Episode 51 - Author Chat with Amanda Cox

10/13/21 • 24 min

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The Secret Keepers of Old Depot Grocery by Amanda CoxPresent Day. After tragedy plunges her into grief and unresolved anger, Sarah Ashby returns to her childhood home determined to finally follow her long-denied dream of running Old Depot Grocery alongside her mother and grandmother. But when she arrives, her mother, Rosemary, announces to her that the store is closing. Sarah and her grandmother, Glory Ann, make a pact to save the store, but Rosemary has worked her entire life to make sure her daughter never follows in her footsteps. She has her reasons--but she'll certainly never reveal the real one.
1965. Glory Ann confesses to her family that she's pregnant with her deceased fiancé's baby. Pressured into a marriage of convenience with a shopkeeper to preserve the family reputation, Glory Ann vows never to love again. But some promises are not as easily kept as she imagined.
This dual-timeline story from Amanda Cox deftly explores the complexity of a mother-daughter dynamic, the way the secrets we keep shape our lives and the lives of others, and the healing power of telling the truth.
Get your copy of The Secret Keepers of Old Depot Grocery by Amanda Cox.Before becoming a stay-at-home parent, Amanda Cox spent her time counseling children, families, and individuals through life’s challenging moments. Now she uses those same skills to develop layered characters and stories, bringing them on a journey of hope and healing. A journey she hopes her readers experience in their own lives as they read.

A few of her favorite things are the sanctuary of the great outdoors, the feeling of pen on paper, the sound of her children’s laughter, and exploring new places with her husband of 15 years. (Oh, let’s not forget good fiction and good coffee. She’s addicted to both.)
Visit Amanda Cox's website.

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Episode 50 - Author Chat with Tessa Afshar

Christian Historical Fiction Talk is listener supported. When you buy things through this site, we may earn an affiliate commission.
Jewel of the Nile by Tessa AfsharWhispered secrets about her parents’ past take on new urgency for Chariline as she pays one last visit to the land of her forefathers, the ancient kingdom of Cush.
Raised as an orphan by her aunt, Chariline has only been told a few pieces of her parents’ tragic love story. Her beautiful dark skin is proof that her father was Cushite, but she knows nothing else. While visiting her grandfather before his retirement as the Roman official in the queen’s court, Chariline overhears that her father is still alive, and discovering his identity becomes her obsession. Both her grandfather and the queen have reasons for keeping this secret, however, and forbid her quest. So when her only clues lead to Rome, Chariline sneaks on the ship of a merchant trusted by friends.
Theo is shocked to discover a stowaway on board his vessel and determines to be rid of her as soon as possible. But drawn in by Chariline’s story, he feels honor-bound to see her safely to shore, especially when it appears someone may be willing to kill for the truth she seeks.
Get your copy of Jewel of the Nile by Tessa Afshar.
Tessa Afshar is the Publisher’s Weekly bestselling author of biblical and inspirational historical fiction, including Land of Silence, which won an INSPY Award and was voted by Library Journal as one of the top five Christian fiction titles of 2016, and Harvest of Gold, which won a Christy Award in the Historical Romance category.

Harvest of Rubies was a finalist for the 2013 ECPA Christian Book Award for fiction.

In 2011, after publishing her first novel, Pearl in the Sand, Tessa was named New Author of the Year by the FamilyFiction-sponsored Reader’s Choice Awards.

Tessa’s latest trilogy of biblical fiction, Thief of Corinth, Daughter of Rome, and Jewel of the Nile are based on minor characters from the book of Acts. Daughter of Rome is a finalist for the Carol Award, 2021.

Tessa’s Bible study, The Way Home: God’s Invitation to New Beginnings, based on the book of Ruth, won the 2021 ECPA Christian Book Award in the Bible Study category. Optional videos of the same title are available with this book. The Way Home was chosen by Moody Radio SFL for their summer of 2020 book study.

Tessa Afshar was born in the Middle East and lived there for the first fourteen years of her life. She then moved to England, where she survived boarding school for girls and fell in love with Jane Austen and Charlotte Bronte, before moving to the United States permanently.

Her conversion to Christianity in her twenties changed the course of her life forever. Tessa holds a Master of Divinity from Yale, where she was elected as the co-chair of the Evangelical Fellowship at the Divinity School for one year.

She served in women and prayer ministries for twenty years before becoming a full-time writer and speaker.

Tessa is a devoted wife, an enthusiastic cook, and a mediocre gardener. But that has not cured her from being exceptionally fond of chocolate.

Visit Tessa Afshar's website.

Next Episode

Episode 52 - Is Romance Dead?

Christian Historical Fiction Talk is listener supported. When you buy things through this site, we may earn an affiliate commission.
On this week's episode, we discuss the question, "Is Romance Dead?" You commented on the question on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, and it was great to get your feedback. We had some answers on each side of the romance fence, and we discuss what it is readers want from romance now.
Do you still enjoy the straight formula romances, or do you want romance to take a back seat to whatever else is happening in the story?
Join me for this very interesting discussion. Thank you all so much for your input on this episode on romance. I couldn't have done it without you. Be sure to connect with Christian Historical Fiction Talk on social media to enjoy the conversation and get your input into some of the episodes.
If you are interested in any of the Heroines of WWII series, check out The Cryptographer's Dilemma, A Picture of Hope, and Saving Mrs. Roosevelt.