The Because Fiction Podcast

"Be careful what you wish for, you might just get it."  Mom always said that, but if I ever doubted her (you don't doubt Mom!), This Strange Sight by L. J. Long would convince me. Listen in and see what the Year of Jubilee series is all about! note: links may be affiliate links that provide me with a small commission at no extra expense to you.  One of the things I'm most excited about is the Asia...

Nothing says Christmas novel like a second-chance romance unless maybe a historical Christmas romance WITH children. EEEP!  Listen in as Alison Treat and I chat about her new release, When Sleigh Bells Ring. note: links may be affiliate links that provide me with a small commission at no extra expense to you. I loved chatting about Alison's new book. I knew the minute we started talking that this...

What is it about orphan stories that grab your heart and hold it fast? Listen in as I chat with Kathleen Rouser about her  Wounds and Rescues and the couple who are trying to unite two children with an unknown grandfather--if he's worthy of them. note: links may be affiliate links that provide me with a small commission at no extra expense to you.  Okay, so there might be a bit of a romance in her...

 Have you ever had to choose between saving one life or twenty? Fifty? Listen in as Jeremiah Friedli and I chat about his Core Decipher and whether his character Seth should save one life at a time or if he risks his life to save many. note: links may be affiliate links that provide me with a small commission at no extra expense to you.  This Core series is so timely--with the way surveillance bec...

If you love a good royal romance, you won't want to miss the third Royals of Andelar book, The Promise of a Princess . Listen in as Joy and I chat about this third book (and wait'll you hear about the second half! EEEP!). note: links may be affiliate links that provide me with a small commission at no extra expense to you.  Don't know about you, but I'm pretty sure I'd never want to be royalty. Th...

The best stories have a strong ring of truth. So when I heard about Through Many Dangers by Thomas Goodman... I knew I wanted to know more. Listen in and learn about the "pistol packin' preacher." note: links may be affiliate links that provide me with a small commission at no extra expense to you.  And don't miss The Last Man . You'll regret it if you do! Through Many Dangers by Thomas Goodman "T...

 A man, a woman, and a baby walk into some mistletoe--or something.  Listen in as I chat with Heidi Main about her "society" meets the world of ranching, where real life collide in a Christmas novel, The Mistletoe Baby. note: links may be affiliate links that provide me with a small commission at no extra expense to you.  I think my favorite part is how Heidi shows that just because you've lived t...

 There are just not enough "rodeo" books out there, but Jenny McLeod Carlisle has climbed into the saddle and... yeah. I tried to do something other than "stepped up to the plate," but it didn't work. Anyway, you get the gist. Listen in to get the story about the story! note: links may be affiliate links that provide me with a small commission at no extra expense to you.  Family relationships can...

 There's nothing better than taking a strong man with excellent skills and put him into a situation where he's not at the top of his game. EEEP! Listen in and see how Shilo Creed set up this world! note: links may be affiliate links that provide me with a small commission at no extra expense to you.  Don't know about you, but a Navy Seal being thrown into spiritual warfare?  Yes, please! Plunged b...

Most of us are used to Amanda Cabot writing in the late nineteenth century, but post WWII?  Sign me up! Listen in and see what you can expect from Amanda's Beyond the Melody. note: links may be affiliate links that provide me with a small commission at no extra expense to you. I love jukeboxes, and a book with someone who knows all about them?  Sign  me up! EEEP! Beyond the Melody by Amanda Cabot...

Intrigue and desperation in Canada in the early nineteenth century?  Definitely. I love when authors give us stories like this. Listen in and see what prompted Christian Hill Suntz to write The Heiress and the Woodsman. note: links may be affiliate links that provide me with a small commission at no extra expense to you.  This was one of the most interesting conversations I've had. Christine is a...

I love a good Christmas novella collection, and Lighting Up Christmas promises to be a fabulous one. Listen in as I chat with four Scrivenings authors about the collection and their books! note: links may be affiliate links that provide me with a small commission at no extra expense to you. If you knew the craziness that was this recording! Those poor women!  Meanwhile, we managed, and now, I don'...

My favorite romance is romcom--always. And one of my favorite romcom authors has a new one out, I LOVED it.  Listen in as Becca Kinzer and I chat about her latest book, Not What We Pictured.  So funny.  note: links may be affiliate links that provide me with a small commission at no extra expense to you.  We had a great time talking about not just Not What We Pictured but also a Christmas novella...

Regency novels are always fun, but Jenelle Hovde takes them a step further in The Light of Stars by taking us to India!  Listen in as she shares the story (marriage of convenience!) and history. note: links may be affiliate links that provide me with a small commission at no extra expense to you. Talking to Jenelle is such a delight. I love her heart for the Lord and His people. YAY! The Light of...

 If you love spiritual warfare with a bit of Screwtape Letters thrown in, then listen in as James Finke and I chat about his Dear Judas . This is one I do NOT want to miss. note: links may be affiliate links that provide me with a small commission at no extra expense to you.   James FInke started out writing  apologetics and during Covid, shifted to apologetics-infused fiction. And if you don't fo...

 Nothing kicks off an excellent suspense novel like a deathbed confession!  Listen in as Elizabeth Goddard and I chat about her latest novel and learn more about the first book in the new Mercy Ridge series. note: links may be affiliate links that provide me with a small commission at no extra expense to you.  I love a great series, and this new one by Elizabeth Goddard sounds awesome!   When the...

Don't know about you, but I think a good historical event as the foundation of a story is one of the best there is. Terrie Todd's The Reluctant Healer of Halifax  offers just that sort of foundation. Listen in and hear the story of how it became a part of this multi-author series! note: links may be affiliate links that provide me with a small commission at no extra expense to you. The tragedy of...

YA Christian fiction set in Israel?  Come on, that screams, "Sign me up!" Listen in as Bethany Crigger and I chat about her book, Sunshine for Yofi. note: links may be affiliate links that provide me with a small commission at no extra expense to you.  Love this different setting in particular. Seeing Jewish culture and a Christian set in it and seeing everything. through that lens?  Yeah. This is...

 One thing good fantasy often has is the whole "prophecy" angle--and how it affects the folks involved. But what if, in addition to that, you also find out that who you thought you ARE... is all wrong?  Listen in as R. T. Ward and I chat about her book, Prophecy Changer. note: links may be affiliate links that provide me with a small commission at no extra expense to you.  The creativity of God's...

 Dystopian in the desert?  Sign me up!  Seriously, listen in while Lauren Smyth and I chat all things "glowy" in the desert! note: links may be affiliate links that provide me with a small commission at no extra expense to you.  Not a lot of people write books about the boring Mojave Desert.  When they do, I take note. Especially when it's a super-cool dystopian delight! EEEP! All That Glows by La...

I did a whole video on dementia in Christian fiction and how we need more not long ago.  Now Carolyn Bourke has given us another wonderful addition to the line up in A Beautiful Death. note: links may be affiliate links that provide me with a small commission at no extra expense to you.  This book shows how people with dementia are still people with love to give and needs. If you loved The Extraor...

I love the Pinkertons--give me a Pinkerton story any day. Add to that one with an undercover woman as an agent, and you've got me hooked. Listen in and see with Denise M. Colby has done in A Whole New Plan to ensure I read this one ASAP. note: links may be affiliate links that provide me with a small commission at no extra expense to you. Though NOT the last in the series, this book is the last fo...

Have you been longing for a trip to Leathersby?  Well, Ann Swindell promises to take you there AND reveal what a hundred years has hidden in her upcoming release, Secrets in the Castle Library. Listen in for all the news! note: links may be affiliate links that provide me with a small commission at no extra expense to you. Love that we talked about stereotypes and how they relate to our pasts and...

The last place you want to be when the electricity gives out is the desert--especially in summer. Listen in as I chat with Dante Lupinetti about his book, Desert's Edge and how it tackles a trek across the desert and up into the mountains... with a couple hundred people in tow! note: links may be affiliate links that provide me with a small commission at no extra expense to you.  Growing up in the...

I love women's fiction when it tackles tough stuff, and boy does Laura DeNooyer's House of Wind promise some hard topics. Listen in as we look at a pastor's family and how things aren't always as they seem.  note: links may be affiliate links that provide me with a small commission at no extra expense to you.  Church hurt is a real thing, but what about for those who live with the perpetrator? AAA...