The Christian Romance Podcast

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.

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!

Amazon

Get updates on our 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!

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.

Get your copy

For Kindle Unlimited lovers, Finding Forevermore is ready for you to check out.

You’ll get updates by joining my free email list.

Visit my website here to sign up

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In this episode, Kelly chats with award-winning Christian historical romance author Sarah Sundin about her newest World War II novel, Mists Over the Channel Islands. Set on the British Channel Island of Jersey during German occupation, this deeply emotional story weaves together courage, forbidden love, and sacrificial faith.

Listeners will fall in love with Ivy, a young female physician risking everything to help escaped forced laborers, and Garrett, a Dutch resistance fighter in disguise as a German engineer. Kelly and Sarah dive deep into the emotional tension of falling for someone in the enemy’s uniform, the historical realities of island occupation, and the incredible strength it takes to obey God even when the risks are high.

Don’t miss this heartfelt conversation about standing firm in faith when God’s goodness isn’t visible, loving sacrificially, and the power of unseen courage during history’s darkest days.

Listen to the episode here.

Meet Sarah Sundin

Sarah Sundin is the bestselling author of Midnight on the Scottish Shore, Embers in the London Sky, The Sound of Light, and Until Leaves Fall in Paris, as well as the popular WWII series Sunrise at Normandy, among others. She is a Christy Award winner and a Carol Award winner, and her novels have received starred reviews from Booklist, Library Journal, and Publishers Weekly. Sarah lives in Southern California. Visit SarahSundin.com

Bible Verse for Encouragement

Hebrews 11:1 (NKJV)
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

Sarah Sundin’s New Book: Mists Over the Channel Islands

Behind enemy lines, adversary and ally become impossible to distinguish.

The German invasion of the British Channel Islands shatters Dr. Ivy Picot’s peaceful world, forcing her to shoulder the weight of her father’s medical practice and hold together a family unraveling under the strain of war. As conditions worsen in Jersey with the arrival of thousands of forced laborers, Ivy’s quiet allegiance to the Allies compels her to risk everything by providing medical aid to escaped workers–even as danger closes in.

Dutch engineer and resistance member Gerrit van der Zee volunteers to build fortifications for the Germans so he can secretly send maps and diagrams to the Allies. On his arrival in the Channel Islands, he crosses paths with Ivy, who shows him contempt for the uniform he wears. As tensions mount and their missions grow increasingly dangerous, Ivy and Gerrit must confront the cost of courage, the meaning of sacrifice, and whether love can survive in the shadow of war. Will their covert efforts turn the tide–or will they pay the ultimate price for defiance?

💞 Tropes in Mists Over the Channel Islands

Enemies to Lovers

Opposites Attract

Forbidden Love

Slow Burn

Wartime Romance

Hidden Identity

Found Family / Community Support

Heroine in a Male-Dominated Field

Sacrificial Love

Protector Hero

Historical Real-Life Events

Get your copy today!

Amazon

Baker Book House

Get updates on our book giveaways

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

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.

Get your copy

For Kindle Unlimited lovers, Finding Forevermore is ready for you to check out.

You’ll get updates by joining my free email list.

Visit my website here to sign up

Follow me for updates

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TikTok

Jennifer Willcock shares a behind the scenes look of her Christian romance book about a widow finding faith again called Hymn of Life. A pastor’s wife turned fiction author, Jennifer opens up about navigating church hurt, grief, and healing — both in her own life and in her characters’. In this inspiring episode, she shares how her love of storytelling and a burden for clean, hope-filled YA fiction led her into adult contemporary romance with a faith-driven twist. Hymn of Life isn’t just a love story — it’s a spiritual journey of redemption and second chances.

Listen to the episode here.

Meet Jennifer Willcock

Jennifer Willcock is an award-winning writer of YA  and Adult fiction. The Wolf Kingdom series is a fantasy/retelling of Little Red Riding Hood. She has also written YA contemporary romance novels including the award-winning Exit Stage Right. She is thrilled that her English degree is finally being put to good use. She lives in Ontario, Canada with her husband, two sons, and their pet rabbit, Ollie. Visit Jennifer at JenniferWillcock.com

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Bible Verse for Encouragement

I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.
— Ezekiel 36:26 (NKJV)

Jennifer Willcock’s New Book: Hymn of Life

Caught between her past life and a new beginning, Lauren must choose where her heart truly lies.

Lauren Grace is determined to find her happily ever after, but on her terms which doesn’t include a rockstar or any man for that matter.

Aaron Miles Scott’s life has stalled. He’s lost his muse, he’s hiding a secret he’d like to forget and his music career is taking a nosedive. The last thing he needs is a relationship to complicate his life.

Lauren and Aaron are brought together in a head on collision as they judge a talent competition. Aaron represents everything Lauren has sworn off—success, fame, notoriety. He definitely doesn’t fit into her new life.

Neither can deny the chemistry between them but is it enough? Will they be able to find their way past the secrets, lies, and wounds to their happily ever after?

💞 Tropes in Hymn of Life

Second Chance Romance

Enemies to More

Forced Proximity (Judging a Teen Talent Contest!)

Grumpy Meets Grace

Celebrity Love Interest (Ex-boyband frontman!)

Healing from Church Hurt

Redemption Arc

Found Family / Community Healing

Sweet romance about a widow finding faith

Get your copy today!

Amazon

Get updates on our 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!

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.

Get your copy

For Kindle Unlimited lovers, Finding Forevermore is ready for you to check out.

You’ll get updates by joining my free email list.

Visit my website here to sign up

Follow me for updates

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YouTube

TikTok

In this episode, Kelly chats with the legendary Susie May Warren, bestselling author of over 100 novels and queen of Christian romance books with suspense and adventure! Susie shares the inspiring journey behind her newest release, Track of Courage, the first book in the Call of the Wild series. Set in snowy Alaska, this story follows a wounded cop, a superstar singer in hiding, and a dog with a secret superpower—all wrapped in suspense, romance, and deep spiritual truths. From the depths of despair to daring rescues, Susie weaves faith into every scene, reminding us of God’s unshakable presence even in our darkest moments. With familiar fan-favorite characters, rich community vibes, and of course, some very good dogs, this episode is a must-listen for fans of Christian romantic suspense.

Listen to the episode here.

Meet Susan May Warren

Susan May Warren is the USA Today bestselling author of nearly 100 novels with more than 1.5 million books sold, including the Global Search and Rescue and Montana Rescue series. Winner of a RITA Award and multiple Christy and Carol Awards, as well as the HOLT Medallion and numerous Readers’ Choice Awards, Susan makes her home in Minnesota.

Visit her at SusanMayWarren.com

Follow Susie

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Bible Verse for Encouragement

Deuteronomy 31:8 (NKJV)
And the Lord, He is the One who goes before you. He will be with you, He will not leave you nor forsake you; do not fear nor be dismayed.

Susan May Warren’s New Book: Track of Courage

A hijacked plane. A pursuing killer. And a K9’s instinct to help them make it out alive.

Pop singer Keely Williams’s search for her biological mother in Alaska has been painfully unsuccessful. Now she just wants to escape this wild frontier and never look back. But when her plane is hijacked, she’s suddenly plunged into a race against not only an Alaskan blizzard but also a killer who’s on her tail.

After a career-ending injury, ex-cop Dawson Mulligan has only one friend–Caspian, the stray dog he adopted. Dawson just wants to figure out how to get his life on track, but during a flight home to Copper Mountain, he spots a downed plane and stops to help. Except, when his not-a-rescue dog runs off into the woods and discovers the trail of a missing survivor, it’s up to the former cop to stage a rescue.

But Dawson has no idea he’s being pulled into a deadly pursuit, or that Caspian is more than he seems. There might be redemption and second chances waiting for both Dawson and Keely if they have the courage to face their wounded pasts and fight for their future.

Join master storyteller Susan May Warren for a propulsive ride through the Alaskan wilderness, where love might be the riskiest–and most rewarding–adventure of all.

Prepare to experience edge-of-your-seat action combined with heart-stirring romance and heroic K9 companions in this exhilarating romantic suspense that will thrill fans of Lynette Eason and Elizabeth Goddard.

💞 Tropes in Track of Courage

Wounded Hero

Celebrity in Hiding

Forced Proximity (Blizzard Edition!)

Rescue Romance

Found Family

Opposites Attract

Animal Companion (Hero Dog!)

Slow Burn / Healing Together

Second Chance at Life

Suspense

Epic adventure

Get your copy today!

Amazon

Baker Book House

Get updates on our 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!

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.

Get your copy

For Kindle Unlimited lovers, Finding Forevermore is ready for you to check out.

You’ll get updates by joining my free email list.

Visit my website here to sign up

Follow me for updates

Instagram

YouTube

TikTok

In this episode, Kelly chats with Heidi McCahan about her new book A Winter of Sweet Secrets, a Christian romance set in Alaska, and writing through seasons of uncertainty—and how God’s timing, even when confusing, is always right. Heidi opens up about her Alaskan childhood, the ministry impact of her family’s roadside café, and the publishing whirlwind that led her to sign nine book contracts in a single week. From the heart behind A Winter of Sweet Secrets to the behind-the-scenes reality of writing for both Love Inspired and Sunrise Publishing, Heidi shares candid insights, encouragement for aspiring authors, and powerful reminders about trusting God’s plan even when it’s not on our preferred schedule.

Listen to the episode here.

Meet Heidi McCahan

Heidi is a bestselling author of uplifting Christian romance set in small towns with big heart. With multiple published titles through Love Inspired and Sunrise Publishing, Heidi crafts hope-filled stories that reflect God’s grace in everyday moments. Originally from Alaska and now living in North Carolina, she’s a wife, mom of three, and a goldendoodle’s favorite human—often found with a good cup of coffee and a book that ends in happily ever after. Visit HeidiMcCahan.com

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Bible Verse for Encouragement

Psalm 34:8 (NKJV)

Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!

Heidi McCahan’s New Book: A Winter of Sweet Secrets

“A sweet and heartfelt story of family, forgiveness, and finding love in unexpected places. With charming characters and a small-town Alaskan backdrop, A Winter of Sweet Secrets delivers a delicious mix of romance, resilience, and a dash of mystery that will keep readers turning pages long into the night.” –RaeAnne Thayne, New York Times bestselling author

What will it take to save her family’s candy company…and end a decades-long feud?

For generations, the Evergreen Candy Company has been a beloved small-town Alaskan tradition run by Jovi Wright’s family—until now. With her grandparents no longer at the helm, Jovi’s parents are considering selling it. When her sister calls with the news, Jovi hops on a plane back home to help rescue the family business. Her plan: launch Grammie’s salted caramel chews as a new product. But with Grammie’s memory fading and the recipe missing, Jovi has her work cut out for her.

Still reeling from being jilted by her fiancé, Jovi welcomes the distraction of trying to re-create the recipe from scratch. The distraction she’s not so sure about is single dad Burke Solomon. The disillusioned author and his adorable little girl have moved in to his late aunt’s cabin just down the road from her grandparents’ home, where she’s staying. And the discovery that their families have been feuding since before either of them were born is too irresistible to ignore.

With a looming deadline and the stresses of single parenthood, the last thing Burke needs is a bright-eyed optimist like Jovi next door. But he finds himself asking for her help adjusting to life in Evergreen more than he’d like to admit. And untangling the history of what happened to the friendship between his late aunt and Jovi’s Grammie provides an antidote to his writer’s block. But when Burke unearths several shocking family secrets, will revealing them settle the feud or bring everything he and Jovi have been working toward crashing down around them?

💞 Tropes in A Winter of Sweet Secrets

Small-town romance

Secrets / hidden past

Found family / sibling relationships

Grumpy/Sunshine

Emotional healing

Holiday / winter setting

Slow burn romance

Marriage in trouble

Get your copy today!

Amazon

Walmart

Get updates on our 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!

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.

Get your copy

For Kindle Unlimited lovers, Finding Forevermore is ready for you to check out.

You’ll get updates by joining my free email list.

Visit my website here to sign up

Follow me for updates

Instagram

YouTube

TikTok