As many as it takes to tell the story, and no more.

I have read stories that have gone on too long, and they leave me disinclined to read books by that author again.

I’ve also read stories that have ended too quickly. With those, I am only too keen to read something else by the author.

The too-long stories are generally bogged down by too much irrelevant detail—too many subplots that don’t related to the main characters, or too many characters. I remember one that was over 500 pages, and kept introducing more and more characters, including the hero’s grandparents, and how they met and fell in love and … I think I skipped the next sixty years/pages because I wanted to get back to the actual plot.

The too-short stories are complete stories but leave me wishing there had been some more subplots, just so the story would last longer. When these stories are part of a series, I’m usually quick to buy or preorder the next book in the series so I can spend more time with characters who feel like they’ve become friends.

A story can be too short, however, and that comes down to reading time. I’m a fast reader, and I prefer stories that take me at least two hours to finish. That means at least 50,000 words … particularly if it’s a story I’ve paid for. I’m more forgiving of free or 99 cent novellas, or novellas that are part of an anthology.

I sometimes see the analogy that we happily pay $5 for a coffee, yet won’t pay $5 for a book. Well, if I can read a $5 book in less time that it takes me to drink the $5 coffee, it’s too short.

My ideal story length is three to five hours of reading time, which is 200-300 pages (about 50,000 words to 100,000 words), although I have read and enjoyed longer stories. And shorter stories.

What about you? What do you think is the perfect length of a novel?

Book Review | Matchmaking the Cowboy by Emily Conrad

by Iola Goulton

11 November 2024

Rodeo star Hollis Price has returned to Redemption Ridge to take over the family ranch after his father’s death, and hopefully rescue it from financial ruin.

Dr. Lucy Aveline is the local veterinarian who visits when his father’s favourite horse is unwell. Lucy soon realises they are being set up, and decides to take matters into her own hands by setting Hollis up with one of her friends.

Lucy is an intelligent woman (which is something I always like), but who is man-shy after her last relationship ended badly when she realised she was dating a controllilng narcissist.

Hollis isn’t looking for love—he’s more interested in saving his horses, including the horse now owned by Lucy’s ex. There’s always something attractive about a man who loves animals, and thefact Hollis lovesJesus as well makes him a loveable and believable hero, and the perfect match for Lucy.

Matchmaking the Cowboy was a fun Christian romance, and I love the way Emily Conrad wove in the faith aspects. They were realistic without being overbearing, and added to the plot and characterisation.

Matchmaking the Cowboy is part of the new Christmas in Redemption Ridge multi-author series. Like the other Redemption Ridge stories, it is a standalone story in a shared setting that features some shared characters. People who have read the whole story will recognise characters from previous books, but readers who are new to the series won’t miss anything.

Recommended for Christian romance fans, especially those who like Christmas stories and small-town settings and a healthy dose of humour.

Thanks to the author for providing a free ebook for review.

About Emily Conrad

Emily Conrad writes Christian fiction. She lives in Wisconsin with her husband and two 60+ pound rescue dogs. Some of her favorite things (other than Jesus and writing, of course) are coffee, walks, and road trips to the mountains.

Find Emily Conrad online at:

Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

About Matchmaking the Cowboy

What’s a little covert matchmaking between friends?

Lucy Aveline’s ex has a knack for making her feel small and helpless. She’d avoid him entirely, but he still owns a piece of her heart in the form of the pets he purchased for her but kept for himself. She visits Rosie and Jasmine when she can, vows to avoid another controlling boyfriend by staying single, and focuses on her large animal veterinary practice. Or that’s the plan until some longtime family friends attempt to set her up with former rodeo star Hollis Price. Lucy convinces them to drop the plot only when she promises to find Hollis a good match herself.

Hollis is more concerned with surviving his first Christmas after losing his dad than with finding love. Dad’s champion horse is aging, and rumors started by an unhappy client threaten the horse training business Hollis inherited from his father. When the kind and talented Lucy offers friendship, he accepts simply to add cheer to the season.

It’s not long before his interest in Lucy deepens, but so do problems at his ranch. Saving his father’s legacy begins to look as impossible as earning Lucy’s trust. Especially when her ex continues to use her love of animals against her and she won’t stop pushing her single friends at Hollis long enough to notice she’s the one he’s falling for.

Return to Redemption Ridge, Colorado and enjoy the faith, friendships, and forever-afters in this Christian Christmas Romance.

Find Matchmaking the Cowboy online at:

Amazon | BookBub | Goodreads

First Line Friday #364 | Kolby by Bree Livingstone

by Iola Goulton

8 November 2024

It’s First Line Friday! That means it’s time to pick up the nearest book and quote the first line. I’m going back through my to-read pile and found Kolby by Bree Livingstone, which sounds like just what I want to read on a wet weekend.

Here’s the first line from the Chapter One:

What’s the book nearest you, and what’s the first line?

About Kolby

A radio celebrity and the bodyguard hired to protect her are trapped in the mountains as her stalker closes in.

Over the last year, Ivy Manning has become a household name. In a few short months, she went from small-time advice columnist to juggling book tours and talk show appearances. But her newfound fame isn’t without its dark side. A stalker is making dangerous threats, prompting Ivy’s management team to hire a bodyguard to protect her.

Playing bodyguard to a rich girl was not an assignment Kolby Rutherford ever wanted. Yet he’s about to get more one-on-one with the sexy celebrity than he bargained for. When a plane crash strands them in the mountains, they’re forced to lean on each other to survive. Can they escape the dangers found in the rugged terrain? Or will growing feelings put them both in a far more vulnerable situation?

Find Kolby online at:

Amazon | BookBub | Goodreads

Click here to check out what my fabulous fellow FirstLineFriday bloggers are sharing today.

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Share your first line in the comments, and happy reading!

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Bookish Question #356 | What country do you want to travel to because you read about it in a book?

by Iola Goulton

5 November 2024

A good novel that integrates the setting into the story is like taking a mini holiday to that place, and is one of the joys of reading fiction.

I’ve “travelled” to many states and countries through fiction, and have visited many of those locations in real life (either before or after reading about them).

I visited Berlin after reading The Secret of the Rose series by Michael Phillips, and was disappointed to find the graveyard was fictional (but I did get to visit Checkpoint Charlie and many other locations in the story).

I read The Russians series by Michael Philips and Judith Pella, and later travelled to Moscow and St Petersburg. There I visited The Winter Palace and other locations from the stories.

I’ve visited many countries in Europe in real life, then again in fiction thanks to authors such as Elizabeth Musser and Milla Holt.

I’ve visited Israel, Egypt, and Jordan, the locations of many Biblical fiction stories, including The Esther Paradigm by Sarah Monzon and The Light of Nations series by Christine Dillon.

I’ve visited around half the states of the USA, but not Alaska (the setting for the Alaskan Courage series by Dani Pettrey) or Texas (a popular setting for cowboy romance). I’d like to visit both.

There is one country I’d like to visit that I’ve visited in fiction—India, through reading Linda Chaikin’s old Silk series. However, that’s set in 1800s India, and the only way I’ll be able to visit that version is through a time machine 🙂

What about you? What country do you want to travel to because you read about it in a book?

Book Review | Across the Ages (Timeless #4) by Gabrielle Meyer

by Iola Goulton

4 November 2024

Caroline lives two lives. In 1727, Caroline Reed lives in South Carolina with her grandfather, her only relative, who wants to marry her off to the governor’s son. In 1927, Caroline Baldwin is the youngest child and only daughter of preacher and prohibitionist Rev. Daniel Baldwin.

Caroline has no idea why she has two lives.

What Caroline doesn’t know—but the series reader does know—is that she is going to have to choose one of her lives on her twenty-first birthday. That knowledge provides an additional degree of tension, particularly in the second half of the novel.

Her 1727 self finds a letter from her long-lost mother, and discovers she left South Carolina and headed to Nassau, Bahamas. She runs away and finds herself in the company of a handsome pirate. In 1927, she is being pursued by her brothers friend, a policeman, and trying to ensure her brothers don’t destroy her father’s ministry with their lies and crimes.

I loved Across the Ages.

(I loved it so much I actually read it twice in three days.)

Caroline was a great heroine. She’s intelligent, driven, and remarkably well-adjusted considering her strange life. She also has a strong Christian faith in both timelines, and trusts that God knows what he’s doing.

I loved the romance side of the plot. I’ve always had a soft spot for pirate stories, so enjoyed that side of the plot. I also had a lot of admiration for Caroline’s 1927 beau, who seems to be the only honest cop in Minneapolis/St. Paul.

Across the Ages is the fourth book in Gabrielle Meyer’s Timeless series, and it’s my favourite so far. If you haven’t read any of the Timeless series yet, this would be a good place to start because this is more of a standalone than the last two books (and because Caroline doesn’t her strange life, so it won’t matter if the reader doesn’t).

If you have read the previous stories, you will want to read this one. You’ll also want to read the series in order, because Across the Ages does have a few references to the characters from For a Lifetime. I’m hoping those references might be a hint as to who the next book in the series will follow …

If you haven’t read the earlier stories and you’re looking for a Christian historical romance with a dual timeline twist, checkout Across the Ages. Recommended.

Thanks to Bethany House and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review.

About Gabrielle Meyer

Gabrielle lives on the banks of the Upper Mississippi River with her husband and four children. As an employee of the Minnesota Historical Society, she fell in love with the rich history of her state and enjoys writing historical and contemporary novels inspired by real people, places, and events. The river is a constant source of inspiration for Gabrielle, and if you look closely, you will find a river in each of her stories.

When Gabrielle is not writing, you might find her homeschooling her children, cheering them on at sporting and theatrical events, or hosting a gathering at her home with family and friends.

Find Gabrielle Meyer online at:

Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

About Across the Ages

Caroline holds a deep secret. Existing in 1727 and 1927 simultaneously, each night she goes to sleep in one life and wakes up in the other. Searching for answers to her unique existence, Caroline stumbles upon a letter from her mother that hints at her own experiences as a time-crosser, sending Caroline on a quest to uncover the truth. In 1727, chasing the mysteries of her mother’s past, Caroline disguises herself as a cabin boy and joins a ship sailing for the Bahamas, her mother’s last known location. Amid treacherous waters, she crosses paths with Marcus Zale, a ruthless but handsome pirate, and finds herself caught in a web of secrets, deception, and unexpected alliances.

Meanwhile, in 1927 St. Paul, Minnesota, Caroline grapples with her other life as the daughter of a renowned preacher. Her two older brothers have strayed from their upbringing into the corruption rampant during Prohibition, and Caroline struggles to protect her parents from the truth that could shatter her father’s career. As her search for answers about her time-crossing leads her to the dangerous speakeasies of St. Paul, Caroline enlists the help of police officer Lewis Cager, a childhood friend. But when her family’s future is put at risk and loyalties are tested, Caroline is faced with a life-altering decision that could reshape her destiny.

Find Across the Ages online at:

Amazon | BookBub | ChristianBook | Goodreads

Don’t forget to click here to check out my Amazon shop for my top picks in Christian fiction!

New Releases in Christian Fiction | November 2024

by Iola Goulton

2 November 2024

Another month has passed … what are you reading in November?

Here are the new and recent releases from Fiction Finder, from American Christian Fiction Writers.

Contemporary Romance:

Matchmaking the Cowboy by Emily Conrad — What’s a little covert matchmaking between friends? (Contemporary Romance, Independently Published [ACFW QIP]

I have to tell you that I loved this one 🙂

The Daze Before Christmas by Laurie Germaine — She fled her old life for a new one. Trouble is, she can’t remember why she ran–and now God is prompting her to return. (Contemporary Romance, Independently Published)

Wishing for Mistletoe by Robin Lee Hatcher — When the heart pens its own holiday romance, even a skeptic can find magic under the mistletoe. (Contemporary Romance from RobinSong, Inc.)

Faking the Shot by Carolyn Miller — Faking the Shot is a fake-dating Christian romance and the fourth book in the Northwest Ice Christian hockey romance series. It can be read as a standalone, and is perfect for fans of banter-laden romance with hope, heart and humor. (Contemporary Romance, Independently Published)

This is on my to-read pile—I love Carolyn’s contemporary romances, especially her ice hockey romances.

Rediscovering Christmas by Mindy Obenhaus — She feels she’s lost everything… Will love give her hope? (Contemporary Romance from Love Inspired [Harlequin])

A Kringle Family Christmas by Miriam Thor — When Bethany Kringle’s brother unexpectedly comes home for Christmas with his friend, Jay, in tow, Bethany shelves her plan to skip the holiday, and instead, with a little help from Jay, makes it a Christmas to remember. (Contemporary Romance from Pelican Book Group)

Guarding Her Christmas Secret by Jill Weatherholt — ‘Tis the season for second chances and a special puppy. (Contemporary Romance from Love Inspired [Harlequin])

Contemporary/Women’s Fiction:

Maddie by Dawn Kinzer — Messages scrawled in a century-old cookbook and the residents of a tourist town in the foothills of the Olympic Mountains add important ingredients to the life recipe an ER travel nurse is searching for. (Contemporary/Women’s Fiction, Independently Published)

Historical Romance:

Pretending to be the Mountain Man’s Wife by Misty M. Beller — In the wild mountains of the Montana Territory, the Coulter ranch is a place of family, second chances…and a hidden fortune. (Historical Romance, Independently Published)

Courting the Country Preacher by Angela K. Couch, Carolyn Miller, Naomi Musch, Kari Trumbo — Four inexperienced preachers face a myriad of challenges including those who figure a man of the cloth needs a wife. Can they meet the expectations of “helpful” congregants and be true to their hearts? (Historical Romance from Barbour Publishing)

An Unexpected Catch by Abbey Downey — Can she count on the pitcher to save her dream, or will his secret destroy their futures? (Historical Romance from Wild Heart Books)

Investigation of a Journalist by Danielle Grandinetti — A story of love and second chances when secrets come full circle in this suspenseful conclusion to the Harbored in Crow’s Nest series. (Historical Romance from Hearth Spot Press)

The Library by Edwina Kiernan — How can someone keep the peace when there’s never been any peace to keep? (Historical Romance from Moliant Publishing)

Seeking Simon by Susan Pope Sloan — When a mysterious stranger claims to be her fiancé, the fight to save her land turns into a battle for her heart. (Historical Romance from Wild Heart Books)

Abigail’s Pursuit by Jodie Wolfe — With the Civil War raging, Abigail is on the verge of losing everything, and the other seeks forgiveness from the family he can’t find. Can two wounded hearts find their way back home? (Historical Romance, Independently Published)

Beyond the Horizon by Penny Zeller — She’s desperate to keep her job. He’s desperate for solitude. What is God’s plan in this complicated situation? (Historical Romance from Maplebrook Publishing)

Mystery/Crime:

Seven Days Off: A Mylas Grey Mystery by Luana Ehrlich — Private Investigator Mylas Grey can’t take seven days off—not when an ex-con gives him information that could help him locate a missing school counselor. (Historical Romance from Potter’s Word Publishing)

Romantic Suspense:

Bayou Beginnings by Robin Caroll — In a romantic suspense Louisiana mystery that is set amid historical events, two very different people must come together to survive. (Romantic Suspense, Independently Published)

His Last Text by Rebecca Lake — A romantic anniversary dinner. A heartfelt message. Then silence. (Romantic Suspense, Independently Published)

Deadly Christmas Inheritance by Jessica R. Patch — This holiday, an unexpected gift could be lethal. (Romantic Suspense from Love Inspired Suspense [Harlequin])

Speculative Fiction/Allegory:

Here Lyeth by Johanna Frank — Answers are buried beneath a grave marker. Only it happens to be her own. (Speculative/Allegory, Independently Published)

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

River of Peril by Sandra Merville Hart — A Civil War volunteer nurse is shocked to learn that her Confederate soldier beau came to her ward overnight with a head wound–and doesn’t remember her. (Historical Romance)

A Christmas Gift by Annette M. Irby — A stateside farmer. An international boy-next-door model. And the Christmas reunion that brings them back together. (Contemporary Romance)

Murder by Half by Dony Jay — A troubled detective with a blue-collar background and an Ivy League degree must risk everything to solve the murder of his high-profile attorney friend—and do so before more people die. (Crime/Suspense)

Sea Thrifts & Thistles by Ruth Kyser — After the unexpected deaths of her parents in a plane crash, Heather Conners makes a discovery that turns her world upside down. (Contemporary Romance)

Where Secrets Lie by Rebecca Lake — Some secrets refuse to stay buried… (Romantic Suspense)

The Perfect Getaway by Nancy Lavo — Riley is tired of looking over her shoulder. Can she trust the small-town superhero with her secret, or will the loyalty she admires in him bring danger to her door? (Contemporary Romance)

On the Right Track by Shaen Layle — On The Right Track is the eighth book in the Mysteries of Cobble Hill Farm Series. (Cozy Mystery)

Julia’s Joy by Susan G. Mathis — She came to claim her inheritance, but the mysterious scarred lighthouse keeper makes her question all her plans. (Historical Romance)

Why the Nations Rage by Aidan Meerman — Casey Cole is three hundred years old but expects to be dead in as many seconds. The brutal regime that governs his home crushes all forms of dissent… and he’s about to put his neck out. (Biblical Suspense/Thriller)

The Lost Daughter’s Irishman by Carolyn Miller — She wants to find a way to live again; he wants to close a deal and move on, until sparks fly and these opposites attract. (Contemporary Romance)

Christmas in Nutfield by Robin Patchen — Come home to Nutfield in these two Christmas novellas, featuring Daniel Nolan, the little boy from Innocent Lies, all grown up, and Caro Neely, from Convenient Lies. (Contemporary Romance)

When Love Overcomes by Denice Perkins — Having everything we want and a plan for our future doesn’t prevent God from abruptly sending our lives in a whole other direction and showing us even greater happiness. (Contemporary Romance)

’Tis the Time, ‘Tis the Season by Chris Posti — Three women in their late fifties learn that change is possible at any age. (General Contemporary)

The Cowboy’s Forgotten Love by Tina Radcliffe — He finally found the love of his life. Now if only he could remember… (Contemporary Romance)

A Country Christmas Collection by Davalynn Spencer — Two Holiday Novellas, each a complete romance with cowboys, a second chance at love, and a feel-good, happily-ever-after! (Contemporary Romance)

Tangled Promises by Lynn U. Watson — Thunderous applause extinguishes her dream and ignites her worst nightmare. (Historical Romance)

Neurifact by Kenneth Dale Watts — A neurological AI tool observes and assesses a unique brainwave phenomenon associated with one F-35C pilot’s impulsive action and arrives at a spiritually based finding. (Military Thriller/Suspense)

To Touch the Earth by Kristy Werner — Love calls her home. But can love last forever? (Contemporary Romance)

First Line Friday #363 | So Into You by Kathleen Fuller

by Iola Goulton

1 November 2024

It’s First Line Friday! That means it’s time to pick up the nearest book and quote the first line. I’m reading a review copy of So Into You by Kathleen Fuller, who is more well-known for her Amish romances. It looks like this is her first venture into rom-com, and I’m looking forward to reading it.

Here’s the first line from Chapter One:

What’s the book nearest you, and what’s the first line?

About So Into You

Opposites attract when an introverted vlogger and a reformed party boy exchange lessons on art, confidence, and yacht rock.

Artist Britt Branch has a successful online channel where she teaches a variety of art lessons. Obsessed with the 1970s, she has a style all her own. But she also has a huge problem–severe social anxiety. She lives with her mom, and while she pays her own bills, she wonders if she’ll ever have the courage to move out and move on. When her best friend announces she’s getting married, Britt decides it’s time to make a change.

Gorgeous Hunter Pickett has always skated by on his model looks, applying very little effort to anything except sports, and even that was iffy at times. The third son of extremely wealthy and successful parents, he dealt with being the black sheep of the family by drinking and using drugs. By his third year of sobriety, he’s still dealing with aimlessness. Late one night he catches Britt’s channel and ends up watching her videos. He’s not interested in art . . . at first. And when he sends her an online message, he’s surprised she responds. Before long they are chatting every day, and once they start meeting in person, a spark-filled friendship begins.

But both of them are keeping secrets. Big ones. When all truths are revealed in one pivotal moment, Britt and Hunter are at a crossroads. Will he fight for the happiness he’s worked so hard to obtain? And will she continue to hide from life, or can she finally step out of her own shadow?

Find So Into You online at:

Amazon | BookBub | Goodreads

Click here to check out what my fabulous fellow FirstLineFriday bloggers are sharing today.

And you can click here to check out my previous FirstLineFriday posts.

Share your first line in the comments, and happy reading!

Don’t forget to click here to check out my Amazon shop for my top picks in Christian fiction!

Bookish Question #355 | What’s the best setting: small town or big city?

by Iola Goulton

29 October 2024

I grew up in a small town but have spent my adult years living in cities (because that is where the work is).

I enjoy living in cities. I currently live in an apartment in the middle of New Zealand’s capital city, and I love it. I love being able to walk most of the places I want or need to go—to work, the library, the supermarket, the shops, the theatres. There are inexpensive buses and trains if I’m going a little further afield. I love that there are so many things to do—shows, plays, exhibitions.

Okay, so the weather isn’t always great, but the apartment is cozy and I’ve yet to be drenched in rain.

It’s all very different from the small town I grew up in.

It was small enough that I knew most of the kids in my school by name. I knew many of their siblings and parents by sight. I didn’t necessarily know the names of the shop owners, but certainly recognised them. Walking down the main street and not seeing anyone I recognised was the exception. Here in the city, it’s the norm.

Maybe that’s why readers like me like small town stories, because they remind us of a different time, a simpler time, a time when we knew our neighbours and our friend’s neighbours. When we knew the town gossip, when reading the newspaper was about people we knew.

Are small towns still like that in real life? I don’t know, but they certainly are in fiction. That’s why I love small-town stories.

What about you: do you prefer: small towns or big cities?

Book Review | When I Close My Eyes by Elizabeth Musser

by Iola Goulton

28 October 2024

I enjoy Elizabeth Musser’s novels because they’re something deeper than most Christian fiction.

They’re not afraid to ask tough questions, and When I Close my Eyes is no exception. The start of the novel a little confusing until I realised who the three viewpoint characters were, and why some portions were in italics.

Henry’s son needs his fourth major surgery in seven years, but there’s no money to pay for it. So Henry takes a cash job that will pay a lot … to shoot author Josephine Bourdillon. No, Henry isn’t a hit man. He’s just normal man who loves his son and would do anything for him to be well.

Paige is Josephine’s sassy sixteen-year-old daughter. She’s not a Christian, even though she knows her mother’s novels have strong themes of faith and forgiveness. I liked Paige. She was intelligent, thoughtful, and wise beyond her years. Despite being a teenager, she’s the one who holds the family together in many ways. She also helps the police by going through her mother’s letters and other writing in an effort to find out who is behind the shooting.

Josephine is the third point of view character, but her scenes are shown in italics because they’re not the present story (in which she’s unconscious). They’re snippets of her memories—some good, some not. It’s confusing, because the memories flit around in time, but that makes sense when we realise they are the memories of a woman in a coma.

There are two questions running behind the story.

First (for me) is the question of who wants Josephine dead. The reader knows Henry is was the guy with the gun, but he’s not the person who wants Josephine dead. He just wants his son alive, and who can fault him for that? Sure, we can agree his method of getting the money for his son’s operation isn’t great. But is motive is strong and believable, and he’s close enough to the edge that I’m convinced he believed this was the only way. So he’s a sympathetic character. We want him to succeed. Except succeeding means Josephine Bourdillon would be dead, and we don’t want that.

The other question is about The Awful Year, as Paige refers to it. We don’t know what The Awful Year was, or when it was. All we know is that it was so awful, Josephine can’t think about it or write about it, and Paige barely knows what happened. All she knows is that it was awful. Do the events of The Awful Year have anything to do with what’s happening now?

Well, those questions certainly kept me turning the pages.

This is probably one of those novels that need to be read and reread to fully appreciate.

When I Close My Eyes by Elizabeth Musser is a unique story of forgiveness that deals with some tough issues, including mental illness. #ChristianFiction #MustRead Share on X

Overall, When I Close My Eyes is one of the best novels I’ve read this year, a unique story of forgiveness that deals with some tough issues, including mental illness. The writing is brilliant, the plot and characters are unique, and it’s close to perfect Christian women’s fiction (with a strong dose of suspense). Recommended.

Thanks to Bethany House Publishers and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review.

About Elizabeth Musser

Elizabeth Musser writes ‘entertainment with a soul’ from her writing chalet—tool shed—outside Lyon, France. Elizabeth’s highly acclaimed, best-selling novel, The Swan House, was named one of Amazon’s Top Christian Books of the Year and one of Georgia’s Top Ten Novels of the Past 100 Years (Georgia Backroads, 2009). All of Elizabeth’s novels have been translated into multiple languages.

From an interview with Publisher’s Weekly, “Elizabeth Musser likes to say she has two part-time jobs. Not only is she an award-winning novelist, but she and her husband serve as missionaries at a small Protestant church in Lyon, France. In both lines of work, she avoids preaching and simplistic answers, choosing instead to portray a God who cares in the midst of life’s complexity…”

Elizabeth adds, “My desire is to offer the best literature I can write, drawing the reader into a story that is compelling, believable and sprinkled with historical detail. I seek to give a realistic picture of what faith lived out in this world looks like, and, as always, I hope that my stories can be appreciated by all audiences, not just those readers who hold my same religious beliefs. It is a delight to receive confirmation of this through reader letters.”

For over twenty-five years, Elizabeth and her husband, Paul, have been involved in missions’ work in Europe with International Teams. The Mussers have two sons, a daughter-in-law and three grandchildren who all live way too far away in America.

You can find Elizabeth online at:

Website | Facebook | Pinterest | Twitter

About When I Close My Eyes

Could she ever share the secret of The Awful Year?

There is one story that novelist Josephine Bourdillon shirked from writing. And now she may never have a chance. Trapped in her memories, she lies in a coma.

The man who put her there is just as paralyzed. Former soldier Henry Hughes failed to complete the kill. What’s more: he never received full payment–funds that would ensure surgery for his son.

As detectives investigate disturbing fan letters, a young but not-so-naïve Paige Bourdillon turns to her mother’s turbulent past for answers. Could The Awful Year be worse than the one they’re living now?

Set against the flaming hills of North Carolina and the peaceful shores of the Mediterranean Sea, When I Close My Eyes tells the story of two families struggling with dysfunction and finding that love is stronger than death.

Find When I Close My Eyes online at:

Amazon | BookBub | Goodreads

First Line Friday #362 | Pilgrims by M R Leonard

by Iola Goulton

25 October 2024

It’s First Line Friday! That means it’s time to pick up the nearest book and quote the first line. I’m a long-time sci-fi fan, so was thrilled to be asked to review Pilgrims by M R Leonard, which promises to be a unique Christian novel.

Here’s the first line from the Chapter One:

As a bonus, it’s currently free on Kindle!

What’s the book nearest you, and what’s the first line?

About Pilgrims

Latin was a dead language—until the aliens arrived.

Out-of-work Latin teacher and borderline alcoholic Austin DeSantis is determined to spend his final days in the arms of a prostitute—that is if the aliens don’t exterminate humanity first.

But when the aliens land at the Vatican, begin speaking Latin, and reveal themselves to be Catholic, the world turns upside down.

Pressed into service as a translator and thrust into the center of humanity’s first contact with a cryptic alien race, Austin must uncover their true intentions before religious turmoil rips the planet apart. But with Austin caught between the Catholic Church, the US military, and an enigmatic alien AI, he’ll have to decide where his loyalties lie as the fate of humanity hangs in the balance.

PILGRIMS is a sci-fi retelling of Augustine’s Confessions, mixing a high-concept premise à la Children of Time with the ceaseless pacing and rich characterization of Red Rising.

Find Pilgrims online at:

Amazon | BookBub| Goodreads

Click here to check out what my fabulous fellow FirstLineFriday bloggers are sharing today.

And you can click here to check out my previous FirstLineFriday posts.