In college, Mara and her sorority sisters played an ugly game, and Mara was usually the winner. She’d date men she considered geeks, win their confidence, and then she’d dump them publicly. When Mara begins work for a prestigious clothing designer in New York, she gets her comeuppance. Her boyfriend steals her designs and wins a coveted position. He fires her, and she returns in shame to her home in Spartanburg, South Carolina, where life for others has changed for the better.
Mara’s parents, always seemingly one step from a divorce, have rediscovered their love for each other, but more importantly they have placed Christ in the center of that love. The changes Mara sees in their lives cause her to seek Christ. Mara’s heart is pierced by her actions toward the twelve men she’d wronged in college, and she sets out to apologize to each of them. A girl with that many amends to make, though, needs money for travel, and Mara finds more ways to lose a job that she ever thought possible.Mara stumbles, bumbles, and humbles her way toward employment and toward possible reconciliation with the twelve men she humiliated to find that God truly does look upon the heart, and that He has chosen the heart of one of the men for her to have and to hold. Get your copy at Amazon
My Review
When I first noticed the book A Dozen Apologies, I thought it was an interesting plot. When I discovered that each hero’s chapter was written by a different author, I was intrigued. I missed the posting of the chapters as readers voted on who would be the “happily-ever-after” hero in the final published version of the book, but I think I rather enjoyed reading it all put together.
Each chapter has a fun twist as you find out what the hero is up to after all the years since Mara saw them last. You never really know how they will treat her when she shows up on their doorstep.
Jennifer Hallmark did an outstanding job with her chapter. In the space of a short chapter, she gave the hero of Chapter 8 depth of character, making for a likeable character. An enjoyable chapter in an enjoyable book.
The Author
Jennifer Hallmark: writer by nature, artist at heart, and daughter of God by His grace. She loves to read detective fiction from the Golden Age, watch movies like LOTR, and play with her two precious granddaughters. At times, she writes.Her website is Alabama-Inspired Fiction and she shares a writer’s reference blog, Writing Prompts & Thoughts & Ideas…Oh My! with friends, Christina, John, Ginger, Tammy, Don, and Betty. She and Christina Rich share an encouraging blog for readers called The Most Important Thing.
Jennifer and her husband, Danny, have spent their married life in Alabama and have a basset hound, Max.
An Interview with Jennifer
Have you always been a writer? I’ve loved writing since I was a child, carrying the dream of being published into my teenage years. Along came a husband and two children and I tucked the dream into a corner for a while. I married a farmer, so we raised chickens and cattle for the next 20 years. In 2006, I decided to take my every-once-in-a-while hobby and make it a career.
What book are you currently reading? I’m always reading several books at once. First time reads at the moment are Ryan’s Father by June Foster and Why Your Weirdness Is Wonderful by Laurie Wallin. I’m also re-reading the Anne of Green Gables series (I’m on book 4) and the Inspector Allyen series by Ngaio Marsh (I’m on book 5). J
What books have influenced your life the most? I love allegories and journey stories! Pilgrim’s Progress, Hind’s Feet on High Places, and more recently, the books by James Rubart.
What is your writing process? I’m a no-outline writer. So after I answer email and catch up on blogging, I then switch to either working on a new novel or editing. It depends on what’s important on any given day. I haven’t learned how to manage my time yet. It’s a work-in-progress.
Where do you get constructive critiques and feedback? I belong to two local writing groups, but they’re mostly for encouragement. I run my books through a critique group I found through the ACFW and have a friend who freelance edits for me.
What is your book about? A Dozen Apologies is an inspirational romance compilation. At the Catch the Wave Writer’s conference last year, I met Tracy Ruckman and was asked to participate in this Valentine’s Day project. The theme is forgiveness, after being brought to a place of surrender. Mara has made many lives miserable including her own, needs to learn humility, and eventually how to forgive herself.
What do you want readers to take away from your book? That God loves you and He is willing to forgive you, no matter what you’ve done. You just have to humble yourself before Him and accept His grace and mercy.
Thank you for joining us today, Jennifer. And thank you for sharing this story. We all need reminders of God’s forgiveness.
Thanks for letting me drop by, Angela!