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 Art of Rivers by Janet W Ferguson:

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

About The Art of Rivers

Rivers Sullivan bears both visible and invisible scars—those on her shoulder from a bullet wound and those on her heart from the loss of her fiancé during the same brutal attack. Not even her background as an art therapist can help her regain her faith in humanity. Still, she scrapes together the courage to travel to St. Simons Island to see the beach cottage and art gallery she’s inherited from her fiancé. When she stumbles upon recovering addicts running her gallery, she’s forced to reckon with her own healing.

After the tragic drowning of his cousin, James Cooper Knight spends his days trying to make up for his past mistakes. He not only dedicates his life to addiction counseling, but guilt drives him to the water, searching for others who’ve been caught unaware of the quickly rising tides of St. Simons. When he rescues a peculiar blond woman and her sketch pad from a sandbar, then delivers this same woman to his deceased grandmother’s properties, he knows things are about to get even more complicated.

Tragic circumstances draw Cooper and Rivers closer, but they fight their growing feelings. Though Cooper’s been sober for years, Rivers can’t imagine trusting her heart to someone in recovery, and he knows a relationship with her will only rip his family further apart. Distrust and guilt are only the first roadblocks they must overcome if they take a chance on love.

Find The Art of Rivers online at:

Amazon US | Amazon AU | Goodreads | Kobo

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

First Line Fridays hosted by Hoarding Books

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!

Book Review | Fawkes by Nadine Brandes

by Iola Goulton

25 April 2019

It’s Throwback Thursday! Today I’m resharing my review of Fawkes by Nadine Brandes (which previously appeared at International Christian Fiction Writers). Fawkes is an intriguing mix of fantasy and historical fiction, and so is her new novel, Romanov, which releases next month. But now, let’s check out Fawkes!

About Fawkes

Thomas Fawkes is turning to stone, and the only cure to the Stone Plague is to join his father’s plot to assassinate the king of England.

Silent wars leave the most carnage. The wars that are never declared but are carried out in dark alleys with masks and hidden knives. Wars where color power alters the natural rhythm of 17th-century London. And when the king calls for peace, no one listens until he finally calls for death.

But what if death finds him first?

Keepers think the Igniters caused the plague. Igniters think the Keepers did it. But all Thomas knows is that the Stone Plague infecting his eye is spreading. And if he doesn’t do something soon, he’ll be a lifeless statue. So when his Keeper father, Guy Fawkes, invites him to join the Gunpowder Plot—claiming it will put an end to the plague—Thomas is in.

The plan: use 36 barrels of gunpowder to blow up the Igniter King.

The problem: Doing so will destroy the family of the girl Thomas loves. But backing out of the plot will send his father and the other plotters to the gallows. To save one, Thomas will lose the other.

No matter Thomas’s choice, one thing is clear: once the decision is made and the color masks have been put on, there’s no turning back.

You can find Fawkes online at:

Amazon US | Amazon AU | ChristianBook | Goodreads | Koorong

My Review

Remember, remember, the fifth of November …

Fawkes begins in 1604, not long after King James I has ascended the throne of England and joined the thrones of England and Scotland. The country is filled with tension as two factions fight to rule.

The history books has this fight as being Roman Catholic vs. Protestant, with King James (and Queen Elizabeth before him) being firmly of the reformed Protestant faith. But Fawkes twists this into a fight between Keepers and Igniters, both blaming the other for the plague of stone that is at risk of taking over the land.

Fawkes begins with Thomas Fawkes, the narrator, at boarding school on the eve of his Color Test.

Yes, there are echoes of Harry Potter and Divergent here, in that every adult has a Color which they can control to a greater or lesser extent. Keepers believe each person can and should only control one Color. Igniters believe the Keepers have been hiding the White Light from the public for centuries. Both sides believe the other caused the plague which kills by turning its victims to stone.

Thomas Fawkes is the son of Guy Fawkes, the most famous of the thirteen men who plotted to blow up the Houses of Parliament to kill King James I and restore a Catholic king to the throne (I live in New Zealand. We still “celebrate” Guy Fawkes with fireworks on 5 November every year). Those who know history (and know history is written by the victors) know the plot was foiled and Guy Fawkes has gone down in history as the bad guy.

Fawkes places us in the mind of Thomas.

While he and his father have been estranged for years, both are Keepers. At least, Thomas thinks he’s a Keeper … except he keeps hearing the voice of the White Light. He has been raised to believe Keepers are right, and he has no reason to doubt that.

But he’s never actually stopped to consider what is true.

And that’s an unexpectedly modern theme—that what we believe to be right and true isn’t necessarily so. Instead, we need to search for truth. Find truth. And fight for truth.

All of which are difficult in this modern era of #FakeNews.

Anyway, students of history will understand that while Fawkes is trying to persuade us that Thomas Fawkes (and the thirteen conspirators) are the “good guys”, history tells us they are not. That makes the early chapters an uncomfortable read. But students of history will be pleased to know the story does run true to history. Well. Kind of. History doesn’t have Keepers and Igniters and the Stone Plague. Fawkes does not have Roman Catholics and Protestants at loggerheads. But the parallels are there for those who know or care to look.

I’m not a big fantasy reader. But Fawkes worked for me, perhaps because it was a Harry Potter-esque twist on truth that allowed the reader to consider Truth.

It got me thinking without taking me out of the story, and that’s high praise.

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

You can read the introduction to Fawkes below:

Bookish Question #105 | Do you prefer standalone novels, or a series?

by Iola Goulton

22 April 2019

Both 🙂

Standalones …

When I read a good standalone novel, then I finish it and want to know more about those characters. I want there to be a sequel, and there isn’t. When I read a good standalone novel, I’ll generally read the next book from that author but might be a little disappointed it’s not a sequel, or it’s not as good as the previous novel.

Series …

When I read a good novel that’s part of a series, then I finish it and (wait for it!) want to know more about the characters. So I’m always pleased to know there is already a sequel available, or that a sequel is planned (even if I have to wait for it). It’s something I’ll watch out for and sign up to review, or buy on preorder. Because I really want to read that book.

When I read a less-good novel that’s a standalone, that doesn’t usually affect whether I want to read their next book. But when I read a less-good novel that’s the first book in a series, l’ll usually sit out the rest of the series. And then the author might fall off my radar, and I might not read the next series either …

So while I enjoy standalone novels, I much prefer reading a series I enjoy. But I’ll rather have a standalone than a series I don’t enjoy.

What about you? Do you prefer standalone novels, or a series?

Book Review | Sweet on You by Becky Wade

by Iola Goulton

22 April 2019

I loved True to You, the first book in this series, and I’ve been waiting two long years to read Britt and Zander’s story. Zander was the secondary character who most caught my attention in True to You, so I wanted to know more about him and his unrequited love for Britt.

But when I started the story, I was in that strange place of desperately wanting to read it, but also not wanting to read it … because once I’ve finished it, then the series will be over. And that brought a major reader dilemma: did I want to read it slowly and savour the experience, or did I want to read it quickly to find out what happens.

Okay, I have no self-control when it comes to Becky Wade, so I read it quickly.

On the surface, Sweet on You is a sweet (!) romance about a chocolatier and the novelist who has loved her for close on half his life … and she’s never noticed. Underneath, it’s a story about overcoming the lies we believe about who we are, about finding ourselves in God, and about becoming the people he meant us to be.

Britt’s problem is that she is independent—too independent, in that she’s never learned to depend on God. I suspect this is a problem for a lot of modern women, who have been raised to be independent rather than depending on fathers or husbands. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but it does mean that we forget we’re supposed to trust and depend on God.

Zander’s problem is the same, but from a different angle.

He’s been praying Britt would fall in love with him for years, yet God hasn’t answered that prayer (I’m sure we all have prayers we’ve prayed for years that God hasn’t answered yet). Zander has allowed that to separate him from God:

“He hadn’t worshipped from a place of gratitude. He’d worshipped from a place of duty.”

I suspect that’s also true of many people. And it’s these internal issues that make Sweet on You such an excellent example of Christian fiction. Let’s face it, I’ve known for two years that Britt was eventually going to fall for Zander. I’ve been looking forward to it, because I love the friends-to-something-more plot. And that played out more or less how every friends-to-more romance plays out.

There was also a suspense plot, which I enjoyed because I’ve always loved romantic suspense. That element of the was less predictable (good) and meant there were external events driving Britt and Zander together. This is the aspect of the plot which kept me reading … but it’s not the element I’m thinking about now I’ve finished.

What makes Sweet on You different is the Christian element, the way it allows us to explore some of the lies of the modern world, and to better understand God’s solutions.

I think I’m going to have to read it again to understand this even better. This time I’ll read slowly.

Thanks to Bethany House and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review.

About Becky Wade

Becky is the Carol and Christy award winning author of heartwarming, humorous, and swoon-worthy contemporary inspirational romances.

During her childhood in California, Becky frequently produced homemade plays starring her sisters, friends, and cousins. These plays almost always featured a heroine, a prince, and a love story with a happy ending. She’s been a fan of all things romantic ever since.

These days, you’ll find Becky in Dallas, Texas failing to keep up with her housework, trying her best in yoga class, carting her three kids around town, watching TV with her Cavalier spaniel on her lap, hunched over her computer writing, or eating chocolate.

You can find Becky Wade online at:

Website | Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest | Twitter

About Sweet on You

Britt Bradford and Zander Ford have been the best of friends since they met thirteen years ago. Unbeknown to Britt, Zander has been in love with her for just as long.

Independent and adventurous Britt channels her talent into creating chocolates at her hometown shop. Zander is a bestselling author who’s spent the past 18 months traveling the world. He’s achieved a great deal but still lacks the only thing that ever truly mattered to him–Britt’s heart.

When Zander’s uncle dies of mysterious causes, he returns to Merryweather, Washington, to investigate, and Britt is immediately there to help. Although this throws them into close proximity, both understand that an attempt at romance could jeopardize their once-in-a-lifetime friendship. But while Britt is determined to resist any change in their relationship, Zander finds it increasingly difficult to keep his feelings hidden.

As they work together to uncover his uncle’s tangled past, will the truth of what lies between them also, finally, come to light?

You can find Sweet on You online at:

Amazon US | Amazon AU | ChristianBook | Goodreads | Koorong

Click here to find Sweet on You and other great Christian fiction at my Amazon shop!

First Line Friday | Week 89 | Courting Mr Emerson by Melody Carlson

by Iola Goulton

19 April 2019

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 Courting Mr Emerson by Melody Carlson:

Yes, I know that’s two lines. But the second line is so good! How could I leave it out?

Most romance novels are about couples in their twenties or early thirties, so I’m intrigued by the idea of a romance novel with an older couple. Have you read Courting Mr Emerson? What did you think?

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

About Courting Mr Emerson

When the fun-loving and spontaneous artist Willow West meets buttoned-up, retired English teacher George Emerson, it’s not exactly love at first sight. Though she does find the obsessive-compulsive man intriguing. Making it her mission to get him to loosen up and embrace life, she embarks on what seems like a lost cause–and finds herself falling for him in the process.

A confirmed bachelor, George vacillates between irritation and attraction whenever Willow is around–which to him seems like all too often. He’s not interested in expanding his horizons or making new friends; it just hurts too much when you lose them.

But as the summer progresses, George feels his defenses crumbling. The question is, will his change of heart be too late for Willow?

You can find Courting Mr Emerson online at:

Amazon US | Amazon AU | 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!

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

#ThrowbackThursday | Falling for You by Becky Wade

by Iola Goulton

18 April 2019

Falling for You is the second novel in the Bradford Sisters series, and it’s the story of an internationally famous model and a retired football star.

Here’s the Amazon description:

Famously beautiful model Willow Bradford is taking a temporary break from her hectic schedule to work as the innkeeper at her family’s small-town bed-and-breakfast. She was enjoying the peace of her hometown, Merryweather, Washington, right up until she came face-to-face with Corbin Stewart, the man she loves to hate. A thoughtful rule-follower by nature, Willow threw caution to the wind four years ago when she entrusted her heart to Corbin–and suffered the consequences when it all fell apart.

Former NFL quarterback Corbin is forceful, charming, and accustomed to getting what he wants . . . except where Willow Bradford is concerned. Unable to forget her, he’s never stopped regretting what happened between them. When their paths unexpectedly cross again, he’s determined to make her give him a second chance.

When a decades-old missing persons case finds Corbin and Willow working together, they’re forced to confront their past and who they’ve become–and whether they can risk falling for one another all over again.

My Thoughts

Injury has forced Corbin Stewart to retire from football. He’s bought a house in Shore Pine, Washington, to be near his only remaining family. What he didn’t know was that it also put him near ex-girlfriend Willow Bradford, now on a sabbatical from modelling, living in nearby Merryweather and managing her family B&B.

Charlotte Dixon, Corbin’s twelve-year-old niece, has discovered a family secret.

She’s convinced Willow Bradford will help her uncover the mystery behind the secret, and convinces Corbin to introduce her to Willow. Willow agrees to help, even though helping will bring her into too much contact with ex-boyfriend Corbin. Who is still devastatingly attractive, despite the way he broke up with her four years ago.

Falling for You follows the same pattern as True to You and the free prequel novella, Then Came You. It intersperses the present-day story with letters, emails, and text messages from the past and present. It’s a novel (!) way to tell a story, and it works as we see the past and present stories of Willow, Corbin, and others.

And it’s a strong story.

It’s the romance of two people who messed up years ago, and have to work out if there’s a way through that mess to find happiness. Part of that mess was because while Willow is and always has been a strong Christian, Corbin called himself a Christian but didn’t live the life (football star, remember?). He’s now become a Christian, but finding life hard.

Willow has her own problems with faith, and they are so deep-seated it actually takes her a while to realise they even exist. This, to me, was the depth in the book—Willow coming to terms with her past choices, and what that means for her faith. And there was a fascinating suspense plot around Charlotte’s secret.

I loved True to You because I related to Nora, the librarian. She’s bookish, and that meant I could relate to her in a way I can’t relate to an internationally famous model. But I could still relate to Willow as a woman who has made mistakes, who has to learn what forgiveness really means.

Falling for You is a touching tale of love lost and love found again, underpinned by an intriguing mystery, and the power of God to forgive.

Now I’m looking forward to the third book in the Bradford Sisters series, the story of the pastry chef who doesn’t realise her best friend of forever is in love with her (and has been forever). He knows it. I know it. Her sisters know it. But she doesn’t, and that’s a trope I love.

Thanks to Bethany House and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review.

About Becky Wade

Becky is the Carol and Christy award winning author of heartwarming, humorous, and swoon-worthy contemporary inspirational romances.

You can find Becky Wade online at:

Website | Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest | Twitter

You can find Falling for You online at:

Amazon | ChristianBook | Goodreads | Koorong

You can read the introduction to Falling for You below:

Bookish Question #104 | How do you define Christian fiction?

by Iola Goulton

16 April 2019

I’ve actually written several longish blog posts on this. Rather than rehashing my entire train of thought, I’ll give you the highlights and link to my previous posts.

Fiction written by a Christian author may or may not be Christian fiction.

Christian authors may write for the general market, or for the Christian market. I don’t think you can classify fiction written for the general market as “Christian fiction” even if it’s written by a Christian and has underlying Christian values. That’s not what the market wants. Also, lots of books have underlying Christian values—even Star Wars. That doesn’t make Star Wars Christian fiction.

I’m sceptical of any “Christian fiction” that isn’t written by a Christian.

That, to me, is someone trying to cash in on a market segment, and I don’t think it’s honest. Yes, Christians can write general market fiction with underlying Christian values—that’s us being in the world but not of the world. But I don’t think non-Christians should be writing Christian fiction any more than I think Christians should be writing general market LGBTQIA erotica, or Islamic romance. It’s disrespectful and dishonest.

So I think Christian fiction is written by a Christian, and aimed at Christian readers.

It will reflect and reinforce mainstream Christian values and beliefs (e.g. the Apostle’s Creed). It won’t divide readers over doctrinal differences. And the content will be consistent with the Bible—it won’t gloss over sin, but it won’t be a how-to manual either. Great Christian fiction leaves the reader feeling they’ve learned an eternal truth about God or how we can know Him better.

How do you define Christian fiction? By the author? The publisher? The intended reader? The content? #BookishQuestion #ChristianFiction Share on X

Here are some blog posts which go into more detail:

What about you? How do you define Christian fiction?

Book Review | A Hero for Miss Hatherleigh by Carolyn Miller

by Iola Goulton

15 April 2019

Daughters of Aynslley,A Hero for Miss Hatherleigh is my favourite Carolyn Miller book so far.

As usual, the writing is excellent, the sense of period is perfect, and the characters. I liked the way Miss Caroline Hatherleigh went through a complete yet convincing change in her character. I also liked the way what could have been a lighthearted romance showed unexpected depths.

Caroline Hatherleigh has been raised to believe that feelings of love in marriage are for the lower orders, and to consider attending church as a social obligation, not something one does for any deeper meaning. But she wants more from a marriage than mere affection. And her beliefs on faith are challenged when she is shunted off to south Devonshire to visit her grandmother, where she meets Gideon Kirby and his sister.

As she spends time with the pair, they challenge her to consider the reality of God and faith. She is attracted to Gideon, but knows that as the daughter of a Viscount, she’s expected to marry someone of equal rank in society. Anyway, Gideon would have to show an interest in her first.

Gideon is a strong Christian, and a scientist (in a time when the two weren’t considered to be mutually exclusive). He is hunting for fossils on England’s south coast. He describes himself as an undergroundologist, which I guess is the predecessor to our modern palentologist. He is in Devon for two reasons: to hunt for fossils in the same area as the famous Mary Anning, and to protect his sister from the monster she married.

It is these two subplots that raise A Hero for Miss Hatherleigh head and shoulders above most Christian romance.

Emma is hiding from an abusive husband, something which is rarely discussed in historical fiction, and which adds a layer of suspense to the plot. Science and faith rarely mix in our modern world, and Gideon faces some of those challenges in 1818. It’s a fascinating combination of backdrops.

Those who have read and enjoyed Miller’s earlier Regency romances will enjoy glimpses of characters from previous stories, but it doesn’t matter if you haven’t read any. A Hero for Miss Hatherleigh is the first of the Daughters of Aynsley trilogy—which means we have another two Carolyn Miller novels to look forward to. Excellent!

Recommended for all fans of Christian Regency romance, or for those looking for Christian romance that’s beyond the ordinary.

Thanks to Carolyn Miller for providing a free book for 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

About A Hero for Miss Hatherleigh

Can a very proper noble lady find a future with a fossil-hunting man of faith?

As the daughter of Viscount Aynsley, Caroline Hatherleigh knows every rule of society—and she’s always followed them precisely. It’s simply the way things are done in her world. When she visits south Devonshire and encounters a fossil-hunting scientist and his sister, her assumptions about what is right are shaken. She is suddenly confronted by questions she has never considered about the importance of friendship and faith—and her comfortable understanding about how the world works is thrown off balance.

Gideon Kirby loves science, and hunting down proof of past lives is a joy he won’t willingly give up. But his scientific leanings are being challenged by both his personal beliefs and by local smugglers in the Devonshire countryside. And every day his sister’s illness is becoming more desperate and her care grows more demanding. Adding a proper Viscount’s daughter to the mix is a complication Gideon never expected—especially since he has a secret that demands he stays far away from this young woman he’s falling for in order to protect his beloved sister.

When a mysterious stranger visits the village, that secret is set to be exposed, no matter how Gideon fights. Then tragedy strikes in a smugglers cave. And the threat of scandal may lead to broken hearts and passionless propriety. Will the shaky bond these two have managed to build be strong enough to overcome their differences—or will the trust they’ve withheld from each other end up tearing three lives apart?

You can find A Hero for Miss Hatherleigh online at:

Amazon US | Amazon AU | ChristianBook | Goodreads | Koorong

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

Book Review | The Judge’s Daughter by Nerys Leigh

by Iola Goulton

15 April 2019

The Judge’s Daughter is the seventh book in Nerys Leigh’s Escape to the West series. George Parsons met and fell for Millicent in one of the earlier books in the series, after Millicent travelled to the small California town of Green Hill Creek to escape her abusive husband. Now George is heading to New York City to renew his relationship with Millicent.

I have read all the earlier books in the series but can’t actually remember the circumstances which brought Millicent to Green Hill Creek, although I do vaguely remember the start of their relationship. No matter. That’s not what The Judge’s Daughter is about, and it’s not even set in Green Hill Creek.

The new setting means new characters—Millicent’s mother, who is friendly and amenable to George’s pursuit of their daughter. And Millicent’s father, the judge, who is a lot less friendly. There are also the adorable/annoying children he meets at the train station, some of many who struggle to survive in New York.

It’s great to see a romance between an older couple. It’s especially great to see a romance with a divorced woman in a time when divorce was frowned upon by most of polite society. Being older, George and Millicent knew themselves and their own minds better. But they still had to content with the overprotective father (although he had good reason to be), and their own differences in upbringing and expectations. I enjoyed that, and I enjoyed (as always) the humour and the Christian elements.

The Judge’s Daughter is another fun romance from Nerys Leigh. I recommend it for fans of Christian historical romance, especially westerns.

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

About Nerys Leigh

Nerys Leigh writes thoroughly romantic Christian historical love stories. She loves heroes who are strong but sweet and heroines who are willing to fight for the life they want.

She’s from the UK, which you would think puts her in a unique position to not write about mail order brides in the American west, but the old adage of writing what you know has never appealed to her. She has an actual American read each book before publishing to make sure she hasn’t gone all English on it.

No One’s Bride is the first in the Escape to the West series which tells the stories of a group of women willing to travel across America to find happiness, and the men determined to win their hearts.

You can find Nerys Leigh online at:

Website | Facebook

About The Judge’s Daughter

After being a widower for almost half his life, fifty-one-year-old George Parsons didn’t count on ever falling for a woman again, until Millicent came along. After meeting her in his tiny home town of Green Hill Creek, he’s smitten. So when Millie asks him to visit her in New York, he doesn’t hesitate to make the week-long journey from California to see her again.

But what was easy in Green Hill Creek seems next to impossible in the city, and in the midst of the ostentatious wealth and desperate poverty of 1870 New York, George will have to overcome snobbery, prejudice and danger to win Millie’s heart.

Find The Judge’s Daughter online at:

Amazon US | Amazon AU | Goodreads

You can read the introduction to The Judge’s Daughter below:

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

First Line Friday | Week 88 | The Encircled Anthology

by Iola Goulton

12 April 2019

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 Beyond the Stars, Past the Moons by Jebraun Clifford, one of the stories in the Encircled anthology:

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

About Encircled

Experience six of the world’s most beloved stories in a whole new light! From historical to futuristic, these retellings will take you to an enchanted forest, a cursed castle, and far beyond. Uncover secrets of a forbidden basement, a hypnotic gift, and a mysterious doll. Fall in love with a lifelong friend or brand-new crush. Venture to unknown lands on a quest to save a prince, a kingdom, or maybe even a planet. With moments of humor, suspense, romance, and adventure, Encircled has something to offer every fan of fairy tales, both classic and reimagined.

You can find Encircled online at

Amazon US | Amazon AU | Apple Books | Barnes & Noble| Kobo

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.