Happy Tuesday, readers! Today’s Top Ten topic is “Christian Fiction that Includes Men on the Cover.” Have you ever noticed that Christian Fiction books are suspiciously void of men on the covers? Even in suspense novels, if there’s a person shown, they’re usually female. To be fair, there is a severe shortage of good male stock photography available to cover designers that aren’t part of a couple. But there are a few! Here are ten recommended reads that also feature the MMC (Male Main Character) on the cover.
The Musician’s Dream by B.M. Baker
The Cairo Curse by Pepper Basham
Claim by Lisa T. Bergren
Riptide by Lisa T. Bergren
Torrent by Lisa T. Bergren
In the Night Season by Jennifer Q. Hunt
Treacherous by Susan Laspe
Delirious by Susan Laspe
Enkindle in Me by Erin Lewis
At Love’s Command by Karen Witemeyer
Have you read any of these? Are there any other MMC covers you’d recommend?
Happy Tuesday, readers! Today’s Top Ten topic is “Things Characters Have Said,” so here are some of my favorite quotes from my own novels. If you’ve read any of my books, do you have a favorite quote or character?
Happy March, readers! Here in Missouri, it seems spring is finally on its way.
What’s in this Edition:
One Month of Stars in the Storm
Historical Beauty – My Visit to the Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis
Upcoming Events – Spring Boutique Book Signing
Releasing in March – Other authors’ new releases I’m most excited about.
One Month of Stars in the Storm
It’s been almost one month since Stars in the Storm released. I am so thankful to everyone who pre-ordered, purchased, and promoted Cade and Alice Ann’s story and those of you who took the step to begin the series as well. For this being the final book in the series, I was surprised to receive more pre-orders than for any other novel and am beyond grateful!
If you need a copy of any of the books, links are included below. Paperbacks purchased directly from me are signed and include a free inspirational quote bookmark.
In February, my family had the pleasure of watching our daughter sing with her high school’s choir at the Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis, along with several other local Catholic high schools. It had been a long time since I visited this historic cathedral and as always, its beauty was astounding. If you ever have a chance to visit, I highly recommend the trip.
A Brief History – The St. Louis Cathedral was first commissioned by Archbishop (later Cardinal) John Glennon in 1905 with the first Mass occurring in 1913; however, its interior ornamentation would not be fully completed until 1988. Granted Basilica status by St. Pope John Paul II in 1997 (one of two basilicas in St. Louis), the Cathedral contains the world’s largest collection of mosaics, is the location of Kenrick-Glennon Seminary’s ordinations, and holds the annual Mass of chrism blessing for all the parishes in the archdiocese. There are four archbishops interred in its lower level mausoleum.
Character Connection – With the Cathedral’s first Mass occurring in 1913, that means the Kisch family from my novel, Broken Lines, may have attended Mass there as well. The interior would have looked very different from how it looks today. There were no mosaics in 1913. There weren’t even any pews! Here’s a side by side comparison from almost the same angle:
I’ve included a few more photos of the interior below. These truly do not capture how beautiful and vibrant the mosaics are.
Do you live in the St. Louis area and want to support a good cause? Come out to Incarnate Word Academy’s annual Spring Boutique event on Thursday, April 24 from 5-9 p.m. Fellow author, Susan Laspe, and I will have a table alongside many other alumnae vendors. Registration is required with registration fees going toward student scholarship funds. More information, including registration is available on their website.
Need another read? Here are the new releases I’m excited about:
Spark of the Revolution by Megan Soja – historical romance set against the backdrop of the Boston Tea Party
The One Who Risked It All by Tara Grace Ericson – close proximity second chance firefighter romance
Abner by Simon West – dystopian tale set in a flooded world
When the Sky Burned by Liz Tolsma – Embezzlement sweeps through a small town community during the 1871 Wisconsin fire
The Pharisee’s Wife by Janette Oke – a view of Christ’s final year on earth through the eyes of a Pharisee’s young wife
Want to know what I’m currently reading? Follow me on GoodReads.
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!
Happy Tuesday, readers! Today’s Top Ten topic is “Books Set In Another Time.” Since we’re always talking about books in other times, I decided to take this a step farther and talk about books where characters travel outside of their own time. There seriously isn’t enough good Time Travel Fiction out there, so if you’ve read some, let me know!
Waterfall by Lisa T Bergren
Passenger by Alexandra Bracken
In Another Time by Jillian Cantor
Both Sides of Time by Caroline B. Cooney
All These Threads of Time by Sarah Crowne
A Thousand Pieces of You by Claudia Gray
Braving Strange Waters by Sarah Hanks
When the Day Comes by Gabrielle Meyer
Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs
The Time Machine by H.G. Wells
Have you read any of these? Which Time Travel novels would you recommend?
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.
Thank you to all who entered Stars in the Storm‘s Release Day Giveaway, and congratulations to our winner, Thea!
On Location with Larksong Legacy
Do you enjoy looking at maps? What about real maps, in all their papery goodness? I’m a sucker for a good historical atlas and seeing how the world in days gone by. The atlas pictured above, Historical Atlas of the United States by Derek Hayes, I purchased specifically for Larksong Legacy, but it has provided hours of enjoyment far past the 1850s westward trail. (I am a nerd and I am not ashamed.)
Throughout the year, I’ll be providing more details into Larksong Legacy’s specific locations including in Washington, California, South Carolina, and Missouri. For today, though, let’s map the characters’ journeys from each book and see how long travel would have taken then and now. (*All maps below are from Google.)
If you haven’t read the books, these maps do give spoilers as to where the characters visit in each book. I won’t tell you who ends up where though. 🙂
Book 1 – For a Noble Purpose – Charleston, South Carolina to Larksong, Washington
In 1852, pioneers rarely rode in their wagons as the space was needed for supplies. This meant that they walked between 15-25 miles per day on open prairie, fewer if they were traveling through a town such as between Charleston, South Carolina and St. Louis, Missouri. This 3,110 mile journey took the Larks about a year to travel. In 2025, a car ride would take 48 hours (between 3-4 days with breaks) or a relatively quick 10-11 hour plane ride (with 1 layover) followed by a 3 hour car ride.
For more information on each stop along the westward trail, check out this Interactive Oregon Trail Map from the Oregon National Park Service.
Book 2 – Dusk Shall Weep – Larksong, Washington (Nearby modern day Raymond) to Astoria, Oregon and Seattle, Washington
While living in Washington, the Larks discover that many of the usual essentials from back in Charleston are not as easy to get to. The nearest church was at Stella Maris Mission in “nearby” McGowan, but nearby meant traveling over 80 miles round trip by foot or wagon. The nearest post office was another three miles past that in Chenookville. “Going to the market” involved a 160-mile round trip journey to Astoria, Oregon (over a week’s travel). This meant that visits were few and far between and most everything they needed must be sourced from the land they lived on. In 2025, due to the existence of the Astoria-Megler Bridge, they would have been able to drive to Astoria in about an hour. Although, in 2025, they would have also had a church, post office, and supermarket located within their own town.
Later in the novel, they also travel to Seattle, Washington, then an extremely small town, a distance of 128 miles and 48 hours one way. Today, this drive could be completed in just over 2 hours.
Book 3 – Sparks Fly Upward – Larksong, Washington (Nearby modern day Raymond) to San Francisco, California
In Sparks Fly Upward, a few of the characters travel to San Francisco, California. Since it would have taken them 280 hours to travel by foot, they choose to go to Astoria and take a ship from there down the coastline, saving weeks of travel. While in San Francisco, they visit several real-life locations including: The no-longer-existent Niantic Hotel on Sansome Street, St. Mary’s Cathedral on California Street, Portsmouth Square Park, and the cliffs where I envisioned Sterling’s Theatrical circus to be located. Note that in the 1850s, The Niantic Hotel was located right on San Francisco Bay, whereas today, an additional mile of land has been built out from the original coastline. In 2025, Google Maps says that it would only take 32 minutes to drive the distance between the hotel and the circus, but I suspect with traffic, that time would be much longer.
Book 4 – Stars in the Storm – Larksong, Washington to ???
Sorry, readers, but with Stars in the Storm having been released only a week ago, I’m not going to share the final location just yet. It’s where they learn the source of their Gift, after all. Here’s a teaser: rainforests, lava tubes, ice caverns, waterfalls, and islands.
