Is there a location you would like to see in Christian fiction?

Bookish Question #387 | Is there a location you would like to see in Christian fiction?

by Iola Goulton

This is a tough question!

(But not for the reason you might think.)

Most Christian fiction is set in the USA, so it stands to reason that I would look at locations outside the continental USA, or further afield.

So I started running through other places I’d like to see in Christian fiction … but I can actually think of books with those settings.

Let’s list a few:

Italy is the setting for at least some of the story in each of the books in the multi-author A Tuscan Legacy series.

Athens, Greece, is the setting for Athens Ambuscade by Kristen Joy Wilks. (Actually, check out the entire Passport to Romance series.)

Elizabeth Musser has set many of her novels in her adopted country of France, including This Promised Land and the upcoming From the Valley We Rise.

Michael Phillips is an older author, but set his Secret of the Rose in Poland and Germany.

Nadine Brandes set Romanov in pre-Revolution Russia.

Jeanette Windle set several books in South America, including Crossfire (Bolivia) and The DMZ (Colombia).

Kimberly Duffy has a Dreams of India trilogy set during the Raj.

Milla Holt has several international settings, including Uganda (Falling for the Foe) and her Seasons of Faith series, set in Norway.

Going Back Cold by Kelley Rose Waller is set in Antarctica!

And, of course, New Zealand features in Close to You by Kara Isaac.

The only location I can think of that I haven’t already read about is Iceland.

Jenny Erlingsson is from Iceland, so perhaps this is a location she can use as the setting for a future novel.

What about you? What location or locations would you like to read about in Christian fiction?

I am, by nature, a leaver. Once a relationship, job, or any other arrangement requiring commitment gets to be challenging, I fantasize about the next better thing I can dash off to.

Book Review | Here by Lydia Sohn

by Iola Goulton

Part self-help and part memoir, Here is a short but powerful lesson on moving through life and attaining our goals in a traditional but possibly counter-cultural way.

One of the features of reading nonfiction, especially Christian nonfiction, is discovering more about how other people think about faith and God and living the Christian life. Some of the authors are like me; some are not.  Some of their ideas are familiar; some are not. Some of their ideas gel with me; some do not. But there is always something to ponder and learn, even when I thnk I have little in common wiht the writer.

Here by Linda Sohn is one such book. We have some things in common: we are both Christian women, working mothers, wives, and first-generation immigrants. We have differences: she lives in Los Angeles; I live in New Zealand. She is a Methodist minister; I am an evangelical turned Baptist. She describes herself as a leaver; I do not.  Sohn says:

I am, by nature, a leaver. Once a relationship, job, or any other arrangement requiring commitment gets to be challenging, I fantasize about the next better thing.

That alone makes us very different. But it’s in that difference we can learn … and possibly change our beliefs and resulting actions to become more Christlike. Sohn suggest this is because we live in a world that values leaving over staying, pointing out that we have taken journeys to escape the present or move. There is a longstanding belief that leaving one’s hometown is a marker of success and moving up in the world. Sohn points out this restlessness, this desire to leave because of external satisfaction, is not unusual.

Sohn’s premise is than instead of wondering where we should go next when we get restless, we should ask different questions:

What is it within me leading to dissatisfaction?
What can I change within myself that will influence the larger situation?

Here is a statement of the power of staying where we are planted, the self-discipline that requires when all we want to do is leave, and an examination of a range of Christian spiritual disciplines. She also points out that these disciplines will lead to our transformation … so we can change even while remaining here (wherever “here” may be).

Here is a quiet yet compelling book, one that encourages us to explore a range of spiritual practices, including meditation and prayer, spending time in nature, expressing gratitude, spiritual contemplation (reading the Bible), self-reflection, and communal worship.

It’s a book that’s packed full of wisdom. Wisdom Sohn herself has gleaned over the years. Wisdom from spiritual giants of the past. Wisdom from not-so-spiritual giants of today. You won’t agree with everything she says, but it will make you think. And it could inspire you to decide to make a change for good.

Thanks to Convergent Books and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review.

About Here

A Spirituality of Staying in a Culture of Leaving

A contemplative guide to finding satisfaction right where you are, by understanding what it is within us that leads to dissatisfaction and creating long-lasting fulfillment—inspired by the ancient Christian tradition of Benedictine stability.

Here: A Spirituality of Staying in a Culture of Leaving by Lydia SohnLydia Sohn was a serial burn-it-down-and-make-a-fresh-start girl until, when in her late twenties, she encountered the Rule of St. Benedict with its vow of stability, and her world was transformed. Sohn took a pause to consider what she wanted out of life—identity, purpose, community—and had a lightbulb moment: Everything she needed to live the life she desired was already within her reach.

Here pushes back against our age of constant reinvention and the cultural message that we should do whatever it takes to get wherever we want to go. Instead, Sohn’s message is the opposite: stay. Stay and cultivate the immense potential and beauty that currently lies dormant within your circumstances.

Sohn understands the allure of nomadism. A nomadic life would protect us from the stress of relational conflicts that inevitably arise when we’re caught in the intricate web of commitments. But the restlessness, FOMO, and disappointment we’re trying to escape always come along for the journey. That’s because they’re not the result of our circumstances; they reside within us.

Braiding personal narrative and spiritual reflection, Here inspires readers to both embrace and transform their circumstances through commitment and stability—in order that they might find true contentment right where they are.

Find Here online at:

Amazon | BookBub | Goodreads

About Lydia Sohn

Rev. Lydia Sohn is a United Methodist minister, currently serving as senior pastor of Walnut United Methodist Church, and a writer whose work has appeared in The New York Times, The Atlantic, and The Christian Century, among other venues. She lives in Claremont, California with her husband and three children.

Find Lydia Sohn online at:

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First Line Friday

First Line Friday #393 | My Achy Broken Heart by Meredith Resce

by Iola Goulton

It’s First Line Friday! That means it’s time to pick up the nearest book and quote the first line. I’m currently writing my third Trinity Lakes romance, which means I’m reading some of the earlier books to remind myself what the other inhabitants of Trinity Lakes have been up to. It’s called research, right?

Today I’m sharing from My Achy Broken Heart by Meredith Resce, which released this week. Here’s the first line from the Chapter One:

Lucy leaned back and sighed. Could life get any better than this?

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

 

About My Achy Broken Heart

How quickly things can change.

My Achy Broken HeartLast week Lucy was full of joy and hope, having finally met a Christian man who seemed to be crazy about her. One minute, she is full of heady passion and hope that a proposal is imminent—the next she is coming to terms with being alone, pregnant, and not understanding where he’s gone.

Her ‘dream’ man has turned into a nightmare, hiding behind his status as a worship pastor in a large church and his influential parents, denying he’s ever had anything to do with Lucy. And she’s fully aware that she’s stepped way outside her own moral boundaries—a fact that is being ruthlessly thrown in her face from some of the people she’d expect to have supported her. Only her close family are willing to stand by her in this difficult time. But the pressure is so great she decides to fly Downunder to visit her brother in Australia.

Will Phillips has finally found some hope after having lost the family farm and his long-term relationship. The small-town pastor, Caleb Kennedy, is proving himself to be not only a spiritual mentor, but a good mate. And then his sister arrives from the States. She’s attractive and seems nice, but he’s not interested in starting a new relationship—still smarting from the last one.

But she seems sad, and Will’s caring side wonders why, despite himself. When he finds Lucy on the side of the road after an accident, he finds out her secret and all of his intentions to stay distant seem to have disappeared.

A small town, romance that spans to both sides of the globe. Reconnect with Caleb and Alanah, and Matt and Arianne from earlier stories in the Trinity Lakes Romance series.

Find My Achy Broken Heart online at:

Amazon | BookBub | Goodreads

Click here to check out what my fabulous fellow FirstLineFriday bloggers are sharing today.

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

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

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

Are there any occupations you would like to see in Christian fiction?

Bookish Question #386 | Are there any occupations you would like to see in Christian fiction?

by Iola Goulton

Great question.

Christian fiction (and perhaps all fiction) seems to go through stages. It seems that most fiction I read features cowboys, cafe owners, bookshop owners, or B&B owners. (And it’s almost always the owners, not the workers.)

I see a handful of accountants and a few marketing executives, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen a Human Resources manager or business analyst. I’ve never read a Christian novel featuring an auditor or an actuary. I’ve seen a few winery owners, but never seen a publican (which perhaps is less surprising than the winemakers.)

I see very few stories set in big businesses or government departments.

Even billionaire romances tend to feature heroes (and they are almost always heroes) who spend little of their time in the office. And when I see government employees, they tend to be law enforcement, teachers or medical professionals(because outisdethe USA,most medical professionals are government employees).

When I do see businesspeople, the story typically mentions their occupation, but everything happens outside this office. This does make sense: most businesses, especially large businesses have strict rules about relationships between colleagues.

So what occupations would I like to see?

Honestly, I’d like a good workplace romance where the woman is the boss or where the man is the one who sacrifices his career for love.

What about you? What occupations would you like to see more of in Christian fiction?

That's the beauty of traditions. Even if everything else changes, some things stay the same.

Book Review | What Not to do on Vacation by Rachel McGee

by Iola Goulton

What Not to do on Vacation is part romance and part women’s fiction. On the outside, it’s the story of three sisters reuniting for a reenactment of the childhood summer holidays in Sunnyside, Florida.

But nothing goes according to plan …

Cora arrives with no luggage. Bianca and Savannah each arrive with news, although while Bianca is delighted to share that she’s engaged to a man she’s been online dating for five weeks and has never met in real life, Savannah keeps her news a secret.

In what seems perfectly logical in a way only a rom-com can be logical, Bianca persuades the very single Cora to sign up for SoulMate, the AI matchmaker app she used to find Zander, her now-fiance. The app sets Cora up with local hotel chain heir Jax Verona, who isn’t interested in a relationship that goes past two dates except for when a much-wanted promotion is dangled in front of him.

The characters are relatable, if a little cliche: Savannah, the responsible perfectionist oldest sister. Cora, the hardworking middle sister who sometimes resents both her sisters. Bianca, the flighty youngest sister who doesn’t know what she wants from life (and whose sisters don’t believe her when she claims she’s found The Answer).

The book description discloses the plot is partly based on 10 Things I Hate About You (which is based on Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew), although I felt it was more like How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days (which isn’t officially based on The Taming of the Shrew but has some strong parallels). As with It’s All Relative, the names do give away the underlying plot: Bianca, Jax Verona, and the Padua hotel group.

The story doesn’t have any kind of faith element, which (unfortunately, if you ask me) is becoming more and more common with Thomas Nelson, the flagship imprint of Harper Collins Christian Publishing.

Having said that, there was no bad language, no violence, nothing that went against Christian principles, and only a couple of kissing scenes. The characters are best described as wholesome.

Yet there is surprising depth and character growth

… particularly given the story has three viewpoint characters (four, if you count a couple of scenes from Jax’s point of view). Each character has learned something by the end of the story, which makes for a satisfying read.

Recommended for fans of sweet and Christian contemporary romance from authors such as Tara Grace Ericson, Sarah Monzon, Courtney Walsh.

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

About Rachel McGee

Rachel McGeeRachel Magee writes rom-coms and women’s fiction with relatable characters, witty dialogue, and plenty of happily-ever-afters. Her stories are usually set in fun, sunny locations where she doesn’t mind spending lots of time ‘researching’. When she’s not out scouting the setting of her next book, you can find her at home in The Woodlands, Texas with her amazing husband and their two adventurous kids.

Find Rachel McGee online at:

Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

About What Not to Do on Vacation

Savannah is on a mission to reconnect the Prestly sisters the best way she knows how: reliving their carefree childhood summers at the beach. She’s booked the same beach house, convinced her sisters to take the month off, and even made a bucket list to fit in all their favorite coastal fun. It’s going to be perfect . . . or else. (And if planning this trip has anything to do with a certain secret she’s hiding . . . well, let’s not dwell on that.) Sun, sand, and some sisterly bonding–what could possibly go wrong?

Enter Bianca, the baby of the family, with a huge announcement: she’s getting married! And her sisters’ reactions are . . . not exactly what she hoped for. But Bianca is on a mission to prove that she’s not the mess they think she is. Her grand plan? To find love for Cora, her perpetually single sister, on the same dating app where she found her fiancé. The stakes? A bet that if Cora can’t find her ‘One’ on the app, Bianca will call off her engagement. A challenge Bianca is all too ready to tackle head-on, even if it means a little conniving. Cora’s about to get swept off her feet, whether she likes it or not!

Meanwhile, Cora is rolling her eyes so hard they might get stuck. Love is a fairy tale for other people, not her. As she’s filling out her dating profile, she thinks–nope, she knows–it’ll be easy to show her sisters just how absurd this whole love thing is. So what if this Jax guy Cora just matched with is Hemsworth-brother hot? And, if his messages could be believed, maybe even slightly charming? None of this is real, anyway–love just doesn’t come easily Cora. And she’s getting ready to prove it. She’s got this under control.

(Spoiler alert: nothing is under control.)

Find What Not to Do on Vacation online at:

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

First Line Friday

First Line Friday #392 | The Dating Game by Heather Miekstyn

by Iola Goulton

It’s First Line Friday! That means it’s time to pick up the nearest book and quote the first line. I’m quoting from The Dating Game by new-to-me author Heather Miekstyn. I’ve just downloaded the sample after seeing it recommended in an author newsletter, and if the rest of the sample is like this opening line, it’s going to be a one-click buy (and devour).

Here’s the first line from the Chapter One:

Whoever said knowledge is power obviously forgot to factor in anxiety.

 

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

 

About The Dating Game

Love does not dishonor others … supposedly.

Whoever said knowledge is power obviously forgot to factor in anxiety.Brooke Garza only made a dating bet in an effort to help her widowed best friend Sydney find love again. All she had to do was prove that she could date the same guy for three months, then bam! Sydney would have to go on three first dates of Brooke’s choosing. But when a karaoke duet with a near stranger gets out of hand, her boyfriend—and the subject of the aforementioned bet—breaks up with her, leaving her at the mercy of Sydney. In a faux display of magnanimity, Sydney offers her a bet redo— on one condition: she gets to pick Brooke’s next boyfriend.

Enter Will Barrett, her karaoke partner. Correction: her very attractive karaoke partner. Dating him for a couple of months might not be so bad…or will it?

Because Will doesn’t seem to be the same magnetic guy she danced and sang with onstage. He’s self-centered, inconsiderate, and sort of a slob. Brooke is no longer sure she can last a week as his girlfriend, let alone three months.

As for Will…well, he might just be playing a dating game of his own. Of course, games for two usually end with both players losing their hearts.

 

Find The Dating Game online at:

Amazon | Goodreads

Click here to check out what my fabulous fellow FirstLineFriday bloggers are sharing today.

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

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

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

What themes would you like to see more of in Christian fiction?

Bookish Question #385 | What themes would you like to see more of in Christian fiction?

by Iola Goulton

This is an interesting question.

The genres and themes I’m interested in change over time, perhaps as my life circumstances change.

What I am always interested in is Christian fiction that explores some of the harder questions while still delivering an enjoyable story.

What I don’t want to read are stories that are so obviously Delivering An Important Message that they forget readers are looking for readable writing, likeable characters, and an entertaining story (or is that just me?)

This is particularly an issue in the Christian fiction market.

Christian where authors can forget they’re writing a novel and start preaching. Usually they are preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ, but I’ve also read books preaching the importance of recycling, the right to bear arms, and how it’s important for mothers to not work outside the home when they have children.

(That one really annoyed me, as the couple moved in with mother-in-law to help save the farm, and mother-in-law insisted the heroine should give up her job when Granny could have helped with childcare and allowed the heroine’s salary to cover all their household expenses while husband worked the farm).

And now I’ve forgotten the question…

That’s right. What themes do I want to see more of?

I guess I just want to see well-written stories with likeable characters who don’t have perfect lives, but who overcome their challenges by walking with God.

What about you? What themes would you like to see more of in Christian fiction?

I thought college was supposed to fill my mind with knowledge about the world ... so far it's been more about learning the rules of this alternate universe.

Book Review | Anything (Mayberry University #1) by Kristina Welch

by Iola Goulton

Anything is the story of Kit Talbot and Levi Whitaker, freshman and upperclassman at Mayberry University, a small Christian university in Texas. Kit is determined to stay well away from boys after her last relationship ended badly. Very badly – PTSD badly. But Levi, for some unknown reason, is determined to befriend and pursue her, even after she makes it clear that she’s not looking for a relationship.

Levi is one of the most popular guys on campus, which gives Anything a familiar feel–after all, there is any number of young adult and new adult romances where the popular guy pursues the girl who isn’t interested in him (or the disinterested girl is pursued by the hottest guy in town).

The setting of a Christian university gives the story a different spin.

The beginning was a little confusing as Kit settles into her new environment, learning the names and nicknames of her fellow students and all the unspoken rules of a close-knit college community where everyone seems to live on campus. Kit is a serious Christian, one who continually prays and reads and quotes her Bible, and listens for God’s voice. It isn’t immediatley obvious, but Levi is the same. Even in Christian romance, it’s unusual to read a story where God is this important to the main characters.

The other aspect of anything that lifted it above the norm was the approach to romance. While Levi is clearly interested in Kit from the get-go, Kit’s emotions are more complicated. As a result, their romance is very much based on emotions rather than any physical manifestation, while still having all the romantic tension. I was especially impressed by the way Levi saw the real Kit behind her boundaries and continued to pursue her, all the while remaining within whatever boundaries she set and was comfortable with.

The result is an unexpectedly romantic Christian romance that touches on some serious issues. Anything is the first book in The Mayberry University series. I’m intrigued to see where the series goes next.

Recommended for readers looking for a God-centered young adult Christian romance.

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

About Kristina Welch

Kristina Welch

 

When Kristina Welch isn’t adventuring around the world with her husband and three little blondies, she’s home near Denver, Colorado. She thrives on date nights, forest hikes, and peanut butter cookies. Her days include half-homeschooling her kids, thrifting for treasures, regretting DIY home projects, and babbling to Jesus wherever she is.

Find Kristina Welch online at:

Website | Instagram | Pinterest

About Anything

Two guarded hearts. He’s breaking down walls and she’s building them higher–
A match made in Heaven, or a blueprint for disaster?

After the fiery downward spiral of senior year, Kit Talbot crash-lands on a quirky college campus where traditions rule and dorm floors act more like family. It’s just weird enough to keep her mind off the wreckage she’s leaving behind.

Enter Levi Whitaker, known as the swooniest guy on campus. Magnetic, confident, and far too much like the ex who sent her life into that PTSD-tainted nosedive. Levi seems to be everywhere, focused on her like she’s the only girl in the world–even indulging her sugar addiction with delivered treats. But Kit’s self-preservation instincts are sharper than ever, and she deflects him like Wonder Woman blocking bullets.

That is, until Levi’s quiet faith and humble apology start to break down Kit’s defenses. He loves Jesus in the dreamiest way, looks like wow, and … somehow triggers the flashbacks she fights so hard to avoid. Every minute with him is a risk she isn’t sure she should take. Should she protect them both from the chaos of her life or learn a bravery that feels irresponsible?

As Kit fights to keep her life safe and manageable, she leans into her faith, clinging to the Bible verses God whispers to her heart. Clearly, he’s up to something, but the healing she prays for isn’t happening the way she wants.

Why is God silent on the prayer she needs most?

Find Anything online at:

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First Line Friday

First Line Friday #391 | Emerald Windows by Terri Blackstock

by Iola Goulton

It’s First Line Friday! That means it’s time to pick up the nearest book and quote the first line. I’m sharing from an old favourite, Emerald Windows by Terri Blackstock, which I recently picked up on sale on Kindle. That must mean it’s time for a re-read!

Here’s the first line from the Chapter One:

The windows of Hayden’s landmark church—St. Mary’s—were caked with dust, and from outside Brooke Martin could see web-shaped cracks that had already been evident seven years earlier when she’d last seen the place.

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

 

About Emerald Windows

Ten years ago, devastated by an ugly scandal, Brooke Martin fled the small town of Hayden to pursue a career as a stained glass artist. Now Brooke has returned on business to discover that some things never change. Her spotted reputation remains. Tongues still wag. And that makes what should be her dream assignment tough.

Brooke has been hired to design new stained glass windows at Hayden Bible Church. The job is a career windfall. But Nick Marcello is overseeing the project, and some in the church think Nick and Brooke’s relationship is not entirely professional–and as before, there is no convincing those people otherwise.

In the face of mounting rumors, the two set out to produce the masterpiece Nick has conceived: a brilliant set of windows displaying God’s covenants in the Bible. For Brooke, it is more than a project–it is a journey toward faith.

But opposition is heating up. A vicious battle of words and will is about to tax Brooke’s commitment to the limit. Only this time, she is determined not to run.

Find Muskoka Blue online at:

Amazon | BookBub | Goodreads

Click here to check out what my fabulous fellow FirstLineFriday bloggers are sharing today.

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

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

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

Do you remember the first Christian novel you read as an adult?

Bookish Question #384 | Do you remember the first Christian novel you read as an adult?

by Iola Goulton

Yes – in fact, it was the first Christian fiction I ever read at all.

The title?

This Present Darkness by Frank Peretti.

My aunt bought This Present Darkness and Piercing the Darkness and loaned them to my mother. Mum didn’t read them, but I devoured them.

I was then thrilled to discover Christian fiction was an entire genre … and my life has literally never been the same.

What about you? What was the first Christian novel you read as an adult?

And in case you’ve never read them, here are the details:

This Present Darkness

Ashton is just a typical small town.

But when a skeptical reporter and a pastor begin to compare notes, they suddenly find themselves fighting a hideous plot to subjugate the townspeople―and eventually the entire human race.

A riveting thriller, This Present Darkness offers a fascinating glimpse into the unseen world of spiritual warfare.

Buy on Amazon

Piercing the Darkness

Leaders in the realm of darkness have mounted a new attack that will create chaos and cause defeat in the human beings who claim unity with their enemy, Christ.

Readers will find themselves rooting for a most unlikely hero as her quest for inner peace exposes the most frightening war of all, the battle for the human soul. Be captivated anew as you enter the world of battling angels and demons that author Frank Peretti so masterfully uncovered in This Present Darkness.

Buy on Amazon