Get ready for a fiery adventure as we chat with bestselling author Dana Mentink about her latest romantic suspense novel, Fire Mountain. In this episode, Dana shares how her writing journey began in the quiet moments of early motherhood, how her real-life arson investigator husband inspires her most dramatic scenes (yes, including Dorito fire-starters!), and why themes of forgiveness keep finding their way into her stories. We also dive into the explosive plot of Fire Mountain—complete with amnesia, a surprise baby, and a grumpy-sunshine romance set against the backdrop of an erupting volcano. If you love suspense with heart, this is one you don’t want to miss!
Dana Mentink lives in California where the weather is golden and the cheese is divine. Her family includes two daughters (affectionately nicknamed Yogi and Boo Boo.) Papa Bear is retired from the fire department and he met Dana doing a dinner theater production of The Velveteen Rabbit. Ironically, their parts were husband and wife.
Dana writes in two genres, cozy mystery and romantic suspense. She’s a USA TODAY, Publishers Weekly, and Amazon bestselling author as well as a two time ACFW Carol Award winner, and a Holt Medallion recipient. Her suspense novel, Betrayal in the Badlands, earned a Romantic Times Reviewer’s Choice Award. She is honored to write for Harlequin’s Love Inspired Suspense, Revell, and Poisoned Pen Press.
“There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.” – Romans 8:1 (NKJV)
Dana’s New Book: Fire Mountain
Fire rains from above as they fight to discover the truth and stay alive.
In the shadow of a threatening volcano, long-haul trucker Kit Garrido wakes up in her crashed big rig, unable to recall what happened or why she’s suddenly in possession of someone’s baby. Fiercely independent, she has to admit that perhaps this time she could use a little help.
As the threat of eruption grows, former cop Cullen Landry refuses to leave his cabin in the evacuation area, which is why he’s the only one left who can help Kit escape the crumpled cab of her truck. He doesn’t want to get tangled up in the mystery of the beautiful woman with an abandoned infant, but when he sees the bullet hole in the windshield and the bloody handprint on the interior, he realizes that he’s in this thing, like it or not.
When two armed men with ill intent approach, the race is on to stay alive, discover the truth, and find the baby’s missing mother–all while a deadly mountain rains fire from above.
Thank you so much to everyone who has supported me during the Kickstarter! I’m so grateful for you!
If you missed out on my debut novel Finding Forevermore on Kickstarter, no worries. You’ll have a chance to get the book at a later time once it officially launches across retailers like Amazon.
I’ll share more updates by joining my free email list and you’ll get all kind of goodies! Visit my website here to sign up
In this episode with Liz Johnson, we dive into the sweet and heartfelt world of Sometimes You Stay, her newest contemporary Christian romance set on Prince Edward Island. In this episode, Liz shares the inspiration behind the beloved Red Door Inn series—a place of safety and second chances—and introduces us to Cretia, a travel influencer who’s lost everything (literally) and Finn, a big-hearted dog trainer with a barn full of rescued animals and one very determined one-eyed cow. We chat about opposites attracting, unexpected love, and the beauty of community and real connection in a digitally distracted world. If you love stories filled with redemption, humor, and hope, this one’s for you!
By day Liz Johnson is a marketing manager. She makes time to write late at night—that’s when she thinks best anyway. Liz is the author of more than a dozen novels, a New York Times bestselling novella, and a handful of short stories. She’s a Christy Award finalist and a three-time ACFW Carol Award finalist. She makes her home in Phoenix, Arizona, where she enjoys exploring local music, theater, and doting on her nieces and nephews. She writes stories of true love filled with heart, humor, and happily ever afters.
1 John 3:16 (NKJV) “By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.”
Liz Johnson’s New Book: Sometimes You Stay
He was never going to leave the island, and she wasn’t going to stay. But if she walked away, she would always wonder . . .
For digital content creator Cretia Martin, home is wherever her carry-on suitcase lands. And it’s constantly landing in new places as she travels the world. She’s never been interested in settling in one spot–after all, houses are just places that collect junk and tie you down. But when she literally bumps into local dog breeder Finn Chaffey on Prince Edward Island and all the tools of her trade end up in the harbor, she can’t exactly leave until she gets things sorted out.
Finn is horrified by the part he played in the accident and offers to help, arranging for Cretia to stay with a friend at the beautiful Red Door Inn. The longer Cretia is forced to remain in one place, the more she discovers what she’s been missing with life on the road–and the more she wants to see Finn and his business succeed. But helping him means staying put, the one thing she always swore she wouldn’t do, and risking the only thing she’s never put on the line–her heart.
Thank you so much to everyone who has supported me during the Kickstarter! I’m so grateful for you!
If you missed out on my debut novel Finding Forevermore on Kickstarter, no worries. You’ll have a chance to get the book at a later time once it officially launches across retailers like Amazon.
I’ll share more updates by joining my free email list and you’ll get all kind of goodies! Visit my website here to sign up
In this interview with Danielle Grandinetti we dive into a story-lover’s journey from piano teacher to indie and traditional published author of heart-pounding historical romantic suspense. Danielle shares how God directed her unexpected path to publishing, how her background in music and teaching shapes her storytelling, and why she loves dropping her characters into high-stakes, dangerous situations—especially around Christmas! We also talk about her novella The Neighbor and the Gifts, where a shy librarian faces creepy Christmas gifts from a stalker, and how justice, mercy, and love are woven into every suspenseful chapter. If you’ve ever wondered what it takes to write romance with a dose of danger, this episode is a must-listen!
Danielle Grandinetti is an award-winning inspirational romance author fueled by tea, books, and the creative beauty of nature. Her stories combine romance, mystery, and suspense against the backdrop of the 1930s to tell the tale of finding home and hope in hard times. With a master’s in communication and culture and a passion for intercultural communication, storytelling has been her heartbeat for as long as she can remember. Married to her hero, Danielle is a second-generation Italian-American, a dairy farmer’s granddaughter, and a boy mom from Chicagoland who now lives along Lake Michigan’s Wisconsin shoreline.
Micah 6:8 (NKJV) “He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you But to do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God?”
Danielle’s New Book: The Neighbor and the Gifts
Twelve days. Twelve gifts. One unlikely hero.
Wisconsin, 1930—When Manitowish Waters librarian Olivia “Ollie” Larson finds a package on the library steps, she expects the children’s books she ordered, not a taxidermied partridge. By the fourth gift from her unknown and unwelcome True Love, disappearing to her grandfather’s isolated cabin in the Northwoods is the only way she can escape him.
Deputy Titus Wilburn is happy to escort the lovely librarian to her grandfather’s house on his way to the neighboring Yarwood cabin. After all, he’s been smitten with her since they attended school together, and she needs his protection. However, the plan fails when Ollie’s uninvited suitor discovers her new location.
As the man’s actions become more desperate and his gifts more dangerous, an unexpectedly bedridden Titus decides to free Ollie from this menace, which puts the enemy’s sights directly on him. Ollie refuses to let her injured hero sacrifice himself, but with the days ticking closer to Christmas, she may have no choice but to accept whatever fate her suitor has in store for her if she wants to save Titus’ life.
One cabin in the Northwoods … a decade of Christmas miracles.
Read the whole series! Prequel: The Sheriff and the Outlaw Book One: The Baby and the Guardian Book Two: The Neighbor and the Gifts
Tropes you’ll find inside:
Shy heroine & wounded hero
Small town / cabin setting
Forced proximity (hero falls off a roof!)
Childhood friends to more
Christmas countdown with a twist
Matchmaking grandparent
Romantic suspense with a historical twist
Gifts from a “not-so-secret” admirer (stalker)
Love inspired by danger
Librarian heroine
Get your copy today on Amazon or your favorite retailer!
Thank you so much to everyone who has supported me during the Kickstarter! I’m so grateful for you!
If you missed out on my debut novel Finding Forevermore on Kickstarter, no worries. You’ll have a chance to get the book at a later time once it officially launches across retailers like Amazon.
I’ll share more updates by joining my free email list and you’ll get all kind of goodies! Visit my website here to sign up
This episode with Hope Toler Dougherty dives deep into how God gently (and vividly) led her from nonfiction essays to the world of Christian romance fiction. In this episode, Hope shares the divine inspiration behind her writing journey and her latest book, Forever Free. We talk about her character Heath’s redemption story, Phoebe’s farm fresh dreams, and how singleness and second chances intertwine with grace and growth. If you’ve ever felt “less than” or unsure of your path, Hope’s journey will deeply encourage you. Grab your journal and a cozy cup—this one is full of wisdom, laughter, and God’s fingerprints on every page.
Hope Toler Dougherty holds a Master’s degree in English and taught at East Carolina University and York Technical College. Her early novels are Irish Encounter, Mars…With Venus Rising, and Rescued Hearts. Her Forever series includes Forever Music, Forever Home, and the novella, “A Hatteras Surprise,” featured in Candy Cane Wishes and Saltwater Dreams.
“Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us.” – Ephesians 3:20 NKJV
Hope’s Book: Forever Free
Phoebe Sinclair combines her love of flowers and teaching to nurture a cut flower business on her grandfather’s land. She has her hands full growing the farm, growing her customer base, and dealing with her growing attraction to the aloof man who volunteered to help make her farming dream come true.
Can she focus on her main job, or will a pair of yearning eyes and a hurting heart divert her worthy goals?
Heath Daniels has resigned himself to a life of singleness as he watches his siblings couple up and set wedding dates. Tracking their happiness, however, is more difficult than he expected. A real struggle, in fact.
Feeling old troubles—from the bad time when he dropped out of college to explore less-than-noble pursuits—creep back to tempt him, propelling him to volunteer for manual labor that leaves him exhausted at the end of every day—and out of trouble.
Tropes you’ll find inside:
Enemies to Lovers
Forced Proximity
Second Chances
Found Family
Grumpy/Sunshine (a little bit!)
Rehabilitation/Healing Through Work
Secret Softie Hero
Get your copy today on Amazon or your favorite retailer!
Thank you so much to everyone who has supported me during the Kickstarter! I’m so grateful for you!
If you missed out on my debut novel Finding Forevermore on Kickstarter, no worries. You’ll have a chance to get the book at a later time once it officially launches across retailers like Amazon.
I’ll share more updates by joining my free email list and you’ll get all kind of goodies! Visit my website here to sign up
In this episode with Rachel Hauck, award-winning Christian romance author and storyteller extraordinaire, we dive deep into her newest novel, The Sands of Sea Blue Beach. We talk about second chances, slow burn romance, and the beauty of God’s fingerprints in every splatter of our stories. Rachel shares her journey from newsroom dreams to novel-writing reality, the joy of seeing her book Once Upon a Prince become a Hallmark movie, and the heart behind the coastal charm of her fictional Sea Blue Beach. It’s an episode filled with inspiration, laughter, and writer-to-writer encouragement you won’t want to miss!
Rachel Hauck is an award winning, New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author. She is a double RITA finalist, and a Christy and Carol Award Winner. Her book, Once Upon A Prince, first in the Royal Wedding Series, was filmed for an Original Hallmark movie. Rachel was given the prestigious Career Achievement Award for her body of original work by Romantic Times Book Reviews. She is a writing workshop presenter and mentor, and earned the Mentor of The Year award from ACFW. A graduate of Ohio State University (Go Bucks!) with a degree in Journalism, she’s a former sorority girl and a devoted Ohio State football fan. Her bucket list is to stand on the sidelines with Ryan Day. She and her husband live in sunny east coast Florida.
Romans 15:13 (NKJV) “Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
Rachel’s New Book: The Sands of Sea Blue Beach
Can anything rekindle the summer love between former sweethearts facing old wounds and a divided town?
Emery Quinn finds herself at a crossroads between her career and complex family dynamics. Struggling to connect with her blended family and ready for a fresh start, Emery accepts the position of editor-in-chief at the Sea Blue Beach Gazette. Upon her return to the Sands Motor Motel, she is flooded with bittersweet memories of her late mother and past regrets from a long-ago summer.
Architect Caleb Ransom has returned home to Sea Blue Beach, a place filled with cherished memories and potential opportunities. He means to make a difference for his family and his hometown by caring for his troubled sister’s son and preserving the history of the town as the leader of the new Main Street initiative. He certainly never expected to run into Emery Quinn, the girl who captured his heart sixteen summers ago.
As Emery and Caleb revive their friendship, they find themselves facing a bitterly divided town. Together, they navigate family challenges, professional setbacks, and a high-stakes royal visit to discover how forgiveness and love can reshape their hearts and their destiny.
Tropes you’ll find inside:
Second chance romance
Teen summer love turned adult reconnection
Small coastal town setting
Friends to lovers
Slow burn romance
Family drama / healing from past wounds
Secret identity (supernatural figure named Emmanuel)
Grumpy sunshine elements (in the form of emotional hesitancy vs warmth)
Thank you so much to everyone who has supported me during the Kickstarter! I’m so grateful for you!
If you missed out on my debut novel Finding Forevermore on Kickstarter, no worries. You’ll have a chance to get the book at a later time once it officially launches across retailers like Amazon.
I’ll share more updates by joining my free email list and you’ll get all kind of goodies! Visit my website here to sign up
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