*For those participating in the 2021 reading challenge, I have created a Facebook Group for those who want to interact throughout the month. For those who wish to receive a bookmark as a reminder of the themes, fill out this Google Form.*
2021 is bound to be a better year than 2020. At least that is what I am declaring! To start the year off right, I thought it would be neat to introduce you to some of the newest authors on the Christian Fiction scene. This year, ten authors I have had the honor to meet will debut their novels to the world. I have broken down the graduating class into the months they will break into the world. Support these new authors by connecting with them online, checking out their books, and if the books interest you, pre-order your copy or request your library to purchase a copy. Preorders go a long way to help an author have a successful book launch. It takes a lot of work to get a book out there, and I’m excited to help them get the word out.
Just as an incentive to help these authors out, I’m offering a $25 Baker Bookhouse gift card giveaway. Each author has chosen one link they want promoted most. Pick which ones you’d like to help out, and earn an entry for each one. To participate, click here.
January Graduate
Amanda Wen is an award-winning writer of inspirational romance and split-time women’s fiction. She has placed first in multiple contests, including the 2017 Indiana Golden Opportunity Contest, the 2017 Phoenix Rattler Contest, and the 2016 ACFW First Impressions Contest. She was also a 2018 ACFW Genesis Contest finalist. A lifelong denizen of the flatlands, Amanda currently lives in Kansas with her husband, their three Wenlets, and one snuggly Siamese cat.
Roots of Wood and Stone
Genre: Split-time Women’s Fiction
This historic home holds the keys to their destiny . . . and their hearts
Abandoned at birth, her family roots a mystery, historical museum curator Sloane Kelley has dedicated her life to making sure others know theirs. When a donor drops off a dusty old satchel, she doesn’t expect much from the common artifact . . .until she finds real treasure inside: a nineteenth-century diary. Now she’s on the hunt to find out more.
Garrett Anderson just wanted to clean out his grandmother’s historic but tumbledown farmhouse before selling it to fund her medical care. With her advancing Alzheimer’s, he can’t afford to be sentimental about the family home. But his carefully ordered plan runs up against two formidable obstacles: Sloane, who’s fallen in love with both the diaries and the house, and his own heart, which is irresistibly drawn to Sloane.
A century and a half earlier, motherless Annabelle Collins embarks with her aunt and uncle on the adventure of a lifetime: settling the prairies of Sedgwick County, Kansas. The diaries she left behind paint a portrait of life, loss, and love–and a God who faithfully carries her through it all. Paging through the diaries together takes Sloane and Garrett on a journey they never could have planned, which will change them in ways they never imagined.
This warm, beautifully written split-time novel will resonate with readers looking for stories that reveal the beauty of God’s plan for our lives, and how our actions ripple for generations.
February Graduate
Jennifer Deibel is a middle school teacher whose work has appeared on (in)courage, on The Better Mom, in Missions Mosaic magazine, and others. With firsthand immersive experience abroad, Jennifer writes stories that help redefine home through the lens of culture, history, and family. After nearly a decade of living in Ireland and Austria, she now lives in Arizona with her husband and their three children. You can find her online at www.jenniferdeibel.com. Her debut novel, A Dance in Donegal, releases Feb. 2, 2021 from Revell and is available for pre-order wherever books are sold!
Connect with her: Instagram Facebook Goodreads BookBub
A Dance in Donegal
Genre: Historical Romance
After the loss of her Irish mother in the summer of 1920, Moira Doherty decides to fulfill her mother’s wish for her to leave Boston and teach in her mother’s home village of Ballymann in Donegal, Ireland. Though a few locals offer a warm welcome, others are distanced by superstition and suspicion. Rumors about a scandalous family reputation abound and threaten not only her new position but also her life.
Moira must rely on the kindness of a handful of unlikely friends including Sean, a handsome thatcher, to help her clear her family name before it’s too late. As she seeks to navigate her new life in Ireland, she may find that this is truly the life she was always meant to live.
Preorder here: Amazon Baker Book House Barnes and Noble Books-A-Million ChristianBook IndieBound Target Walmart
March Graduate
A.D. Lawrence makes her home in Northeastern Nebraska. She has been passionate about writing and true crime for years, and her two obsessions melded into the goal of authorship. She is an active member of the ACFW, writes a true crime blog, won the 2019 Crown Award and was a 2019 First Impressions finalist and a 2020 Genesis finalist. Her first book will be released through Barbour in March of 2021 as part of the True Colors series.
The Purple Nightgown
Genre: Historical Fiction Suspense
Step into True Colors — a series of Historical Stories of Romance and True American Crime
Marvel at true but forgotten history when patients check into Linda
Hazzard’s Washington state spa in 1912 and soon become victim of her twisted greed.
Heiress Stella Burke is plagued by insincere suitors and nonstop headaches. Exhausting all other medical aides for her migraines, Stella reads Fasting for the Cure of Disease by Linda Hazzard and determines to go to the spa the author runs. Stella’s chauffer and long-time friend, Henry Clayton, is reluctant to leave her at the spa. Something doesn’t feel right to him, still Stella submits herself into Linda Hazzard’s care. Stella soon learns the spa has a dark side and Linda a mean streak. But when Stella has had enough, all ways to leave are suddenly blocked. Will Stella become a walking skeleton like many of the other patients or succumb to a worse fate?
April Graduate
M.N. Stroh writes edgy Christian Historical Fiction to inspire the downtrodden and outcast with adventure-laden escapes leading to divine encouragement. Her debut novel, Rise of Betrayal, will release through the Cave imprint of Olivia Kimbrell Press in 2021. M.N. serves as Director of Communications for Serious Writer Inc. affiliate, Writers Chat. She is also director of Serious Writer Book Club and co-administrator of Christian Writers Group International.
Connect with her: mnstroh.com The Clan!(Newsletter) Facebook Instagram Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Goodreads
Tale of the Clans Book 1: Rise of Betrayal
One brash act forced her to flee her clan. Now, after years in hiding, she risks exposure to the man whose brother is dead because of her.
Ireland, 962 AD
Forced into a betrothal with the son of her warmongering overlord, Nessa knows her impending marriage will thrust her family into the heart of their clan’s longstanding feud with the Danes of Luimnech. Her fate is sealed until tragedy presses her to make a desperate escape—one which leads to her betrothed’s death.
Sanctuary among distant kindred proves short-lived and Nessa falls into the schemes of her rescuers. With the balance of power shifting in southern Ireland, her knowledge could pave the way for her former chieftain to claim the provincial throne. Yet, offering that knowledge may expose her identity to her estranged clansmen—and to the man whose brother was slain because of her.
Gideon mac Davan yearns to prove himself a warrior worthy of the Dal Cais. But he never dreamed his aspirations to join Brian mac Cennedigh’s rebel band would unfold after his brother’s murder. Conflicted between vengeance and the secret he conceals, Gideon must trod a contrary path. One which may end in the collapse of all he once revered.
Follow M.N. Stroh to keep up-to-date with cover reveals and preorder links.
May Graduate
Michelle Sass Aleckson – After growing up on both the east and west coasts, Michelle Sass Aleckson now lives the country life in central Minnesota with her own hero and their four kids. She
loves rocking out to 80’s music on a Saturday night, playing Balderdash with the fam, and getting lost in good stories. Especially stories that shine grace. And if you’re
wondering, yes, Sass is her maiden name. Visit her at www.michellealeckson.com.
Connect with her: www.michellealeckson.com.
Crazy for You
Genre: Contemporary Romance
The problem with being related to everyone in town is that there is no one left to date…until now…but will this outsider survive his family?
Former soldier Veronica “Ronnie” Morales isn’t going to let her kid brother, Tiago, get pulled into the gangs of Minneapolis, so, seeking safety and a fresh start, she heads to sleepy Deep Haven on the north shore of Minnesota. She’s hoping to put down roots as the paramedic for the new Crisis Response Team, but it’s not easy to be the town outsider.
Fire Chief Peter Dahlquist is a peacemaker—he has to be. After all he’s related to both of the Deep Haven dynasties – the Zimmermans and the Dahlquists, Deep Haven’s
version of the Hatfields and the McCoys. Worse, Peter is the holdout vote for a landmark project, which also makes him the loneliest guy in town when both sides demand that he pick sides. The only one who seems to understand his plight is the newcomer in town…his pretty, street-tough paramedic.
When Tiago finds himself caught up in small town shenanigans and the town blames Ronnie for tragedy, Peter is forced to pick sides. But will his choice cost him the home—and the woman—he loves?
Preorder here: Amazon Barnes and Noble
July Graduate
Jennifer L. Wright has been writing since middle school, eventually earning a master’s degree in journalism at Indiana University. However, it took only a few short months of covering the local news for her to realize that writing fiction is much better for the soul and definitely way more fun. A born and bred Hoosier, she was plucked from the Heartland after being swept off her feet by an Air Force pilot and has spent the past decade traveling the world and, every few years, attempting to make old curtains fit in the windows of a new home.
She currently resides in New Mexico with her husband, two children, and one rambunctious dachshund.
If It Rains
Genre: Historical Fiction
A story of resilience and redemption set against one of America’s defining moments—the Dust Bowl.
It’s 1935 in Oklahoma, and lives are determined by the dust. Fourteen-year-old Kathryn Baile, a spitfire born with a severe clubfoot, is coming of age in desperate times. Once her beloved older sister marries, Kathryn’s only comfort comes in the well-worn pages of her favorite book, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Then Kathryn’s father decides to relocate to Indianapolis, and only the promise of a surgery to finally make her “normal” convinces Kathryn to leave Oklahoma behind. But disaster strikes along the way, and Kathryn must rely on her grit and the ragged companions she meets on the road if she is to complete her journey.
Back in Boise City, Melissa Baile Mayfield is the newest member of the wealthiest family in all of Cimarron County. In spite of her poor, rural upbringing, Melissa has just married the town’s most eligible bachelor and is determined to be everything her husband—and her new social class—expects her to be. But as the drought tightens its grip, Henry’s true colors are revealed. Melissa covers her bruises with expensive new makeup and struggles to reconcile her affluent life with that of her starving neighbors. Haunted by the injustice and broken by Henry’s refusal to help, Melissa secretly defies her husband, risking her life to follow God’s leading.
Two sisters, struggling against unspeakable hardship, discover that even in their darkest times, they are still united in spirit, and God is still with them, drawing them home.
September Graduate
Kerry Johnson has been conversing with fictional characters and devouring books since her carefree childhood in the Connecticut woods. A member of ACFW for nearly a decade, she finaled in their Genesis Contest seven times and won twice (YA and Romance). She also won RWA-Georgia’s Maggie award for her contemporary romance. She’s been published in Creation Illustrated and was a regular contributor to Tampa Bay’s Overflow Magazine from 2011-2013. Kerry currently lives in sunny, stormy Tampa Bay with her patient engineer husband, two energetic teen sons, their eight-year-old, doll-loving niece, and way too many books.
She’s active online at www.kerryjohnsonbooks.com, www.facebook.com/candidkerry/, and on Twitter https://twitter.com/candidkerry, where she shares an overabundance of pictures with her feathered toddler (sun conure) Mango and lazy Boxer, Boomer.
Title to be Revealed Soon
Genre: Romantic Suspense with Love Inspired Suspense
The danger’s all downhill after a murder on the mountain.
When single-mom Everly Raven discovers a body inside a chalet on her family’s New England ski resort, the blame falls on her. Racing to evade the target on her back, she’s forced to work with her ex and father of her child, FBI agent Isaac Rhodes, to clear her name. But with a blizzard closing in and the killer’s henchman hot on their trail, can they stay alive long enough to find the real killer before he finds Everly first?
Follow Kerry to keep up-to-date with titles, cover reveals, and preorder links.
October Graduate
Rhonda Ortiz is award-winning novelist and nonfiction writer whose articles on spirituality, family life, and arts and culture have been published by a variety of popular media outlets. Her debut novel,
Molly Chase:
In Pieces, is forthcoming October 2021 with Chrism Press, a new division of WhiteFire Publishing devoted to Catholic and Orthodox Christian voices. A native Oregonian, Rhonda attended college in historic Annapolis, Maryland and now lives in Michigan with her husband and five children. Find her online at
rhondaortiz.com.
Connect with her: rhondaortiz.com Instagram Facebook Pinterest GoodReads Twitter
Molly Chase
Genre: Historical romance with elements of family drama and political suspense
Certain things ruin a girl’s reputation, and madness is one.
BOSTON, 1793—Beautiful and artistic, the only daughter of a prominent merchant, Molly Chase cannot help but attract the notice of Federalist Boston—especially its men. But she carries a painful secret: her father committed suicide and she found his body. Now nightmares plague her day and night, addling her mind and rendering her senseless. Molly needs a home, a nurse, and time to grieve and to find new purpose in life. But when she moves in with her friends, the Robbs, spiteful society gossips assume the worst. And when an imprudent decision leads to public scandal, Molly is tempted to take the easy way out: a marriage of convenience.
Merchant sailor Josiah Robb is as familiar to Molly as a brother—as dear and as exasperating. Yet she is no sister to him. He hopes to marry her before anyone else does, but sailing the high seas leaves no time for convincing Molly that he is more than her teasing childhood friend. Josiah wants a new job and a fresh start, and when he agrees to carry a confidential letter to President Washington, his life is changed forever.
In the wake of tragedy, these longtime friends discover a new intimacy. But slander, confusion, absence, and a wealthy, conniving bully stand between them. And with French spies on the loose, they not only have to rescue their reputations—they have to protect their lives.
Preorder here: While this book is not yet available for preorder, I recommend signing up for Rhonda’s newsletter on her
website so that you can get the latest news.
November Graduate
Cathy McCrumb graduated from Biola University with a degree in English Literature and a love for stories. While writing is one of her favorite things to do, she also enjoys reading, long hikes and long naps, chocolate, baking gluten-free brownies, and crocheting while watching science fiction movies with friends and family. Her newest goal of ice fishing seems more attainable now that she and her family have moved to Colorado. Most of her imaginary friends are nice people.
Connect with her:
The Recorder
Genre: Science Fiction
So, what’s *in* the book? Mystery, a touch of creepiness, and, yes, some romance, all mixed into dystopian science fiction, and a young woman who has neither a name nor a family. Plus, as he would have me tell you, there’s Nate. 😉)
The Recorder, the first book in Cathy’s sci-fi series, is set to release in November 2021. Set hundreds of years in the future, the novel tells the story of a nameless young woman raised to serve the public, and what happens when she discovers her humanity for the first time.
Follow Cathy for more information as it becomes available.
On the factual level, Fiction Readers Summit is a yearly reader event held in Grand Rapids, MI. Half of our time was spent at a beautiful church event center, and the other half was spent at Baker Book House. Baker Book House is a destination bookstore y’all. It’s the biggest Christian store I think I’ve ever been in. We won’t talk about how much money I spent while there. . . but it was substantial.
However, FRS is so much more than just an author/reader event. It is a family reunion–but one where everyone likes each other. Seriously, friendships are forged that last from one event to the next and beyond. I attended simply as a reader, but I had the chance to meet readers and potential new readers–not only meet them but hang out and really get to know them. So many of us were introverts that everyone understood if you had to walk away and take a break for a while.
There were a ton of authors who showed up officially and unofficially. I missed some authors during the selfies. From left to right, top to bottom:
