Made to Last (Where Love Begins Book #1) (33 page)

“Only promising?”

He touched his finger to her lips. “We’ll get back to that. You, Miranda Woodruff, are a beautiful woman. And one I’d very much like to kiss right now.”

And then he did. And it was . . . “Perfect,” she murmured.

He tipped his head back. “Perfect, huh? Good to know. ’Cause I did come a long way.”

“Oh, don’t look so smug.” She entwined her arms around his waist. “So, other than reading my own words to me and, ahem, kissing me, why else are you here? What next?”

Matthew took her hand and moved beside her. They stood in front of her home, sunbeams showering through the frame of her addition, washing the foundation, the yard, Miranda and Matthew, in glorious light.

“Well,” he said, gaze hope-filled and heart melting, “I was thinking you could teach me about building a house. Or maybe in this case, tearing one down.”

Her laughter swooped over the yard, through the trees, into the mountains. She squeezed Matthew’s hand, leaned into his shoulder. “Pretty sure I can do that.”

I so desperately want to write something witty and wonderful here. After all, I’ve spent years dreaming of writing this Acknowledgments page. But all I seem to be capable of are tears and gushing. At least I’m the only one who has to put up with the tears as I write this. As for the gushing, well, my apologies, but here goes. . . .

Love and hugs and all kinds of thanks to:

Mom and Dad—I am so over-the-top blessed to be your daughter. Thank you for always encouraging me, always loving me, always praying for me. I love you so much.

My too-cool siblings, Amy, Nathanael, and Nicole (plus two fun brothers-in-law, Chip and Caleb)—You guys make life fun. And I have a feeling antics from our childhood will make it into many a future story. Love ya.

Grandma and Grandpa—Thank you for encouraging me in so many ways, from reading those hilarious pioneer/orphan stories I wrote as a kid to buying and loaning me books to
sending letters to praying for me to . . . the list could go on forever. I love you lots.

Susan May Warren—I don’t have words to express how thankful I am for your teaching, support, inspiration, and friendship. I will never stop thanking God for getting me to that first MBT retreat. Life. Changing. You’ve taught me not just how to craft a good story, but how to live a good story—in a gracious, God-honoring, and fun-loving way—as I walk the writing journey.

Rachel Hauck—One word: JOY! Thanks for showing me oh-so-often what that looks like. And for teaching that symbolism class at the 2010 ACFW Conference that changed my writing.

The My Book Therapy team—Lisa Jordan, Beth Vogt, Alena Tauriainen, Reba Hoffman, Edie Melson, Michelle Lim, Susie, and Rachel. How I admire and love each of you! I’ll never forget you praying for me at our South Carolina retreat right after I hit Send.

Lindsay Harrel—Oh, my critique partner and kindred spirit, you’ve become one of the greatest blessings of this writing journey. Thank you for your constant encouragement and prayers for both my writing and, well, pretty much everything!

My agent, Amanda Luedeke—You are the rock star of agents and a ton of fun. Thank you for your sound advice, savvy career guidance, and friendship. And for not thinking I was crazy for talking about Dr. Quinn the first time we chatted.

My editor, Raela Schoenherr—I kind of want to call you my fairy godmother, except you’re too young for that, and
I’ve never seen you with a wand! Thank you for taking a chance on a newbie and her story. I’m so, so grateful. It’s a blast working with you.

The Bethany House Team—Getting to be a part of your “family” is such a dream-come-true. Karen Schurrer, your editing expertise is beyond awesome, and I’m so thankful. To Paul and Dan, thank you for making my very first cover so pretty. To everyone on the sales and marketing teams, I want to give you a great big hug.

The MBT Ponderers—Oh, ladies, I love our community of writers. Thank you for the never-ending stream of inspiration and all the prayers.

And thank you to so many people who have prayed for and encouraged me along the writing journey: like my wonderfully fun and food-loving extended family; the best girlfriends a girl could ask for—Laura, Mel, Maggie, and Ruby; lovely online friends (special shout-out to Gabrielle Meyer!); the sweet ladies of the Central Iowa Christian Writers Group; my local cohorts in fiction—Elizabeth, Heidi, and Sue; Mike and Barb Redig, aka the most amazing youth leaders ever; my oh-so-fun co-workers previously at the
Sioux Center News
and now at Hope Ministries; and my mom’s many prayer-warrior friends, including Kim Lee and Deb Thompson, who have sent me such sweet notes of encouragement through the years.

Also, thanks a bunch to that one guy at the hardware store (research!) who didn’t laugh at me when I told him I was lost.

Lastly and most importantly, to the ultimate Storyteller. My identity is found in you, Lord. Thank you for reminding me of that over . . . and over . . . and over as you helped me with this book.

1. Miranda Woodruff defines herself by her career success. When Matthew Knox looks at himself, all he sees are his past mistakes. Do you identify with either character? Do you find it easy to define yourself by your successes or failures? What do both Miranda and Matthew learn about who they are?
   
2. Miranda is a celebrity who has attempted to closely guard her private life . . . until she’s in danger of losing her show. Now her personal life is on display for all to see. Discuss our culture’s fascination with celebrities. Why do you think we’re so interested in their lives?
   
3. When Matthew first agrees to write the serial blog about Miranda, he assumes she’s just another celebrity. But the more he gets to know her, the more he sees the woman behind the fame—her hurts, her heart, her compassion. Has your first impression of someone ever been wrong? What changed once you got to know the heart of the person?
   
4. Miranda finds herself opening up to Matthew like she’s never opened up to others. They find an unexpected
   friendship in shared vulnerability. Is there a friend in your life who draws you out in ways others don’t? Describe your friendship.
   
5. Miranda spends her free time volunteering at a local shelter for children and helping a family in need. Matthew is determined to help fund his niece’s much-needed surgery. What special cause or need is close to your heart?
   
6. In chapter 11, Matthew asks Miranda why she kept up the charade of her marriage. Why didn’t she come out with the truth long ago? Miranda blurts out, “Because I wanted to, all right?” What truth is she facing in that moment? How do you think admitting that out loud affected her? How about Matthew?
   
7. Also in chapter 11, Miranda reads Psalm 138:8: “The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me; your love, O Lord, endures forever—do not abandon the works of your hands.” Have you ever felt abandoned? How have you seen God fulfill His purpose for you?
   
8. When Matthew learns the truth about Miranda’s marriage, he agrees to keep the secret for the time being. Was that the right move? Should he have spilled the truth right away in his blog?
   
9. In chapter 12, Matthew and Jase talk about the closing of Jase’s gallery. Matthew realizes that while his brother let go of one dream, he found a new one. Have you ever had to let go of a dream? Describe that process. Have you found a new dream?
   
10. When Miranda is on stage at the Giving Heart Awards, her intention was to finally tell the truth about her “marriage” and admit her feelings for Matthew. But, of
    course, that doesn’t go as planned. What do you think would have happened if it had gone as planned?
    
11. At the end of
    Made to Last
    , Miranda learns the network may be willing to give her another shot with a fourth season. But then she risks that chance by allowing Matthew’s article to be published. What do you think that sacrifice meant to her? Was it the right move? Could she have tried to save her show and reconnect with Matthew?
    
12. Although he’s one of the goofier characters in the story, it’s clear Blake “Blaze” Hunziker has a past of his own. At the end of
    Made to Last
    , we learn he’s now heading home. What do you think is waiting for him there? Have you ever had to face something hard in your past?
    

Melissa Tagg
is a former reporter and total Iowa girl. In addition to her homeless-ministry day job, she is also the marketing/events coordinator for My Book Therapy, a craft-and-coaching community for writers. When she’s not writing, she can be found hanging out with the coolest family ever, watching old movies, and daydreaming about her next book. She’s passionate about humor, grace, and happy endings. Melissa blogs regularly and loves connecting with readers at
www.melissatagg.com
.

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