So maybe the synopsis intrigued me when I read about Megan Schaulis' Protector, but when she said "Ninja Ester retelling," I was hooked. Listen in and see why this one popped into my cart before the episode finished recording!

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In a book that sounds a bit like Divergent and Enhanced meets the Bible in a futuristic world, an Esther-like character has a chance to compete as the king's bodyguard.

Who isn't going to be wowed by this? Intrigue, persecution, secrets, danger--all in a familiarise story told like nothing we've seen before? Yes, please!

Megan talks about her inspiration, gives fun facts about the cover, and also gives a peek into what's coming!

Protector (The Susa Chronicles) by Megan Schaulis

If you can't be invisible, be unremarkable.

As the orphaned daughter of a traitor, Novalise grew up in hiding with an outlawed religious group hated by the crown. She dreams of aiding her people as a scientist and begs her overprotective brother for a chance to assist in his schemes against the government. All her hopes of making a difference implode when she's kidnapped and forced to compete against the Enhanced—a group of highly trained, biologically upgraded young women—for a position as the king's Protector.

Plagued by insomnia, King Zadien still is reeling from his father's untimely death. When his council suggests a competition as the way to choose his new bodyguard, he lacks the confidence to oppose the plan. Given the role he played in his father's murder, choosing the right Protector could mean relieving his guilt or repeating his worst mistakes. Can he trust the intriguing candidate who's nothing like the others?

After discovering a long-hidden connection between the Enhanced and her father, Novalise realizes winning the competition would give her people the strategic advantage they desperately need. But is that leverage worth compromising herself, body and soul?

Learn more about Megan on her WEBSITE and follow on GoodReads.

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Author Tim Shoemaker has a heart for good fiction for middle-graders and YA readers, and as he describes his goals with his stories, you get a sense of his heart for the readers themselves. Listen in and see why I immediately bought the books after chatting with him.

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When Focus on the Family considered the kids who had grown up on The Adventures in Odessey were growing up and needed something more age-appropriate, they turned to Tim Shoemaker for an exciting, action-packed series. Well, he certainly delivered!

His High Water series features park ranger families and the adventures they get up to--starting in The Everglades, the series proceeds up to Massachusetts and back down to the Everglades in his most recent book. EEEP!

Shoemaker also has a stand-alone novel about bullying. Easy Target sounds like a great read, too!

The Second Storm by Tim Shoemaker

The Second Storm is the fourth book in the High Water series. It blends contemporary mystery and suspense, dramatic situations, and high adventure that readers 12 years old and older will love.

A Category 5 hurricane is heading for southern Florida, and Parker Buckman’s friend Wilson Stillwaters is caught in its crosshairs. It’s going to be bad, and Wilson will need help. But that means going back to the Everglades―a place filled with some bad memories.

Angelica will do anything she can to get her friend Parker back home safely. What she doesn’t realize is the real threat―the second storm―is threatening to be far more deadly for Parker and his friends than the hurricane. The storm has allowed Clayton Kingman to escape from prison, and he has a big surprise in store for the group, one he intends to deliver personally.

An even bigger storm is brewing . . . and there’s no way to stop it.

Learn more about Tim on his WEBSITE and follow him on GoodReads and BookBub.

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There just isn't enough contemporary YA Christian fiction, so when I discovered that Lori Z. Scott has not only written it, she centered it in sports and tackled tough topics, I knew we had a winner. Listen in and see what you'll find in her books.

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Danger--from the outside. That's not what you expect with sports fiction. You expect injuries and team rivalries--maybe petty competitive nonsense among the team. You don't expect murderous men or traffickers.

But Lori Scott wasn't afraid to go there--to tackle the real dangers teens face today all in a safe zone like sports. I love the concept and I'm eager to read the books after having a great conversation about it all. Win/win/win.

Offsides by Lori Z. Scott

Dani Stevens knew senior year was going to be something else-with her last season on the soccer team, the possible strain of losing a friendship, and crushes? All the crushes.

But she didn't expect to be on the lookout for a sex trafficking ring in her town. When a young girl in her neighborhood seems to be in trouble with a pimp, Dani will do whatever she can to find out what she can and get the girl safely back home.

Unbeknownst to Dani, there could be another predator on the loose. And if she doesn't watch her back, she could just end up being his next victim.

Learn more about Lori on her WEBSITE and follow on GoodReads.

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It's not often you find historical Christian fiction set in Germany, so when I found out that's what Lynn U. Watson has planned for us, I was eager to learn more. Listen in and see why!

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This book (and series, actually) has all the elements you'd find in a Grimm story--except this isn't a fairy tale, folks. This is life as it was for some people. I think I'm glad my family would've been peasants. Sure, I might have worked myself into an early grave (and starved!), but I wouldn't have been property to buy and sell! So... there's that.

Tangled Promises by Lynn U Watson

Thunderous applause extinguishes her dream and ignites her worst nightmare.

Clara Reinhold’s father publicly pledges her hand to Georg Wolff. His character and arrogance match the stench of his odious cigars, but his lineage offers a suitable alliance for the station of a baron’s daughter.

A charades clue years earlier turned friendship into a promise of forbidden marriage between Clara and family carriage driver, Daniel Becker.

If she refuses Georg and follows her heart, her father disowns her and she loses everything—her loving family, dear friends, and the only home she’s known.

As a tangled web of scandal and deceit unwinds, hidden motives and illicit activities emerge among an unsuspecting ring of players changing everything but nobility’s rules.

How will justice be served?

How will Clara and Daniel overcome obstacles to claim a future beyond that of a charade?

Learn more about Lynn on her WEBSITE and follow her on GoodReads and BookBub.

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When I read the synopsis for Mary Pat Johns' Lovin' on Red prior to our interview, I just had a feeling I was going to love this series. Listen in to see why I'm certain of it after our conversation.

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If you've been around for a while, you've probably heard me figure out that I do like romance--if it's a romcom, that is. That's not to say I never enjoy a good story that happens to be a romance, but hey. If it's a romcom (and a good one), I'm sure to like it for the romance itself. BONUS points if it has fun other story elements (can we just say there needs to be more romcom mysteries?).

Chatting with Mary Pat Johns was a whole lot of fun, and she hooked me on the idea for her stories right off the bat.

I especially like how she has ways for us to get all the "Valiant stories as quickly as possible, so be sure to check all that out.

Lovin' on Red by Mary Pat Johns

Rory is a wildly successful contractor with all the right connections. He has everything, except the woman who sees past his missing foot. If only the tiny redhead he’s insanely attracted to would go on a date with him, it could work, but Vi refuses.

Licensed massage therapist Vi Summers needs her childhood home remodeled, and Rory Spence is the perfect man for the job. Only he’s the last person she wants to work with. Despite Rory’s reputation as a flirt, his tender attention to getting her house right helps Vi see into his heart. Too bad her past mistakes prevent a future relationship.

Drawn together like magnets, they navigate trouble with illegal squatters, family expectations, and fire. Will they finally be honest with each other, or will their secrets tear them apart?

Learn more about Mary on her WEBSITE and follow her on GoodReads and BookBub.

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Ever wonder how a husband and wife team write a novel together? Did either have unrealistic expectations? Did they have to work through writing problems together? Was it fun? Listen in while I chat with Deb and Bruce Potts about their novel, Love on Life Support.

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Marriage is a beautiful thing, but sometimes it becomes ill and needs a jump start. Enter Deb and Bruce Potts. After years of helping people with marriages, they've brought their vast experience together in a relatable, encouraging story that'll offer hope to readers who are dismayed at seeing what is happening to marriages in the church today.

I loved chatting about future projects and am looking forward to what comes next.

Love on Life Support by Deb and Bruce Potts

A quest for a storybook marriage . . . a desperate emergency . . . can love pull through?

"A tender and harrowing story." Michael and Gina Kell Spehn, NY Times bestselling authors of The Color of Rain

"A vivid portrayal of a marriage in crisis that is transformed by faith." Shaunti Feldhahn, bestselling author of For Women Only and For Men Only

Chris's eyes are the color of hot chocolate with marshmallows melted in. When Amy's eyes meet his for the first time she's like one of those marshmallows. It doesn't take long for them to realize theirs is a bond that will never break. They vow to have a storybook marriage and they're sure they know how the plot will go.

But old patterns are hard to change. Unforeseen circumstances get in their way. Their vision of epic endings starts to waver.

Then, the unthinkable happens. They're faced with a desperate emergency. Can their love be resuscitated?

An inspirational romance that will satisfy your heart's cry for love, no matter what.

Learn more about on WEBSITE and follow on GoodReads and BookBub.

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When an author tells me her book deals with cults, deception, and escape, well... what's not to love? Listen in and see why I'm eager to grab copies of this series by Rebecca Carey Lyles and start reading today!

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Chatting with Rebecca Carey Lyles really gave me a hunger to check out her Children of the Light series. Seeing some of these polygamist cults through the eyes of those who might be hoodwinked into them as well as through a Christian lens? Count me in. Lyles focuses on

Crimson Arches by Rebecca Carey Lyles

Although Kasenia Clarke escaped Shadow Ranch a year ago, when Trent Duran asks her to visit Crimson Arches Ranch, his ranch that borders Shadow Ranch, she hesitates. She adores Trent and wants to see where he “hangs his hat,” yet she dreads going anywhere near the abusive polygamous cult. Then an unexpected connection with another “plyg” community changes everything, and she jumps in with both feet, unaware of the peril that awaits her down by the border.

Learn more about Rebecca on her WEBSITE and follow her on GoodReads and BookBub.

Like to listen on the go? You can find Because Fiction Podcast at:

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