Author Patricia Beal shares her nuggets of resilience – Giveaway and Blog Tour!

As a special part of the Just Commonly blog tour, I asked Author Patricia Beal to share her story of resilience, knowing she’s earned her stripes in terms of having a wonderful outlook despite very difficult circumstances such as the “biggies” she mentions below. When you meet her, all you see is her dazzling smile, witty sparkle, and you can feel the power packed in such a special person, like a gem with petite elegance and grace. I’m thrilled to share about her new novel, A Season To Dance, and host her giveaways below. And she’s been even more generous, after hearing about the wildfires in California and other natural disaster survivors who read this blog, she’s got special sayings (turned into pretty memes) from her personal survival kit: verses that carried her through the darkest moments in life. Come meet Patricia!

By Patricia Beal

Rumor has it that I have a strong story of resilience.

I don’t feel that way at all.

I’m an Army wife (my husband just retired last year), and we see posters everywhere at every installation about resilience training for family members. There’s an image of a tennis ball bouncing and of an egg cracking. In class they ask, “Are you a tennis ball or an egg—do you bounce back or do you crack like an egg?”

Guys, I’m the egg—on a good day. Most days I’m more like an over-microwaved hot dog. Parts of me disintegrate to the point they can’t be put together again. They just can’t.

My life has been affected by abuse, divorce, immigration, autism, adultery, alcoholism, PTSD, and failures of all types—some mine, some not.

“Hunt for the good stuff,” trainers say. Kind of hard when a loved one tries to die. Kind of hard when you don’t understand how the world works and never will because you’re wired differently. Kind of hard when you give people your best but end up betrayed—repeatedly.

But then “the good stuff” hunted me.

When God pursued me to the point of salvation, when I was converted, then I was able to do life again.

What changed? Perspective. I read the Bible and learned about the life of Joseph, of David, of Paul… I didn’t feel alone in suffering. I didn’t feel forgotten in suffering. I realized that suffering is often part of the plan.

There’s a verse for everything. Every. Thing. You probably already know that. But this is still news to me. I came to faith in 2013, so I’m still a little kid—dazzled, bedazzled, enchanted. What will Christian maturity look like for me? Exciting, I pray.

How did I ever do life without God and without a Bible? Like an over-microwaved hot dog, of course. How do I do life now? Do I bounce like a tennis ball? I still don’t. And I don’t even want to anymore. I fall on God—who’s soft, feathery, gentle, loving, and has great plans for me and for you—and I let Him decide when I’m ready for more. I let Him place me where He wants me to be next.

Today it was here, on this blog. Weak and vulnerable. But okay. Because maybe it’s okay to be an egg if you know where to fall.

Thank you so much for spending time with my words! I love you all. I’m putting together a prayer list for the Christmas break. Shoot me a note if you want to be on it. I would love to pray for you – patricia@patriciabeal.com.

Question: Why is it easier to say you have a broken arm than to say you have a broken heart?

About the Book

Title:  A Season to Dance
Author: Patricia Beal

Publisher:  Bling! Romance

Release Date:  May 9, 2017
Genre: Inspirational Contemporary Fiction

Ballerina Ana Brassfield has her path to the stage of the Met in New York and her future with fiancé Peter Engberg all figured out—until her first love, renowned German dancer Claus Gert, shows up in Georgia to dance with her and win her back. Claus kisses her after a rehearsal, a kiss Peter witnesses from the darkened audience. Convinced a kiss between Claus and Ana is more than a one-time mistake, Peter breaks off his engagement with Ana. Rejected by Peter, and knowing Claus is dancing at the Met soon, Ana decides to repave her path to her dream. With her 2002 Thunderbird and Baryshnikov, an old dog crippled by arthritis, she moves to Germany to be with Claus. But the ghost of his late wife, Ana’s own memories of Peter, and the pressure of earning a spot in a large ballet company prove to be a high price for a shot at success.

Purchase Links:  Goodreads, Amazon, Book Depository, Indiebound 

About the Author

Patricia Beal is a 2015 Genesis semi-finalist and First Impressions finalist. She is represented by Les Stobbe of the Leslie H. Stobbe Literary Agency, and A Season to Dance is her debut novel (Bling! Romance / Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas, May 2017). She graduated magna cum laude from the University of Cincinnati in 1998 with a B.A. in English Literature and has worked for the U.S. Army as a writer and editor for many years. Patricia writes from Fayetteville, North Caroloa, where she lives with her husband and two children. You can find more info about Patricia on her website here.

CONNECT WITH PATRICIA:
website,  facebook,  twitter,  goodreads,  pinterest,  instagram

Prize 1: