catholic fiction

Standing Strong: Going All In with the West Brothers

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AVAILABLE TODAY!

Couched in ordinary circumstances and ordinary characters (except that, well, they live in sort of a castle), Standing Strong deals with the most important things. We start asking ourselves the relevant questions sometime in the elementary school years: What do I want to do? What kind of person do I want to be?

And we answer them every day with our actions or inaction, our habits, our determination, and our willingness to accept who, ultimately, will rule our lives.  To whose will do we bend? Our own? Or God’s will? Continue reading →

Catholic Fiction and Where to Find It

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Catholic Fiction
Photo by Kimberly Farmer on Unsplash

Updated: February 2021

I’ve spent the better part of the past decade connected to a variety of online circles in which Catholic fiction is not only known, but loved and nourished. So when I step outside that literary bubble, I’m sometimes surprised to be reminded that many people – even practicing Catholics who are voracious fiction devourers – have yet to discover contemporary Catholic fiction.

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Interview with Author Michelle Buckman

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Turning In Circles is permeated with what is – to me, anyway – a Southern fiction voice. What characteristics do you see as setting Southern fiction apart from general fiction set throughout the United States? (Because I wouldn’t necessarily call everything set in the American south, “Southern fiction.”)

Turning In CirclesBecause I was born in New York and raised in Canada, I arrived in North Carolina as an outsider when I was at the critical teeny-bopper stage. That experience permitted me to observe the South from a different perspective than those who have always lived here. There is a difference in mannerisms, in how families interact, in how people interact in public, and even in the social structure of small communities. Continue reading →

The Struggle Is Real for Catholic Fiction Authors

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By Guest Blogger T.M. Gaouette

As the author of Catholic fiction for teens and young adults, I find myself in a constant battle of the wills. There’s this desire to delight the reader with an entertaining and relatable story, while still remaining focused on pleasing God and sharing His Word. Some may not think this much of a challenge, but when you reflect on the world we live in, as well as what passes for entertainment these days, hardly a fraction of it would be considered godly. In fact, entertainment is so focused on stories that do everything but promote God’s word, or worse, indulge in ideas that are contrary to God’s word.

Teens Reading

Photo by Alexis Brown on Unsplash

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Interview with YA Author Leslea Wahl

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Unlike many YA books written for adults, yours seem to be truly aimed at teens. While neither The Perfect Blindside nor An Unexpected Role take on big, controversial issues, they focus on natural concerns and problems that are, in fact, important to teens, both personally and spiritually. What inspires you to write for teens?

The Perfect BlindsideMy oldest child was always an avid reader, and when he was in middle school he began searching for YA books. It was difficult to find fun, adventurous books that he wanted to read that also reflected the values we were trying to instill in him. So many YA books contained things that weren’t appropriate. I kept wondering why someone didn’t write adventurous books for teens with good messages. At the time, I didn’t know God would call me for this task! But shortly after, the idea for The Perfect Blindside just popped into my head. Since then I’ve concentrated on creating intriguing mysteries that can also encourage teens to grow in their faith through their underlying messages. Although I do have to say that even though my books are about teens I have a lot of adults that have been enjoying them as well. Continue reading →

Interview with Romantic Suspense Author Therese Heckenkamp

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Frozen Footprints, a Christian suspense thriller, includes some rather dark moments with a seriously-disturbed villain. The story, however, is never without hope. How do you balance the darkness and the light so that you allow the reader to contend with the horror your characters experience yet leave them with a satisfying, positive ending?

Frozen FootprintsWhile writing, I strive to find some positive moments amidst the hardships, even if they’re brief. Most readers will understandably give up on a story that goes too long without some kind of goodness or possibility of goodness occurring. Even if it appears to vanish for a time, there has to be some type of hope if I don’t want to end up with a novel of despair. (And I don’t! There are plenty of those out there.) How to bring in that lightness? It may be with another character, a positive perspective, a note of humor, an unexpected kindness, or a glimmer of faith. Similarly, a change in situation, or some form of comfort found in an unlikely place, may bring relief or an inspirational moment. Continue reading →

Battle for His Soul: A Glimpse at Unseen Realities

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angel statue

Photo by Stefan Schweihofer (pixabay)

If I were to list all of the (many) things I take for granted, my guardian angel would be one of them. In my defense, I can’t see, hear, smell, touch, or taste it, so it’s not hard to forget despite the fact I’ve said the Prayer to Your Guardian Angel every night of my life as far back as I can remember. (I thought there was only one – look at all of these!)

Battle for His Soul lets the reader see the guardian angels and spiritual warfare that we cannot see while still grounding the story in reality. Written in both human and angelic points of view, this third installment in Theresa Linden’s Catholic Teen Fiction series shouldn’t be missed. See my full review below! Continue reading →