Becoming a Woman of Beauty and Strength: Esther »

The reigning queen of the British mystery, it turns out, is an Ohio native living in Washington State. Best known for her Inspector Lynley series, Elizabeth George says that what drives her books is the psychological goings-on of her characters. She doesn't even mind, she says, if readers figure out the killer before the end -- the motive will always be a surprise.

Esther was in the right place at the right time. When God’s guiding hand made her queen over a foreign race, she used her influence to save her people. Women of every age and walk of life will discover how to—

• cultivate an abiding trust in God
• depend wholly upon God in prayer
• prepare for and persist in the assignments God gives

As women are obedient to God’s leading, they will find strength and inner beauty flowing through them as they positively affect the lives of those around them.