Amy L Harden - Writer and Speaker

I am so excited to have received my pre-release copy of Marie Everson's upcoming novel, "Miss Beth Bettencourt". Yesterday it arrived in the mail, and when I opened it, I literally jumped up and down that I had gotten it. My husband and daughter thought I was nuts. If the cover doesn't grab you, the back book copy will. Tonight I enter Miss Bettencourt's world and probably won't come out till I'm done.

"It's 1962 in Bynum, Georgia, and Beth Bettencourt's world is turned upside down when she wakes to a man snoring in the guest bedroom.

She's home alone; her parents are traveling abroad, grieving her twin sister's unexpected death. Instead of accompanying them, Beth stayed in Bynum to tend to her kindergarten and to guard her own heart closely.

A beautiful and beloved member of the community, Beth is an unusual specimen for her time as she nears thirty and remains unmarried. She holds deep-seated unforgiveness toward her twin, Elise, who ran off with Beth's beau. To make matters worse, Elise took their grandmother's ring, which had been promised to Beth.

But now a stranger enters her home and her world. David Patrick Martin seems ready to break down her walls of indifference and find the core of Miss Beth Bettencourt. But can he be trusted with Beth's past, her present, and more importantly, her future?"

Pre-order link in the comments.

What secrets could be revealed in a trunk filled with prayer requests delivered to a postbox on a rural road in the Midwest? Only God knows till Porter, Norah, and Willow go through years of letters. What they find is not only sinister, but connected to someone who could destroy them all.

Friends and Followers: Please check out my talented friend, Patty Royal's newsletter, featuring the next installment of her novella "When All Else Fails." You will be glad you did.

The second installment releases Tuesday, February 9th. Subscribe for free to read the next episode. You can also read the previous episode. Subscription link in comments. I will not share your email address.

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Becoming Seasoned
Looking For Footprints In the Sand
Postcards From Oz: Life on the Yellow Brick Road

Welcome to the newly named page: Becoming Seasoned.

This year, I will turn 70 in November. New Season.

Twenty years ago, at age 49, my life was turned upside down. I resisted the passage of time and nearly destroyed everything I had dreamed of or built. I embarked on a journey like Dorothy's, caught in a tornado and landing in Oz. Mentally and hormonally, I was a mess. No one told me that the upheaval of adolescence would recur at menopause. The past twenty years have been about discovering my mind, heart, and courage. I met flying monkeys and defeated wicked witches, but ultimately I found "home." This season's Yellow Brick Road didn't lead me to a wizard but to something even greater and eternal—God. I no longer seek the Emerald City but the heavenly cities of gold, where Yeshua has gone ahead to prepare a mansion for everyone. I was lonely, lost, and desperate for healing. All I wanted was to find “home.”

Today, at 69, Judy Garland's words at the end of my favorite movie of all time couldn’t be more apt:

“couldn’tGarland’sIf I ever go looking for my heart's desire again, I won't look any further than my own backyard, because if it isn't there, I never really lost it to begin with."

During my Yellow Brick Road season, I struggled, ran away, sinned, wrestled with devils, worshiped idols, and rolled with pigs–God was with me. I was indeed the one who ran from the 99. He came and got me, though. At first, I kicked and screamed, but I relented.

My defiance turned into obedience.

My worship of pleasing others turned into wanting only to please the King.

My pride was tamed, and I was humbled.

My lack of gratitude was transformed into a full appreciation of God’s blessings.

The biggest lesson I learned came from my confirmation scripture.

“And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28: 20)

He never left me, not once, even though I had defied him at every turn. I learned that “home” is found in my faith in the Almighty.

Join me here while we continue to share our Yellow Brick Road season’s journey, wisdom, and prayers.







Amy L. Harden
Amy L Harden - Writer and Speaker

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Check out my friend Rachael M Colby's new children's book! Illustrated by the multi-talented Katherine Hutchinson-Hayes

The ultimate....

in therapy,
i was asked the hardest question
i’ve ever had to sit with.

what could someone have said
to reach you
when you were unreachable?

this piece
was my answer.
(july 2017)

Dear Readers and Fellow Writers:

The struggles of a writer can be lonely, confusing, and frustrating at times. I have been reflecting on the past several years of my writing and learning the craft.

Some days I dive into the deep end of the writing pool and come up refreshed and refueled, thanking God for the beauty of working with him. On other days, I question why I ever wanted to write and if I had heard him correctly long ago.

I have met many people who have helped, encouraged, and inspired me. I am grateful for each one.

I've also felt like an imposter in front of some and betrayed when others I thought were my comrades in ink took my ideas and went ahead without me. I–sitting in a puddle of hurt, yet again, not included in the group. Lord, forgive me, my selfish side is showing.

For every lie the evil one has whispered in my ear about my writing and who I am as a writer, I have toiled to refute and defeat those untruths. I have danced around the edge of quitting many times — but God has lured me back to the words.

When writing fiction, I revel in discovering my characters, but I also peel back the layers of my own heart and mind, and there I lie bare for all to see. It is vulnerable, challenging, and revealing.

I am a flawed human trying to reveal God's story through her flawed life.

You, dear reader and fellow writers, might wonder why I still write if it hurts so much.

The answer: God is growing me. He is stretching me beyond my flawed self and leading me toward His plan. In the end, it has nothing to do with me at all. It has everything to do with the story God wants me to tell. It is His legacy, not mine. I am only the messenger, and in that I find comfort and peace.

So as soon as I get out of my own way, I will dive back into the story and roll around in the delight of working with the master storyteller.

The lord always has new horizons for those who are willing to see.

Please join me on God's fantastical journey into words.






If you would like, you can follow me here or at my website: AmyLHarden.com. Sign up for my monthly newsletter and my blog. I am also looking for writers who would like to submit blog articles, devotions, or stories to share this writing journey together.

Looking for Christmas stories or a good, clean read to get you in a holly jolly Christmas mood. Look no further than Bethany House Fiction

With Hallee Poe Bridgeman – I just got recognized as one of their top fans! 🎉