After a pile of sweet romances, sometimes you need something with... teeth. You know? And what's better than a book with a bit of both? Listen in while Lori DeJong and I chat about Mistletoe and Malice!

note: links may be affiliate links that provide me with a small commission at no extra expense to you.

This was such a fun conversation. And chatting about the fun of hiding from would-be abductors, reluctant bodyguards, and all the fun? How could it not be???

Mistletoe and Malice by Lori DeJong

After barely escaping an attempted abduction, Houston attorney Riley Hudson is forced to accept her wealthy father's demand for private security. The last thing she wants is a bodyguard—especially one as maddeningly arrogant, bossy … and handsome as Colton Blankenship. Yet as the threat against her escalates, she begins to rely not only on his skills, but his steadfast presence.

Colton isn't thrilled about giving up his hard-earned holiday vacation to protect a spoiled heiress. But he soon learns Riley is nothing like he expected. Fierce, independent, and unwavering in her faith, she's everything he thought he'd left behind after tragedy shattered his own beliefs. As the unknown threat circles closer, the tension between them ignites into something deeper … and far more perilous.

When a second attempt on Riley's life nearly succeeds, Colton faces a terrifying truth. Protecting her means risking more than just his life. Haunted by a past he can't outrun, and a faith he's all but lost, he must decide if he can trust God again … before he loses Riley—and his heart—for good.

We also talked about the final book in her True Calling series, Love's True Measure.

You can learn more about Lori (and join her newsletter!) on her WEBSITE.

Find her on GoodReads and BookBub.

Listen to the first two episodes about the True Calling series HERE and HERE.

Like to listen on the go? You can find Because Fiction Podcast at:

• Apple
• Castbox
• Google Play
• Libsyn
• RSS
• Spotify
• Amazon
• and more!

What's better than a second-chance romance? Maybe one wrapped in a beautiful women's fiction story? Listen as Rachel Hauck and I chat about her latest book, The Sands of Sea Blue Beach.

note: links may be affiliate links that provide me with a small commission at no extra expense to you.

Loves writing about characters healing their wounds and coming to the knowledge of Truth.

Psst... don't miss Meet Me at the Starlight Inn, too!

Sands of Sea Blue Beach by Rachel Hauck

Can anything rekindle the summer love between former sweethearts facing old wounds and a divided town? Emery Quinn finds herself at a crossroads between her career and complex family dynamics. Struggling to connect with her blended family and ready for a fresh start, Emery accepts the position of editor-in-chief at the Sea Blue Beach Gazette. Upon her return to the Sands Motor Motel, she is flooded with bittersweet memories of her late mother and past regrets from a long-ago summer. Architect Caleb Ransom has returned home to Sea Blue Beach, a place filled with cherished memories and potential opportunities. He means to make a difference for his family and his hometown by caring for his troubled sister's son and preserving the history of the town as the leader of the new Main Street initiative. He certainly never expected to run into Emery Quinn, the girl who captured his heart sixteen summers ago. As Emery and Caleb revive their friendship, they find themselves facing a bitterly divided town. Together, they navigate family challenges, professional setbacks, and a high-stakes royal visit to discover how forgiveness and love can reshape their hearts and their destiny.

You can find out more about Rachel on her WEBSITE. Follow her on GoodReads and BookBub.

And don't forget that you can get 30% off the book with free shipping at BakerBookHouse.com.

Like to listen on the go? You can find Because Fiction Podcast at:

• Apple
• Castbox
• Google Play
• Libsyn
• RSS
• Spotify
• Amazon
• and more!

Writing with passion for women of the past, Jane Kirkpatrick is back with Across the Crying Sands, book one of The Women of Cannon Beach. Listen in to learn about the woman who inspired this book.

note: links may be affiliate links that provide me with a small commission at no extra expense to you.

Women can be crazy resilient--using seemingly odd things to overcome difficulties. Taking on a mail route for mental health? Well, if that's what she needs, I'm all for it! I love the way Jane Kirkpatrick shows how history's women refuse to be neatly tucked into pigeon-holed boxes as a one-note. Beautiful.

Across the Crying Sands by Jane Kirkpatrick

A Tale of Uncharted Adventure and Discovery Inspired by a True Story

In 1888, Mary Edwards Gerritse is a witty and confident young woman who spends as much time as possible outdoors on the rugged Oregon coast, where she and her husband, John, have settled. The two are a formidable pair who are working hard to prove their homesteading claim and build a family. But as Mary faces struggles of young motherhood and questions about her family of origin, she realizes that life is far from the adventure she imagined it would be.

After losing the baby she's carrying, grief threatens Mary, but she finds an unconventional way to bring joy back into her life--by taking over a treacherous postal route. As Mary becomes the first female mail carrier to traverse the cliff-hugging mountain trails and remote Crying Sands Beach, with its changing tides and sudden squalls, she recaptures the spark she lost and discovers that a life without risk is no life at all.

In this inspirational historical Christian novel, a pioneer female mail carrier lives a life of resilience, including grappling with grief and the loss of a child and facing the challenges of frontier life.

You can find out more about Jane on her WEBSITE. and follow on GoodReads and BookBub.

Grab your preorder of book two at Bakerbookhouse.com HERE.

Like to listen on the go? You can find Because Fiction Podcast at:

• Apple
• Castbox
• Google Play
• Libsyn
• RSS
• Spotify
• Amazon
• and more!

Chapter books about sharing Jesus with the world? Yes, please! Listen in as Jenny Marcelene and I chat about her new series and the heart behind her stories.

note: links may be affiliate links that provide me with a small commission at no extra expense to you.

I keep thinking of this series as "Jumanji meets The Chosen Kids" but for new readers. How cool is that!

Christmas is coming, and this would be a great stocking stuffer for a new reader in your life!

The Dreamer by Jenny Marcelene

Join God's Global Plan

Ten-year-old Jason is unsure if God is still at work around the world. That is, until he and his younger brother, Fred, discover a board game that transports them to countries across the globe. But one mistake could mean being stuck in a country with no way home.

In The Dreamer, Jason and Fred must fulfill a strange mission to deliver a holy book to a dreamer in Afghanistan. If only the brothers knew who. Can they lose the mysterious person following them and figure out who needs the book before time runs out? Find out in this first book in Jenny Marcelene's To the Ends series.

To the Ends is an international adventure series helping children ages 6-10 cultivate a biblical worldview and spark prayer for the nations.

Learn more about Jenny on her WEBSITE and follow her on GoodReads and BookBub.

Like to listen on the go? You can find Because Fiction Podcast at:

• Apple
• Castbox
• Google Play
• Libsyn
• RSS
• Spotify
• Amazon
• and more!

Sometimes, the dystopian worlds of good fiction feel all too familiar when it shouldn't. Listen in to see why I couldn't help but draw parallels between the worlds of J. L. Burrows' Freefalling and certain sections of the world today.

note: links may be affiliate links that provide me with a small commission at no extra expense to you.

Not only did we talk about Burrows' dystopian world, we also discussed the education system today and how it is and isn't serving our children.

Freefalling by J. L. Burrows

Under the Dome, peace reigns ... forcefully.

One hundred and eighty years in the future, the U.S. government eradicates warfare and violence.

Serenity should feel safe, but she doesn't.

Serenity Knowles knows two things for certain. Finishing her government assigned community service as a teacher is mandatory in order to start her adult life. And stopping those in power from reconditioning two of her favorite students will ruin her chances at a future and a life.

Everything she thought she once knew to be true, suddenly is now in question after her typically peaceful girls fight in plain view of everyone at school. The Federal Bureau of Acceptance storms in and collects them both for reconditioning—chemical brainwashing. With no one to help, Serenity is driven into a wild rescue and escape plan. The girls can't be made into shadow children, brainwashed and limited to a menial future.

All that stands between the overreaching government and her girls is Serenity's budding faith, a furry beast companion, her modified illegal AI, and a ragtag group of men and women set against the use of cutting-edge technology and genetically modified bio-weapons on citizens under the Dome. If any of them get caught, they will be reconditioned. If they don't move fast enough, the girls will be lost. If she doesn't become a hero, any hope of a real future will be forfeit.

In her transformation from a teacher with a broken family to a radical defector leading a team of rebels, Sere discovers America's deadliest threat—its own government.

Also, don't miss Parabolic Orbits--Jesus' parables told in SCI FI worlds. EEEP!

Wonders within the Starlit Inn is a great idea for Christmas!!!

Learn more about on WEBSITE and follow on GoodReads and BookBub.

Like to listen on the go? You can find Because Fiction Podcast at:

• Apple
• Castbox
• Google Play
• Libsyn
• RSS
• Spotify
• Amazon
• and more!

Some authors know just how to tug at my heartstrings before I even open the book. Listen in to see why I'm eager to read Katie Powner's latest book, When the Road Comes Around.

note: links may be affiliate links that provide me with a small commission at no extra expense to you.

If you're looking for books with depth, tackling tough topics with gentleness and grace, look no further. Powner shares her heart for story in this interview. You don't want to miss her books. They're sure to soothe the soul and point you to Jesus.

When the Road Comes Around by Katie Powner

Only trouble can bring about the beauty of redemption and grace. In the small town of Grady, Montana, twenty-four-year-old Tad Bungley has a reputation for trouble. When he lands a job at Come Around Ranch, however, his life seems to take a positive turn. As he develops a soft spot for Sam, the ranch owner's disabled son, and a special bond with TJ, a rescue horse with a poor reputation of his own, Tad becomes determined not to bungle it up this time. Forty-eight-year-old Anita Wilson is too young to feel so old, but rheumatoid arthritis limits her ability to work on the guest ranch she owns with her husband. It was a risk to hire Tad for the summer, but Anita is convinced he just needs a bit of encouragement to find his footing. What she doesn't anticipate is that Tad's presence at the ranch will change everything, including her relationship with her son. And when Tad finds himself in more of a mess than ever, he and Anita must learn when to hold on, when to let go, and what grace really means.

Learn more about on WEBSITE and follow on GoodReads and BookBub.

Like to listen on the go? You can find Because Fiction Podcast at:

• Apple
• Castbox
• Google Play
• Libsyn
• RSS
• Spotify
• Amazon
• and more!

The one-year anniversary for book one of the Dauntless Defenders is TODAY! Listen in to my chat with Taylor S. Newport and learn all about the series and the latest in it, No Time to Die.

note: links may be affiliate links that provide me with a small commission at no extra expense to you.

The Dauntless Defenders series novels do not stand alone. Be sure to read the first book first.

By the time we got done talking about these books, I was ready to forget the book I NEEDED to work on and just read for a few days. Can you blame me?

No Time to Die by Taylor S Newport

The enemy believes the battle is nearly over, but he's just getting started.

Sector 17 has tried to silence the Ghost of Oz, but he doesn't back down. Back on the hunt, Tyler Reid uncovers chilling truths that challenge everything he knows about his enemy and the woman who works for them. Caught between protecting a Russian heiress and the job she has to do, Tyler starts to question who he can rely on.

Alexandra "Alex" Romanova has been told who she is, but fragmented memories hint at a past she's reluctant to reclaim—a past far darker than what she remembers. When Tyler offers her a chance to escape her cruel boss at Sector 17, the plight of young recruits being turned into killers weighs heavily on her conscience. She's determined to give them the same freedom she's found, but doesn't realize that in doing so she has put them all at risk.

As the head of Sector 17 clings to power, Tyler and Alex are caught in the middle of a deadly war for lives, freedom, and revenge. With enemies closing in on all sides, they can't save everyone. The stakes are higher than ever—there is no time to die.

Don't miss book three on January 23, 2026.

Learn more about Taylor on her WEBSITE and follow her on GoodReads and BookBub.

Like to listen on the go? You can find Because Fiction Podcast at:

• Apple
• Castbox
• Google Play
• Libsyn
• RSS
• Spotify
• Amazon
• and more!

When I looked at the cover of These Blue Mountains by Sarah Loudin Thomas, I couldn't help but think of the cover from the early editions of Anne of Green Gables. Listen in to see what Sarah has to say about that.

note: links may be affiliate links that provide me with a small commission at no extra expense to you.

We talked about so much that I have a hard time remembering everything, but I loved hearing about how Sarah writes the stories that inspired previous books and her next one, too.

Inspired by the book, The German Invasion of Western North Carolina by Jacqueline Burgin Painter

These Blue Mountains by Sarah Loudin Thomas

A moving story of love, betrayal, and the enduring power of hope in the face of darkness. German pianist Hedda Schlagel's world collapsed when her fiancé, Fritz, vanished after being sent to an enemy alien camp in the United States during the Great War. Fifteen years later, in 1932, Hedda is stunned to see Fritz's name in a photograph of an American memorial for German seamen who died near Asheville, North Carolina. Determined to reclaim his body and bring closure to his ailing mother, Hedda travels to the US. Her quest takes a shocking turn when, rather than Fritz's body, his casket contains the remains of a woman who died under mysterious circumstances. Local deputy Garland Jones thought he'd left that dark chapter behind when he helped bury Fritz Meyer's coffin. The unexpected arrival of Hedda, a long-suffering yet captivating woman, forces him to confront how much of the truth he really knows. As they work together to uncover the identity of the woman in the casket and to unravel Fritz's fate, Hedda and Garland grow closer. But with Hedda in the US on borrowed time while Hitler rises to power in Germany, she fears she'll be forced to return home before she can put the ghosts of her past to rest.

Learn more about Sarah on her WEBSITE and follow her on GoodReads and BookBub.

Like to listen on the go? You can find Because Fiction Podcast at:

• Apple
• Castbox
• Google Play
• Libsyn
• RSS
• Spotify
• Amazon
• and more!

When Lara d'Entremont began describing her YA portal fantasy, The Painted Fairytale, I knew this would be right up my alley. Listen in and see how art becomes the portal to other worlds!

note: links may be affiliate links that provide me with a small commission at no extra expense to you.

Portal fantasy is my favorite, so I was crazy excited to learn about this one--especially the art tie-in. I can't wait to dive in myself.

We chatted about her characters, the world, and the faith that connects them.

The Painted Fairytale by Lara d'Entremont

Seventeen-year-old Wren Devine refuses to share her art with anyone-other than her parents and her sister (who died three years prior). But when her mother submits her artwork to a mentorship program, and she gets accepted, Wren is forced to display her artwork for the eccentric Professor Hayes. Despite her fears, Wren hopes this mentorship will finally make her as worthy as her sister.

But this mentorship is about more than painting.

Wren soon learns that she has a magical ability to turn her paintings into portals to travel not only to other places but also to another world entirely. An eerie children's book in the professor's classroom reveals a wicked pirate with a vengeance who has her eye on Stefan Branson, a former student of Professor Hayes.

As all four of these lives intersect, it becomes apparent that everyone has a secret--some more deadly than others. The longer these secrets brew, the more deadly and heavy they become, and possibly lead to never seeing her former, earthly realm again. Wren must not only learn to release the shadow of her beloved sister but step boldly into her own world.

Learn more about Lara on her WEBSITE and follow her on GoodReads.or on Subtack.

Like to listen on the go? You can find Because Fiction Podcast at:

• Apple
• Castbox
• Google Play
• Libsyn
• RSS
• Spotify
• Amazon
• and more!

Oh, boy! Patricia Bradley is at it again! When you hear the lengths this author goes through to get things right, you can see why she's so beloved. Listen in for a chat about On the Edge of Trust!

note: links may be affiliate links that provide me with a small commission at no extra expense to you.

Okay, so maybe Patricia didn't ask a ranger where a good place to hide a body is this time, but she sure did have a lot of fun research stories to tell.

This Logan Point novel will keep you on your toes. I can't wait to get started.

On the Edge of Trust by Patricia Bradley

Sometimes the closer you get to justice, the deadlier it becomes When decorated FBI undercover agent Scott Sinclair suffers a gunshot wound in his right arm, the injury threatens his future career in the field. He is determined to regain his former job by training himself to use his left hand, and failure is not an option--especially when he's unofficially pulled into an investigation. Tori Mitchell is a passionate crime reporter and podcaster who has dedicated her life to seeking justice. Her relentless pursuit of the truth has freed a wrongfully convicted man from prison, making Tori an enemy of the true killer. When her nephew is accused of a different murder, nothing can stop her from getting involved and clearing his name. Soon after Tori and Scott reconnect on the case, shots are fired, leaving them to wonder which of them has been targeted. As the investigation intensifies, so do the threats and the sparks between them, but Tori's doubtful if she can extend grace and trust to Scott. They'll have to combine their skills and rely on their growing relationship to outsmart the killer.

Learn more about Patricia and her books at PTBradley.com and PatriciaBradleyBooks.com! Don't forget to follow her on BookBub and GoodReads.

Like to listen on the go? You can find Because Fiction Podcast at:

• Apple
• Castbox
• Google Play
• Libsyn
• RSS
• Spotify
• Amazon
• and more!