Episodes

Tuesday Jan 01, 2019
Ann H. Gabhart Brings 19th Century Kentucky to Life
Tuesday Jan 01, 2019
Tuesday Jan 01, 2019
The Fresh Fiction Podcast is brought to you by REVELL BOOKS and BETHANY HOUSE, publishers of RIVER TO REDEMPTION by ANN H. GABHART.
Welcome back to the Fresh Fiction Podcast. It’s been over 150 years since slavery ended in America, but the conversation about this awful and dark part of our country’s history remains relevant and necessary. Ann H. Gabhart’s newest emotional novel, RIVER TO REDEMPTION, features a young woman, raised by a slave who chose duty over freedom, determined to save the life of the man who saved her. I’m thrilled to welcome Ann to the podcast.
If you love what you hear there are a few ways you can help us during season two. First, don’t forget to subscribe to the Fresh Fiction Podcast on iTunes and Stitcher – or any of your favorite podcast apps. Rating, reviewing, and sharing the podcast with your friends helps us out more than you know. Sharing is caring, as they say.
You can find me on Twitter and instagram as @reelvixen.
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RIVER TO REDEMPTION by Ann H. Gabhart
Orphaned in the cholera epidemic in Kentucky’s early nineteenth century, Adria Starr was raised by a slave. Now at nineteen, she must stand up for his freedom--and in the process, find her own.
Orphaned in the cholera epidemic of 1833, Adria Starr was cared for by a slave named Louis, a man who stayed in Springfield, Kentucky, when anyone with means had fled. A man who passed up the opportunity to escape his bondage and instead tended to the sick and buried the dead. A man who, twelve years later, is being sold by his owners despite his heroic actions. Now nineteen, Adria has never forgotten what Louis did for her. She’s determined to find a way to buy Louis’s freedom. But in 1840s Kentucky, she’ll face an uphill battle.
Based partly on a true story, Ann H. Gabhart’s latest historical novel is a tour de force. The vividly rendered town of Springfield and its citizens immerse readers in a story of courage, betrayal, and honor that will stick with them long after they turn the last page.
Inspirational Inspirational [Revell, On Sale: July 3, 2018, Paperback / e-Book, ISBN: 9780800723644 / eISBN: 9781441219770]
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Wednesday Dec 26, 2018
Thomas Locke talks dystopia, living abroad, and what to expect in 'ENCLAVE'
Wednesday Dec 26, 2018
Wednesday Dec 26, 2018
The Fresh Fiction Podcast is brought to you by REVELL BOOKS and BETHANY HOUSE, publishers of ENCLAVE by THOMAS LOCKE.
In a distant future, 50 years after an event called the Great Crash, America no longer reflects the great country it once was. Now the country is sliced into communities called enclaves, some more prosperous than others. Two of the largest and most affluent southern enclaves, Charlotte and Atlanta, remains stable and business friendly, but that all changes when a new vein of gold is discovered, sending everyone into a tizzy of hope and fear. Of course, there are good forces and bad in the enclave, but one young man holds the key to keeping the peace — as long as he’s able to keep his secret while helping keep the attention on Catawba to a minimum. Thomas Locke’s newest sci-fi adventure, ENCLAVE, is available in book stores now, and he’s here to tell us all about this new novel. Welcome, Thomas, to the Fresh Fiction Podcast.
We’re still growing, so please help us out by subscribing and rating the podcast, leaving a comment, or even just sharing it on social media. You can find us on twitter, Instagram, and on Facebook. I’ll be back next time with something new to watch, read, and listen to!
ENCLAVE by Thomas Locke
It's been 50 years since the Great Crash and what was once America is now a collection of enclaves, governed on the local level and only loosely tied together by the farce of a federal government. Catawba, one of the largest and most affluent enclaves in the southern states, is relatively stable and maintains a successful business of trade with nearby enclaves, including the one at Charlotte Township. But when a new vein of gold is found beneath the feet of those in Catawba, it's only a matter of time before trouble finds them.
Now the future of Catawba may be in the hands of an untried 21-year-old trader named Caleb. And Caleb knows that if his secret were ever to come out, he would never see another dawn.
Science Fiction | Young Adult [Revell, On Sale: November 20, 2018, Hardcover / e-Book, ISBN: 9780800727918 / eISBN: 9781493413980]
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Tuesday Dec 25, 2018
A Very Christmas Episode with Melody Carlson
Tuesday Dec 25, 2018
Tuesday Dec 25, 2018
The Fresh Fiction Podcast is brought to you by REVELL BOOKS and BETHANY HOUSE, publishers of CHRISTMAS BY THE SEA by MELODY CARLSON.
When Wendy Harper inherits her family's beachside cottage in Seaside, Maine, she sees it as a way to finally pay off the debts that have mounted since her husband died. But before it can be sold, the neglected property must be renovated. She and her 12-year-old son Jackson move in--temporarily, she reminds him--in order to do the work themselves, even though Christmas is coming. The charming town, along with local craftsman Caleb Colton, pulls on both Wendy and Jackson, who even registers himself for school in a bid to get his mom to move them there permanently. Wendy knows that the most responsible thing to do is to sell the cottage and return to Ohio, but the lure of the sea is hard to resist.
We’re still growing, so please help us out by subscribing and rating the podcast, leaving a comment, or even just sharing it on social media. You can find us on twitter, Instagram, and on Facebook. I’ll be back next time with something new to watch, read, and listen to!
A CHRISTMAS BY THE SEA by Melody Carlson
When Wendy Harper inherits her family's beachside cottage in Seaside, Maine, she sees it as a way to finally pay off the debts that have mounted since her husband died. But before it can be sold, the neglected property must be renovated. She and her 12-year-old son Jackson move in--temporarily, she reminds him--in order to do the work themselves, even though Christmas is coming. The charming town, along with local craftsman Caleb Colton, pulls on both Wendy and Jackson, who even registers himself for school in a bid to get his mom to move them there permanently. Wendy knows that the most responsible thing to do is to sell the cottage and return to Ohio, but the lure of the sea is hard to resist.
Join award-winning author Melody Carlson for a Christmas story that will warm your heart and have you dreaming of your own enchanted seaside holiday.
Inspirational Romance | Holiday [Revell, On Sale: September 4, 2018, Hardcover / e-Book, ISBN: 9780800722715 / eISBN: 9781493415045]
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Monday Dec 17, 2018
Writing gothic beauty with Jamie Jo Wright
Monday Dec 17, 2018
Monday Dec 17, 2018
The Fresh Fiction Podcast is brought to you by REVELL BOOKS and BETHANY HOUSE, publishers of THE RECKONING AT GOSSAMER POND by JAMIE JO WRIGHT.
Two women, separated by a hundred years, must uncover the secrets within the borders of their own town before it's too late and they lose their future--or their very souls. This is the riveting plot for Jamie Jo Wright’s newest mystery THE RECKONING AT GOSSAMER POND. Today, Jamie joins me to discuss the novel, what readers can expect in this twisty story, and shares what she’s reading, watching, and listening to right now.
We’re still growing, so please help us out by subscribing and rating the podcast, leaving a comment, or even just sharing it on social media. You can find us on twitter, Instagram, and on Facebook. I’ll be back next time with something new to watch, read, and listen to!
THE RECKONING AT GOSSAMER POND by Jaime Jo Wright
For over a century, the town of Gossamer Grove has thrived on its charm and midwestern values, but Annalise Forsythe knows painful secrets, including her own, hover just beneath the pleasant façade. When a man is found dead in his run-down trailer home, Annalise inherits the trailer, along with the pictures, vintage obituaries, and old revival posters covering its walls. As she sorts through the collection, she's wholly unprepared for the ramifications of the dark and deadly secrets she'll uncover.
A century earlier, Gossamer Grove has been stirred into chaos by the arrival of controversial and charismatic twin revivalists. The chaos takes a murderous turn when Libby Sheffield, working at her father's newspaper, receives an obituary for a reputable church deacon hours before his death. As she works with the deacon's son to unravel the mystery behind the crime, it becomes undeniably clear that a reckoning has come to town--but it isn't until another obituary arrives that they realize the true depths of the danger they've waded into.
Two women, separated by a hundred years, must uncover the secrets within the borders of their own town before it's too late and they lose their future--or their very souls.
Inspirational Mystery | Romance Time Slip | Mystery Historical [Bethany House Publishers, On Sale: July 3, 2018, Paperback / e-Book, ISBN: 9780764230295 / eISBN: 9781493414734]
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Tuesday Oct 16, 2018
Writing the stories of history's forgotten women with Jane Kirkpatrick
Tuesday Oct 16, 2018
Tuesday Oct 16, 2018
The Fresh Fiction Podcast is brought to you by REVELL BOOKS and BETHANY HOUSE, publishers of EVERYTHING SHE DIDN’T SAY by Jane Kirkpatrick.
Inspired by true events, Jane Kirkpatrick’s new novel, EVERYTHING SHE DIDN’T SAY, reimagines the life of memoirist Carrie Strahorn as she traveled across early 20th century America. Upon the publication of her 1911 memoir, Strahorn shared with readers insights into her 25 years on the road with her husband. Jane’s version of the events pulls aside the curtain to show the feelings Carrie couldn’t share in her memoir as she navigates her life and relationships. As emotions bubble under the surface, Carrie must find her place in a life that is constantly on the move.
We’re still growing, so please help us out by subscribing and rating the podcast, leaving a comment, or even just sharing it on social media. You can find us on twitter, Instagram, and on Facebook. I’ll be back next time with something new to watch, read, and listen to!
EVERYTHING SHE DIDN'T SAY by Jane Kirkpatrick
In 1911, Carrie Strahorn wrote a memoir entitled Fifteen Thousand Miles by Stage, which shared some of the most exciting events of 25 years of traveling and shaping the American West with her husband, Robert Strahorn, a railroad promoter, investor, and writer. That is all fact. Everything She Didn't Say imagines Carrie nearly ten years later as she decides to write down what was really on her mind during those adventurous nomadic years.
Certain that her husband will not read it, and in fact that it will only be found after her death, Carrie is finally willing to explore the lessons she learned along the way, including the danger a woman faces of losing herself within a relationship with a strong-willed man and the courage it takes to accept her own God-given worth apart from him. Carrie discovers that wealth doesn't insulate a soul from pain and disappointment, family is essential, pioneering is a challenge, and western landscapes are both demanding and nourishing. Most of all, she discovers that home can be found, even in a rootless life.
With a deft hand, New York Times bestselling author Jane Kirkpatrick draws out the emotions of living--the laughter and pain, the love and loss--to give readers a window not only into the past, but into their own conflicted hearts. Based on a true story.
Romance Historical | Inspirational Historical [Revell, On Sale: September 4, 2018, Paperback / e-Book, ISBN: 9780800727017 / eISBN: 9781493415175]
Buy EVERYTHING SHE DIDN'T SAY: Amazon.com | Kindle | BN.com | iTunes/iBooks | Kobo | Google Play | Powell's Books | Books-A-Million | Indiebound | Ripped Bodice | Amazon CA | Amazon UK | Amazon DE | Amazon FR

Wednesday Oct 03, 2018
From homeschool mom to multi-published author, a conversation with Jan Drexler
Wednesday Oct 03, 2018
Wednesday Oct 03, 2018
The Fresh Fiction Podcast is brought to you by REVELL BOOKS and BETHANY HOUSE, publishers of THE SOUND OF DISTANT THUNDER by Jan Drexler.
Jan Drexler helped Gwen kick off season two with stories about researching Amish culture, how a school project for her kiddos sparked her to write her first novel, and what she likes to read to unwind.
We’re still growing, so please help us out by subscribing and rating the podcast, leaving a comment, or even just sharing it on social media. You can find us on twitter, Instagram, and on Facebook. I’ll be back next time with something new to watch, read, and listen to!
THE SOUND OF DISTANT THUNDER by Jan Drexler
The Amish of Weaver's Creek #1
Katie Stuckey and Jonas Weaver are both romantics. Seventeen-year-old Katie is starry-eyed, in love with the idea of being in love, and does not want to wait to marry Jonas until she is eighteen, despite her parents' insistence. So much can happen in a year. Twenty-year-old Jonas is taken in by the romance of soldiering, especially in defense of anti-slavery, even though he knows war is at odds with the teachings of the church. When his married brother's name comes up in the draft list, he volunteers to take his brother's place. But can the commitment Katie and Jonas have made to each other survive the separation?
From the talented pen of Jan Drexler comes this brand new Amish series set against the backdrop of the Civil War. She puts her characters to the test as they struggle to reconcile their convictions and desires while the national conflict threatens to undermine and engulf their community.
Amish | Inspirational Romance [Revell, On Sale: September 18, 2018, Paperback / e-Book, ISBN: 9780800729318 / eISBN: 9781493415083]
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Wednesday Aug 29, 2018
Diving deep with romantic suspense author Lynn H. Blackburn
Wednesday Aug 29, 2018
Wednesday Aug 29, 2018
The Fresh Fiction Podcast is brought to you by REVELL BOOKS and BETHANY HOUSE, publishers of the Dive Team Investigation series by Lynn H. Blackburn.
Lynn stopped by the podcast to talk about BENEATH THE SURFACE, the first in her Dive Team Investigation series. She also shared her journey as a writer, balancing her new career with her family, and how she just finished binge reading and watching.
We’re still growing, so please help us out by subscribing and rating the podcast, leaving a comment, or even just sharing it on social media. You can find us on twitter, Instagram, and on Facebook. I’ll be back next time with something new to watch, read, and listen to!
BENEATH THE SURFACE by Lynn H. Blackburn
Leigh Weston thought she'd left a troubled past behind when she moved back home to Carrington, North Carolina. But when dive team investigator Ryan Parker finds a body in the lake near her home, she fears the past hasn't stayed where it belongs.
After a harrowing experience with an obsessed patient, oncology nurse practitioner Leigh Weston needed a change. She thought she'd left her troubles behind when she moved home to Carrington, North Carolina, and took a job in the emergency department of the local hospital. But when someone tampers with her brakes, she fears the past has chased her into the present. She reaches out to her high school friend turned homicide investigator, Ryan Parker, for help.
Ryan finds satisfaction in his career, but his favorite way to use his skills is as a volunteer underwater investigator with the Carrington County Sheriff's Office dive team. When the body of a wealthy businessman is discovered in Lake Porter, the investigation uncovers a possible serial killer--one with a terrifying connection to Leigh Weston and deadly implications for them all.
Dive into the depths of fear with an exciting new voice in romantic suspense. Award-winning author Lynn H. Blackburn grabs readers by the throat and doesn't let go until the final heart-pounding page.
Inspirational Romance | Romance Suspense [Revell, On Sale: March 6, 2018, Paperback / e-Book, ISBN: 9780800729387 / eISBN: 9781493413829]
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Thursday Aug 16, 2018
The gifts of story with Suzanne Woods Fisher
Thursday Aug 16, 2018
Thursday Aug 16, 2018
The Fresh Fiction Podcast is brought to you by REVELL BOOKS and BETHANY HOUSE, publishers of the Nantucket Legacy series by Suzanne Woods Fisher.
With summer in full swing what’s a better time than now to pick up a new series. Suzanne Woods Fisher stopped by the podcast to talk about PHOEBE’S LIGHT, the first in her Nantucket Legacy trilogy. In the novel Suzanne introduces readers to the Quaker community, a cloistered group of people with good hearts. Set against the backdrop of historical Nantucket, Suzanne brings to life the story of Phoebe and the gifts her father gave her before she set out on a nautical adventure. Also, Suzanne shares her picks on what you should read, watch, and listen to after you finish PHOEBE’S LIGHT.
We’re still growing, so please help us out by subscribing and rating the podcast, leaving a comment, or even just sharing it on social media. You can find us on twitter, Instagram, and on Facebook. I’ll be back next time with something new to watch, read, and listen to!
PHOEBE'S LIGHT by Suzanne Woods Fisher
Phoebe Starbuck has always adjusted her sails and rudder to the whims of her father. Now, for the first time, she’s doing what she wants to do: marrying Captain Phineas Foulger and sailing far away from Nantucket. As she leaves on her grand adventure, her father gives her two gifts, both of which Phoebe sees little need for. The first is an old sheepskin journal from Great Mary, her highly revered great-grandmother. The other is a "minder" on the whaling ship in the form of cooper Matthew Mitchell, a man whom she loathes.
Soon Phoebe discovers that life at sea is no easier than life on land. Lonely, seasick, and disillusioned, she turns the pages of Great Mary’s journal and finds herself drawn into the life of this noble woman. To Phoebe’s shock, her great-grandmother has left a secret behind that carries repercussions for everyone aboard the ship, especially her husband the captain and her shadow the cooper. This story within a story catapults Phoebe into seeing her life in an entirely new way—just in time.
In this brand-new series, bestselling author Suzanne Woods Fisher brings her signature twists and turns to bear on a fascinating new faith community: the Quakers of colonial- era Nantucket Island.
Romance Historical | Inspirational Historical [Revell, On Sale: February 6, 2018, Paperback / e-Book, ISBN: 9780800721626 / eISBN: 9781493412495]
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Tuesday Jul 24, 2018
Finding Redemption in 'Azure Springs' with author Rachel Fordham
Tuesday Jul 24, 2018
Tuesday Jul 24, 2018
The Fresh Fiction Podcast is brought to you by REVELL BOOKS and BETHANY HOUSE, publishers of the new book THE HOPE OF AZURE SPRINGS by Rachel Fordham.
Rachel and I chatted about writing and publishing her debut novel, losing then finding the energy to finish THE HOPE OF AZURE SPRINGS after her son's life-changing diagnosis, and bringing a sense of redemption to her characters.
We’re still growing, so please help us out by subscribing and rating the podcast, leaving a comment, or even just sharing it on social media. You can find us on twitter, Instagram, and on Facebook. I’ll be back next time with something new to watch, read, and listen to!
THE HOPE OF AZURE SPRINGS by Rachel Fordham
Seven years ago, orphaned and alone, Em finally arrived at a new home in Iowa after riding the orphan train. But secrets from her past haunt her, and her new life in the Western wilderness is a rough one. When her guardian is shot and killed, Em, now nineteen, finally has the chance to search for her long-lost sister, but she won't be able to do it alone.
For Azure Springs Sheriff Caleb Reynolds, securing justice for the waifish and injured Em is just part of his job. He's determined to solve every case put before him in order to impress his parents and make a name for himself. Caleb expects to succeed. What he doesn't expect is the hold this strange young woman will have on his heart.
Debut author Rachel Fordham invites historical romance readers to the charming town of Azure Springs, Iowa, where the people care deeply for one another and, sometimes, even fall in love.
Inspirational Historical | Romance Historical [Revell, On Sale: July 3, 2018, Paperback / e-Book, ISBN: 9780800734732 / eISBN: 9781493414222]
Buy THE HOPE OF AZURE SPRINGS: Amazon.com | Kindle | BN.com | iTunes/iBooks | Kobo | Google Play | Powell's Books | Books-A-Million | Indiebound | Ripped Bodice | Amazon CA | Amazon UK | Amazon DE | Amazon FR

Tuesday Jul 10, 2018
Episode 0116: Interview with Jody Hedlund, author of TOGETHER FOREVER
Tuesday Jul 10, 2018
Tuesday Jul 10, 2018
The Fresh Fiction Podcast is brought to you by REVELL BOOKS and BETHANY HOUSE, publishers of the new book TOGETHER FOREVER by Jody Hedlund.
Today Jody shared with me the history of orphan trains, the research she did for TOGETHER FOREVER, and how her mom was the most encouraging figure in her writing career as she fostered her love of reading and creativity from an early age. Jody and I had a blast talking and I hope you enjoy our interview.
We’re still growing, so please help us out by subscribing and rating the podcast, leaving a comment, or even just sharing it on social media. You can find us on twitter, Instagram, and on Facebook. I’ll be back next time with something new to watch, read, and listen to!
TOGETHER FOREVER by Jody Hedlund
Orphan Train #2
Marianne Neumann has one goal in life: to find her lost younger sister, Sophie. When Marianne takes a job as a placing agent with the Children's Aid Society in 1858 New York, she not only hopes to give children a better life but seeks to discover whether Sophie ended up leaving the city on an orphan train.
Andrew Brady, her fellow agent on her first placing trip, is a former schoolteacher who has an easy way with the children--firm but tender and funny. Underneath his handsome charm, though, seems to linger a grief that won't go away--and a secret from his past that he keeps hidden. As the two team up placing orphans amid small railroad towns in Illinois, they find themselves growing ever closer . . . until a shocking tragedy threatens to upend all their work and change one of their lives forever.
Historical | Inspirational [Bethany House, On Sale: May 1, 2018, Paperback / e-Book, ISBN: 9780764218057 / eISBN: 9781493414819]











