Fiction Friday: New Releases in Christian Fiction

 

August 2026 New Releases

More in-depth descriptions of these books can be found on the ACFW Fiction Finder website

Contemporary Romance:

Not My Hero by Michelle Bolanger -- She lost everything… except the chance to begin again. He has everything… except the freedom to follow his heart. "Not My Hero" is a modern retelling of the Biblical Book of Ruth. (Contemporary Romance, Independently Published)

What About the Song? by Rebecca Reed -- What About the Song? is a kisses-only, faith-forward, contemporary Christian romance set in Nashville, perfect for readers who love equine therapy, wounded-hero, and music-driven slow-burn love stories. (Contemporary Romance from Moonsong Publishing)

Her Reluctant Amish Heart by Pamela Desmond Wright -- When a reckless street race injures her brother, Anika Glick wants nothing to do with the man responsible—especially when he’s sentenced to help her family. But Elam Muller is desperate to prove he’s changed. As they work together on her family farm, Anika finds herself drawn to Elam’s remorse and kindness. But when they're presented with one last risky race that could secure their future or destroy it all, everything they’ve built is put to the test. Will their growing love survive the pull of the past—or will it all come crashing down? (Contemporary Romance from Love Inspired [Harlequin])

General Historical:

Keeping Thessalonica by Jenifer Jennings -- In the port city of Thessalonica, Persis, a daughter of Persia and bondservant of Aristarchus, is forever changed when she encounters the teachings of Jesus and learns of His imminent return. (General Historical, Independently Published)

Sibella’s Stand by Naomi Musch -- A woman on the New York frontier, whose husband has gone to fight, must use her wits to protect herself and a young girl when enemy forces arrive at her door. (General Historical, Independently Published)

Historical Romance: A Lady Unveiled by Sandra Ardoin -- Frustrated with her present life, Issy Krueger seeks to reclaim the independence that defined her as the black sheep in her family. Then secret, romantic notes arrive to lift her spirits—until the words escalate into veiled threats. As tragedy strikes and fear mounts, Issy’s best chance of survival could come from the man who once broke her heart. (Historical Romance, Independently Published)

A Contrary Betrothal by Denise Farnsworth -- A Cherokee lieutenant, a colonel’s daughter, and a desperate fight to protect both land and love. (Formerly published as Bent Tree Bride). (Historical Romance from Wild Heart Books)

The Darling’s Daughter by Sydney Schmied -- In 1912, Chillicothe, Ohio, a painter lands a job at a local theater in hopes of discovering the truth behind her stage actress mother's murder, while enlisting the help of an architect battling his own secrets. (Historical Romance from Wild Heart Books)

The Heiress and the Woodsman by Christine Hill Suntz -- She’s a city-bred heiress chasing a brother in trouble. He’s a rugged settler with everything to lose. What begins as a desperate bargain becomes a journey of hope, healing, and a love neither saw coming. (Historical Romance from Tyndale House)

Military Action/Adventure:

Stars and Stripes for Freedom by Delores Topliff, Jennie Atkins, Ellen E. Withers, Shirley Gould, and Cindy Bonds -- With admiration for the women in all five branches of our military, these high action stories present five intelligent seasoned warriors who risk everything to protect the land of the free and the home of the brave. (Military Action/Adventure from TrueNorth Publishing)

Romantic Suspense:

Mad Dog by Sara Davison -- Nothing was worth what it had cost him to walk away. In the next eight seconds, he will achieve everything he ever thought he wanted. Or he will die. (Romantic Suspense, Independently Published)

When the Silence Breaks by Elizabeth Goddard -- A deathbed confession. A decades-old secret. A mountain that holds the answers--and danger closing in. (Romantic Suspense from Revell [Baker Publishing Group])

The Last Noel by Sarah Hamaker, Kimberley Woodhouse, and Jayna Breigh -- The Last Noel is a riveting Christmas novella collection with suspense, intrigue, and second-chance romance. The stories are "Do you see What I See?," (Hamaker) "Do You Hear What I Hear?" (Breigh) and "Do You Know What I Know?" (Woodhouse). (Romantic Suspense Novella Collection from Kregel Publications)

Speculative/Time Travel:

Braving Red Waters by Sarah Hanks -- Phoebe Bristow has spent a decade guarding her heart after her father walked out and shattered her family. When she touches a mysterious antique mailbox aboard a whale-watching cruise in Baja California and wakes up in Civil War St. Louis, she must learn to trust again, first the quick-witted man who greets her on shore, then the God who placed her there for reasons she cannot yet understand. Back on the cruise, her mother Erica clings to the mailbox as the only thread connecting her to her missing daughter, while a thoughtful marine biologist, Rodney Duncan, steadily dismantles the walls around her wounded heart. Together and apart, mother and daughter discover that the courage to love again may be the most dangerous mission of all. (Speculative/Time Travel, Independently Published)

Jezebel’s Children by Lynne Basham Tagawa -- Historian Geneva Fielding and physicist Peter Donatelli travel back in time to document the trial of Anne Hutchinson, but they find themselves caught in a web of politics, doctrinal disputes, and colonial intrigue. A dystopian time travel story where faith, gentle romance, and even humor overwhelm the dark elements. (Speculative/Time Travel from Blue Rock Press)

 

Plus check out these recent additions to Fiction Finder published within the past month:

Disguised Love by Marie E. Bast -- Disguised Love: An Inspirational Victorian-Era Sweet Marriage of Convenience Romance Set on the Western Frontier During the Cholera Epidemic. (Historical Romance)

The Robber and the Witness by Danielle Grandinetti -- Wisconsin, 1931—When Gideon Lundgren agrees to escort his best friend's sister to Manitowish Waters, plans go awry when she witnesses a robbery. (Historical Romance)

Passionate Pursuit by Pamela Jo Harstad -- Difficult backgrounds in the midst of threatening life challenges make having a relationship and safety almost impossible. (Romantic Suspense)

Sweet Dare by Sally Jo Pitts -- A research biologist and curious youngsters are accused of unleashing a curse when a honeymooning couple is unearthed in an Indian burial mound. (Romantic Suspense)

Sunset Pointe: The Baby Between Us by Brenda Poulos -- On the day before her Senior Prom, Karla finds out that her boyfriend, Jonathan, has fathered a baby with her best friend, Missy. (General Contemporary)

Ribbons of Guilt by Laura Thomas -- In the charming English village of Bramble Downs, threads of betrayal unravel the sickening truth as a ballerina’s family is stalked by a delusional murderer… (Romantic Suspense)

Talkshow Thursday: Welcome Caryl McAdoo!

 

Inspiration for “Great Is Thy Faithfulness”

By Caryl McAdoo

Thank you, Linda for inviting me to visit!

I’ve always loved God’s music, and several years ago, the idea struck me that writing stories based on favorite old hymns would make a great multi-author collection. Was it me or God’s Spirit prompting me? The idea kept coming back again and again until I organized it, so I believe Holy Spirit initiated it.

I chose to call it “Hymns to Stir the Heartstrings Collection.”

To open it to more authors—and considering I was writing a personal End Times series I intended to use my hymn titles for—I left the genre open. All are Christian based (no cursing or on-scene intimacies), but they could be historical, contemporary, or futuristic, romance, thriller, or mystery!

 
My first book for that collection debuted in February 2026, TRUST & OBEY. The second book

launches next month, GREAT IS THY FAITHFULNESS. These titles are also a part of my “Days of Trouble” End Times series wherein each book represents one year of the coming seven-year tribulation.

These main characters are descendants of my Texas Romance Family Saga series. Readers have followed the Nightingale family beginning with little Charley, born in captivity as the blonde, blue-eyed son of Commanche chief, Bold Eagle (not his blood father, obviously) and Sassy back in 1852. He’s introduced in HEARTS STOLEN, book two. Charley stole my heart when he brought his mother a sparrow and ordered her to cook it when only four.

His son with Lacey (readers were there for her birth in that same book two), Nathaniel Nightingale, grows up to be a tent preacher with a great healing ministry. He married Evelyn Eversole who readers got to know in Book Eight, COVERING LOVE. She’s one of my favorite heroines! He and Evelyn had a son, Broderick Eversole Nightingale, known as Buddy.

So he has a gift of singing and often heard the angels’ harmonies. He identified with King David, his favorite Bible character who besides being a psalmist, loved women as much as Buddy did . . . and the ladies loved him as well. In CHIEF OF SINNERS, the tenth and final book of the series, while married to Abigail, Buddy fathers a son, John David Nightingale, with his first true love, Sandra Harris.

Oh, what a tangled web, right?

This family has been sorely tempted and tried over more than a century from 1840s through 1970s. Many Nightingales sinned and fell far short of God’s glory—as have we all—but they repent and are redeemed.

John David—he goes by David—earned his own short series, “The Revivalist Trilogy” with his wife, Hannah. They are the main couple followed through the “Days of Trouble” End Times series.

I know these awesome people like they’re real. They so love God, yet, I understand how they got into their troubles through bad choices. Don’t we all make them? Readers count my characters as family or beloved neighbors! 😊 You just get so involved with them and know them so well, you keep wanting to know more of their lives, as I did—and still do.

So, GREAT IS THY FAITHFULNESS finds us in Year Three of the tribulation’s prophesied seven, and God’s sweet mercies still flowing new every morning. His everlasting faithfulness abounds toward David as His servant obediently follows Father’s direction.

Times are getting hard as the spirit of the anti-Christ’s is loosed, and evil runs rampant in the world.

The story encourages readers to hang on and trust God, because no matter how hard things get. He is faithful. He never leaves His children or forsakes them. Miracles abound as God is glorified with around the clock prayer—a vision that includes a wheel within a wheel from Ezekiel that David had seen many years before in a vision.

We, His children, will not suffer His wrath, but that wrath will be all around us as He takes care of our enemies. The fields are ripe for the harvest, and the worst of times for many become the best of times for those who trust God and are obedient to His Word. Jesus said we—His own—the Church—would do the things He did and greater, right? But that hasn’t happened yet!

However, so many Christians are disillusioned in our story because they find themselves still here when they expected to be raptured before those terrible days such as the world has never seen or will see again. They believed false teachers in the pulpits, and their faith is shaken to its core.

GIVEAWAY: I’d like to gift JOHN DAVID’S CALLING, Book One in the “Revivalist Trilogy” to all of Linda’s readers today and have arranged for it to be free at Amazon from Thursday, August 20th through Monday, the 24th! Please feel free to share this link with your friends and family who love reading Christian fiction!

Here’s the link to get your copy: https://www.amazon.com/John-Davids-Calling-Revivalist-Book-ebook/dp/B07B6WJNZ3

My author’s motto is praying my story gives God glory. I rejoice that many of my 4 and 5-Star reviews say that is the case! I hope you think so. I appreciate you taking the time to read JOHN DAVID’S CALLING and leaving a review for me. Of course, you’re likely to want to read Book Two, HANNAH CLAIRE’S WILDERNESS, and Book Three, KING DAVID’S TABERNACLE! Then you’ll be ready and set to start the “Days of Trouble” End Times series with Year One already under your belt!

Love and hugs and Blessings!

About Caryl McAdoo

Praying her story gives God glory, award-winning author Caryl McAdoo writes stories honoring Christ from The Peaceable Farm & Bookery in the piney woods of Northeast Texas, where she and her husband Ron are building a legacy of faith, family, and hospitality. Her bestselling books earn thousands of 5-star reviews from readers around the world and span the genres from historical and contemporary romance to Biblical fiction, historical mystery, and titles for children. Caryl also enjoys sharing the new songs God gives her (https://www.youtube.com/@CarylMcAdoo) and awaits the next door He will open for the McAdoos.

All photos courtesy of Caryl McAdoo

On Tour: Felons & Finders

 

About the Book

Book: FELONS & FINDERS (Granite & Gloss Rescuers: Book 2)

Author: LR STRONG

Genre: Christian Suspense

Release Date: January 18, 2026

Powerful forces hide the most dangerous felons.

Jake Granite is more determined than ever to take down every criminal he possibly can—especially those targeting the most vulnerable. But even working with his private investigation team and law enforcement task forces, it’s been impossible. They always arrive at the scene of the crime too late. It’s infuriating. Who is at the top and who are the informers?

Tarina Gloss has commissions for sculptures and paintings but no time to work on them. After unexpectedly being pulled into Jake’s work, she is eager to save every victim she can. But she’s not equipped or experienced in this type of work. What can she possibly do to help?

Jake and Tarina discover a new partner wants to join them. He’s the Finder, and no felon can hide from him. The only problem is that the Finder only gives them confusing clues—or sets them up to stumble on the criminals in action. He does things in unpredictable ways each time, so they never know what to expect.

Soon they are in over their heads. Tragedies happen, leaving them confused. Can they handle working with the Finder? Most of all, can they trust him?

 

Click here to get your copy!

 

About the Author

LR Strong is a writer, editor, singer, songwriter, photographer, and people watcher. Her life is colored by synesthesia, and she views others through the lens of spiritual gifts. She’s equally creative and cerebral—her first career was computer programming. Her deepest loves are Jesus, family, friends, and her three delightful rescue cats. And eating dark chocolate while reading a riveting book.

 

 

More from LR

I experience life in colorful and unusual ways because I have synesthesia. Do you know what that is? Most people don’t. You can experience living with synesthesia through my main heroine, Tarina. She’s also a strong believer who has spiritual gifts. I pair her up with a hardcore ex-LAPD cop, now criminal detective, who relies solely on his street smarts and physical abilities. These two opposites are thrown together in deadly situations and have to combine their unique strengths to not only survive, but take down criminals and save victims. In the process they help save each other.

Interview with LR Strong

What is your favorite thing about being a writer? I’m a professional editor and editing instructor, so I edit other people’s writing or teach editors the rules. I’m good at it, but it’s not creative. When I’m a writer, I’m free to write about anything I want to. That’s a lot of fun for me.

What was one of the most surprising things you learned in creating your books? Since I’ve been an editor for so long, it doesn’t transfer to writing. I have to use a completely different part of my brain as a writer. In fact, even though I know all the rules, I have to use professional editors to review my writing!

How are your characters like you? Different? I have synesthesia, so I enjoy writing about what it’s like to live with synesthesia through my heroine, Tarina. Readers have commented on how fascinating it is. I also have spiritual gifts like Tarina, so I can write from my heart about those. Jake is very different than me. I’ve never been an LAPD Gangs and Narcs cop or a private detective. So I do a lot of research to make the facts accurate. However, it’s easy for me to write about his heart. We all go through struggles, conflicts, and growth through life experiences.

How do you come up with story lines/book topic? People are filled with so much fear and anxiety, so I write stories specifically to show others how to walk confidently with God. My closest companion is the Lord. He helps me in every situation I face, and He has even done miracles in my life. I write stories that will both entertain and encourage readers.

Why do you write in your particular genre? I enjoy Christian suspense because I like action. But I have to really like the characters, and the plot can’t be predictable (or I’ll stop reading). So I write clean Christian suspense that I would enjoy reading. Along with nonstop action and suspense, my stories are about deep relationships with God and others. That’s the heart and motivation of my writing. I also write cozy mysteries about C9, a rescue cat, based on a real cat I had. Those are lighthearted, but full of action and unexpected situations.

Blog Stops

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, August 8

Stories By Gina, August 9 (Author Interview)

Book Looks by Lisa, August 9

Blossoms and Blessings, August 10 (Author Interview)

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, August 11

Jodie Wolfe – Stories Where Hope and Quirky Meet, August 12 (Author Interview)

Texas Book-aholic, August 13

Books, Books, & More Books, August 14 (Author Interview)

For Him and My Family, August 15

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, August 16 (Author Interview)

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, August 17

Books Less Travelled, August 18 (Author Interview)

History, Hope & Happily Ever After, August 19 (Author Interview)

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, August 19

Paula’s Pad of Inspiration, August 20 (Author Interview)

Lily’s Corner, August 21

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, L.R. is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon Gift Card and an ebook of Granite & Gloss (book 1) and Felons & Finders (book 2)!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://gleam.io/hxQVd/felons-finders-celebration-tour-giveaway

Teatime Tuesday: American Tea Companies

 

Teatime Tuesday: American Tea Companies

Continuing with my dive into tea companies thanks to our jigsaw puzzle, this month’s post is about American companies. (You can check out the post about British companies here: http://www.lindashentonmatchett.com/2026/07/teatime-tuesday-british-tea-companies.html.

We all know about the “Boston Tea Party” when hundreds of pounds of tea were dumped into Boston Harbor setting off events that led to the American Revolutionary War. Because of that, coffee became the drink of choice for most American citizens until the mid-1800s when congress imposed an import duty to help pay for the Civil War. For every pound of tea purchased, the federal government received fifteen cents. The duty on coffee was four cents per pound, but when the government became the primary buyer to supply the drink to soldiers, the market collapsed.

Savvy businessmen and marketers, George Gilman and George Huntington Hartford saw an opportunity

and changed the name of company from Gilman & Company to The Great American Tea Company. As one site put it, Gilman “assumed with the word “great” in the name people would assume it was a “great” company. He wasn’t wrong. By the end of 1862, they were operating five stores in New York City. The company continued to grow and after the war was renamed The Great Atlantic and Pacific Tea Co. The transcontinental railroad was completed in 1869 giving the company greater access to the rest of the nation. In honor of the railroad’s completion, the company adopted the acronym A&P. By 1878 A&P had stores in Buffalo, Baltimore, Cleveland, Milwaukee, Newark, and Washington, DC.

Other food products were soon added to the business, and by 1881, they had a chain of more than one hundred grocery stores and had a delivery route of more than 5,000 homes. By 1915, they operated more than 1,600 stores. Coffee was added to the mix, and by 1941 Eight O’Clock coffee was the best-selling brand worldwide. The tea company was no more.

Ferndell, another brand featured on the jigsaw puzzle, began in 1862 as part of the Sprague Warner Company as a retailer of coffee, tea, and spices. The company is said to have done well, but little information could be found other than to say it “shuttered its doors in the 1990s.”

R.C. Bigelow, Inc. (known as Bigelow Tea Company) was founded in New York City in 1945 by Ruth C. Bigelow and remains a family-run company today. Intriguingly, Mrs. Bigelow was an interior design, not a tea maker by trade. Her first tea was “Constant Comment,” a black tea flavored with orange rinds, a recipe inspired by a colonial tea recipe. Mention in The New York Times by food writer Jane Holt gave the tea the boost it needed to become highly popular. Sold for $0.75 for a 2 ¼ ounce bag, the tea was considered expensive until an article by food writer Clementine Paddleford touted that the tea is “so flavorful that three-quarters of a teaspoon makes six bracing cups of aromatic spiciness.”

The company did so well that by 1950, Ruth and David Bigelow sold their brownstone and moved to

Connecticut where they purchased a small factory in Norwalk. Five years later, nearly everything in the company was washed into the Norwalk River during a flood, but the family persevered, and several months later were able to recommence operations. In 1960, son David joined the firm, and the senior Bigelows retired. Constant Comment continued to be successful, but in 1974, the company introduced new flavors, all of which have been highly popular. To prevent the Charleston Tea Plantation being sold to developers, Bigelow purchased the land in 2003. The farm was the site of the first tea made entirely from US-grown leaves. Renamed the Charleston Tea Garden, the facility offers trolley tours of the gardens and walking tours of the factory.

______________________

Swedish Sunrise (Coming September 15, 2026) 

Espionage. Diplomacy. Resistance. Is there any room for love?

Weeks after being accepted into America’s Office of Strategic Services, Birgit Westgard finds herself in Stockholm, Sweden - “Casablanca of the North.” The job is supposed to be easy: typing and filing. Then her handsome boss taps her to be his “plus-one” at social events where they collect intelligence, plant propaganda, and dance the nights away. How much longer can she remain impervious to his charm?

Silas Cronin is one of the lucky ones, and his plane crash lands in neutral Sweden. Bored with cooling his heels in an internment camp, he raises his hand when the government comes looking for someone who can type. Suddenly, he’s in Stockholm, mired in intrigue and subterfuge, and more than a little attracted to his new secretary who wants nothing to do with him. Is she right that wartime is no time for romance?

Pre-order link: https://books2read.com/u/3RRqyv

Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A%26P
https://www.britannica.com/money/Great-Atlantic-and-Pacific-Tea-Company-Inc
https://civilwartalk.com/threads/the-great-american-tea-company.178300/
https://blog.englishteastore.com/2013/04/16/companies-that-started-as-tea-sellers/
https://www.tedkennedywatson.com/2018/03/08/since-1862-ferndell-coffee/
https://www.bigelowtea.com/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bigelow_Tea_Company
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HEwMnyNUWTg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RRvckzDCv_g

Photo Credits:  

Puzzle Poster: Author photo of poster

Advertising Circular: Public Domain

Constant Comment Box: By Own work by uploader; photo released under cc-by-sa-3.0 and GFDL, Fair use.

Charleston Tea Garden sign: By Own work by uploader; photo released under cc-by-sa-3.0 and GFDL, Fair use.

On Tour: When the Wind Blows South

 

About the Book

Book: When the South Wind Blows

Author: Barbara A. Curtis

Genre: Christian Historical Romance

Release Date: July 14, 2026

He’s spent his life chasing headlines—until the woman behind the story captures his heart.

Elizabeth Canton never planned to abandon her budding theater career, but after witnessing a crime, she has no choice but to disappear. When a family invitation offers refuge at the Double E Ranch, she seizes the chance to hide and finds unexpected purpose helping her young cousin rehearse for the stage, never expecting to be drawn to the local reporter who sees past her carefully kept secrets.

Ranch hand Logan Palmer has always dreamed of writing stories that matter, not livestock columns for the town paper. Elizabeth’s grace catches his eye. But it’s her patience and tenderness with her cousin that captures his heart, even as her mystery stirs his reporter’s instincts. The closer he grows to her, the more he questions whether some stories are better left untold.

As Elizabeth and Logan grow closer, danger follows her to Idaho. When her past catches up with her, she’ll have to choose between protecting her heart and trusting in love. And Logan must decide what matters more—the story that could launch his career, or the woman who’s stolen his heart.

Set against the rugged beauty of the American West, this touching historical romance explores the healing power of family, second chances, and learning that sometimes the greatest role we can play is simply being ourselves.

 

Click here to get your copy!

 

About the Author

Barbara A. Curtis lives in Connecticut with her husband, and they have one grown son, a blessing to their hearts. She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and Novel Academy.

 

 

 

More from Barbara

Chocolate, Chocolate

What part does chocolate play in When the South Wind Blows? To little Susannah, it plays a big part, as Logan is going to help her frost her salvaged cake.

“Miss Lizzie?” Logan hadn’t moved from his spot next to the stove. “If it’s all right with you, may Susannah and I make the frosting for the cake?”

He knew how to make frosting? And again, he included the little girl.

“Thank you. Susannah, why don’t you pull out the cookbook for chocolate that your grandma and I like, and you and Logan will be in charge?”

“Oh yay! The Hershey’s Cookbook? They have the best frosting recipe.”

 

Yes, in 1934 Hershey’s had published a cookbook, so it would have been well loved and used in the Double E Ranch kitchen in 1950.

And Nestlé’s Toll House cookies weren’t far behind, as Nestlé acquired the rights to the original recipe in 1939. By World War II, the cookies were a staple included in packages sent to US servicemen overseas. Do you think they’d mind that Elizabeth called her version Victory cookies? Though they had nothing to do with the war but a little victory right at home.

Have you ever renamed a favorite recipe just for your family for fun?

I hope you enjoy When the South Wind Blows, the final book in the Blooms of the Bitterbrush series. Maybe with a cup of tea and a chocolate chip cookie to go along with it.

 Blessings.

Barbara

Interview with Barbara

What is your favorite thing about being a writer? I love seeing what was a blank page at one moment be filled and “come to life” with characters and words that didn’t exist when starting out—especially words that can offer hope in God to readers.

What questions do you ask yourself when preparing to write a new book? Often the first question starts with what are the characters’ names. Until I find the names that fit them, I have trouble writing anything about them. Then I ask what is it that they want, and then what obstacles will stand in their way and how will they get to their goal.

What was the best money you spent as a writer? The best money spent and also my biggest investments are the in-person writing conferences I was able to attend and joining the writing classes and community Susan May Warren offers through My Book Therapy and Novel Academy.

How do you come up with story lines/book topic? Sometimes ideas come from a snippet of reading or hearing something and wondering who the people were and “what if.” And those what-ifs can lead to more questions and looking into research of an area or era. I like writing about small-town communities, so it’s a matter of imagining and “finding out” what’s going on in these towns among the imagined characters. It’s not so much as selecting a topic to start with but somehow letting these townspeople “take on a life of their own.” But ultimately, I believe God plants the story seeds and walks alongside as they grow.

What was your favorite childhood book and why? I’ll have to say “books”—as I can’t pinpoint just one, as I loved the Trixie Belden and Nancy Drew series. One of my elementary school teachers would read a chapter a day from these books after lunch, and each day’s new chapter was something to look forward to as the stories unfolded. I believe that’s where my love of mysteries started. And I also loved the Black Stallion series—and horses often end up with a role in my stories as well.

Blog Stops

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, August 4

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, August 5

Simple Harvest Reads, August 6 (Guest Review from Marilyn)

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, August 7

Texas Book-aholic, August 8

Life on Chickadee Lane, August 9

lakesidelivingsite, August 10

Books Less Travelled, August 11 (Author Interview)

For Him and My Family, August 11

DevotedToHope, August 12

Connie’s History Classroom , August 13

Cover Lover Book Review, August 14

Sydney Schmied Books, August 15

History, Hope & Happily Ever After, August 16 (Author Interview)

Holly’s Book Corner, August 17

Pause for Tales, August 17

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Barbara is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon Gift Card!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://gleam.io/oVpBV/when-the-south-wind-blows-celebration-tour-giveaway

On Tour: A Baby's Blessing

 

About the Book

Book: A Baby’s Blessing for Boys/A Baby’s Blessing for Girls

Author: Donna Wyland

Genre: Nonfiction/Christian Prayer Book/Child’s Prayer Book

Release Date: November 30, 2025

The Perfect Gift for new parents, baptisms, and baby dedications. A Baby’s Blessing is a sweet book to guide parents, grandparents, and other caregivers to pray specific blessings over their child. This beautifully illustrated book leads people to pray a powerful prayer over the special children in their lives as they are lifted to God and Holy Spirit to bless and protect them each day.

 

Click here to get your copy!

 

About the Author

Donna Wyland is an award-winning author, editor, and coach. Her picture book, Psalms in Rhyme for Little Hearts, won the 2024 Christian Indie Award, and ‘Twas the Night Before Jesus won the 2025 Illumination Book Award. Both Psalms in Rhyme for Little Hearts and ‘Twas the Night Before Jesus were Readers’ Choice Award Finalists. Her new nonfiction books, Last Best Year (2025 Golden Scroll Award) and A Guided Gratitude Journal are also available on Amazon. Donna resides with her husband in Southwest Florida.

 

More from Donna

Oh, the wonderful power of prayer! Recent years have taught us how much we need God to intervene to protect and save, guide and help us raise our children and grandchildren to be loving, courageous children of God. In this vein, God inspired me to write these precious books of prayer to pray over the special child/children in your life. With the opportunity to personalize the book by inscribing the baby’s name, birthdate, height, and weight, along with a photo; this book will become a keepsake for every parent who receives it. Give the gift of prayer to the new parents in your life and watch their child grow in grace and favor with God as they are prayed over each day.

Interview with Donna

What is your favorite thing about being a writer? My favorite thing about being a writer is hearing how the words God puts on my heart affect others as they read my books, essays, and blogs. I have always loved to make words “sing.” When I know those words are impacting someone else in a positive way, drawing them closer to God and to others, I feel like I am operating in the gifting God placed within me. There is no better feeling than being affirmed of walking in your gifting for God.

Can you share a real-life event that inspired your writing? Sure. The Baby Blessings Books for Boys and Girls were inspired by the ‘breath prayers’ I would pray over my grandson as I watched him each day for my daughter while she worked. We could be jumping on a trampoline or making a mess in the kitchen attempting a science experiment when Bible verses and prayers would spontaneously erupt in my spirit and I would quietly pray blessings over him. There is no doubt in my mind that God answered those prayers as my grandson went through difficult times dealing with ADHD in a school that did not know how to lovingly deal with him. God is so good.

What was the best money you spent as a writer? This is a good question. The best money I’ve spent as a writer is probably the money I spend to attend conferences to learn more about the craft, spend time with fellow writers, and meet editors, agents, and publishers. There is nothing like face-to-face connection. I am a typical introverted writer, so I get exceedingly anxious before attending a conference, but then I pray Joshua 1:9 – “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.” I take a deep breath and enter the conference feeling God’s presence and favor over me.

Why do you write in your particular genre? Interesting question! God initially called me to write devotionals and picture books, which I love and still write. Recently, however, I have felt called to write gift books and other nonfiction books that center on gratitude and the legacy we hope to leave behind. I love to write in many genres, but it is always the Holy Spirit Who provides inspiration for the idea. I’ve always told God I will write whatever He puts on my heart to write. That seems like a good life plan to me.

What is one thing you wish you could do? I wish I could travel all over the world and see the incredible creation God has made. Every mountain, lake, city, ruin… I would love to see it all. If only a publisher would offer me a $1 million advance… LOL

What was your favorite childhood book and why? My favorite childhood book was Mr. Pine’s Purple House. I would read it over and over, mesmerized by the message of Mr. Pine’s house being purple so it was easier to find on a street filled with other houses. The message my heart heard was, “Be authentic. Shine your own light. Your individuality is just what the world needs to be encouraged to shine their light too.”

Blog Stops

Labor Not in Vain, August 1

Simple Harvest Reads, August 2 (Author Interview)

Vicky Sluiter, August 3 (Author Interview)

Guild Master, August 4 (Author Interview)

Mary Hake, August 4

Girls in White Dresses, August 5

Texas Book-aholic, August 6

Fiction Book Lover, August 7 (Author Interview)

The Bookish Ledger, August 8 (Author Interview)

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, August 9 (Author Interview)

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, August 10

Cover Lover Book Review, August 11

Books Less Travelled, August 12 (Author Interview)

Paula’s Pad of Inspiration, August 13 (Author Interview)

History, Hope & Happily Ever After, August 14 (Author Interview)

Artistic Nobody, August 14

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Donna giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon Gift Card a copy of one of the books!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://gleam.io/GCcrP/a-babys-blessing-for-boysa-babys-blessing-for-girls-celebration-tour-giveaway

Talkshow Thursday: Welcome, Lynne Lanning

 Talkshow Thursday: Welcome Lynne Lanning!

I would like to thank Linda for offering me this enlightening opportunity. “Enlightening?” Yes! She posed some intriguing questions that made me do some deep thinking about my “Who, What, Where, When…” and especially the “Why.” I always knew why I wrote my first book. It was to tell a fictionally enhanced story about my maternal grandmother’s life. She was the most wonderful Christian woman, and the most self-sacrificing, humble and loving person I have ever known. Anything good about me, is because of her. She raised me, and if she hadn’t stayed on her knees in prayer for me, I would probably never have trusted the Lord as my Savior and allowed Him to take control of my life.
But her book was supposed to be my ‘One and Done.’ So where is my ‘Why?’

I still attribute it to my grandmother, and in a minute, you will understand… But first a little about me.

I like people, and get along with almost everyone… Okay, I don’t do mornings, so please approach cautiously unless I’ve been awake for at least an hour and had plenty of coffee! LOL! But seriously, I have friends all over the world, thanks to the internet and social media, and plenty of personal face-to-face friends. They are a very diverse group – Black, White, and every other ethnic group; Republicans and Democrats; Confederate and Union enthusiasts; Young and Old; and the list goes on.

As we established these friendships, we found several things we had in common and built on those things. But more often than not, I was finding that most of these precious friends didn’t attend church…some had never been to church, yet they all claimed to love God and say things like, “Have a blessed day,” which is nice, but not enough.

I am friendly, and I’m chatty, but when I’m in a discussion – especially an important one, sometimes

my mind goes blank or my tongue gets twisted. But God was set on using me in some way to reach these people. That’s why He allowed them in my life in the first place. Suddenly, I realized how big this responsibility was. I needed to reach people who would never think about going to church, and some who thought they were ‘okay’ the way they were. But guess what? Most of these people would read one of my books when I asked them to, even though they refused my invitations to church. Hmm. Now I had to make sure I presented the gospel to them in the midst of an intriguing story that they couldn’t put down.

The results were AMAZING! I even had one reader contact me from Australia through FB messenger, while reading one of my books, asking me to lead her to the Lord online! I called my preacher immediately, and with his help (because I was so nervous about not saying everything just right), she became a Child of God right then and there!

Many readers have approached me saying they got their lives right with God after reading some of my books, and they appreciated the fact they could relate to my characters, and that I didn’t get too ‘preachy.’ One of my long-time friends, whom I love dearly, never would accept my invitations to church, sweetly declining, but was one of the best and funniest friends I ever had. She had nothing but wonderful things to say about my books, and finally…she called out to God and asked Him to forgive her and save her soul! The angels are rejoicing! With a sad heart, I will share that this particular friend is now in Hospice. I will miss her so much, but I rejoice that I WILL see her again in Heaven.

So, that is my ‘Why.’ How does my grandmother fit into all of this? She taught me to pray for others. She loved and cared for everyone she met. In attendance at her funeral, there were wealthy businessmen, leaders of the community, poor people, and even several motorcycle gang members – complete with dew rags on their heads and chains dangling from their leather vests. There are so many people that have absolutely no one praying for them. No one is concerned for their soul. Because she instilled Christian values in me, God has allowed me an outreach beyond my circle of friends, to be able to reach and pray for people I don’t even know. That is a responsibility I take seriously.

Not every book I write has the clear plan of salvation within its pages, but each has a strong thread of prayer, faith, trust in God, and changed lives weaving it together.

I don’t have a particular book I want to promote at this time. If possible, I would like to encourage everyone to follow me on Amazon and Facebook. Let’s stay in touch!

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B0B6R33BXX/allbooks
Facebook (Personal): https://www.facebook.com/lynne.lanning.2025/
Facebook Groups – Book Talk: https://www.facebook.com/groups/929776898009348
Mountain Men: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1643815660133778

And please sign up for my newsletter: (Prizes every month and loaded with news, info, and fun!)
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More from Lynne

When did you know you wanted to be an author? As far back as I can remember! I was always writing something; poetry ( that my grandmother always displayed proudly on her refrigerator), diaries and journals, essays, and letters (I had pen pals). As a young adult, I wrote a few pieces for the local newspaper, and even sent submissions to several magazines.

Do you hear from your readers? Yes! I have a very active newsletter group and I get some personal, very precious messages from readers I don’t know. It’s such a thrill!

How many books have you written, and which is your favorite? I have just finished #52. Picking a favorite book is like picking a favorite child! But I must say, there are a few that stand above the rest in my heart. A Kindness for Christmas and A Sheriff for Sophie are top runners for me, but my readers have a different opinion! They like Josie (Rescue Me Mail Order Brides) and A Journey for Keelie.

What does your writing space look like? A nice bright area with windows in front and to the left of me. Between clicking away on the keyboard, I look outside at all of God’s beautiful creation, thanking Him for it, and drawing inspiration from it.

Can you share a real life event that inspired your writing? There are so many. I have lived everything from betrayal and great loss, to happiness and being blessed beyond measure. When I write a book, I use my personal experiences at times, remembering the emotions that came with them. Sometimes, I get so deeply caught up in explaining and writing those emotions, I find myself crying and heartbroken all over again. I believe God allowed me to go through some of these times so that I could help someone else through them in the future. Although the readers will never know where fiction ends and reality begins, I truly believe, with God leading me, I wrote those words to help someone.

How are your characters like you? Different? My characters carry my emotions, my hopes, and dreams as well as the disappointments and tragedies I have suffered. They are different in the way they find solutions to problems and making their choices. I think back on situations similar to what my characters are experiencing and write what I wish I had done or said. I’m not near as brave and witty as most of my characters!

How do you come up with story lines? What draws you to the time period about which you write? Life.

Although I write in the 1800’s era, daily life was still carrying the same emotions and had to work toward their goals. It seems families were closer then, and I love to write about that bond. Life was hard back then, everything took so much more energy and time, but they seemed to be more grateful for what they had, and they relied on God more.

What is your process for writing? (Do you outline, have a special place or time of day you write, etc) What is your favorite part of the process? I am a ‘pantser’! That means I fly by the seat of my pants and write as I think. I may know how I want a story to begin and end, but I never know how the characters are going to get there. Sometimes, they take on such a life and personality of their own, I write as they dictate! LOL! I like to write in silence, which means I usually write after my husband goes to bed. It’s a good thing I am naturally a night owl! My favorite part of the process is the research. I LOVE the research into what surrounded the lives of people back then – whether it’s the geography, the morals, the new inventions, the law (or lack of it) – it doesn’t matter. I love it all. I love to learn.

What books are on your nightstand right now? A book about Alaska (because that’s where my present book takes place), another filled with real wanted posters from the 1800’s along with the stories behind the outlaws, and another on the aftermath of the Civil War. I told you – I love research!

What writers or books have influenced you? This used to be much easier to answer…I love Janette Oke and Mary Higgins Clarke. I know, two very different writers and genres. Janette Oke influenced me with the era she wrote and the clean characters, even though troubles still came and God was there for them. Mary Higgins Clarke showed me how to be so descriptive, you could feel a chill as the cold, foggy air settled around you, leaving you feeling a dampness…all while you were sitting in the comfort of your own home! I have a long way to go to be as good as these women, but I keep trying!

Photo Credits:

Author image: Courtesy Lynne Lanning

Women with Coffee Cups: Pixabay/StockSnap  

Praying Hands with Bible: Pixabay/Reena Black

Typewriter: Pixabay/Tama66

Wagon: Pixabay

Alaskan glacier: Pixabay/NWImagesbySabrinaE