Eclectic authors are right up my alley, and Tabitha Caplinger is no exception. Listen in and see why I bought The Castle Rose before we finished our interview!

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

Fantasy of all sorts (light or deep) seems to be Tabitha's strength, but when you mash up Beauty and the Beast with Phantom of the Opera and set it in New Orleans...

Add in beignets and... well... score!

The Castle Rose by Tabitha Caplinger

Bastian Roux lived and died a hundred years ago. Kind of. He certainly feels like nothing more than a ghost as he haunts the abandoned Castle Rose Theatre, his only solace found in the notes of his piano. That is until Odette arrives.

Odette Durand moved to New Orleans for a fresh start. The coffee-addicted local bookshop manager never expected to be pulled into something supernatural and she certainly doesn’t believe in ghosts. But seeing a man no one else can see and hearing music that shouldn’t exist makes a girl question her beliefs–and her sanity.

With a mysterious and somewhat charming Southern gentleman thrown in the mix, Odette finds herself entangled in a century-old rivalry bound by a curse. If she’s the only one who can see Bastian, is she also the only one who can break whatever is keeping him stuck in the realm between the living and the dead? As Odette and Bastian navigate the shadows of Bastian’s past, they must grapple with the ultimate question: Will breaking the curse give Bastian his life back or take it away forever?

Learn more about Tabitha on 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!

One of my favorite books of 2025 has been The Burning of Rosemont Abbey by Naomi Stephens. Imagine my surprise when I learned she also has done historical romance with Biblical retellings--and I'd read one! Her latest is The Scarlet Ribbon. Listen in to see how she managed such different genres!

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

This Rahab retelling set against the backdrop of the War for Independence promises to tear at the heartstrings of readers as they see the familiar story play out in a fresh new way and with new characters.

The Scarlet Ribbon by Naomi Stephens

As the Revolutionary War unfurls around her, Rebekah Stanton is abandoned by the man who once claimed to love her. Shunned by her father and forced to give up her child, she finds herself thrust into prostitution at the local boarding house.

When the British seize control of the nearby fort, she gives little thought to the officers who frequent the boarding house. Men are men regardless of the color of their uniform…or so she believes. But then a young man—a Patriot spy named Benjamin Renshaw—stumbles upon her in the darkness, and she saves him from a group of pursuing Redcoats.

With an attack on the fort brewing in the background and the father of her child returned to serve with the British, Rebekah is torn between old dreams and new hope, struggling all the while to find peace and forgiveness in a place of rising conflict.

Learn more about Naomi 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!

A new historical romance series is coming, Bounty Brothers. Listen in to discover what to expect from the series and the first book, Unwavering Faith.

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

As a lover of "the damsel in distress" trope, Melissa LaShure gives it a fresh twist in this series. I'm excited to find out what it looks like.

Even better, book two is coming out in May/June. And... don't forget, you can only get the books on her website--print, eBook, and audio!

Unwavering Faith by Melissa LaShure

Tombstone meets Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman.

In a lawless land, Brody Young and his Bounty Brothers stare down the face of evil to protect the innocent. They’re known for forcing outlaws to confront justice. Until Brody takes on his first female bounty.

Wrongfully accused of murder, Claire Belonge flees 5th Avenue New York in search of her brother in Dodge City. She soon finds herself in over her head in this wild west town. In utter desperation, she turns to the one man who has the ability to save her.

Brody navigates uncharted territory with Claire, his beautiful bounty. She stirs a deep-seated desire to protect her at all costs. As truths are revealed, he'll have to make a commitment he's unsure he can honor.

Claire's faith is set to be exposed as she confronts assassins and outlaws. Will Brody’s unwavering faith in God point her to Christ? Is it possible for Brody to safeguard Claire from her enemies and his? Does the happiness they’ve found in each other's arms have a chance of surviving?

This heart-pounding romance is guaranteed have you gripping the edge of your seat and swooning for our hero.

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

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

• Apple
• Castbox
• Google Play
• Libsyn
• RSS
• Spotify
• Amazon
• and more!

Valentine's Day is coming, and with it come thoughts of love, romance, and all things pink and red hearts, right? I've compiled a list of contemporary books (I left out historical this time) that might just tempt you if you haven't read them yet. Listen in to see what I thought of these books!

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

An Overdue Match by Sarah Monzon:
Comes out February 18th. RomCom.
The GoodReads Giveaway: https://goodreads.com/giveaway/enter_choose_address/395007-an-overdue-match

(Don't forget her Book Nerds & Boyfriends collection! Also on Kindle Unlimited)

Emma and the Reasons by Natasha Metzler
Romantic Women's fiction
Available on Kindle Unlimited

The Heart Between Us by Lindsay Harrel
Romantic Women's Fiction (only $1.99 on Kindle right now!)

The Cape Cod Creamery Series by Suzanne Woods Fisher
Romantic Women's Fiction

The Love Off Script Series by Angela Ruth Strong
Christian RomCom

The Shippers Series by Shannon Sue Dunlap
Love Overboard and Hearts Aweigh (Preorder)
Christian RomCom

Random Acts of Shyness by Chautona Havig
Christian Romcom (available on Kindle Unlimited)

Happy reading!!!

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

• Apple
• Castbox
• Google Play
• Libsyn
• RSS
• Spotify
• Amazon
• and more!

As much as many of us read to escape the evil in the world, sometimes we need to get a picture of what we're fighting against, what people are dealing with, what to pray for. Authors like Cher Gatto do the hard work for us. Listen in and see what we'll get for the sequel to Something I Am Not.

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

Cher is back with more about Billy, but wow. We so often think about getting people out of these terrible situations, but how often do we realize the far-reaching consequences for others' sins in our lives? The things survivors must deal with daily?

But not only that, Cher gave us a tiny picture into her book, Regent. I don't know about you, but I'm dying to find out what happens in that one, too!

Something Else by Cher Gatto

WHEN THERE IS MORE THAN FREEDOM AT STAKE...

Something Else is the anticipated sequel to the award-winning novel, Something I Am Not, and continues the story of small-town quarterback hopeful, Billy McQueen, stolen as a child, raised in a barroom, and sold by his illegitimate father. Now, he is reunited with his real family, married to his best friend, and works to set others free. But a note from his past sends him spiraling back into the world he fought so hard to escape, and Billy comes face-to-face with not only the evil that put him there but the ever-present darkness inside him.

"I never understood why my nights brought me here. Why I would ever want to relive my years at TKO. The club. The apartments upstairs. Maybe I came here looking for answers. Maybe I wanted to understand something that might put right the broken pieces within me. If I could find a reason, an explanation, then I would know why God let it happen. How I could have been taken from my home as a little boy and stripped of everything good, until nothing was left.

Maybe the rubble of the warehouse, charred from the fire of my fabricated death and plastered with half-hung For Sale signs, painted the most accurate picture of what I felt like on the inside.

Maybe that's why I came."

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

Don't miss the first episode about Something I Am Not HERE.

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

• Apple
• Castbox
• Google Play
• Libsyn
• RSS
• Spotify
• Amazon
• and more!

As an author writing stories featuring Muslims yielding to Christ, Um Daoud provides a unique perspective to contemporary Christian fiction. Listen in and learn how that looks in the life of a Muslim!

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

Writing about Muslims in different Islamic predominant nations, Um Daoud shows the vast differences between different schisms and cultures.

I think I was most fascinated by the way Muslims will return to the faith of their childhood for a time before finally yielding to Christ. As I told her, it's almost the opposite of an Amish rumspringa.

The Life I Now Live by Um Daoud

Forced to take responsibility for the family business after his brother's sudden immigration to Europe, Ahmed feels trapped under his father's watchful eye. What would he or other family members say if they knew that he'd forsaken Islam to follow Christ? How could he be a dutiful son while wanting to live his new-found freedom as a Christian?

As Ahmed learns he's not alone on the journey, Um Daoud introduces readers to a wide variety of characters who reflect the multi-dimensional issues confronted by Muslim-background believers. The Life I Now Live is an inspirational story that will give hope and encouragement to those seeking Christ in the Muslim world, while helping Christian believers to better understand and pray for those who daily live out their faith in Christ despite the struggles.

In her fourth novel set in the Muslim world, Um Daoud provides an insider's view into the culture and complexities of life for those who consider stepping outside the bounds of religious norms. Writing from decades of experience in the Middle East and North Africa, Um Daoud gives us a glimpse of how Christ-followers from Muslim backgrounds can grow in their new faith and find fellowship with others in countries that prohibit conversion from Islam to Christianity.

Learn more about Um/Carol on her WEBSITE and follow her on GoodReads and BookBub. (Don't miss "Carol's" GoodReads as well.)

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

• Apple
• Castbox
• Google Play
• Libsyn
• RSS
• Spotify
• Amazon
• and more!