Beyond Africa, Carie Lawson

Romance/Contemporary/Series

Lilly finally returns to the only place that's ever been home, a mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo. But the ongoing civil war creeps closer, threatening her sanctuary.

Case McCord, a weary soldier, determined to keep Lilly safe from the encroaching dangers, offers her protection, a home and love. Accepting him would mean turning her back on everything she believes. Rejecting him would mean turning down the greatest desire of her heart, and putting a child she loves in danger.

Excerpt:
"Tell me about Sam," Case ordered, breaking the silence between them.

Instant words of defense sprang to her mind. She shoved them away. "What do you want to know?"

"Well, he looks like a native, but Sam's not exactly a Congolese name. And he looks as if he belongs to you, or at least wants to."

"Bill and Sarah named him after he was found walking out of the jungle. You know, because Samuel in the Bible was taken to the temple when he was probably about this age." The second comment could be ignored.

"Didn't know that."

Now you do. "Why do you ask?"

"You two looked so close, I thought I might offer a suggestion."

This sounded suspicious. She raised her eyebrows and smiled. "What's that?"

"What if I could get both of you out of here? Wouldn't it be worth it to rescue this one child from the poverty, sickness and war he's destined to see if he stays here?"

Shock took her words. "You. You. You could do that?"

His eyebrow raised and the corner of his mouth tipped up slightly. "I could. You just have to say the word."

Temptation to run inside, grab her bag and disappear with Case curled through her brain.

"No, thank you." She physically shook off the thought.

The half-smile on his lips disappeared.

Since she already upset him, she might as well get the rest of it over. "I'd like to ask you for a favor."

"Why?"

Shouldn't he have asked what, not why? Please Lord, give me the words to help the children. "Because you have a plane."

His brows closed together. "Okay."

"There are these children, they're looking for their mom."

"You want me to find their mom? Shouldn't it be pretty simple? There aren't that many people out there." Was he being deliberately obtuse?

"We've checked out there." She flung a hand toward the mission. "She isn't there. Their village was attacked and in the chaos, the kids and the mother were separated. But they seem very certain she got away. They are talking about going to look for her¿you know walking from camp to camp to see if they can find her. The youngest child is only about a year and a half."

Dawning lit in his eyes. He scowled. "Do you know how many refugee camps are out there, Lilly? It would be like looking for a needle in a haystack."

Embarrassment heated her skin. She pushed on despite it. "Nick said there is a little money to compensate your expenses. It's not a lot, of course. But if you have any time at all and could help us¿ at least try." She ran out of steam. He wasn't going to help them, that was obvious by the clenching of his fists and the tick in his jaw. She waited to hear his rejection.

The silence continued, broken only by their feet crunching the dead twigs on the ground. It continued while she searched for the right thing to say. It continued until her knees begin to shake.

"Two conditions."

"Okay."

"First, you have to come with me. And second, Sam has to stay here."

Reviews:
"Lawson appears a veteran as she masterfully weaves faith and storytelling together with captivating detail and compelling characters... As this fantastic world unfolds, Ms. Lawson triumphs in sharing her heroine’s faith in a miraculous and loving God without forcing the issue or becoming preachy. She further explores the emotional stress involved when feelings of attraction and faith collide. What does one do when heart, soul and mind are competing for attention?... Destined for success Lawson has done an excellent job of capturing the reader’s imagination and keeping her interest." -- JP's JIVE

"LOVED IT! LOVED IT! LOVED IT! From start to finish I was fascinated with all the characters in this story as well as the story itself! This author had my heart churning and emotions running wild...Great job Carie. I highly recommend this story. It's one I will definitely read again and again."-- Reader Review

Why Carie wrote this book:
I've always been a romance junkie. From the time I was thirteen and discovered the genre, I've been an avid reader. One day I decided to try my hand at writing. It was every bit as fun. I wanted to write about an adventure as well as finding love. So Case became a pilot and Lilly a missionary. From that point their personalities were just there, in my head. Lilly, the gentle soul, who wore her heart on her sleeve and wanted a place where she was accepted. And Case, the hard exterior hiding deep emotions. When Case brings Lilly home to meet his family, she can't help but fall in love with the man and the rest of his family.

As I wrote, the scripture that continued to float through my brain was Matthew 6:33, But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness and all these things will be given to you as well. As a matter of fact the original working title was, "All These Things." It was important to me to have a heroine that seemed soft and fragile, but when times got really tough would trust God more than anyone or anything else. Of course in the end, we trust that God will give her exactly what she needs, whether it's the man she can't imagine living without or something else entirely.
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Other books in the Twisted Roots Series:

Beyond Summer (available September 2010)

Author Bio:
Carie Lawson home schools her four kids, drives the soccer van --- complete with dirty socks and McDonalds bags scattered throughout --- and tries to sneak away to her computer whenever possible to write. She is an active member of a local writer's group, Middle Tennessee Christian Writers, and received third place in the North Texas Romance Writer's Great Expectations contest in the Inspirational Romance category.

http://www.carielawsonbooks.com/

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