Julie’s Note:

I have a September release! Below you will find Autumn’s Grace, my contemporary Christian small-town romance. It’s part of the Dogwood Creek Matchmakers series also featuring Leah Atwood, Robin Bayne, JoAnn Durgin, Dawn Kinzer, Lisa Prysock, and Lori Soard. You can read the series (SO GOOD) or enjoy the titles as standalones.

Autumn’s Grace by Julie Arduini — A former teacher and a burned-out tech producer find healing, purpose, and unexpected love in Dogwood Creek, Tennessee. A teacher without a classroom. A tech producer without a stage. A story about finding purpose again. (Contemporary Romance Novella, Independently Published)

For the Love of a Child by Lee Carver — Celeste vowed never to marry again, but she would do anything to save the life of her child. (Contemporary Romance, Independently Published)

The One Who Felt Like Home by Tammy Karasek — The One Who Felt Like Home serves up humor, adventure, friendship, and obstacles aplenty keeping this couple apart and is a story showing us how God is always in the details, we only need to get out of His way. (Contemporary Romance Novella, Independently Published)

The Mistletoe Baby by Heidi Main — They both long for a true home—can the holidays bring opposites together? Saving his family’s Texas ranch is former bull rider Reggie Evermore’s Christmas wish. And he’s sure socialite Natalie Patterson can help him plan the perfect event to bring in cash. Pregnant, recently divorced and ready to prove her independence, Natalie needs a paycheck and a place to stay. So she accepts Reggie’s job offer. But planning a fundraiser is harder than attending them! When Reggie learns the truth, he’s less than happy. Can they work through their differences to transform the ranch and give love a chance to grow? (Contemporary Romance from Love Inspired [Harlequin])

An Irish Hope by Carolyn Miller — Aisling Fairall has a big personality and a big heart. But lately she’s been feeling a little lost and wondering what to do with her life. Until a mysterious uninvited guest at a family wedding helps her see that maybe she’s not quite on her own, after all. (Contemporary Romance, Independently Published)

Who Names the Stars by Deborah Raney — Raised on neighboring ranches in the beautiful Flint Hills of Kansas, Wrenlee Harper and August McClure are divided by shared tragedy and stubborn pride, both fighting to save the land their grandparents worked. When disaster strikes, an unexpected partnership seems their only hope—but risking unmended fences and wounded hearts could cost them everything. (Contemporary Romance from Raney Day Press)

Sing With Me by Rena Bell Yeager — Sledgehammer is on top of the charts with his crude music and finds Angela’s song on her streaming site and instantly wants her to sing with him. Angela is a small-town worship leader with no desire for fame and steadfastly says no. When their worlds collide, will they explode, or unite? (Contemporary Romance from Pixley Knob Press)

Every Given Day by Cathy Gohlke — Inspired by true events, Christy Hall of Fame author Cathy Gohlke delivers a powerful new historical novel weaving together the discovery of insulin—a breakthrough that revolutionized modern medicine—and one woman’s brave fight to cling to her family and hope against unspeakable odds. (Historical Romance from Tyndale House)

Sabotage Games by Danielle Grandinetti — LAKE PLACID, N.Y., 1932—Sports journalist Emma Hancock can’t wait to highlight the female athletes at the III Olympic Winter Games, including the historic speed skating demonstration. However, she refuses to limit herself to fragile stereotypes—even when her male colleagues slam the press room door in her face. After a federal agent warns her of a plot brewing, she turns her gift for following a story thread toward uncovering a conspiracy that could turn the Winter Games into a tragedy. (Historical Romance, Independently Published)

The Undercover Heir by Dawn Kinzer — A spirited heiress and a mysterious gardener work together to create a successful teahouse in 1920s Seattle, but more is at stake than serving a good cup of tea. (Historical Romance, Independently Published)

A Whim and a Prayer by Julie Lessman — Former orphans who are best friends hit snags in their relationship when he falls in love with her and wants more than friendship. She’s a former orphan desperate to protect her heart. He’s a best friend who protects her from the start. Till prayer protects them both from a true love torn apart. (Historical Romance, Independently Published)

Swedish Sunrise by Linda Shenton Matchett — Espionage. Diplomacy. Resistance. Is there any room for love? Weeks after being accepted into America’s Office of Strategic Services, Birgit Westgard finds herself in Stockholm, Sweden – “Casablanca of the North.” The job is supposed to be easy: typing and filing. Then her handsome boss taps her to be his “plus-one” at social events where they collect intelligence, plant propaganda, and dance the nights away. How much longer can she remain impervious to his charm? (Historical Romance from Shortwave Press)

Whispering Hope by Cindy Kay Stewart — An American journalist in WWII France risks her life to expose the truth and help Allied soldiers escape — and loses her heart to the daring man leading them to freedom. (Historical Romance, Independently Published)

Twelve Days and Twelfth Night by Sarah Sundin — World War II USO director Maggie Oliver must quickly organize a Christmas show, enlisting former Hollywood star Prescott Duke, who’s searching for new purpose after career-ending injuries. As they work together, Maggie and Prescott navigate their growing feelings while trying to reunite a young sailor with his lost love and save Maggie’s grandfather’s home. (Historical Romance from Revell [Baker Publishing Group])

Shadowing You by Robin Patchen — When the wife he believed dead calls from China, an ER doctor races to find her before her enemies silence her forever. (Mystery/Suspense, Independently Published)

David’s Debt by Urcelia Teixeira — He came to collect. His final payment was murder. A smooth-talking salesman rolls into the small coastal town of Weyport with a coded list of debts and a long memory. Nobody gives him a second thought. Until the man turns up dead in a motel room. At first glance it looks like a heart that simply gave out. Then Sheriff Angus Reid hears the anonymous call that reported the body. And everything changes—he knows her voice. (Mystery/Suspense – Police Procedural, Independently Published)

Watched by Jerusha Agen — Robert Weston became a psychiatrist to heal people’s minds. He can’t lose his. But if the strange occurrences of forgetfulness and confusion continue, he may not be able to hide the truth much longer. When his psychological issues put his life in danger, he must face the reality that the genetic nightmare he fears inheriting has seized him. Attorney Monty Montgomery doesn’t trust Robert Weston. His expert testimony once ruined her client’s case. She didn’t realize the psychiatrist wasn’t only wrong but also completely unreliable. How can she defend him against a malpractice suit for the insurance company that hired her when he’s clearly incompetent? Robert and Monty have bigger problems than they know. Someone has a mission. A mission that won’t be stopped until somebody ends up dead. (Romantic Suspense, Independently Published)

Amish Country Witness by Meghan Carver — A woman on the run… An enemy on her trail. Halie Mae Hochstetler’s quiet life in witness protection falls apart when she witnesses her uncle’s murder by the mafia. Now she’s a loose end that the mob is determined to tie up. Forced to run, she puts her life in the hands of Amish widower Daniel Beiler. As Halie Mae unravels buried family secrets, Daniel helps her piece together a daring plan for justice in their fight to survive. But with merciless killers determined to make Halie Mae their next victim, staying alive may be just out of reach… (Romantic Suspense from Love Inspired Suspense [Harlequin])

Fatal Encore by Jennifer Chastain — A country music superstar. A K-9 officer with a haunted past. A stalker determined to silence the music forever. (Romantic Suspense, Independently Published)

Sanctuary and Sabotage by Lori DeJong — The greatest threat isn’t the enemy outside—it’s the secrets between them. Protection Specialist Trevor Paxton returns to his Texas hometown carrying the weight of a mission gone wrong. Seeking sanctuary at his family’s ranch, he never expects danger to follow him into the life of Dr. Kinsley Talbot, the once-freckled tomboy now fighting to save her family’s land and the veterinary clinic that is her future. (Romantic Suspense from Screenings Press)

Disguised Deception by Rebecca Lake — Ten years ago, Payton Donovan left Garnet Falls, Montana, with a broken heart and no intention of looking back. Her twin sister had severed their bond. Her boyfriend had chosen her best friend. Her dream internship had vanished. The town that once felt like home had become the place that took everything. But then that former best friend disappears, and Payton is pulled back to the town she’d spent a decade trying to forget A clean romantic suspense novel filled with small-town danger, deadly deception, shattered trust, and a second chance at love. (Romantic Suspense, Independently Published)

Alaskan Survival Threat by Megan Short — Park Ranger Helena Nikolaou’s assignment takes a deadly turn when she sees a body drop from a helicopter — and she suddenly comes under fire. Ambushed on a remote Alaskan island, she’s saved by US Coast Guard rescue swimmer Cody Hannigan. Only, the assailants won’t give up easily. With danger trailing their every move, Helena and Cody are forced through unforgiving terrain to retrieve evidence linked to a sinister conspiracy. But as they fight to stay one step ahead of killers determined to silence them, one wrong move could cost them their lives. (Romantic Suspense from Love Inspired Suspense [Harlequin])

Deadly Schemes by Penny Zeller — An elaborate plan. A get-rich scheme. A deadly outcome. (Romantic Suspense from Maplebrook Publishing)

Plus check out these recent additions to Fiction Finder published within the past month:

Secret Exposure by B.A. Hawley — A cross-cultural teen begins a new life at boarding school, but old secrets—those of her mom and others—soon find her. (Reading age 10-14). (Children’s/Middle Grade)

Wait for Me by Roger E. Bruner — Wisconsin, 1931—Wait for Me is a novel within a novel about childhood sweethearts who, as adult lovers, are separated by a tragic event that only love and trust can bridge. (Contemporary Romance)

Treading Water: Barely Above Water by Gail Pallotta — Treading Water: Barely above Water, revised edition, which introduces promising treatments for Lyme disease, is as much about Suzie Morriss’s faith as the romance, illness and job that steals Suzie’s heart. (Contemporary Romance)

A King’s Dilemma by Demi Griffin — Torn from his opulent palace life as a child, Prince Coeden never envisioned a future as the ruler of Fragalia. The path laid out for him as the second-born son was one of quiet satisfaction and a life unburdened by great expectation. A foretold prophecy shifted Coeden’s path, positioning him as a significant threat to the sinister powers that loomed over Arland. (Speculative/Medieval Fantasy)

Goldie: A Wild Ridge Novella by Alyssa Schwarz — A disgraced actress on the run. A guarded rancher with everything to lose. And a mail-order bride who never meant to fall in love. (Western Romance)

The “American Jesabel”—was she?

By Lynne Tagawa

In writing about the American Puritans—prominent ministers who served during the 17^th century —I faced several thorny issues. First, the exile of Roger Williams, which I fictionalize in The Root of the Matter. Next came Anne Hutchinson.

Who was she? What did she believe and do? And why was she tried and condemned to exile?

I’ve seen all manner of treatments, including the idea that she was the first American “feminist.” John Winthrop did criticize her for teaching men in her Bible studies. But it wasn’t the real issue. In the end, he labeled her an “American Jesabel.”

To write Jezebel’s Children, I faced several hindrances. I needed to understand the theology. I had to write a story that was entertaining to read. And I had to land my reader in the situation in a “you-are-there” way, without too much technicality.

Time travel rescued me. I could see the events through the minds of future people who are also grappling with these things. Geneva Fielding is an archivist whose original task is to prep people for their Trips. Peter Donatelli is a physicist whose main job has to do with the math and machinery of Travel. Geneva and Peter end up going back in time themselves, and oh, by the way, get to know each other better.

They also knock heads a little. At first, Geneva helps Anne Hutchinson attend a birth. She learns about midwifery and herbal medicine. Truthfully, Anne Hutchinson is not only likeable, she’s respectable. Valued. But Peter sees the problems first. And that’s all I’ll say about that.

More drama happens when Geneva and Peter return to their own time. They must clear quarantine and make reports to the dean, whose name, by the way, is Hutchinson.

Then there’s Ratcliffe, Geneva’s apartment AI. It monitors the security and even conversations. Certain keywords trigger a notification to the security datanet.

And while she’s back in the past, Ratcliffe discovers her hidden Bible.

I know, it sounds dystopian, but I couldn’t make it dark. I inserted humor here and there. And hope. It’s a stand-alone story, but my readers do recommend reading the first book first.

Blurb:

Historian Geneva Fielding and physicist Peter Donatelli travel back in time to document the trial of Anne Hutchinson, but they find themselves caught in a web of politics, doctrinal disputes, and colonial intrigue.

As Geneva assists midwife Anne Hutchinson through dangerous childbirths, she discovers a woman of intelligence and conviction. But Anne’s teachings have divided the colony. Some see her as a threat, while her followers believe she speaks with prophetic clarity.

John Winthrop and teacher John Cotton struggle to keep the colony from running aground. Geneva and Peter witness the trial that will condemn Anne to exile, knowing the tragic fate that awaits her and her children.

In a future where artificial intelligence monitors every word and religious faith is sedition, Geneva and Peter risk everything by following Christ. When Geneva’s AI Ratcliffe discovers her forbidden Bible, it must decide whether to report her to the authorities.

From the snowy wilderness of early Massachusetts to the sterile surveillance of a dystopian future, Geneva must learn what it means to follow Christ when both past and future demand her silence.

Author bio:

Lynne B. Tagawa is an award-winning author, the mother of four sons, and grandma to six. The Tagawas live in Texas, where she writes, edits, and mentors homeschool moms. She is especially inspired by the lives of great men and women of faith, and her historical fiction is filled with theological themes. Coffee and chocolate, in that order.Lynne B. Tagawa is an award-winning author, the mother of four sons, and grandma to six. The Tagawas live in Texas, where she writes, edits, and mentors homeschool moms. She is especially inspired by the lives of great men and women of faith, and her historical fiction is filled with theological themes. Coffee and chocolate, in that order.

Braving Red Waters

My newest release, Braving Red Waters, is a time-travel novel featuring the USS Red Rover, the first Navy hospital ship in the Civil War. I’d been wanting to write about this fascinating steamboat for years and finally got my chance.

While the Red Rover was originally used as a Confederate barracks ship, it was captured by the Union and then outfitted as a fully supplied hospital ship. It was the first of its kind, with bathrooms, laundry, elevators, amputation rooms, gauze blinds, two kitchens, and a huge supply of ice. While other ships transported injured soldiers, this one was created to actually care for them on board. Revolutionary!

Several nuns worked as nurses, but they weren’t the only ones to serve on the USS Red Rover.  There were a handful of “contrabands” (former slaves) who volunteered to work on the ship. They were called “first class boys” (a designation normally given to teenage boys who helped with sailing duties), and their pay reflected that rank, but their true job was nursing injured soldiers. This made the Red Rover a fully integrated hospital ship. Escaped former slaves working alongside nuns and White male doctors and sailors. It was unheard of, and yet, there are no reports of racial conflict between the staff.

It’s easy to paint the picture of the Civil War far too simply. The North = good, the South = bad. It was far more complicated than that. Many of those were anti-slavery did not believe in racial equality. There were no doubt those who did not want a Black person tending to them. However, most were desperate enough to not complain.

Probably the most famous Red Rover nurse was Ann Bradford Stokes. She was the first woman to apply for and received a pension for her own service in the Navy (not her husband’s service.) Born into slavery, she didn’t know how to read or write. She escaped her bondage and, with the passing of the Emancipation Proclamation, she found purpose in nursing injured soldiers. Can you imagine just how brave she had to have been?

While Ann Bradford Stokes is not a main character in Braving Red Waters, she does appear as a side character, and the boat is shown as integrated.

While researching this story, I came upon an article showing my great-great-grandpa owned and piloted the Red Rover before the Civil War. Now I know why I’ve been drawn to steamboats. It’s in my blood.

You can grab a copy here: https://www.amazon.com/Braving-Red-Waters-Adventure-Sailors-ebook/dp/B0H3D1P24B

Here’s more about the book:

Phoebe Bristow has spent a decade guarding her heart after her father walked out and shattered her family. When she touches a mysterious antique mailbox aboard a whale-watching cruise in Baja California and wakes up in Civil War St. Louis, she must learn to trust again, first the quick-witted man who greets her on shore, then the God who placed her there for reasons she cannot yet understand. Back on the cruise, her mother Erica clings to the mailbox as the only thread connecting her to her missing daughter, while a thoughtful marine biologist, Rodney Duncan, steadily dismantles the walls around her wounded heart. Together and apart, mother and daughter discover that the courage to love again may be the most dangerous mission of all.

Sarah Hanks is a multi-award-winning author of split-time Christian fiction. Her background in teaching and children’s ministry prepared her for exercising her creativity as a writer, now her full-time job. She and her husband have ten children, a couple of whom seem to have inherited their mother’s love for playing with words and crafting stories. Though Sarah dreams of a cabin by the beach, the family lives jammed together in beautiful chaos near St. Louis, Missouri. She buys earplugs in bulk.

You can follow her on Facebook or Instagram @authorsarahhanks.