Wednesday, October 1, 2025

Augmented by Candace Kade

About the Book

Book: Augmented

Author: Candace Kade

Genre: YA Science Fiction

Release Date: September 16, 2025

Lee Urban must win to survive.

After being sentenced to the banned list, half of the Asian Federation believes Lee Urban is a ticking time bomb that could end the world as they know it. They’re willing to do anything to erase her existence and silence her voice before she can take a stand.

There’s only one way to fight back: enroll in the Race to the Clouds. Winning the competition would garner global media attention and give Urban the coverage she needs to dismantle the enhancement programs. Unfortunately, it also happens to be the deadliest event of the year.

With less time to train than her rivals, Urban and her team must find a way to best the competition. But as enemies close in, riots erupt, and her homeland teeters on the brink of civil war, one thing is certain— she’s running out of time. Not just for herself, but for every Natural she represents.

Click here to get your copy!

I received a complimentary copy of this book, and all opinions given are my own and not an endorsement of all author’s opinions.

About the Author

Candace Kade is a recovering over-achiever who spends her time dreaming up stories typically involving tech, psychology, culture, and/or swords. She’s a certified Krav Maga assistant instructor and loves writing action-packed martial art scenes. A third culture kid, she considers Chengdu and OKC to be her homes.

When she’s not exploring new countries, she enjoys hiking in national parks, moving (again!), teaching her husband Mandarin, and keeping two baby humans alive. She can be bribed with boba tea, fluffy puppies, and breakfast tacos.

More from Candace

Have you ever broken a cherished possession?

I have. It was my porcelain mug that I bought while traveling through Ireland. The trip was so special and that cup always brought me happy memories as I sipped tea from it.

My husband tried to fix it for me, but the mug is not the same. It now sits tucked in the back of our cupboards too broken to be used but too precious to be throw away.

Being broken doesn’t mean something—or someone—loses purpose.

In kintsugi, the Japanese art form that involves intentionally breaking tea ware, the fragments left over are pieced back together with golden filling. The final result is more beautiful than the original unblemished version ever could be.

The brokenness enhances the tea ware’s beauty.

In my novel Augmented, I wanted to draw a comparison between brokenness and beauty. Just like kintsugi takes broken pottery and turns it into something beautiful, my protagonist Urban faces her own transformation. She is hopeless and feels like she can’t pick up the shattered pieces of her life. But as she tries out for the world’s most deadly race, she learns that being broken doesn’t mean what she thinks it does.

The things that happen to us have a purpose. If we let the Creator finish His masterpiece (us) He’ll use the fragmented pieces of our lives to make a beautiful finished work of art.

Urban feels the same way, believing her brokenness defines her. But through trial and grace, she discovers what it means to be made new.

No one is too broken to be saved or redeemed.

I wrote this book for anyone who’s ever felt lost, hopeless, or broken. We can do all things through Him who gives us strength.

Blog Stops

The Lofty Pages, September 20
Life on Chickadee Lane, September 21
Wishful Endings, September 22
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, September 23 (Spotlight)
Simple Harvest Reads, September 24 (Author Interview)
Texas Book-aholic, September 25
Artistic Nobody, September 26 (Author Interview)
Guild Master, September 27 (Author Interview)
Blogging With Carol, September 27
Lily’s Corner, September 28
Tell Tale Book Reviews, September 28
Fiction Book Lover, September 29 (Author Interview)
Life on Chickadee Lane, September 30
A Modern Day Fairy Tale, October 1 (Author Interview)
A Reader’s Brain, October 2 (Spotlight)
Book Butterfly in Dreamland, October 3

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Candace is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon Gift Card and a copy of the book!!

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

https://sweepwidget.com/c/93118-8wjgredo

Monday, September 29, 2025

How To Kill a Giant by Carol Schlorff

About the Book

Book: How to Kill a Giant

Author: Carol Schlorff

Genre: Middle Grade

Release Date: June 10, 2023

He lost his courage. Will meeting a real superhero help him find it?

An awful summer … Thirteen-year-old Hugo is miserable. His move to a small Pennsylvania town has brought him nothing but trouble. Ignored by his new classmates and a favorite target for the school bullies, Hugo lets fear rule his life. It’s going to be a long summer.

An unexpected twist … Hugo meets siblings Julia and Stefan, who are just as unhappy as he is. After finding a mysterious old Bible, all three are magically transported to ancient Israel, where they meet the young shepherd David, who suspects they’re spies. The trio finds themselves caught up in a strange world where danger lurks on every side.

A terrifying adventure … As Hugo and his friends navigate the perils of this weird and frightening land, Hugo must face his greatest fear—that he’s a coward. His only hope of survival is to learn the secret of David’s bravery, but will he do so in time to face his biggest test? Find out in this thrilling tale of courage, friendship, and faith.

Click here to get your copy!

I received a complimentary copy of this book, and all opinions given are my own and not an endorsement of all author's opinions.

Author Interview

How do you weave Biblical truths into your writing?

Since my books are time-travel adventures set within Bible stories, it’s only natural that

Biblical truths are an integral part of the narrative. However, regardless of the setting, my

process for incorporating Biblical truth remains the same. I start by choosing the theme of

the book, which is really the Biblical truth I want to convey through the story. For example,

in How to Kill a Giant, the theme revolves around overcoming fear—trusting God as the

source of our courage. Once I have the theme, I write the story so that the protagonists

learn the lesson I hope to share. However, my goal is to achieve this in a way that my

writing never feels preachy but rather comes across as natural and realistic.

 Was your writing process spontaneous as it came to you or very planned and organized?

Why?

I’m a planner. I’m always making lists of things I need to do. When visiting a new city, I

prefer to have a plan for what I’ll see and do. So, when it comes to my writing, it’s no

surprise that I need to plan as well. I start by outlining the entire story.

Of course, just because I have a plan doesn’t mean I follow it exactly. The outline helps me

get started and know my direction. It’s useful when I get stuck. But as I write, I come up with

new ideas for plot twists and character growth, leading me to places I never planned. So, to

sum up, plans are helpful, but they aren’t set in stone. They’re just a helpful tool in the

creative process.

 Why did you pick this genre for your book?

I chose to write for middle-grade readers because I believe this is an important age in a

person’s life. Young people begin to think independently of their parents and may start

doubting everything they have been taught so far. I remember that when I was their age,

even though I was raised in a Christian home, I began to have many questions about

Christianity and why I should believe what I believe. Through my books, I hope to

encourage my young readers to grow in their faith, answer the questions they have, and

show them why they can trust the reliability of the Bible and, therefore, its message. If the

readers come away from my books strengthened in their faith, then my writing will have

been successful.

 How many books do you personally own?

Ha! Good question. The answer has fluctuated over the years. I’m not sure exactly, but at

my peak, I had hundreds and hundreds of books, enough to fill several large bookcases.

However, I’ve moved a lot over the course of my life, and every move has meant that I had

to get rid of some of my books, either because I didn’t want to have to lug all of them or

because I didn’t have enough space in my new place. I’m now probably down to less than

two hundred physical books, but a new development is the main reason—I mostly read

Kindle books now. I currently have 96 items on my device, including a book I’ve borrowed

using the Libby app, which allows me to borrow eBooks from my local library (for which I’m

very grateful).

 What is your next big goal as an author?

I hope to successfully launch my next book, How to Make a Miracle, the sequel to How to

Kill a Giant. It’s scheduled for release in February 2026. In How to Make a Miracle, the trio

of Hugo, Julia, and Stefan is again transported back in time into a Bible story, this time to

Aram, where they meet Namaan’s slave girl. The teens are forced to embark on a perilous

quest to accompany Namaan as he travels to Israel in the hope of being healed by the

prophet Elisha. Their survival demands courage, but true victory comes only through

forgiveness.

About the Author

Carol’s passion is to write exciting stories that encourage, inspire, and boost the reader’s faith, possibly because she has always felt like an outsider. She was born in North Africa to American parents and grew up in France. At age 15, her family’s abrupt move to Philadelphia resulted in a rough transition to American life.

After graduating from Penn State, Carol joined the Army in search of adventure. She was stationed in exotic—for her—locations like California, Arizona, and Texas.

Since then, Carol has lived in Cracow, Poland, where she teaches English and organizes language camps. She also writes a blog on faith-related topics.

Carol enjoys caring for her cat, Tabasco, watching a good murder mystery, and getting nervous while watching NFL games.

More from Carol

The idea for my book about time travel back to the Bible came to me during a church sermon on meditating on God’s Word. As soon as the outline for the story popped into my mind, I could no longer focus on what the pastor was saying, as I was too busy organizing my thoughts into the semblance of a logical plan. That day marked the beginning of a five-year journey to write and publish my first novel, How to Kill a Giant.

My motivation for writing is to demonstrate that the Bible is relevant to our lives, provides the answers we seek about life, and is far from boring. Of course, I also want my readers to have fun and stay on the edge of their seats. Growing up in a Christian home where my parents were missionaries, I still had many questions and doubts about the Bible and Christianity, especially starting in middle school. That’s why I target this age group. If my books can help my young (and older) readers grow in their faith and trust in God, then I will consider them a success.

If you asked me to summarize my book in one sentence, I would say it explores the heart of David and the courage that enabled him to fight Goliath, wrapped up in the packaging of a thrilling action and adventure story. Happy reading!

Blog Stops

Simple Harvest Reads, September 17 (Author Interview)

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, September 18

Artistic Nobody, September 19 (Author Interview)

Texas Book-aholic, September 20

Guild Master, September 21 (Author Interview)

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, September 22

Fiction Book Lover, September 23 (Author Interview)

The Mommies Reviews , September 23

Blossoms and Blessings, September 24 (Author Interview)

Cover Lover Book Review, September 25

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, September 26

Stories By Gina, September 27 (Author Interview)

For Him and My Family, September 28

Jodie Wolfe – Stories Where Hope and Quirky Meet, September 29 (Author Interview)

Mary Hake, September 29

A Reader’s Brain , September 30 (Author Interview)

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Carol is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon gift card and a copy of the book!!

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

https://sweepwidget.com/c/92781-arnfst2q

Monday, September 22, 2025

Right Before Their Eyes by Carrie Walker

About the Book

Book: Right Before Their Eyes

Author: Carrie Walker

Genre: Romantic Women’s Fiction

Release Date: February 5, 2025

Sometimes the love you need most looks different than you imagined.

Clare Martin thought nothing of agreeing to live with her dementia-ridden grandmother when her parents left on mission. Balancing that with her job as a social worker and the expectations of her career-driven boyfriend proved doable—until Grandma started a house fire.

Mason Hughes has loved Clare for years, but the time was never right to tell her and now she’s dating someone else, fixing Mason firmly in the friend zone. He’s working to be a pediatric neurologist, a dream inspired by a special boy with a terminal brain condition, and must choose a medical school. Finances are so tight he’s forced to consider a program across the country, a troubling fact he’s kept secret.

Lucia Roberts, a seventeen-year-old on Clare’s caseload, loses her foster home and is placed in an unwelcoming group home. At every turn she’s met with rejection and becomes desperate for any proof she has value—enough to make choices that could affect the rest of her life.

When Grandma Dottie and Lucia’s paths take a dangerous turn, Clare frantically tries to save them. As their lives knit together, will they find the love that’s right before their eyes?

Click here to get your copy!

I received a complimentary copy of this book, and all opinions given are my own and not an endorsement of all author’s opinions.

Author Interview

● What was the most challenging part of writing your book?

In this book there is a tug of war with the romance storyline as Clare starts the story off with one guy who she’s been dating for sometimes, but then there is Mason, who’s loved her since high school. It was so, so difficult to get the nuances of that right so that Clare made sense in her choices, the guys were balanced but the story also led us to root for the right guy. Not easy!

● How do you weave Biblical truths into your writing?

When I sit with my characters before writing a story I learn where they are at with their faith, what struggles are difficult for them and what it takes for them to be touched. Then as they go through the story and run into challenges, I pray about what God is showing them and how He might reach them, and the Biblical truths just come out.

● Are any of your characters based off of yourself or those close to you?

Actually, yes. Grandma Dottie I modeled after a combination of both my grandmas. One of my grandmas suffered from dementia as well so pockets of her story are woven in there, along with some of her witty sayings. The relationship Grandma Dottie shared with her late husband along with one very specific story she tells are from my other grandma. And a foster mom that comes into the story later on, Kris Petersen, is loosely based on my sister, who asked to be in one of my books.

● Why did you pick this genre for your book?

It’s the genre I most enjoy personally. I love stories with depth and inspirational messages, but I so love a good love story woven in.

● How many books do you personally own?

At least 500. I say at least because there are that many in my home library and there are still stacks all over the house

About the Author

Carrie Walker lives in Michigan with her husband and seven children. From her ten years serving as a high school youth minister, adventures around the globe, and raising a family, many stories have been knit within her heart.

As an avid reader she pens what she loves to read, contemporary stories that bring hope to a hurting world. Weaving romance among story lines of characters in struggle, she aims to show God working in all situations. When she’s not playing board games with her husband, shuttling kids in the Walker bus or wishing for snow, Carrie can be found at the keyboard bringing those stories to life.

Carrie’s writing has been recognized in many contests. Her debut novel, Emma’s Hero, won the IAN Book of the Year for Christian Fiction, was a double finalist in the International Book Awards, placed in the ACFW Crown Award, Monroe Walton Center for the Arts Award, and won the 2020 ACFW First Impressions Contest.

More from Carrie

When I was writing “Emma’s Hero” I had a few readers that took an early peek at it, before it was completed. More than once, I was informed “This is not the only book, right?” And so, this story was a reality in my mind, before it was even thought of. This book just was. And the characters helped tell the story. Mason grew a lot in Emma’s Hero, but he has a lot more growing to do, especially in the realm of relationships, communication and figuring out how to live this newfound faith. Grandma Dottie is a character inspired by a combination of both my grandmothers, and there is a story she tells to Mason almost halfway through the story that is a true story borrowed from my own grandparents 🙂 That’s all I’m telling you, you’ll have to find it. But I just love that a part of their love story made it into mine.

Blog Stops

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, September 11

Stories By Gina, September 12 (Author Interview)

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy , September 13

Simple Harvest Reads, September 14 (Author Interview)

Artistic Nobody, September 15 (Author Interview)

Mary Hake, September 15

Guild Master, September 16 (Author Interview)

Texas Book-aholic, September 17

Fiction Book Lover, September 18 (Author Interview)

Tell Tale Book Reviews, September 19 (Author Interview)

Blossoms and Blessings, September 20 (Author Interview)

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, September 21

Jodie Wolfe – Stories Where Hope and Quirky Meet, September 22 (Author Interview)

A Reader’s Brain , September 23 (Author Interview)

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, September 24 (Author Interview)

The Bookish Pilgrim, September 24

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Carrie is giving away the grand prize of a $40 Amazon gift card and a copy of the book!!

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

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/00adcf54296

Saturday, September 20, 2025

Drandar the Dragon Knight by Terrie Hellard-Brown

About the Book

Book: Drandar the Dragon Knight

Author: Terrie Hellard-Brown

Illustrator: Rachelle Brown

Genre: Chapter book for Middle Grade Readers

Release Date: February 12, 2025

Drandar is the dragon that has been prophesied. He will help the king build a strong, safe kingdom as one of his faithful knights. But Drandar doesn’t seem to fit what a knight should be or even what a real dragon should look like. He’s what Seraphina calls a “late bloomer.” Drandar is droopy, discouraged, and doubting. Will he ever become the knight he’s supposed to be?

Click here to get your copy!

I received a complimentary copy of this book and all opinions given are my own and not an endorsement of all author’s opinions.

Author Interview

● How do you weave Biblical truths into your writing?

Drandar the Dragon Knight is an allegory for living the Christian life. It is also just a fun dragon story. Weaving Biblical truth was just natural in this story. As Drandar would face a challenge, it was natural to have him learning a lesson that connected with Scripture even if I didn’t put the actual Scripture in the book. The truths are there, and they are the truths we all need to learn about life, especially a life that follows Jesus. In fact, I took the themes from the book and wrote a kids’ Bible study to go along with it. It’s called Discovering the Knight’s Code. The lessons drive home all the Biblical truths from the story to apply them to our lives.

● Are any of your characters based off of yourself or those close to you?

Drandar is based on my daughter who illustrated the book. She has autism, but she’s such an amazing person, and I could see God had a plan for her life even when she couldn’t. She loves dragons and draws them all the time. I originally wrote Drandar’s story for her sixteen years ago! It was just a short picture book story then that I wrote to encourage Rachelle.

● Was your writing process spontaneous as it came to you or very planned and organized? Why?

I mostly write in a spontaneous way. I get the story down on paper first, and it’s usually a pretty terrible story at that point. But I need to get the ideas down. Then, I can let it sit a bit and come back to it. That’s when the story begins to come to life. I add in the details and humor. I make sure I’m showing the story unfold instead of telling the story. Then, I let it sit again for a while. After that I come back and edit, and edit, and edit some more. I edited Drandar over 20 times over the years more than any other story I’ve ever written. I take it to my critique group once I think I have the story ready. They give their ideas, and I edit again. After that, I send it to my editor, and we edit it again. But soon, the story is where it should be. There is a point at which we have to say it’s done. Otherwise, we can get stuck in editing to just change things without making the story better.

So, mostly it’s spontaneous, but the overall process is somewhat organized into steps.

● Do you have a favorite time of day you are most productive in your writing?

I love to write in the wee hours of the morning whether that means I woke up early or stayed up late. I like the quiet when everyone else is asleep, and I can just write to my heart’s content.

● Why did you pick this genre for your book?

That’s actually a crazy thing. I originally wrote Drandar as a picture book for my daughter, as I mentioned. I wrote several picture book stories featuring Drandar over the years, but when I started pitching the book to be published, I kept getting the same response: This should be a chapter book. So, I learned how to write chapter books and wrote Drandar the Dragon Knight. It’s taken a lot of time, but I’m so glad it’s here, and I really enjoyed writing my first chapter book! In fact, I’m working on more chapter books now, and the second Drandar story will be available next year.

● How many books do you personally own?

Oh my goodness! That is a hard question to answer. I was a teacher for over 30 years, and most of that time I taught literature. Plus, I’m a pastor’s wife and missionary. On my podcast that has been going for over five years, I mostly talk about books, especially picture books. I have thousands of books. I have over 1300 ebooks in my Kindle reader. I have bookshelves in almost every room in our house. Some are my kids’ and husband’s books, but I would guess I have probably 2000 books besides ebooks, and our family probably has 4000-5000 books altogether. I think we could open our own library!

About the Author

Empowering families to disciple the next generation every day and everywhere is Terrie Hellard-Brown’s mission. Sparking Everyday Discipleship, the podcast hosted by Terrie Hellard-Brown focuses on discipleship in the 21st Century, great books, and sparking important conversations with our children. Terrie is a writer, speaker, missionary, and mom with a BA in sociology and psychology, an MA in education, and is currently working on her DMin.

Her books include:

Up, Down, and All Around: A Handbook for Discipling Our Children Based on Deuteronomy 6
Building Character Through Picture Books: 25 Family Devotions Based on Favorite Picture Books
A World of Pancakes (a picture book on flexibility and culture and including recipes from around the world)
Izzy’s Notebook (a picture book about forgiveness, Harper and Izzy, Best Friends Forever Series: Living the One Anothers)
Drandar the Dragon Knight (chapter book about being who God created us to be).

Terrie creates jewelry, bookmarks, and mini books (décor) with biblical and literature themes.

Her writing has appeared in Starlight Magazine, Upper Room, and Inspire Christian Writers Anthologies and blog.

Blog Stops

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, September 12

Simple Harvest Reads, September 13 (Author Interview)

Texas Book-aholic, September 13

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, September 14

For Him and My Family, September 15

Library Lady’s Kid Lit, September 16

Fiction Book Lover, September 17 (Author Interview)

Artistic Nobody, September 18

Stories By Gina, September 19 (Author Interview)

Jodie Wolfe – Stories Where Hope and Quirky Meet, September 20 (Author Interview)

A Reader’s Brain , September 21 (Author Interview)

Guild Master, September 22

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, September 23 (Author Interview)

Vicky Sluiter, September 24 (Author Interview)

Mary Hake, September 24

For the Love of Literature, September 25 (Author Interview)

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Terrie is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon Gift Card, signed copy of the book and Bible study that accompanies the book, three stickers, a dragon velvet bookmark, and an armor of God necklace!!

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

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/00adcf54297

Saturday, September 6, 2025

Shaded Goodness by Kathleen J. Robison

About the Book

Book: Shaded Goodness

Author: Kathleen J. Robison

Genre: Romantic Suspense

Release Date: June 10, 2025

Jacquie Dupre has worked tirelessly to give her daughter, Destiny, a future free from the mistakes of her past. But when Mickey, her ex-husband returns to Bay Town, her carefully built world begins to crumble. He claims he’s changed. He’s conquered his addiction that destroyed too many lives, but can Jacquie believe him? As old wounds resurface and a dangerous figure from their past threatens their fragile peace, Jacquie must confront her deepest fears—about Mickey, about love, and about God. Can faith truly heal, can goodness prevail, or will their future be forever shaded by their past?

Click here to get your copy!

I received a complimentary copy of this book, and all opinions given are my own and not an endorsement of all author’s opinions

Author Interview

How do you weave Biblical truths into your writing?

Jesus is the most important person in my life. Now that I’m much older and my kids have grown, I have the privilege to spend endless time with Him through prayer and His Word. It’s because of His closeness that weaving Biblical truth into my writing comes naturally through my characters. I also try to remember when I was a new Christian or before I had any faith and use those memories to craft characters searching for truth. The titles in my Bay Town Series hint at the virtues and struggles that we all encounter, as seen in my new release, Shaded Goodness. Can you guess what’s in store?

Do you have a favorite time of day you are most productive in your writing?

Always early morning. It’s so quiet except for the birds chirping. I do my devotionals, go for a walk, and then begin writing. I usually continue for about four hours or until I reach my daily word count goal. However, when I’m meeting a deadline, I can be pretty productive at any time of day or night. God has a lot to do with giving me the strength to push through because evenings are when I really shut down and rest.

Why did you pick this genre for your book?

The first story I ever wrote, Shattered Guilt, was a page-turner from the start. I didn’t have a genre in mind; I just started writing! In Book Two, Restored Grace, I continued with the same theme of human trafficking, and when my publisher asked for more, I expanded on the Christian Romantic Suspense genre.

However, I do love mysteries and suspense, and I also appreciate seeing redemption and reconciliation after a difficult trial. I’m also a hopeless romantic! By combining these two genres, romance and suspense naturally create conflict and ultimately foster unity between the characters. I love to write about a faith journey through one or more characters, and suspenseful situations bring about the issue of trust in one another and in God.

What is your next big goal as an author?

I have two. First, I hope to finish a middle-grade fantasy book for my grandsons. I began writing it quite some time ago and hope to finish it before my time on earth is done! It’s quite a challenge, as I don’t read fantasy and have never written a young adult story. I’d like to leave a legacy for my grandchildren, encouraging them to follow God’s calling, whatever that may be.

Secondly, writing a few books on parenting advice is on my back burner, nagging at me! Because my husband and I have eight great, not perfect, children and have been blessed with twenty-one wonderful grandchildren, we’ve often been asked to share our secrets. We have none! But we can always share what worked for us.

Of course, it’s totally the Lord, but we have some practical things that we know the Lord has used over the years. Our family is very close and so far faithful to the Lord in following His plan for our lives. I’d love to encourage young parents to raise loving families who love and serve Jesus and to trust that He who has begun a good work is faithful to complete it. Amen!

Thank you for allowing me to share a little about my writing journey. I treasure this time in my life when I’m able to write, and I hope you are encouraged to pursue God’s calling wherever you are in your life’s journey.

About the Author

Kathleen J. Robison weaves tales that inspire a walk of faith and a reliance on God’s guidance through life’s trials. With endearing characters, her stories are a testament to the resilience of broken lives, revived through hope and renewed through God’s grace. Kathleen and her husband call Southern California home residing near the beach and find their most joy in the company of their nineteen and counting grandchildren.

More from Kathleen

Have you ever heard of a Shoofly? The word conjures up an annoying, buzzing insect, but a Shoofly is a magnificent white, wooden, raised gazebo-like structure built around giant oaks and sycamore trees. Back in the 1800s, in the south, they elegantly dotted the coastline of Mississippi. Almost every vacation boarding house boasted one. A relaxing venue for people to gather while avoiding the large horse flies that tended to hover closer to the ground, pestering guests and residents. The raised platform also allowed guests to enjoy the ocean breezes on sweltering hot summer days. Sounds romantic, doesn’t it? Unfortunately, due to storms, hurricanes, and erosion, Shooflys all but disappeared in the 1900s. Yet in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, the setting of my Bay Town Books, you can visit a Shoofly today in the local park downtown. In 1989, a group of town women decided to resurrect the nostalgic structure and had one built. It was completed nearly one hundred years after the near extinction of most of the iconic Shooflys along the Gulf Coast. It’s a key setting in my book, Shaded Goodness.

[Insert Guest Post Pictures Here]

Recently, my childhood friend returned to visit Bay St. Louis. I asked him to take a picture of the Shoofly, and his wife took the shot above of him waving from the deck. He remembers visiting my family in Bay St. Louis sixty years ago, and he said it still has the charm and hasn’t changed or grown much. Except that it’s now an artisan’s dream! Can you imagine? I can. It’s why I set my romantic suspense series in the fictional setting of Bay Town, inspired by Bay St. Louis. Shaded Goodness is the last in the book series.

“You got to forgive him, Jacquie. And no, I haven’t seen him. But I have been talking to Pastor Roland, and it’s a dark spot, one of many in my soul.”

“Dark spots? Is that what you call ’em?” Jacquie threw up her hands. “I can’t even go there. That man killed –”

Themes of forgiveness, second chances, and redemption are woven throughout Shaded Goodness. It was a joy to write because the male protagonist in this book was inspired by the character of my deceased ex-brother-in-law. Shaded Goodness is entirely fictional, but I loved using Mickey’s good traits to craft his character. He was a truly good soul who sadly made poor choices throughout his life. I like to think that if he had lived long enough, his life might have turned out like Mickey’s in this book, happily ever after. That’s why I enjoyed writing this story, as it allowed me to give Mickey a life of redemption here on earth, and I’m grateful that he’s living it in eternity. His love for the Lord in his last years proved contagious, just like his Christ-indwelling goodness. All glory to the Lord.

I pray for my readers that, as in all my books, you will be encouraged in your faith. That’s why I like writing about second chances and reconciliation. Because God is all about that, isn’t he? The Bay Town Series is a collection of stand-alone books. Still, the returning characters, after facing their own troubles and tragedies, help their neighbors as they face similar trials. 2 Corinthians 1:4-5 instructs us to do just that. Some characters choose the right path, and some don’t, just like in real life. But God’s promised hope is extended to all.

Shaded Goodness comes full circle from book one. Melanie Thompson Brooks champions through tragedy in the prequel and in Shattered Guilt. Her growth enables her to serve as the guiding voice to Jacquie Dupree in Shaded Goodness. With similar backgrounds, the pain of their pasts threatens to unravel their future. You won’t need to read Shattered Guilt, Book One, to enjoy Shaded Goodness, Book Five, but I think you’ll want to go back and get to know the lovely people of Bay Town through Restored Grace (First Place in the National Excellence in Writing competition), Shadowed Doubt, and Ransomed Peace. I think you’ll find some good friends and wish they really were your neighbors.

I hope you’ll fall in love with the setting where I lived for a short time as a child. It’s why I set my books in the deep south of Mississippi. Where life was slower, and the small-town community came together for events and rallied and prayed for one another during difficulties, much like the body of Christ should. Come on down to Bay Town; it just may become home.