In this episode Jamie, Tiffanie, Jessica, and Melissa discuss the first book in Lynn Shannon’s Triumph Over Adversity series titled Calculated Risk. This is the second contemporary Christian suspense romance series we have featured this year. Typically, we stick with historical Christian romance, but we do enjoy this sub-genre as well.

Terry Whalin shares insights on book proposals, emphasizing the importance of a well-crafted proposal as a business plan for authors. He discusses the impact of book proposals on the publishing process and provides valuable tips for authors to stand out and succeed in the industry.

In this conversation, Melissa and Julie Lessman discuss the Heart of San Francisco series. They talk about their favorite characters, the family dynamics in the books, and the themes of waiting for the right man and the power of prayer. Julie shares some behind-the-scenes insights, including historical facts she included in the books. In this part of the conversation, Julie and Melissa discuss the quirky elements in Julie's books, the twists and surprises, and the impact they had on readers. They also talk about Julie's new devotional book and her initial resistance to writing nonfiction. Julie shares the process of writing the devotional and the spiritual attacks she faced. They also discuss Julie's future writing plans and how readers can stay connected with her through her newsletter and social media.

In this episode Jessica and Melissa dicuss Julie Lessman’s novella Grace Like Rain. This story features Blake the rake and concludes the Heart of San Francisco series. We loved seeing Blake find Jesus, love, and grace.

Topics we discuss:

Working with children with special needs.

How our sin hurts the ones we love.

The power of prayer.

Marlene discusses her experience writing books set in the 1960s and 70s and the challenges she faced in finding a publisher. She shares how she decided to go the indie publishing route and the freedom it has given her to write from her heart. Marlene emphasizes the importance of trusting in the Lord and following His guidance in the writing process. She also gives a sneak peek into her newly released book, 'All Men Are Liars,' which is part of the Jesus Revolution Romance series.

In this episode Jessica and Melissa discuss the third novel in Julie Lessman’s Heart of San Francisco series titled Surprised by Love. This love story features Bram and Megan. Their love moves from friendship to lovers and the change is scary and challenging for both of them.

In this episode Jessica and Melissa discuss the second book in Julie Lessman’s Heart of San Francisco series titled Dare to Love again. This love story is stocked full of twists, humor, inspiration, and romance.

In this conversation, Sara R. Turnquist and Melissa discuss various aspects of writing, including researching historical events, handling sensitive topics in Christian fiction, and the importance of bringing hope and light into the world through writing. Sara also shares information about her latest book and her role in the Kentucky Christian Writers Conference.

In this episode Jessica and Melissa discuss Julie Lessman’s book Love at Any Cost. This is the first book in her Heart of San Francisco series.  We dig into Jamie and Cassidy’s relationship from the time he runs her over to when he finally wins her heart.

In this conversation, author Sarah Sundin discusses her Sunrise at Normandy series and her approach to writing historical Christian romance. She emphasizes that while she starts with characters and plot, the reader takeaway is what the reader finds in the story, which may be different from what the author intended. Sarah also shares her favorite characters and scenes from the series and the emotional connection she felt while writing them. She discusses her research process and the importance of being focused and avoiding rabbit trails. Sarah concludes by sharing her upcoming book and how readers can connect with her.

In this conversation, Lindsay shares valuable insights on how to pitch novels and ourselves as authors. She emphasizes the importance of selling, not telling, and provides a formula for crafting a compelling pitch. Lindsay also highlights the significance of pitching ourselves before pitching our projects and offers tips on introducing ourselves effectively. She encourages authors to find their people by being specific about the kind of books they write. Lindsay also discusses the spiciness level in books and the importance of being clear about it in pitches and book descriptions.

In this episode Tiffanie, Mom, and Melissa discuss The Land Beneath Us by Sarah Sundin. This is the final book in her Sunrise at Normandy series. In this novel Sarah brings the series to an unforgettable end making it our favorite story in the entire series. I hope you enjoy our discussion!

In this episode Tiffanie, Mom, and Melissa discuss The Sky Above Us by Sarah Sundin. This is the second book in her Sunrise at Normandy series. We loved Adler and Violet’s love story and hope you enjoy our discussion and stories!

In this episode, Tiffanie, Mom, and Melissa discuss the first book in Sarah Sundin’s Sunrise at Normandy series, The Sea Before Us. We really enjoyed reading and discussing this book. It was a great kickoff to this series. There are spoilers, so if you have not read this book yet, you may hold off on listening to this episode.

In this conversation, Melissa interviews Kent Sanders about ghostwriting. Kent shares his journey into ghostwriting and explains the process and purpose of ghostwriting. He discusses the differences between ghostwriting fiction and nonfiction and the level of collaboration involved.

In this episode Tiffanie, Jamie, and Melissa discuss the third and final book of Sarah M. Eden’s Savage Wells series, Wyoming Wild. Hawk finally gets his love story and we get to revisit the many citizens of Savage Wells that we have grown to love.

In this conversation, Thomas shares valuable insights on building an author platform from scratch. He emphasizes the importance of starting with a website, which serves as a foundation for online presence. Thomas also highlights the significance of creating an email newsletter to grow a subscriber base. He suggests writing short stories as a means to improve writing skills and engage readers. Additionally, Thomas advises against relying on social media for platform building and instead recommends social media advertising. Finally, he emphasizes the importance of focusing on writing quality to create a buzz and generate word-of-mouth marketing.

In this episode Tiffanie, Jamie, and Melissa discuss Healing Hearts by Sarah M. Eden. We enjoyed the second book in Sarah’s Savage Wells series. Check out our topics of discussion below.

In this episode Tiffanie, Jamie, and Melissa revisit Sarah M. Eden’s book Sheriffs of Savage Wells.

We read this book a year or two ago and we brought it back because the final book in the series released in 2023. This was the book the drew Jamie and I into the historical romance genre. We highly recommend it.

In this conversation, Melissa interviews Hannah Linder, a cover design artist and author, about the importance of cover design for books. Hannah shares her background in writing and cover design and discusses the key elements of a cover design, including visual appeal, consistency with the genre, legible text, simplicity, and accurate depiction of the story or message.