Becca Kinzer is the award-winning author of romantic comedies like Dear Henry, Love Edith. I LOVED First Love, Second Draft, a book of second-chance love and forced proximity, so it was such fun to talk about it with Becca. I think we could also bond over our fondness of Jimmy Stewart, but we didn't dive down that rabbit hole in today's conversation. What we did talk about is the way love and second-chance love give us a chance to dig deeper and explore God's heart and character. We talked about her journey in writing and how she writes. And we just had a fun conversation. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

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It is always a delight to share my friend Jaime Jo Wright with y'all. In November, we were at the Christy Awards, and it was a thrill to watch her win the Christy for mystery/suspense/thriller. Y'all, I don't want to go head-to-head against this amazing writer. I can say this because I love Jaime and her writing. Jaime's books fill an interesting niche: Christian gothic. What is that? I'm glad you asked because that's what we will start this Book Talk discussing.

Then we move on to her new novel, The Tempest of Annabel's Lighthouse. This story was the first idea that Jaime had, and it's now coming to you. I can't wait to see what you think of it. Then we move on to discuss what makes a great hero, and I think her definition will surprise you. As will whether she reads her reviews and which of her books she'd love to see turned into a movie. As always, you will enjoy this conversation with Jaime.

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There are some episodes of Book Talk that are a special treat and today's is one of those. Sarah Arthur and I met briefly at the Christy Awards where everyone was abuzz about her nominated novel Once a Queen. What I learned quickly is that novel and her latest, Once a Castle, are heavily influenced by her love of Tolkein, Lewis and L'Engle. She has written many non-fiction works including A Walk with Frodo and A Light so Lovely, now sitting on my TBR pile, which explore the themes and lives of books and great authors. Those influences dash across the pages of her novels.

I so enjoyed this conversation that covered everything from the difference in writing a first novel over 20 years versus a second in 8 months and the way fiction and nonfiction are so vastly different to write. We also explored the themes of her books and the joys she finds in writing -- it's such a sweet joy -- I don't want to spoil it for you. My Amazon cart filled, and I can't wait to hear what you love most about meeting this delightful author.

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Kim Vogel Sawyer and I have been friends since we served on the ACFW board together, so it is a delight to have her on Book Talk today as we talk about her next book Hope's Enduring Echo. I loved hearing about how she came up with the idea for a book set in Colorado in 1915 with dinosaur bones and line walkers. It's always so fascinating to hear the story behind how a book comes to be. Kim is a meticulous researcher, so I loved learning about how a trip to the Colorado Springs area led to the story idea.

But I know you'll also love learning about how she got the idea for her characters and the layers in this story. Kim is a delight, and you'll enjoy the chance to meet her and learn more about her journey to writing and how she became an author of more than 60 novels. It's quite the story.

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Today it's my pleasure to introduce you to my writing friend Patricia Johns. She has written more than 20 novels, so it is well past time to have her on Book Talk. Her best-selling Amish novels have been delighting readers, but I can't wait for y'all to dive into Green Pastures. It's a twist on the genre because the heroine is returning after leaving to get married and attend vet school, only now she's divorced and has to find a way to be true to who she is while also returning to her Amish family and roots. I would call Green Pastures a blend of romance and women's fiction and one that pulls you into a story of family and sisters.

I really enjoyed talking with Patricia about her writing journey and her encouragement that we should never give up. As she says, we haven't lost until we quit. We never know how close we are to a breakthrough. There's a readership for the book as long as we try. This was such a fun conversation. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

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Today it's a delight to have my friend Crystal Caudill back on Book Talk. The last time I saw her was at the Christy Award Ceremony in November when we were both finalists in the Short Form category for our novellas in We Three Kings, the collection we wrote along with Angela Strong for Kregel. It was such fun celebrating with her when she won! Today we are talking about her latest novel Written in Secret, a romantic mystery set in the Gilded Age. This novel is a hoot with plenty of fun moments and intrigue. The balance is really impeccable. I also think you'll enjoy our conversation about how this story grew out of a sentence in another book. It really is a madcap adventure in some ways. Enjoy the journey and the fun!

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Elizabeth Goddard and I have been writing friends for a long time, and her romantic suspense novels are some of my favorites. Storm Warning is one that races from the first page with the perfect blend of romance and intense suspense. What I didn't realize until we talked is that there are actual lodges like the one in this novel where people retreat to watch storms blow in. A perfect setting for a suspense novel!

When we talked about what a hero has to have, Elizabeth was quick to say he has to be strong, which is why her heroes tend to have a military or law enforcement background. I personally love the way Hawk is determined to look after Remi, even when she's not sure she can trust anyone. And Remi can take care of herself. It's a great combination of a hero and heroine in this novel.

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Y'all, there are some people that I just love getting to introduce you to and Sarah Monzonis one of them. Her book An Overdue Matchis a fun romantic comedy with real depth to it. Those two things don't always go together, so when they do, I think it's a real treat. And sometimes a book is very personal to an author. An Overdue Match is that kind of book for Sarah Monzon. The heroine, Evangeline suffers from an autoimmune disease that someone close to Sarah does, and she wanted to give representation to that illness. This romantic comedy is filled with hope even as it deals with self-confidence and what it means to be so different from everyone else and wonder if you can still be feminine. Add in a hero who just wants to spend time with her and it's a fun story that is an ode to books. There's something special when two people who love books get in the same space. This conversation contains that spark and I think you'll really enjoy it.

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Today I've taken a slight detour with Book Talk by inviting my friend Jill Williamson to join us. She writes amazing fantasy and creates worlds that readers adore. If y'all know me, you know that's not usually the book I'll grab first, but Jill is a friend who does it so well! While Jill and I had a great time talking about her brand-new novel, Squire of Truth, we also loved talking about writing. Her Medieval fantasy started with a dream and she's never looked back. She has too many ideas and doesn't love first drafts, but loves it when the story is working. I know you'll love learning more about Jill and her books.

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I always love celebrating an author's debut novel with them and chatting with Janya Breigh about her first novel The Hunted Heir was a delight!

Jayna worked for ten years to see her dream come true, but she has loved words since her mother first started reading books like Pat the Bunny and Go Dog Go to her. Because she is an attorney who practiced in the LA area in Trusts and Estates litigation, it was natural for her to add those elements to her book when she turned to romantic suspense with a legal twist. We talked about her favorite authors as well as what she would tell herself if she could go back and give advice to Jayna who started the writing journey.

I think you'll enjoy meeting Jayna and learning more about her books.

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