Thank you for
hosting me on my print release day for “Jerusalem Rising: Adah’s Journey.” I am
excited to bring the story of the daughters of Shallum to life. Little did I
know that women helped Nehemiah restore the wall around Jerusalem. We don’t
know the names of Shallum’s daughters, or how many there were, but I created
two, Adah and Judith. Adah’s journey comes from the book of Nehemiah, chapters
1-8. This is the third book in my Tribes of Israel series where I bring little
known Bible stories to light.
Excerpt:
Adah slumped against the worn lumber,
huffing like a slave girl. Sweat pooled beneath her head covering.
“My mother is not home. She has gone to the
well,” said a familiar male voice.
Praise God. She scrambled to
her feet. “Othniel, you are a vision. Hurry and help me. I have coins today.”
Othniel slung his satchel near the door.
The little storm of unsettled dust rising from the ground almost matched the
amount clinging to his dark, curly hair. “What kind of greeting is this?”
“A hasty one.” Adah shook the folds of her
skirt to loosen any dirt. “Our governor is coming to Jerusalem and my father is
not prepared for his arrival.”
“Doesn’t Nehemiah send letters?” Othniel
scratched his stubbled chin. He seemed in as much of a hurry as a bloated mule.
“None that my father saw,” she said.
His eyebrows raised as understanding
brightened his eyes. “But someone received them?”
And she knew who. A nobleman never traveled
unannounced. Her father ruled a half-district of Jerusalem, but Rephaiah also
ruled a half-district, and no one caught him or his brood of sons off guard.
“Come now.” Her pulse sped as if in a race.
“Open the room where your mother keeps her wares and help me find a polished
pearl jar. I’ve seen it in the marketplace.” She urged him down the alley next
to his home, wishing she could give him a powerful push. “My family has need of
it.”
“I should warn you. I have labored in the
grove.” His steps still lumbered. “I smell like a dung heap.”
“My nose has been in oils all afternoon. To
me, you have the aroma of a blossom.”
Book Blurb:
When Adah bat Shallum finds the governor of Judah
weeping over the crumbling wall of Jerusalem, she learns the reason for
Nehemiah’s unexpected visit—God has called him to rebuild the wall around the
City of David.
Nehemiah challenges the men of Jerusalem to
labor on the wall and in return, the names of their fathers will be written in
the annals for future generations to cherish. But Adah has one sister and no
brothers. Should her father who rules a half-district of Jerusalem be forgotten
forever?
Adah bravely vows
to rebuild her city’s wall, though she soon discovers that Jerusalem not only
has enemies outside of the city, but also within. Can Adah, her sister, and the
men they love, honor God’s call? Or will their mission be crushed by the same
rocks they hope to raise.
Barb’s bio:
Barbara M. Britton was born and raised in the San
Francisco Bay Area, but currently lives in Southeast Wisconsin and loves the
snow—when it accumulates under three inches. Barb writes romantic adventures
for teens and adults in the Christian fiction and Mainstream markets. She is
published in Biblical fiction and enjoys bringing little known Bible characters
to light in her stories. Barb is a member of the American Christian Fiction
Writers, the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, Romance
Writers of America and Wisconsin Romance Writers of America. She has a
nutrition degree from Baylor University but loves to dip healthy strawberries
in chocolate.
Thank you for sharing my print release day with me, Nancy!
ReplyDeleteBarbara Britton's Tribes of Israel series lends context to Biblical text, makes the stories immediate, relatable. She recreates the landscape and lifestyle for her readers and inspires a love for the people who lived through those precarious times.
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