I don’t know about you, but I didn’t grow up as a bookworm. 

Years ago, we were living in a tiny West Texas town with not much to do. I was homeschooling both my kiddos, and let’s just say—library days were the highlight. 📚 

They’d pick out their favorites, and I’d wander the Women and Christian fiction aisles, hoping something would catch my eye. That’s when I fell in love with Debbie Macomber, Lori Wick, and the Love Finds You series… they were my sweet, hope-filled escapes during that season. ✨ 

But then I started craving a different kind of story… 

A grace-filled novel about a woman trying to find her way back to what God was calling her to. Something with small-town charm, porch-swing wisdom, and the kind of love story where faith is the heartbeat. 

And… I couldn’t find it. 

So I started writing one. 

I mean, I had the time—no streetlights, more cows than people, and all the quiet space a person could ask for. 😅 

I never planned to write a novel. But one scene turned into another… and the story began to bloom. 🌸 

Then life got busy. I tucked it away for over a decade—but I never forgot Sammy & Jake. 

This year, I finally answered the question that had been sitting in my heart: what ever happened to them? 

I finished the book as a 46th birthday gift to myself—and honestly? Best gift ever. 🥹❤️ 

Author Bio:

Melissa Alyse writes light, heartwarming Christian fiction filled with faith, friendship, and front porch charm. Her debut novel, A Place to Belong, is the first in a faith-filled fiction series set in Willow Creek, TX—a small town where women find grace on the journey as they grow and become. 

Melissa’s stories serve up the kind of cozy, feel-good fiction that blends hope, healing, and small-town sweetness, perfect for readers who love a gentle escape with a deeper message. 

When she’s not writing, you can find her walking her pup, catching up with a friend over coffee, watercolor Bible journaling, or on a date with her husband—aka, living her best empty-nesting life on purpose.