The Because Fiction Podcast

 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 follow him on Instagram, you should!  He's brilliant. Dear Judas by James Finke Christians are binging this in a weekend. Not your typical Christian fiction. This one will impact your walk with Christ. From James Finke, author of the bestselling Christianity Uncomplicated series, comes Dear Judas, a gripping Christian novel where love, apologetics, and spiritual warfare collide. Tommy Finch has built his life on evidence, logic, and measurable results. A successful medical device salesman in a demanding corporate world, he has no need for God. Until his heart stopped. After a near-death experience shatters his disbelief, Tommy finds himself confronting questions his rational worldview cannot explain. But as he searches for answers, he becomes the target of unseen forces determined to lead him to "their father's house below." There is just one problem for hell's strategy team. Tommy is married to Elizabeth, a devoted Christian whose persistent prayers and unwavering faith make him far more dangerous than he realizes. Through chilling letters between a junior demon and his calculating supervisor, Dear Judas reimagines the themes of The Screwtape Letters in a contemporary setting, blending spiritual warfare, thoughtful apologetics, humor, heart, and eternal stakes. As Tommy wrestles with skepticism, truth, and the unseen battle unfolding around him, one question becomes unavoidable: What if the evidence actually points toward God? Perfect for readers of C. S. Lewis, Frank Peretti, and Francine Rivers, especially those who enjoy Christian fiction filled with spiritual conflict, emotional depth, and faith that refuses to separate reason from belief. Learn more on James' WEBSITE and follow 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 YouTube and more!

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 Neither one is looking for love, But sometimes all it takes is one dance. By the spring of 1946, life in Sweetwater Crossing is almost back to normal after the war. Not Anna Finley's. She lost her chance at happily-ever-after when the man she loved was killed in France. Anna does her best to hide her sorrow and a secret that haunts her as she works on the jukeboxes she inherited when her brother died in combat. There's no point in dreaming about what might have been. Jim Smythe is also grieving a shattered life. His fiancee broke their engagement, reminding him that a respected magazine said it should take no more than three weeks for a veteran to forget the war. But Jim cannot forget the men in his platoon who didn't return home, and he's made it his mission to visit each of the fallen soldiers' families, hoping to give them some small measure of comfort. Sweetwater Crossing is his final stop. After that, he'll have to return to Boston and the life that holds no appeal. If only he could find an alternative, one where people saw him for himself, not his family's name. He's given up hope that anyone will understand what his parents and fiancee did not, but everything changes when he enters a small cafe and sees a woman whose eyes reflect his own pain standing next to a jukebox. Jim knows he'll never see her again, yet it somehow feels right to extend his hand and say, "May I have this dance?" It's a once-in-a-lifetime moment for two wounded people unless they can overcome their fears and find the courage to love again. Learn more about Amanda 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 YouTube and more!

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't know about you, but I'm dying to get to it! :D Lighting Up Christmas by Amy R. Anguish, Heather Greer, Mary Pat Johns, and Regina Rudd Merrick Four Christmas lights. Four love stories. One season filled with faith, hope, and happily-ever-afters. In Lighting Up Christmas, four heartwarming holiday romance novellas shine with cozy charm, clean romance, small-town warmth, and the gentle reminder that God can bring light to even the dimmest season. In The Bright Side of Christmas by Amy R. Anguish, Holly Belle loves Christmas, holiday décor, and twinkling lights. Her new neighbor, Robert Bradshaw, prefers peace, quiet, and keeping her Christmas cheer firmly on her side of the duplex. But when Holly decides his grinchy heart needs a little holiday help, their battle over lights may lead to something brighter than either one expected. In The Light of a Christmas Star by Heather Greer, Elena Bell is determined to make Tannenbaum's Festival of Lights a success for the families depending on it. When rising Hollywood star Trenton Wills arrives at her B&B, he may be the answer to the town's needs—and the beginning of Elena's own Christmas romance. But Trenton has secrets that could dim more than the festival lights. In 'Twas the Light Before Christmas by Mary Pat Johns, Cooper Blackmon enters the region's biggest Christmas lights competition determined to win. Mandy Alvarez needs the prize money to save her family's beloved Christmas Village. As rivalry turns to friendship and friendship glows into something more, only one can claim the prize. But both may have far more to lose than money. In Pitch Perfect Lights by Regina Rudd Merrick, Holly Shepherd is facing her family's first Christmas after loss while trying to create joy for her young siblings. When author Paxton Hollis returns home and quietly helps revive her father's beloved light display, Holly discovers that hope can still shine, even through grief. A charming choice for readers who enjoy clean, faith-friendly romance wrapped in Christmas lights, small-town warmth, and happily-ever-after hope. Read Lighting Up Christmas and discover four faith-filled holiday love stories that glow with joy, hope, and the true light of Christmas. Visit Amy at her WEBSITE or on GoodReads and BookBub. Learn more on Heather's WEBSITE and follow on GoodReads and BookBub. Learn more about Mary on her  WEBSITE and follow her on GoodReads and BookBub. You can learn more about Regina and her books 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 YouTube and more!

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 I've forgotten the name of but listened to when we finished talking and... guys. It was great! Not What We Pictured by Becca Kinzer This is absolutely not how they pictured their summer going. McKenna Boston is feeling stuck. She's spent years growing her photography skills only for her career to hit a wall. She's ready to move on, and she will, just as soon as she helps her sister's boyfriend stage the perfect proposal. But when her best laid plans go awry and a handsome stranger accidentally ends up with the heirloom ring, McKenna hops on a flight to retrieve it. Piece of cake, right? Nate Lambert was hoping to enjoy a relaxing summer before starting his new job as a literature professor, but he arrives in Tennessee to discover his mom's bed and breakfast is struggling and there's a long list of repairs to be tackled. The last thing he needs is a gorgeous, determined photographer searching for a ring he doesn't have since the airline lost his luggage somewhere on his route from Nebraska. With the ring nowhere to be found, all McKenna can do is wait and use the time to build her portfolio and plan her next career move. But she also can't help getting swept up in Nate's bed and breakfast renovations and in planning a community concert with the townsfolk. As both await news of Nate's suitcase, it begins to seem their serendipitous meeting, and the proposal gone wrong, could actually be everything going right . . . and that this may be their chance at a love neither could have pictured. Learn more on Becca's WEBSITE and follow 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 YouTube and more!

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 Stars by Jenelle Hovde An arranged marriage. A powerful company tainted with corruption. Two souls caught between obligation and a longing to find their true calling in this Regency romance set in glittering London ballrooms and Calcutta street markets. When Kitty Grenville's grandfather announces her engagement to Sebastian Sinclair, she's appalled. She barely remembers the boy she met once as a child—and now he's a man tied to the East India Company, the very organization that tore Kitty and her brother from their mother and home in Hyderabad years ago. Unwilling to relinquish her dream of a love match or her passion for astronomy, Kitty is determined to refuse the marriage and find freedom in her own way. Sebastian Sinclair carries the weight of duty and regret. To atone for past sins, he complies with his grandfather's orders to return to England, fulfill a long-standing betrothal, and defend the maligned East India Company before Parliament. Though Kitty makes her disinterest clear, Sebastian is drawn to her intellect and spirit. As Kitty navigates her first London season, her opinion of Sebastian begins to shift, especially when he shields her from scandal. When he's abruptly called back to India, Kitty stuns everyone by marrying him and going with him, hoping to escape her grandfather's control—and to find her mother. But the challenges that await in India are greater than imagined. Together, Kitty and Sebastian must confront the legacy of family and empire—and discover if a marriage born of obligation can grow into a love strong enough to endure. Learn more about Jenelle 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 YouTube and more!