John O Ryan

Heart & Spirit, Christian Romance Journal, is a Christian romance magazine comprised of at least five Christian romance short story works of Christian fiction meant for inspiration and leisure reading only. Our first Christian love story, “The Anchor That Keeps the Soul” written by Thomas Van Buren is a historical Christian romance story set on early 19th century Nantucket Island. Early settlers on the island were Quakers who started whaling in 1712 because the soil on the island was too poor to farm. Our story presents sea Captain Gabriel Cumberland’s struggle between his two loves, his first love interest being the sea and his second love interest being the acknowledged Quaker minister, Brother Carr’s only daughter, Amber. Forbidden to call on Amber because of his “seaman’s ways” Blue Gabe, as he was called because “his hair was so black that is shone blue” seeks to find his destiny. Our second love story, “El Amor De Mi Vida” from author, Nelle I Luke, is set on the ship, America of the Seas, where senior tango dance students, Linda and Shirl, along with several of their classmates from Eduardo’s Dance Club embark on cruise to Buenos Aires to attend the internationally acclaimed Tango Buenos Aires World Cup Competition. The ladies are hoping to find love on this loveboat. On board, Cesar La Derecho, the Cesar Romero look-alike and Ricardo Montalban sound-alike top tango dancer in the world has all the girls swooning both on and off the dance floor. Who, among these single ladies, will win his heart? In our third short story, “Love Never Ceases Knocking” from America Vermillion, we find two twenty-two-year-old gymnasts, Missy Rose and Sam Green, trying to find their way in life after they have hung up their gymnast’s spandex for good. Missy wants to be a party girl for years to come to make up for all the time she missed partying because of training; and Sam is content and ready for the next phase of his life…that of being a Christian minister. Could there possibly be any kind of love connection between this odd couple? In “Best-Laid Plans,” our fourth Christian love story from Gladys Jenkins, our heroine, Jenna Westheimer, has planned out her life by the book: go to college, become a nurse practioner, come back to her hometown and marry her high school sweetheart, have his kids and finally rest in peace there. So far, everything was going as planned until Jenna’s parents are tragically killed in an auto accident. Jenna plans are now topsy-turvy as an unexpected turn of events follows her homecoming. Two handsome Texans, as different as night and day, Bobby Lee Montrose, her long-time beau, and Dr. Ty Houston, the new vet in town, figure in Jenna’s change of plans. Our fifth Christian short story offering is a Christian romance/mystery, “The Case of the Silkworm Cradle” by John O Ryan. Set in 12th century China, the story entwines around the fateful love of Ken-Zhi and Mei-Li, the clue of the silkworm cradle in helping solve the mystery of Ken-Zhi’s demise, how the Lord provides his own vengeance to resolve a wrong done; and how God provides even a better love for young Mei-Li than she could ever imagine. These are Christian romance stories at their very best.