I worked in publishing while earning my master’s degree in English, thinking I would eventually teach. Stories, however, were my first love, as was theology. I grew up in the church, but it wasn’t until I discovered how to study the Bible through a cultural lens that Scripture came springing to life in a new way. I was hooked, and I began to see an intersection between my passions—storytelling, teaching, and theology. Now, I pen stories that highlight the humanity of Bible characters and the goodness of the God they serve. My hope is that the Bible will spring to life for others the way it did for me.
The biblical Lazarus is well-known as the man Jesus brought back to life. Perhaps lesser known is his sister, Martha, whom many remember as “worried and troubled” about many things. This book delivers an immersive backstory that plumbs the depths of this often misunderstood woman. The story traces Martha’s growth into maturity as she grieves her mother’s death, raises her siblings, and treasures the beginnings of first love. But when her dreams crumble into dust, so does Martha’s wounded heart.
Years later, Jesus of Nazareth disruptively enters the scene. When Martha discovers that this carpenter-rabbi is connected to her past, she’s not sure she can trust him with her future. But as he performs the miraculous, the invitation to believe becomes harder to resist.
The name Judas Iscariot has become synonymous with treachery, but in her novel, Tosca Lee humanizes this man who would eventually betray Jesus Christ.
I loved how this book asked me to set aside my preconceived notions of an infamous man and instead see him as a nuanced, flesh-and-blood person who made thousands of small choices leading up to the big choice we all remember.
This is a haunting and heartbreaking story that continues to linger in my mind.
Acclaimed New York Times bestselling author Tosca Lee brilliantly adapts the life of Judas Iscariot into a dazzling work of fiction—humanizing the man whose very name is synonymous with betrayal.
Based on extensive research into the life and times of Judas Iscariot, this triumph of fiction storytelling by the author of Havah: The Story of Eve revisits one of biblical history’s most maligned figures and brings the world he inhabited vividly to life.
In Jesus, Judas believes he has found the One—the promised Messiah and future king of the Jews, destined to overthrow Roman rule. Galvanized, he joins Nazarene’s followers,…
Tessa Afshar's book is full of grit and honesty that left me rejoicing in the God of new beginnings.
It traces the story of Rahab the prostitute in the Old Testament, contextualizing it with an intriguing “before” and “after” picture of this Canaanite woman who aided the Israelites and eventually became one of them.
I absolutely loved the growth in Salmone and Rahab’s relationship. The author carefully and respectfully depicts how a marriage can thrive even through trauma and hurt. This story tackles hard topics with so much grace, beauty, and hope.
Can a Canaanite harlot who made her living enticing men be a fitting wife for a leader of Israel? Shockingly, the Bible’s answer is yes.
This 10th anniversary edition of Pearl in the Sand includes new features that will invite you into the untold story of Rahab’s journey from lowly outcast to redeemed child of God. Rahab’s home is built into a wall, a wall that fortifies and protects the City of Jericho. However, other walls surround her too, walls of fear, rejection, and unworthiness… Years of pain and betrayal have wounded Rahab’s heart—she doubts whether her dreams of experiencing…
Egypt’s culture jumps vividly to life in this beautiful book by Mesu Andrews.
The book examines the relationship between Joseph and Asenath, the Egyptian daughter of a pagan priest. I enjoyed how the author fills in the cracks of everything we don’t know in the biblical account with a believable story that fleshes out the personal histories of these two characters.
The story manages to feel both epic and intimate, inviting me to view the land and its politics through the eyes of a couple learning to love one another despite their vast differences.
Thrust into an arranged marriage, the daughter of ancient Egypt’s high priest plays a pivotal role in Joseph’s biblical narrative in this powerful novel from the award-winning author of Potiphar’s Wife.
After four-year-old Asenath’s mother is murdered by Egypt’s foreign rulers, the child is raised to be a priestess by her overprotective father—high priest of Egypt’s sun god. For fifteen years, Asenath is sequestered in the upper levels of Ra’s temple, convinced it is her destiny to heal the land by becoming queen to the next Egyptianpharaoh. But when Egypt’s foreign king instead gives her as a bride to the…
I loved how the author took multiple “minor characters” in the Bible and connected their stories, causing me to take a closer look at these lesser-known individuals.
In this book, Angela Hunt identifies the Lydia mentioned in Acts 16 as the same person called Euodia in Philippians 4 and presents a compelling argument as to why in her Author’s Note. The slave girl Paul liberates from a demon in Acts 16 is also given a prominent role as Euodia attempts to rescue her from a cruel master who seeks to restore her “gift.”
I enjoyed the quick pace and ever-changing setting as Euodia travels throughout Macedonia. Rich cultural details coupled with a marriage of convenience that blossoms into more made this a satisfying adventure!
"I love the way Hunt weaves history throughout to bring readers into ancient times. The book is rich in detail, and the characters are fully rendered."--FRANCINE RIVERS, bestselling author of Redeeming Love
"I completely lost my heart to Euodia, Ariston, and Sabina. . . . A beautiful beginning to a new series."--ROBIN LEE HATCHER, bestselling author of All She Ever Dreamed
Widowed Euodia, known to her neighbors as "the Lydian woman," seeks to make a fresh start by moving to the foreign city of Philippi. She finds new purpose after meeting Paulos, apostle to the Gentiles, who opens her eyes…
After reading this book by Stephanie Landsem, I feel as though I’ve lived in the Samaritan village of Sychar, drawn water from the well, sat beneath the wagging tongues of villagers, and experienced the transformative love of Jesus the Messiah.
This immersive story gives a beautiful background to the Samaritan woman in John 4, told from the perspective of her daughter, Mara. The hurt and desperation in Mara were gut-wrenching and pulled me right into the story.
I appreciated how the author focused on all the people surrounding the main character from the Bible, showing how one person’s choices—and transformation—impact so many others. A beautiful book full of heartbreak and hope.
In the rich tradition of Francine Rivers's Lineage of Grace series, comes a beautiful retelling of the biblical story of the woman at the well-bringing to life this poignant young woman struggling to survive love and heartbreak.
Could he be the One we've been waiting for?
For the women of the Samaritan village of Sychar, the well is a place of blessing-the place where they gather to draw their water and share their lives-but not for Mara. Shunned for the many sins of her mother, Nava, Mara struggles against the constant threats of starvation or exile.
Inspiring historical fiction based on the real life of Bertha Benz, whose husband built the first prototype automobile, which eventually evolved into the Mercedes-Benz marque.
"Unfortunately, only a girl again."
From a young age, Cäcilie Bertha Ringer is fascinated by her father's work as a master builder in Pforzheim, Germany. But those five words, which he wrote next to her name in the family Bible, haunt Bertha.
Years later, Bertha meets Carl Benz and falls in love—with him and his extraordinary dream of building a horseless carriage. Bertha has such faith in him that she invests her dowry in his…
Inspiring historical fiction based on the real life of Bertha Benz, whose husband built the first prototype automobile, which eventually evolved into the Mercedes-Benz marque.
"Unfortunately, only a girl again."
From a young age, Cacilie Bertha Ringer is fascinated by her father's work as a master builder in Pforzheim, Germany. But those five words, which he wrote next to her name in the family Bible, haunt Bertha.
Years later, Bertha meets Carl Benz and falls in love-with him and his extraordinary dream of building a horseless carriage. Bertha has such faith in him that she invests her dowry in his…
