Carry Me Home

Unlikely friends can be the hardest to let go. After her mother passed away in the midst of being swindled by a greedy religious leader, Amanda swore she'd never let anything like that happen again. That's why she became a nurse: to save as many lives as possible. But when Amanda's live-in boyfriend asks her to move out, she loses her job, and she struggles to make a new life in a new town, she becomes the one who needs saving. 92-year-old retired Army chaplain Hector Demetri's work on Earth is done, and he's more than ready to spend eternity with his late wife in heaven, but when a foolish accident lands him in the hospital, his son decides to hire a home nurse to keep Hector's heart pumping for as long as humanly possible, much to Hector's dismay. When Amanda meets Hector, their personalities instantly clash, but as they learn to open their hearts and listen to each other instead of judge, they grow to realize the value of friendship as they navigate Hector's sullen attitude and Amanda's hatred of anything remotely religious. Fans of Karen Kingsbury, Lisa Wingate, Cynthia Ruchti, and Katie Powner will also enjoy the true-to-life characters and faith-driven stories written by Valerie Howard. Available in Kindle, paperback, and audiobook format. Valerie's goal in writing is to bring people closer to Jesus one chapter at a time.

Valerie has been writing stories since she was in second grade when she wrote "The Mystery of the Missing Crayon." She gave up writing mysteries soon after and now concentrates on real-life stories that tackle tough issues such as homelessness, unplanned pregnancy, family tragedy, childhood trauma, foster care, poverty, and terminal cancer. All of her books are filled with the hope and love of Christ and are uplifting and feel-good with happy, though sometimes tearful, endings as her characters overcome their obstacles with God at their side. She also writes biblical non-fiction, indie author non-fiction, children's books, allegorical fiction, and small church Christmas plays. (She's a little obsessed with writing.)

Valerie is a fan of summer, warmth, and flip-flips, so she often wonders why she lives in Maine where she is frozen for the better half of the year. But her amazing husband and adorable sons live there with her, so it's not all bad. She graduated from Bible College with a degree in Bible and Missions a long, long time ago in a state far, far away. Real women. Tough issues. Powerful God.