Liz Johnson, the bestselling author of the Prince Edward Island Dreams series returns with a brand new book this fall! A Sparkle of Silver will be the first novel in her brand new series, Georgia Coast Romance. Set on St. Simons Island in Georgia (of course!), readers will be swept of their feet by a story spanning the generations. A definite must-read for any romantic fiction lovers out there!

Johnson sat down to answer a few questions about where she found the inspiration for this book as well as what is next for the Georgia Coast Romance series…

A Sparkle of Silver releases on October 16 and is available to preorder here. 

Q: Readers have loved your Prince Edward Island Dreams series. Now you are transitioning to a new series. How many books are proposed for the Georgia Coast Romance series?

A: I’m planning to write three books in the Georgia Coast Romance series. They aren’t tied together through an individual location the same way the PEI series is, but I think readers will enjoy the feel of the Georgia coast in these contemporary stories of characters exploring the past to find hope for the future.

Q: Why did you select Georgia for the setting of your new series?

A: Several years ago my aunt invited me to visit her on St. Simons Island, and we had such a lovely time there. It’s not only a beautiful island, but it’s also filled with so much rich history. Christ Church of Frederica was one of my favorite stops on our tour of the island, and I couldn’t wait to include it in a book.

Q: A Sparkle of Silver blends the past with a contemporary setting. Was it difficult to write a story involving two different eras?

A: I thoroughly enjoyed writing in both eras. The contemporary setting of the historical landmark was such fun. My hero and heroine are both dealing with such heavy things that I loved writing about their exploration of the Chateau. For a few hours they could almost forget their painful circumstances and just enjoy the discovery of the old home. Writing about the 1920s was a whole new challenge for me. It meant new types of research and exploring the era. And because the 1920s story line is told through journal entries, I had to really immerse myself in the character. She ended up being one of my favorite parts of the story.

Q: What was the inspiration for your new book?

A: About eight years ago my dad and I visited Hearst Castle in California. I’d never heard of it until our visit, but I was mesmerized by the opulence of this home built by William Randolph Hearst. He spared no expense in building this retreat in San Simeon, and I couldn’t get over the gold-plated tiles in the pool – or the fact that there were two pools on the grounds. He entertained actors and socialites, the elite of Hollywood and some of the richest people in the world. Yet year after year Hearst continued to expand the home until it had more than 160 rooms on the estate where he left in 1947. It just wasn’t ever enough.

By the time we finished the tour, I already had a story idea about an actress in costume at a similar estate. It’s changed a bit since then, but A Sparkle of Silver can be traced back to that trip to Hearst Castle and a somber realization that many and all it could buy would never fulfill Hearst.

Q: What type of research was required for writing A Sparkle of Silver?

A: I did a lot of research into the 1920s, everything from the way they used language to what would have been built into a grand estate in 1929. Of course, my trip to St. Simons was a great jumping-off point, with information about things like the feel of the wind off the ocean and the sound of the waves on the shore. This is also my first book with a character who is battling dementia, so I did quite a bit of reading about how that might manifest itself.

Q: Was there any part of this book that really surprised you once you began writing it?

A: Yes, but I can’t reveal it without giving away too much of the story. I will say that I was as shocked by the darkest moment in the book as the characters themselves. The revelation should have been apparent to me, but somehow I didn’t see it until the very last minute, and when it all came together, it felt like an enormous gift.

Q: What do you hope readers gain from reading your book?

A: I hope that readers are reminded that the very best things in life are free – the love of family, laughing with a friend, the grace of God. When we face financial struggles, it’s easy to focus on those and miss the joy in life. I also hope readers will be encouraged by the reminders that God has not forsaken us. When the storm rages on, many of us struggle to say, “It is well with my soul.” That’s okay. God is still on his throne. Our doubts and trials do not diminish who he is or his love for us.

Q: What’s next on your writing to-do list?

A: Next is the second Georgia Coast Romance book. I’m working on it right now, and I’m excited to share this Savannah story with readers in 2019.

A Sparkle of Silver releases on October 16 and is available to preorder here. 

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The Road Home by Beverly Lewis

Releases April 3rd 2018

Bestselling Amish author, Beverly Lewis returns this April with her latest release – The Road Home. Sent from Michigan to Pennsylvania following the tragic death of her Amish parents, Lena Rose Schwartz grieves her loss and the separation from her nine siblings. Beside the fact that Lena has never been so far from home, she hasn’t met the family she will now be living with. But worse than that is having to live apart from her close-knit brothers and sisters. How will they manage without her to care for them–especially six-year-old Chris? And will her new beau, Hans Bontrager, continue to court her despite the many miles between them?

Honeysuckle Dreams by Denise Hunter

Releases May 1st 2018

Here’s a read for all you contemporary fiction lovers out there! After Brady Collins’ ex-wife dies, he receives devastating news—his nine-month-old son Sam isn’t his son at all. And Sam’s wealthy maternal grandparents want custody of the child. Brady knows he’s in for the fight of his life. But regardless of what any blood test says, Sam is his son, and Brady will go to any lengths to keep him. Brady’s attorney tips him off that one major life change would virtually assure him of winning guardianship of baby Sam at the final hearing: an impending marriage. And his friend Hope is willing to step in as the loving and devoted fiance. As Brady and Hope make sacrifices to help each other in their times of need, they risk uncovering a truth neither of them expects to find.

Send Down The Rain by Charles Martin

Releases May 8th 2018

Send Down the Rain introduces us to Allie, a woman still recovering from the loss of her family’s beloved waterfront restaurant when she loses her second husband to a terrifying highway accident. Devastated and losing hope, she shudders to contemplate the future—until a cherished person from her past returns. Joseph has been adrift for many years, wounded in both body and spirit –  just as he resolves to abandon his search for peace and live alone at a remote cabin in the Carolina mountains, he discovers a mother and her two small children lost in the forest. He instinctively steps in to help them get back to their home in Florida – returning to his own hometown in the process. Here he witnesses the accident which launches a bittersweet reunion with his childhood sweetheart, Allie. Will a secret from the past destroy their second chance?

The Weaver’s Daughter by Sarah E. Ladd

Releases April 10th 2018

Loyalty has been at the heart of the Dearborne family for as long as Kate can remember, but as misguided actions are brought to light, she learns how deep her father’s pride and bitterness run, and she begins to wonder if her loyalty is well-placed. Henry Stockton, heir to the Stockton fortune, returns home from three years at war to take to the helm of the family business.  He embraces his grandfather’s plans to modernize the family’s wool mill, ignoring the grumblings from local weavers. Henry and Kate have each been warned about the other, but they soon realize they must come together to find a way to create peace for their families, their village, and their souls—even if it means risking their hearts in the process.

To The Moon and Back by Karen Kinsgbury

Releases May 29th 2018

From Karen Kingsbury comes a brand-new love story in the Baxter Family collection about two people who lost their parents in the same national tragedy – the Oklahoma City bombing. Brady and Jenna shared a deep connection and single day together at the memorial – but after that Brady never saw Jenna again. Every year, he leaves a note for her at the memorial, hoping he might find her again. A chance meeting means Ashley Baxter Blake meets Brady who makes it her mission to bring the two together. But will it work? And will her family understand?

A Breath of Hope by Lauraine Snelling

Releases April 3, 2018

Nilda Carlson has been trying to save enough money to go to America for months, so when a letter from Einar and Gerd Strand arrives, offering to pay her ticket, she jumps at the chance. Her younger brother Ivar accompanies her, and they can’t wait to join their brother Rune and his family in the northern forests of Minnesota. Their relatives Signe and Rune welcome them warmly, as does Gerd Strand, but their uncle Einar doesn’t seem to like anyone. Nilda soon finds work helping a young widow with her children, and is introduced to their schoolteacher. Now her world is beginning to grow…but Nilda still wonders what happened to make Einar so unhappy. When a tragedy lays the truth bare, the Carlsons and Strands will have to come together like never before and become a true family.

No One Ever Asked by Katie Ganshert

Releases April 3rd 2018

The latest book from Katie Ganshert challenges perceptions of discrimination and prejudice with the story of three very different women. When an impoverished school district loses its accreditation and the affluent community of Crystal Ridge has to open their school doors – the lives of three women converge. Camille Gray is the wife of an executive, mother of three, long-standing PTA chairwoman and champion fundraiser. Jen Covington is a career nurse whose painful journey to motherhood resulted in adoption. 22-year-old Anaya Jones is the first woman in her family to graduate college and a new teacher at Crystal Ridge’s top elementary school. This story explores the implicit biases impacting American society, and asks the ultimate question: What does it mean to be human? And, why are we so quick to put labels on each other?

Pelican Point by Irene Hannon

Releases April 3rd 2018

How important can one old lighthouse be? Ex-Army surgeon Major Ben Garrison thinks it’s an eyesore, a burden he’s inherited and can’t wait to trade off. But Marci Weber, editor of the Hope Harbor Herald, holds a very different view. Sparks fly as the two go head to head over the fate of the lighthouse. But when they start to cooperate, a different kind of fire ignites. And as they work together, might Hope Harbor heal the hearts of these two romance-wary souls?

The Accidental Guardian by Mary Connealy

Releases April 3rd 2018

Trace Riley is the self-appointed watchdog for a wilderness trail, having been the lone survivor of an attack years before. Deborah Harkness now saved her younger sister and two toddlers during the attack and now finds herself at the mercy of her rescuer. Trace offers the only shelter for miles around and agrees to take them in until she can safely continue. Working to survive the winter and finally bring justice to the trail, Trace and Deborah find themselves drawn together–yet every day approaches the moment she’ll leave forever.

The Kremlin Conspiracy by Joel C. Rosenberg

Now Available

With an American president distracted by growing tensions in North Korea and Iran, an ominous new threat is emerging in Moscow. A czar is rising in the Kremlin, a Russian president feverishly consolidating power, silencing his opposition, and plotting a brazen and lightning-fast military strike that could rupture the NATO alliance and bring Washington and Moscow to the brink of nuclear war. But in his blind spot is the former U.S. Secret Service agent, Marcus Ryker, trained to protect but ready to kill to save his country.

For more great Christian fiction reads, click here!

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Bestselling Christian fiction author, Irene Hannon returns with a new contemporary romance novel, Pelican Point. The upcoming release is the fourth book in the Hope Harbor series, inviting readers back to their favorite town for a story that will pull at their heartstrings.

Irene Hannon sat down to answer a few questions for readers about her latest book and what she has planned next.

Q: Can you please tell us about your newest book, Pelican Point?

A: Pelican Point is the fourth book in the Hope Harbor series – but each book stands alone and can be read as a single-title novel. They’re tied together by the setting, with a few beloved characters appearing in each book – including Charley, the taco-making artist, who’s become the all-time favorite character in the 50+ books I’ve written. If you haven’t read any of the Hope Harbor stories yet, I hope you’ll drop in and meet him! I guarantee you’ll come away uplifted after your visit to this special town, where hearts heal… and love blooms.

Q: Pelican Point is set in a fictional seaside town in Oregon. Why did you choose this setting for your Hope Harbor stories?

A: I love small-town settings, and coastal areas have always held a special appeal for me. The Oregon coast is stunning, so it was a natural choice for Hope Harbor.

Q: What type of research was required to write your book?

A: I did lots of research on lighthouses for this one. Some in person during a research trip to Oregon, which has more than its share of beautiful lighthouses, and a great deal online. I had no idea private citizens could buy lighthouses, for example – or the challenges involved in owning one. I’m not sure I’d be up to the task – and neither is my hero. But who can resist their aura of romance and adventure?

Q: What do you hope readers can learn from Pelican Point?

A: I think the book offers many insights in both the primary and secondary plots. But two of the big ones are the importance of being open to new roads God sets before us that might not have been in our original plans, and the power of love to overcome obstacles and transform lives.

Q: In addition to contemporary romance, you are also well known for your romantic suspense novels. Do you have a favorite genre or do you find one easier to write?

A: I love writing both. Suspense is intense, and I’m always ready to spend a little time in lovely Hope Harbor after completing one of those intense books. That’s why I’ve gone to an April/contemporary romance and October/romantic suspense release schedule. Alternating genres gives me balance and keeps me fresh.

Q: What are you working on next?

A: Next up will be book 2 in my Code of Honor series, which will be out in October. It’s the story of a woman who owns a fair trade shop and a police detective who find themselves plunged into international intrigue – and danger – when people connected with her shop begin dying.

Pelican Point by Irene Hannon releases April 3rd – it is available for preorder by clicking here. 

To explore more books by Irene Hannon, click here!

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