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  • Episode 465: A Chat with DiAnn Mills
    2025/09/08
    Don't know about you, but I LOVE a good suspense novel, and DiAnn Mills? She writes some of the best. Listen in to hear why I'm excited about Canyon of Deceit. note: links may be affiliate links that provide me with a small commission at no extra expense to you. DiAnn shared about how the park rangers are volunteers because it's so remote and DESERTY. I loved learning that I'm not alone. DiAnn also gets so immersed that she forgets the world around her as she writes. After listening to her rave about the Master Class survival course by Jessie Kriebs, I knew I'd have to take it, too. Pro Tip: The National Parks system has books about the tourist area--has local lore and information you don't find anywhere else. She's a total seat-of-the-pants writer. Just goes in with a character worksheet. Don't miss her website with information about the book--with trailers and book club stuff... and information about this area. Canyon of Deceit by DiAnn Mills A rescue team searches for a missing young girl and suspects all is not as it seems in this high-stakes romantic suspense novel from the author of Lethal Standoff and Facing the Enemy. When wilderness survival expert Therese Palmer receives a frantic phone call from former colleague Professor Rurik Ivanov, she is shocked by the news that his young daughter, Alina, is missing―and that Rurik wants Therese’s help finding her. She’s sure Rurik hasn’t given her the whole story . . . especially since he refuses to report the kidnapping to the police. Yet with a child’s life hanging in the balance, Therese can’t turn down this mission. She knows the clock is ticking and she can’t do this alone. Therese reaches out to Texas Ranger Blane Gardner, whom she met seven months ago during one of her training courses in wilderness survival skills. Blane’s specialized training and background with the Crisis Negotiation Unit make him uniquely prepared for this search-and-rescue mission. He agrees to help Therese and to accept Rurik’s terms to keep Alina’s disappearance quiet, and as the two begin working together, Therese is determined the spark growing between them won’t distract from their mission to save Alina. Traversing deep into the desert of Guadalupe Mountains National Park, Alina’s last known location, Therese and Blane struggle to separate truth from lies within the mix of intel they’re receiving. As they close in on answers that suggest the involvement of Russian organized crime and a high-profile international assassination attempt, they must fight to rescue Alina before she becomes an innocent casualty of a much bigger plot―no matter the risk to their own lives. Learn more about DiAnn on her WEBSITE and follow her on GoodReads and BookBub. Like to listen on the go? You can find Because Fiction Podcast at: Apple Castbox Google Play Libsyn RSS Spotify Amazon and more!
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    52 分
  • Episode 464: A Chat with Amy R. Anguish
    2025/09/06

    Everyone loves a good Cinderella retelling, and I think Amy R. Anguish has a super cool one for us. Listen in and see why it's sure to be a new favorite!

    note: links may be affiliate links that provide me with a small commission at no extra expense to you.

    I just love the idea that instead of missing shoes and a mysterious dance partner, we're looking for who really painted a potentially prize-winning piece of art! EEEP!

    Rendersella by Amy R. Anguish

    Ella dreams of her artwork on display in the famous Prince Gallery, but working for her stepmother leaves her eking out sporadic minutes to draw or paint. When her stepsister steals her drawing and claims it as her own, Ella fears she’s lost her chance.

    Chaz Prince wants more responsibility at his family’s gallery, but first he must prove he can handle it. Chaz talks his dad into a contest to bring in some new artists, sure this will be exactly what the gallery needs. When he stumbles across Ella’s piece, he not only wants the artwork, but wishes to know the artist.

    At the gala to celebrate the contest winners, Ella is determined to let them know the artwork is hers, but time is against her. And where did her shoe end up?

    Visit Amy at her WEBSITE or on GoodReads and BookBub.

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

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    41 分
  • Episode 463: A Chat with Jenelle Hovde
    2025/09/05

    I don't know about you, but I always think of archaeology as being in the Victorian period, instead of Regency! So, it shouldn't be any wonder that I was thrilled to find out about Jenelle Hovde's recent release and see that world from a Regency perspective. Listen in to learn more.

    note: links may be affiliate links that provide me with a small commission at no extra expense to you.

    This book is more than a stunning cover and a story about an equally stunning mosaic. Overcoming pasts, trying to forge new futures--everything you can imagine.

    No Stone Unturned by Jenelle Hovde

    She wants to uncover the past. He wishes to build a future. In this Regency romance set in rolling hills of West Sussex, two opposing wills discover their fate may lie in the common ground.

    Miss Bridget Littleton’s passion for history and antiquities defies most social conventions, even in her small village nestled in the beautiful English countryside. When a local farmer discovers an elaborate mosaic buried in his field, Bridget dreams of making a name and future for herself by excavating the Roman ruins. Unfortunately, her quest puts her at odds with the ambitious new lord who recently inherited the title and Hawthorn Abbey from his estranged uncle.

    Recovering from wounds of both body and spirit, Captain Rafe Hawthorn is intent on restoring his long-neglected ancestral home. His plans to rebuild the abbey’s once thriving orchards require a road that will pass straight through Bridget’s potential trove of artifacts. He will not―cannot―fail again, even if he is moved by Bridget and her passion.

    Yet this impasse might not be their greatest obstacle. A natural disaster and a series of suspicious accidents threaten both their plans, along with the livelihood of the nearby villagers dependent on their success. With their dreams in the balance, Bridget and Rafe must work together to fend off an unexpected enemy that may prove more dangerous than either could have imagined.

    • Sweet Regency romance filled with hope, faith, and an enemies-to-lovers dynamic
    • Historical fiction that’s perfect for fans of Julie Klassen, Sarah Ladd, or Abigail Wilson
    • Includes discussion questions for book clubs

    Learn more about Jenelle 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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    42 分
  • Episode 462: A Chat with Mary Pat Johns
    2025/09/01

    Romance is blooming in Valiant once again, and on this page of the tale, we have... Paige! Listen in while Mary Pat Johns and I chat about this second chance romance and learn all the fun details!

    note: links may be affiliate links that provide me with a small commission at no extra expense to you.

    Waitin' on Paige by Mary Pat Johns

    Tavo Morales has returned to Valiant, Texas, to stir the embers of a relationship with the woman he has never stopped loving, but hidden reefs from his past threaten to destroy his future.

    Paige Muñoz wants her new event planning business to be a success and won’t let anything stand in her way. But the path she’s on to make her dreams come true proves dangerous.

    Is the love Tavo and Paige once shared strong enough to survive his secrets and her stubbornness?

    Learn more about Mary 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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    35 分
  • Episode 461: A Chat with Roseanna M. White
    2025/08/31

    One of my favorite things about Roseanna M. White's books is her attention to detail not just with historic facts but LOCATIONS. She does a fabulous job of ensuring that the faiths of her characters match their locales (she has a great blog post about this that you don't want to miss, too!). Speaking of research and faith, listen in to learn more what went into The Collector of Burned Books.

    note: links may be affiliate links that provide me with a small commission at no extra expense to you.

    Of course, when you talk to a historical fiction author, you learn all kinds of new facts you didn't know. I think my favorite (and most surprising!) fact was that the Catholic sectors were most against Nazis. I shouldn't be surprised, but I was.

    I love how she wove the horrible facts of history together with a beautiful commitment to truth and freedom and created this story. You won't want to miss it.

    The Collector of Burned Books by Roseanna M. White

    In this gripping World War II historical about the power of words, two people form an unlikely friendship amid the Nazi occupation in Paris and fight to preserve the truth that enemies of freedom long to destroy.

    Paris, 1940. Ever since the Nazi Party began burning books, German writers exiled for their opinions or heritage have been taking up residence in Paris. There they opened a library meant to celebrate the freedom of ideas and gathered every book on the banned list . . . and even incognito versions of the forbidden books that were smuggled back into Germany.

    For the last six years, Corinne Bastien has been reading those books and making that library a second home. But when the German army takes possession of Paris, she loses access to the library and all the secrets she’d hidden there. Secrets the Allies will need if they have any hope of liberating the city she calls home.

    Christian Bauer may be German, but he never wanted anything to do with the Nazi Party―he is a professor, one who’s done his best to protect his family as well as the books that were a threat to Nazi ideals. But when Goebbels sends him to Paris to handle the “relocation” of France’s libraries, he’s forced into an army uniform and given a rank he doesn’t want. In Paris, he tries to protect whoever and whatever he can from the madness of the Party and preserve the ideas that Germans will need again when that madness is over, and maybe find a lost piece of his heart.

    Learn more about Roseanna M. White on her WEBSITE (with all the bookish merch) and follow her on BookBub and GoodReads.

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

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    40 分
  • Episode 460: A Chat with Christine Hill Suntz
    2025/08/25

    Debut novelist Christine Hill Suntz has come up with a fabulous marriage of convenience story in this Christian historical romance, The Lawyer and the Laundress. Listen in to learn about the author's unexpected connection to the surrounding historical events!

    note: links may be affiliate links that provide me with a small commission at no extra expense to you.

    Christine and I chatted about how much she loves romance, about the three-day rebellion of 1837, and how there were TWO rebellions--an "upper" and a lower one."

    Furthermore, she shared about her next novel and how it relates to this book. I personally can't wait to read that one, too!

    The Lawyer and the Laundress by Christine Hill Suntz

    Lawyer James Kinney isn’t looking for love, and laundress Sara O’Connor doesn’t want to be found. When their paths cross in a British colony on the brink of rebellion, a marriage of convenience may be their best hope of survival.

    Canada, 1837. Widower James Kinney knows his precocious daughter, Evie, needs more than his lessons on law and logic, but Toronto offers few options. Classes with the neighbor children seem ideal until James discovers Evie is secretly spending her time with Sara O’Connor, a kind and mysteriously educated servant. For propriety’s sake, James forbids their friendship. But then Evie falls victim to the illness ravaging the city, and James must call upon Sara’s medical knowledge and her special bond with Evie to save his daughter’s life.

    When Sara’s presence in his household threatens scandal, however, James offers an unexpected solution: become his wife, in name only, and help him raise Evie to be a proper young lady.

    If Sara can ignore the sparks she feels when they’re together, his logical proposal could keep her secret secure forever. But soon, the forces of rebellion unravel their tidy arrangement. When James is accused of treason, Sara must find the courage to face a past that could save her husband’s life.

    • Clean and wholesome, marriage-of-convenience historical romance
    • Filled with love, faith, and adventure
    • Inspirational historical fiction that’s perfect for fans of Julie Klassen, Laura Frantz, and Tamera Alexander
    • Includes discussion questions for book clubs

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

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

    • Apple
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    35 分
  • Episode 459: A Chat with Angela Carlisle
    2025/08/23

    By the time I got done talking to Angela Carlisle about her books, I'd already downloaded the audiobook of Secondary Target. Listen in and see why. Spoiler alert: I listened to Shadowed Witness immediately following.

    note: links may be affiliate links that provide me with a small commission at no extra expense to you.

    Suspense is a broad category, but sometimes suspense borders on thriller. Angela and I had a great chat about the world and the circumstances in which she's set her characters.

    Shadowed Witness by Angela Carlisle

    A haunting attack. A killer in the shadows. A protective love.

    Murder--that's what photographer Allye Jessup knows she witnessed as she departed her studio one evening. Waking with bruises on her neck and a foggy memory, she believes she survived an attack, but everyone seems to think she simply sustained a head injury from falling down the stairs outside her studio. Plagued by an undiagnosed health condition, she is torn between the haunting reality of what she may have seen and the possibility that her mind is playing tricks on her.

    Without proof the other victim ever existed, Detective Eric Thornton can hardly declare the area a murder scene. Still, he adds Allye's report to his already full caseload. But when new evidence surfaces to support her claims, Eric must stay one step ahead of a ruthless killer and uncover the truth before the suspect closes in on Allye again.

    "Fans of romantic suspense, add Angela Carlisle to your must-read list!"--Lynn H. Blackburn, bestselling and award-winning author

    "Make room on your shelves--this is a keeper!"--Jaime Jo Wright, bestselling author on Secondary Target

    "Surprising twists and unfolding mysteries kept me turning pages until the end."--Jerusha Agen author of the Guardians Unleashed series on Secondary Target

    Pick up this thrilling ride of romantic suspense with themes of danger, psychological intrigue, friends to more, and a small

    Learn more about Angela 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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    31 分
  • Episode 458: A Chat with Sara Brunsvold
    2025/08/18

    I've been excited to chat with Sara Brunsvold about The Atlast of Untold Stories since the last time I talked with her. Listen in to hear about this epic literary road trip that brings three women together

    note: links may be affiliate links that provide me with a small commission at no extra expense to you.

    From Willa Cather to Frank L. Baum and Harold Bell Wright (among others), three women climb into an AC-free SUV and learning more about these authors, their books, and each other than they might have expected.

    The Atlas of Untold Stories by Sara Brunsvold

    A literary journey beckons them . . . and may profoundly rewrite their stories.

    Chloe Vance, dreamer of the family, needs to tell her pragmatic mom, Edie, that she has accepted a low-paying art instructor role at a Christian school in Prague. Her older sister, Lauren--the "responsible one"--is doing all she can to hide the fact she's been fired for a foolish mistake and is desperately seeking her next career move. Meanwhile, Edie, estranged from her own sister following their mother's recent death, is frankly in no mood for anything else to change.

    The one thing they can all agree on? Life in books sure is easier to navigate than life in the real world. As the three women embark on a nine-day road trip to visit significant literary sites throughout America's heartland, they hope to find inspiration through the works and lives of literary greats. As they experience firsthand the adventure and wonder of the classics, they'll discover the value of being honest with themselves--and their family--about their losses and failures. Only then can they come to terms with their own needs and desires and find support from the most important women in their lives--each other.

    Book clubs will relish this trek through America's classic literature as award-winning author Sara Brunsvold pens an inspirational novel of mother-daughter relationships, sisterhood, literary themes, a cross-country road trip, and books about books.

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

    Don't forget that you can get The Atlas of Untold Stories at 30% off with free shipping from BakerBookHouse.com

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

    • Apple
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    42 分