The Wonder of You

Always on My Mind

“The fourth book in Warren’s Christiansen Family series shows this writer’s gift for creating flawed yet redeemable characters. . . . As always, the spiritual message shines and is an integral, purposeful part of the story.”

ROMANTIC TIMES

“Readers will . . . delight in the romance that unfolds in spite of Casper’s and Raina’s intentions.”

BOOKLIST

“
Always on My Mind
is a beautiful story filled with hope and faith that is captivating and powerful from page 1 to the very end.”

FRESH FICTION

When I Fall in Love

“[
When I Fall in Love
is] an exquisite romance. Profoundly touching on the topic of facing fears, this book is a true gem.”

ROMANTIC TIMES

“Readers who are already enamored of the sprawling Christiansen clan will feel even more connected, while those new to Warren will be brought right into the fold.”

BOOKLIST

“Warren has a knack for creating captivating and relatable characters that pull the reader deep into the story.”

RADIANT LIT

It Had to Be You

“
It Had to Be You
is a sigh-worthy, coming-into-her-own romance highlighting the importance of family, the necessity of faith, and how losing yourself for the right reasons can open your heart to something beautiful.”

SERENA CHASE,
USA Today

“This character-driven tale with a beautiful love story . . . gives excellent spiritual insight and a gorgeously written look at what it means to surrender and let go.”

ROMANTIC TIMES

“Susan May Warren delivers another beautiful, hope-filled story of faith that makes the reader fall further in love with this captivating and intriguing family. . . . Powerful storytelling gripped me from beginning to end . . . [and] lovable characters ensure that the reader becomes invested in their lives.”

RADIANT LIT

“A gem of a story, threaded with truth and hope, laughter and romance. Susan May Warren brings the Christiansen family to life, as if they might be my family or yours, with her smooth writing and engaging storytelling.”

RACHEL HAUCK,
bestselling author of
The Wedding Dress

Take a Chance on Me

“Warren’s new series launch has it all: romance, suspense, and intrigue. It is sure to please her many fans and win her new readers, especially those who enjoy Terri Blackstock.”

LIBRARY JOURNAL

“Warren . . . has crafted an engaging tale of romance, rivalry, and the power of forgiveness.”

PUBLISHERS WEEKLY

“Warren once again creates a compelling community full of vivid individuals whose anguish and dreams are so real and relatable, readers will long for every character to attain the freedom their hearts desire.”

BOOKLIST

“A compelling story of forgiveness and redemption,
Take a Chance on Me
will have readers taking a chance on each beloved character!”

CBA RETAILERS + RESOURCES

“Warren’s latest is a touching tale of love discovered and the meaning of family.”

ROMANTIC TIMES

Visit Tyndale online at
www.tyndale.com
.

Visit Susan May Warren’s website at
www.susanmaywarren.com
.

TYNDALE
and Tyndale’s quill logo are registered trademarks of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.

The Wonder of You

Copyright © 2015 by Susan May Warren. All rights reserved.

Cover photograph copyright © by Customimages/
Glowimages.com
. All rights reserved.

Designed by Jennifer Phelps

Edited by Sarah Mason

Published in association with the literary agency of The Steve Laube Agency, 5025 N. Central Ave., #635, Phoenix, AZ 85012.

Scripture taken from the Holy Bible,
New International Version
,
®
NIV
.
®
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.
®
Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

The Wonder of You
is a work of fiction. Where real people, events, establishments, organizations, or locales appear, they are used fictitiously. All other elements of the novel are drawn from the author’s imagination.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Warren, Susan May, date.

  The wonder of you / Susan May Warren.

    pages ; cm.
 
— (Christiansen family)

  ISBN 978-1-4143-7845-9 (sc : alk. paper)

  I. Title.

  PS3623.A865W66 2015

  813'.6
 
—dc23 2015005655

ISBN 978-1-4964-0696-5 (ePub); ISBN 978-1-4143-8488-7 (Kindle); ISBN 978-1-4964-0697-2 (Apple)

For Your glory, Lord

I’
M ALWAYS AMAZED
and grateful for the team of people the Lord surrounds me with as I write a novel. I’m deeply grateful to so many in helping me craft this story. In particular, I need to thank the following people:

My writing partner, Rachel Hauck, for her ability to help me sort out the real story from the clutter of ideas in my mind.

The amazing David Warren, who is one of the best story crafters I know. Thank you for your brutal honesty, your brainstorming skills, and the fact that you won’t let me write unrealistic men. Thank you for helping me keep it real.

Sarah Erredge, for helping me grasp Amelia
 
—from her photography skills to her experience in Prague to thinking through the man who would capture her heart: the hometown boy or the exotic foreigner. We all know which one you chose!

My lumberjack-tastic sons Peter and Noah Warren, who wear flannel like nobody’s business and make being bearded woodsmen from the north cool.

Andrew Warren, my own exotic prince who swept me up and took me back to foreign lands. Here’s to more adventures!

Steve Laube, my fabulous agent and friend, who always has the right word at the right time.

Karen Watson and Stephanie Broene, who work so hard to help me get it right. Thank you!

Sarah Mason, my talented editor. You bring your A game every time, and I’m so grateful.

The Lord of my life, who calls me to be brave and walk into the unknown, amazing future. I am always awed by the wonder of You.

My dearest Amelia,

I suspect, should you ever read this, it might be on the back of an elephant, while venturing through the jungles of India. Or perhaps in a dugout canoe, paddling down the Amazon. Or even, most likely, while capturing the sunrise over the grasslands of some African country.

For I know God has great plans for you, my beautiful youngest, the one who has always looked beyond the horizon. And inside you is the courage to reach for that horizon. You, more than any of the others, possess an independent spirit to drive you out of the family embrace and into the world. I have no doubt that comes from your father, who always nursed an adventure-seeking spirit. I hope it is also because of your confidence in our love for you, the surety that you can always come home. But I pray this independent spirit quickens inside enough to push you past your own limited vision to see the one God has for you.

I know the challenge of the youngest is always to discover her own voice in the chorus. Yes, Amelia, you are the culmination of all the wonderful traits I see in your siblings
 
—Darek’s courage, Eden’s loyalty, Grace’s resourcefulness, Casper’s thirst for treasure, and Owen’s singular, focused passion. You are my cherry on top of the sundae.

And yet you are also so much more. You are also unique
in the vision God has given you to see the world through His lens. You are beautiful and patient, giving and kind, and the one who helps us see ourselves the way God does
 
—unique and cherished, despite our blemishes. This gift is precious and desperately needed in our world.

Amelia, you help us see others.

I pray that God will also help you see yourself.

It is so easy to get trapped inside the picture we create for ourselves. As the youngest, you’ve been sheltered, overprotected, and constantly advised. If they could, your siblings would arrange for your future, leaving nothing to chance.

Your challenge is to look past the view others choose for you, look past even your own limited perspective, and see the view your heavenly Father has chosen for you. Lay hold of the vision and don’t let go. Do not settle for the expected, the known, only because you can’t see past today’s focal point to all God has for you.

There is more left to discover of Amelia Christiansen, and it will be, to use your word, epic. Break free of your own expectations and see what vista awaits.

Know that you carry my heart with you wherever you go and that I will always be here, waiting to welcome you home, my brilliant, beautiful daughter.

Your mother