Kelly chats with Kristen Hogrefe Parnell about her powerful Christian romantic suspense novel Watch Your Back, a story filled with grit, emotional depth, and redemptive hope. In this episode, Kristen shares her author journey—from self-publishing to traditional publishing—and how motherhood, faith, and perseverance shaped the writing of this deeply personal story.
They dive into Avery, a fiercely independent private investigator hardened by abandonment, and Ethan, a Coast Guard veteran wrestling with PTSD and survivor’s guilt. Together, Kelly and Kristen explore themes of fear of failure, self-reliance, foster care trauma, and what it truly means to surrender to Christ in the midst of brokenness.
This episode is an honest and hope-filled conversation about sanctification, spiritual growth, and how Jesus meets us in the dark places—not necessarily to erase the struggle, but to walk with us through it.
If you love layered characters, opposites-attract tension, and faith-filled romantic suspense, this one is for you.
Listen to the episode here.
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Meet Kristen Hogrefe Parnell
Kristen Hogrefe Parnell writes suspenseful fiction from a faith perspective for women and young adults. A former English teacher, she now designs curriculum for a Christian academy and spends most of her time at her favorite assignment to date: being a mom to her toddler. Her books have won the Selah Award and the Grace Award, among others. She lives in the Tampa, Florida area with her husband and son. Visit Kristen at KristenHogrefeParnell.com.
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Bible Verse for Encouragement
1 John 1:8–9 (NKJV)
If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Kristen Hogrefe Parnell New Book: Watch Your Back
You can’t watch your own back.
Private Investigator Avery Reynolds leads the charge to expose Tampa’s supposedly “extinct” mob. The crime boss responsible for her foster brother’s death is within her grasp—until she hits a wall in the form of Ethan Bridger, a Coast Guard veteran who unknowingly derails her sting operation. When the elusive “Big Eddie” comes out of hiding, he targets their mutual friends about to tie the knot.
Avery sets aside her angst toward Ethan to focus on ending the crime boss’s reign of terror. But working together exposes her trust issues and his PTSD stemming from a comrade’s tragedy. When Avery goes solo into a prisoner exchange operation, she discovers her vulnerability too late—and must lean on Ethan and the God she thought had abandoned her. But will that help reach her in time?
💞 Tropes in Watch Your Back
- Romantic Suspense
- Opposites Attract
- Enemies to Lovers
- Forced Proximity
- PTSD / Wounded Hero
- Emotionally Guarded Heroine
- Found Family
- Faith Journey / Salvation Arc
- Redemption
- Protector Hero
- Private Investigator Heroine
- Coast Guard Veteran Hero
- Self-Reliance vs. Surrender
Get your copy today!
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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!
Finding Forevermore is available today!
Her family secrets. His guilt. One road trip that changes everything.
Raven Cunningham has built a quiet life between the shelves of a small-town bookshop, ghostwriting stories for others while hiding her own. She’s long believed her father abandoned her, until a letter from her late grandmother reveals a shocking truth.
Convinced the reclusive author J.C. Nevermore is her father, Raven sets out to uncover the real story. When her childhood friend Cole Walker, a former Army medic wrestling with his own scars, offers to help, she’s not sure if she can trust him . . . or herself.
As they chase clues and revisit old memories, what begins as a search for answers becomes a journey toward something deeper.
Finding Forevermore is a heartfelt story about faith, family, and the kind of love that’s anchored in God’s unfailing grace.
For Kindle Unlimited lovers, Finding Forevermore is ready for you to check out.
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Welcome to the Christian Romance Podcast, where we go behind the books with inspiring Christian romance authors, exploring faith, love, and the journey that brings the story to life.