God’s Perfect Plans Don’t Come with No-Risk Guarantees
Beth K. Vogt’s debut novel demonstrations
how our plans are not always God’s plans for us
When Allison Denman kisses her
fiancé’s brother just days before her wedding, she’s not sure which is the
mistake—the kiss or the wedding. It won’t be easy, but Allison is determined to
find out. In her debut novel Wish You Were Here (Howard Books/May 1, 2012/ISBN: 978-1451659863/$14.99),
Beth K. Vogt provides readers with a happily ever
after woven through with humor, reality, and God’s lavish grace.
In her personal life, graphic designer Allison doesn’t
believe in coloring outside the lines. She’s lived her life unable to escape
the pain of being considered a mistake by her father, so she is determined not
to make any mistakes herself. She’s just five days away from her
happily-ever-after with Seth Rayner when her well-laid plans go awry. She finds herself in a sticky situation when
she impulsively kisses Seth’s older brother Daniel, the guy who has sent her
silly “Wish You Were Here” postcards from his adventures around the world.
Daniel, an outdoors consultant, has had his own struggles
with living up to others’ expectations. He knows he’s not his father’s favorite
son, but Daniel has made a success of his life without the Rayner family
influence. Independent and carefree, Daniel hasn’t had the greatest success
with relationships and has long-denied his attraction to his future
sister-in-law. When Allison leaves his brother at the altar, Daniel feels
guilty and tries to repair the damage.
Wish You Were Here follows Allison as she tries to figure out God’s perfect plan
for her. His plan doesn’t come with a no-risk guarantee and might even include
a few of her mistakes. Allison’s attempts to find lasting happiness are
sidetracked by Seth’s determination to renew their relationship, her growing
attraction to Daniel, relocation to a llama farm, unwelcomed blind dates and an
avalanche. Ultimately, Allison does find Mr. Right-for-Her, but who is it?
Vogt has had
experience with her plans and God’s plans not lining up as expected. She is a
non-fiction author and editor who said she’d never write fiction, but God had
other plans for her. She decided to begin writing contemporary romance because
she believes there’s more to happily ever after than the fairy tales tell us.
A conference and retreat speaker, Vogt speaks to moms about some
of the issues that impact her characters such as how children struggle with the
favoritism of their parents. She also talks about how we have to face the
realities in our lives—including our struggles and mistakes—and choose to
accept those, knowing God can bring good out of them.
In her presentations, she frequently
addresses important current issues such as how bullying and cyber bullying
start, keeping your children safe online, and how to keep your sons away from
the lure of pornography.
For more information on Beth Vogt’s
writing and speaking, visit http://bethvogt.com.
Advance Praise for Wish You Were Here
“Beth Vogt's Wish You Were Here is a
heartwarming story of reconciliation and second chances. Her characters charmed
me from the first page and had me tearing up by the end of the novel. Beth
weaves in spiritual truth that massages the soul while sprinkling in LOL
moments to tickle the funny bone. Definitely one for the keeper shelf.”
~ Lisa Jordan, Author of Lakeside
Reunion and Lakeside Family
“Beth Vogt is a sparkling, new talent whose Wish you Were Here brims with life, fun, and depth. Allison has acquired the wrong wedding dress, but worse yet, she may have grabbed the wrong groom. I hope you enjoy this book as much as I did. It's always refreshing to find a new voice in Christian fiction that shines!”
“Beth Vogt is a sparkling, new talent whose Wish you Were Here brims with life, fun, and depth. Allison has acquired the wrong wedding dress, but worse yet, she may have grabbed the wrong groom. I hope you enjoy this book as much as I did. It's always refreshing to find a new voice in Christian fiction that shines!”
~ Kristin Billerbeck,
author of What a Girl Wants
“One kiss can change everything! Wish You Were Here takes the reader on an emotional journey with Allison Denman as she struggles to find her place in this world. Allison comes to grips with the truth that playing it safe is not the same as living to the fullest—a good lesson for all of us. Beautifully written, Wish You Were Here is a lovely debut novel by Beth K. Vogt that illustrates the plans we make may not be God’s choice for us. A fun and satisfying read!”
“One kiss can change everything! Wish You Were Here takes the reader on an emotional journey with Allison Denman as she struggles to find her place in this world. Allison comes to grips with the truth that playing it safe is not the same as living to the fullest—a good lesson for all of us. Beautifully written, Wish You Were Here is a lovely debut novel by Beth K. Vogt that illustrates the plans we make may not be God’s choice for us. A fun and satisfying read!”
~ Megan DiMaria, author of Searching
for Spice
“What a delightful story! From the first line to the last page Beth captivated me with her voice and this charming, funny yet poignant story about letting go of your life and finding the love that's been waiting all along. A fabulous first novel . . . I can't wait for the next by this talented new author!”
“What a delightful story! From the first line to the last page Beth captivated me with her voice and this charming, funny yet poignant story about letting go of your life and finding the love that's been waiting all along. A fabulous first novel . . . I can't wait for the next by this talented new author!”
~ Susan May Warren, Rita
Award–winning, bestselling author of The Shadow of your Smile
About the Author
Beth K. Vogt is a non-fiction author and
editor who said she’d never write fiction. She’s the wife of an Air Force
physician (now in solo practice) who said she’d never marry a doctor or anyone
in the military. She’s a mom of four who said she’d never have kids. Vogt has
discovered that God’s best often waits behind the doors marked “Never.”
Vogt earned a
journalism degree from San Jose State University. Her publishing credits
include: Discipleship
Journal, Virtue, The Christian Communicator, and Crosswalk.com. She is also a
contributor to Chicken Soup for the Soul: A
Tribute to Moms and The Mommy Diaries as well as
author of Baby Changes Everything: Embracing and
Preparing Motherhood after 35.
An encourager at
heart, Vogt has more than 20 years experience teaching women at retreats,
churches and other events, including the MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers
International) Convention and the Hearts at Home national and regional
conferences. For several years, she edited Connections and is
currently a consulting editor for MomSense
magazine and writes a bimonthly column for MomsNEXT, MOPS’ ezine for
moms of school-age children.
Beth and her husband Rob have been
married for 31 years. They have four children, ranging in ages from 28, 25, 23
and - thanks to a funny thing happening on their way to the empty nest-an 11-year-old.
The Vogt Team, which now includes a “daughter-in-love” and “son-in-love,”
enjoys hiking and camping in Colorado.
Visit her online home at http://bethvogt.com.
Beth Vogt is available for
interviews to promote the release of Wish You Were Here. To request
a review copy, schedule an interview or for more information, please contact Audra
Jennings, audra@litfusegroup.com.
Comments