Craving uplifting Christian historical romance with mail-order bride elements, western cowboy vibes, frontier small-town charm, and faith-filled restoration? Mary Felkins’ Ella delivers a tender tale of a seamstress facing an unexpected proposal, complicated family dynamics, renewed trust, and God’s greater dreams beyond what we imagine.
In this exclusive author interview on the Christian Romance Book Nook, Mary shares the relatable desires driving her characters, the heart of their covenant love, the takeaway of trusting God’s restoration, and the Bible encouragement that shaped Ella’s story. Perfect for readers seeking clean, meaningful fiction with sass, wisdom, and happily ever after.
Meet Mary Felkins
Mary Felkins is a multi-published, award-winning author of closed-door romance. Her stories deliver no shortage of sizzle, sass, and satisfying happily ever afters. She resides in Texas with her husband of many years and enjoys time with family, reading, and writing stories that reflect God’s grace and goodness.
Fun Fact: To celebrate our 35th wedding anniversary last March, my husband gifted us with tickets to Vegas. While there, he surprised me with a ticket to meet Donny Osmond during the exclusive VIP pre-show Q&A. Being overwhelmed by the reality of a long-held dream of mind, I, of course, said shallow, stupid fan girl things. (Don’t you know, I lamented over what I wished I’d said?)
About the Book: Ella
A peace-loving seamstress. A targeted deputy. A fledgling town in need of brides.
ELLA WEAVER is a headstrong cotton farmer’s daughter from Galveston, Texas seeking a new life in a small town, miles from senseless conflict and death. But when Ella’s traveling companion abandons her mail-order bride arrangement with widower DEPUTY SHERIFF JAMES GARRISON moments after their first meeting, she is left with no money, no prospects, and no way home.
James has one more chance to save his family from being torn apart. Otherwise, come spring thaw, his mother-in-law will make good on her threat to drag his only daughter back East to live with her. Marrying Ella might be his and her salvation, so long as he keeps his heart out of the arrangement.
But James is a pistol toting lawman—the kind of man Ella swore she’d never marry! His badge makes him her worst nightmare.
Or is he?
It’s the dead of winter and options are running out. Will salvation come from the last man she’d ever trust? What will it cost for lonely hearts to fall in love?
Mary Felkins weaves a meaningful romance full of sass, sizzle, wit, and wisdom that reminds us God redeems broken promises and heals wounded hearts. Readers will cheer for Ella’s journey from fear to hope, fall for the tender covenant love story, and leave encouraged that God withholds no good thing from His children. This clean, uplifting Christian fiction offers emotional depth, gentle humor, and a satisfying happily ever after.
Author Interview: Behind the Scenes
What inner struggle or desire drives your main character(s) at the beginning of the story? How does that shift as the story unfolds?
Often it’s a relatable desire to be chosen (heroine) and accepted as fully adequate (hero) On some level, they are all in need of restoration from the lies that hold them captive. Aren’t we all?
What would you say is the heart of the romance in this story?
Marriage is the perfect pairing of two imperfect people. More bluntly, it’s two sinners bound by covenant love. Grace is essential as oxygen is to the lungs. God desires to bless us through the gift of marriage. In the midst of—if not because of—complicated circumstances, my characters Ella and James come to trust that the Lord’s presence and protection goes with us, ahead of us and hems us in. He withholds no good thing from his children. A shocking twist of events in the opening scene places Ella in a desperate situation when her companion abandons her contract to marry James—a widower—leaving Ella with little choice but to accept his rash proposal. If not for James’s daughter Luisa’s need for a loving mother, Ella would have refused.
After all, death is sure to separate her from the man she loves … once again. She fears pinning herself to the obligations of a man could be the death of her dream to establish herself as a seamstress-dressmaker. Readers will enjoy this marriage of convenience, mail-order bride, western cowboy, frontier small town romance rife with all-seeing eyes of meddling mothers.
What is one takeaway you hope readers carry with them after finishing this book?
Trust in God’s ability to restore the broken and give greater dreams than you could have imagined.
What Bible verse encouraged you during your writing journey or that reflects this story’s message?
Since Ella is a seamstress, I loved how well Proverbs 31:17, 24-25 fit with Ella’s story.
About the Author
Mary A. Felkins is a multi-published, award-winning romance author whose stories deliver sass, sizzle, wit, and wisdom. She is a blogger and a member of ACFW, My Book Therapy, Novel Academy, and FHLCW. (Faith Hope and Love Christian Writers) She can be lured from her creative writing space if presented with an unopened bag of Peanut M&Ms. A surprise appearance by her teen idol, Donny Osmond, would also do the trick—although she’d likely pass out. If she likes your first or last name, expect it to show up in one of her novels.
To receive Mary’s author newsletters with family and exclusive author updates, subscribe via email at www.maryfelkins.com. New subscribers receive an opportunity to download a FREE novella.
About the Christian Romance Book Nook
Hosted by Kelly Jo Wilson, the Christian Romance Book Nook is your cozy, faith-filled corner of the internet for Christian romance. Kelly connects readers with uplifting stories, honest author interviews, exclusive giveaways, and the joy of knowing you’re never alone in your love for clean romance focused on Jesus.
Come join our growing community, new friends, new books, and plenty of bookish encouragement are always waiting for you!
Join the Christian Romance Book Nook Community
Want early access to Christian fiction author interviews, new releases, and exclusive book giveaways?
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Christian romance book updates
Author spotlights
Early giveaway access
Behind-the-scenes goodies
🎁 The current Christian romance book giveaway is open now — subscribers always hear about giveaways first.
Discover post-WW1 Christian historical romance in Heather Tabers’ In Books and Battlefields — a gripping story of a spirited librarian, a haunted surgeon, marriage of convenience, rising danger, blackmail, betrayal, and the healing power of faith and grace.
Meet Heather Tabers
Heather Tabers writes Historical Romance, Children’s Fiction, and encouragement for weary souls. She resides in sunny Central Florida with her husband, Robert, whom many of her heroes are inspired by. She’s a hope-filled romantic who believes in second chances and redemptive love. Her own love story proves that life can be messy and beautiful at the same time, which is why she enjoys writing stories that show the goodness of God’s grace.
Fun Fact: One thing few people know about me is that, even though I know being an author is my calling, I have a burdensome itch to try everything. I want to be an event planner, an attorney, a prenatal sonographer, a journalist, a graphic designer, a teacher, a pilot, a competitive shooter. I’m thankful I get to live a thousand lives through the books I read and write.
About the Book: In Books & Battlefields
A spirited librarian with a guarded heart. A haunted surgeon battling the past. A quiet deputy who never stopped hoping.
Isabella Pearson isn’t looking for love—only a way to serve. In 1917, she leaves her privileged Denver life behind to volunteer as a librarian at Camp Sheridan, Alabama. With a suitcase full of books and a heart determined to remain independent, she never expects to find herself being pursued by two men: Nathaniel, her brother’s steadfast best friend, and Byron, the brooding Chief Medical Officer who makes her pulse race for all the wrong reasons.
Major Byron McDaniel has buried his heart with his late wife and plans to keep it that way. Yet Isabella’s courage and compassion rattle the walls he’s so carefully built. Meanwhile, Nathaniel Steele has followed Isabella to Alabama with hopes of finally winning the heart he’s long treasured in silence. But as tensions rise at Camp Sheridan—with a suspicious fire, a string of accidents, and whispers of sabotage—Isabella must navigate more than just her feelings. When loyalty, love, and liberty hang in the balance, will she trust her heart—or her instincts?
Heather Tabers crafts a tender yet gripping historical romance set against the backdrop of post-WW1 America. The story is full of emotional depth, noble heroes, and unwavering faith. Readers will be drawn to the resilient heroine’s journey, the layered romance that unfolds with patience and grace, and the powerful reminder that God redeems even the deepest wounds. This clean, uplifting Christian fiction offers hope, healing, and the beauty of second chances wrapped in a story that feels both timeless and deeply moving.
Author Interview: Behind the Scenes
What inner struggle or desire drives your main character(s) at the beginning of the story? How does that shift as the story unfolds?
I write from three separate POVs in this book (1 female, 2 male). But when all is said and done, the book really is about Isabella. She’s a volunteer librarian, living a comfortable life with her wealthy family in Denver, Colorado, at the beginning of the book. It’s the beginning of America’s entry into World War I. She wants to answer the call for volunteer librarians to serve in Army camps. She’s torn between her desire to do something honorable for the cause and fear. That fear stems from an unfortunate encounter with a ruthless man. As the story unfolds, Isabella finds herself being sought after by two very different, but very noble men, yet the wounds of her past keep her from wanting to be pursued by either one. It isn’t until Isabella learns to trust her own heart that she can learn to trust another.
What would you say is the heart of the romance in this story?
Isabella finds herself in what I call “not your average love triangle.” While she does walk away choosing one of the two main characters, I promise the other one still has a happy ending. With Nathaniel, we have the brother’s best friend trope. While I wouldn’t call Nathaniel her enemy, Isabella certainly isn’t overly fond of him at the beginning of the book. With Byron, we have a grumpy/sunshine trope. She’s not very fond of him in the beginning, either- though to be fair, he isn’t fond of her right away either. Time and proximity help Isabella begin to see the charming qualities of both men. Eventually, Byron and Nathaniel must team up to rescue Isabella, but she’s busy figuring out how to rescue herself. She finds true love with the man who finally gives her the space to make decisions for herself.
What is one takeaway you hope readers carry with them after finishing this book?
All three main characters carry hurts from their past, which produce fears for their futures. I want readers to walk away from this book with the hope and promise that God can redeem anything the enemy has taken from them.
What Bible verse encouraged you during your writing journey or that reflects this story’s message?
Joel 2:25 says God will pay us for the years the locusts have devoured. I’ve clung to that verse so much in my life. We see this promise played out in Isabella, Byron, and Nathaniel’s stories.
About the Author
Heather Tabers writes Historical Romance, Children’s Fiction, and encouragement for weary souls. She resides in sunny Central Florida with her husband, Robert, whom many of her heroes are inspired by. She’s a hope-filled romantic who believes in second chances and redemptive love. Her own love story proves that life can be messy and beautiful at the same time, which is why she enjoys writing stories that show the goodness of God’s grace.
Visit Heather online at www.heathertabers.com and sign up for her newsletter for updates, exclusive content, and more.
About the Christian Romance Book Nook
Hosted by Kelly Jo Wilson, the Christian Romance Book Nook is your cozy, faith-filled corner of the internet for Christian romance. Kelly connects readers with uplifting stories, honest author interviews, exclusive giveaways, and the joy of knowing you’re never alone in your love for clean romance focused on Jesus.
Come join our growing community, new friends, new books, and plenty of bookish encouragement are always waiting for you!
Join the Christian Romance Book Nook Community
Want early access to Christian fiction author interviews, new releases, and exclusive book giveaways?
You’ll receive:
Christian romance book updates
Author spotlights
Early giveaway access
Behind-the-scenes goodies
🎁 The current Christian romance book giveaway is open now — subscribers always hear about giveaways first.
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