One of the best things about historical fiction is when authors show parts that we might not know as much about. Listen in as I chat with Tara Johnson about the Irish slaves sent to the Americas and the abolitionists who tried to put a stop to slavery altogether!

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Too few books show the full scope of the ugly slave trade in the 18th and 19th centuries, but Tara Johnson has kicked off an excellent series featuring slavers and abolitionists, slaves and freemen, and the God Whose love should break all chains and set all captives free--physically and spiritually.

To Speak His Name by Tara Johnson

Avalina is a woman trapped in silence. Stolen from her home in Ireland and sold as a slave to a Barbados plantation owner, the trauma of her past has left her mute, wrapped in a prison of loneliness and isolation amid an island of beauty. Though she longs to be free from the cruelty of her overseer, her heart yearns for a greater freedom…something just beyond her grasp.

Josiah Holland has been born into a South Carolina slave-holding family but all it takes is one trip to the island of Barbados to open his eyes to the ugly cruelty that abounds beyond the confines of his plantation. With the aid of fiery abolitionist Benjamin McGee, Josiah forges a new future, fighting the very ideals he was once a part of.

When Avalina and Josiah’s lives entwine, will their spark engulf them in destruction, or ignite a revolution?

Learn more about Tara on her WEBSITE and follow her on GoodReads and BookBub.

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EEEP! Suspense and K-9 protection? What more could you want? How about it written by an author with lots of experience with fast-paced, exciting Christian romantic suspense novels under her belt? Listen in while Terri Reed and I chat about her latest Love Inspired Suspense novel.

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Author of dozens of books,many of which are published by Love Inspired, Terri Reed knows how to deliver everything readers of romantic suspense love in a good book. And, as a dog trainer herself (she has an agility dog--an Aussie!!!), she knows what she's doing when she writes about dogs and their training. In fact, a quick look at Amazon showed around half of her books with dogs on the cover. Don't know about you, but I love me a good dog in a book.

And... for those who love to see characters again, she has a Christmas sequel coming out this fall.

Trained to Protect by Terri Reed

Protecting a witness could be a deadly mission for this K-9 team.

K-9 officer Tarren McGregor never imagined that a cartel would find its way to Texas’s South Padre Island—or target his best friend’s sister. But when Julia Hamilton witnesses and prevents the kidnapping of a teen girl, Tarren knows that trouble is soon to follow. Because Julia didn’t just protect the girl—she saw the abductor’s face. Now she’s marked for murder, and it’s up to Tarren and his K-9 partner to keep Julia safe from the human traffickers in pursuit…even if it means putting themselves in the line of fire.

From Love Inspired Suspense: Courage. Danger. Faith.

Learn more about Terri on her WEBSITE and follow her on GoodReads and BookBub.

Like to listen on the go? You can find Because Fiction Podcast at:

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Carrie Walker brings us back to the characters we met in Emma's Hero with Right Before Their Eyes and again tackles some really difficult topics. Listen in to learn why this series is one of my most anticipated reads!

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The Faith Endures series is really focused on Mason... but it shows him in the light of others and his interactions with them. So we see more than just his personal story. I really love that about them and am eager to have them all so I can binge read them! EEEP!

Right Before Their Eyes by Carrie Walker

Sometimes the love you need most looks different than you imagined.

Clare Martin thought nothing of agreeing to live with her dementia-ridden grandmother when her parents left on mission. Balancing that with her job as a social worker and the expectations of her career-driven boyfriend proved doable—until Grandma started a house fire.

Mason Hughes has loved Clare for years, but the time was never right to tell her and now she’s dating someone else, fixing Mason firmly in the friend zone. He’s working to be a pediatric neurologist, a dream inspired by a special boy with a terminal brain condition, and must choose a medical school. Finances are so tight he’s forced to consider a program across the country, a troubling fact he’s kept secret.

Lucia Roberts, a seventeen-year-old on Clare’s caseload, loses her foster home and is placed in an unwelcoming group home. At every turn she’s met with rejection and becomes desperate for any proof she has value—enough to make choices that could affect the rest of her life.

When Grandma Dottie and Lucia's paths take a dangerous turn, Clare frantically tries to save them. As their lives knit together, will they find the love that’s right before their eyes?

Learn more about Carrie on her WEBSITE and follow her on GoodReads and BookBub.

Don't miss our first interview with Carrie HERE. And don't miss it on Kindle Unlimited!

Like to listen on the go? You can find Because Fiction Podcast at:

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• Castbox
• Google Play
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• RSS
• Spotify
• Amazon
• and more!