Tag: Diana Lesire Brandmeyer

The Memory Garden by Jessica Brodie — A Faith‑Filled Story of Healing and Hope

Posted on by Diana Lesire Brandmeyer

Life doesn’t always hand us easy beginnings. The Memory Garden starts with heartbreak—but blooms into a story of faith, purpose, and quiet redemption.

When a Story Begins with Brokenness

Some stories start with pain, and The Memory Garden by Jessica Brodie opens right there—with heartbreak and honesty. Rebecca wakes up in a hospital bed after taking a bottle of pills, convinced her life no longer has worth.

Honestly, I almost closed the book. I didn’t want more sadness. But something inside urged me to keep reading, and I’m so glad I did.

Christian Fiction About Healing and Grace

What unfolds is a tender, transformational story of faith, healing, and hope. This Christian fiction novel follows Rebecca as she returns to her grandmother’s home in Dahlia to recover and rediscover herself.

Parallel to Rebecca’s journey runs another thread—the story of Devon, an eleven‑year‑old boy also living with his grandmother. His life is drastically different, marked by need and struggle, but Devon shines with a faith many adults long for. Through his eyes, both Rebecca and the reader witness how God can bring light into even the darkest corners.

Clean Christian Fiction that Touches the Heart

There were moments when my heart truly ached for Devon. I wanted to scoop him up, take him home, and show him kindness and warmth. That, to me, is what makes The Memory Garden so moving—it reminds us that even in fiction, compassion changes lives.

This isn’t a preachy Christian fiction book. It doesn’t lecture; it gently illustrates that salvation comes through believing Christ died for us. More beautifully, it reminds believers that we’re called to be His hands and feet—to live faith through simple acts of love.

woman wearing hat, looking at home with a big front porch
Buy here

Small Acts of Faith Make Big Differences

The Memory Garden nudged me to look around my own life and ask, What small thing could I do today? We don’t need grand gestures. God often multiplies our smallest acts into something greater than we can imagine.

The story becomes a gentle call to action: to stop waiting for “someone else” to make a change, and instead to step forward in love, however quietly.

Why This Book Is Worth Your Time

Despite its difficult beginning, this is a novel of redemption, faith, and new beginnings. If you love clean Christian romance or faith‑filled novels that dig deep but leave you filled with hope, you’ll find The Memory Garden both tender and transformative.

This emotional and inspiring Christian fiction review might change how you view compassion and remind you of the unshakable grace God weaves through every story—including yours.

Let’s Chat

Have you read The Memory Garden or another faith‑based book about healing that touched you deeply?
Share your thoughts in the comments—I’d love to hear how stories of hope have shaped your faith journey.

Connecting Family History

Posted on by Diana Lesire Brandmeyer

Making History Feel Real: Writing Relatable Historical Fiction

Writing historical fiction is fun, but it has to connect with readers living in today’s world. The magic happens when the past meets the present through emotions, challenges, and relationships that feel timeless.

When I sit down to write, I often pull details from memories, family stories, and even the histories of friends (so if you know me, your ancestors might sneak into a book someday!). Real stories spark the imagination and help bring authenticity to historical tales.

Connecting 1800s Life to Today’s Reader

It’s the small details that make a historical story come alive. Readers might not be defending their family farms from marauders like Heaven does in A Bride’s Dilemma in Friendship, Tennessee, but they can relate to fear, courage, and protecting those they love.

Today, we rely on security cameras, alarms, or loyal dogs. Back then, strength and faith were the only defenses many families had. That parallel—between past and present—keeps readers emotionally grounded, even in a completely different century.

The Story Behind the Green Beans

Every historical detail matters. In Heaven’s story, even something as simple as a pot of green beans carries meaning. Curious why?

I explained the history and inspiration behind those green beans in my interview with Genealogy Publishing Coach . If you’ve read A Bride’shttps://dianabrandmeyer.com/books/a-brides-dilemma-in-friendship-tennesse/ Dilemma in Friendship, Tennessee, you already know that those beans symbolize more than just a meal—they represent resilience, tradition, and connection to home.

(And please, no spoilers in the comments! But you can absolutely say, “Now I get it!” 😉)

Bridging Yesterday and Today

Historical fiction isn’t only about costumes and old houses—it’s about the heart of humanity. Whether your story unfolds on the frontier or in a modern‑day small town, readers still crave the same things: hope, strength, and faith through challenges.

That’s what turns history into something that matters today.

author Diana Lesire Brandmeyer
5 book covers for the Frontier Legacy Brides

Check out the Frontier Legacy Series!

Love of Reading

Posted on by Diana Lesire Brandmeyer

Who taught you to read?

When did you get excited about connecting letters to make words?

My love of reading came from my mom. She spent hours reading to me. I have several favorite memories of reading time.

Mom took me to the library as often as she could. Sometimes we had to walk because there wasn’t a second car.

One book became my favorite, and I can’t remember the name. Instead of illustrations, it had photos of actual children. That amazed me— people could be in books! I wanted to be in books.

That may be when I segued into becoming the character I read about, and now it is the way I write.

She helped me learn to read through Rubic books. If you aren’t familiar with those, they put small pictures in place of words like house, dog, bike, and before you know it you’ve learned to read the small words because you’ve practiced them and those big words don’t scare you. At least, that’s how I remember it.

Mom read tough books to us, big thick ones like The Yearling, that took all summer because she read to my brother and me while we rested in the hot (unairconditioned) house with the fan blasting on us.

We read side by side on the porch swing.

We read before bed.

We read on the couch, on the floor, and soon I was reading alone. But I was never alone because if I looked I could find Mom reading too!

She gave me a gift that has let me travel, laugh, cry and learn.

So that’s my story. What’s your reading story?

Happy Birthday, Mom!

5 book covers for the Frontier Legacy Brides

Cozy Reading in the Shorter Days

Posted on by Diana Lesire Brandmeyer

When the days grow shorter and the chill creeps into the air, I notice something stirring in me — maybe you feel it, too. That tug toward a blanket, a warm corner, and a story to get lost in.

For me, the hard part isn’t finding the desire to read — it’s keeping track of all the books. Can you relate? One pile by the bed, a few on the coffee table, and then the e‑books scattered between the Kindle, the iPad, and the phone app. Somehow every story has its own spot, but when I curl up by the woodstove, I often ask myself: where did I put that book?

Lately, my Kindle has been holding all the fiction my heart longs for, while the Kindle Fire keeps my work and research tucked in neatly. Still, it’s not perfect. Sometimes I just wish every book I love could follow me wherever I am without hunting it down.

This season, my chair by the stove is calling. It’s the coziest seat in the house — close enough to the fire to stay warm but (hopefully) not close enough to ignite. Right now I’m working through Seeking St. Louis, a research book so full of stories and details that I can only take it in small doses. I know I’ll draw on it for a book someday. For now, it’s quietly preparing me.

Chair next to woodstove, throw over the back with a book resting on the seat

🔖 Looking for your next cozy read?
My book Hearts on the Road is a story of faith, love, and second chances — perfect for chilly evenings when you’re reaching for the blanket and a cup of tea. Click here to find it →

And maybe you’re feeling the same ache I do when your current stack is dwindling. Running out of books might be one of the worst feelings in winter, don’t you think? If you’re looking for something new, I’d love for you to discover Hearts on the Road, one of my own stories written to warm the heart on a chilly day.

Tell me — where’s your favorite place to read when the weather turns? And how many blankets do you pile on? (For me, if there’s no fire to sit beside, I need at least two!)

Where do you like to read in the colder months? And how many blankets do you need? If I don’t have a fire, I need at least two!

book cover, man and woman on street in western town

*Update! I did get to use some of what I learned about St. Louis in A Bride’s Choice in Central City.

Studios –is your’s as good as Pixar’s?

Posted on by Diana Lesire Brandmeyer

Pixar Studio

a2z:The letter “S”

 

Still in the recovery mode at my house so what’s a person to do when their foot looks like this?

foot in surgical boot
Yes, it hurts.

I spend a lot of time on the couch with my foot elevated while searching for things that make me laugh or inspire me to change things.

I stumbled onto this amazing youtube clip of PIXAR’s studios. I think my office might be to dull, lacking in fun and well–to pretty. I’d love, love, love to sit in the big chair.

 

What about you? After watching this are you thinking of adding some fun to your writing studio or home office?

 

This is a blog hop, so hop on over and read some more fun authors.


Overcomer

Posted on by Diana Lesire Brandmeyer

Overcomer

a2z: The Letter “O”

How many times do you give up when you think the odds are to impossible to succeed?

How do you overcome obstacles blocking your way?

I came across this song by Mandisa. I knew I wasn’t alone. I have Him who goes before me, after me and lives within me. How could I not overcome?

 

Like everyone, I’ve had to overcome hard things in life. Grief has been able to grasp my ankles and pull me under many times. Some days I wrestle with dark spaces, and I don’t understand why all of my brothers had to go to heaven so soon. I don’t get to experience the annoying, “Hey you’re older than me,” or “What do you think we should get mom for Christmas–since you’re a girl, why don’t you do it?”

God has helped me overcome the sadness through two men at church who have taken the ‘Brother Role’ seriously. They will do something to make me laugh or annoy me,and I remember that I have brothers on earth. We’re related through Christ. I am grateful to Eric. S. and P.V. for providing a bit of family that might  have been.

What have you overcome with God’s help?

 

Mandisa Overcomer youtube
Pin this!

 

It’s blog hop day!


What Makes You Gasp

Posted on by Diana Lesire Brandmeyer

What’s Your Gasp Level?

a2z: The Letter “G”

 

What does it take to get your attention?

Not just get it, but grab you by the ankles and pull your feet out from under you?

What does it take to shock you so much you GASP? Your lower jaw drops and you intake a huge amount of air?

Image credit: <a href='http://www.123rf.com/photo_13428460_woman-with-a-shocked-expression.html'>iloveotto / 123RF Stock Photo</a>

Yes, like that.

The recent Miley Cyrus act should have made my face resemble the above photo.

It didn’t. It made me sad for her and for the girls who loved her as Hanna Montana. There is a great blog post written by Daphne E. Tarango called the Day After for Miley Cyrus that says everything I felt.

Maybe I can’t be shocked enough to GASP anymore. The world around me has fallen into such deprivation that even my friends aren’t gasping at what’s happening in the news.

Then my cell phone and the house phone rang at the same time that suprised me, two friends calling at the same time.

There was news, bad news so shocking I gasped.

I called another friend and told her, same reaction. Pure shock. Gasps occurred every time I told a friend.

So what caused this?

My hairstylist is quitting. If you’re a woman you probably gasped too. It takes years to find the right person, to train them to do your hair the way you want it done and then one phone call and you have to start over.

It’s refreshing to know if something is  personal my friends and I have the ability to rapidly suck air into our lungsand let out a gasp.

What we need to do is to relearn to be shocked enough to gasp at what is happening in the world. Even though we are not of this world we do live here, we need to be shocked enough to gasp at what is wrong. Not just losing our hairstylist.

Perhaps we (I) need more courage to face the things that should cause me to gasp and call them evil.

“Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong.” 1 Corinthians 16:13 TNIV

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a2z


10 ways to Maintain Your Exercise Workout

Posted on by Diana Lesire Brandmeyer

a2z: E is for Exercise

Do you like to workout? I do! But sometimes it starts getting old so what can you do to keep going?

Here are 10 ways to maintain your exercise workout and not in any order of importance.

  1. Change your workout. It’s good for your brain to refocus on doing an exercise a different way.

  2. Don’t work out sick. You’ll end up hurting yourself. If you’re coughing like a 2-year-old who coughs to get attention then you aren’t sick. You’re bored, see number 1.

  3. Figure out your Workout Social-ablity Needs. Answer these questions to help you decide:

Do you work better alone, in a group or a mix of both?

Do you like your music loud but you live in an apartment?

If you have to drive somewhere to work out will you choose the couch instead?

Would it bother you to run into someone you know while wearing workout clothes?

Now find a class or a spare room and get started!

  1. Get a workout buddy to hold you accountable. *note this doesn’t have to be a buddy that exercises when you do. I have a friend who calls and asks if I worked out. I can’t lie to her so this works for me.

  2. Get a tip jar. Love this one, it came from Kimberly Smith, my boot camp instructor. After a workout I add some money to the jar.

  3. Weigh-in only once a month on that scale! Exercising two days in a row won’t change the number on the scale, if it did, everyone would be at the gym.

  4. Measure your progress by the tightness of your waistband.

  5. Schedule your workouts. It sounds like a simple thing to do, but if you don’t put it on the calendar you’ll find something else to do.

  6. Feeling stuck, not sure you are doing a move right? Hire a trainer for a session.

  7. Don’t take more than a one day break between workouts–unless you like starting over.

Bonus!

  1. Start working out on Monday and as early in the day as you can.

woman doing a hand stand

  1. Another good way to be accountable is to join myfitnesspal or sparkpeople both are free.

  2. Use the DVDs you probably have stuck in a basket or hidden behind closed doors on a shelf. When you’re able to predict the next word out of the instructors mouth change to a different one.

  3. If you don’t want to put money in the tip jar, fill a jar with stones and for every pound you lose remove a stone. Thanks Doreen Warfield, my amazing Zumba instructor, for that one.

  4. DO IT FOR YOURSELF. Don’t start this so you’ll look good at a wedding, reunion or special event. It’s a lot of work to get into shape and if you aren’t going to respect yourself to do it for life– then don’t do it. YOU ARE WORTH the time it takes to walk around the block!

And here’s a bonus, if you want to get those 6-pack abs check out this post 10 Best Core Exercises.

Can you add to my tips? If yes, leave them in the comment section please!

Blessings,

Diana

The Trouble With Ralph has arrived!

Posted on by Diana Lesire Brandmeyer

I’ve been waiting for a long time to find an illustrator to work with. I found Linda Bartosik through a blog challenge and she agreed to give this book life again. I love this little goat, he’s so much fun but a bit of trouble. I’m happy to be able to say it is available again on Amazon.

The trouble with Ralph picture bookHaley doesn’t have a normal pet she has a goat, Ralph. He thinks he’s having fun but he’s causing untold trouble for Haley. Trouble seems to follow Ralph everywhere he goes only he doesn’t know it. Haley’s father says Ralph has to be sold!

 

Click to buy The Trouble with Ralph for $2.99

Nascar Dreaming

Posted on by Diana Lesire Brandmeyer

Rusty Wallace Race Day

a2z: the letter “n’ is for Nascar

copywright Diana Lesrie Brandmeyer
Race With Rusty Wallace

Last year I had a great idea for Ed’s Christmas/Birthday gift. He’s a New Year’s Eve child so combineing gifts is not new to him. Groupon sent out a deal that seemed perfect.

What man could resist 12 laps around the track in a Nascar race car? Not mine! So I bought it, along with extra insurance! 

What I didn’t know was that many other wives were buying the same deal, and all of our husbands would be driving the track at the same time. 

I should have read the fine print! If I had I would never have purchased this bucket list item for my beloved. 

I asked if I could return the gift. Ha! No!

copywright Diana Lesire Brandmeyer
Fire Proofed!

So he arrived, took a class and wore this fireproof suit.

Before he climbed in he took a ride around the track with a real driver. It was so fast I couldn’t catch it on my camera. He climbed out of the car beaming like a teenage boy.

Turns out there are no doors in these cars. 
No, I didn’t know that, or that the headlights are really stickers!
 

copywrite Diana Lesire Brandmeyer
Sliding in the Window

 
He’s in. He’s ready. 

My stomach is knotted with explantions I will have to make to friends and family if he doesn’t come back alive. 

Hey, I watch some racing! There are always crashes and burning cars!

copywright Diana Lesire Brandmeyer
Ready to Race

Here’s a badly shot video taken by a nerve wracked wife. I caught the take off’ and the wave after that my camera went in my pocket and my hands folded in prayer.

He came back safely!
This year I think I’ll give him socks.
 Have you ever given your spouse a gift you wished you hadn’t? 
Would you give your spouse a dream gift that scares you?
Diana