This episode with debut author Janelle Leonard is one for the books—literally and figuratively. Janelle shares the heart behind her debut Christian romance novel Northargyle Abbie, a modern retelling of Jane Austen’s Northanger Abbey with a royal twist.
We talk about what it’s really like growing up as a pastor’s daughter, navigating identity and self-worth, and how God used her imagination, her librarian gig, and a team of support to guide her to publication. Janelle opens up about writing characters who reflect her heart, building meaningful connections with teens through storytelling, and how even fiction can deliver faith-filled truth. This is a beautiful testimony of purpose, patience, and the power of being authentically you.
Janelle Leonard is a Jane Austen fangirl with an overactive imagination who creates web-twisty plotlines from her home in Pennsylvania. When she’s not writing, reading, editing, drinking coffee, or working at an elementary school library, she’s finding creative ways to procrastinate. Janelle and her hubby have successfully raised three boys, losing lots of brain space to turbos and car talk. She is passionate about living authentically while serving and encouraging others to see their worth, using writing as a key to unlock worlds of possibility
Romans 12:1 (NKJV) “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.”
When Abigail Morgan, a naïve pastor’s daughter with an overactive imagination, inherits a cottage in Australia, she never imagines the story it will unlock. Armed with a museum studies degree and a penchant for daydreams, Abigail heads to Hyacinth Cottage to unravel the truth of her grandmother’s past—an unknown world of adventure, deception, and love.
While sifting through letters, photographs, and hidden relics, Abigail meets Colter Wellesley, a charming local who helps her navigate the labyrinth of clues with a blend of wit and charm she struggles to resist. But Colter comes with secrets of his own. As their investigation and romance deepen, Abigail wonders if Colter is more tangled up in her grandmother’s mystery—and that of the princess who vanished more than sixty years ago—than she ever imagined.
In this modern reimagining of Jane Austen’s Northanger Abbey, the line between imagination and reality blurs, and every clue discovered could be the key to unlocking a royal legacy.
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 Joanna Davidson Politano dives deep into the world of Victorian-era romance with a twist of mystery and a lot of heart. Joanna shares how her background in medical writing surprisingly paved the way for her creative storytelling, and how being a discovery writer means letting God lead each plot twist.
We chat about her latest novel, The Curious Inheritance of Blakely House—a story that’s equal parts adventure, invention, spiritual searching, and unexpected romance. From a quirky, possibly “smart” house to a scientist heroine with questions about faith, this episode is a journey of curiosity, redemption, and divine surprises. If you love stories where God shows up in the most unexpected ways, this one’s for you!
Joanna Davidson Politano is the award-winning author of Lady Jayne Disappears, A Rumored Fortune, Finding Lady Enderly, The Love Note, A Midnight Dance, The Lost Melody, and The Elusive Truth of Lily Temple. She loves tales that capture the colorful, exquisite details in ordinary lives and is eager to hear anyone’s story. She lives with her husband and their children in a house in the woods near Lake Michigan.
“But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, ‘Lord, save me!’ And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, ‘O you of little faith, why did you doubt?’” — Matthew 14:30–31 (NKJV)
Joanna’s New Book: The Curious Inheritance of Blakely House
A clever young woman, a contested will, and an estate that does not easily give up its secrets.
It is 1901 when clockmaker and tinker Sydney Forrester receives a most unusual inheritance. Blakely House, the island estate of an estranged uncle she’s never met, seems almost alive, revealing and hiding its secrets at will. It is filled with remarkable inventions, including an intriguing unfinished automaton Sydney is itching to get her skilled hands on.
The estate is also home to a number of peculiar people–including two men intent on removing this interloper from the island. Convinced that Sydney has something to do with their uncle’s death, the late master’s nephews contest the will and work against their cousin at every turn.
Sydney finds a sometimes-ally in the estate’s butler, an ex-adventurer who ran aground on the island years ago. But when a mysterious man washes ashore with a stunning surprise that upsets everything, Sydney must prove she has inherited the late master’s brilliance as well as his property–or someone else will.
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 powerhouse episode, author Megan Schaulis joins us to talk about her dystopian duology The Susa Chronicles, which reimagines the biblical story of Esther through the lens of YA, romance, and sci-fi adventure. We chat about her lightning-strike inspiration, hearing God’s call to write, and how a camper journey across America helped lay the foundation for her beautiful, faith-filled stories.
What if Esther wasn’t competing to become queen—but to be the king’s bodyguard? Megan shares how her heroine, Novalis, lives in hiding because of her beliefs and must rely solely on the voice of Alpha—God—to survive in a world that feels stacked against her. Whether you’re a fan of strong heroines, faith-filled allegories, or swoon-worthy clean romance, this is an episode that will inspire and ignite your spirit.
After a year of traveling the country in a 100-square-foot camper with her husband, daughter, and dog, Megan Schaulis returned home and wrote her first novel.
Megan has a B.A. in Journalism from Arizona State University and is a member of the ACFW. As a special education teacher, she helped young people fall in love with reading and writing. Today, she uses words in playful and creative ways at her branding agency. She lives in Abilene, Texas, where you’ll find her staying up way too late reading or hiking with her family.
Esther 4:14 (NKJV) “For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”
Megan’s New Book: Proclaimer (Book 2, Susa Chronicles)
The only way to save her people is to betray the king she vowed to protect.
After winning her place as Chief Protector, Novalise is in more danger than ever. King Zadien seeks to destroy the Alphanites, and the only way Novalise can stop him is by winning a Request—one undeniable favor offered only to those who save the king from a deadly threat. With no imminent danger at hand, Novalise will have to commit treason to save her people.
Zadien is finally stepping into his role as king. With his courageous new Chief Protector by his side, he’s determined to annihilate the traitors responsible for his father’s death. His romantic feelings for “Astra” haven’t faded, but pursuing her could leave his kingdom without a monarch. Is their fledgling relationship worth violating the law and risking his crown?
As the clock counts down for her people, Novalise must choose between manipulating the king’s affection and trusting the voice in her heart to lead her. When all her plans crumble, will she hide behind her new identity as a Protector or find a way to rise in such a time as this?
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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