Heart of Mercy - eBook

Sharlene MacLaren was born and raised in west Michigan and attended Spring Arbor University. Upon graduating in 1971 with an education degree, she taught second grade for two years, then accepted an invitation to travel internationally with a singing ensemble for one year. In 1975, she came home, returned to her teaching job, and married her childhood sweetheart. Together, they raised two lovely daughters, both of whom are now happily married and enjoying families of their own. Retired in 2003 after thirty-one years of teaching, "Shar" loves to read, sing, travel, and spend time with her family—in particular, her adorable grandchildren!
A Christian for over fifty years, and a lover of the English language, Shar always enjoyed dabbling in writing. She remembers well the short stories she wrote in high school, and watching them circulate from girl to girl during government and civics classes. "Psst," someone would whisper from two rows over, always when the teacher’s back was turned, "pass me the next page."
In the early 2000s, Shar felt God’s call upon her heart to take her writing pleasures a step further, and in 2006, she signed a contract for her first faith-based novel, Through Every Storm, thereby launching her writing career. With eighteen published novels now gracing store shelves and being sold online, she daily gives God all the glory. She dedicated her last novel, Their Daring Hearts, to Jesus.
Shar has done numerous countrywide book signings and made several television appearances and radio interviews. She loves speaking for community organizations, libraries, church groups, and women’s conferences. In her church, she is active in women’s ministries, regularly facilitating Bible studies and other events. She and her husband, Cecil, live in Spring Lake, Michigan, with their beautiful white collie, Peyton, and their ragdoll cat, Blue.
 

Mercy me, what a love story! Sharlene MacLaren has done it again—swept me away with a tender tale that has stolen both my breath and my sleep. Rich with historical detail, small-town magic, and the wonder of hearth and home, Heart of Mercy will coax tears from your eyes and hope from your soul.
—Julie Lessman, Author, The Daughters of Boston and the Winds of Change series

This Tennessee mountain Romeo and Juliet story is a roller coaster ride of a tale—and it’s MacLaren’s best yet. Of course, I think that about each of her books!
—Lena Nelson Dooley, Author, Love Finds You in Golden, New Mexico,
and the McKenna’s Daughters series

Three words come to mind when I think of Sharlene MacLaren’s amazing novel, Heart of Mercy: Lovely, lovely, lovely! Truly, one of the best inspirational historicals I’ve read in ages, with the ideal mix of romance and intrigue. Highly recommended!
—Janice Thompson, Author, Queen of the Waves

Feuding families. Forbidden romance. A first real kiss that leaves you breathless. With nail-biting excitement, a heart-tugging marriage of convenience, and a powerful message of faith and forgiveness, Heart of Mercy is Shar MacLaren’s best book to date. I loved it!
—Vickie McDonough, Author, Whispers on the Prairie and Call of the Prairie

Heart of Mercy grabs you from the first page, and by the time you look up, you care about the characters so much, you don’t want to look away.
—Mary Connealy, Author of "romantic comedy with cowboys"

If you’ve read Sharlene MacLaren before, you already know she’s a masterful storyteller. If you haven’t, you’d better clear some space on your "keepers" shelf, because after reading Heart of Mercy, you’ll want to devour every Sharlene story you can get your hands on! Once again, she delivers a poignant tale that features people just like us—flawed, wounded, and struggling to hold fast to faith…and the belief that true forgiveness and lasting love really exist.
—Loree Lough, Author of 100 award-winning books