This Christmas Season. . .

In this season of expectations and hope, I’ve see God show up and move, but I’ve also seen miracles that can only come by going through the fire. Miracles that come from God pulling me out of my comfort zone. Teaching me. Challenging me to be more like Him.

Maybe having a perfect Christmas doesn’t mean meeting all of my expectations.

Maybe it doesn’t mean that everything in my life is fixed and okay.

Maybe it simply means that I, once again, am watching in wonder as God shows up in a hard situation, just like he did 2000 years ago in a manger.

Maybe it means that, yes, there are holes in my heart from loss and pain, but God is slowly filling and rebuilding them. Sometimes in small ways I can hardly see. Sometimes, yes, miraculously.

When an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream in Matthew 1, he told him that Mary would conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel which means “God with us and he will save his people from their sins.”

God with us.

In the middle of all our flaws and hurts and imperfections, God still loves us and wants to be with us. It’s the greatest miracle of all. The gift of salvation. The knowledge that in spite of our sins, God still loved us enough that He sent His only son into the world to become the final sacrifice for those sins.

And that is enough.

His presence.
His love.
His promises and comfort.

God IS with us.

May our response this Christmas and every season be to love those around us, to stand firm in our identity in Christ, and to live in obedience to His call on our life.

Because the real miracle—a miracle beyond any expectations we might have—is the birth of a savior who came to broken world, and gave us the gift of salvation.

And that will be enough this Christmas.

Being Thankful

 

It’s hard to believe that Thanksgiving is here. A time when we purposely stop and spend time remembering what we are thankful for. And yet, this time of year is also a time of a long list of expectations. Thanksgiving dinner and preparations, decorating for the Christmas holidays, shopping for gifts. . .It’s all good, but it can become overwhelming.

 
Do you remember the story of Mary and Martha? Martha was the woman in the Bible who ran around, taking care of all the household preparations when Jesus and his disciples came to stay. Mary, on the other hand, left the preparations to her sister to sit at Jesus’ feet.
 
Most of the time, I’m more like Martha. I get caught up in the details like she did, and forget to take time to stop be still. To learn and glean from those around me. To find peace and strength in God’s word. To be thankful.
 
When I think about wanting to be a strong woman of God, I long to find the combination of both women. Martha opened up her home to Jesus and his disciples, and had the heart of a servant. But Mary was the one who, despite all that had to be done, remembered what was most important.  
 
“Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”
 
In our rush, rush world, I find these words a breath of fresh air. God knows the responsibilities we have, but He also wants us to sit down, be quiet, and like Mary, draw from His strength.
 
I’m praying today that in the busyness of life, you find time to connect with God and remember what you are truly thankful for and that you can find in Him your source of strength.

The Enemy Between Us is here!

Just when she thought it was over.

Just when she thought her children were safe.

Just when she thought she found love again.

Lies filled with half-truths—especially when you want to believe them—are the easiest to believe. After her husband’s murder, Riley Bishop is working to put the pieces of her life back together, but there is one lie she never imagined being true. It’s going to take everything in her to survive what happens next. Book three in a fast-paced psychological thriller series that starts with The Lies We Believe.

"A high stakes thriller meets a master mystery wrapped in psychological warfare." - Reflectingonthepages

"Buckle up for a great read and be prepared to want more." – Reflectingonthepages

“Harris provides readers with a cat-and-mouse suspense-filled novel that will keep you on the edge of your seat.” ~L. Hudson

“Another Lisa Harris thriller you won't be able to put down.” ~C. Round

The Secrets We Keep is here!!!

The wait is finally over! 

I am so excited about this second book in the series that continues Riley and Tucker's story. I can't wait to hear what you think. There is lots of good news about this series! Not only is it available y  in paperback, as an ebook, and in KU, Tantor Media has picked up the entire series and will produce the audio books. They did a fabulous job with my FALLOUT SERIES and I know they will do a great job again. I'll let you know as soon as they are available. 

I'm also working hard to finish books three and four, so the wait won't be near as long this time. Watch here for updates, but my goal is to release The Enemy Between Us, book three, in September. 

"A superb psychological thriller. Harris provides readers with a cat-and-mouse suspense-filled novel that will keep you on the edge of your seat." - Lghudson on The Lies We Believe

Riley Bishop thought the nightmare was over.

The lines between reality and imagination aren’t always sharply defined—like the rotating surfaces of a kaleidoscope with its ever-changing optical illusions. In fact, before talking to my therapist this morning, I’d convinced myself that I was losing my grip on reality. How else can I explain what happened?    

Get your copy here!

Happy Reading!

Lisa

Aftermath is here!

I'm so excited to announce that Aftermath is finally here! This is the wrap up to my Fallout series, and I think you will find Aftermath the perfect ending to the series with action and romance! 

As both an author AND someone who lived off grid for years, this series began by my wondering how law enforcement would fight crime without all the technology that is available today. No forensic tools. No DNA testing. No crime labs.

What would you do if modern technology was no longer available?

No power grid. No internet. No next day delivery.

Welcome to Shadow Ridge, where Longmire meets Jericho.

 

“Author Lisa Harris hits it out of the park with these well imagined ‘what if’ stories!” 

AFTERMATH: Book Six

What happens when the lights come back on?

Some had called the attacks on the country by the Realm a second civil war, and Chase Beckett agreed. What he’d seen first-hand had turned into the largest and most destructive conflict on US soil since that era. Not only had the organized group behind the damage taken down the grid and infrastructure, they’d also continued to raise havoc across the country. 

But just because the good guys had finally won and the power was finally coming back on, didn’t mean that the chaos that had erupted across the country had vanished. No. That was going to take time. And for the McQuaid family, it was going to take everything they had to survive the lights coming back on.

Grab the entire Fallout series on sale today HERE. 

Available in Kindle unlimited, ebooks, paperbacks and audio for books 1-4.

Enjoy!!

 

Why, God?

The news is filled with horrors I can’t even begin to comprehend, and there’s a verse in Matthew 2 that I haven’t been able to stop thinking about.

“A voice was heard in Ramah,

weeping and loud lamentation,

Rachel weeping for her children;

she refused to be comforted, 

because they are no more.”

The repeat of history is chilling, and what is happening is again followed by the questions that always come. 

Why God?

Sometimes, like today, there are simply no words. Sometimes we even begin to wonder if He really is still in control. In Hebrews 10:23, though, God tell us to hold unswervingly to our hope in Him. Why? Because God is always faithful. 

He walks through the ‘valley of death with us.'

Through the muck we think we’ll never escape. 

He knows that we are facing, and even that sometimes we struggle to maintain our hope. The challenge is to trust in God’s promises to give us the strength we need for each day, and to guard our faith even when things go wrong and we can't feel God's presence.

Let’s pray today for those who are hurting. 

In Israel, the Gaza strip, Palestine, as well as those around us. 

The world needs hope. 

Oh come, Oh come Emmanuel.

Light of the World, Lauren Daigle

The world waits for a miracle
The heart longs for a little bit of hope
Oh come, oh come, Emmanuel
A child prays for peace on Earth
And she's calling out from a sea of hurt
Oh come, oh come, Emmanuel

And can you hear the angels singing

Glory to the light of the world
Glory, the light of the world is here

Come down, come down, Emmanuel
He is the song for the suffering
He is Messiah, the Prince of Peace has come
He has come, Emmanuel

Glory to the light of the world
For all who wait
For all who hunger
For all who've prayed
For all who wonder
Behold your King
Behold Messiah
Emmanuel, Emmanuel

Glo-glory to the light of the world
Glory to the light of the world
Glory to the light of the world
Behold your King
Behold Messiah
Emmanuel, Emmanuel

The world waits for the miracle
The heart longs for a little bit of hope
Oh come, oh come Emmanuel.

 

 

Thank you readers!

This summer's scavenger hunt might be over, but it looks like everyone had a wonderful time! I struggled to keep up with the comments, but what a great problem!

Congrats to Sara P. who will receive copies of my Fallout Series, those who won the grand giveaway, and a huge thank you to all of you who signed up for my newsletter list!

Looking forward to connecting with all of you soon!

If you're looking for a great summer read, be sure and grab a copy of The Lies We Believe!

Happy reading!

The Lies We Believe is here!!

 

I confess. . .I just finished the edits on this book this last weekend, BUT I am so excited to share Riley and Tucker's story with you. 

The Lies We Believe is like my typical page-turning suspense novels, but. . .different. 

 Trust me, if you love my books, you won't want to miss this new series. 

A bit of behind the scenes, Tucker Shaw is from my US Marshal series and there is a cameo from Jonas Quinn!

It's available now as an ebook, paperback and in Kindle Unlimited!

Enjoy and I'd love to hear what you think about this new series!   Order here!!

PS. Ill announce winners from the scavenger hunt here in a couple days.

Christian Fiction Scavenger Hunt Stop #18

Welcome to the Christian Fiction Scavenger Hunt! If you’ve just discovered the hunt, be sure to start at Stop #1, and collect the clues through all the stops, in order, so you can enter to win one of our top 5 grand prizes!

• The hunt BEGINS on 6/15 at noon MST with Stop #1 at LisaTawnBergren.com. 
• Hunt through our loop using Chrome or Firefox as your browser (not Explorer).
• There is NO RUSH to complete the hunt—you have all weekend (until Sunday, 6/18 at midnight MST)! So take your time, reading the unique posts along the way; our hope is that you discover new authors/new books and learn new things about them.
•  Submit your entry for the grand prizes by collecting the CLUE on each author’s scavenger hunt post and submitting your answer in the Rafflecopter form at the final stop, back on Lisa Bergren’s site. Many authors are offering additional prizes along the way!

       For those of you who don't know me, my name is Lisa Harris. I'm a USA Today best selling author who has written everything from romantic suspense to medical thrillers and apocalyptic stories, and coming this June, a brand new psychological suspense series! You can learn more about me and all my books here on my site and on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. 

Ap

      Apprehending fugitives as a part of the US Marshals' elite SOG team gives Deputy US Marshal Tucker Shaw the purpose and drive he needs to fight the demons from his past. When he’s called out to track down a group of endangered children, he has no idea how drastically his life is about to change. The mother of one of the missing girls, Riley Bishop, has credible evidence on who is behind her daughter's disappearances, but the situation quickly spirals out of control with a final shocking twist that has Tucker questioning everything he knows to be true.

 

     

     

     

I     If you've ever read a psychological thriller, you know that it's the twists and turns that make this genre so addicting. One of the unique features of these stories is the unsettling voice of an unreliable narrator--a character whose point of view can't be trusted. Often these books are told in first person, because that gives the reader a chance to be able to delve deeper into the mind of the character.

But are you really seeing the truth?

The problem is that the characters might be deliberately deceiving the readers, or the characters might actually be the ones deceived. Psychology plays a fascinating part in this. What happens when our unconscious mind bends our perception of what is real, and even tries to fill in the gaps, making it possible to perceive things that aren’t really there? Think of an amputee who still feels his missing leg, or how it’s possible to see patterns in chaos. Memories are sprinkled with gaps, and we can fill in those gaps with our own created recollections. These can all be a part of the unique role of an unreliable narrator--and a fascinating ride for the reader. 

Here’s Your Critical Stop #18 Info:

If you're interested, you can pre-order The Lies We Believe just in time for its release on June 28th on Amazon. It will be available as an ebook, paperback, and kindle unlimited!

Clue to Write Down: to begin.

Link to Stop #19, the Next Stop on the Loop: Sarah Sundin's site!

But wait! Before you go, I’m offering six books (ebook or paperback) to one scavenger hut participant—a complete set of my Fallout Series. All you have to do is sign up to get my e-newsletter (form is the right hand side of this post). Everyone who signs up automatically gets a free copy of the prequel, THE LAST DAY. Let me know in the comments that you subscribed, or note that you’re already a subscriber.  

THE START DATE is set to 6/14 at 12/01 am Mountain and the end date is 6/19 at 12:01 am Mountain. Winner for the Fallout series from this blog will be drawn from the comments below using a random draw. Paperback copies are offered for USA mailing address only.

HAPPY HUNTING!!

     

Creepin It Real Giveaway: 12 thrilling novels to keep you up at night!

Attention suspense lovers! 

Join us for the Creepin It Real Giveaway, where 12 thrilling books await you, each featuring a spine-chilling tale. Participating authors include Lynette Eason, Lisa Phillips, Susan Sleeman, Natalie Walters, Jaime Jo Wright, Lisa Harris, Lynn H. Blackburn, D.L. Wood, Nancy Mehl, Patricia Bradley, Jessica R. Patch, and myself. This giveaway is open to U.S. residents only. Mark your calendars for June 1-30 and get ready for a heart-pounding reading experience like no other! 

CLICK HERE TO JOIN!

#ChristianFiction #booksweeps #creepinitreal #christianromanticsuspense #suspensethriller #christianthriller

Behind the scenes of a psychological thriller

 Hey readers!

The countdown begins for my brand new series and the release of The Lies We Believe. I can't wait to share Riley and Tucker's story with you, and yes, for those of you who have read my US Marshal series, there will be a cameo of Jonas and Madison! Over the next few weeks, I'll be sharing some behind the scenes of writing a psychological thriller. Here is the first one. Enjoy and don't forget to preorder!

Sunday Praise

 

It’s hard to imagine that it took Noah approximately one hundred years to build the ark. Talk about perseverance! And in the midst of his building the ark, he was constantly ridiculed by those around him. In fact, Noah and his family were the only ones God saved because mankind had become so corrupt that wicked men had become heroes among the people. 

Have you ever thought about what kind of faith did Noah had to have to hang in there for so long? In order to persevere, Noah had to hold tightly to his faith. And it had to be strong, solid, and enduring. I love this verse from Colossians that talks about the importance of faith in order to have a solid foundation.

"Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness." Colossians 2:7 

Question for today: What does it mean to you to endure?

#SundayPraise #LisaHarris #Colossians #endurance

 

Sunday Praise

Even when we’ve made our decision to put our full trust in God, there are still times when things go wrong and God seems far away. The world we live in is broken. People are hurting from unemployment, hunger, loneliness, broken homes and broken marriages. 

When I start worrying and doing things my way, my faith begins to falter, and I start to wonder if He’s still in control. So how do we hold strong in the middle of a storm? 

Through the work of the Holy Spirit and the study of His word, God allows our faith in Him to grow and mature even in the face of trials and disappointment. (From Finding Hope in a Chaotic World) 

“Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep His promise.” Hebrews 10:23

#SundayPraise #hope #FindingHopeinaChaoticWorld #unemployment #hunger #lonliness #divorce

Sunday Praise

We’ve all heard of the Mary/Martha syndrome. Martha was the woman in the Bible who ran around, taking care of all the household preparations when Jesus and his disciples came to stay. Mary, on the other hand, left the preparations to her sister to sit at Jesus’ feet.

I often feel a mixture between these two women. In wanting to serve others, I’m quick to jump in, but like Martha, too often—okay, way too often—get caught up in the details like she did. I forget to take time to stop be still. Forget to learn and glean from those around me and find peace and strength in God’s word.

When I think about being a strong woman of God, I long to find the combination of both women. Martha opened up her home to Jesus and his disciples, and had the heart of a servant. But Mary was the one who, despite all that had to be done, remembered what was most important. 

“Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:41-42

#SundayPraise #strongwoman #womanofGod #firstthings

 

"Perfect Conclusion to a Stunning Series"

 

I'm so excited to announce that Shattered is finally here! Book five in my Fallout series is available here on Amazon as an ebook and with Kindle Unlimited. Paperback is coming soon.

Welcome to Shadow Ridge, where LONGMIRE meets JERICHO.

From USA Today Best-selling author Lisa Harris comes an epic new series where the survival of Shadow Ridge depends on learning how to fight crime all over again.

In the prequel to the series, The Last Day, Chase said good-bye to Hope and left Shadow Ridge for an overnight prisoner transport to San Angelo. . .the day before the grid went down. For those rooting for Hope McQuaid and Chase Becket to find each other again, well, the wait is almost over. Except the circumstances aren’t what either of them could have ever imagined.

 **"Perfect Conclusion to a Stunning Series. I cannot recommend this series highly enough." ~Vickie W**

Sunday Praise

Have you ever thought about the secret of Joshua’s victories? The truth is that it wasn’t his skill with the sword, but instead his submission to God.

Joshua was not blind to the realities of his situation—he faced real enemies and hard situations, but he didn’t allow the problems and difficulties to rob him of his faith in God.

When the twelve spies—including Joshua—went to scout out the land of Canaan, they looked at things very differently. Ten of the spies only saw the terrifying giants that inhibited the land. Joshua and Calab, though, looked at the difficulties through what they knew about God. They remembered the victory over the Egyptians, food in the desert—God’s continual presence—and that with God, they would be victorious.

What about you? Who’s voice are you listening to today? 

“Listen for God's voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he's the one who will keep you on track.” Proverbs 3:6 MSG

#SundayPraise #LisaHarris #christianlife

 

There is still time!

 

The #LoneStarLit SURVIVAL Tour is over, but the #giveaway runs 'til midnight tonight, *AND* I added my #audiobook #bookreview to my blog post! (SPOILER: Kyle Tait - Voice Over and Narration paired with Lisa Harris's writing is perfection. 5 STARS from me!) ~Kristine Hall

Click here to join the giveaway!