Tag: Jennifer Mistmorgan

What were your top five (or ten) books for 2024?

Bookish Question #362 | What are your top 10 books for 2024?

Ten? You want me to pick just ten?

In past years, I’ve focused on my list (and my reading) on contemporary Christian romance. This year, I’ve branched out with my reading, so my list includes a combination of fiction and nonfiction from Christian and general market authors.

So here are ten of the most memorable books I’ve read this year, in no particular order:

  1. Broker of Lies (Travis Brock #1) by Steven James, for the unique and intriguing hero.
  2. Across the Ages by  Gabrielle Meyer, for yet another installment in this fabulous dual-timeline series with a deep faith thread.
  3. An Honorable Deception by Roseanna M White, for her fascinating characters (and I especially loved her crossover characters)
  4. So Into You by Kathleen Fuller, a unique Christian romance featuring an introverted YouTube influencer and an ex-con.
  5. Dead Ahead by Susan J Bruce, an enjoyable cozy mystery set in South Australia.
  6. The Mapmaker’s Secret by Jennifer Mistmorgan, a fascinating World War II romance.
  7. Trust and Trickery by Christine Dillon, for bringing a lesser-known Old Testament story to life.
  8. Always and Forever, Elizabeth by Emily Dana Boutrous, for a second-chance romance that deals with the sensitive topic of spousal abuse.
  9. Burnout by Emily Nagoski and Amelia Nagoski, a book I wish I’d read years ago because prevention is better than cure.
  10. You Had Me At Halo by Amanda Ashby, a general market clean rom-com in which the afterlife seems to be run by the English civil service (no, this one isn’t Christian but it gave me a good laugh).

Do you make a top 10 (or top 5) list each year? What books are on your list?

It’s Aussie August!

… and a bunch of top Australian authors have teamed together to introduce you to some of the best of Aussie fiction. (And one Kiwi—me.)

So if you’re looking for something to read this winter/spring, click here to check out Aussie August, featuring:

  • Narelle Atkins
  • Liz Chapman
  • Amanda Deed
  • Christine Dillon
  • Jenny Glazebrook
  • Iola Goulton
  • Sheridan Lee
  • Carolyn Miller
  • Jennifer Mistmorgan
  • Meredith Resce
  • Jessica Wakefield

The novels in the promotion include all three finalists in the Adult Fiction category of the 2024 CALEB Awards from Omega Writers, Australia’s network for Christian writers. The finalists are:

  • Where Our Hearts Lie by Jenny Glazebrook
  • Broken Spirit by Sheridan Lee
  • Heart in the Clouds by Jennifer Mistmorgan

The Aussie August lineup also includes several other CALEB winners:

  • The Game by Amanda Deed (2010)
  • Grace in the Shadows by Christine Dillon (2019)
  • In Want of a Wife by Meredith Resce (2022)

I recently read a blog post by Australian book reviewer Jenny Blake where talked about how she prefers promotions that are all Christian stories, rather than a mix of Christian and clean fiction.

While I haven’t read all the novels in the promotion, I have read most of them and can confirm they are Christian fiction, not just fiction written by Christians or “clean reads”.

The two authors I haven’t read are Sheridan Lee and Liz Chapman, and I’m looking forward to reading Broken Spirit and Valerie Rose soon … just as soon as I get the draft of Always in My Heart off to my fellow Trinity Lakes authors to beta read.

Jenny also mentioned how much she’s enjoying her two-month subscription to Kindle Unlimited (aka KU), which is a good time to point out that all the Trinity Lakes novels are in KU …

So if you’re looking for something to read on Kindle, check out Aussie August. And if you prefer paper books, most of the titles are available from Koorong or Amazon.

First Line Friday

First Line Friday #334 | The Mapmaker’s Secret by Jennifer Mistmorgan

It’s First Line Friday! That means it’s time to pick up the nearest book and quote the first line. I’m quoting from The Mapmaker’s Secret, the new release from Australian author Jennifer Mistmorgan. Here’s the first line from the Chapter One:

“You want me to do what!” Lieutenant Jack Marsden wasn’t using the polite, respectful tone he usually took with his superiors.

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

 

About The Mapmaker’s Secret

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!

What debut novels or authors have you discovered this year?

Bookish Question #306 | What debut novels or authors have you discovered this year?

There are two kinds of debut novels–the debut novels that just released (like mine, Always By My Side), and the debut novels from favourite authors that I read years after release.

I’ll share a couple of favourites from both categories: I’ve read and enjoyed all of Janet W Ferguson’s Coastal Hearts novels. I love the location, and I love the way Janet writes about broken people coming to faith in a natural and organic way. But I’d never read her first series, Southern Sweethearts. I just finished Leaving Oxford, and it was brilliant (possibly even more brilliant because I accidentally read the second book in the series first, Going Up South).

I also discovered Emily Botrous, and read my way through her Scripted Love series, starting with With Love, Melody. This was a fun series with a unique twist: couple found love through the written word.

The best debut novel I read this year was The Upwelling by Australian author Lystra Rose was brilliant. It was difficult to read at times (it’s a real good-vs-evil story, so parts of the story are had to read). The Upwelling has been shortlisted for and/or won several prestigious Australian book awards, and each nomination is well deserved.

Heart in the Clouds is by another Australian author, Jennifer Mistmorgan. It’s an excellent World War II story that reminded me of the challenges our grandparents faced during the war years, and helps explain some of their issues and idiosyncrasies.

I also enjoyed Julia Monroe Begins Again by Rebekah Millet is an excellent second-chance romance featuring an older couple.

I don’t know if I can claim to have “discovered” my own debut, Always By My Side, but I certainly discovered that yes, I can write and publish a novel.

What about you? What debut novels or authors have you discovered this year?

You airmen are all the same, aren't you? Arrogant, conceited, and self-absorbed.

Book Review | Heart in the Clouds by Jennifer Mistmorgan

Australian Flight Sergeant Alec Thomas is the pilot of an Avro Lancaster bomber, with an ego to match. Women’s Auxiliary Air Force radio operator Maggie Morrison has sworn off men. Including arrogant pilots. Especially arrogant pilots who aren’t good Christian men.

Alec and Maggie meet in London while on leave, then find they have both been deployed to the same air base – RAF Bottesford in Lincolnshire. Alec initially pursues Maggie because of a bet (so we know there’s going to be drama when she finds out), but the more he gets to know her, the more he is interested in her regardless of the bet.

I enjoyed watching the to-and-fro as Alec and Maggie got to know each other as colleagues, then friends with the possibility of something more. There was plenty of drama as well – relationship drama, family drama, the inevitable war drama, and the added drama of a thief on the base.

It’s evident that from Heart in the Clouds that Jennifer Mistmorgan has a deep love of World War II history. (It’s even more evident if you follow her on social media.) She has also researched the subject in depth, and that depth and breadth of knowledge shines through in the novel without ever overwhelming the story. I’ve recently discovered my grandfather served in Bomber Command in WWII, and Heart in the Clouds reminded me afresh of the difficulties of war, and the importance of being able to rely on God in such horrible times.

Recommended for fans of Sarah Sundin, Carrie Turansky, and World War II Christian romance.

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

About Heart in the Clouds

He’s a charismatic Australian bomber pilot used to beating the odds.
She’s the radio operator he speaks to each night before he flies.
He makes a bet that he can steal a kiss….and ends up getting much more than he bargained for.

RAF Bottesford, November 1942: Maggie Morrison joined the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force for a free ticket into the romance she craved, away from her sleepy life as a vicar’s daughter. But the men of Bomber Command are careless with the hearts of women. She hides the pain of her broken heart and mother’s sudden death behind calm confidence on the airfield radio, as the last voice men hear before they fly into danger.

Australian pilot Alec Thomas is a gambling man on a winning streak. Every night when he flies with RAF Bomber Command, the odds of surviving are fifty-fifty. And every night so far, he’s made it back to English soil. But as the battles over Europe intensify, Alec’s luck feels less certain.

When Alec bets with his crew he can get Maggie to kiss him before the year is out, he has no idea it’s the most important wager he’ll ever make. But pursuing her leads Alec to reexamine everything he believes about his so-called luck, prompting him to question what—or who—is behind it all.

Even if Alec can win his bet, can his risk-taking ways win her heart? Or will his luck in the brutal air war over Europe run out before their first kiss?

Find Heart in the Clouds online at:

Amazon | BookBub | Goodreads

First Line Friday

First Line Friday #304 | Heart in the Clouds by Jennifer Mistmorgan

It’s First Line Friday! That means it’s time to pick up the nearest book and quote the first line. I’m quoting from Heart in the Clouds by debut Australian author Jennifer Mistmorgan.

Here’s the first line from the Chapter One:

Two and a half minutes. That was how long Flight Sergeant Alec Thomas held his aircraft steady in enemy searchlights.

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

 

About Heart in the Clouds

He’s a charismatic Australian bomber pilot used to beating the odds.
She’s the radio operator he speaks to each night before he flies.
He makes a bet that he can steal a kiss….and ends up getting much more than he bargained for.

RAF Bottesford, November 1942: Maggie Morrison joined the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force for a free ticket into the romance she craved, away from her sleepy life as a vicar’s daughter. But the men of Bomber Command are careless with the hearts of women. She hides the pain of her broken heart and mother’s sudden death behind calm confidence on the airfield radio, as the last voice men hear before they fly into danger.

Australian pilot Alec Thomas is a gambling man on a winning streak. Every night when he flies with RAF Bomber Command, the odds of surviving are fifty-fifty. And every night so far, he’s made it back to English soil. But as the battles over Europe intensify, Alec’s luck feels less certain.

When Alec bets with his crew he can get Maggie to kiss him before the year is out, he has no idea it’s the most important wager he’ll ever make. But pursuing her leads Alec to reexamine everything he believes about his so-called luck, prompting him to question what—or who—is behind it all.

Even if Alec can win his bet, can his risk-taking ways win her heart? Or will his luck in the brutal air war over Europe run out before their first kiss?

Find Heart in the Clouds online at:

Amazon

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!