Kindle Freebie and Author Interview with Lynne Waite Chapman

Hi, guys! V. Joy Palmer here! Since we are all friends here, you guys can call me Joy. ;-) And one of my favorite things to do is talk with my friends at coffee shops, then head to the bookstores. Yes, plural. After all, books and yummy drinks are the perfect combination! So consider this our virtual coffee shop. I'll wait a second for you to get your warm drink and a fuzzy blanket before we chat with today's guest. <3

Today we are going to pry into the private life of CHAT with author Lynne Waite Chapman!

Born and raised in Northeastern Indiana, Lynne Waite Chapman is a lover of mystery and suspense, but most of all people. In September of 2016, she published her first cozy mystery. The debut novel Heart Strings—first in the Evelynton Murder series—was a 2016 semi-finalist in the American Christian Fiction Writers Association Genesis contest. The next three in the series, Heart Beat, Murderous Heart, and Caffeinated Murder continue the adventures of three friends in the small town Evelynton, Indiana.

Lynne Waite Chapman began her writing career writing weekly non-fiction content for the BellaOnline.com Hair site, drawing on her thirty plus years as a hairdresser. Retiring the Hair site, she spent the next fifteen years sharing her faith and penning weekly content for the BellaOnline.com Christian Living site.

She has been a regular contributor of devotions for several print publications and devotionals, and has written articles for many church bulletins and newsletters. She has also contributed articles to numerous internet publications.

For more information about current and past writing projects find her on Facebook, Amazon Author Page, Goodreads, Instagram, and follow on Twitter at @LWChapmanAuthor.

Interview ~

This may be the most important question I ask -- no pressure or anything, LOL! 

*drum roll*

What are you drinking in our virtual coffee house? Coffee? Tea? Hot chocolate? Something else altogether?

Do I have to choose one? I’m fond of all three. Everything in its time.

Perfect answer! If you could order anything in the world to eat (we can dream, can't we?), what would it be?

I’m a light eater. When I’m in a really good restaurant, I’ll order salmon or a creative salad.

Yum! Where is your favorite place to write, and why is that your favorite place?

Most of my time writing is done in my office. It’s a small room filled with book shelves loaded with my favorite books and some I haven’t read. The books inspire me to keep writing and reading. There is a really comfortable chair in my office that I’ve had for years. I may never replace it. The colors of the room are peaceful, white and gray, with accent shades of purple and maroon.

Sounds wonderful! Do you have an odd habit that is only explained by your bookish, writer tendencies? Safe space. ;-)

I often read a favorite book twice or three times. The second and third reading is to get to know the personalities of the characters or to catch a plot twist I’d missed. Is that odd?

It's not odd to me, LOL! What inspired you to write Death on Wolfe Mountain?

The main inspiration was to give my 3 main characters of the Evelynton murder series a new adventure. I’d been dealing with the subject of pride and how it reveals itself differently in each of us, so that would be a big part of it. The story begins with a hike through the woods and climbing an old bridge. I don’t do much hiking in the woods anymore but it’s one of my favorite things.

Cool angle! What led you to write in this genre?

I’ve always loved a mystery but not so much the sadistic crimes or evil criminals. Cozy mysteries are easy reads and are entertaining. If I can add a lesson or leave the reader thinking, all the better.

Love some cozy vibes! What message do you hope to convey to your readers?

I want my readers to be entertained and maybe read just for the fun of it. But I also want them to see the inner beauty of each character. The protagonist, antagonist, and all their friends, have reasons for their actions. My characters may be in comical and improbable situations but they’re deeply human and full of human frailty. I hope my readers come away with something to think about that is beyond the story line.

Love those layered characters! Can you tell us a little about your next project(s)?

I’m currently working on the third installment of the Secrets of Twin Fawn series. I would like to see the citizens of Twin Fawn experience a mystery during the Christmas season.

Awesome! Do you have a favorite Bible verse or story that inspires you on a soul level? 

The angel of the LORD encamps all around those who fear Him, and delivers them. Psalm 34:7

So good! What are you currently reading? Inquiring minds -- mine! -- want to know. ;-)

The Rising Tide by Ann Cleeves. This is a second reading.

Nice, and I love your callback to a second reading! ;-) Thanks for answering all of my prying questions, Lynne!

Check out Lynne's new release, Death on Wolfe Mountain, but keep scrolling for a kindle freebie offer - only available from January 28th through January 30th!

New Release ~

Three best friends reunite for a week of fun and festivities in this fifth installment of the Evelynton Series. A damper is put on the week when a casual hike results in the three stumbling onto a lifeless body.

Questions begin in the first chapter. Who was this man? Was his death accidental? Was it a suicide? Or was it murder?

Freelance writer and part-time receptionist, Lauren Halloren has unwittingly stumbled into a mystery that will once again pit her against local law enforcement, Officer Jimmy Farlow. When the three friends meet to delve into the circumstances surrounding the death, they find there is more than one mystery to be solved and many of the clues point to Lauren. One answer in their investigation leads to another question.

As Lauren continues to proclaim her innocence even friends begin to question her involvement.

Death on Wolfe Mountain is a fun mystery that will have you guessing and possibly leave you with a final question.

Check it out on Amazon! 

Kindle Freebie ~

The author is generously offering the kindle version of Heart Strings for free from January 28th through January 30th. 

Heart Strings is book one in the Evelynton Murder series. Grab your copy while you can at the link below!

Amazon.com: Heart Strings (Evelynton Murder Series Book 1) eBook : Chapman, Lynne Waite:

Kindle Store

See you next time, and God bless you guys!!!

Hugs!

~V. Joy Palmer

V. Joy Palmer loves to write romantic and comedic stories that proclaim God’s deep love for us. She’s a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and an avid blogger. In her spare time, Joy loves to sing (especially Disney songs), drink large quantities of coffee, and create aesthetic content for Bookstagram. When Joy isn’t fighting with fictional people, she’s hanging out with her husband and their adorable daughters. Connect with Joy via www.vjoypalmer.com!

Connect with Joy on her website, Facebook, Instagram, and Amazon Author Page!

Cara Grandle: Christian Historical Fiction and Her Life of Creativity

  Hello, Everyone! I'd like to introduce you to Christian historical author, Cara Grandle.

Cara Grandle writes historical Christian romance with all the heart, grit, and wagon-trail wonder you never knew you needed—think prairie sunsets, courageous heroines, and swoony moments set against the rugged beauty of the Oregon Territory. Author of the Sisters of the Porcelain Doll series, including The Rock, The Ribbon, The Rose, and The Ruby, Cara spins tales where faith and hope are never far from the trail dust and frontier challenges.  

A born storyteller and unabashed history fan, Cara’s stories blend adventure, tender romance, and the kind of resilient characters who make you cheer out loud. Whether it’s an independent woman baking her way through timber camps or a former outlaw with a heart that softens as gently as a mountain sunrise, her characters feel like friends you’re happy to meet and hate to leave. 

And here's her interview!

Hi, Cara, my friend! So glad to get this interview-on-paper chance with you!

     Voni, thank you for asking me to do this. When I’m thinking of how we met way back on periscope and the friendship we forged over years… Years it makes my soul feel good.

      I agree! And when we get to see each other in person, particularly.

 

To start out fun: What is your favorite food? Make it at home or eat at a restaurant?

I guess I would have to say that I am an at-home meal girl. We have this beautiful view of a creek in our backyard, and my husband loves to sit out on the patio with a fire pit burning. I like to make either salmon he caught or venison. We harvested with a big garden salad that has so much fresh earthy flavors that it doesn’t need salad dressing. That meal with my favorite person, my hubby, ticks so many boxes. Not that I don’t enjoy a good restaurant date from time to time.

Ooh, I want to come over for one of those meals!!!

 

 Now, here’s the real first question…what led to you becoming a Christian fiction author?

I’m kind of an anomaly in the author world. So many of my friends have started their love for words when they were young and in school or even pursued it in college. I didn’t do that at all. I think I read my first books cover to cover, minus a small handful, after I was married when I was swimming in little babies. I had five kids in 7-½ years. So that made for a lot of home days. My sister-in-law got me hooked and we didn’t have the Internet so we read out our local library, and we would sit and talk about what kind of books we loved the best and which ones we hoped our favorite authors tried to write next. I was a big Lori Wick fan. I still am and I hope my readers find similarities between her and I. At one point, I said to my sister-in-law, “I know I’ll write a book, and you can edit it.” She was like Beaker on the Muppets. (if that doesn’t date me, I don’t know what does.) She got that trapped look in her eyes. But that is exactly what I did. I started writing as escapism and then 10 years later the Lord legitimized my play and what I so enjoyed doing into something that He valued. I’m forever grateful for His words that happily came before all the work of being a novelist.

  

Would you please tell us about your very first published book?

Crazily enough, my first book, The Rock, is actually the fifth book I wrote. Learning to be an author is no joke. I love the story. It’s a true rags-to-riches, underdog-overcoming adventure. I like to write settlers books, where they have to start a new life over on the Oregon end of the Oregon Trail 1850-1885. So that definitely gives the fish out of water feel for my poor heroine, Heather. And don’t forget the bad guy. One of my favorite pieces of the story is that I got to write a curmudgeon. Don’t you love a really good grumpy guy. Not as the main character, in this book the curmudgeon is her father. He loves her in his own way, and that’s part of the problem.

I don’t know why, but curmudgeons are always fun and beloved. And loving.

 

              What was the spark behind your Sisters of the Porcelain Doll series?

What a fun interview question. I’m not sure anyone has asked me that yet. When I wrote my first series that didn’t get published, yet, one story grew out of another. But I didn’t know what to do. I had all these other really fun story ideas that seemed like they would never get their day in the sun, because I was constantly, organically, coming up with a story that was an offshoot of another. I asked the Lord for help on how to create a series out of four individual story ideas. The next thing you know, I was at a friend’s wedding. She was much younger than me, and I was a mentor to her. She had a dance after, all of her friends, her dearest closest friends were in a line holding hands. Each one was so different and had such a different life story, and each was in a different season of life, but they had created a tight sister bond. Sisters by choice rather than blood, if you will. It’s kind of like The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. Do you remember that movie? I still have a black-and-white picture of that moment on my wall.

Sometimes inspiration is just a moment. What a moment!

(To check out the Porcelain Doll series, check out Cara's website: caragrandle.com)

What makes writing a challenge when you’re sitting at your computer?

This is the fastest answer of the whole interview. Picture me laughing. I feel like I have a bottomless supply of a story. But every story requires editing, and smoothing, and always better craft. I’m so much better at that part than I used to be, and I even enjoy it now that I feel like a sculptor with words. But the diligence and discipline to stay in the chair when it’s sunny outside and I could go play in my garden or with my grandbabies is a force. I frequently have to remind myself that I can do hard things.

For me, it’s a movie or a TV series or another book that wants to draw me away.

 

What book or books are you currently reading? (Or are you re-reading?)

I’m an avid reader. And I was before I became a novelist, and I promised myself that I wouldn’t lose my love for reading. So I have some non-fiction and fiction books happening on my desk right now. I usually have five books going at a time. I like a physical book, one on my Kindle, one audiobook, one craft book which I include history and research in, and one devotional style or self-help. So my devotional right now is Randy Alcorn’s Seeing the Unseen about eternal perspective, self-help is The Creative Act: A Way of Being by Rick Ruben, my Kindle read is Roseanna White’s A Noble Scheme, my paper book is Pepper Basham’s The Highland Heist, and the audiobook I’m just getting started with is the newest hunger games book, Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins.

Wow. Five at once!

 

              What other creative projects do you enjoy?

This is a hilarious question for me, because I’m one of those people who is fueled in her creativity by doing creative things in different lanes. So, I like a lot of things and I actively do a lot of things, which makes me look scattered—until you look closer over years. I’m an avid gardener, I resale on eBay, which means I thrift and pick. My niche is collectible costume jewelry—think of your granny’s old brooches and you’re in the zone. Journaling, painting, and calligraphy are a few more. And I rotate them.

I think creativity in that “scattered” way spurs your writing creativity, for sure.

 

Since you’re from the wild Pacific Northwest, what outdoor activities do you like?

I never know if it’s very PC to say, but I’m a hunter—think head-to-toe camo, long wilderness hikes off-grid, and big guns—both big game and duck. Duck hunting has just come to an end, but let me tell you there’s nothing to relieve stress like shotgun therapy.

My hubby would sure love to hunt.

  

2026: New Year’s Resolution or Word of the Year? (And will you share?)

Being a planner girl and a journal-er, I most definitely have a word for the year. It’s always interesting to see what the Lord draws up out of a word that you weren’t expecting or couldn’t predict. My word for the year is Renaissance. I believe that 2026, for me, will be a year of renewed interest, growth, revival in dormant places…that I will find reinterpretation or discovery in things I’ve done before. Flourishing in the arts, ideas, and thinking discoveries. I think there will be exploration and potentially a pivot. (I can never say the word pivot without thinking of the Friends episode of TV “Pivot!”) I love words of the year. I would absolutely love to know what yours are. I think I grow and mature just hearing people talk about the way they take on a word for the year.

Mine has been Live for the last few years. Not as in You Only Live Once. YOLO means nothing to me. For me Live means to set my roots deep in my life—because God gave me this life.

 

Last, but not least, what is your next writing project? What can we look forward to?

This is fun to answer because I do have a book coming out this fall. It’s called Burnt Secrets. It’s a marriage-of-convenience, and reunion story mixed with a bank robbery, set in 1851. (Don’t you just love a good reunion story. I’ve been known to lose time watching military reunions on social media.)

So true! Easy to lose time on social media.

Burnt Secrets also includes my experience with both a house fire when I was young and being evacuated because of forest fires. So, picture of the old movie Seven Brides for Seven Brothers time period and location with a biiiig fire… and bad guys.

OOOOOOooooh! I can’t wait for Burnt Secrets, Cara! 

Thanks for sharing all of this. I’m glad you had fun with the answers, because that made your interview fun. Happy Renaissance year!

Interview and giveaway with Author Clare Revell!!

 Today at the Diamond Mine we welcome author Clare Revell to tell us about her book, Unchained Melody! She is offering a free copy to whoever wins the drawing. All you have to do to enter the drawing, is to scroll down and click on the "leave comment" button at the end of the interview. 

So now, let's get started on the interview with Clare! But first, a bit about her book!

Unchained Melody is the story of Raven Faulkner and Isaiah Beringer.

Candlewick is the only home Raven Faulkner has ever known-- one her family has run from 1820. When the bell--which according to legend, rings to warn of danger--chimes just before a tree falls on the lodge, Raven tells herself it's a coincidence. Just as well, because Raven doesn't have time to decipher supernatural messages. Her biggest worry is keeping her family's legacy alive.

Fame and fortune are not all they're cracked up to be. Just as well, after Isaiah Beringer's meteoric music career nosedives. He's sure God wants him on the mission field, but every mission society he's applied to thinks otherwise. Needing someplace secluded and peaceful to lick his wounds and figure out what God wants of him, he books into Candlewick. The problem? The woman who runs the lodge turns out to be his biggest fan.

Rising repair costs and failing health make the future uncertain. Unless Raven and Isaiah can work together to write a new ending to the unchained melody of the Lodge.

Wow! Sounds super interesting! Clare, how did you get your idea for this story?

This one had been floating around for several years. The characters changed names several times before finally ending up as Raven and Isaiah. The actual Lodge itself came from a pub in a village we drive through quite a lot. My mind immediately turned it into a hotel and dropped a tree on it purely because I could. And the tree came from a book I read as a kid. Although the main characters were sent away at that point and not left with the clean-up. Raven just has to get on and deal.

And that makes the story true to life! I'm curious: What made you decide to be a writer?

I've never wanted to be anything else. Creative writing was my favorite subject at school and I used to spend all my free time as a child writing stories. Still have some of them around somewhere.

Wouldn't it be fun to read some of those again? What was your first story?

First one ever written or first one published? First one written was called Island in the Sun as part of a school project when I was fifteen. Handwritten with a proper fountain pen and ink and illustrated by my sister. 

First one published was called Season for Miracles by Pelican Book Group back in November 2010. Island in the Sun has since been much revised, polished and published by Pelican as a three book series called Signal Me---November Charlie, Delta Victor and Echo Foxtrot.

I think it's pretty cool that your first story has grown into a series! Do you write from an outline, or just from inspiration, or both?

Both. My basic outline gets much manipulated and changed as I write. The characters take over, change their names, occupations, do stupid things that I have no idea how to fix. Sometimes I get inspiration from TV shows, or dreams, just real life stuff I put my own spin on. 

I love how you describe the way your characters take over! I find that so interesting, and mostly fun and challenging when that happens. Do you have any underlying themes that you want your readers to come away with?

No matter how bad things get, no matter if we can't see a way forward, God knows the answers. He always has a plan, even when it doesn't match ours.

Well said, and so true!                                                                             Do your characters share any traits with you or someone you know?

Dad always says he can see a little of me in all my books. A turn of phrase, characters who hold hands in church, somewhere we visited on holiday one year, or a story they'll tell each other.

Can you share with us more of the ways your characters have surprised you?

They pick their own names. Isaiah for example was originally Sam. Easy to spell, but no, he had to change it to something I still struggle with now. I think the spell checker actually changes it automatically now.                                                                                                           I had one character I had to threaten to delete after she completely ruined the storyline. That actually worked, surprisingly enough. I had one decide he was no longer a carpenter, he was a Lord and lived in a mansion. That change I did keep, even though it demanded an entire rewrite.

That's so humorous!! I love it!                                                               Do you have a favorite character in your books? 

That's like asking a mother to pick her favorite child. Is it a cop-out to say it depends which book I am currently writing? In Unchained Melody I think my favorite is Raven. But don't tell the others that!

I won't! :)                                                                                                What are you working on now?

Right now I am working on a series of three books called Midanbury. They are all handwritten and I am typing up book two. Think angels and demons and spiritual warfare and a town standing on the brink of destruction with only a single pastor and a few prayer warriors between the town and the evil surrounding it.

Sounds intense and very interesting! Thanks so much for the interview Clare. I found it quite delightful!

Okay readers, I'm going to include a short bio of Clare, then her social and purchase links. Remember, if you want to be in the drawing for a free copy, click on 'leave a comment' which will be after the links, and leave your email address so we can contact you if you win!

Clare is a British author. She lives in a small town in England with her husband, whom she married in 1992, and her now grownup children. Writing from early childhood and encouraged by her teachers, she graduated from rewriting fairy stories through fanfiction to using her own original characters and enjoys writing an eclectic mix of romance, crime fiction and children's stories. When she's not writing, she can be found reading, crocheting or doing the many piles of laundry the occupants of her house manage to make.

Her books are based in the UK, with a couple of exceptions, thus, although the spelling may be American, the books contain British language and terminology.

The first draft of every novel is handwritten.

Links: 

Pelican - https://pelicanbookgroup.com/ec/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=37_46&products_id=1714

Amazon UK - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Unchained-Melody-Candlewick-Lodge-Revell-ebook/dp/B0DW8Z8Q4Y

Amazon US - https://www.amazon.com/Unchained-Melody-Candlewick-Lodge-Revell-ebook/dp/B0DW8Z8Q4Y

Romantasy Author Paige Reed

 Hello, friends. I trust you all had a safe and happy holiday season. Are you ready to load up your TBRs for 2026? If so, be sure and visit us often to find new and new-to-you authors and stories.

And I can't think of a better person to be the first introduction of 2026 than Paige Reed. Paige and I have been critique partners for five years, and I have watched her stories transform from good to amazing. I've had a front-row seat to the hard work she's poured into the Guardians of Areli series. 

Here's a fun fact: When we first started critiquing and Paige told me her word count, my response was, "No publisher is going to buy that book." She listened and reworked her 3-book trilogy into two 3-book trilogies. In the course of these past years, she's made even more changes, and her stories are fuller, richer, and more immersive because of her desire to share the stories God wants her to share.

I am not normally a fantasy reader, but Paige's books have a familiar, historical tone that makes her world-building both new and comfortable. And y'all, this lady can write. You will be swept away with her beautiful writing and her captivating storytelling. But you don't have to take my word for it. Here's what one reviewer said about Reviving Embers (Paige's debut novel): 

Immersive, thought-provoking, passionate, and clever are only a few of the terms I could use to describe this novel. What a gem in the Christian fantasy realm. It definitely leaves you anticipating more.

Paige has generously offered to give one of our readers a signed paperback of Reviving Embers (her debut novel). Be sure to read to the end to find out how to enter the giveaway.

Let's welcome Paige to the diamond mine.

Meet Paige Reed

Paige loves life in all its messy reality. She believes in hope—not the sort spun by fairytales—but a hope fearless of the dark. Chocolate is her kindred spirit and together they write epic stories about fascinating people caught in incredible places and discovering an extraordinary God. Paige won the 2020 ACFW Genesis Award for speculative fiction and the 2021 ACFW Virginia Crown Contest Award.

Connect with Paige: Website | Newsletter | Amazon | Instagram | Facebook

Suzie: Welcome, Paige. I am delighted to introduce you to our readers, so let's get started.

Would you rather live without internet for a year or without air conditioning and heating for a year?

Paige: The internet—as long as I had a different way to research, market, and publish my books, lol. I’m one of those sorts who are on the internet because I have to be, not because I love it.

But heating? I live in the north country and that is a desperate need in my life :-)

Suzie: I couldn't bear the Tennessee summers without AC myself (but I do use the internet every day) 

Would you rather give up social media or eat the same dinner for the rest of your life?

Paige: For sure, social media! I’m a foodie, and foodies can’t handle “the same” anything too many times in a row.

Suzie: I agree with the social media (although I am okay with "the same" for a while). Tell us a little about you—family, hobbies, day job, or whatever you’d like to share that’s not in your bio.

Paige: I’m an avid gardener. At least, I avidly enjoy gardening. Unfortunately, flowers and herbs are the only things that have grown well—so I’ve never had enough surplus of produce to make canning worth it. My husband and I joke that if the economy goes belly up and had to live off my garden, we’d have one good day before starving to death ;-)

Suzie: I can't even keep flowers or herbs alive. 

What are three books on your current tbr?

Paige: The Huntress by Carrie Cotton … because it’s a bestseller in my genre.

Sense and Suitability by Pepper Basham … because I’m a die-hard classics fan. So much so, if you would have told me I would be an author one day, I would have assumed I’d write historical fiction. But alas, my characters insisted their story be told in a different time and place, so I became a fantasy writer instead. And I might just love it.

Cerulean Rose by Demi Griffin … because I love fairytale rewrites with spiritual layers.

Suzie: What does your writing space look like?

Paige: I write at a standing desk, located in our house’s loft, that overlooks a panorama of rolling hills, trees, and huge, expressive sky. The view makes my heart incredibly happy and helps my creative juices flow.

But the surface of my desk is a wee bit crowded right now. Between writing a series and needing to have access to all of its parts and pieces at a moment’s notice, trying to figure out this marketing thing, and a plethora of art supplies for drawing fantasy maps for said series, I’m thinking I need a piece of furniture to help me stay organized while being able to still find everything. A cute, white or distressed-white dresser with three drawers stacked on top of each other should do the trick. And I think the color would pair with the buttermilk yellow walls and European cottage vibe I have going on up there.

And did I mention it would be cute?

Suzie: That would be cute. Would you share with us a little about your road to publication?

Paige: I tried to go the traditional route.

I studied craft.

I joined crit groups.

I entered unpublished contests—even won the Genesis and Virginia Christian Writers Awards—hoping to earn the attention of a trad publisher and agent.

I even met with one of the top agents in the Christian publishing world.

However, I didn’t realize how the publishing industry worked. Didn’t know that if the Christian publishing houses hadn’t built a market for romantic fantasy, then they weren’t going to pick up my manuscript no matter how well written it was or how popular the genre was becoming.

Which meant that this technology-challenged and marketing-adverse individual—who gets a grand total of two or three likes on any social media post—had to learn how to publish and sell her own books.

Don’t get me going on the desperate, overwhelming search to find professional-grade editors and cover designer …

But the Lord is right here in all the unexpected, guiding my faltering, inadequate footsteps. I’m inching forward. In July of 2025 I published my first book—Reviving Embers, prequel to the Guardians of Areli series. Then released the second book in October of 2025. Annnnnd—I have two more scheduled to release in 2026.

Suzie: The publishing industry is rough, no matter which route you choose to go. What are some of your favorite things about writing romantacy?

Paige: Always, I love the romance. There is something so intrinsically beautiful about the strong and powerful gentling themselves to woo the heart and trust of the fairer sex. It reminds me of how

Christ set aside His resplendent glory—that would have frightened or overwhelmed us—and took on the form of a servant to win His bride. I also adore the process of the MMC and FMC

growing toward each other, discovering each other’s souls—especially the wounded places—and choosing to love sacrificially and unconditionally.

I also enjoy world building. My approach to fantasy is probably different than most. I love using a different time and place to interact with foundational, eternal truths that are alive and real in our world. It’s my desire to magnify, articulate, and remember again with my reader the spectacular realities that get lost in our harsh, broken, now and now.

And I cherish the opportunity to organically weave in the truest and deepest delight of the human experience—that place where the finite crosses paths with the Infinite, or the sinner discovers the Savior, or the wounded meets the Restorer.

Suzie: Sounds like you are in the exact genre you are supposed to be in. Tell us more about your upcoming release.

Paige: Rending Hearts is the third installment in the Guardians of Areli series … and my favorite book yet.

And I’m not just saying that.

Middle books can be difficult to write—which is why a lot of fantasy writers go with the whole “one of the main characters is now possessed and their mind has been altered/hijacked,” as seen in the Hunger Games.

And there’s nothing wrong with writing or loving a story with that twist.

But between you and me, I don’t enjoy these deviations. When I go on a journey with a character, I want to discover who they are and watch them authentically grow and transform over the course of the story.

Yet going without a major setback along this order forces the plot and characters to carry the momentum. There is no “how will they get free?” taking up a lot of space and time.

And I’m thrilled to say this cast of characters nailed it all on their own. The book sort of wrote itself, and I can’t wait for my readers to get to experience the incredible lows and highs of this next installment in the battle for Areli.

Suzie: I'm looking forward to reading it. What are you currently working on?

Paige: The fourth and final book in the Guardians of Areli series—which brings my first epic romantic fantasy to completion. Three books' worth of threads and character development are coming to a climax, and it’s incredibly satisfying to build each scene. This final book is coming together better than my wildest

imaginations.

And … I’m also working on two companion novellas that cover the love stories of beloved secondary characters. I’m super excited about these stories because they will give us a glimpse behind the scenes and into both territories and struggles that I don’t have time to cover in the main series—but are super delightful and hopefully every bit as inspiring.

Suzie: It's bittersweet saying goodbye to a series. How can we pray for you?

Paige: Wow. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate this question.

Two things come to mind—

1. That each book will reach its full potential.

2. That I will find my readers. I’m still in the infant stages of building my author career and it’s a pretty big, overwhelming world out there. Sometimes, it feels like I’m launching my stories into a void. But the Lord had specific readers in mind when He led me to write these books, and I would love to find them :-)

Suzie: Thank you for spending some time with us, Paige. 

About Reviving Embers

He vowed to protect his people no matter the cost. But what if the cost is her?

Twelve years ago, the Shields of Power saved Paul Marshall's family from annihilation. Now a man, he’ll stop at nothing to earn a place among the elite council sworn to protect the Shields’ source of strength.

But no one with common blood has been appointed for centuries.

To rise, Paul must train with the nobility and secure influential connections in a world that doesn’t want him. His chances go from slim to impossible when he attracts formidable enemies—and the affections of a woman he can never have.

Verity Scillician, noble born and destined to marry the crown prince, struggles to accept the path laid out for her. Emptiness haunts her, forbidden pursuits call, and Paul tugs at every hungry place inside her. But breaking free from the expectations of her family and class could ruin her.

Subversive influences sweep Areli into a war of ideologies that threatens their past and future. As they fight to preserve their heritage, and the attraction between them deepens to love, Paul and Verity must decide if they will obey the ancient warning to stoke the fire within …

Even if the flame consumes their dreams.

Amazon | Goodreads

About Revealing Shadows

There is treachery without. And treachery within.

Prince Beniah receives this cryptic warning when a lethal storm drives him to take refuge in the Western Cliffs. Yet the tension between him and his father compels him to hide his investigation.

Evidence of conspiracy continues to stack. A divisive treaty. Scarred earth. The opening of Areli’s borders to their ancient enemy. A murder. As the threat to his kingdom escalates, Beniah faces chilling questions …
Who is the mastermind? And who is their ultimate target?

Anne has lived her life cloaked in obscurity and rejection. Hidden behind a hair scarf and tinted glasses, she serves the High King and Areli with quiet devotion. But disturbing revelations force her to choose between staying safe in the shadows or betraying her sect by reaching across the class chasm for help.

As the web of mystery tightens, Beniah’s and Anne’s paths—and loyalties—cross treasonous boundaries, making discovery even more dangerous. Yet when their enemies close in, no safe options remain.

Either they step into the light and risk revealing their deepest-held secrets …

Or they let the shadows swallow them whole.

Amazon | Goodreads

Giveaway

Would you like to read Reviving Embers? Paige is giving one of you a signed paperback (US addresses only). To enter, simply leave a comment and tell us which of the above tropes are you're most interested in reading about.

Giveaway ends at midnight CST on 1/14/26.