These words capture the recurring themes in a popular FanStory novelist's work.
Through more than ten novels, Barbara A. Wilkey has taken us on a journey through a series of faith-based romances and touched our very souls.
With strong male and female characters, Barbara captures the imagination with powerful messages about brokenness, abuse, trust, and redemption. Her stories convey messages of healing and learning to trust so that romance can find its proper place.
Safe for all audiences, yet far more than children’s stories, these books are ripe with life lessons.
In one of her earlier books, Two Tattered Hearts, Anna Rodgers is a young mother trapped in an abusive marriage. After meeting Troy Whitman, who carries wounds from an abusive childhood himself, she begins the difficult process of escaping, protecting her child, and rebuilding her life. Troy supports her, but importantly, he doesn’t try to heal her himself. Anna receives counseling, fights for custody of her son, and begins discovering her own strength. Even when love develops, she knows she isn’t ready simply to jump into another relationship. She needs time to heal and discover who she is.
In Gateway to Deception, Major Logan Nelson returns home after the suspicious murder of his younger sister and meets private investigator McKenzie “Mac” Morgan. Although Logan initially doubts her abilities, Mac quickly proves him wrong. As they uncover a dangerous cover-up, trust and romance develop under pressure.
In Beneath the Surface, Sami joins in the search for Myra, a teenager she once coached, and helps uncover a trafficking operation targeting vulnerable girls. Inspector Noah becomes involved and places Sami under protection as the danger increases. Again, romance develops against a genuinely dark backdrop.
A lighter book, Love for the Win, follows Katherine, a recent widow who moves with her four sons closer to home and meets high school football coach Gabriel Hudson. Here, the obstacle isn’t abuse or physical danger, but grief. Katherine must learn that opening her heart to someone new doesn’t mean letting go of the love and life she had before.
A young romance author, betrayed by her baby’s father and facing a difficult pregnancy, crashes into a doctor’s mailbox during a storm.
The mailbox belongs to Dr. Tyler Butler, head of the ER at a local hospital. With patience and restraint, the good doctor attempts to convince an emotionally wounded Rebecca that she has worth and that he can help her through this difficult patch in her life.
He shares his home, his life, and even his name to give her and her unborn child the chance for a life she never thought she or her child could have.
Constantly self-deprecating and afraid of making mistakes, this successful author must dig deep inside herself and learn that trust must come before love—and that an abusive father does not define who she is.
Rebecca is an unconventional heroine whose appearance is refreshingly understated. She wears her hair long, uses little or no makeup, and favors simple clothing over anything flashy. Tyler, on the other hand, is undeniably handsome—and has a pair of turquoise eyes no reader is likely to forget.
Many of us on this site have read Barbara’s work, even if we’ve followed it one posted chapter at a time, as we often do on FanStory. She touches hearts through her faith, compassion, and endless love. Join me in reading her new book, Safe in His Arms, and then, when you are finished, there are more to read.
You can find them on Amazon.
I did, and I’m glad I did so.
