Reviews For A PRAYER FOR DISTRACTION by Cheryl N. Warner

“C.D. Waddell still missed her husband. The divorce was almost a year before. Yet she is unable to concentrate on anything but him. In desperation, she prayed for a “distraction.” In her search for her biological parents; she found love and danger. A Prayer For Distraction is a lovely story of forgiveness. The search for the biological parents is fascinating. This is a very emotional story, one sure to please readers.”_Reviewed by Debra Gaynor for ReviewYourBook.com, 4 Stars!

"A PRAYER FOR DISTRACTION is a happy-ever-after...This is a story many of us "flawed" humans can relate to on many levels."~Camellia, The Long and the Short of It Reviews

If you like a good Mystery/Suspense...I recommend this book. It keeps you wondering to the very last pages."~Lynn, Lynn's Book Challenge,

"A Prayer For Distraction is a lovely story of forgiveness. The search for the biological parents is fascinating. This is a very emotional story, one sure to please readers."~Debra Gaynor, ReviewYourBook.com

5 out of 5 Stars! “Cheryl Warner has written an interesting story with many exciting elements. Her characters are believable (in fact, I think I may have been married to David at one time!) and realistic. C.D.’s faith is a constant theme throughout the story, and I appreciated that her faith was shown as a natural, enduring part of her life rather than becoming a sermon for the reader. I enjoyed this story very much and look forward to reading more from this author.” Mary, Beautiful Reads Romance Reviews

Sample Chapter For A PRAYER FOR DISTRACTION by Cheryl N. Warner

“You’re not from around here, are you?” the new postal clerk asked with a friendly smile, admiring his customer’s olive complexion, raven hair, and earth-colored eyes.

“Actually, I sort of am.”

“Really? I would’ve guessed India or somewhere like that. But you’ve definitely got the southern accent. So, what does C.D. stand for?” he asked, obviously unaware that his question had shot a familiar arrow straight through her heart.

“I don’t know,” C.D. answered quietly, sliding her credit card back into her wallet.

The clerk’s expression turned sour. “Hey, don’t get the wrong idea, Miss. I’m sure you probably get hit on three or four times a day, but I was just making small talk. I’m married!” he informed her, holding up his ring finger.

C.D. winced apologetically. “I didn’t have the wrong idea. I truly don’t know what my initials stand for. It’s kind of a long story.”

“Oh. Well, good luck with that. Next in line, please.”

Returning her wallet to her purse, C.D. exited quickly, wishing she could come up with better answers for the unavoidable questions. Or better yet, that she had answers of her own.

Upon returning to the office, she found a hastily written note stuck to her computer screen.

Call David the scumbag. You know the number. (Although you shouldn’t!)

Mandy wasn’t known for her subtlety. Picking up the phone, C.D. punched the numbers without hesitation, jumping with a start when Mandy’s head of spiked red hair and flashing green eyes appeared over the top of her cubicle. “You haven’t even set your purse down yet, and you’re already dialing that jerk’s number! I knew I shouldn’t have told you he called.”

C.D. hung up the phone. “Did he say what he wanted?”

“No, but I’m sure he’ll come up some lame excuse for getting in touch with you. He always does, once or twice every week!”

C.D. looked at the phone contemplatively. “Yeah. Maybe I’ll wait and see if he calls back.”

“And I’m sure he will! It’s weird, C. It’s not normal for an ex-husband to keep calling, especially when there are no kids involved and he’s already got a girlfriend. And it’s even weirder for you to keep letting him. Why don’t you tell him to bug off?”

C.D. shrugged and continued to stare at the phone. “I don’t know.”

Mandy’s accusing expression softened. “C, you need to let it go. Even if he wanted to get back together with you, you know you shouldn’t.”

C.D. nodded and pulled the note from her screen, holding it over the trashcan and watching it swirl onto the other debris. “I don’t want him back, Mandy. I’m just trying to keep this thing civil.”

“But that’s just the problem. There shouldn’t be a thing to begin with. And how you can still be civil to him is way beyond me.”

“Yeah, me too,” C.D. admitted, putting away her purse. “Well, let me get back to work. I’m way behind for the month.”

“I guess so,” Mandy quipped, sitting back down at her desk, “what with all your time being taken up with calls from the ex!”

When the four remaining work hours finally ended, C.D. made her way home to her condo, where she ate a quick dinner and then fell onto her sofa in front of the TV. Absentmindedly switching channels without registering the images, she thought of David and wondered what he and what’s-her-name were doing.
“Oh, brother!” she said to herself, turning off the television and rubbing her tired eyes. Keeping her lids shut tightly, she decided she needed assistance and needed it fast. “Lord, please forgive me for lying to Mandy today. I told her I didn’t want David back, but the truth is I do. I know we’re not supposed to covet our neighbor’s boyfriends—to paraphrase Your word a little—so please forgive me for wanting something that’s not mine, even though he was mine first, and not that long ago.

“Lord, it’s just so hard because I never wanted this divorce. And I know it’s not what You would’ve chosen for my life. Please help me overcome this misery and longing. I’ve tried, but I can’t make it go away. I know that talking to David every week isn’t helping, and I’m not really sure why he’s still calling. Please give me the courage to put a stop to it and the strength to let him go, if that’s what I’m supposed to do. If it is, then I need something to occupy my mind and my time so that I can move on with my life. Please show me what that something is, because I have no energy or enthusiasm for anything anymore. They say to be careful what you ask for, but I’m asking that You bring something big into my life. I’m afraid it’s going to take a major distraction to get me over David, but I’m willing to do whatever it takes. Thank You, Lord, for hearing and answering my prayers. In Your Son’s holy name, Amen.”

Sighing deeply and then rising from the sofa, she walked into her kitchen and tapped her fingernails on the countertop. What was she looking for, a sign? She glanced out the window, then looked up at her ceiling fan as if it might begin spinning all on its own. When no bolt of lightning appeared and no booming voice sounded, she shuffled to her desk and sat down at the computer.

Maybe the sign would present itself another day.

After entering her latest purchases in her checkbook balancing program, she logged on to the Internet and read the headlines of the day on her homepage. When the news became too depressing, she clicked over to a search engine to see if she could find a cheaper price on one of those cool purses like she’d seen at the mall.

“Stupid pop-ups,” she muttered, shooting her pointer up to the right hand corner of the box to quickly rid her screen of the annoying advertisement. With an itchy index finger, she almost left-clicked the ‘X,’ when one single word hopped off the screen like a screaming rocket.

Ancestry.

Quickly releasing the mouse as if it were a hot branding iron, she read the heavy black writing within the bright blue flashing box and wondered.

Find your ancestry easily. Everything you need to discover your family history.

“No, that can’t be the answer,” she decided quickly, exiting all programs and even turning off the monitor.
Rolling her desk chair back and staring at the dark screen, she remembered David telling her how foolish it was to try and dredge up the past when such a bright future lay ahead.

“Yeah, maybe for you,” she muttered, hopping up and walking back to her sofa.

Why must my mind always go back to him? she asked, hurling herself onto the throw pillows.

She already knew the reason. He’d been the best part of her life for five years, four of which they spent as man and wife. How was she supposed to suddenly be alone again and forget all the moments and words they shared? If she could remember only the harsh words, getting over him would be easy. But there were so few of those, and most of them took place right at the very end. It was the other four years and eight months that haunted her with warm memories, that kept her awake at night crying into her pillow. Why did everyone find it so easy to abandon her?

Abandoned.

The word she refused to speak aloud. The word that described her childhood and was now appropriate again. Funny, she didn’t really feel anger when she thought of her mysterious past, only sadness and insatiable curiosity, as well as a longing to be like everyone else. As a teenager, she half-heartedly tried to research her genealogy, and when she immediately hit a brick wall, the quest came to a swift end. In spite of the many unanswered questions, she wasn’t certain she really wanted answers. The truth might be even more horrific than the worst scenario she ever imagined. Facts could easily hurt a lot more than simply not knowing. Perhaps there was no good reason for her abandonment as a child, just like there was no good reason for David to—

“Stop it, C.D.!” she commanded, grabbing a pillow and hitting herself repeatedly on the forehead with it.
C.D. What kind of stupid name was that, anyway? Who in the world would dub their child the acronym for compact disc? No wonder they decided to run away. They were probably just embarrassed by their poor choice of names. Having it legally changed would be no problem, but that wouldn’t change who she was.
But who exactly was she?

As she contemplated the idea of exploring her past, the phone rang and she grabbed the handset up, momentarily hoping to see David’s name and number on her caller I.D. Mentally chastising herself, she looked at the small screen on the receiver. Private name. Private number. Hmm, that’s new. “Hello?”
Silence.

“Hello?” she said again, her heart pounding heavily.

The phone line clicked, and a dial tone sounded. Hanging up the phone, C.D. felt hopeful—and extremely angry.

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