Novel inspired by United Methodist women’s home
LEXINGTON, S.C.—A United Methodist journalist, Jessica Brodie, has released her latest faith-based novel, and she said it was inspired by her work with the United Methodist-founded Killingsworth Home for Women.
Titled Hidden Seeds, the novel is currently an Amazon #1 new release in Women’s Religious Fiction and ranks in the top 10 on that category’s bestseller list.
Brodie has served as editor-in-chief of the 189-year-old Advocate religious newspaper since 2010. Killingsworth is a unique community residence for women who are emerging from crisis situations; it is a United Methodist-founded ministry supported by United Women in Faith.
Set in the fictional town of Dahlia, South Carolina, Hidden Seeds is the third novel in Brodie’s Amazon-bestselling Dahlia Series. Returning to Dahlia after tragedy exposes her fiancé’s betrayal, Natalie Motts rebuilds her life through art and unexpected friendship with Laney, a trafficking survivor hiding a dangerous past. When Natalie’s teenage sister vanishes, Laney must choose between protecting her hard-won safety and stepping back into darkness to bring the girl home.
“I’m fascinated by stories about people who must take risks and come out of their comfort zones to help others in their community,” Brodie said. “These are the kinds of stories that inspire great hope for all of us who are trying hard to live out our faith.”
The book is available as a paperback, audiobook and ebook on Amazon at https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DKMPX7RX and from other major retailers.
About Hidden Seeds
Some betrayals cut deeper than grief itself.
Natalie Motts never imagined she’d return to Dahlia, South Carolina—not as the golden girl who once wore the Homecoming crown, but as a shattered woman fleeing the wreckage of her life. The drunk driving accident didn’t just kill her fiancé Tucker and her best friend Stacey. It exposed a devastating secret: they were in love with each other.
Now back in her hometown, Natalie pours everything she has left into Sunstrokes, a small art shop she opens that becomes her lifeline. Between reconnecting with Finn McCafferty, the kindhearted coffee shop owner next door, and hiring Laney Ricks—a mysterious single mom with secrets in her eyes—Natalie begins to glimpse the possibility of healing.
But Laney’s past is darker than anyone knows. After eight years trapped in human trafficking, she’s risked everything to escape and build a new life for her daughter. With the world at arm’s length, she doesn’t want anyone to know anything about her past—or the threats she fears around every corner.
Just as fragile trust blooms between the two women, danger strikes close to home. Natalie’s teenage sister Hayley vanishes, and all signs point to a local trafficking ring.
Suddenly Laney must decide: stay silent and protect the safety she’s fought so hard to build, or step back into the shadows to help find Hayley before it’s too late. Together, two women with everything to lose must face the darkness threatening to destroy the people they love most.
In Dahlia, hope has deep roots—but some seeds are hidden in the hardest soil.
Book Three in the Dahlia Series, where grace meets grit, hearts are mended, and hope finds a way to flourish.
About Killingsworth
For 79 years, Killingsworth Home has been quietly nurturing women, helping them grow in faith and love so they can one day transform the world around them. While initially a boarding house for Christian women seeking higher education, today Killingsworth houses women who are emerging from crisis situations, whether addiction, incarceration, abuse or trauma, helping them learn needed skills in a safe, Christian environment before fully entering the community. Learn more about Killingsworth at Killingsworth.org.
About Jessica Brodie
Amazon bestselling Christian novelist Jessica Brodie is an award-winning author and journalist with thousands of articles to her name and a huge heart for people and their inspiring redemption stories. The author of The Memory Garden, Tangled Roots, and Hidden Seeds, she holds a master’s in English and a bachelor’s in communications. A native of Miami, Florida, she now makes her home in South Carolina with her husband Matt, four children, three cats, and one giant German Shepherd. Find her at JessicaBrodie.com or read her religious journalism at AdvocateSC.org.
