Author: Iola Goulton

24 January 2020

First Line Friday | Week 119 | The Kiss Thief by Jessica Kate

It’s First Line Friday! That means it’s time to pick up the nearest book and quote the first line. Today I’m sharing from The Kiss Thief, a new short story by Jessica Kate. Here’s the first line of Chapter One:

What’s the book nearest you, and what’s the first line?

About The Kiss Thief

A stolen memento and a mission to retrieve it…but who will steal a heart in The Kiss Thief?⠀

A girl doesn’t just let her cheating ex steal her dead mother’s cookbook without stealing it back. At least, that’s Australian carpenter Jaqueline Piper’s philosophy.

Jacq’s on a mission to retrieve her most precious possession, and her neighbor, Louisiana chef Donny Greyson, isn’t about to let her do it alone. But while he’s the only thing that got Jacq through her break-up, she hasn’t been entirely forthcoming with him about her plan. Like the part about breaking-and-entering. Or her ex’s biker neighbors…

The Kiss Thief is free, but only if you sign up for Jessica Kate’s newsletter.

Click here to sign up!

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!

And don’t forget to click here to check out my Amazon shop for my top picks in Christian fiction!

23 January 2020

Book Review | All Manner of Things by Susie Finkbeiner

Annie Jacobson is eighteen, the middle child with an older and a younger brother. The Vietnam War is in full swing, and her older brother, Mike, is about to enlist in the army rather than waiting to get drafted. As predicted, their mother isn’t happy with the idea because their father fought in Korea and was never the same. He abandoned them twelve years ago, when Annie was six, without saying goodbye.

All Manner of Things isn’t a typical novel.

There’s no big drama, just a lot of smaller dramas. It’s a story about life, family, and love, set against the backdrop of an idyllic version of 1960s small-town America. It’s almost too idyllic—Annie and her family watch war protests and hippies and race riots on television, but nothing like that comes to their town. Their war hero is welcomed home (although David, who has just moved into town, does experience some racism).

The story is told in first person from Annie’s point of view, interspersed with letters to and from Mike and other characters. The writing style is tight and understated. There are no excess words. And that’s the strength of the story: it’s experienced, not told.

It’s a strong and profound novel that touches on various themes: love, family, healing, reconciliation, loss.

All Manner of Things by @SusieFinkbeiner is a powerful historical novel, recommended for those interested in Vietman-era fiction. Recommended. #ChristianFiction Share on X

There’s no obvious plot, no noticeable three-act structure, no big stakes, no major conflict, no significant character change. Annie starts the story as a well-raised, hard-working, sensitive teenager, and she finishes the story the same way. She grows, but not in a way that can easily be put into words.

The writing is outstanding, but it’s not one of those books with lots of quotable lines.

There are flashes of insight, but they only make sense in the context of the story. Outside the story, they’re just words. Yet it’s compelling. It took me a while to pick up and begin All Manner of Things, but once I got to Chapter Two, I didn’t want to put it down.

I think the story is best summarised by the Julian of Norwich quote at the beginning:

All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of things shall be well.

(Julian was a fourteenth-century mystic—a woman, despite the name.)

Recommended for those looking for a novel set against the backdrop of the Vietnam War, or those looking for understated yet powerful historical fiction.

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

About Susie Finkbeiner

Susie Finkbeiner is the CBA bestselling author of A Cup of Dust, A Trail of Crumbs, and A Song of Home. She serves on the Breathe Christian Writers Conference planning committee, volunteers her time at Ada Bible Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and speaks at retreats and women’s events across the state. Susie and her husband have three children and live in West Michigan.

Find Susie Finkbeiner online at:

Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

BookBub | Goodreads

About All Manner of Things

When Annie Jacobson’s brother Mike enlists as a medic in the Army in 1967, he hands her a piece of paper with the address of their long-estranged father. If anything should happen to him in Vietnam, Mike says, Annie must let their father know.

In Mike’s absence, their father returns to face tragedy at home, adding an extra measure of complication to an already tense time. As they work toward healing and pray fervently for Mike’s safety overseas, letter by letter the Jacobsons must find a way to pull together as a family, regardless of past hurts. In the tumult of this time, Annie and her family grapple with the tension of holding both hope and grief in the same hand, even as they learn to turn to the One who binds the wounds of the brokenhearted.

Author Susie Finkbeiner invites you into the Jacobson family’s home and hearts during a time in which the chaos of the outside world touched their small community in ways they never imagined.

Find All Manner of Things online at:

Amazon | ChristianBook | Goodreads | Kobo | Koorong

Read the introduction to All Manner of Things below:

And don’t forget to click here to check out my Amazon shop for my top picks in Christian fiction!

22 January 2020

New Releases in Christian Fiction | January 2020

It’s time for the January 2020 New Releases in Christian fiction. I’m a little late in posting these (a combination of holidays and website glitches), but here they are. More in-depth descriptions of these books can be found on the ACFW Fiction Finder website.

Contemporary Romance:

A Rancher to Trust by Laurel Blount — After learning his ex-wife isn’t so ex after all, rebel turned rancher Dan Whitlock is determined to prove he’s a changed man…but Bailey Quinn is just as set on finally ending their marriage. When tragedy makes Dan the guardian of little orphaned twins, he and Bailey are drawn back together. But can she forgive the past and open her heart to the family she’s always wanted? (Contemporary Romance from Love Inspired (Harlequin))

Star Rising by Janet W. Ferguson — Star Youngblood tries to protect her employer, Mrs. Priscilla Kelly, from the woman’s neglectful son, an aspiring flight instructor who has issues with religion, but finds her own heart is at the greatest risk. (Contemporary Romance, Independently Published)

I’ve just read this, and it’s excellent. My review will post soon.

A Promise to Keep by Melony Teague — Savannah, a widowed research librarian, goes to her twenty year class reunion and gets reacquainted with Michael, a former troublemaker who is now a professional technical rescuer. Before the night is over, a pact between these two old friends will lead them on an adventure into uncharted emotional territory where Michael must confront his past regrets and find the courage to reveal the truth. But can Savannah fly from her sheltered nest and risk her heart on a real-life hero? (Contemporary Romance from Anaiah Press)

General Contemporary:

A Long Time Comin by Robin W. Pearson — To hear Beatrice Agnew tell it, she entered the world with her mouth tightly shut. Just because she finds out she’s dying doesn’t mean she can’t keep it that way. If any of her children have questions about their daddy and the choices she made after he abandoned them, they’d best take it up with Jesus. There’s no room in Granny B’s house for regrets or hand-holding. Or so she thinks. Her granddaughter, Evelyn Lester, shows up on Beatrice’s doorstep anyway, burdened with her own secret baggage. Determined to help her Granny B mend fences with her far-flung brood, Evelyn turns her grandmother’s heart and home inside out. Evelyn’s meddling uncovers a tucked-away box of old letters, forcing the two women to wrestle with their past and present pain as they confront the truth Beatrice has worked a lifetime to hide. (General Contemporary from Tyndale House)

Historical Romance:

Freedom in the Mountain Wind by Misty M. Beller — A young woman faces overwhelming odds to make her father’s dream come true before he dies of lung cancer, but paddling upriver through fierce rapids and fighting hungry grizzlies to follow the Lewis and Clark trail isn’t what terrifies her the most. Beaver Tail endured more than he can stand from the women in his Blackfoot camp, but the last disaster gave him the final shove he needed to join this band of brothers searching for one of their group who’s gone missing. The last thing he expected was to find a white woman and her sick father stranded at the base of a massive waterfall. His plan is to help them carry their oversize canoe and supplies, then leave them to their strange mission. Yet, the more he learns about the pair, the more he realizes his life is about to be derailed—again. (Historical Romance, Independently Published)

Uncharted Promises by Keely Brooke Keith — Sybil Roberts uses the warmth of delicious meals to lift the spirits of road-weary travelers at The Inn at Falls Creek. Her life at the inn would be perfect if she could just get her brothers and mother to move back home. And if she could see Isaac Owens again. He visited the inn once when he interviewed for the farm manager job, and she’s dreamed of his return to Falls Creek ever since. Isaac Owens knows how to run a farm. His family might not have faith in him, but if he succeeds at Falls Creek, he’ll prove them wrong. He arrives at the inn thinking the job is his, but the inn’s senile owner offered the position to another man too. Isaac must spend the winter competing if he wants to win the job… and Sybil’s heart. It will take more than warm meals on cold nights for Sybil and Isaac to find love while working at the isolated inn. (Historical Romance from Edenbrooke Press)

This is also on my to-read pile—expect a review soon!

Forever Hidden by Kimberley Woodhouse, Tracie Peterson — Sybil Roberts uses the warmth of delicious meals to lift the spirits of road-weary travelers at The Inn at Falls Creek. Her life at the inn would be perfect if she could just get her brothers and mother to move back home. And if she could see Isaac Owens again. He visited the inn once when he interviewed for the farm manager job, and she’s dreamed of his return to Falls Creek ever since. Isaac Owens knows how to run a farm. His family might not have faith in him, but if he succeeds at Falls Creek, he’ll prove them wrong. He arrives at the inn thinking the job is his, but the inn’s senile owner offered the position to another man too. Isaac must spend the winter competing if he wants to win the job… and Sybil’s heart. It will take more than warm meals on cold nights for Sybil and Isaac to find love while working at the isolated inn. (Historical Romance from Bethany House [Baker])

The Gray Chamber by Grace Hitchcock — On Blackwell Island, New York, a hospital was built to keep its patients from ever leaving. With her late father’s fortune under her uncle’s care until her twenty-fifth birthday in the year 1887, Edyth Foster does not feel pressured to marry or to bow to society’s demands. She freely indulges in eccentric hobbies like fencing and riding her velocipede in her cycling costume about the city for all to see. Finding a loophole in the will, though, her uncle whisks Edyth off to the women’s lunatic asylum just weeks before her birthday. Do any of Edyth’s friends care that she disappeared? At the asylum she meets another inmate, who upon discovering Edyth’s plight, confesses that she is Nellie Bly, an undercover journalist for The World. Will either woman find a way to leave the terrifying island and reclaim her true self? (Historical Romance from Barbour Publishing)

This sounds interesting, but I’m honestly a little apprehensive about reading it, given it’s based on true events. Have you read it? What did you think?

Romantic Suspense:

Secret Mountain Hideout by Terri Reed — Staying hidden has kept her alive… But now she’s been found. A remote Colorado mountain town and a fake identity have been Ashley Willis’s safe haven since fleeing after she witnessed a murder—but now the killer has found her trail. Desperate and terrified, she’s prepared to run again…but Deputy Sheriff Chase Fredrick won’t let her. With the lawman by her side, can she face danger head-on…and live long enough to bring a murderer to justice? (Romantic Suspense from Love Inspired [Harlequin])

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

50-50 by Roger Bruner, Contemporary
Shattered Treasure by Cindy Patterson, Romantic Suspense
The Contessa Is Missing by Linda Siebold, Romantic Suspense
The Forever Sky by Janalyn Voigt, Western Romance
Northern Hearts by Laurie Wood, Romantic Suspense

21 January 2020

Bookish Question #138 | Do you listen to audiobooks? Why or why not?

I’m not a big audiobook listener, for two reasons:

1. I’m a fast reader, so find it’s quicker to read than to listen.

If I’m enjoying a story, I want to get on with it … which means reading faster and faster, not waiting for the audio to catch up with my thoughts. Yes, I know audiobooks (well, some audiobooks) can be played at 1.5 times or 2 times speed, but then they can end up sounding like Alvin and the Chipmunks …

2. I don’t spend a lot of time in my car or doing tasks that would make listening an option.

Where I do have car time, I tend to listen to podcasts—they’re shorter, and it doesn’t matter if you miss a couple of details (the really important content, like the links, will be in the show notes). With a novel, it’s important to be able to see/hear and retain all the details because missing an important detail might affect your overall enjoyment or appreciation of the book.

Also, audiobooks are long—usually eight to ten hours, and sometimes longer.

I can see the appeal of audiobooks for someone who has an hour or more a day of otherwise dead time e.g., driving or waiting for children, or even exercising (assuming they’re going for a quiet walk, not taking a class or exercising in a gym pumping loud music out of the speakers).

If you’ve got a good chunk of time each day and can get through an audiobook in a week or two, then I can see them as a great way to pep up otherwise useless driving or waiting time. But they are less good for someone like me who would only be listening in ten or fifteen-minute slots two or three times a week. It would take forever to get into the story, and would be too easy to forget the details between sessions.

But that’s me. What about you? Do you listen to audiobooks? Why, or why not?

20 January 2020

Book Review | Star Rising (Coastal Hearts #4) by Janet W Ferguson

Star Youngblood is rebuilding her life.

A horrible childhood sent her into alcoholism and addiction. She’s now a Christian, has been sober for a year, and is supporting herself by working as an aide and housekeeper for the elderly Mrs. Kelly, who has become surrogate mother. Star’s troubles start when Mrs. Kelly has a heart attack. Her son, Paul, returns and takes an instant dislike to Star.

Then Mrs. Kelly decides she wants to complete the trip she’d planned to take with her husband—to Ireland. She invites Star along as her caregiver, a move which raises Paul’s ire and suspicion. He ends up tagging along, more to keep an eye on Star than to care for his mother.

Star has problems, but she has identified them, is working on them, and most are a direct or indirect result of her childhood mistreatment. While I couldn’t Star’s background from personal knowledge (thankfully), I could respect and admire her progress into becoming the woman God created her to be. Paul Kelly? Not so much.

I will admit that I had a lot of unChristian feelings for Paul.

Sure, he’d given up on Christianity, but he’d also turned into an unkind and suspicious person. I also suspected he never had a deep Christian faith to begin with, as the event that caused him to lose his faith didn’t seem a big enough deal to abandon faith in God. (Abandon the church, sure. But not God.) That low baseline meant Paul had a lot of room to grow and improve— and he had a lot of improving to do if he was going to be worthy of Star.

Janet Ferguson did a brilliant job of redeeming Paul.

By the end I was convinced that he and Star would make a great couple. This is a credit to the excellent writing. Overall, Star Rising is an excellent example of Christian romance, with an emphasis on the “Christian”. The Christian elements are well integrated into the plot so they’re essential, but never preachy.

Recommended.

Note that Star Rising is the third novel in the Coast Hearts series, but can easily be read as a standalone story.

Star Rising by @JanetwFerguson is another excellent example of Christian fiction showing the challenges new Christians face, and their victory over their pasts. #BookReview #ChristianRomance Share on X

About Janet W Ferguson

Janet W. Ferguson grew up in Mississippi and received a degree in Banking and Finance from the University of Mississippi. She has served her church as a children’s minister and a youth volunteer. An avid reader, she worked as a librarian at a large public high school. Janet and her husband have two grown children, one really smart dog, and a few cats that allow them to share the space.

Click here to read my interview with Janet W Ferguson.

Find Janet W Ferguson online at:

About Star Rising

Star Youngblood has always been a fighter–a necessity after her mother married a monster of a man. Now, she’s finally on the path to the stable life she’s always wanted. Her employer, Priscilla Kelly, is a sweet woman ravaged by rheumatoid arthritis, and Star will do anything to help her. Even if that means going toe to toe with Mrs. Kelly’s neglectful son.

After being betrayed on the mission field and devastated by the tragic death of his father, Paul Kelly gave up on God. He lives life on his own terms, biding his time as a corporate pilot until he can save enough money to begin his own flight school closer to home. His mother is all he has left, and he wants to be near her. He just didn’t expect her health to decline so quickly. When he discovers his mother has taken in a stray—a woman he’s not at all sure can be trusted—his protective instincts kick into high gear. Paul’s handled a lot of turbulence, but he’s never gone up against a force like Star.

As Paul and Star strive to protect his mother in their own ways, they soon find their own hearts are at the greatest risk.

Find Star Rising online at:

Amazon | Goodreads

Read the introduction to Star Rising below:

19 January 2020

Bookish Question #137 | Which books are you most looking forward to reading in 2020?

Tough question! But at least it says “books” not “book”. Book would be impossible.

Here are some of the review copies already on my Kindle:

The Joy of Falling by Lindsay Harrel (which is partly set in New Zealand).
A Girl’s Guide to the Outback by Jessica Kate (as the title suggests, this is set in the Australian Outback).
Where the Road Bends by David Rawlings (also set in the Australian Outback).
Waltz in the Wilderness by Kathleen Denly (a debut novel from a blogger I follow).

Other books I’m looking forward to reading:

Kara Isaac‘s next book (expected in July 2020).
The next book in Christine Dillon‘s Grace series, which should get published in August or September.
I’m also hoping Adam Collings will release the third instalment in his space opera series.

(If you want to know more, I suggest you click on the above links and sign up to their newsletters.)

I’ll also be on the lookout for whatever is new from some of my favourite romance and women’s fiction authors, such as Caroline Miller, Courtney Walsh, Elizabeth Musser, and Catherine West.

What about you? Which books are you most looking forward to reading in 2020?

17 January 2020

First Line Friday | Week 118 | Star Rising by Janet W Ferguson

It’s First Line Friday! That means it’s time to pick up the nearest book and quote the first line. Today I’m sharing from Star Rising by Janet W Ferguson, the fourth novel in the Coastal Hearts series. Here’s the first line of Chapter One:

What’s the book nearest you, and what’s the first line?

About Star Rising

As Paul and Star strive to protect his mother in their own ways, they soon find their own hearts are at the greatest risk.

Find Star Rising online at:

Amazon | Goodreads

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!

And don’t forget to click here to check out my Amazon shop for my top picks in Christian fiction!

17 January 2020

Bookish Question #136 | Have you set a reading challenge for 2020?

I’ve done the Goodreads challenge every year since 2011, and I’ll be doing it again in 2020. It’s a simple challenge—just how many books you plan to read during the year.

Over the years, my target has ranged from 150 to 200 books, and I’ll be aiming for 150 books again in 2020.

I will supplement that with some personal targets, similar to last year. I want to keep expanding my reading, which means proactively deciding to read debut and new-to-me authors. I set a target of 50 last year, and hit it (just!). Some of those authors I probably won’t read again, but there are many I want to add to my ongoing reading list.

Another 2019 target was to read 50 or more self-published or indie-published books.

There are some great self-published books out there, many from authors who initially published through a big-name publisher but who have now moved to self-publishing. As an added bonus, self-published books are often a fraction of the price of traditionally published books (yet the author earns as much or more per copy). So that’s another great reason to support self-published authors!

My final personal target for 2019 was to read at least one book on writing craft and one book on marketing each month. I didn’t do so well on these challenges, but think they’re important, so will try again in 2020.

So my personal reading challenges for 2020 are:

150+ books read in total (which does include novellas).
30+ books from debut or new-to-me authors.
50+ self-published books.
60+ books off my to-read piles (ebook and paperback).
12+ marketing books.
12+ books on writing craft.

Obviously, some books will count for more than one challenge—a self-published book on writing craft from a new-to-me author will count four times 🙂

What about you? Have you set a reading challenge for 2020? If so, what is it?

16 January 2020

#ThrowbackThursday | Book Review | The Camera Never Lies by David Rawlings

Australian author David Rawlings has just won a 2019 Christy Award for his debut novel, The Baggage Handler, so I wanted to find out how his second novel fared in comparison.

Personally, I think it’s even better.

Now, not everyone will agree with me. One of the strengths of The Baggage Handler was that so many readers could find themselves in one of the three characters: the ambitious businessman, the harried housewife, the teen trying to find his own definition of success. The Camera Never Lies has a narrower set of characters, but I found them just as relateable. And they’re still asking a universal question:

What would you do if your secrets were revealed to those around you?

The Camera Never Lies is the story of a successful marriage counsellor who refuses to face up to the issues in his own marriage, despite his “No Secrets” tagline. Daniel Whiteley inherits his grandfather’s camera, an old-fashioned film model, the kind where the pictures are true and can’t be manipulated with filters or PhotoShop.

As Simon in the photo shop says, the camera never lies.

Or so he thinks. Because when Daniel looks at the photographs, he’s sure they’re not the photos he took. So what are these photos? This is where the slight speculative element comes in, as we discover the camera is a little magical. It captures truth, but not the truth we see …

The Camera Never Lies isn’t overt Christian fiction.

It never mentions God or Jesus or church or prayer. But it is definitely a story built on Christian principles—honesty, integrity, and the importance of internal character over the external trappings of success. As such, it’s both a great story, and a great gift … especially for people who would never pick up a Christian novel.

Recommended.

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

About David Rawlings

David Rawlings is an Australian author, and a sports-mad father-of-three who loves humor and a clever turn-of-phrase.

Over a 25-year career he has put words on the page to put food on the table, developing from sports journalism and copywriting to corporate communication.

Now in fiction, he entices readers to look deeper into life with stories that combine the everyday with a sense of the speculative, addressing the fundamental questions we all face. That starts with his debut novel – The Baggage Handler – a contemporary story that explores one question: What baggage are you carrying?

Find David Rawlings online at:

Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

About The Camera Never Lies

Daniel, Kelly, and Milly appear to be the perfect family. But an old camera will expose secrets no one wants developed.

Daniel Whitely is a successful marriage counselor and bestselling author, yet his own marriage is in crisis and his daughter is drifting further away each day. To make matters worse, the deadline for his second book has come and gone, and he still hasn’t written a single word.

When Daniel inherits an old camera from his grandfather, he notices an inscription on the bottom: “No matter what you think you might see, the camera never lies.”

Daniel begins using the camera, but every time he develops his photos, they threaten to reveal secrets that could sabotage both his marriage and his career—exposing him as a fraud and destroying the life he has worked so hard to build.

He’s faced with a choice: keep his secrets and save his career or come clean and possibly save his family. Which will he choose? Which would you choose?

Find The Camera Never Lies online:

Amazon | ChristianBook | Goodreads | Kobo | Koorong

27 December 2019

First Line Friday | Week 117 | Brunch at Bittersweet Cafe by Carla Laureano

It’s First Line Friday! That means it’s time to pick up the nearest book and quote the first line. Today I’m sharing from Brunch at Bittersweet Cafe by Carla Laureano. Here’s the first line of Chapter One:

(I actually finished this in one sitting, and now I’m looking forward to the sequel, which releases in about a month: The Solid Grounds Coffee Company.)

What’s the book nearest you, and what’s the first line?

About Brunch at Bittersweet Cafe

Baker and pastry chef Melody Johansson has always believed in finding the positive in every situation, but seven years after she moved to Denver, she can’t deny that she’s stuck in a rut. One relationship after another has ended in disaster, and her classical French training is being wasted on her night job in a mediocre chain bakery. Then the charming and handsome private pilot Justin Keller lands on the doorstep of her workplace in a snowstorm, and Melody feels like it’s a sign that her luck is finally turning around.

Justin is intrigued by the lively bohemian baker, but the last thing he’s looking for is a relationship. His own romantic failures have proven that the demands of his job are incompatible with meaningful connections, and he’s already pledged his life savings to a new business venture across the country—an island air charter in Florida with his sister and brother-in-law.

Against their better judgment, Melody and Justin find themselves drawn together by their unconventional career choices and shared love of adventure. But when an unexpected windfall provides Melody with the chance to open her dream bakery-café in Denver with her best friend, chef Rachel Bishop, she’s faced with an impossible choice: stay and put down roots with the people and place she’s come to call home . . . or give it all up for the man she loves.

You can find Brunch at Bittersweet Cafe 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.