The Luke Devotionals: As part of my Bible study in the book of Luke, I started writing devotionals for each passage, and decided to post them here. I also will have the devotionals translated into Japanese, so if you know of any Japanese-speaking women who are curious about Christ, please do point them here! English is at the bottom. *** ルカ３章１節〜１４節 ８年生から９年生に進級するときの夏休み、わたしの心はとても悲しかったのです。わたしは、とても恥ずかしがりやで人とうまく話すこともできずに、クラスのなかで友達もいなくて孤独でした。そのようなことから、わたしはだんだん人を避けて一人になり、その孤独感から逃避するために小説を読むようになりました。本だけがわたしの友達だとよく思っていました。 大学で心理学を専攻したあと、今となるとわたしは鬱病だったと思います。一週間に何回か自殺を考えるようになっていました。家族が精神科医にいくようになったのですが、その中で弟がADHD　（注意力不足活動過多症）だったので、わたしが精神科医と話す時間はあまりありませんでした。わたしは一人の少女の短編小説を書きました。その少女は自分の存在は無意味であり、すべては無駄であり、自殺を考えている少女でした。 神様の恵みにより、そのころ教会に行くようになりました。唯一、自殺願望を阻止していたのは、毎週教会の牧師が罪の悔い改め、キリストにある喜びの説教でした。わたしは、個人的にその罪の悔い改め、キリストにある喜びを経験していたわけではないのですが、頭では、そのことを理解していました。 何が原因だったか覚えていませんが、ある晩、クライマックスが来たのです。わたしは、泣き崩れ、神様に自殺しないように助けを求めて祈ったのです。その時、何があったのかわかりませんが、わたしは罪を悔い改めて、「良いクリスチャン」になることを決心しました。 わ...

Free Christian Regency Romantic Suspense This post is part of my serialized novel, The Spinster’s Christmas. If you’re new, you can begin with the summary and complete chapter list on the Intro Page . *** Chapter 22 January 1st The turret door, which Miranda always had to struggle with, opened easily under Gerard’s strong hand, but it was nearly blown out of it by a whipping wind. “It’s too windy,” she said. “Let’s go back.” “No, Lady Wynwood said it had to be here.” “Lady Wynwood?” She pulled her cloak around her and followed him out onto the roof of Wintrell Hall. Despite the wind, the sun shone high above, only briefly misted over by the occasional wisp of cloud before beaming down upon them, turning the red brick orange-gold. They found a spot in the lee of the cupola where the wind was only a gentle swirling around their bodies. Gerard wrapped the wings of his greatcoat around both himself and her, and then he pulled her close to kiss her. In the cocoon of h...

MastersTeas (owned by Adagio teas) asked if I’d like some tea samples to review, and since I’ve enjoyed many of their teas, I of course said yes! Plus I was really excited to brew the tea using the gongfu method with my new tea set up. I started with the Rohini First Flush Darjeeling tea. From the website: The 'first flush' tea of the spring in Darjeeling is famous for its lively bite and abundance of fresh flavor. These rare teas look almost like green teas, but they are actually black tea. Our Spring Darjeeling is a spirited embodiment of these qualities. This year’s DJ1 offers a fresh bouquet of bright fruit blossom notes. Silky texture with white grape, floral, and sultana notes with a hint of minerality and a soft finish. This tea comes to us from the Rohini Tea Estate located in the Kurseong valley of Darjeeling, India. Its elevation of roughly 4400 ft imparts complexity to the infusion. Our 2020 first of the year, super early, late February harvest is a rarity th...

Free Christian Regency Romantic Suspense This post is part of my serialized novel, The Spinster’s Christmas. If you’re new, you can begin with the summary and complete chapter list on the Intro Page . *** Chapter 21 Harriet was several yards from the tree where Miranda hid. She would walk past her in a minute or two. Then a voice drifted through the trees. “Miranda!” Oh no. It was Gerard. Harriet’s head swiveled around, and she searched the trees behind her. How had Gerard found them? How had he known? She could not call to him, but she could not allow Harriet to shoot at him. “Miranda!” Miranda had not moved, had barely breathed, but a clump of snow from a branch above her dropped down. It collided with more snow-covered branches, and suddenly there was a cascade of snow that rained upon the ground, the only movement in the forest. Harriet looked up. Saw Miranda hugging the tree limb. And fired the pistol. Searing pain exploded in her shoulder. She saw stars. ...

I made this as a casual skirt for wearing in the summer with T-shirts and zori (flip-flops). I wanted something loose and comfortable, so I made it with a little positive ease and only slightly flared. I also opted for a drawstring waist rather than elastic because, since this is a comfortable skirt, I wanted to be able to loosen the waist on my fat days. This pattern/recipe is for my size, but there are instructions at the bottom for customizing for your own measurements. To fit waist: 32”, hips: 43” (hips were measured about 7” down from top of waistband) with 1” positive ease Unstretched measurements: Waist: 36" Hips: 44.4" Hem: 46.2” Yarn: Knit Picks Planetarium Comfy Worsted Exact amount of yarn used: 284 grams = 619 yards Needles: US 6 for waistband US 7 for skirt US 5 for i-cord Gauge:  4.5 sts and 6 rows per inch in stockinette stitch and US 7 needles CO 144 sts in the round tubular cast on with US 6 needles. k1p1 until 0.75” from cast on. (k1...

Free Christian Regency Romantic Suspense This post is part of my serialized novel, The Spinster’s Christmas. If you’re new, you can begin with the summary and complete chapter list on the Intro Page . *** Chapter 20 It was purely his foul mood that led Gerard to the library. Soon the bell would sound to dress for the New Year’s Eve dinner party, but he only wanted a glass or two of Cecil’s mediocre brandy. He had never before proposed to a woman. It was just his luck that he would receive such a resounding refusal on his first attempt. And then he’d kissed her like a desperate schoolboy. And then she’d kissed him. And then … He knew logically she had been deliberately trying to push him away, but the word had been like a blow to his stomach. She knows how to hurt you, old chap. T’would be best not to get close to anyone at all. No. Miranda might live her life by that sentiment, but he would show her that to live without love was worse. Her kiss had simply reinf...

Curious about what my writing is like? Here’s a list of all my free books and the free short stories, novellas, and novels that you can read here on my blog. I’ll update this post as I add more free reads. Christian Regency Romantic Suspense (as Camille Elliot) The Spinster’s Christmas (Lady Wynwood’s Spies series, Prequel novel) (Posted on my blog as a serial novel, completed) Spinster Miranda Belmoore and naval Captain Gerard Foremont, old childhood friends, meet again for a large Christmas party at Wintrell Hall. Miranda is making plans to escape a life of drudgery as a poor relation in her cousin’s household, while Gerard battles bitterness at the fact that his career was cut short by the injury to his knee. However, an enemy has infiltrated the family party, bent on revenge and determined that Twelfth Night will end in someone’s death … Lissa and the Spy (Lady Wynwood’s Spies series, Prequel novella) Click here to get this ebook FREE when you subscribe to my newsletter In...

Free Christian Regency Romantic Suspense This post is part of my serialized novel, The Spinster’s Christmas. If you’re new, you can begin with the summary and complete chapter list on the Intro Page . *** Chapter 19 Ellie was missing. Miranda had walked back from the Lower Gardens with her and the other children, and there had been much bustling about as they shed their cloaks, scarves, caps, and mittens. The nursery smelled strongly—and not very pleasantly—of wet wool, freshened only in the corners where pine boughs were tucked. Dinner for the children was earlier than usual today because of the New Year’s Eve dinner party. The kitchen simply could not prepare the food for all the children and the grand party at the same time. But when it was time to eat, Ellie was nowhere to be found. Miranda spent twenty minutes searching the nursery wing, in every closet and corner. She had begun to feel real concern when Jean, the under-maid, came up to her in the deserted hallway. ...

Free Christian Regency Romantic Suspense This post is part of my serialized novel, The Spinster’s Christmas. If you’re new, you can begin with the summary and complete chapter list on the Intro Page . *** Chapter 18 Gerard made his way blindly down the corridors. He knew Miranda could not have meant the callous words she had flung at him. She was not indifferent to him. She had given herself away with that kiss. She would have refused him in order to keep him safe. The thought warmed through the cold that had seeped into his limbs. So she must have lied to him. If she had lied, she was uncomfortably good at it. She had looked him in the eye to tell him she did not love him. Why would she refuse him? He could offer her everything she did not have. He could protect her. Unless, he realized bitterly, she truly did doubt his broken body’s ability to protect her from anything. No, he knew she had lied to him about that, too. He knew where he wanted to go. He made his wa...

Photo credit: lalalime.blogspot.com I asked God to make me a prayer warrior, and I realized I was missing out on the chance to pray for all of you, my online friends! So how can I pray for you? I will try to remember to post this at least once a month so I can pray for you. Prayer requests can sometimes be private things, so to keep your privacy, I’ve made a form you can fill out that will keep your requests just between you and me. Also please be sure to fill out the form again to update me if you sent me a prayer request in the past. I’d love to hear how you’re doing. Loading...

Free Christian Regency Romantic Suspense This post is part of my serialized novel, The Spinster’s Christmas. If you’re new, you can begin with the summary and complete chapter list on the Intro Page . *** Chapter 17 December 31st The children were being positively horrid. Miranda, Miss Teel, and the nursery-maids who worked for the other Belmoore families were quite prepared to begin stringing them up by their toes. So Miranda suggested a game of Hide and Seek in the Lower Ornamental Garden. Miss Teel was amenable, but the nursery-maids objected since they did not wish to trouble themselves to bundle up the children for the outdoors. However, the children were enthusiastic about the idea, and Miranda remarked that they would be entertaining themselves in such a way as to require very little supervision, since the garden was walled, so the maids were at last persuaded. Wintrell Hall had two large walled gardens, the Upper and Lower Ornamental Gardens. They were accessed b...