Crushed Hopes and Hopeful Beginnings

<p class=ql-align-center><strong style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>Crushed Hopes and Hopeful Beginnings: a Roman-era adventure with dangerous choices unlikely friendships and world views in conflict.</strong></p><p class=ql-align-center><span style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1)> </span></p><p class=ql-align-center><em style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>Can God work all things for good if you don't even think he's real?</em></p><p class=ql-align-center><span style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1)> </span></p><p><span style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>Lusario was content in Cyrene as part of the Philandros household. After he returns from serving the youngest son Diokles while he studies in Alexandria Lusario expects to become a paid tutor for his master earning the money to buy his freedom. But when Diokles uses him to pay a gambling debt he must go to Carthago as the slave of a man who hates him. His once-bright future is gone forever. So why does his Christian friend Timon insist things will turn out so much better than he expects?</span></p><p><span style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1)> </span></p><p><span style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>But Carthago brings new people like Caelus Martinus and new possibilities into Lusario's hopeless world. Could Timon be right? When Lusario sees a chance to escape his fate will going for it give him a future again or only hasten his death?</span></p><p><span style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1)> </span></p><p><em style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>Crushed Hopes and Hopeful Beginnings</em><span style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1)> is a short novel about the turbulent lives of Lusario and his friends three years before Carol Ashby's next full-length novel </span><em style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>River of Life</em><span style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1)> when two of them embark on a journey up the Nile that changes everything.</span></p><p><span style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1)> </span></p><p><span style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>This is a fabulous ancient-world series of novels that follow the lives of fictional early Christians. Carol is meticulous with her research and a true expert on Ancient Rome! History lovers and those who enjoy my biblical books are going to LOVE this series! -- Roseanna White best-selling author and Christy Award winner.</span></p><p><span style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1)> </span></p><p><span style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1)> If you enjoy the Roman-era Biblical fiction of Tessa Afshar and Francine River's Mark of the Lion series you'll love the stand-alone novels of the Light in the Empire series.</span></p>