Happy Tuesday, readers! Today’s Top Ten topic is “Books with _____ in the Title.” When browsing the list of books I’ve read, I noticed that there are a lot with the word “heart” in the title. Row 1 is non-fiction, Row 2 is historical fiction, and Row 3 is contemporary fiction and dystopian.
Secrets of the Sacred Heart by Emily Jaminet
Humility of Heart by Fr. Cajetan Maria da Bergamo
A Heart Adrift by Laura Frantz
A Heart Revealed by Julie Lessman
To Steal a Heart by Jen Turano
A Rebel Heart by Beth White
Hooked on the Heart by Maddie Evans
Dereliction of the Heart by Hannah Hood Lucero
This Wandering Heart by Janine Rosche
Heart by Jacqueline Lucca
Have you read any of these books? Which “heart” books would you recommend?
Happy July, readers, and a blessed Month of the Precious Blood of Jesus ❤️! It’s 110 degrees in St. Louis with the heat index and some days, we have 90% humidity, but I’m trying to be thankful for the sunshine. A few weeks ago, our church parish had our ChristPower Mission Week which was both inspiring and a lot of fun. Over 700 youth participants were there, including Vacation Bible School, our Middle School Service Retreat, and our High School Service Retreat. I helped out by driving teens to and from community service sites, and it was amazing to see how on fire for the Lord these kids are.
What’s in this Edition:
18 days to Go! – Astonished-Inspired Extras
Vampires and Near-Death Experiences – Release Day Twins
Recent Reads I Recommend – My favorite books from last month.
Upcoming Events – Where to find me in 2026
18 days to go!
Only 18 days until release day for Astonished! While the ebook doesn’t release on major retail sites until July 24, you can get the paperback online now. Those who order through my online store will receive some fun swag and an extra entry into the release day giveaway.
Release Day Giveaway (open 7/24 – 8/1): I’m super excited about this giveaway as it includes three Christian Fiction novels about asylums and mental health by authors Crystal Caudill, Erica Colahan, and Jocelyn Green. Any ideas which ones they might be? Spoiler: Find out here.
Aesthetic Photos: If you’re interested to see the many photos I used as aesthetic inspiration while writing Astonished, check out my Unsplash collection. Here are a few of my favorites:
Music: For those who enjoy book soundtracks, I’ve created a Spotify playlist of songs that either fit different scenes in the story or the book’s general mood. Songs are in no particular order. Enjoy!
I also recently discovered that Astonished shares a release day for The Dawn We Seek, the final Sr. Allison Regina Gliot’s Catholic vampire trilogy. It just feels right that a novel about near-death experiences and a novel about vampires should come out on the same day. Sr. Allison’s series is seriously amazing, and I can’t recommend it enough. Go grab the first two books now, so you’re ready for book 3 on July 24!
(No one is paying me to promote this. Pauline Media isn’t endorsing my book. As far as I know, Sr. Allison has no idea that I’m sharing this in my newsletter.)
Recent Reads I Recommend
Need another book for your TBR? Of course you do. Here are the books I’ve recently read and loved. (Note: I receive no compensation for featuring the books below.)
The Summer Scrapbook by Florence Migga reminded me of what YA books used to be and what they still should be. No sex, no profanity, just sweet romance, the challenges of growing up, and the joys and drama of teen friendship. How I remember them well from my youth! This book actually had a very nineties vibe even though it’s set in present day. That could have just been me though as a child of the 90s. 😁
Some of the things I loved: 1. Although the main characters all had to deal with similar things throughout the summer, I liked how they were each their own person, too. 2. They had parents who were generally interested in their lives and family members respected one another. 3. The “popular” girl wasn’t what I expected. 4. There were good lessons in how new friends or boyfriends don’t have to take away from the best friends you already have. In fact, new friends can enhance existing friendships if you let them.
I’d love to see a continuation of this series to find out what happens to them next summer!
Did you know reviews help both readers and authors? Even one sentence is enough, and every word greatly appreciated. Consider leaving a rating on Amazon, Goodreads, BookBub, and/or your favorite retailer!
Want to know what I’m reading as I’m reading it? Follow me on GoodReads.
Upcoming Events
Mark your calendars! Here’s where you can find me and my books in 2026, including the opportunity to pre-order Astonished. As additional events are scheduled, I’ll add details on my website.
Elks Lodge 2587 Craft Fair – July 18, 2026 – O’Fallon, MO (with author Susan Laspe)
Encounter School of Ministry Summer Intensive – July 27-30, 2026 – St. Charles, MO (Requires registration.)
St. Joseph Catholic School Craft Fair – October 10, 2026 – Cottleville, MO (with author Susan Laspe)
Francis Howell High Band Craft Fair – December 5, 2026 – Weldon Springs, MO (with author Susan Laspe)
Happy Tuesday, readers! Wow, I didn’t realize how long it’s been since I’ve shared a Top Ten Tuesday – over 7 months. I probably still won’t post every week, but I’ll try to be better about doing at least once per month. Today’s Top Ten topic is “Books on My Sumer 2026 To-Read List.” I don’t know if I’ll finish all of these by September 22 (the first day of fall), but it’s where I plan to start. Even though I write historical fiction, this list is a great example of how chaotic my reading choices are.
Lord of the World by Robert Hugh Benson – Dystopian written in 1907
Julia’s Gifts by Ellen Gable – WWI Historical Fiction (Book 1)
The Dawn We Seek by Sr. Allison Regina Gliot FSP – Catholic Vampire Fiction (Book 3)
Braving Fiery Waters by Sarah Hanks – Time Travel (Book 2)
Raise My Ebenezer by Jennifer Q. Hunt – 1830s Historical Fiction (Book 2)
Uncharted Blessing by Keely Brooke Keith – historical fiction/dystopian/magical realism (Book 16)
Ashes to Ashes by Hannah Hood Lucero – contemporary romantic suspense (Book 1)
Heart by Jacqueline Lucca – Zombie fiction
The Summer Scrapbook by Florence Migga – Young Adult Contemporary
The Brunswick by Callie Murray – WWII historical fiction
Have you read any of these books? Which books would you recommend from your Summer TBR?
God Bless America – My favorite patriotic Christian Fiction books.
Releasing in June– Other authors’ new releases I’m most excited about.
America 250
My books deal predominantly with United States history, so of course, I think America’s 250th birthday is a big deal. My upcoming book, Astonished, also includes a fictional U.S. Senator and his run for the 1916 Presidency. Research for that was particularly interesting. Did you know that prior to the 1914 mid-term election, U.S. senators were appointed by the state government, rather than elected by the people? Or that presidential and vice presidential candidates were nominated separately rather than the presidential candidate choosing a running mate as is done today?
The unnecessarily long term for a 250th anniversary is a semiquincentennial. While I won’t be visiting Washington D.C. for the big day, I have been blessed to visit our nation’s capitol four times in my youth. In 8th grade, my family went for vacation and in high school, I visited three times with my youth group for the National March for Life. If you’ve never attended this pro-life march, I highly recommend making the trip in person, or at a minimum, watching the event online. The speeches and sheer size of the crowd is inspirational to witness. Here are a few pre-digital-era disposable camera photos from my past travels:
The White HouseWashington MonumentMy husband and I at the Smithsonian many years before we married.
This year on July 4, I’ll be wearing my patriotic shirt which states, “Home of the Free Because of the Brave,” and praying for all those men and women who fight to keep our country safe.
God Bless America!
This month, I’ve seen several authors posting their favorite patriotic reads, so I decided to jump on the bandwagon. Here are some of my favorite Christian Fiction books that take place around the time of the American Revolution. (Note: I receive no compensation for featuring the books below.)
The Sugar Baron’s Daughter’s series by Lisa T. Bergren – 1772-1777 West Indies
The Molly Chase Series by Rhonda Ortiz – 1793 Boston
When the Day Comes by Gabrielle Meyer – Time Travel between 1774 Colonial Williamsburg and 1914 New York City
Many Sparrows by Lori Benton – 1774 Ohio-Kentucky Frontier
The Love Letter by Rachel Hauck – 1780 South Carolina & Present Day
Perpetual Rainbows by Jessika Caruso – 1776 New Jersey
Releasing in May & June
Need even more books? Here are this month’s (and last month’s) new releases. (Note: I receive no compensation for featuring the books below.)
Shipwrecked Faith by Danielle Grandinetti – Caught between duty, a dangerous past, and a budding love, Kellan and Sadie must rely on their newfound faith in each other and renewed faith in God to weather a shipwreck and a growing storm.
Ashes to Ashes by Hannah Hood Lucero – romantic suspense following Phee Flynn, in beginning the next generation of Hannah’s Sons of Vigilance series.
Breaking Triviality by Sarah Everest – The first book in a time travel serial from the 21st century to WWII Rotterdam
Uncharted Blessing by Keely Brooke Keith – The 16th book in her historical fiction/dystopian/magical realism series. This series is long but well worth it!
Someone to Lean On by Carrie Walker – As three adults seek control in their lives, a young child with no guarantees teaches them to trust. Book 3 in the Faith Endures series.
Did you know reviews help both readers and authors? Even one sentence is enough, and every word greatly appreciated. Consider leaving a rating on Amazon, Goodreads, BookBub, and/or your favorite retailer!
Want to know what I’m reading as I’m reading it? Follow me on GoodReads.
Happy June, readers, and Happy Month of the Sacred Heart ❤️! Raise your hand if school’s over for your kids. Now, raise your hand if that means things slow down. Are you laughing? Me too! Life is as crazy as ever, with church retreats, summer camp, and music workshops taking the place of school musicals, homework, and PSR. It’s a good crazy and for that, I’m thankful.
What’s in this Edition:
One Step Closer – All the Astonished Updates
Join the Launch Team – Read Astonished for free.
Recent Reads I Recommend – My favorite books from last month.
Upcoming Events – Where to find me in 2026
One Step Closer: All the Astonished Updates
Only 6 weeks until July 24, which is both the release day for Astonished and the day when Chapter 1 begins. All the beta reader edits have been returned, and I am now reading through my proof copy for final edits. Feedback from early readers has been, as always, incredibly helpful, and I’m grateful for both their excitement and constructive criticism.
4 Ways to Read
Ready to read? Those who order through my online store or join the launch team will receive some fun swag and an extra entry into the release day giveaway on July 24. (I’m still working on what that will be. Stay tuned!)
Need another book for your TBR? Of course you do. Here are the books I’ve recently read and loved. (Note: I receive no compensation for featuring the books below.)
As a former opera technician currently writing about an asylum, I was itching to get my hands on Sung in the Shadows by Crystal Caudill. This opera-infused novel tells of a stage manager and a former opera singer’s daughter who meet while visiting their mothers in Cincinnati’s Longview Asylum. Sparks are flying, but dangers of the past threaten to keep them apart at every turn. While the middle of the story slows more than I would have liked, this book’s action-packed ending made up for the wait. I also appreciated how the author approached mental health with sensitivity while portraying the treatments of the time period realistically. Even though this is the second book in the series, I had no problem following the story. Fair warning if you plan to read Book 1: there are spoilers.
Surprisingly, I never read The Giver by Lois Lowry when I was in elementary school. My son was reading it with his class, so I decided to read it with him, and finished it in one day. Like most dystopian novels, this one brings up scary possibilities (and sometimes unknown realities) of the world we currently live in. While The Giver had elements of fantasy, such as people no longer being able to see color, other areas like population control, hive mind, eugenics, and rewriting history made for good areas of discussion. I also recommend watching the movie after reading the book. Since the book is in first person, the movie is able to explain the external characters more in depth. There are obvious differences between the two, but overall, I thought it was a good adaptation.
Did you know reviews help both readers and authors? Even one sentence is enough, and every word greatly appreciated. Consider leaving a rating on Amazon, Goodreads, BookBub, and/or your favorite retailer!
Want to know what I’m reading as I’m reading it? Follow me on GoodReads.
Upcoming Events
Mark your calendars! Here’s where you can find me and my books in 2026, including the opportunity to pre-order Astonished. As additional events are scheduled, I’ll add details on my website.
Elks Lodge 2587 Craft Fair – July 18, 2026 – O’Fallon, MO (with author Susan Laspe)
Encounter School of Ministry Summer Intensive – July 27-30, 2026 – St. Charles, MO (Requires registration.)
St. Joseph Catholic School Craft Fair – October 10, 2026 – Cottleville, MO (with author Susan Laspe)
Francis Howell High Band Craft Fair – December 5, 2026 – Weldon Springs, MO (with author Susan Laspe)
