About The Book
Book: Relentless Love
Author: Heather Greer
Genre: Contemporary Christian Romance
Release Date: June 2, 2020
Without passion, there is no love. Without love, is she even living? 
Living with limits protects a heart from hurt. After unexpectedly losing her husband, it’s a lesson Katie Blake has learned well. From moving in with her elderly father to staying at home with her son, Sammy, Katie’s life has been arranged to avoid further pain.
After three years, life feels stagnant. It’s time to carefully venture into the world once again. Sammy needs friends his age, and Katie needs a project to focus on.
As Sammy adjusts to preschool, Katie finds her perfect job. Her position even allows her to befriend Anna, a young mother who needs encouragement. Events also bring Nathan Phillips, a childhood friend, back into her life. Each successful step forward encourages Katie to continue opening her heart. By the time her friendship with Nathan begins to deepen, Katie is ready to pursue the relationship.
Nathan’s encouragement gives Katie strength to make tough decisions regarding her father’s care as his dementia progresses. But when Sammy is injured while in Nathan’s care, Katie knows she’s made a mistake. It won’t happen again. Abandoning their relationship in favor of safety is only the beginning. Katie has felt God calling her to help change Anna’s situation, but the risk is too great. God will have to find another way to help.
It takes a strange message from her father for Katie to understand God’s relentless love and desire for her life to reflect His love. But will Katie take the risk or continue limiting love in favor of a life without hurt?
Click here to get your copy!
About The Author
Heather Greer is a pastor’s kid and pastor’s wife from southern Illinois. Though her nest is quickly approaching the empty stage, with three of her four children out on their own, she enjoys the times she gets to spend with all her children, husband, and grandson. Equal mix geek and romantic, you could as easily find Heather watching an episode of Doctor Who as the latest Hallmark movie. Of course, you may find her baking, reading, or crafting too!
Heather’s writing and teaching ministries revolve around a passion to see believers grow in their faith. Though God has used her most often with teens and adults, she has worked in ministries reaching all age groups through the years. It is Heather’s prayer for God to use what she writes in her books and on her blog to challenge and encourage readers in their faith walks.
More from Heather
Authors leave a bit of themselves on the pages of what they write. Whether it comes out in a name or character’s special interest or a faith lesson the author had to learn themselves before they could put in on paper, somewhere in what is written readers will find a hint of the author in the story. This glimpse into the author’s world add a feeling of authenticity to the story.
My family and friends will quickly recognize at least one of these windows into my world as they read Relentless Love. Though I didn’t intend it, my personal experiences with dementia and Alzheimer’s care are woven into the story. While the exact details are different, I was a full-time caregiver to my grandmother through the middle and late stages of her life with dementia. Dealing with the confusion, illogical thinking, obsessing, and paranoia that are portrayed in the story is part of everyday life for a caregiver.
In including Katie’s experience with her father’s deteriorating mental health, I pray others facing the same struggle find encouragement and strength. And because my time with my grandma was blessed with sweet memories, in spite of the struggles, I’d like to share a recipe she passed down to me in high school. I cannot make this cookie without thinking of the one who made it first and all the lessons she taught me about what it means to love God, our families, and others.
Lace Cookies – from the kitchen of Sue Ellen Forby
Ingredients:
1 cup oats 3Tbs. flour
¼ tsp. salt 1 stick butter
1 cup sugar 1 tsp. vanilla
½ tsp. baking powder 1 egg
Directions: Mix oats, salt, sugar, baking powder, and flour. Melt butter and pour over dry ingredients. Add vanilla and egg. Mix well. Refrigerate at least one hour, until set.
Preheat oven to 350. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper. Roll dough into marble sized balls and place at least 2 inches apart on cookie sheet. Bake 8-10 minutes. Edges of cookies will be golden brown. Remove from oven and carefully slide parchment from pan to let cookies cool completely before removing them from paper. These cookies puff during cooking but flatten out completely as they cool.
Q&A with Heather Greer
Why did you choose the contemporary Christian romance genre?
I didn’t set out to write in this genre. I love reading in the contemporary Christian romance genre, but I also enjoy historical romance, fantasy, and even a little suspense now and then. It was the story and Katie herself that determined the genre and even the setting of the story. As Katie and her story developed, the needed genre and setting were clear.
Were there any obstacles you faced in your journey to publication?
There are easy to point to obstacles in my writing journey. I have four children. When I began pursuing writing seriously, they were younger and demanded more of my time. Currently, I work full-time outside the home. Writing and keeping up with all the extras that come with writing is more difficult when your most productive times are spent at another job. It means weekends and evenings are packed, and you have difficult choices to make about what you will and won’t commit to. But I want to be completely honest with you today. One of my biggest obstacles to overcome in writing is doubt or fear. Writing means putting yourself out there, and it includes feedback. We get feedback from critique partners, agents, publishers, and readers. That’s a scary thing when you’ve put part of yourself on the page. I have to keep reminding myself that if God has given me this way to minster to others, He is the one taking it where He wants it to go and will make the stories speak to whomever He needs it to speak to.
How long does it usually take to craft your books? (from outlines/first drafts to final edits)
It depends on the book. My first book took a while because I had to learn how to focus and get it done. From start to publication probably took a year and a half to two years. The second and third book had to go from idea to release in one year. An unrelated book I wrote after finishing this series only took a few months to finish, though I know before publication it will have to face more time being edited and perfected for print.
What do you want your readers to take away with them after finishing one of your novels?
Like all authors, I want my stories to entertain readers. I want them to feel like they’ve spent time with new friends. But I want my stories to be more than entertainment. No matter what I write, I want readers to leave the story feeling encouraged or challenged in their faith. Whether it’s something new about God’s love and living faith or a reminder about one of those things, I pray God uses the story to bless each reader.
Readers always want to know what is next for an author. Do you have any works in progress you can share about?
I have a couple works in progress I can talk about. One is a finished manuscript that I had a lot of fun writing. It is contemporary. But where this series dealt with the heavy stuff of life, this new one is lighthearted. It tells the story of a cupcake truck owner’s experience as a competitor on a televised baking competition.
The second is one I recently started working on. It is a historical fiction set in the 1920s. This book will be one part of a series I’m working on with a couple friends of mine. Each of us is writing one novel in the series, and our stories are tied together with a beautiful stained glass window. I’m excited to see where the window and the stories end up.
Blog Stops
Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, June 2
Andrea Christenson, June 3 (Author Interview)
For the Love of Literature, June 4
Rebecca Tews, June 5
Batya’s Bits, June 6
My Devotional Thoughts, June 7 (Author Interview)
Writing from the Heart Land, June 7
For Him and My Family, June 8
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, June 9
By The Book, June 10 (Author Interview)
Texas Book-aholic, June 11
Quiet Quilter, June 12
Artistic Nobody, June 13 (Guest Review from Joni Truex)
Inklings and notions, June 14
deb’s Book Review, June 15
Giveaway
To celebrate her tour, Heather is giving away the grand prize of $30 Amazon gift card!!
Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.
https://promosimple.com/ps/fccd/relentless-love-celebration-tour-giveaway
Risk versus safety is a decision we all struggle to make. This sounds like an intriguing book that I’d like to read.
Thanks for the cookie recipe
This sounds like a really great read! I always appreciate a good cookie recipe. Thanks.