Friday, March 28, 2025

Intentional Fires by Rebecca McLafferty

About the Book

Book: Intentional Fires (Book Two in the Sunrise Crik Series)

Author: Rebecca McLafferty

Genre: Christian Romantic Suspense

Release date: June 10, 2024

A widowed Christmas tree farm owner and her fiancé, a forest service special agent, deal with fires, thefts, and a 90-year family feud—stretching them to the snapping point.

After experiencing an attack, theft, and arson on the family Christmas tree farm, newly engaged Toni Stevens searches for those responsible, including disputed historic records. With two boys and a mother to support, the pressure is on her to increase profitability of the tree farm. Who is trying to ruin her? Can she put a stop to the generational feud?

Toni’s fiancé, U.S. Forest Service Special Agent Sam Duncan is hunting down a potential arsonist turned murderer. His rugged paths uncover Montana drug runners, feudal secrets—and a host of emotions that were buried alive.

Click here to get your copy!

I received a complimentary copy of this book, and all opinions given are my own and not an endorsement of all author’s opinions.

Author Interview

Fiction: (Intentional Fires)

1. What was the most enjoyable part of writing your book?

My favorite part of writing this book is when God decides to shake things up.

I’ll be writing along, keeping more-or-less to the outline, and a character would think or say somethingout of the blue, something that would never occur to me. O a vivid scene would flash before me—thefurthest thing from my mind. God is so deliberate. Iwould jot down the idea and then tell Him how excited I am to be writing for Him.

Every day, before I begin to write, I place my hands on the keyboard and pray. That’s because I’m writing for God, for his glory. Without His blessings, nothing of any substance will develop.

2. Are any of your characters based off of yourself or those close to you?

Yes, some are based off myself and people I’ve known throughout the years. Or sometimes a news headlinewill spark my curiosity. I like to read about an underdog and dig into the behind-the-scenes of the situation. I own a tee-shirt which says, “Be careful, or you’ll end up in my novel.” I love that!

In regard to myself, I used to wonder why God provided me with such a variety of jobs. I’ve worked in personnel, legal, political, real estate, law enforcement, and education. I taught cake decorating and baking, and love animals—especially dogs and horses. Then I realized—God is preparing me to write!

For nine years, my husband and I owned an alpaca farm. We grew Christmas trees (hence the Intentional Fires’ heroine) and I operated a cozy country store with a “Christmas All Year” corner. That store was dear to me! I respect people who work their own business, or farm for a living. There are definitely some familiar personality quirks that show up in my books.

3. Why did you pick this genre for your book?

I write the type of book that I would enjoy reading. Within the Christian genre, I particularly enjoy romantic suspense, cozy mysteries, historical fiction, and biblical fiction. To me, romantic suspense novels blend romance, mystery, history, and suspense. It’s a win-win.

My characters deal with real-life issues that resound with Christian themes (i.e., forgiveness, redemption, and salvation). Janette Oke’s Love Comes Softly series inspired my writing, as did the Little House saga. I also enjoy old classic or adventure movies and, yes, Hallmark mysteries, too.

Creating a romantic suspense series is the perfect opportunity to create location(s) where I’d like to live or visit, and characters who would become my dear friends. I want my readers to feel that way, too.

4. How many books do you personally own?

That is a very good question. I have no idea.

I love buying books. Who doesn’t? But due to my husband’s military career and job-related moves, we relocated every year or two. I became accustomed to packing boxes of books and donating them to local libraries. It would have been cumbersome to move them all. Do I regret getting rid of some of them? Absolutely! (Almost tearfully!)

Most recently, I accumulated quite a few books—and then at the prospect of making another move to a smaller home—I took boxes of books to the library, again. (After I said I wouldn’t do that anymore!)

But don’t be alarmed. We still have boxes of books in the basement as well as crowding our bookshelves. I also have some college texts and lots of research and writing books. (I received my bachelor’s degree in English and Creative Writing in 2023 from Liberty University.)

5. What is your next big goal as an author?

My goal is to become a best-selling author. I want people to enjoy the adventure and suspense of my books, and realize the importance of having a personal relationship with Jesus.

Today’s world is crazier than ever. People need God. They’re lost, hurting, discouraged, and bitter. I know that even in the midst of tragedies, there is peace and joy to be found in the love of Jesus.

I love to speak, to be an encourager and shed light into this dark world. Yes, I want to be a best-selling author!

I always love hearing from readers. They can email me at mclaffertyenterprises@gmail.com or visit our website at https://www.mclaffertyenterprises.com/author-rebecca.

Thank you so much for graciously offering this interview. It was a pleasure!

Rebecca McLafferty

About the Author

Wisconsin resident Rebecca McLafferty began her writing career by co-creating a writers’ group and hosting writing conferences on her alpaca farm. Married for 51 years, mother of two, grandmother to five, and an Aussiedoodle mom, Rebecca cherishes writing, reading, and fellowshipping. Author of Intentional Fires, Intentional Heirs, and Devotions for Country Living: Prayer-Enriched Fields, she loves getting to know readers

More from Rebecca

There is a saying, “Home is where the heart is.” Rebecca McLafferty totally agrees!

Rebecca is the author of the Sunrise Crik Series, which consists of action-packed romantic suspense novels set in current-day Montana. She and her husband have vacationed and explored the Livingston to Bozeman area where this series takes place. The town of Woodridge is fictious, but a number of area establishments mentioned within her stories are real.

The phrase “The Big Sky” was coined by Pulitzer Prize-winning author A.B. Guthrie in his 1947 novel of that name. In addition to the obvious vision of unobstructed sky, Big Sky Country—to Rebecca—represents big dreams and big faith. It symbolizes the backbone of Montana!

Are you wondering how Rebecca can authentically write about growing Christmas trees? It’s because she and her husband owned Country Memories Farm in Wisconsin where they raised alpacas, and planted and grew Christmas trees! She also operated Country Memories Mercantile (now downsized to an online store). Their love of educating others evolved into an operation that hosted school, family, and community events. That’s why she loves to interact personally with people from all walks of life!

And are you wondering how Rebecca knows about police department operations—even drug smugglers? She worked for a tourist-town’s police department—a fascinating place to get ideas!

Rebecca admits to having worked dozens of unusual jobs (great discussion material for another time). She wondered why she experienced such diverse occupations before God revealed to her that she needed authenticity for her novel writing. What she hasn’t experienced herself, she has visited or thoroughly researched.

The title, Intentional Fires implies forest fires. That’s obvious. But there are other types of fires that burn intentionally. Internal fires can sustain a 90-year feud and lifetimes of unforgiveness, resentment, and broken dreams. Do you suffer from an internal fire?

Whether you live in Montana or dream of visiting the west . . .
Whether you have an entrepreneurial spirit that wants you to succeed . . .
Whether you want to fall in love, rekindle your faith, or root for an underdog . . .

Come and experience the heartfelt struggles that Montanans fight with all their might to protect.

Blog Stops

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, March 22

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, March 23

Stories By Gina, March 24 (Author Interview)

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, March 24

Blossoms and Blessings, March 25 (Author Interview)

Texas Book-aholic, March 26

Jodie Wolfe – Stories Where Hope and Quirky Meet, March 27 (Author Interview)

Locks, Hooks and Books, March 28

A Reader’s Brain, March 29 (Author Interview)

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, March 30

Guild Master, March 31

For Him and My Family, April 1

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, April 2 (Author Interview)

Pause for Tales, April 2

Holly’s Book Corner, April 3

Vicky Sluiter, April 4 (Author Interview)

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Rebecca is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon gift card and a signed copy of the book!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/00adcf54181

Wednesday, March 26, 2025

Above the Circle of Earth by E. Stephen Burnett

About the Book

Book: Above the Circle of Earth

Author: E. Stephen Burnett

Genre: Science Fiction

Release date: March 4, 2025

The fight for the space mission begins in his homeworld.

Brock Rivers never wanted to be a repairman on Mars. Years ago, he failed to protect his family, and now he labors across a frontier planet to keep his children alive and escape CAUSE. But the spacefaring humanist regime is taking over Martian colonies, forcing all to join the secular state.

Back in Brock’s homeworld, his people summon him to fulfill old hopes with a new dream. After decades of cultural isolation, they plan to restore missions for the 22nd century, voyaging beyond Earth to share the gospel in space. Brock must find a ship and recruit a team of misfit believers. They expect opposition from the formidable CAUSE, but not from a more deceptive enemy.

One adversary attacks from the shadows to destroy the faithful. Others unify to oppose the project. Brock and his family must fight to resist these enemies of the space mission or else return to exile forever.

Click here to get your copy!

I received a complimentary copy of this book, and all opinions given are my own and not an

endorsement of all author's opinions.

Author Interview

1. What was your process to align your book with your target audience?

Christians have struggled with sci-fi. When we like these stories, they’re more like

the classic solar-field fantasies of C. S. Lewis, or the occasional space-marine books

for bros. The reigning champion, of course, remains end-times fiction.

I couldn’t help but wonder—could a sci-fi story balance the high-tech worldbuilding

of a futuristic adventure with the humanity of its heroes? What if Jesus does not yet

return in the next few centuries, and people could really make new technologies to

settle Mars and other planets? We can enjoy imagining what could happen.

That’s what Above the Circle of Earth aims to discover. Which means the story stays

wholesome yet honest, idealistic yet realistic, inviting you aboard a tight-run ship.

2. What was the most challenging part of writing your book?

Perhaps the greatest challenge is staying ahead of real-world technology. Many

concepts that seemed fantastical ten years ago—like the dominance of private

spaceflight, AI, robotics, and quantum computing—now wait (or lurk!) just around

the corners of tomorrow. What’s next for us? Cold fusion? Synthetic gravity?

Cultural shifts are also quite fun. To sum up, several religious belief systems that

are popular today would ground humanity in permanent harm if the Lord allowed

these notions to take over society. So the story needed to sideline these in order to

ensure some kind of spacefaring future. As a result, ACE’s villains inherit a small yet

growing tradition we can see in today’s secular humanist “big tech” circles.

Finally, foreign language translations prove difficult, especially for the audiobook.

3. What was the most enjoyable part of writing your book?

That’s hard to choose. Sometimes I stand tall at the “command deck” of plot, action,

big themes, and setting the story’s course. Other times I prefer lingering on the

“living deck,” visiting these heroes and getting to know them. And occasionally I’ll

venture to “labor deck,” where the fusion reactors hum and stats insist I get every

detail right for the ship to fly—energy source, momentum, style, science research.

4. How do you weave Biblical truths into your writing?

Ideally, biblical worldview starts in the worldbuilding. Some people think Christian

authors should start with a moral lesson and build the story around that. Others

suggest that’s none of our business; just tell the story and let these virtues happen.

I favor C. S. Lewis’s approach of letting one’s own starter images “bubble,” then

giving them the form of genre and story, and then discovering their godly purpose.

5. Are any of your characters based off of yourself or those close to you?

One reviewer said Above the Circle of Earth’s cast reminds her of “a wide range of

Christians, from enthusiastically genuine to hardheaded troublemakers.” Here’s

hoping other readers feel the same! Sure, I know the T-shirts and memes warn “be

good or I’ll put you in my book.” I think, however, the best characters aren’t copies

of real people, but composites. Christ’s church is a wonderful, maddening, ugly yet

beautiful place. The best Christian-made stories will reflect many kinds of humans.

6. Was your writing process spontaneous as it came to you or very planned

and organized? Why?

Oh, very planned and organized. I’m a pre-writer, or detailed plotter, or whatever

the pros are calling it these days. That means I get to work out most the surprises

during the pre-writing. Then I enjoy experimenting with pace and style for draft 1.

7. Do you have a favorite time of day you are most productive in your

writing?

That’s almost always in the evenings, once I’ve finished all my other creative work

for Lorehaven.com with its articles, weekly podcast, and social media outreach.

8. Why did you pick this genre for your book?

By now I think I love sometimes about every fantastical fiction genre. Yet somehow

from an early age, when I first read unabridged Jules Verne classics, I felt a special

enjoyment for science fiction. It’s able to explore big heroes, weighty ideas, and

incredible potential futures in ways that other genres naturally can’t do.

9. How many books do you personally own?

My shelves runneth over. The total likely surpasses 1,000, and twice that if you

count the many amazing books my wife brought into our household.

10. What is your next big goal as an author?

Hmm. I might write some more sci-fi. Might see what else I can do. That all depends

on how readers enjoy Above the Circle of Earth. Of course, I’d love to see where this

good ship could next take the Rivers family and their Space Mission recruits.

Meanwhile, I’ll continue publishing Lorehaven.com and building this into the top

mission to help readers explore fantastical stories for God’s glory.

About the Author

E. Stephen Burnett creates sci-fi novels as well as nonfiction, exploring fantastical stories for God’s glory as publisher of Lorehaven.com and its weekly Fantastical Truth podcast. He is coauthor of The Pop Culture Parent and other resources for fans and families. Stephen and his wife, Lacy, live in the Austin area and serve in their local church.

More from E. Stephen

Today’s earthly life seemed especially rough.

My day job had issues. A family member is facing worse challenges. Home-repair projects are piling up. Oh, plus our two dogs stormed out of the house and, for no discernable reason, attacked the neighbor’s pet (zero injuries reported, so far).

It’s not all bad. As I write, my wife and I aren’t sick. Times of rest are coming soon. We have good work and freedom to worship Jesus. We enjoy shelter and supplies.

Also—we’re not forced into exile on Mars because of secular persecution on Earth.

That last is the scenario of my debut sci-fi novel Above the Circle of Earth. Its creation began with an “original” teenage thought like, “Hey, what if someone made a sci-fi adventure, only with Christian characters?” That grew into a complex futuristic world of fantastic space exploration, but also mixed results for believers in Christ.

ACE isn’t all dystopia. You can still enjoy freedom to practice your faith on Earth. But you need to stay in your religious preserve. If you try to live like a Christian outside that homeworld, the spacefaring humanist regime CAUSE won’t appreciate that.

That’s how Brock and Alicia Rivers ended up fighting to survive on Mars, laboring in the settlements and raising their three children in a dry and weary, waterless land.

Then comes their call to adventure. This is not just a mission, but the Space Mission, the first restored missionary outreach in fifty years. They’ll have to return to Earth and face the death of a loved one, intimidation by the secular CAUSE, and many challenges and greater threats from their own Christian brothers and sisters—all forming a fantastical adventure about how we long to defend our homeworlds.

I started my first version of ACE decades ago. But to tackle big themes like this, I now realize I needed more experience to understand these kinds of struggles. Of course, I’ve never had to diagnose a leaking dome on another planet or resist a technocratic humanist regime. But I have felt the pain of lost job opportunities, grief after the loss of a parent, and the futility of researching odd subjects (from biblical theology to Martian calendars!) that seemed to lead nowhere.

Well, plot twist: All those hard times made this science fiction more realistic. You can’t build spaceships or stories without those struggles. Otherwise the tale ends up bad—inauthentic and corny, with simplistic morals and shallow heroes. Ugh. Few readers want that. And the few who do will barely remember such a book.

Maybe that’s one reason our Author allows the real-world challenges. He’s not just making us holy and more like Jesus Christ. He’s making us to be more human, well-rounded heroes with dimension and realism, for His glory and our good.

Here’s hoping Above the Circle of Earth launches a different kind of Christian-made science fiction, helping us see all hard times in light of our Author’s amazing future.

Godspeed and #GoTherefore!

Stephen Burnett

Blog Stops

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, March 25

Novel Notions, March 25

Guild Master, March 26 (Author Interview)

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, March 26 (Spotlight)

A Reader’s Brain, March 27 (Author Interview)

Stories By Gina, March 28 (Spotlight)

Texas Book-aholic, March 29

The Lofty Pages, March 30

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, March 31 (Author Interview)

Lily’s Corner, April 1

Fiction Book Lover, April 2 (Author Interview)

Locks, Hooks and Books, April 3

Tell Tale Book Reviews, April 4 (Spotlight)

Blogging With Carol, April 5

Simple Harvest Reads, April 6 (Author Interview)

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, April 7

Giveaway

To celebrate his tour, E. Stephen is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon gift card and a hardcover copy of the book!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/00adcf54184

Tuesday, March 11, 2025

Watch Your Back by Kristen Hogrefe Parnell

About the Book

Book: Watch Your Back (Crossroads Suspense Book Three. It can be read as a standalone).

Author: Kristen Hogrefe Parnell

Genre: Christian Romantic Suspense

Release date: March 5, 2025

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?

Click here to get your copy!

I received a complimentary copy of this book, and all opinions given are my own and not an endorsement of all author’s opinions.

Author Interview

1. What was the most challenging part of writing your book?

The hardest part of writing Watch Your Back was finding the time to write it. My son was only a year old when the deadline for this story arrived, and he kept catching colds from the church nursery. At that time, he also struggled with night sleep, so my husband and I were both tired too. But God provided the inspiration and space to complete the project, and I’m so happy with how it turned out.

2. How do you weave Biblical truths into your writing?

I love this question, because I want everything I write to point readers to Jesus. My goal is to reveal Biblical truth through mycharacter development. As the suspense ramps up in the story, how do the characters respond? Like us, my characters are flawed and make mistakes. Fiction is a beautiful vehicle to show redemption and God’s hand at work in people’s lives.

3. Are any of your characters based off of yourself or those close to you?

In Watch Your Back, none of the characters are based off myself or someone close to me, though I always try to find at least one way I relate to the heroine. At first, I couldn’t figure out what Avery and I had in common. We are quite different! But then, I found our commonality: we both fear failure. She fears failing at the most important assignment she’s ever accepted, and as a writer, I feared failing to get this book written in time. That fear drew me deeper into her story, and I’d like to think we both learned a lesson about what to do with our fear together.

4. Do you have a favorite time of day you are most productive in your writing?

As the mom to a toddler, any “free” time I have becomes my most productive time. However, one unique place I tend to write well is in the car. My parents live about two hours from us, and when we visit, I spend most of the drive writing something.

5. What is your next big goal as an author?

In addition to more books for women and young adults, I would love an opportunity to publish my children’s book. I know it’s an entirely different market, but it’s a dream I have: to publish something my young son can enjoy within the next few years.

About the Author

Kristen Hogrefe Parnell writes suspenseful fiction from a faith perspective. 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.

More from Kristen

Finding God in Our Fears and Failures

Whenever I write a heroine’s character, I generally see a small piece of myself in her. Although I relate to some characters more than others, I can usually spot some shared quality that helps me empathize with her early on in my writing.

Writing private investigator Avery Reynolds in Watch Your Back was different. I liked her, despite all her sharp edges, but I didn’t see myself in her at first. As time went on, I found our shared similarity: a fear of failure.

While our situations are wildly different, this fear is not. She fears failing to take down Tampa’s elusive mob boss and letting down the few people close to her that she cares about. The stakes are so high at the end of the story that failure is worse than death to her.

While I was writing her story, I was raising a one-year-old, working online, trying to keep up with my home, and barely holding my head above water. Fears of missing my deadline—or worse, fears of letting down my family—ate away at my confidence. I couldn’t do it all. I wasn’t cut out for it.

That revelation was in fact the most freeing discovery I could make. I couldn’t do it all on my own, because I was never meant to. God provided a supportive husband, grace for each day, and the inspiration I needed to finish this story. Most importantly, He provided His never-failing presence. “For not, for I am with you,” the prophet Isaiah writes (Isaiah 41:10a NKJV). Ultimately, the reason we should not fear is Immanuel, “God with us.” (See Matthew 1:23.) He will never leave or forsake His children (Hebrews 13:5).

I don’t want to give away any spoilers in Avery’s story, but I will say she has her own moment of self-revelation as well. But will she recognize God’s hand reaching out to her in time?

When was the last time you found yourself in a situation you couldn’t handle on your own? How did God show up in your story?