For He shall give His angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways. In their hands they shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone. Psalm 91:11-12 (NKJ)
Fourteen years ago my first inspirational novel, Scent of Lilacs, was published and readers were taking their first trips to my little town of Hollyhill that is a lot like my town of Lawrenceburg was fifty years ago. It was an exciting time for me with the feeling the sky was the limit. Or shoot, maybe way higher than that, all the way to Jupiter. If you’ve been to Hollyhill and eavesdropped on Jocie and Wes talking, you’ll know why I’m off to Jupiter. 🙂
At the same time I was launching my new writing career after several years of rejections following the first thirteen books I published in the general market, my husband was singing Southern Gospel with the Patriot Quartet. (He still does. You can check them out on their Patriot Qt Facebook page.) For a while the quartet took their songs on the road in a big old purple bus. They traveled around to churches in our local area but they also went on longer trips to other states to present their concerts.
With the bus, the guys and family members like me who went along for the ride shared long hours on the road between concerts. We griped about the bumps in the road, argued over which restaurants were best, couldn’t always agree on restroom stops, and best of all shared a lot of stories. At that time, Jerry Shepherd was the tenor singer in the Patriot Quartet, and did he ever have stories to tell. Several years before he and Darrell started singing together, I’d heard Jerry give his testimony. I’d never forgotten how that testimony had affected me by making me realize that sometimes people have pasts we would never guess.
Jerry and his mother had a difficult relationship. Jerry felt he could never please her and didn’t think she loved him. He got involved with alcohol and drugs as a teen and was often suicidal. After high school he joined the army. This was while the Vietnam War was going on and when he didn’t want to go to college, he knew he would be drafted. He couldn’t handle the program the Army put him into and after another suicide attempt he went AWOL. One thing led to another and at the age of nineteen, he ended up in a Georgia penitentiary after killing a man. That could have been the end for Jerry, but while he had often given up on himself, the Lord had not. Nor had Jerry’s parents. While they were shocked and saddened by what Jerry had done, they didn’t stop loving him and wanting to help him. And they prayed. They never quit praying for Jerry and telling him to pray too.
While we were traveling around to those Gospel concerts, Jerry would share snippets of his story. It seemed impossible to think about the Jerry I knew who loved the Lord and was ready to serve Him however he could was that same Jerry who was sentenced to years in prison for murder. His amazing testimony of how God rescued him from this terrible mess he’d made of his life captured my imagination. I wanted to write his story. I little knew how truly amazing his story was when I first asked him if I could try to write his book. It turned out that he’d always wanted to write his story, but when he tried, he could never get past the opening pages. But now the Lord had put Jerry and me on the same bus and together we found a way to share his story with readers.
Come back Sunday and I’ll tell you more about how I was able to write Jerry’s story. I wasn’t sure I could since I like to make up the stories I write. But this time I was writing truth.
When we first published Angels at the Crossroads, we went with one of the self-publishing companies. The book was expensive and the cover didn’t fit the story. Several years later, I had the cover redesigned and reissued the book with the same company. I still thought it was too expensive for readers. I thought it was too expensive for me to even buy any copies myself. So now I have once more published a slightly edited copy of the story. I just deleted some of those unnecessary words I’d used to write the story and I gave Jerry credit on the cover. After all, it is his story. The price on Amazon is more reasonable at $13.99 for the print copy and $3.99 for the e-book.
A Book Giveaway
To celebrate having copies of the book back on my shelves after years of not having any copies, I’m giving away two copies. All you have to do to be in the drawing for the book is leave a comment on this post. I’ll post about writing the book again on Sunday. Your comment on any posts before the deadline to enter will get you another entry. Deadline to enter is midnight EST February 1, 2019. You have to be eighteen or older to enter. I’ll pick the two winners by random drawing from whatever entries I receive. Contest for a print copy is open to United States and Canada. If an international reader wins, I can send them an e-book.
Does Angels at the Crossroads sound like a book you’d like to read? Do you like the cover and/or the title?
Comments 74
I had tears just reading what you posted today, I will look for this book when you re- release it.
Author
Jerry’s story is very moving, Donna. Tears show you are a caring person. The book, Angels at the Crossroads, is already available for readers but only through Amazon or if you are one of the lucky winners, through me. Actually, interested readers can purchase the book directly from me by going to the nonfiction book page where you will see information about ordering the book. https://www.annhgabhart.com/books/angels-at-the-crossroads/
I do appreciate your interest in reading Jerry’s story.
Absolutely I want to read it. I usually alternate a fiction with a biography some type of true story. Love hearing testimonies.
Author
Sounds as though Angels at the Crossroads will be a perfect book for you then, Loretta. For sure, Jerry has a powerful testimony and some events in his life that if I put them in a fiction story, nobody would believe them.
I have enjoyed your books so much, looking forward to reading this one , hoping I will be able to share with my grandchildren!
Author
Thank you so much for reading my stories, Edith. I hope if or when you get a chance to read Angels at the Crossroads, you will like it too. Jerry does hope to steer young people away from going down wrong roads by sharing his testimony.
I loved Angels at the crossroads!! Very inspiring, down to earth, testimony to life and faith
Author
I appreciate your kind words, Linda. If you like to do reviews, it would be great if you would review the book on Amazon if you didn’t back when you read it earlier. Reviews are so helpful to authors.
Love your writing and would love to win this book.
Author
Thank you, Shirley. I appreciate you telling me that. This book is different but I did use fiction writing tactics to try to make Jerry’s story one readers could read and feel all that happened.
Could not get it back when. So would live to win it now. Thank you for the chance. God bless
Author
Then maybe this will be your lucky time, Patti. I’ve got you entered. But even if you don’t win it, with the low e-book price, maybe you can still get it if you e-read.
Ann, read earlier version several years ago before I had teenage grandsons , two of which seem to be climbing fool’s hill. One has been suicidal and is not doing well at present.
Would love to have copy and prayer that I’ll have perception as to when and how to share.
Thank you for your incredible gift
Author
It can be so hard to watch grandchildren go through struggles when there is so little you can do to guide them back to good paths and attitudes, Helen. Prayer is powerful and we do trust God, but sometimes we feel as though we should do more. We’ll all pray for you and for your grandsons too that they find the right friends and the best paths to walk through these hard teen years.
Thank you! God bless your ministry
Would love to have a chance at winning a good book to read on these cold winter days !
Author
Got you entered, Evelyn. It is cold out there today. A great day to sit down by the fire or heater and enjoy a good book for sure.
I am very interested in reading this book. God never gives up on us.
Author
And isn’t it wonderful that is true, Michelle? God’s love never changes. I hope you will have the opportunity to read Jerry’s story to see how God didn’t give up on Jerry.
I love the cover and the title from my favorite Psalm 91 and I would love to read his amazing story!
Author
Glad you liked the cover and title, Carolyn. Angels watching over us. In the book, we focus on those the Lord puts into our paths to help us along the way. Earth angels of sorts. It is an amazing story.
Oh Ann, I can’t wait to get this book! I have loved all your books but to know this is true will be very exciting.
Author
I hope you will be moved by the story when you get a chance to read it, Frances. I do feel as though the Lord had a hand in helping me write it. And I know what He did for Jerry.
Sounds like a great book.
Author
Thanks, Carol. I hope you have an opportunity to read it sometime. I’ve got you entered in the drawing.
Angels at the Crossroads is one of my favorite books you’ve written,Ann; because it’s so powerfully showcases God’s Redemption! God can redeem anyone’s story and make it beautiful for His Glory; if they willingly choose to surrender their lives to Him! 😊 Second Corinthians 5:17 Also, I must say that I love that your husband’s quartet tours in a purple bus! 😉 I’m looking forward to hearing more about how you wrote Jerry’s story on Sunday,Ann! God bless,Ann and Jerry! 🎉Psalm 106🎉
Author
Always good to see your comments here, Emily. The guys sadly sold their purple bus when gas got so expensive a few years ago. The bus only got about 5 miles to the gallon, so that made traveling to sing too expensive. Now they have a boring white van. 🙂 Some other quartet is still traveling around in the purple bus though.
Thanks for reading Jerry’s story. It is a powerful testimony to God’s love and redemption.
Sounds interesting, Ann! I’d love to read it. Just finished your 4th Shaker book! 😊
Author
Fun, Lois. Not sure which you are counting as fourth of the Shaker books. I think that might be The Blessed. If so, I really enjoyed the character of Lacey in that book. She was my commonsense character when everything around her seemed be going crazy.
Also glad you think Jerry’s story looks like one you’d like to read. It’s the only nonfiction book I’ve ever tried to write. It is a powerful story.
Yes, Ann, I just finished The Blessed. I enjoyed it very much. It took me a while to get through it as my husband has been in the hospital, had surgery, and is now rehabbing at home. All this means less time for me to read as when I do have time to sit down, I often fall asleep! lol And, falling asleep has nothing to do with the reading material!
I thought of you last weekend as our son was in Kentucky. And, now with your sharing about the re-release of this book, I realize that it was appropriate to have thought of you! Our son comes to Kentucky periodically to do prison ministries. This time he went to the “Castle on the Cumberland.” That was a first for him—to be in a maximum security prison. He is a juggler and goes to share the gospel with the prisoners and their families in his unique way. This time he said that there were very few children allowed to come for this family visitation day due to “behavior” of the parents/ prisoners. But he did say that a couple of the women prisoners raised their hands that they wanted to learn more about Jesus. Praise the Lord!
Just checked out The Gifted, when I worked in the church library this afternoon. 😀
Author
Thanks for sharing about your son’s ministry. The Lord saves people one at a time, each as an individual. So pray those two prisoners will find redemption and a new life with Jesus.
Glad to hear your husband is recuperating at home. And I understand about that nodding off when you’re tired. Husbands can take a lot of care when they are sick.
Hope you will enjoy The Gifted. A bit different from The Blessed. Jessamine is a free spirit character.
Angels at the Crossroads sounds most appealing, another of those can’t-put-it-down-til-the-end books. I’m eager for an opportunity to learn Jerry’s story and celebrate God’s amazing work in his life. Thank you for getting it published again.
Author
Angels at the Crossroads is an amazing story, Jolene, not because I wrote it but because of the power of God’s love and of a parent’s love too. Hope you will get a chance to read it. I’ve got you entered in the giveaway.
Yes, I like the title and would love to read the story!
Author
Love your enthusiasm for the story, Margaret. Thank you so much.
yes i would read this book , and i love the cover.
Author
I’m glad you think the cover is inviting and that the story looks like one you’d like to read, Julie. Thanks for stopping by. I’ve got you entered in the drawing.
Wow.
Just WOW!
Do you ever wonder?
I do.
I recently listened to an amazing couple tell about their prison ministry. I’m ordering the ebook tonight.
Author
Thanks so much for ordering the book, Becky. I really appreciate that. I appreciate that WOW too. 🙂
I love the title and cover of your book and it sounds like a must read, for sure!
Author
Hi, Melanie. I think about you every time I sweep the floor. Love my broom.
I’m glad you think Jerry’s story looks like a must read. Hope it will inspire you when you have a chance to read the book.
God works in many ways! I’m up late tonight, after a lengthy conversation with my brother. He’s at a crossroads himself and called me for help in finding the right scripture to help him focus on his faith. I’m going to try to forward your post about Jerry to him. And I’m ordering the e-book in the morning. I know better than to order it tonight…I’ll never get to sleep with a new book waiting to read! 😉
Thanks for sharing this Ann. I think it’s something my brother needs to see.
Author
I do hope Jerry’s story will be a help to your brother. Jerry promised the Lord while he was still in prison that he would take every opportunity to share his story in order to help others take those right roads instead of some of the wrong roads he took at his crossroads in life. I hope you were able to help your brother look toward the right paths to follow, Lavon. And thank you very much for ordering the book. It’s a powerful testimony of God’s love and redemption.