Welcome back to the Extra Edition newsletter! I’m excited to bring you bonus content each month with a special inside look at my novels and the history behind them.
What’s in this Edition:
- 2025 Indie Author Insights – Inside Purple Mask Publishing’s Annual Report
- Stars in the Storm makes the 2025 Historical Fiction List
- It’s finally here! – Unsettled Shores now in AudioBook
- Releasing in January – Other authors’ new releases I’m most excited about
2025 Indie Author Insights
As an independently published author, I founded Purple Mask Publishing in 2017 with a ten-year goal to break even by 2027. This year, I was close enough that it’s finally looking like a real possibility. But if it doesn’t happen, I’ll do what I’ve always done – budget as best I can, then use my personal funds (aka: my day job) to pay the bills. The truth is, most authors don’t go into writing with the intention of making millions. (Some might, but they’ll probably be sorely disappointed). Authors write because we need to, it’s therapeutic, it inspires our readers, and (most of the time) it brings us joy. We write because we have stories that need to be told (or our characters demand that we tell them) and hopefully, those stories can help others in some way. For Christian writers, most importantly, we write to bring God glory. For all these reasons, I love what I do even during years without profit. Here’s a brief summary of what Purple Mask Publishing accomplished this year:
Stars makes Best of Historical Fiction List
I was honored to discover Stars in the Storm listed on author/editor Allison Ramirez’s “2025 Historical Fiction Books to Read in 2026” list. Stars was joined by two of my own favorite 2025 reads, Secret Dwellings by Angelina Salvaggio and Perpetual Rainbows by Jessika Caruso, and I added several more to my TBR. Thank you, Allison for your lovely review!
“Stars in the Storm was one of the first historical fiction novels I read in 2025, and it lived up to (and even exceeded, in my opinion) the other three books in the Larksong Legacy series. I wasn’t an editor for this book, but I’ve faithfully read each book as it was released, and this is a great series with biblical and historical significance, set in 1800s Washington State (my home state!). Kelsey Gietl is a talented author of many noteworthy historical fiction novels.”
Discover all of Allison’s favorite 2025 historical fiction books on her Substack.
Unsettled Shores now in AudioBook
I spent a lot of time over the past few months reviewing my narrator’s audiobook production of Unsettled Shores, the second book in my World War I historical fiction series about spies, censorship, and betrayal on the home front. If you’ve followed me for awhile, you know that I toot a lot of horns for my narrator, Tawnya Rollingson. This lady is simply amazing with her multiple character voices, accents, and even singing. (Although, there’s no singing in Unsettled Shores. Check out my Larksong Legacy series for that.) While this can be read as a standalone, I do recommend reading Broken Lines first.
Get your audiobook of Unsettled Shores.
Releasing in January
Need even more books? Here are this month’s new releases. (Note: I receive no compensation for featuring the books below.)
- The Charmed Library by Jennifer Moorman – A librarian can see words all around her, shimmering and flitting like living things, carrying emotions and whispers of untold stories.
- The Belle of Chatham by Laura Frantz – The American Revolution ripples through a family as members take opposing sides, causing a deep chasm that fractures two sisters’ once-unbreakable bond.
- Braving Fiery Waters by Sarah Hanks – A family vacation goes horribly awry as a mother finds herself thrown from modern times into the 1849 Great Fire of St. Louis.
- To Love a Lady by Gabrielle Meyer – A My Fair Lady retelling where a lavish ball, a long-buried secret, and one reckless act of love threaten to unravel everything.
- Beyond the Clouds by Elizabeth Camden – Old sparks of romance begin to stir for childhood sweethearts until duty sends them behind enemy lines during World War I.
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Until next month, happy reading!
Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam
Kelsey
Purchase signed copies of my books: kelseygietl.com
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Purple Mask Publishing
2025 Zumbehl Rd, Ste. 33
St. Charles, MO 63303
