A faith filled tale of small town life, love and the good that can come when we let go and let God have the reins in our life. Available in ebook now...available in print on December 5, 2008. Buy your copy! Amazon Amazon.co.uk Froogle Joshua's Hope Carol Ann Erhardt   Hope Courtland escaped her marriage to save her life. Her only regret is leaving her four-year-old stepson, Joshua, behind. Though she wants custody, no attorney is willing to tackle her ex-husband in a custody battle. Hope’s faith begins to falter. She learns that Joshua is paying the consequences for her freedom, and in an act of desperation, she kidnaps him. Suddenly, she becomes a suspect in her ex-husband’s murder.   Zack Stone is content to be sheriff of Pine Cove, Tennessee, where the worst conflict he deals with is handing out speeding tickets. Though his faith is strong, he struggles with issues of forgiveness surrounding his wife’s death. When he rescues Hope in a rainstorm, the last thing he expects is to find a woman who stirs his heart. Being a small town sheriff shouldn’t involve kidnapping and murder, but Zack can’t turn his back on Hope and the little boy she loves.   Excerpt Loud voices drifted up the stairwell. Hope opened Joshua’s door and slipped inside. His eyes were open. He stared at her, silent tears carving paths down his cheeks. She put a finger on her lips, urging him not to say anything. She lifted him and he wrapped himself around her like a small monkey. “Mommy,” he whispered. “It’s all right. Mommy is going to take you home with her now. But you have to be very quiet. Can you do that?” He nodded against her neck. “I need white doggie.” Hope reached for the stuffed animal she’d given him on his first birthday. The neck fur had been rubbed off in two places from Joshua’s fingers. “Mommy will carry white doggie for you. Don’t be scared and don’t look up. Just hold on tight.” He nodded again, his arms squeezing tighter. She kept one arm firmly around him and eased the door open. So far, so good. She only needed to get downstairs without being seen. She closed Joshua’s door and began a slow descent. The hairs prickled on the back of her neck, alerting Hope someone was watching. Swiveling her head, her gaze locked with Anna’s. For endless moments, Hope’s heart stopped. Then Peter’s study door crashed open and she feared she’d been caught. Joshua’s small body jerked and he began to tremble. His fingers dug deeply into her skin. The nanny rushed down the stairs, and as she passed, she whispered, “Run.” Her hand waved Hope toward the front door. “You’re not the one calling the shots on this, Courtland. The kid knows too much.” Hope froze. A man wearing a security uniform focused dark angry eyes on them. He and Hope stared at each other, recognition dawning in his eyes. She’d seen him before. Many times. One of Peter’s henchmen who visited during the late hours of the night. Peter stepped into view and looked up at Hope, astonishment showing on his face. The other man’s gaze moved off Hope’s. “You dare to threaten me, Courtland?” The man raised his hand and Hope saw the flash of metal before Anna blocked her view. “Run, get out of here now!” the nanny cried.

Joshua's Hope
Peter Courtland is little better as a person than the criminals he’s paid so well to protect. His verbal abuse and control of her life gets even more vicious when Hope divorces him and moves into the cottage her grandmother left her. The only thing she wants from the marriage is custody of her stepson Joshua. That promises to be an uphill battle against Peter’s power.

Carol Ann Erhardt writes a faith filled tale of small town life, love and the good that can come when we let go and let God have the reins in our life. Small town Sheriff Zack Stone is an exceptional character. He’s had to rebuild his life after his wife was killed by a hit and run driver. And he did it with the help of the people in Pine Grove. Now he, Mary at the restaurant and others in the town support Hope as she battles with the demons in her past and those in the present.

Ms. Erhardt throws one thing after another at Hope, just like life does. She had the love of her grandmother then her mother stopped letting her visit. She got out on her own then Peter charmed her into marriage, losing the charm after they got married. She manages to rescue her son only to have the criminal who killed Peter come after them as witnesses he wants to get rid of. Child Protective Services is as supportive as they can be in her desire to gain custody of Joshua. In steps Peter’s parents wanting custody with the benefit of blood ties to give them the upper hand.

It’s not until she hits bottom and lets go to really let God into her life that real good happens in her life. This book with its superb storyline has all of the good things that a book can have to keep us reading. Characters, dialogue, suspense all are penned in a way that I think are excellent. The book just naturally flows to a fantastic conclusion. If you need a book to lift you up, this is the one to read. But make sure you have a lot of tissues handy for the tears of frustration and joy that are sure to flow as the story unfolds.
Overall rating: 5
Sensuality rating: Sweet
Reviewer: Dee Dailey, The Romance Studio
September 17, 2008


Joshua's Hope
Hope Courtland had a very difficult childhood. Her mother was not a model mother but Hope had what she needed. Leaving her childhood and becoming an adult, she met and married Peter Courtland. She thought he would enrich her life. He brought an additional package to the marriage; his infant son, Joshua. Joshua's mother died and was being raised by Peter alone. Hope welcomed Joshua with open arms and never gave much thought to the fact he was not biologically hers. He was her son in all the ways that mattered. When Peter became emotionally and verbally abusive, Hope endured as much as she could until it became unbearable. It broke her heart to leave Joshua with Peter but she had no choice. As long as she held knowledge about Peter's illegal activities, she would maintain the leverage necessary to keep visiting her stepson. She returned to her hometown where her grandmother had recently passed away and moved into her grandmother's home. She hoped that Peter continued to allow to her see Joshua because if he didn't, her whole life would come tumbling down.

Zack Stone lost his wife in a horrible car accident. He decided to come home to Pine Cove and become part of the law enforcement department. This would hopefully allow him to come to terms with his wife's death and gain perspective in his own life. He had no idea the turn his life was going to take when it intersected with Hope Courtland.

This was a feel good story. I began reading and found myself sitting at my desk at work and trying to guess the decisions the characters would make when I picked it back up again. I was delighted with the prospect of romance between Zack and Hope. It was well-understood that both of them had hesitations and reservations about becoming involved in a relationship again after suffering incredible loss and unhappiness in their previous marriages. The author sets up the scenes with great emotional detail from Hope's four-year-old stepson to Hope's fear of what will happen if Joshua is taken from her to Zack's patience in his pursuit of Hope. The reader will finish the book having learned about a person's loss of faith and the incredible journey to find it again while in the midst of a whirlwind of murder, suspense and lack of trust. This is a tremendous story that I no doubt will read again just to assure myself that lost souls can be regained and love can conquer all even during the bleakest of times.

Laura, Simply Romance Reviews
Recommended Read

Joshua's Hope
Joshua’s Hope by Carol Ann Erhardt is an inspirational romantic suspense story.


Hope is at the end of her rope. She thought that in her marriage to Peter she would find the love and safety she always wanted. Except, she quickly learned that Peter wasn’t the man she thought when he began verbally abusing her. The only thing that kept her happy was Peter’s son Joshua, the most beautiful and loving boy she ever met. Hope stayed as long as she could and the only reason she was allowed to leave and still spend time with Joshua is that Hope knew a lot of damaging information about Peter. Now alone and friendless, Hope returns to the only place she ever found peace, her grandmother’s home in Pine Cove. Hope goes looking for help to save Joshua with little result until she runs into a man from her childhood, Zack Stone, the local Sheriff. Things continue to spiral out of control when Joshua sees something that puts his safety in jeopardy. Will Hope find the help she needs to save one special little boy and find the love that she has always been looking for?

Ms. Erhardt has created this phenomenal story that ensnares the reader from the very first paragraph. I couldn’t put the book down until the very last page. This intricate story has strong characters that come to life for the reader. The character of Peter with his domineering and abusive behavior would have been very scary to live with, especially for a very young child. Hope is one very special young lady who is willing to fight for the life of a child who she accepted as her own when she married Peter. To be willing to put your life on the line for someone else is rare, and Zack Stone is one such person. Thanks go to Ms. Erhardt for this incredible story.

Reviewed by: Teresa, Fallen Angel Reviews
Rating: 5, recommended read