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About the Book

Book: Isobel’s Mission of Courage

Author: Susan K Beatty

Genre: Christian Woman’s Fiction

Release Date: September 8, 2020

Isobel's Mission of Courage final

God had hardwired mission work into Isobel’s DNA.

So what’s He doing bringing a homeless woman into her life… to help her?

Recovering from surgery and chemotherapy means Isobel has little time or energy to spend on anything or anyone else, but when she sees a homeless woman hanging around her neighborhood, she can’t just ignore the need.

Homeless and ticked off at God, Noolie might just be the last person Isobel would ever imagine helping her, but Isobel needs it. Can she muster the courage to face her needs and allow a woman with nothing to meet them?

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About the Author

Beatty Susan Bio Photo

“Courage: The intersection of faith and Grit”

Susan K. Beatty is passionate about finding courage through faith and grit, particularly through the trials of breast cancer. Her daughter is a metastatic breast cancer “thriver” and has been an inspiration for her writing. Susan retired from a full-time job in 2017 and is now pursuing a novel-writing career. Her first novel, “Faces of Courage,” is in revision. Susan is the author of “An Introduction to Home Education” (AKA “California Homeschool Manual”), was the assistant director of the SoCal Christian Writers’ Conference and is the president of her local ACFW-OC Chapter. She is a professional writer/journalist. Susan is proof you can begin a fiction writing career after age seventy.

More from Susan

Thank you for joining me on my blog tour! This is my first, so I’m kind of excited.

A few years ago, my dream of writing fiction unexpectedly intersected with my daughter’s breast cancer diagnosis. I started out writing a variety of stories, but my critique team said the one which featured a breast cancer patient was filled with the most strength and passion. The courage it took my daughter to face her diagnosis and treatments sparked a passion in me to write about it. God was apparently leading me to combine the ideas of cancer and courage with my call to write.

In Isobel’s Mission of Courage, Isobel’s courage is challenged not only by her breast cancer, but also by her “mission.” God had hard-wired mission work into her DNA, yet He brings a homeless woman, Noolie, into her life who wants to help her. And Noolie isn’t shy at pointing out Isobel’s spiritual weaknesses.

Isobel’s Mission of Courage is part of a series called Faces of Courage. Each story in the series looks at living with cancer, but there’s always more at stake than the disease, including financial difficulties, loss of property due to the elements, spiritual flaws, an abusive husband, and death of a loved one.

The Lord seems to either have a sense of humor, or more likely, wanted me to write from experience. While writing Isobel’s Mission of Courage, I had to face my own surprising cancer diagnosis and was challenged to draw on my previously untested courage. Having written about cancer and the courage to deal with it prepared me to live it, bringing a deeper knowledge into Isobel’s story.

Even before my own experience, the theme of my writing became, “Courage: The Intersection of Faith and Grit.” Our walk with Him builds hope which develops faith. Whatever He’s asking us to do, the first step begins with faith and is fueled by grit. Whether it’s to face an abusive husband, a financial catastrophe, a pandemic, the loss of a loved one, or cancer.

How does Isobel face her cancer? How does she deal with her own spiritual weaknesses while trying to fulfill her mission in life by helping someone else? I hope you will read Isobel’s Mission of Courage not only to find out, but perhaps to find your own courage at the intersection of faith and grit.

“There is more treasure in books than in all the pirate’s loot on Treasure Island.” – Walt Disney

My Thoughts

This is the first book that I have read from this author. This is the 2nd novella in the Faces of Courage series. While I have not read the first novella, I had no issues following along. This book was a easy, quick read. I was able to finish it in one sitting. There are 96 pages in this book - it was the perfect length. The author was able to lay the story out and draw you in with the first few pages. Isobel, currently fighting breast cancer is learning how to navigate where life has taken her. Her son, Elijah has just a big of a heart as she does. They both have noticed the homeless woman that has been around her neighborhood. She feels so moved by her, and wants to help her despite being drained from chemotherapy. Noolie, is not happy with God at the moment. Noolie also does not want help. From anyone. She is not happy with life as she knows it. Seeing the determination in both of these women made my heart smile. I kept thinking to myself, am I missing out on people I need to speak life into? This book is well written, and I felt that God was speaking to me throughout the whole story.

I received a copy of this book through the Celebrate Lit blogging program, all thoughts are my own.