Found in the Woods

Welcome back, LoRee! It's so nice to see a new story from the Frivolities series!  I admit this one caught me pleasantly unaware as everything was so wrapped up in the shop before that I wondered if this was really a part of the same stories. And then I got a little further in and you tied it all together and brought back that feeling of family taking care of family. Nice job!


So here's a peek...


Beth Phillips returns to Platteville, Nebraska in order to begin a new life and to hide from her abusive ex-husband. The secluded cabin offers a chance to stay hidden and to draw closer to God, but Beth quickly discovers she is not alone in the woods. She befriends a curious, displaced wolf, but instead of fearing the animal Beth finds comfort in his company. 

When field biologist, Aiden Holt, follows up on reported wolf sightings, he finds the animal and Beth Phillips. With emotional baggage of his own, Aiden usually prefers animals to people, but Beth's passion to keep the wolf draws Aiden in. Experience tells him the wolf needs relocation. His heart tells him he needs Beth Phillips. He camps nearby to capture the wolf, but can he capture Beth's heart, too? 

Two souls, each lost in their own way, are brought together by one of God's beautiful creations. Will the Lord's path to their destiny be found in the woods?

Excerpt:

Had the Game and Parks guy really chased something, or someone, towards her cabin? Lord, if I’m
not alone out here, I need You more than ever. Be my shelter.

She paraded snatches of verses from Psalm 91through her memory. Beth believed He was her refuge. That He kept her sane. You will command angels to guard me.

Eventually, she relaxed and lay secure under theLord’s feathery wings.

And finally, she slept. Only to wake up to an earful of pounding heartbeat.

Not again.

A yowl broke through the deafening quiet of night.

Beth sat up at attention.

The mournful howl traveled down her spine and raised goose flesh.

A wolf? Really? So the guy did have a reason to be looking around.

She lay awake for a long time, listening. She imagined the howl called, "Hello, I’m here, come meet

me." No matter, it hung in the air, never wavering in clarity of sound. And eerie enough to dry Beth’s throat and draw her inward, while hairs on her arms stood on end.

The howl came again, this time rising and falling and ending as a question of sad, lonely sound. God

created magic when he made the wolf sing. The sinuous sound wove its way through the woods and

into the cabin. Beth found comfort in its music, soothed, rather than frightened by the unknown.

"Guess you were right, Mr. Game-and-Parks Guy." She hadn’t asked the stranger for his name. 

Review:

 Beth is so sweet, and the spiritual growth you see in her at every turn is a joy to behold. And the wolf...I love him! I can just imagine staring into his eyes the way she does. Their little dance made me laugh (you'll have to read it yourself). The beauty of the wildlife throughout the story is phenomenal.

And Aiden is such a tender soul. You can hear the longing, feel his need for God with every thought and every word. And his protectiveness over Beth is heartwarming.


What a wonderful story - the best one of the series yet!


The whole series can be found at: http://www.pelicanbookgroup.com/ec/index.php

A lifelong Nebraskan, LoRee Peery has lived most of her life in the country, where she feels grounded in her sense of place.  She learned to read when she was four and has devoured books since. She values one-on-one time with her grandchildren and loves time spent with other writers.

LoRee clings to the word overcomer and the knowledge she has victory in Jesus. When she considers being set apart as a child of God, she is humbled. She feels closest to the Lord when she worships through singing. And one thing she’s sure of: “Jesus loves me, this I know. And He will never let me go.”

For more about LoRee, go to: http://www.loreepeery.com/