Guess what, friends? This is my tenth year posting “SIX SWEET READS” as Christmas approaches, and it still feels like pulling teeth as I attempt to choose my fave six books from the past twelve months of reading! After much dithering and vacillating, I followed my gut and am delighted to offer up some captivating suggestions in case you’re still scurrying around looking for gifts or a fabulous book for your own festive reading time. Without further ado, allow me to introduce you to my Six Sweet Reads in 2025…

Friends, I have fantastic news—my entire Flight to Freedom series of Christian romantic suspense is now back and available in ebook and paperback! In the past 12 months, the phenomenal Mountain Brook Ink publishers have republished all five books with the same original stories and gorgeous new covers… and I’m thrilled to share the whole family with you, along with ideas to help you with some bookish gift-giving!

How do you feel when you reach the very last page of a journal you’ve poured your whole little old heart into? Maybe a swell of accomplishment, an affectionate tug as you bid its pages farewell, an air of excitement when you consider beginning a fresh one, or maybe a sense of panic when you realize you don’t have a new journal to write in next. Is it just me? Perhaps you don’t journal at all and wonder what the fuss is about. Please allow me a moment to gush over Ann Voskamp’s GIFTS & GRATITUDES because I’ve just reached my very last page…

🎉 You may or may not know that 2025 marks the 250th birthday of beloved literary icon, Jane Austen! Famous for timeless classics such as Sense and Sensibility and Pride and Prejudice, her celebrations are currently in full swing in England—and I was fortunate enough to be over there earlier this year to get in the mood! Wherever you are in the world, I have some sweet suggestions of ways in which you can embrace the celebration and join countless others in saying HAPPY 250th BIRTHDAY, JANE AUSTEN!

Allow me to formally introduce to you my latest Christian romantic suspense novel: THE FINAL WORD, released this past week and published by Mountain Brook Ink. The thrill of a new book launching into the world never gets old (this is number 12 for me) and so I would love to share a few fun extras about this particular book baby with you—plus, there are some current giveaways for paperback copies you might want to check out…

Last summer, I had this crazy notion. My latest novel, CAPTURED IN FRAME, had just been released and I was in that “honeymoon phase” when an author can’t stop staring at her book cover with eyes of adoration. My publisher completely nailed this cover and I was especially thrilled that they included a charming pink cottage. And so, I began scheming An Author’s Brave Day…

30 years ago this very day, we arrived at the Vancouver airport in Canada. February 24, 1995. A couple of adventurous Brits in their twenties toting their adorable two-and-a-half-year-old daughter, several overstuffed suitcases, and a backpack of random toys. Our dream to “live abroad” and experience life in a foreign-yet-friendly land was truly happening! Since then, we’ve had no regrets in making the momentous decision that would change the trajectory of our lives. So… thanks, Canada!

Happy New Year, friend! I do hope you had a wonderful Christmas season. As the tinsel and baubles are packed away and we teeter on the cusp of another year, I’m here again to share my “one word” for 2025… and fair warning: it’s somewhat lacking in originality and inspiration, but it is what it is. My word for this year is “NEW”.

As is my warm-and-fuzzy December tradition, here I am again with my humble bookish offering of six sweet reads I particularly enjoyed in 2024. Rather than vacillating willy-nilly between the 40-ish titles I’ve devoured over the past 12 months, I simply selected stories that I can’t shake. Unforgettable characters. Harrowing plots. You know the ones? Maybe you’ll find an intriguing option for yourself or even as a gift—because I don’t need to remind you that Christmas is just around the corner… ho ho ho!

Where did they go? Well, it’s quite the story, but the short version is that my award-winning novellas, THE CHRISTMAS CABIN and SNOW GLOBE SECRETS, are now available just in time for the festive season. Phew! Plus, they both have gorgeous fresh covers on the outside with the same beloved, suspenseful stories on the inside. Grab a mug of cocoa and let me explain…