Interview with Dani Pettrey: Romantic Suspense, Trusting God, and Writing Through the Storm

Interview with Dani Pettrey: Romantic Suspense, Trusting God, and Writing Through the Storm

In this heart-filled episode, we’re joined by bestselling romantic suspense author Dani Pettrey as she opens up about her powerful writing journey, one that’s been shaped by faith, perseverance, and a life-shaking diagnosis. Dani shares how God met her in the hard moments and lovingly redirected her steps—not just as a writer, but as His daughter walking through uncertainty.

She also gives us a peek into her brand-new release, Two Seconds Too Late—book 2 in her thrilling series. Whether you’re a reader, aspiring author, or someone walking through your own season of waiting, Dani’s story will speak directly to your heart.

Listen to the episode here.

Meet Dani Pettrey

Dani Pettrey is the bestselling author of the COASTAL GUARDIANS, CHESAPEAKE VALOR, and ALASKAN COURAGE series. A two-time Christy Award finalist, Dani has won the National Readers’ Choice Award, Daphne du Maurier Award, HOLT Medallion, and Christian Retailing’s Best Award for suspense. She plots murder and mayhem from her home in the Washington, DC, metro area.

Visit Dani at DaniPettrey.com.

Follow Dani

Bible Verse for Encouragement

Psalm 27:1 (NKJV)
The Lord is my light and my salvation;
Whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the strength of my life;
Of whom shall I be afraid?

Dani’s New Book: Two Seconds Too Late

A missing woman. Two hit men. When every second counts, who will survive?

In the stark but beautiful wilds of northern New Mexico, a couples’ retreat at a luxury resort turns into a chilling nightmare when a woman vanishes. Skip tracer Riley MacLeod and private investigator Greyson Chadwick pose as a couple to hunt for clues that might reveal the missing woman’s location. Those leads uncover a harrowing truth: They’re not the only ones looking for her. What begins as a normal tracking case turns into a deadly chase when they, too, become the hunted.


As Riley and Greyson work together, their partnership ignites a tumultuous attraction, but Greyson’s secrets prevent him from acting on his feelings for her, and Riley can’t bring herself to fully trust him. Delving deeper into the case, they find themselves fighting not only for justice and the chance at a loving relationship . . . but also for their very survival.

Get your copy today at Baker Book House or Amazon!

*As an Amazon affiliate I may earn from qualifying purchases

Get updates on our themed book giveaways

Enter the most current book giveaway on ChristianRomancePodcast.com and sign up for our email list.

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Kelly’s Personal Update

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

Interview with Janelle Leonard: Royal Romance, Real Identity & The Journey to Publishing Her Debut Novel

Interview with Janelle Leonard: Royal Romance, Real Identity & The Journey to Publishing Her Debut Novel

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.

Listen to the episode here.

Meet Janelle Leonard

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

Visit Janelle’s website

Follow Janelle

Bible Verse for Encouragement

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.”

Psalms 121: 1-2

I will lift up my eyes to the hills—

From whence comes my help?

My help comes from the Lord,

Who made heaven and earth.

Janelle’s New Book: Northargyle Abbie

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.

Get your copy today on White Crown Publishing or Amazon!

*As an Amazon affiliate I may earn from qualifying purchases

Get updates on our themed book giveaways

Enter the most current book giveaway on ChristianRomancePodcast.com and sign up for our email list.

[convertkit form=6900532]


Kelly’s Personal Update

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

Interview with Joanna Davidson Politano: Inheriting Mystery, Romance, and Faith at Blakely House

Interview with Joanna Davidson Politano: Inheriting Mystery, Romance, and Faith at Blakely House

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!

Listen to the episode here.

Meet Joanna Davidson Politano

Joanna Davidson Politano Christian Romance Podcast

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.

You can visit her online at JDPStories.com.

Joanna’s Prayer Promise

Follow Joanna

Bible Verse for Encouragement

“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.

Get your copy today at Baker Book House or Amazon!

*As an Amazon affiliate I may earn from qualifying purchases

Get updates on our themed book giveaways

Enter the most current book giveaway on ChristianRomancePodcast.com and sign up for our email list.

[convertkit form=6900532]


Kelly’s Personal Update

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