’s retreat in January). I look forward to the inspiring devotionals every day!! I really loved Christa Allen’s testimony today. “She speaks” to me…..I can hardly wait to read her book, WALKING ON BROKEN GLASS.
~Jean Kiker, Midland, Tx.
Loved Christa Allen’s testimony on April 5! “She speaks” to me…..can hardly wait to read WALKING ON BROKEN GLASS. < Jean
Wow, yet another great sounding book.
Wow, the patient discharge statement grabbed my heart, and shook my soul, how stirring, how unsettling. That paragraph, “If I had known children break on the inside and the cracks don’t surface until years later, I would have been more careful with my words” I know there are times I’ve spoken out of anger and hurt to my children out of my own frustration. Once I gave my life over to Christ I realized the impact words can have on a child or another human being. Words can give life or death, its important we remember to speak only words of encouragement and love. This looks like a awesome book, one that will heal many hearts. Kudos and welcome to the author.
I like how the book starts and I can’t wait to read it! I hope you write many more!
This brought tears to my eyes just reading, both the devotional…..and the chapter in the book. I would love to read the rest.
Book sounds wonderful. Thanks for the chance to win!
Can’t wait to read it!
Christa, thanks so much for yesterday’s honest, open devotion.
I have a mother who is an alcoholic, I’m afraid her time is coming soon and she is in denial of her problem and in denial of God’s love. My brother and I have searched her for reasons that may have led her down this path. Anyways.. this book sounds like a good one and would consider sending to my mum.
My mom is a Dialysis treatment because of years of alcohol. It has been a great challenge for my brother and I to watch her slowly miss everything, from graduations, weddings, baby births and much more. We have prayed for her, helped her in several clinics, and loved her the best way we know how. Stories like yours help us learn How God loves them and how they are lost without Him, only He can save. I am blessed by your writings and am thankful for help by your characters. God bless and keep writing.
What a great gift package! I’ll keep my fingers crossed.
I’d love a chance to win this book!! Thanks!
I would love to read this book! This is the kind of book that inspires me to read for the adventure. It can steal me away from the busyness of work, school, and my to do list to a quite place with just me and God and a book. The last book that gave me that opportunity was “The Shack”. My husband grew up in New Orleans and I still have friends in Slidell,LA. I was inspired by Christa’s devotion for Proverbs 31 Ministries. She was so real and yet pointed me right to scriptures that helped me deal with the fear that I was facing today. Thanks Christa!