Showing posts with label #biblestudy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label #biblestudy. Show all posts

Monday, March 30, 2026

On Tour: The Bible Companion

 


About the Book

Book: The Bible Companion Book 7 Proverbs-Song of Songs

Author: Karen Westbrook Moderow

Genre: Bible Study

Release Date: September 6, 2025

Are you disappointed with life?

The Bible Companion Book 7 helps you reconcile the realities of life with the promises of God. A simple one-chapter-a-day format lets you engage with Scriptures without the pressure of schedules, homework, or heavy reading loads. Short daily readings and thought-provoking questions connect your story to God’s Word. For personal, group, or homeschool Bible study.

In the Books of Wisdom, God speaks to us in poetry—the language of the heart. These books reveal a God concerned not only about our minds and bodies, but also our emotions. Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Songs bridge the gap between life as we hoped it would be and life as it is. If you struggle with your life’s circumstances, The Bible Companion Book 7 will help you find guidance, comfort, and strength in the poetry of men and women who searched for God in the dark and found Him.

 

Click here to get your copy!

 

About the Author

KAREN WESTBROOK MODEROW is a Bible teacher and author who brings a storyteller’s perspective to Scripture. She holds master’s degrees in theology and creative writing and loves introducing others to Jesus through the stories told in God’s Word.

More from Karen

The Promise Box

My mother had an intricately carved wooden box approximately 4” x 3” that was passed down to her by her mother. It was called a Promise Box and held 150 small cards in assorted colors. One side had a Scripture verse, the other a prayer. Most of the verses came from Proverbs.

The Promise Box was always kept in place we passed many times a day. A place where we’d be sure to see it and be enticed to pull a card. I’d lift the lid and breathe in the musty smell of years gone by then choose a card, eager to see what message from God awaited me. The limp cards with their faded colors told me I wasn’t the first.

My mother’s Promise Box had belonged to her mother. When my mother-in-law died, I received the Promise Box that had belonged to her grandmother. By then the metal box engraved with an intricate family scene had seen better days. The hinges had broken apart. The once shiny box had darkened to near black. But I couldn’t part with it. It had to be more than 150 years old. I couldn’t help but wonder how many times those who owned it reached for a word from the Lord to get them through their day.

Most had lost children. They depended on God for daily bread literally as the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl took their family members and livelihoods. As an adult, I understood that we aren’t to treat the promises of God like fortune cookies we hope will bring us good luck. A daily visit to the Promise Box doesn’t substitute for time spent with God in prayer and His Word but it has value. The Promise Box reminds us that God is not only in the church, He is in our homes. He wants us to see Him, to reach for Him, and rely on His promises. If a little box nudges us to look to Him with expectation., then it is not only a gift we should treasure, but a treasure we should pass on.

 

Blog Stops






A Modern Day Fairy Tale, March 22 (Author Interview)




Lots of Helpers, March 25


Books Less Travelled, March 27 (Author Interview)



History, Hope & Happily Ever After, March 30 (Author Interview)


Mary Hake, March 31

Paula’s Pad of Inspiration, April 1 (Author Interview)

An Interview with Karen Westbrook

What is your favorite thing about being a writer?

Freedom and solitude. I’ve named two things but one makes possible the other. Being a writer gives me freedom—flexibility of time and projects—but also requires solitude. A productive writer must set aside time to write. If that goes against your grain, you’re not likely to stick with it. But it suits me well. I love that time alone where I can process and create with God by my side. I’ve had to develop daily routines that make room for my craft, but I can shape them to suit my personality (extroverted introvert) and my natural rhythms (early riser). That’s privilege. I can spend leisurely time with the Lord because I wake up early (3:00-4:00 am) and write for several hours before the household awakes.

What was the best money you spent as a writer?

First was paying for education that equipped me to write—MFA, seminary, writer’s conferences. Second was buying a big screen monitor which allows me to see resources and documents that I’m comparing for editing at the same time.

How do you come up with story lines/book topic?
Because I’m going through the Bible chapter by chapter in The Bible Companion, I read the text first and ask the Holy Spirit to show me to what God is telling us about Himself in the passage and what word does He want people to take away. I always have ideas about the text, but I don’t know what people most need to hear. I rely on the Holy Spirit to help me point to Jesus and our hope in Him.

Why do you write in your particular genre?

I intended to write fiction but felt God calling me to write a series that would make His Word more accessible to people first. I think The Bible Companion may be a “first fruits” work and I will be released to write fiction after I complete it. We shall see.

What is one thing you wish you could do?

Sing with a strong, clear, beautiful voice. I’ve always sung in choirs and ensembles but have a blending voice. When I plan and direct worship services not having a strong voice makes leading difficult. I always have to have someone lead with me I pray will catch the vision of where I believe the Spirit is leading. Writing this, I can appreciate why God limited my singing ability. I tend to do too much on my own. 

Giveaway


To celebrate her tour, Karen is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon Gift Card!!

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

https://gleam.io/Y0MR0/the-bible-companion-book-7-proverbs-song-of-songs-celebration-tour-giveaway

Thursday, October 9, 2025

Talkshow Thursday: Welcome Back, Barbara Britton!

Talkshow Thursday: 
Welcome Back,Barbara M. Britton!

I'm thrilled to be hosting Barbara Britton again as she is one of my favorite authors. It's hard for me to pick my favorite. Grab a cup of your favorite beverage and get to know this talented author.

What was your inspiration for the story?

I’ve made a career of writing about little-known Bible stories, so when my husband preached on a Philistine friend of King David’s, I should have been all ears. It took me a year to finally write about Ittai the Gittite. Ittai is an exiled Philistine commander with hundreds of men. How they marched across Israel to King David’s palace in Jerusalem without starting a war is a mystery.

Ittai arrives as prince Absalom is plotting his father’s downfall. King David appears weary and weak when the rumors of rebellion reach him. Ittai is the perfect friend to King David and Ittai’s faith in God is surprising and breathtaking. I knew I had to craft a story with this little-known Bible hero.

King David has become popular due to the Amazon Prime series House of David.

I hadn’t seen the series until a friend raved about the episodes. My husband and I watched the first season. Streaming services like drama and tension, and I found a few times where the powers that be took liberties with the Bible. For example, Goliath was a tall man at around nine feet tall, but he was not the size of King Kong. Amazon makes Goliath taller than what we read in the Bible.

The series hasn’t arrived at the end of David’s reign, so I will be curious to see if Ittai the Gittite is in the cast. I have noticed a few Bible studies about David have been updated in 2025.

How does your job prepare you for being a novelist?

Teaching chapel lessons about Bible stories has helped me immensely in finding storylines. I discovered
new-to-me Bible heroes and heroines. I found wonderful young women who asked Moses to inherit their deceased father’s land (The daughters of Zelophehad) and daughters who helped Nehemiah rebuild Jerusalem’s wall (Daughters of Shallum). I don’t teach as often anymore since I am writing, but I find time to return to school and Sunday school to teach children about the Bible. I love when children and adults learn something new about the Bible or Jesus.

What are common traps for aspiring authors?

The traditional publishing business is slow. I received my first contract in 2015, and the novel wasn’t released until the end of 2016. Many people would ask me when my book was coming out because they believed the process took a few months--not years. Make sure to do the proper editing and revising to launch the best book possible.

After a book is released, there are months of promotion. My advice to authors is “It’s not a launch day, but a launch year.” Sometimes authors are tired of their stories after all the editing, reading, promoting, and speaking about the same characters and story. We still must market the book and engage with readers.

Enjoy the journey of launching a new book. Celebrate the success with family and friends because publishing is a stressful business.

Indie-publishing goes much faster than the traditional route because the author is the publisher and they can set timelines and release dates.

Why do you write in your genre of Biblical Fiction?

My love of discovering new Bible stories and learning more about God keeps me writing in Bible Times. You would think that in Christian Fiction that Bible stories would be a huge genre, but that’s not the case. Romance, Romantic Suspense, and Historical Romance rule the day. Fantasy and Science Fiction are on the rise. Biblical Fiction is becoming popular with the release of The Chosen.

Early on in my writing career, selling Bible stories was difficult. I’m thankful that the genre is receiving more love and readership.

What was the best money you spent as a writer?

Becoming a member of professional writing organizations and getting involved in the organizations was crucial to my career. I met fellow writers who became my friends, critique partners, readers, reviewers, and my cheering section. Professional organizations offer opportunities for learning the craft of writing and the business side of publishing. These organizations shine a light on your books and have leadership opportunities to further your knowledge of the industry. Networking is a key benefit of writing groups. Christian groups offer prayer support and encouragement in your faith walk. Christian groups also acknowledge our talent is given by the Creator.

What does your writing space look like?

My computer desk is cluttered with free notepads that come in the mail. I have story ideas and task lists strewn over the top of my desk. My cat sleeps in the corner and she is a cutie. When I feel stressed, I glance at Ginger.

What is your next project?

I am thrilled to be launching a Biblical Fiction Bible Study/Devotional on January 6, 2026. I write about stories from the Gospel of Mark showing how amazing Jesus is. I visited the Sea of Galilee in March of 2023 and was inspired by the ruins and history. Jesus walked and lived where I had the privilege to visit. “Across the Lake: Traveling with Jesus Around the Sea of Galilee” was one of the most rewarding, yet challenging, projects to write.

About Defending David:

When a quiet journey to Jerusalem turns tragic, newly orphaned Rimona must flee a kinsman set on selling her as a slave. Racing into the rocky hills outside of Hebron, Rimona is rescued by a Philistine commander journeying to Jerusalem with six-hundred warriors.

Exiled commander, Ittai the Gittite, is seeking refuge in the City of David. Protecting a frantic Hebrew woman is not in his leadership plan. Although, having a nobleman's niece in his caravan might prove useful for finding shelter in a foreign land.

Rimona and Ittai arrive in Jerusalem on the eve of a rebellion. In the chaos of an heir's betrayal, will they be separated forever, or can they defend King David and help the aging monarch control his rebellious son?

Purchase link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B092DVQ659

About Barbara:

Barbara M. Britton is a multi-published author of Christian Fiction. Her Tribes of Israel series brings little-known Bible characters to light. You can also travel to Whispering Creek, Tennessee with her sweet romance duology. Barbara has a nutrition degree from Baylor University but loves to dip healthy strawberries in chocolate. You can find out more about Barbara and her books on her website: http://www.barbarambritton.com

Follow Barbara on BookBub and be notified of her upcoming release: “Across the Lake: Traveling with Jesus Around the Sea of Galilee.” Arrives on January 6, 2026.

BookBub Link: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/barbara-m-britton
X: https://x.com/BarbaraMBritton
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063699481102

Photo credits:
Author Photo and book image: Barbara Britton
Bible: Pixabay/Petra Riddell
Group of people: Pixabay/StartUpStockPhotos

Thursday, March 4, 2021

Talkshow Thursday: Welcome Back Rose Spiller and Chris Paxson

Talkshow Thursday: 
Welcome Back Rose Spiller and Chris Paxson!

Linda: Welcome back! It’s been about eight months since your book No Half Truths Allowed was published. Can you tell us a bit about the road to publication and how has the book changed things for you? 

ROSE & CHRIS: Thanks so much for having us, Linda! We are honored to be on your site! It’s always a little embarrassing when we get asked about the road to publication, because honestly, it was an incredibly easy road, and we know that is not the norm. No Half Truths Allowed – Understanding the Complete Gospel Message was born out of a Bible Study we wrote for a church we were attending and teaching a women’s Bible Study class at. Coming from years at a PCA church, we were surprised when we arrived at this church how little people really knew their Bible, including the complete Gospel message. We had been teaching ladies’ Bible Studies for about 15 years at that time and had a passion to teach these wonderful ladies. 
 
LM: Research is an important part of the writing process. What sort of research did you do for No Half Truths Allowed? Did you unearth anything that was totally unexpected that you knew you had to include? 

ROSE & CHRIS: When we decided to start writing our own Bible Studies, we knew we wanted to further feed our education, so we enrolled in Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary’s Dimensions of the Faith Program. We graduated in 14 months and continue our seminary education by taking online classes from Reformed Theological Seminary and through Biblical Training’s Institute Program. We also read and study many commentaries from Solid Biblical Theologians and listen to an insane amount of sermons from Reformed Pastors. I don’t know if we unearthed anything new, but while researching and writing this book, the absolute sovereignty of God over salvation and over everything hit us hard. It’s one of those Truths that once you see it, you can’t unsee it. And that is what we wanted our readers to come away with when reading our book. When it comes to our salvation, we bring nothing to the table but our sin and our need to be saved. When we get that, everything else seems to fall into place. 
 
LM: You have an upcoming publication Bible in Six. Can you tell us a bit about that? 

ROSE & CHRIS: Actually, our publisher recently suggested changing the name of The Bible in Six.
They thought the title did not convey what the book was actually about, so we collaborated and came up with, “The Bible Blueprint – A Guide to Better Understanding the Bible from Genesis to Revelation.” And that’s pretty much what the book is about. We have divided all 66 books of the Bible into six parts – The Foundation, The Law, The Kings, The Prophets, The Gospels, and The Epistles. We give an overview of each of the books of the Bible, flesh out some of the more complicated passages, and show how, ultimately, everything in the entire Bible points to Jesus. The goal of this book is to arm people with the basic understanding of each of the books of the Bible, and help them to see that the Bible is one continuous story. Our prayer is that this gives people confidence and makes them hungry to dive into God’s Word for themselves. For the more seasoned Christian, it is a help with some of the complex passages and with doctrine. 

LM: You also co-host a podcast, and are co-founder of the Proverbs 9:10 Ministries. How do you balance your writing with your other responsibilities? 

ROSE & CHRIS: We do co-host the podcast, No Trash, Just Truth, which has weekly 20 – 30 minute episodes. Honestly, it is crazy! We each spend about 30 + hours a week between our ministry, podcast, research, classes, social media, and trying to get our 3rd book completed. We work as much and as often as we can, but we both know that we have other responsibilities that need our attention – namely, our husbands, children, parents, and grandchildren. So we work whenever we can, but understand that at any time, our time may be hijacked. Haha! Thankfully, God works it all out, and we always somehow get what we need done when we need to get it done. 

LM: What has been the most challenging part of the road to publication for you? What advice do you have for fledgling writers? 

ROSE & CHRIS: First, we want to encourage writers, keep plugging away. If your passion is writing, then write! If you are writing solo, get someone very competent to read through your manuscript with you before you submit it anywhere. Make sure it is formatted to the correct publisher standards, and make sure your book is good – fluent and easy to understand with proper grammar and sentence structure. Some publishers won’t even look at a manuscript that is not formatted properly. And almost as important, understand that writing your book is the easy part! Once you are accepted by a publisher, or begin self-publishing, understand there is hard work ahead. There are 2,700 books published every day. You need to get your book out there in front of people. There are a lot of different strategies to do that, but they all require a lot of time and a lot of work. 

LM: What is one thing you wish you knew how to do? 

ROSE & CHRIS: This is easy! We both wish we were more technologically savvy! Everything new thing we do – social media sites, our podcast, videos, live events, our website, and other things, all come with a huge learning curve for us. We are in our 50’s, so we are right in between the younger, tech pro, generation, and the older, tech-challenged generation. We are amazed at what God has enabled us to learn and accomplish so far, but we have a long, long way to go!! 
 
LM: What is your next project? 

ROSE & CHRIS: Definitely, continuing in our classes and studying. We are currently working on our 3rd book, on the Book of Revelation. We are hoping that as things open us, we can go back to speaking and teaching at women’s events. But, as always, everything is prefaced by God willing; and if God has other plans, we will go with them. Our goal is always to serve and glorify God however He deems us to. 

LM: Where can folks find you on the web? 


BOOK BLURB: The Bible Blueprint – A Guide to Better Understanding the Bible from Genesis to Revelation. 

Have you ever wanted to read the Bible, but found it intimidating? Have you ever read parts or all of it, but have come away more confused than ever? Does it seem like there are contradictions in the Bible? Why is there an Old Testament and New Testament? Does the Old Testament even matter to Christians today? How do the sixty-six books of the Bible fit together? Is there an overarching theme? If you have asked yourself any or of these questions, or others, you are not alone! The Bible Blueprint – A Guide to Better Understanding the Bible from Genesis to Revelation divides the entire Bible chronologically into six easy-to-read sections. It provides a basic understanding of Scripture as a complete story that links all the various books together. It gives an overview of each book, touching on highlights and some of the amazing and significant events in each, without getting bogged down in the more difficult sections. 
 
There is no substitute for the actual Bible! It is not only fascinating, it is the life-giving, life-saving, life-transforming Word of God! The Bible Blueprint is not a replacement for the Bible, but it will whet your appetite to dig deep into God’s Book for yourself while giving you the confidence to do so!