Let’s talk heroes.
Wait…not the super hero kind in tights. The book kind :).
The leading man. The protagonist. The guy.
AKA the hero.
There are many qualities that make up a hero.
In Be Still My Soul, the leading man is Gideon O’Riley, a 22 year old Bluegrass musician. He’s just over 6ft tall, has an unruly crop of reddish-brown hair and pale green eyes. Sounds nice enough. But that’s just the outside.
Because one fateful night, he walks shy Lonnie Sawyer home from the town singing. She’s the pretty girl with the strong faith and sweet voice. She quickly learns that Gideon is confident. Passionate. And not altogether a good guy.
Characteristics that are about to change her life forever.
So where’s the Hero? Where’s the brave, caring, responsible man? The man who loves God and those around him? He’s supposed to be in the story, supporting it…making my life as a writer oh-so-nice.
*sigh*Â I don’t see him either. Great.Â
But then again…
This is a story of redemption. So perhaps there’s time. Perhaps there’s time for a scoundrel to become a hero. Perhaps God will place people in Gideon’s path who are destined to show him what love is.
What sacrifice is. What faith is.
And maybe, just maybe, this man will realize that he can rise above his own desires. That there is so much more in this good fight than his own strength. Perhaps this man who’s never taken the time to lift his eyes toward the sky will glance up and realize that through the heartache and through the doubt, God was with him all along.
Gideon only ever cared about himself.
Now that Lonnie is his wife, will he ever be worthy of her heart?
 Â
From the book:
Night’s chill tickled her skin. Lonnie pressed her hands together and glanced up. He was even more handsome up close. Having grown up the shy, awkward daughter of Joel Sawyer, she’d hardly spoken to any boy, let alone the one who had mothers whispering warnings in their daughter’s ears and fathers loading shotguns.
 Can God not redeem even the worst of sinners?
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Thank you for joining me as we peeked inside this Appalachian Romance, first with a Historical Romance Cover, then with the Makings of a Heroine and lastly, for joining me today!
To say THANK YOU, I’m giving away a copy of the book!
(one of the first official ARCs :])
ALL you have to do is leave a comment below answering this question out of the reader’s guide:
What does the title, Be Still My Soul, signify to you?
Do you feel it reflects Lonnie or Gideon? Or perhaps both?
Looking forward to hearing your answers! The drawing will take place at noon on Monday, June 25th and I’ll announce a winner!
To me the title means finding rest and experiencing God’s peaceful presence in the midst of struggle. It means knowing God’s peace that passes human understanding.
I love that–God’s peace that passes human understanding. So true!
would love to read your book–we do need to be still and know Him more intimately through our daily prayers!
Thanks, Sallie! Its so true about needing to stop, be still and spend time with God.
Girl, I’m so anxious to read your book! It sounds amazing!
Whenever I think of the phrase “be still my soul,” I think of needing peace. Waiting on the Lord, waiting for him to work in a situation. Becoming content in my circumstances. So if I apply that to your book, then it reflects Lonnie mostly. It sounds like she finds herself in a situation that she can’t fathom, can’t understand, doesn’t see the purpose for. She has to wait on God to move in Gideon’s heart and change the situation, but even before that, she has to learn to be content in every situation, to sit there and be still and trust that God has a purpose.
Okay, that was long. Ha.
Haha, Lindsay! This is a great answer. I don’t think I could have said it better myself. I love how you pointed out that we can learn to be content even before the situation changes. I think that’s where true joy lies.
I see the title reflecting Lonnie, as she struggles to trust God in a difficult situation where she can’t understand why God would be leading her down this path. In the face of fear and uncertainty, she must find God’s peace and understand that He is in control. I think Gideon discovers the meaning of this as well, but not until the end. I read the first edition of your book and look forward to seeing what you’ve changed in this new release! God bless you Joanne as you continue to write for His glory.
I love your thoughts, Beth. And thank you for all your encouragement!
My favorite verse is Psalm 46:10 Be still and know that I am God.
I think we all need our souls to be stilled, so we can hear the voice of God in our lives. I think we need to be still to leave open spaces to give of ourselves to others.
Congratulations on your novel! It’s so exciting, can’t wait to read it.
Thanks for stopping by, Lisa! It’s so true, Psalm 46:10 really speaks how God works in our lives.
Be Still My Soul, to me, signifies to rest completely on God because He will never lead me where His grace cannot keep me!
I first think of Gideon needing God to work in his heart and see His plan. Lonnie needs patience to completely lean on God and know He will harbor her heart. He is our Shelter and the lifter of our head!
I would love to win Be Still My Soul BY Joanne Bischof!
Kathleen ~*~ Missouri
lanehillhouse[at]centurylink[dot]net
Such beautiful thoughts, Kathleen. I’m so glad you stopped in and you are officially entered for a copy of the book! :D. Have a great day!
♥ ♥ ♥
When life’s storms threaten, when fear rears its ugly head, when trouble comes knocking, I whisper…be still my soul.
I can’t wait to read your book, Joanne. I have a feeling this title was written for both Lonnie and Gideon – and the rest of us.
That is so beautiful Gabrielle, thank you for sharing! And you’re on to something 😉
Be still my soul is such a beautiful phrase…Whenever I start to get worried, I have to remember God’s promises to never leave me, and that He already gave me peace, and that my soul has no reason to fret 🙂
Amen, Libbi. Well said! Even when life doesn’t go as planned, with God by our sides we have no reason to fret 🙂
Wow this book sounds too good to pass up…I love reading Christian fiction like…….God’s blessings are always their sometimes we just need to stop and listen to our soul……’Be Still My Soul’…by writer Joanne Bischof…….sounds really good…can’t wait to get my hands on a copy
Nice to meet you, Linda! I’m so glad you dropped in. Great thoughts on what ‘Be Still My Soul’ means to you! I’m so glad the book sounds like one you want to read… I hope you enjoy it!
It seems that it represents both characters, Lonnie needing to wait on her heavenly Father to complete His work in her life, Gideon to recognize God as his Creator and Savior. Such a great theme because no matter how long a person has walked with the Lord, it’s a lesson we need to continue to remember…at least I do. 🙂
Can’t wait to read more Joanne!
Well said, Kelly! I missed seeing you at critique group this month. Hopefully I can get down there next month. And congratulations on the release of Freedom in His Love!
There is song named ‘Be Still My SouL’ the LORD is on our side. I think of this when these 2 people who are in need to understand God’s plan and purpose for their lives. Each are searching for truths that only God can supply. They must find out in their own ways how God can bring the only peace to still the soul.
I’d loved to win this book because it surely seems like one that will be hard to put down!
Hi Linda! Thank you for sharing your thoughts. That song really spoke to me as I was working on the book. So true–God brings the peace that stills our souls. I’m so glad the book sounds like a good read! I’ve got your name in the pot for the giveaway 😀
Be Still My Soul. The title of one of my favourite hymns, born out of heavy grief and written on an ocean where tragedy stole the family of the song writer.
I chose to sing this at church one night many years ago when we lost our first baby early in my pregnancy. The words had always meant something to me, but even more as I considered my fresh circumstances.
Be still, my soul; the Lord is on thy side;
Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain;
Leave to thy God to order and provide;
In every change He faithful will remain.
Be still, my soul; thy best, thy heavenly, Friend
Through thorny ways leads to a joyful end.
I was encouraged to remember God’s perfect order and provision for my life. And find rest in Him alone.
I know I will love a book with the same title. I can’t wait to discover your hero and heroine for myself. xx
Dorothy, my heart aches for your loss. I’m so thankful that you felt God’s presence in that time and were even filled with praise for Him. What an amazing testimony! That song is truly filled with powerful words of comfort and rest. Hugs!
“Be still my soul” reminds me to stop and listen to God when I get stressed or when I am trying to run my life without his guidance. I think it speaks to both characters – it speaks to everyone everywhere!
Kim, I can totally relate. Whenever I try and run my life without His guidance, it doesn’t go well. Taking that time to stop and listen and pray is always the key. Thanks for dropping by!
To be honest, it means two things to me. First, to be still in Him and wait on God.
Second, I think of those heart-fluttering feelings of being in love, which happened early for me. Married at 18, and still married to the man who makes my heart flutter 33 years later.
Great post!
Julie- I love your romantic take on things! Hmmm…I’d have to say you might be on to something there as well 😉
Be Still My Soul says to me, I tell myself depend upon Abba Father.
The Lord really is our rock, isn’t He. Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Rena! I’ve got you entered 🙂
To me it signifies God is saying, quiet please, just listen to my still small voice.
I feel it quite possibly reflects both Lonnie & Gideon. Lonnie perhaps has strayed or is straying away from God’s leading. Gideon perhaps is running from God’s calling.
I would be delighted to win an ARC of this book. It sounds like a real page turner!
Blessings!
Judy
judyjohn2004(at)yahoo(dot)com
Judy- consider yourself entered! I enjoyed your comment. I also see both Lonnie and Gideon’s journeys reflected in the title. Blessings!
How did I miss this post the other day? I love talking about heroes. And I love Gideon’s name–Gideon O’Riley. Fun…can’t wait to read his story!
You and me both, Melissa! There’s just something about those heroes… 😉 From a writing standpoint–Gideon was a lot of fun.
And we have a winner! Using random-call-the-hubby and ask him to pick a number between 1 & 17, the winner of an advanced reader copy of Be Still My Soul is Dorothy Adamek. Congratulations Dorothy! I’ll email you for your address!
Thanks so much Joanne. I’m thrilled for my sneak peek. Can’t wait to get reading. xx
Hi Joanne, I’m a little late to the party but wanted to thank you for visiting my site. And wanted to say how wonderful your upcoming title looks! I’m going to pre-order and try to keep up with you here. First releases are sure dear to our hearts! So happy to have met you:)
Thank you for stopping by, Laura! And thank you for the kind reply to my comment on your blog. Your new site is just stunning and so welcoming. I’m glad I found you too 🙂 I just added your blog to my feed and I’m looking forward to following your journey and reading your fiction!