Shannon here: Lorna Seilstad shares insight into her real life romance plus a chance to win a Kindle copy of the Cowboys of Summer Collection, which includes her Contemporary Romance novella. Comment or answer the question at the end of the post to enter the drawing. Deadline: May 12th, 11:59 pm central time. Here’s Lorna:
Our Song
Do you and your spouse have “a song”? Or maybe you know of a couple that claims a specific set of lyrics as their own.
My husband and I never chose a song of our own. Sure, there are a lot of songs that remind me of him or remind him of me, and there are a number of songs that work came on the radio often while we were dating. Those all spark memories for the two of us, but there no specific song stood out.
Then, Racal Flatts came out with “God Bless the Broken Road.” I didn’t share with him that it reminded me of our relationship. Then, one day while we were talking, the song came on and I found out we’d both been thinking the same thing.
In case you’re not familiar with the lyrics or you’ve forgotten them, here they are:
I set out on a narrow way many years ago
Hoping I would find true love along the broken road
But I got lost a time or two
Wiped my brow and kept pushing through
I couldn’t see how every sign pointed straight to you
That every long lost dream lead me to where you are
Others who broke my heart, they were like northern stars
Pointing me on my way into your loving arms
This much I know is true
That God blessed the broken road
That led me straight to you
Yes it did
I think about the years I spent just passing through
I’d like to have the time I lost and give it back to you
But you just smile and take my hand
You’ve been there you understand
It’s all part of a grander plan that is coming true
Every long lost dream led me to where you are
And others who broke my heart they were like northern stars
Pointing me on my way into your loving arms
This much I know it’s true
That God blessed the broken road
That led me straight to you
Yeah
And now I’m just rolling home
Into my lover’s arms
This much I know is true
That God blessed the broken road
That led me straight to you
That God blessed the broken road
Ooh, ooh
That led me straight to you
Songwriters: Jeff Hanna / Marcus Hummon / Robert E. Boyd
Bless the Broken Road lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, BMG Rights Management US, LLC
We don’t often think of broken roads as being God’s blessings, but they are. Broken roads hurt at the time, but they did indeed lead me to my husband. Without those potholes of life, we wouldn’t have had nearly 30 years of marriage and three wonderful children to cherish.
That concept was one of the things that I wanted to emphasize in my novella “Great Strides” which is part of the Cowboys of Summer Collection. In the story, Adam, who has to do court ordered community service because of a white collar crime, ends up volunteering at a horse therapy ranch where children with disabilities are taught to ride. Will Adam’s broken road end up blessing him more than he imagined? You’ll have to read the story to find out.
“Great Strides” is just one of the six books in this e-book collection which also features stories by Mary Connealy, Cheryl St. John, Tina Radcliffe, Missy Tippens, and Sherri Shackleford. It is also my first contemporary romance. It was fun to write a book where they had cell phones!
When you finish reading, you’ll have to let me know if you what you think of Adam’s broken road. David and I are happy to share the song with Dana and him.
About Lorna: Lorna Seilstad brings history back to life using a generous dash of humor. She is a Carol Award finalist and the author of the Lake Manawa Summers series and the Gregory Sisters series. When she isn’t eating chocolate, she’s teaches women’s Bible classes and is a 4-H volunteer in her home state of Iowa. She and her husband have three children. Learn more about Lorna at www.lornaseilstad.com.
About the collection – Cowboys of Summer:
As the summer weather sizzles, relax by the pool with stirring tales of handsome cowboys and the spirited ladies who wrangle them into romance. Six of Christian fiction’s most beloved authors join forces to bring you a collection of humorous, romantic and heartfelt novellas set against the sultry heat of summer.
In Mary Connealy’s, “Dr. Tess and the Cowboy”, sparks fly when Dr. Tessa Rhoades discovers dinosaur bones on Joe Holt’s ranch and decides to excavate-even if that means kicking Joe off his own land.
In “Hometown Girl” by Cheryl St.John, injured rodeo champion Justin Cooper returns to the sleepy Oklahoma town he escaped for fame and fortune–and takes his biggest tumble yet–straight into the arms of Stevie Marshall, his first love who soon has him questioning his life choices.
In Tina Radcliffe’s, “Lake Effect”, cynical cowboy Tucker Jackson knows he’s in trouble when he starts counting the days until the end of summer and praying ‘summer girl’ Jessica Richards will find a home for her heart in Paradise.
In “His Lone Star Heart” by Missy Tippens, rancher Zeb West tries hard not to fall for Beecher Brown, the feisty but off-limits sister of his best friend. As she tries to prove she’s capable of running her family’s ranch–the one he’s trying to buy–he might just find he’s met his match…for life.
Will Lorna Seilstad’s characters make “Great Strides” when Dana Etherton, the owner of a horse therapy ranch, must choose between the kids she serves and Adam Malone, the embezzler who’s been assigned to do community service there?
When Paige Monroe agrees to draw the press away from a country star’s wedding by pretending to be the look-alike bride, she wasn’t counting on having very real feeling for her decoy fiancé, Sterling Tanner. Sherri Shackelford’s, “The Decoy Bride”, shows what happens when two people feigning love forget they’re acting.
Question for Readers: Do you and your spouse have “a song”? If so, what is it? Or do you have a song you call your own—like a personal anthem?
Come back May 4th for Elizabeth Maddrey!
my ex-husband and my song was “I cross my heart” by George Strait. I still love the song
I like that one, too, Sheila.
still the one sung by orleans is our song but i dedicate this song: because you loved me sung by johnny mathis to my mr
How sweet!
What a neat story, Lorna!
We have two, one for when he was away while in the Army and one from when we were kids. The first one is Dream by the Everly Brothers; the second is Happy Together by the Turtles.
I have ordered this book and can’t wait to get it (so, again, please don’t enter me).
Blessings~
Thank you for ordering the book! I hope you enjoy every word.
What a beautiful story! Love it! Thank you for sharing! We don’t have a song… but one of my favorites is “Home” by Chris Tomlin.
Natalya, that’s a great song!
Grant and I decided when Garth Brooks did Unanswered Prayers, it fit us pretty well. It’s similar to your Broken Road song. That song always makes me laugh. The first time I heard it on the radio, I said, Who’s that? Grant said, Flat Rascal. He never gets names right. We’ve called the group that ever since.
I think “Unanswered Prayers” is terrific, but Flat Rascal? He’d be like the Flat Stanley of music, right?
I can’t say that I/we have a song. I did have a song in high school after my boyfriend and I broke up after two years, it was “Make the World Go Away”, lol. Needless to say the world did not go away and I found the love of my life two years later and we will be celebrating 47 years of marriage this month.
wfnren at aol dot com
Congratulations on 47 years of marriage, Wendy!
Being a farmgirl, our song (by Reba) was ‘Gonna Love You till the Cows Come Home!’ After 33 yrs and a small BLOOM tattoo with a frog, he says our song is ‘I Like My Woman A Little On The Trashy Side!’ 20 of those years i was a pastors wife, 13 as a missionary wife.
Cute choices, Melody! You two sound like a fun couple.
The Best of Friends from Fox and the Hound and Happy Together😀
A classic for sure, Rose!
What a special story! It’s weird but we never really had a special song, and you would have thought, me if all people because I love music and play several musical instruments!
This sounds like a really good read as well! Thanks for the giveaway too!
Blessings!
Joy, that’s what was odd about us not having a song. We’ve both been singers for years. Too many good ones to choose from?
I like that song, too, Sheila.
My husband and I don’t really have a song, but I guess it could be “Could I Have This Dance for the Rest of My Life?” We both like it a lot, and we’ll have been married 50 years next month.
I enjoyed reading about your song.
I don’t have a special song (or a special someone anymore) but it’s been fun to read about your song that is special for you and your husband. The novella collection sounds great.
Our song is Forever and Every Amen Randy Travis.
We never had a “song of our own”, but we both always loved the music of The Beach Boys while we were dating. Guess I am telling my age! Enjoyed the article. Collections are always a good method of enjoying favorite and also new authors.
I have a winner! Cathy won the drawing. I appreciate Lorna for being my guest and everyone else for stopping by.