About the Book Providence

Book: Providence

Author: Jennifer Sienes

Genre: Christian Women’s Fiction

Release date: April 13, 2021

How can she forgive a man she isn’t sure she ever knew?

Melissa Bainbridge doesn’t have time to grieve. She has three kids to feed, bills stacked high enough to crush her, and guilt–oh so much guilt.

When her husband’s death is ruled a suicide, her financial stability and identity die with the man she now wonders if she ever knew. How could he choose to leave them like this? How could she have lived with him for 15 years and not known of his fragile mental health?

A journey of discovery reveals more questions than answers until Melissa finally faces her fears and tries to understand the mind of the man she thought she knew and never did.

The journey from despair to hope leads Melissa beyond grief and into the light of forgiveness in Providence.

Click here to get your copy!

My Thoughts on Providence

Providence is a wonderful read.  I really enjoyed this book and it made me run to Goodreads to make sure I had read everything by this author.  

This book is a powerful read.  It’s dealing with so many different subjects at once that it’s quite the book.  As you read through you can’t seem to stop reading because you have to figure out what comes next.  In this book, you’re going to deal with suicide.  At first, you think it’s an accidental death on a job site but as you keep reading the truth comes out and it’s so much more than that. 

Another issue in the book that you might want to know about is infidelity.  But the main part that I want to share is the mental health issue.  I’m an RN who has worked on a mental health unit and it’s something that should really get more attention.   In this book, you’ll find out someone had bipolar disorder and learn a little bit about it. 

I really loved this book.  In fact, there isn’t a book by this author that I have read that I didn’t like.  She’s amazing and her books are so raw and real that you can’t help but read them straight through. 

I have voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received through Celebrate Lit. All views expressed are only my honest opinion. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. All opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC regulations.

About the Author of Providence

Jennifer Sienes holds a bachelor’s in psychology and a master’s in education but discovered life experience is the best teacher. She loves Jesus, romance, and writing–and puts it all together in inspirational contemporary fiction. Her daughter’s TBI and brother’s suicide inspired two of her three novels. Although fiction writing is her real love, she’s had several non-fiction pieces published in anthologies–two in Chicken Soup for the Soul. She has two grown children and one very spoiled Maltese. California born and raised, she recently took a step of faith with her real-life hero and relocated to Tennessee.

More from Jennifer

For as long as I can remember, I’ve wanted to be a novelist. In my naïve mind, it was a romantic endeavor that would take little effort on my part. Growing up, I wrote stories my sisters raved over, and later, stories my kids raved over. I don’t have to tell you, they were an easy audience to please. Still, life happened somewhere in the midst of it all, and I gave up that childish endeavor and became a teacher instead. It might not have been my absolute dream job, but it was second-best, and I figured the pay would be much better.

It wasn’t until years later when my husband encouraged me to step away from teaching for a year to try my hand at writing. I was thrilled. A whole year to explore my potential as a novelist. The only problem was, I didn’t know what to write about. Over the next several months, I spent more time working in the yard and repainting the interior of the house than I did at my computer. That blank screen was just too daunting.

Childhood

Then I lost my childhood hero and best friend to suicide. Michael was my Almost-Irish-Twin. I say almost because I was born three weeks too late to make it official. He and I spent most of our childhood attached at the hip. I don’t know if I hung out with Mike because I was a tomboy, or if I was a tomboy because I hung out with Mike. I taught him the alphabet and how to tie his shoes (it’s true—most girls do advance faster than boys) and he taught me how to catch frogs and fish.

We got into all kinds of escapades together, which I’m sure caused Mom more than a few gray hairs. Mike was a prankster. He had the idea we should pepper his bedroom carpet so Mom would sneeze every time she vacuumed. Our house backed up to a cattle ranch, and he found a bucket and stool and talked me into milking the cows with him. The only problem was, they were steers. He even shared the box of chocolate Ex-Lax with me that he found in our parents’ medicine cabinet. Fortunately for me, his idea of sharing was, “One for you; two for me.” Mom couldn’t get us to the hospital fast enough to have our stomachs pumped.

The Funeral

I was asked by my sister-in-law to speak at Mike’s funeral. I looked out into a church filled with his family and friends. He was a member of Biker’s for Christ, and there were more than a few members dressed in leather. He’d been on a mission trip to Thailand only a couple of years before, and he taught others how to evangelize. It was our childhood antics I shared with the attendees because I wanted them to know the hilarious, loving, prankster that Mike was before his mind had been taken over with bipolar disorder. And when I stepped away from the podium, I clearly heard the Lord whisper to my heart, “This is your story.”

To this day, I still have the Bible he gave me—the first one I ever owned—with an inscription in it to encourage me to not give up during my own season of heartache. He was there through my daughter’s near-fatal accident and resultant coma and traumatic brain injury. And he was there when my first husband of almost 23 years walked out for reasons that made no sense. Most importantly, he was there to remind me that God loved me, even when it felt like my life was falling apart—especially when it felt like it was falling apart.

It was exceedingly difficult to lose my big brother, but it was made even more difficult when a woman in my Bible study told me he was going to hell. “Suicide is the unforgivable sin, you know,” she said as I sat with nine other ladies around a friend’s kitchen table. She was misinformed. The only unforgivable sin is the blaspheming of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 12:31). But I wondered how many other people were misinformed, as well.

Providence

Although Providence is Book 3 in my Apple Hill series, I actually wrote it first. The first draft was dark and gloomy because that’s how I was feeling while grieving the loss of Mike. But as my faith has grown, so has the hope I have in Jesus Christ. I know that God doesn’t waste even one of our tears. When we suffer a loss, it’s His plan and purpose to use it for our good and His glory. I rewrote the novel twice before it spoke that truth loud and clear.

Providence is a story inspired by my brother’s death. And although it is not about Mike, I instilled the character of Trevor with woodworking talent, just like Mike had. The children are not my niece and nephews, but their descriptions and ages, at the time of Mike’s death, were inspired by them. My prayer is that everyone who reads this book will feel the hope and joy we have in our Lord, even when our circumstances tell us differently.

Blog Stops for Providence

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, May 3

lakesidelivingsite, May 3

Musings of a Sassy Bookish Mama, May 4

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, May 5

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, May 6

Reviewingbooksplusmore, May 6

Texas Book-aholic, May 7

Inklings and notions, May 8

For Him and My Family, May 9

Mary Hake, May 9

deb’s Book Review, May 10

Locks, Hooks and Books, May 11

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, May 12

Rebecca Tews, May 13

Genesis 5020, May 13

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, May 14

Sodbuster Living, May 15

Reflections From My Bookshelves, May 15

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, May 16

Giveaway for Providence

To celebrate her tour, Jennifer is giving away the grand prize package of a $50 Amazon gift card & a copy of the book!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://promosimple.com/ps/10b62/providence-celebration-tour-giveaway