The Conclusion of The Stones by Eleanor Gustafson

--by COTT Sr. Editor, April Gardner

As I finished the last pages of this epic biblical novel, I asked myself what had impacted me most. What truth would I carry away with me? I found my own thoughts summed up on one of the last pages.

David is laying on his deathbed. Asaph has discovered a sack of five smooth stones under David’s pillow and asks the reason for them. “My Lord, are they connected with…Goliath?...David answers, No…small stones…to remind me…God uses weak things—stones…half-grown he-goats…broken, wayward kings—to conquer giants, vast armies. What was I against  Absalom? Only Hushai’s wit saved me. I hold the stones, feel…not my power…but God’s. Keep them Asaph. The power is there, but only for those who know their own weakness.”

Powerful words. Makes me want to run outdoors to collect my own stones, to carry them in my purse for rubbing when I’m feeling weak…or prideful. Either way, there is nothing we can do without God.

In a day when the Holy Spirit descended only occasionally upon men, Ellie says her in Study Guide, “when Samuel anointed David to replace Saul, we’re told that the Spirit of the Lord came upon him mightily from that day on.” What a gift!

It was that Spirit that led David to be the king that he was. Ellie states in her Study Guide, “He sinned fervently, but he also repented fervently, which set him apart…” Aren’t you glad David sinned? Pride, disobedience, adultery, murder--to name a few. If he hadn’t, we wouldn’t have had a chance to see God’s mercy and love toward a truly repentant heart. “A man’s heart—that’s where the sum of his life rests…And Yahweh knows me, everything about me, yet…love me still. Asaph, what can I do? What can I say? Who can bear such love?” (David, The Stones)

Imagine what it will be like to stand before the Great White Throne and an Almighty God? We’ll be aware of every black sin we committed against him, but He will see nothing but the blood of his Son covering us from head to foot. Who can bear even the thought of such love?

Thank you, Ellie, for driving that truth home for me, for your countless hours of dedication toward this amazing work of biblical fiction. Do you care to give us a peek into your next project? Will it be biblical, or are you trying your hand at something new?

Here’s a question Ellie has for her readers. It, along with many others, can be found in her Study Guide, which I highly recommend. Even without the novel, it makes an excellent Bible study.

How can a person’s sin ultimately bring pleasure and even glory to God?

Ellie, it's been such a pleasure getting to know you this month! I've learned so much through reading The Stones. Thank you for taking part in our COTT Book Club!

Next week, we'll be diving into Delia Latham's, Destiny's Dream. Here's a little about the book. Get your copy here!

Is a little respect too much to ask at a parent’s funeral?

Apparently it is for Destiny May. Clay Gallagher is built like a small mountain and far more vocal than is fitting when he shows up late to her mother’s “going away party.” When it turns out he’s not even at the right funeral, Destiny demands retribution in the form of an escape from the day’s dreary proceedings. Spending time with a handsome stranger who makes her laugh is more therapeutic than fighting with her overbearing family.

Clay finds Destiny beautiful, charming...and intelligent. So why is she stubbornly determined to open a Christian dating service? Clay has little respect for such a frivolous profession, and doesn’t think the small, conservative town of Castle Creek will welcome such a progressive business. But when Destiny is threatened by an anonymous caller who deeply resents her and what she does for a living, Clay makes it his business to keep the saucy redhead out of harm’s way.

Trouble is, spending time in her company weakens his defenses, and Destiny may be the one thing Clay can’t escape...if he even wants to.

The Stones--David's Bathsheba

We’re on to Week Three of our look at Eleanor Gustafson’s The Stones…

As a missionaries, while Stateside, my family and I traveled all over the nation visiting churches. This equaled many long, boring miles in the car with two siblings just as grumpy as I was. Like it was yesterday, I remember the day one of us grew desperate and asked Dad for a story we had never heard before. He took off on a tale of a king who had many wives but “hugged and kissed” that of another man. I remember my  horror at the thought, but it was compounded when I learned how this king covered his sin—by murdering her husband. At the end of this fascinating (yet rather embarrassing--Dad was talking about kissing. Yuck!) story, Dad told us that this king was none other than King David.

My little heart was completely broken. King David? No way! He was the lowly shepherd boy that killed lions and bears and mean giants. He was my hero. Isn’t he every kid’s? A tiny part of my innocence died that day.
I hated the story, but today, I look at in a different light—with gratitude. If David can behave in such a despicable way and still be called “a man after God’s own heart”, maybe there’s hope for me.

In The Stones, Ellie handles this portion of David’s life with brutal clarity and truth, and I thank her for it. Uriah is a sharp contrast to the king, who, at the height of his power, had become self-indulgent. In the voice of Asaph, Ellie writes:

I meditated, too, on the supreme irony of Uriah, flame of Yahweh. Had he known or guessed his wife was pregnant? He was certainly intelligent enough to put two and two together. Yet he would not do the one thing that would get David off the hook, and his very bravery and zeal became David’s weapon to destroy him. A man of gallantry, ready to die for his prince’s honor, died instead by his prince’s hand. 


Poor guy.

In her study guide, Ellie asks a couple of questions, which I thought I’d put to you, as well.

Why do you think God chose Bathsheba rather than a more “acceptable” wife (such as Abigail) to establish the House of David and the long line leading to the birth of Jesus?


In The Stones, Asaph was greatly affected by David’s colossal sin. (See Scroll Two, chapter 18). What, beyond the armband and scroll that David brought to him, restored his relationship with David?

And my question for Ellie—What first made you consider writing David’s life in the form of biblical fiction?

If you haven’t gotten it yet, make sure you pick up your copy of COTT champ, Delia Latham's,Destiny's Dream. We'll be discussing this fun romance next month!

--April W Gardner is the Sr. Editor at Clash of the Titles, 

and the award-winning author of Wounded Spirits

The Stones--A Glimpse of Jersualem

Welcome back to our discussion of The Stones

by Eleanor (Ellie) Gustafson!

by April W Gardner

I’ve just reached chapter six, which doesn’t seem like much, but it’s actually very close to the half-way point. Each chapter is jammed packed, filled to brimming with historical events recorded in the Bible. Much of it is narrative, but when Ellie pens dialog, she does it with expertise.  The things her characters say either crack me up or sober me with their depth of wisdom. Ellie, you are indeed a master crafter of engaging dialog.

The event that stood out to me the most during this quarter of the book was David’s move from Hebron to Jebus (which he renamed Jerusalem). I’m not sure if I've just glanced over it every time I’ve read the account in Scripture or if there just isn’t much there, but it was practically all new information for me. Ellie, did you fill in details from other historical sources? If so, how much? 

Ellie wrote a nail-biting account of the take-over of the city from the Jebusites. I'd never thought about who occupied Jerusalem before David or for how long. For those who haven’t read the book, the Jebusites had control of the city for hundreds of years before David decided he wanted it for his capitol. But that’s all I’m saying! You’ll have to buy the book if you want to find out exactly how David entered the highly-defended and, up to that point, unconquerable fortress. Hint: God had something to do with it.

Before the battle David addressed the troops. This is what he said:
“Look up, all of you, to the hill above Jebus. Mt. Moriah, Abraham brought his son Isaac from Beersheba to this place to sacrifice him in obedience to God’s command. He stood right where you’re standing now. He looked up in dread, yet set food to the mountain, confident that God—somehow, in some way—would provide. And he did. As Abraham raised his knife, the angel of the Lord stayed his hand. So shaken he could hardly stand, Abraham looked around, and there in the thicket, caught by its horns, was the sacrifice God provided in place of Isaac.
“Abraham called the mountain, ‘The Lord will provid,’” David continued, “and we’ll hold to that word today. We’ll climb Mt. Moriah, and there Yaweh will provide. Here, in the name of the Lord, we claim that miserable shelf called Zion. It shall be cleansed of Jebusites and be forever known as Jerusalem, Mt. Zion, the Holy City of God.”

Eleanor Gustafson

That passage deeply impacted me. Having grown up reading the Thoene’s  work, I’ve always been fascinated with Jerusalem, but Ellie, you took me back to the beginning and drew a thread through the centuries, through David and all the way to Christ. Although you didn’t mention it, the reader easily draws the thread the rest of the way through to present-day and the ongoing struggle for God’s Holy City.

Our God is an awesome God! (Made you sing it. Wink.) History is already written, and He sees the big picture with perfect clarity. (Aren't you glad?) We can only hope to catch a glimpse.

Ellie, have you been privileged to visit Israel? If so, tell us your favorite part of the experience. If not, tell us what the first place is you’d want to see if you were told you’d be flying there tomorrow.

I pose the same question to our readers as well as the following—Was there a particular passage that stood out to you in this quarter of the book?

If you haven’t gotten it yet, make sure you pick up your copy of COTT champ, Delia Latham's, Destiny's Dream. We'll be discussing this fun romance next month!

--April W Gardner is the Sr. Editor at Clash of the Titles, 

and the award-winning author of Wounded Spirits

Our First Peek at THE STONES by Eleanor Gustafson

Welcome to The Stones COTT book club discussion! And a massive welcome to this month’s COTT conquering author,  Eleanor (Ellie) Gustafson. Welcome, Ellie!

I decided to do like Jennifer did during A Tailor-made Bride and read the book throughout the month as we go along. Most of us know the end (wink), but Ellie presents the details in such a fresh and unique way that I find it’s almost as if I’ve never read the story before.

I just finished chapter twelve. It’s hefty reading, but I’m really enjoying it. Ellie, you write with such a lovely, almost poetic prose. It’s enchanting. And the historical detail simply fascinates me. I’m quite in awe, actually.

Question to readers: Do you have a favorite character yet? I do!

Abigail, David’s third wife, was always one of my favorite female Bible characters. I think it’s rather romantic that saving her retched husband’s life earned her the (future) king’s love. Her dead husband was barely cold in the ground before David took her to wife. Talk about making an impression!

Quite the colorful character in The Stones, she’s strong-willed (which wasn’t a gift in those days) and she’s usually the cause for tension. But it’s generally because she’s fighting for what she believes God requires of them. David’s standing before God and the people is more important to her than his good graces, which she doesn’t lose for long anyway. David loves her too much.

I just finished reading chapter 12 where Abigail chides him for bringing home booty from the Amalekites he’s raided and killed.

Abigail says, “Did you consult Abiathar and the Urim and thummin to find out if you’re the man to do it? It seems to me you’re tearing off this ‘vengeance’ thing, when it’s the Lord’s business to—”
“Enough, woman! You have a find hand on my faults and don’t hesitate to say so.” (great line, by the way) The flare died quickly, and David sighed as he wrung a cloth and wiped his dusty face. “Abigail, Abigail, you don’t understand. We have our reasons. We—”
“You mean Joab has his reasons. This was his idea, wasn’t it?”
“Yes, and it’s a good idea.” His voice grew irritable again. “We must get Achish to trust us. Once he thinks we’ve made ourselves odious to the Israelites… And besides, I thought you’d like clothes and jewelry.”
“They’re soaked in blood. I’d never wear them” Wow. You go, girl.  A scene with this feisty gal is always interesting!

If I remember correctly, not overly much is said about her in the Bible. So, Ellie, what made you decide to give Abigail such a strong personality? Which portions of Scripture lead you to construct her character in such a way?

Here are a couple of questions for you taken from the same source.

• If Abigail is David’s most valuable wife, why is he uncomfortable with her? 
• In what way does Abigail exemplify God’s love?

Historical/biblical fiction is my all time favorite genre, but I can’t help but wonder the entire time that I’m reading--Which parts are real and which are made up? But this time, I get to ask the author questions as I’m reading. How fun is that?! Ellie, my question to you is (after reading the two you asked in the Study Guide)—“What makes Abigail David’s most valuable wife?” Is that something you found in the Bible or something you created? Will we discover the answer as we read further?

At the end of the month, there will be a drawing for The Stones Study Guide. It’s the ideal companion book that you’ll want to have to go along with The Stones. You could create six months worth of Bible and history lessons from it, if you had a hankering to. That’s how much great stuff it has in it. Perfect for a home school setting!

Enter the drawing by leaving a comment on either Blogger or Facebook. Every comment counts for one entry.

Next week, I plan to have read approximately to the half-way point. Can’t wait to see what David is up to by then!

Next month, we'll be discussing another COTT Conquering book-- Delia Latham's Destiny's Dream. Make sure you get your copy of this fun romance now!

Goodby to A Tailor-Made Bride and Hello to The Stones

By Jennifer Slattery

It has been a wonderful month. I've enjoyed chatting with you all about Karen Witemeyer's A Tailor-Made Bride, but alas, all good things must come to an end. Okay, so that's not true. How about, the good only gets better? Because now that July is upon us, we launch into Eleanor Gustafson's The Stones, a novel about the life of King David.

Starting Thursday our Senior Editor and author of Wounded Spirits, April Gardner, will be here to discuss Eleanor's book. Make sure to order your copy now and pop back every Thursday to join the discussion!

And remember, if your purchased A Tailor-Made Bride during the month of May and would like a signed bookplate, shoot us an email and we'll get you hooked up!

Happy reading all!

A Damsel in Distress--Concluding Karen Witemeyer's A Tailor-Made Bride

Host: Jennifer Slattery

Love is in the air...but villains lurk on the ground.

I was not expecting Karen's ending. Here I sat, nose-deep in the story, envisioning wedding bells and lacy gowns when all of a sudden, out pops slimy Warren who grabs Hannah and holds her hostage.

And just when you start to hate this warty toad, he sheds a bit of his slime and offers Hannah an apology. My question to you is, what were your feelings toward Warren? Did you hate him entirely? Feel a smidgen of compassion?

And how did you feel a bit earlier when J.T. confronted Warren's father?

One thing I thought about during the interaction between J.T. and Warren's father was the tendency parents have to over-compensate. Compassion is a wonderful and necessary emotion, especially when it comes to parenting. However, taken to far, it appears, compassion can actually harm the recipient. Although there's no way of knowing if Warren's villainous behavior resulted from ineffective parenting, I'm sure we can all think of real-life examples where coddling led to spoiling.

How did you feel when Hanna returned from the picnic to find her store ransacked? Have you ever experienced a similar let-down? Maybe you worked hard for something, only to see the goal slip between your hands. Or maybe, like Hannah, someone worked against you. If so, were you able to rebuild and start again?

Finally, what did you love most about this book? Did God use this book to show you any truths? Were there any moments you felt drawn to God afresh?

Join our discussion then hop on over to Clash of the Titles to meet two more great authors. And I hope you're getting ready for our next book club. For July, we're diving into Eleanor Gustafson's The Stones! Fun, fun, fun!

The Action-Reaction Merry-Go-Round

Today's host: Jennifer Slattery

The other day, after tripping over one too many messes, mentally adding them to my "could you please..." list, I bided my time waiting for our daughter (the mess-maker) to come home. She walked through the door with a scowl, shoulders slumped. (Turns out, she'd taken a three hour algebra test and had a major headache. Which I didn't find out until quite some time later.) Had I been a loving and observant mom in that moment, I would have switched gears--from task-oriented to nurturing. Unfortunately, I didn't and launched into the long "honey-can-you-do-list."

The results were less than optimal and initially I was shocked by our daughters angry reaction...until I simmered down and reviewed our interaction. Had I given her a few moments to unwind, she likely would have reacted better. Had I not reacted to her reaction, likely our spat wouldn't have erupted. Hannah's sewing bee story in chapter eleven reminded me of all the times my reactions create and expand problems.

Hannah said, "Emily might have been guilty of instigating the trouble, but my reaction to her is what caused the situation to escalate out of control...."

Charles Swindoll often says that life is 90% how we take it. The Bible tells us a gentle answer turns away wrath. Have you found this to be true? Any stories to share?

I also liked how Hannah used a story from her life to speak truth to young Tessa. By doing so, she turned the situation into a joint effort, communicating to Tessa that she was on her team, that she understood her and wanted to help.

How might Tessa have reacted had Hannah launched into lecture mode?

I'm reading Boundaries With Teens by Dr. Townsend, for a contemporary youth series I'm working on for Christ to the World. In the book, Dr. Townsend reiterates the importance of empathy in parenting. How does parenting change when we remember our experiences, thoughts, and feelings from our teen years?

I imagine the same principle applies to any relationship. Empathy and finding ways to relate to others always seems an effective approach. Do you agree? Any examples to share? Any times when this is not true?

What are your thoughts regarding Hannah? What do you find most endearing about her? What do you think her greatest challenge is? What do you think is her greatest strength?

Last question: Are you ready for July? We're diving into Eleanor Gustafson's The Stones.

And...there's still time to vote for our next literary champion! You might even win a free book in the process!

Next week I'll be in El Salvador leading a children's conference and ministering to orphan girls recovering from sexual abuse, so April and Michelle will facilitate the discussion. But, if I can find internet access on occasion, I'll pop in to join the fun. Happy reading, all!

Have You Performed Your Morning Constitutionals?

Today's host: Jennifer Slattery

Although I'm hesitant to "assign" chapters, for ease of discussion purposes, we are up to chapter 15 today in Karen Witemeyer's A Tailor-Made Bride. Again, if you haven't purchased your book yet, there's still time. We'd love to have you join our discussion. And please, don't let the questions I pose box you in. If something in the novel triggered your curiosity or provoked a thought, by all means, share it! The more rabbit trails we skip down the better, right? (Or am I the only gabby one?)

As someone who believes whole-heartedly in the need for physical activity, I found Hannah's morning "constitutionals" amusing. I forget that women didn't always exercise. No wonder they fainted all the time! What are some other changes we ladies enjoy?

I also found Hanna's reaction to "free" advertising quite amusing. You may remember, when the laundress came to meet her, the two discussed ways Hannah might generate more business. Do you remember Louisa's suggestion? Quite sound business advice, really. Everyone loves a freebie, right?

In today's culture, freebies are almost expected, but as I read the conversation between Hannah and Louisa, noticing Hannah's somewhat shocked reaction, I realized someone started this practice. Some business owner, at some point in history decided they needed to spend money to make money.

Do you think Hannah's bread cloth give-away will drum up business? Anyone else worried she may run out of funds before that happens?

If you were Hannah, what might you do to generate a bit of business?

Tom Packard is an enthusiastic young man with slow mental functioning, yet Jericho trusts him to run the livery when he's not around. What kind of giftedness did Tom exhibit despite his disabilities? How well do you think today's society welcomes and involves people with similar mental challenges? Are they viewed as important contributors to the community or simply as a responsibility?

Can't wait to hear your thoughts (and questions) on all this! And don't forget to hop on over to Clash of the Titles to vote for our next literary champion! Who knows, you might even win a free book in the process.

Are you getting excited for July? I can't wait to dive into Eleanor Gustafson's The Stones! King David is one of my favorite biblical characters.