Author: Iola Goulton

27 February 2018

Bookish Question #47 | What’s your favourite Christian book genre?

Asking a keen reader their favourite genre is like asking any addict about their favourite fix. Well, I assume it is. I haven’t spent a lot of time around addicts!

My favourite genre is romance, which shouldn’t come as any surpirse to anyone who reads my reviews on a regular basis. But romance is a huge genre, so what are my favourite novels within romance? I have three:

Regency Romance

Regency Romance is set in England during the period of the British Regency—when King George III was deemed mentally unfit to rule, so his son (the future King George IV) was named Prince Regent in his place. A lot of Georgette Heyer’s novels are set in the Regency period, and it’s also the time when Jane Austen was writing and publishing. Regency Romance characters are often members of the aristocracy, so the stories are complete fantasy when compared to my way of life!

My favourite Christian Regency Romance authors are Julie Klassen, Kristi Ann Hunter, and Carolyn Miller.

Romantic Suspense

I also enjoy romance with a suspense or thriller element. The mix of romance and suspense provides the classic mix of internal and external conflict, and provides plenty of opportunity for the hero and heroine to get to know each other as they work together to solve the crime (or stop one happenning).

My favourite Christian romantic suspense authors are DiAnn Mills, Lynette Eason, Terri Blackstock, and similar authors.

Contemporary Romance

My absolute favourite genre is contemporary romance. But not just any contemporary romance. I like stories that are a realistic and even a little gritty, that show life like it is but still show the hope of Jesus. And a little comedy doesn’t hurt, as a way of diffusing tension.

My favourite contemporary Christian romance authors are whichever book I’ve read most recently. Kara Isaac, Bethany Turner, Jennifer Rodewald, Brandy Bruce, Carla Laureano, Tammy L Gray, Courtney Walsh, Amy Matayo … the list goes on.

What about you? What’s your favourite Christian book genre?

Let me know in the comments, then pop over to Australasian Christian Writers and share there!

26 February 2018

Book Review | Loose Ends by Jennifer Haynie

Loose Ends is the third book in Jennifer Haynie’s Unit 28 series, following Orb Web and Panama Deception. I would recommend reading the first two novels first—I found the beginning of Loose Ends confusing. There were a lot of characters to meet, and many had names or nicknames that made it difficult to know whether they were male or female.

There was also a lot of history I didn’t know that played into the present story of the main characters, especially Alex and Jamir. They are already an established couple (and spy partners) at the beginning of the novel. Yes, Loose Ends is a thriller, not a romantic suspense novel. This lackof history is also a plus: there is nothing worse than reading a novel that’s part of the series I’ve been following, and finding half the novel is rehashing the plots of the novels I’ve already read.

The story moved quickly, with lots of characters, lots of locations, and lots of external conflict. This was good, but I actually preferred the tension that was closer to home: the secret about Alex’s biological father. No, this wasn’t the big save-the-world conflict, but it was my favourite aspect to the story.

Loose Ends was overtly Christian: Alex and Jabir both talk about their faith (and struggle with their committment to remain celibate until marriage). But it also had a lot more realism than most of the Christian thrillers I’ve read. No, there was no overt swearing, and no detailed descriptions of violence. But it definitely leaned towards the edgy end of the Christian fiction spectrum.

Recommended for fans of fast-paced Christian thrillers from authors such as Ronie Kendig or Brandilyn Collins.

Thanks to the author for providing a free ebook for review.

About Jennifer Haynie

After being an avid reader of suspense fiction for most of her life, Jennifer Haynie began writing and publishing suspense novels in 2012. She has now written over five indie suspense novels. In her spare time, she works for the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality, enjoys working out, and loves traveling. She currently lives outside of Raleigh with her husband and their Basenji dog.

You can find Jennifer Haynie online at:

Website | Facebook | Pinterest | Twitter

About Loose Ends

Hot off her first mission as a Unit 28 contractor agent, Alex Thornton wants nothing more than to focus on building a life with Jabir al-Omri, her best friend and boyfriend of five months.

A secret chains Jabir, one with such dire consequences that seeking freedom from it will cost him dearly. He finds himself caught between honoring those he cares about and being completely truthful with Alex.

Hashim al-Hassan craves vengeance against the woman who deceived him ten years before. The target of his wrath? Alex.

When Alex and Jabir receive an assignment to find the murderers of a shipping executive, their investigation brings them to the attention of Hashim. He begins stalking her. The bodies pile up, and people disappear.

Now, with Alex squarely within Hashim’s crosshairs, Jabir yearns to tell her what he knows. Yet the truth may destroy both her and those she loves the most.

Find Loose Ends online at:

Amazon | Goodreads

23 February 2018

First Line Friday | Week 30 | If I Live by Terri Blackstock

It’s First Line Friday, which means it’s time to open the book nearest you and share the first line. Today I’m sharing from If I Live, the final book in the If I Run trilogy from Terri Blackstock. Here’s the first line:

Isn’t that a great line? Doesn’t it make you want to start reading? But don’t read this unless you’ve read If I Run and If I’m Found first. And in that order!

About If I Live

The hunt is almost over.

Casey Cox is still on the run after being indicted for murder. The hunt that began with her bloody footprints escalates, and she’s running out of places to hide. Her face is all over the news, and her disguises are no longer enough. It’s only a matter of time before someone recognizes her.

Dylan Roberts, the investigator who once hunted her, is now her only hope. Terrifying attempts on Dylan’s life could force Casey out of hiding. The clock is ticking on both their lives, but exposing the real killers is more complicated than they knew. Amassing the evidence to convict their enemies draws Dylan and Casey together, but their relationship has consequences. Will one life have to be sacrificed to protect the other?

With If I Live, Terri Blackstock takes us on one more heart-stopping chase in the sensational conclusion to the If I Run series.

You can find If I Live online at:

Amazon | ChristianBook | Goodreads | Koorong

Click the button to check out what my fabulous fellow FirstLineFriday bloggers are sharing today:

You can then click the link which will take you to the master page of all this week’s #FirstLineFriday posts.

And you can click here to check out my previous FirstLineFriday posts.

Share your first line in the comments, and happy reading!

22 February 2018

Book Review | The Dishonorable Miss DeLancey by Carolyn Miller

It’s Throwback Thursday! Today I’m bringing you my review of The Dishonorable Miss DeLancey, the final book in the Legacy of Grace trilogy by Carolyn Miller. I’m sharing it because it was my favourite of the series, and the first book in her new series is due out in March! I’m looking forward to reading it—The Winsome Miss Winthrop.

About The Dishonorable Miss DeLancey

Will a damaged reputation and desire for society’s approval thwart the legacy of grace?

Tainted by scandal and forced to leave London for the quieter Brighton countryside, the Honorable Miss Clara DeLancey is a shadow of her former society self. She’s lost the man she loved to another and, in a culture that has no patience for self-pity, is struggling with depression. A chance encounter brings her a healing friendship with the sisters of an injured naval captain. But Clara’s society mama is appalled at the new company she’s keeping.

Captain Benjamin Kemsley is not looking for a wife. But his gallant spirit won’t let him ignore the penniless viscount’s daughter–not when she so obviously needs assistance to keep moving forward from day to day. Can he protect his heart and still keep her safe?

When they’re pushed into the highest echelons of society at the Prince Regent’s Brighton Pavilion, this mismatched couple must decide if family honor is more important than their hopes. Can they right the wrongs of the past and find future happiness together–without finances, family support, or royal favor?

My Review

It is a truth universally acknowledged that all romance novels since Jane Austen are mere copies.

Well, not really. As we know, we are all unique, so our journeys to love are also unique. But many romance novels do offer a conscious or subconscious nod to Austen’s work, and The Dishonorable Miss DeLancey is no exception.

At five-and-twenty, Miss DeLancey is close to being on the shelf. Her marital prospects are not helped by a mama who combines Mrs Bennett’s silliness with Lady Catherine’s snobbery, a brother who has gambled away her dowry, and a father who reminded me of Mr Bennett: intelligent and personable, but influenced by his wife. There are also echoes of Persuasion in the decorated sea captain who was rejected in love when a lowly lieutenant.

Carolyn Miller takes these well-known tropes and gives them new life in The Dishonorable Miss DeLancey, the final book in her Legacy of Grace series—and the best (well, in my view).

Miss DeLancey had the misfortune to fall for someone who didn’t return her regard, and was then humiliated for it. It didn’t help that her brother gambled away her dowry, making it difficult for her to find another suitor. (Yes, there were several times when I thought Richard DeLancey needed to take a long walk off a short pier.)

Ben Kemsley has his own problems. He’s spent most of his prize money caring for the families of the men he captained, especially those who didn’t make it back to England. The Prince Regent has promised him a reward, but Prinny is famously self-centred and how exactly does one ask the Prince of Wales for a promised fortune?

My favourite aspect of Clara DeLancey’s story was the focus on her spiritual journey.

In fact, that was the major focus of the first half of the novel. Clara’s turning point comes when she realises there is more to Christianity than church. She sees the need to change from the dissatisfied person she had been. And she saw the need to put that change in God’s hands. Fortunately, she has her new friends to guide her … new friends with a handsome brother.

I also enjoyed the references to the marine chronometer. I read Longtitude by Dava Sobel many years ago. She explained that we’ve long been able to calculate latitude through the position of the stars and sun. But we can’t calculate longtitude accurately without a clock that can remain accurate throughout a long ocean voyage.

I love this kind of mix of fact and fiction, because it was the lack of such a clock caused the shipwreck that made Captain Ben Kemsley a minor Regency celebrity. There were also several scenes set in and around the famed Brighton Pavillion, redecorated by the Prince Regent at great expense and with dubious taste, and I enjoyed this as well.

Overall, an excellent Christian Regency romance with element of suspense. Recommended!

Thanks to Kregel Publications for sending me a free paperback to review.

About Carolyn Miller

Carolyn Miller lives in the beautiful Southern Highlands of New South Wales, Australia. She is married, with four gorgeous children, who all love to read (and write!).

A longtime lover of Regency romance, Carolyn’s novels have won a number of Romance Writers of American (RWA) and American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) contests. She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and Australasian Christian Writers. Her favourite authors are classics like Jane Austen (of course!), Georgette Heyer, and Agatha Christie, but she also enjoys contemporary authors like Susan May Warren and Becky Wade.

Her stories are fun and witty, yet also deal with real issues, such as dealing with forgiveness, the nature of really loving versus ‘true love’, and other challenges we all face at different times.

Find Carolyn Miller online at:

Website | Facebook | Google+

Goodreads| Pinterest | Twitter

Find The Dishonorable Miss DeLancey online at:

Amazon US | Amazon AU | Amazon UK

ChristianBook | Goodreads

20 February 2018

Bookish Question #46 | How Many Books Do You Read In a Year?

How many books do you read in a year? How do you keep track?

I honestly never used to track how many books I read (or re-read) until I discovered Goodreads and the annual Goodreads Reading Challenge. I always knew I read a lot—more than most people I knew. Even in high school, I could read a book in a day. Or two, if it was Saturday. I just managed to keep my addiction fed between the school library and the town library.

Then I went to university, and my recreational reading dropped off. I lived in the university halls of residence, which meant a lot less alone time for reading, and a lot less access to books. And a lot more homework—which included reading loooonnnnggg textbooks.

I started reading fiction again after I finished university and learned Christian fiction existed.

I’d grown out of young adult fiction, and realised I didn’t necessarily like grown-up fiction because of the prevalence of bad language, sex, and violence. But I did make my way through most of the classics of British literature (which are much more interesting if you’re not having to write essays on symbolism and the metaphorical conceit). I also read many books from authors like Georgette Heyer, Agatha Christie, Mary Stewart, and Victoria Holt—older writers who didn’t see need for the content I didn’t care to read.

Later, I discovered Christian fiction.

Then Amazon. Then ebooks (Kobo first, then Kindle). And Goodreads, and the annual Reading Challenge. I discovered Goodreads in 2010, and have participated in the Reading Challenge each year from 2011. My annual “target” has varied between 150 and 200 books a year, and I’ve “won” every year.

That pales into insignificance next to some of the readers I’ve met online, who read a book a day or more (some read over 500 a year. And they review many of them as well). Many have notebooks of books read that go back decades. I am not and have never been that organised.

But I can manage to keep my Goodreads Reading Challenge up to date. More or less—there is usually a last-minute 31 December rush to include the books I’ve read over my summer break (I live in New Zealnd, remember. That means my summer break starts on Christmas Day!).

I will admit that my 2017 figures include some books I didn’t actually finish. I figure that if I start and read at least 10%, and that’s not enough to grab me, then I’m better marking it as read rather than having the book hang around on some virtual “am reading” pile for half of forever.

What about you? How many books do you read in a year, and how do you keep track?

19 February 2018

Book Review | The Saturday Night Supper Club by Carla Laureano

Wonderful!

If you ask readers what plot points or ideas they don’t like in novels, there is always one that comes up: the impossibly good-looking hero or heroine. Others dislike too-rich heroes. Or writers. Or all of the above. I confess: I’m one of them. I especially don’t like the impossibly handsome rich writer (except for Richard Castle, but we all know he’s a joke).

The Saturday Night Supper Club has all these things (except for Richard Castle.) Despite that, it’s a great read—almost perfect contemporary Christian romance. It’s also a lesson in the power of the media—especially social media—to work for good and for evil.

And the food … I wanted it all. Well, except the chard. And the fennel. It was a weed where I grew up, and we were all told not to eat it.

Anyway, about the book …

Rachel Bishop is the darling of the Denver casual fine dining scene until a misplaced comment to the wrong person goes viral. Writer Alex Kanin unintentionally started the whole media firestorm, but doesn’t realise the full extent of the repercussions until he tries to apologise to Rachel, and finds his article has cost Rachel her job.

Yes, he’s the impossibly handsome writer whose debut memoir jumped to the top of all the right bestseller lists. He’s also rich, thanks to a couple of timely investments, and grew up in a well-off immigrant family. In contrast, Rachel left home without graduating high school, and has risen to the top of her profession through hard work and determination.

The Saturday Night Supper Club is the story of how Alex and Rachel work together to try and resurrect her career.

It’s a romance, so you know how that goes. It also has a solid Christian thread, in that both Rachel and Alex are Christians, and each has lessons to learn about the nature of God. But it’s not preachy, which is great.

Overall, The Saturday Night Supper Club is a great contemporary Christian romance, with wonderful characters, and wonderful food. I do hope there are a couple of sequels in the works!

Thanks to Tyndale Publishing and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review.

About Carla Laureano

Carla Laureano is the RITA® Award-winning author of contemporary inspirational romance and Celtic fantasy (as C.E. Laureano). A graduate of Pepperdine University, she worked as a sales and marketing executive for nearly a decade before leaving corporate life behind to write fiction full-time. She currently lives in Denver with her husband and two sons, where she writes during the day and cooks things at night.

You can find Carla Laureano online at:

Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

About The Saturday Night Supper Club

Denver chef Rachel Bishop has accomplished everything she’s dreamed and some things she never dared hope, like winning a James Beard Award and heading up her own fine-dining restaurant. But when a targeted smear campaign causes her to be pushed out of the business by her partners, she vows to do whatever it takes to get her life back . . . even if that means joining forces with the man who inadvertently set the disaster in motion.

Essayist Alex Kanin never imagined his pointed editorial would go viral. Ironically, his attempt to highlight the pitfalls of online criticism has the opposite effect: it revives his own flagging career by destroying that of a perfect stranger. Plagued by guilt-fueled writer’s block, Alex vows to do whatever he can to repair the damage. He just doesn’t expect his interest in the beautiful chef to turn personal.

Alex agrees to help rebuild Rachel’s tarnished image by offering his connections and his home to host an exclusive pop-up dinner party targeted to Denver’s most influential citizens: the Saturday Night Supper Club. As they work together to make the project a success, Rachel begins to realize Alex is not the unfeeling opportunist she once thought he was, and that perhaps there’s life—and love—outside the pressure-cooker of her chosen career. But can she give up her lifelong goals without losing her identity as well?

You can find The Saturday Night Supper Club online at:

Amazon | ChristianBook | Goodreads | Koorong

16 February 2018

First Line Friday | Week 29 | Kill Shot by Susan Sleeman

It’s First Line Friday, which means it’s time to open the book nearest you and share the first line. Today I’m sharing from Kill Shot, the second book in the White Knights series by Susan Sleeman.

Here’s the first line:

Does that make you want to keep reading?

About Kill Shot

Some fears haunt you forever….

As the ballistics and weapon’s expert for the FBI’s special task force nicknamed the White Knights, Rick Cannon has known the Department of Defense was developing self-steering bullets. Rick feared these smart bullets–which have one hundred percent accuracy that can turn even a novice into a lethal sniper–would eventually end up in the hands of the wrong people. But since the ammunition was still in the development stage, he figured they had plenty of time before that happened. He was wrong. Dead wrong.

Until they become reality.

When a homeless vet is killed with a smart bullet, it’s clear that the ammunition has been stolen, and the Knights are called in to find the thief and stop the killings. But they aren’t the only ones desperate to find the killer. Therapist Olivia Dobbs is well known for her success in counseling military veterans with PTSD. When she discovers one of her clients moments after he is murdered, she becomes both the FBI’s prime witness, and suspect.

Despite the mutual attraction that immediately sparks between them, Rick can’t–no he won’t–let Olivia interfere with his investigation. But when the sniper trains his rifle on her, Rick must recall all the skills he learned as a Marine sniper to make sure the next bullet fired isn’t a kill shot that takes Olivia out.

You can find Kill Shot online at:

Amazon | ChristianBook | Goodreads | Koorong

Click the button to check out what my fabulous fellow FirstLineFriday bloggers are sharing today:

You can then click the link which will take you to the master page of all this week’s #FirstLineFriday posts.

And you can click here to check out my previous FirstLineFriday posts.

Share your first line in the comments, and happy reading!

15 February 2018

Book Review | Out of the Shadows by Emma Carrie

It’s Throwback Thursday, so I’m resharing my review of Out of the Shadows, the first in The Tacket Secret series by Emma Carrie. It’s a fast-paced YA series that will appeal to thriller fans.

Teenager Emily Brelin’s adoptive mother has just died, and now Child Protective Services needs to find her a place to live. At least, that’s what they think. Emily needs to stay off the grid, to make sure her past doesn’t find her. That means staying out of the system.

Detective Victoria Tacket didn’t even know her friend Dr Jennifer Brelin was ill, let alone that she’d adopted a teenager. And why has Jen nominated her as guardian? She’s not fit to be a parent—which she tells CPS. But then Emily disappears, and Vick knows she has to find the missing teen.

Emily is a fascinating character, with more skills that people would expect for her age—including the ability to lip-read. She takes the lead in this game of hide and seek, and her willingness to run away and disappear introduce a lot of questions. Who is Emily? Why is it so important she stays out of the system? Who is looking for her … and what will happen if they find her?

This is the first book in a series—thank goodness, because I want to know what happens next! It doesn’t end on a cliffhanger, but the end definitely leaves some unanswered questions for future books. (Cliffhanger endings too often give me the impression the author didn’t know how to finish the book, which breaks the illusion that it’s real).

Out of the Shadows is a fast-paced read with plenty of suspense. The plot and writing are solid, and the characters are excellent. If there was a failing, it was that it was too quick to read (I read it in a single sitting, because I couldn’t put it down). Not a novel to start late in the evening …

Recommended for those looking for Young Adult suspense.

Thanks to the author for providing a free ebook for review (although it’s now permanently free on Kindle).

About Out of the Shadows

Abducted as a child. Groomed to be a teen spy. Expected to become a female assassin.

Emily won’t be a test specimen too.

After years of prolonged mental and physical abuse during combat training, Emily Brelin’s genetic structure changed. New abilities emerged, which she hid from her captor, a rogue general.

Fearing she’d be experimented on, Emily escaped and fled across the globe to New York’s largest metropolitan area, Golden City. There, she met a sympathetic professor who offered her a new home, a new identity, and a new start.

The professor protected Emily’s secrets, until cancer intervened. On her deathbed, she made Emily promise to meet her best friend, a female detective who could keep the teen safe.

Now, despite reservations, Emily is racing to complete her vow. But the general wants his prized teen weapon back. He’s hunting Emily–and her cover is unraveling.

Detective Vick Tacket is shocked when she learns her best friend has died. She’s more stunned to learn the professor had a hidden dependent and named Vick–a single woman with no maternal interest–as the teen’s guardian.

But when mysterious girl disappears, Vick scours the streets of Golden City searching for the missing teen.

What she discovers could get them both killed.

About Emma Carrie

Emma Carrie writes clean YA books with strong female characters. Her debut YA action adventure series, The Tacket Secret, features a teen spy assassin and a homicide detective who are thrown into an awkward adoption that puts both in danger. Each chapter alternates between teen and adult POVs. This 7-book series is packed with suspense and a touch of science fiction fantasy.

When not writing, Emma enjoys her own adventures. She’s explored an active coal mine, fired a Gatling gun from a Humvee, and examined chromosomes with a scanning electron microscope. She’s also hitched a ride in a corporate jet and wiped out on stage while modeling. Unique moments like those fuel her stories.

Emma loves strong female characters who are driven by unconquerable determination–the encouragement she hopes readers take from her stories.

You can find Emma online at:

Website | Facebook

You can read the introduction to Out of the Shadows below:

13 February 2018

Bookish Question #45 | What’s your favourite book featuring Valentine’s Day?

I’m a romance reader and writer, so I should have a stack of books I’ve read and enjoyed that feature Valentine’s Day. Yet I can’t think of a single title.

I suspect there are two reasons why.

First is that Valentine’s Day isn’t the big deal in New Zealand that it is in the US. Well, it wasn’t when I was a child. I remember reading US books as a child and teenager where Valentine’s Day was a big thing, where children made Valentine’s Day cards in school for all the children in their class.

That was completely foreign—perhaps because 14 February is only two weeks after the start of the new school year, and teachers want to teach while the children are still fresh and keen to learn. There will be plenty of time for crafts later in the year, when everyone is tired.

Later, the reason became the commercialisation of Valentine’s Day even here in New Zealand. It places unnecessary pressure on singles and couples. And it places unnecessary emphasis on a single day, which isn’t enough. Love and marriage are for a lifetime, not a day.

So I don’t have a favourite book featuring Valentine’s Day. What can you recommend?

12 February 2018

Book Review | The Lost Castle by Kristy Cambron

The Lost Castle is a split-time romance with a difference. I’ve read several dual-timeline romances, but this is the first with three timelines, all three centering around a mysterious lost castle in the Loire Valley, France—an area famous for wine and chateaux.

The oldest timeline is set amongst the French nobility in 1789, the eve of the Revolution. Aveline Saint-Moreau is about to be married when the castle is stormed and the nobility flee for their lives. She remains at the Chateau des Doux-Reves in the care of the master vinter, recovering from her injuries. She is the Sleeping Beauty, the origin of the legend of the ruined castle.

The middle timeline is set in the same location towards the end of World War II, shortly before D-Day (well, I knew D-Day was coming even though the characters didn’t). This is the story of Viola Hart, an English woman escaping from the Nazis in France. But how did she get there? Her story unfolds as the novel progresses, but ties together both the past and the present story.

The modern story is that of Ellison Carver—Ellie (although I did a double take when I first read the name, as I’m a James Bond fan and Elliot Carver was a James Bond baddie). Ellie was raised by her grandmother, Lady Vi, who is now confined to an Alzheimer’s unit, but who has a request for Ellie: go to France, find the Sleeping Beauty castle, and discover the significance of the castle and the handsome man in the photograph.

The writing is spectacular, especially the descriptions of 1789 France—the clothes, the chateau, the social inequity. This was definitely my favourite of the three timelines, because it’s a less common period to read about. I also enjoyed the Christian theme of God’s faithfulness woven throughout the three timelines.

Kristy Cambron’s first stories were dual timeline, and both had World War II settings (and in both, I thought the historical portion of the story was more compelling than the present). Her later novels have been straight historical fiction, in American settings. Personally, I prefer her dual (and now triple) timeline stories.

The Lost Castle takes Cambron’s talents in writing and researching, and brings the French Revolution and D-Day France to life. Recommended for readers looking for Christian fiction that’s a little out of the ordinary.

Thanks to Thomas Nelson and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review.

About The Lost Castle

Broken-down walls and crumbling stones seemed to possess a secret language all their own.

What stories would they tell, if she finally listened?

Ellie Carver arrives at her grandmother’s bedside expecting to find her silently slipping away. Instead, the beloved woman begins speaking. Of a secret past and castle ruins forgotten by time. Of a hidden chapel that served as a rendezvous for the French Resistance in World War II. Of lost love and deep regret . . .

Each piece that unlocks the story seems to unlock part of Ellie too—where she came from and who she is becoming. But her grandmother is quickly disappearing into the shadows of Alzheimer’s and Ellie must act fast if she wants to uncover the truth of her family’s history. Drawn by the mystery surrounding The Sleeping Beauty—a castle so named for Charles Perrault’s beloved fairy tale—Ellie embarks on a journey to France’s Loire Valley in hopes that she can unearth its secrets before time silences them forever.

Bridging the past to the present in three time periods—the French Revolution, World War II, and present day—The Lost Castle is a story of loves won and lost, of battles waged in the hearts of men, and of an enchanted castle that stood witness to it all, inspiring a legacy of faith through the generations.

You can find The Lost Castle online at:

Amazon | ChristianBook | Goodreads | Koorong

About Kristy Cambron

Kristy Cambron has a background in art and design, but she fancies life as a vintage-inspired storyteller. Her debut novel, The Butterfly and the Violin, was named to Library Journal’s Best Books of 2014 and nominated for RT Book Reviews’ Choice Awards Best Inspirational Novel of 2014 and for the 2015 INSPY Awards for Best Debut Novel. Her second novel, A Sparrow in Terezin, was named Library Journal’s Pick of the Month (Christian Fiction) for February 2015 and a Top Pick for RT Book Reviews. Kristy holds a degree in Art History from Indiana University. She lives in Indiana with her husband and three young sons.

You can find Kristy Cambron online at:

Website | Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest | Twitter