by Crystal Caudill | Jun 4, 2023 | Book and Writing Events, Writer's Life
*Cue announcer voice* I’m interrupting our normal posting schedule with this special announcement:
Counterfeit Love has been selected as a semi-finalist for the Carol Awards!!!!!
The Carol Award is a major publishing award given by American Christian Fiction Writers for outstanding work in Christian fiction. To be listed among the same amazing authors I admire is a truly humbling and exciting moment. Check out the other authors who also are semi-finalists in my category:
Debut Author
Sara Brunsvold – The Extraordinary Deaths of Mrs. Kip
Crystal Caudill – Counterfeit Love
Dawn Ford – The Girl with Stars in Her Eyes
Elizabeth Jacobson – Not by Sight: a novel of the patriarchs
Anna Rose Johnson – The Star That Always Stays
Kathy Maresca – Porch Music
Linda W. Rooks – Pieces of Dark, Pieces of Light
Have you read any of them?
It is an honor to have made it this far, and I hope you’ll join me at the ACFW Conference in St. Louis from August 24 to August 26 for a lot of bookish fun, including a massive book signing in conjunction with StoryFest. Just check out this lineup!
Here is the complete and final booksigning schedule:
| Friday |
9-10am |
Robin Caroll |
| Friday |
9-10am |
Colleen Coble |
| Friday |
9-10am |
Pam Hillman |
| Friday |
9-10am |
Dineen Miller |
| Friday |
9-10am |
Kimberley Woodhouse |
| Friday |
9-10am |
Cara Putman |
| Friday |
10:30-11:30 am |
Diane Tatum |
| Friday |
10:30-11:30 am |
Ruth Wu-Wong |
| Friday |
10:30-11:30 am |
Mary Connealy |
| Friday |
10:30-11:30 am |
Pepper Basham |
| Friday |
2:30-3:30 pm |
Sara Davison |
| Friday |
2:30-3:30 pm |
Allie Pleiter |
| Friday |
2:30-3:30 pm |
Tracy Higley |
| Friday |
2:30-3:30 pm |
Cynthia Ruchti |
| Friday |
2:30-3:30 pm |
Kathleen Y’Barbo |
| Friday |
4-5 pm |
Denise Hunter |
| Friday |
4-5 pm |
DiAnn Mills |
| Friday |
4-5 pm |
Sara Brunsvold |
| Friday |
4-5 pm |
Judy Kelly |
| Friday |
4-5 pm |
Melanie Stevenson |
| Friday |
4-5 pm |
Dana Lynn |
| Saturday |
9:30-10:30 am |
Janyre Tromp |
| Saturday |
9:30-10:30 am |
Sarah Hamaker |
| Saturday |
9:30-10:30 am |
Sandra Merville Hart |
| Saturday |
11:00-noon |
Carrie Turansky |
| Saturday |
11:00-noon |
Lynette Eason |
| Saturday |
11:00-noon |
Kelly Irvin |
| Saturday |
11:00-noon |
Brandy Heineman |
| Saturday |
11:00-noon |
Sarah Kohnle |
| Saturday |
2-3 pm |
Crystal Caudill |
| Saturday |
2-3 pm |
Jerusha Agen |
| Saturday |
2-3 pm |
Deb Raney |
| Saturday |
2-3 pm |
Ashley Clark |
| Saturday |
2-3 pm |
Amanda Cox |
| Saturday |
3:30-4:30 pm |
Carmen Peone |
| Saturday |
3:30-4:30 pm |
Lenora Worth |
| Saturday |
3:30-4:30 pm |
Candice Sue Patterson |
| Saturday |
3:30-4:30 pm |
Dawn Ford |
The finalists will be announced on that first night, and then the winner will be announced at the fancy gala on the last night. . . and you could be there with me. You can check out more information about StoryFest here, and if you do register, be sure to put Crystal Caudill as your “referred by” person. I won’t lie. It gives me a shot at getting a free hotel night off my conference stay. 🙂
Here’s a bit about Counterfeit Love if you haven’t read it yet:
Can this undercover agent save the woman he loves–or is her heart as counterfeit as the money he’s been sent to track down?
After all that Grandfather has sacrificed to raise her, Theresa Plane owes it to him to save the family name–and that means clearing their debt with creditors before she marries Edward Greystone. But when one of the creditors’ threats leads her to stumble across a midnight meeting, she discovers that the money he owes isn’t all Grandfather was hiding. And the secrets he kept have now trapped Theresa in a life-threatening fight for her home–and the truth.
After months of undercover work, Secret Service operative Broderick Cosgrove is finally about to uncover the identity of the leader of a notorious counterfeiting ring. That moment of triumph turns to horror, however, when he finds undeniable proof that his former fiancée is connected. Can he really believe the woman he loved is a willing participant? Protecting Theresa and proving her innocence may destroy his career–but that’s better than failing her twice in one lifetime.
They must form a partnership, tentative though it is. But there’s no question they’re both still keeping secrets–and that lack of trust, along with the dangerous criminals out for their blood, threatens their hearts, their faith, and their very survival.
And here’s a snippet from one of my favorite moments:
The window above him slid open, and a pair of boy’s boots thudded to the ground inches from where he crouched. If shoes fell, a body was bound to follow. Broderick crept behind an unkempt bush and waited.
Black-stockinged feet and legs protruded from the sill’s edge, followed by blue skirts. Delicate hands adjusted the material before the familiar slender body swung from the ledge’s safety to straining twigs.
Of all the dangerous stunts! It was one thing for him to climb up, another for her to attempt climbing down. The little imp would get herself killed.
Broderick moved from the bush’s safety and resisted the urge to call out. Startling her could end in disaster, but words of rebuke played through his mind as displaced snow plopped around him. She couldn’t possibly see her next step beneath those skirts. Making it to the ground without mishap would be—
A branch snapped.
Theresa screamed. Blue and white material waved in surrender to the inevitable as she fell. Broderick lunged for her. The tree limbs cracked like a grand finale of fireworks, stopping moments before she crashed into his arms. His legs buckled, and they dropped to the ground with Theresa landing on his chest.
He lay still, his lungs begging for air but refusing to accept it. Given the force of their impact, a human-shaped crater would exist once he moved—if he ever moved again.
Theresa rolled to her knees beside him and stared in dazed silence.
Pain seared his arms as he pushed to a sitting position. “Are you hurt?”
Confusion creased her face as she blinked at him. She might be sorting through a touch of shock, but no discomfort contorted her features, which was more than he could say for himself. He rotated his shoulders and then flexed his arms. In a few years he might laugh about catching an angel, but right now he felt like he’d caught an anvil.
You can buy it now on sale from Amazon, Baker Book House, and Christianbook.
Have you read Counterfeit Love? What was your favorite part? If not, does it sound like something you’d like to check out?
by Crystal Caudill | Nov 4, 2022 | Counterfeit Hope, Counterfeit Love, Crystal's Books, Writer's Life
There is a lot to be thankful for this month, and one of those things is the fact that Counterfeit Truth, my Hidden Hearts of the Gilded Age novella prequel is out in the world. If you like historical romance with a good dose of danger, swoony Secret Service heroes in pursuit of counterfeiters, and feisty independent women who get in the way, you’ll want to check out this series. And you can stick your toes in the water with this novella.
While you can buy it on Amazon, you can get it FREE when you sign up for my newsletter. Just sign up on the sidebar or bit.ly/CaudillNews. This is a great way to try my writing without having to spend a penny. My newsletters go out only once a month, and I pray over every subscriber on that list while striving to make them beneficial to you. I hope to see you there and have the opportunity to get to know you better.
Hidden Hearts of the Gilded Age Series:
Counterfeit Truth – Novella Prequel
Read for Free by subscribing HERE. Already a subscriber? Click HERE.
Add to “Want to Read List”: BookBub | Goodreads
She wants to prove the Secret Service is corrupt. He just wants to keep her safe.
Felicity Richmond is determined to prove her place at her male-dominated family newspaper. If Father wants a story on the Secret Service’s corruption, then that’s what she’ll get him—at any cost. But Gregory Thompson is willing to kill rather than be exposed. When her plan to catch him goes horribly wrong, her rescue comes in the form of Secret Service operative Hayden Orton. The one man she longs for but can never have.
Hayden Orton nearly had former operative Thompson in his grasp . . . until Felicity interfered. Now it’s his responsibility to keep her out of the way until Thompson is arrested. Disguising her protection as a chance at an exclusive story, he invites her to join him on an investigation of the Philadelphia Mint robbery.
But Felicity isn’t content to just observe. As they work together—and at odds—to discover the culprit, Felicity stirs up trouble and emotions that leave Hayden wondering if finding the truth might cost him more than he’s ready for.
Counterfeit Love – Book 1 – Available Now
*To purchase a signed copy or request a signed bookplate, use the contact form to email me.
Can this undercover agent save the woman he loves–or is her heart as counterfeit as the money he’s been sent to track down?
After all that Grandfather has sacrificed to raise her, Theresa Plane owes it to him to save the family name–and that means clearing their debt with creditors before she marries Edward Greystone. But when one of the creditors’ threats leads her to stumble across a midnight meeting, she discovers that the money he owes isn’t all Grandfather was hiding. And the secrets he kept have now trapped Theresa in a life-threatening fight for her home–and the truth.
After months of undercover work, Secret Service operative Broderick Cosgrove is finally about to uncover the identity of the leader of a notorious counterfeiting ring. That moment of triumph turns to horror, however, when he finds undeniable proof that his former fiancée is connected. Can he really believe the woman he loved is a willing participant? Protecting Theresa and proving her innocence may destroy his career–but that’s better than failing her twice in one lifetime.
They must form a partnership, tentative though it is. But there’s no question they’re both still keeping secrets–and that lack of trust, along with the dangerous criminals out for their blood, threatens their hearts, their faith, and their very survival.
Combining rich history, danger, suspense, and romance, Crystal Caudill’s debut novel launches this new historical series with a bang. Fans of Elizabeth Camden, Michelle Griep, and Joanna Davidson Politano will be thrilled to find another author to follow!
Counterfeit Hope – Book 2 – Releases 2/14/2023, Preorder Available Now
*To purchase a signed copy or request a signed bookplate, use the contact form to email me.
Add to “Want to Read List”: BookBub |
Goodreads
Trapped by their pasts, is there hope for a future?
When Secret Service operative Andrew Darlington is brought in to support a US Marshal case involving counterfeiters in rural Indiana, he thinks it’s simply the next rung on his climb to the top of his career. But liars can only climb so high–and Andrew is keeping a dangerous secret he doesn’t ever want to get out. When he clashes with the criminal family that took over the town of Landkreis and killed the Marshal he was sent to assist, his past life is in danger of being exposed.
Widow “Lightning Lu” Thorne has only one goal: escape the clutches of the Thorne family with her son. Her decision to be an informant and testify against the Thornes looked like the perfect answer. Until the Marshal ended up dead. Now the tether keeping her tied to her felonious family is tightening, and a forced marriage to someone else in the Thornes’ clutches threatens to kill any hope of escape.
Andrew and Lu find themselves on the same team–unwillingly. They each believe the other to be the enemy to their future plans. And even if they could learn to work together, the secrets they hold could shatter all hopes and dreams. Despite the encouragement of the local preacher, they’re not even sure God can be trusted–much less other humans. Can either of them escape their past–and the family that is willing to kill their own when they smell betrayal?
On the heels of her smashing debut, this second entry in Crystal Caudill’s historical series maintains the excitement that readers of Michelle Griep, Liz Tolsma, and Elizabeth Camden will love.
We Three Kings Christmas Novella Collection – Tentatively Called “Star of Wonder” – Coming Fall 2023
(Unofficial blurb) Josiah Isaacs’s younger sister, Celestia, knows what she wants for Christmas, a proposal from her friend and fellow astronomy club member, Aldrich Weise. With an entire Christmas-themed voyage from New York to Germany, she has no doubt she can convince him.
News from Germany destroyed Aldrich’s plans for a future with Celestia. Now the two-week voyage he’d long looked forward to sharing with her would be a painful reminder of all he’d soon lose. How was he to protect his heart while still working closely with her brother to discover the counterfeiter lurking aboard his ship?
When exposing the counterfeiter takes a dangerous turn, more than hearts are at risk. Can Aldrich and Celestia survive and hold fast to hope for a Christmas miracle of a future together?
Counterfeit Faith – Book 2 – Coming Early 2024
(Unofficial Blurb)
She’s lost her faith in man. He’s lost his faith in God. Can working together restore their faith?
As matron of Final Chance House of Refuge, Gwendolyn Ellison has dedicated her life to serving the children society has deemed criminal delinquents. When she suspects someone within is using the children for criminal purposes, only one man on the board believes her and is willing to investigate. On the same day he’s murdered, a gallant hero rescues Gwendolyn from being abducted at knifepoint, but not before those involved threaten her family if she continues to investigate. She won’t leave the children defenseless, but who can she trust to help?
Widower and Secret Service operative Josiah Isaacs can’t turn his back on a woman in trouble, but neither can he commit to one when his heart remains faithful to his deceased wife. When a green goods game is tied to the house of refuge where Miss Ellison works and his nieces and nephew are housed, he reluctantly agrees to partner with her to expose the criminals before more children are hurt despite his immediate attraction to her.
As they work together and their relationship grows, Josiah wonders if marrying again might be in his future. However, with the ghost of his wife between them, Gwendolyn isn’t convinced. When evil prevails, her faith in God challenges his doubts. But can he really trust the God who didn’t save his wife to save the children and Gwendolyn?
by Crystal Caudill | Mar 4, 2022 | Bonus Content, Counterfeit Love
It’s release month, and I thougth what better way to celebrate than to do a month-long giveaway with great prizes. This giveaway is being shared through multiple blogs and social media platforms, so you may see it floating around all month. Share away and let’s see how many people we can get involved.
The Giveaway Details:
FREE FOR EVERYONE: Anyone who wants to, can download a copy of my short story, Banking on Love, by signing up to join my newsletter at https://BookHip.com/RGLTQF. I send out monthly newsletters that you can always unsubscribe to, but this group is the first people to know of publishing details like cover reveals, sales, newsletter subscriber only opportunities.
BOOK LAUNCH GIVEAWAY: This giveaway is going on across multiple sites.
THREE WINNERS
Grand Prize – Counterfeit Love Book Box – a signed print copy of Counterfeit Love, homemade book sleeve, and an “Always Booked” tote filled with surprises related to the story to be opened as you read and reach the matching post it notes.
Runner Up – Winner’s choice of a signed print copy of Counterfeit Love or e-book, a homemade booksleeve, a pair of bookish socks, and an “I Love Big Books” bookmark.
2nd Runner Up – Winner’s choice of a signed print copy of Counterfeit Love or e-book, a homemade booksleeve, and a “Read More Books” zipper bag with paper bookmarks
Fine Print: Physical prizes only available to those living in the contiguous United States who are legally eligible to win. Non-contiguous U.S. and International winners will get an unsigned copy of the book through Book Depository if available and the author will mail a signed bookplate and bookmark. If the grand-prize winner is outside the continuous U.S., they will also get a $15 Amazon gift card.
Drawing runs from 12:01 a.m. March 1st to 11:59 p.m. (EST) March 31st. The winner will be randomly picked via Rafflecopter on April 1st.
The winner will be emailed during the first week of April and will have 7 days to respond before a new winner is drawn. Please add crystalcaudillwrites@gmail.com to your contacts list to ensure you receive your email.
Enter Here:
a Rafflecopter giveaway
A just for fun quiz: Which Counterfeit Love character are you?
Everyone likes a quiz right? Well, I thought it would be fun to celebrate the release of Counterfeit Love with a quiz. So take the quiz below and then comment on which character YOU are. And then check out below for the details on a month l
It’s your last chance to preorder!! Don’t forget to message me or fill out the Google form at Bit.ly/PreorderBonuses to get all the goodies below! Those go away on March 14th at midnight.
by Crystal Caudill | Dec 14, 2021 | Book and Writing Events, Counterfeit Love
As I haven’t had time to get a book review written this weekend, and won’t have time until the next weekend, I’m sharing instead about the wonderful Tara Johnson and her podcast, “This is My Story” where I was blessed to be a guest this past week. We covered all sorts of fun and inspirational topics over the course of about 40 minutes, so I hope you’ll get the chance to listen in.
Episode 3: Silver Strands and “Even Ifs” with Crystal Caudill
https://blubrry.com/thisismystorywithtarajohnson/83281318/episode-3-silver-strands-and-even-ifs-with-crystal-caudill/
On today’s show, Tara and Crystal chat about messy families, the power of not being perfect, plastic Christianity and balking heroes of faith. Crystal shares how escaping PE class led her to Christ. The ladies talk about classics, Christian fiction, wild research, and Crystal’s new release Counterfeit Love. Also on this show… Silver strands, Bearing Precious Seed and what God teaches us when we say “even if”.
Links: www.crystalcaudill.com
Bearing Precious Seed- www.bpsmilford.org
Pre-order Crystal’s upcoming novel here: Counterfeit Love: Caudill, Crystal: 9780825447402: Amazon.com: Books
by Crystal Caudill | Nov 5, 2021 | Bonus Content, Counterfeit Love
Friday’s will be kicking off something new in addition to the book reviews, interviews, and reading challenges. With so much to share about Counterfeit Love and my writing world, I’m going to use Fridays to share about things related to Counterfeit Love and my writing process. This first Friday, I’m excited to share about the preorder bonuses I put together.
So many authors now offer preorder bonuses to their readers, and I wanted to be able to give something to you to thank you for supporting me in this writing journey. I wasn’t quite sure how to accomplish this, but I figured I’d have some fun playing with images.
While Kregel is creating my bookmarks, I made my bookplates, and I absolutely adore them. They say “Fear not. He is with you. Even if . . .” This is based on 2 Chronicles 20:17, the Bible verse that carries the theme of the story. It was a lesson I had to learn myself throughout the writing of Counterfeit Love. “Ye shall not need to fight in this battle: set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the Lord with you, O Judah and Jerusalem: fear not, nor be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them: for the Lord will be with you.” When you read the entire context of the story, it is just so powerful. Really. Go read it all the way to the conclusion of the battle, and then read it again, slower. It is amazing what God does.
I also created three phone backgrounds – one focused on the cover, the other focused on the “Even if” statement, and the other on the Bible verse itself. The printable verses are 2 Chronicles 20:17 and Ecclesiastes 4:12, “And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.”
And what good is a freebie if food isn’t involved? Through my research, I found a fun hot chocolate recipe from the Victorian era. There was a sweet version and a not-so-sweet version. Given our generally sweet tooths in America, I went with the sweeter version, even though I myself prefer the dark chocolate version with little to no sweetness.
The only thing I’ve left to create is the video. I have some ideas about what I might include: a personal thank you, some fun facts from my research, maybe even a little bit about the history of the Secret Service. However, I’d LOVE your input. What questions would you have me answer in a preorder video? What things would you want to be included? I’d love to hear your opinion. Drop a comment below, and who knows, I might incorporate it into the video. Or maybe it will become its own blog post!
Just in case you don’t know about the book, I’ve thrown the cover and blurb down below. Next week I’ll share one of my first endorsements.
Can this undercover agent save the woman he loves–or is her heart as counterfeit as the money he’s been sent to track down?
After all that Grandfather has sacrificed to raise her, Theresa Plane owes it to him to save the family name–and that means clearing their debt with creditors before she marries Edward Greystone. But when one of the creditors’ threats leads her to stumble across a midnight meeting, she discovers that the money he owes isn’t all Grandfather was hiding. And the secrets he kept have now trapped Theresa in a life-threatening fight for her home–and the truth.
After months of undercover work, Secret Service operative Broderick Cosgrove is finally about to uncover the identity of the leader of a notorious counterfeiting ring. That moment of triumph turns to horror, however, when he finds undeniable proof that his former fiancée is connected. Can he really believe the woman he loved is a willing participant? Protecting Theresa and proving her innocence may destroy his career–but that’s better than failing her twice in one lifetime.
They must form a partnership, tentative though it is. But there’s no question they’re both still keeping secrets–and that lack of trust, along with the dangerous criminals out for their blood, threatens their hearts, their faith, and their very survival.
Combining rich history, danger, suspense, and romance, Crystal Caudill’s debut novel launches this new historical series with a bang. Fans of Elizabeth Camden, Michelle Griep, and Joanna Davidson Politano will be thrilled to find another author to follow!
