I’m delighted to have my friend Allie Pleiter join us today. We got to spend more time together at the ACFW conference. The more time I spend with her, the more I appreciate her. Her next Love Inspired book releases soon, and she’s joined us today to talk a bit about the power secrets have…

Secrets are one of the strongest wounds the human race inflicts on itself. Moral and spiritual decay aside, medical science has actually documented the physical damage secret-keeping wreaks on our bodies. God created us to be creatures of light and truth…is it any wonder we pay the price when we muck things up with darkness and deception?

Still, it’s not all black and white. Discretion is not the same thing as secret-keeping. Often we are gifted with the trust of private information from those in our lives. But privacy and truth are not mutually exclusive. As a parent, I find this is one of the hardest lessons to teach. It’s one of those “gray areas” that only experience teaches well. And I’ll be the first to tell you I’ve messed up in this area. I often wear my heart on my sleeve, so it’s hard for me to keep my mouth shut when I ought to. Age teaches us, however, that everyone has things they’d rather not display, and most of us have things we’re keeping from the light even if we do know better. I believe it’s one of those all-too-human traits we’ll not perfect this side of heaven.

Bluegrass Christmas is about two people with very different secrets. One feels monumental but isn’t, one should be revealed but has been downplayed for so many years the damage may be irreversible. Ah, but Christmas is about redemption, and Bluegrass Christmas features two people who redeem themselves in ways neither one expected. Sure there are funny parts–humor is too much of how I see the world for me to write a book without it–but I hope it offers a deeper message about how we muck up God’s gifts with our weaknesses. The best news of all is that while we can muck up God’s gifts, God can always redeem them just in time. Blessed early holidays to you all!

BLUEGRASS CHRISTMAS

#4 In the KENTUCKY CORNERS Series

ISBN 13# 978-0-373-87556-6

An Old Fashioned Christmas…

That’s what led new believer Mary Thorpe to start over in quaint Middleburg, Kentucky. As director of the church’s Christmas pageant, Mary’s job is to bring the townspeople together, to remind them what the season is really about. But everyone is all riled up over one very handsome man: the man daring to run against Middleburg’s popular long-standing mayor. Mac MacCarthy wants change. Mary wants things to stay as they are. Is there a happy medium? Both Mac and Mary are in for one very big Christmas surprise.

Author bio:
An avid knitter, coffee junkie, and devoted chocoholic, Allie Pleiter writes both fiction and non-fiction. The enthusiastic but slightly untidy mother of two, Allie spends her days writing books, doing laundry, running carpools, and finding new ways to avoid housework. She grew up in Connecticut, holds a BS in Speech from Northwestern University, spent fifteen years in the field of professional fundraising, and currently lives in suburban Chicago, Illinois. The “dare from a friend” to begin writing nine years ago has given rise to a career spanning two parenting books, eight novels including the multi-nominated MY SO-CALLED LOVE LIFE, and various national speaking engagements on faith, women’s issues, and writing. Visit her website at www.alliepleiter.com http://www.alliepleiter.com> or her knitting blog at www.DestiKNITions.blogspot.com http://www.DestiKNITions.blogspot.com>