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Karen Witemeyer returns to the show this week after a long absence, and we're thrilled to have her join us to talk about her new book, Cloaked in Beauty. Based on "Sleeping Beauty" and "Red Riding Hood," this is book three in a series. She tells us all about the series, why she chose the fairy tales she did, the old-time photo she and her husband took, and her son's wedding. Patrons will hear why she loves Texas so much.

Cloaked in Beauty by Karen Witemeyer

Trust no one in the shadows of the piney woods . . .

Letty Hood has spent the last fifteen years of her life hidden away with her grandmother in the backwoods of east Texas to escape the deadly schemes of an uncle who wants her dead. Now, with her twenty-first birthday on the horizon, she is forced to accept the escort of a stranger and return to Houston in secret so she can claim a birthright that will make her one of the wealthiest women in Texas. If she lives long enough to inherit.

Pinkerton agent Philip Carmichael has one duty: get the Radcliffe heiress home alive. Expecting a spoiled girl, Philip is surprised to encounter a woman of rare strength with a kind soul and keen wit. As they journey together, Letty's resilience wins his admiration, breaking through his hardened cynicism. Yet the threat to her survival grows more menacing with every mile, and Philip fears that keeping Letty out of harm's way may be just as impossible as keeping her out of his heart.

Get your copy of Cloaked in Beauty.

More about Karen Witemeyer:

After growing up in California, Karen moved to Texas to attend Abilene Christian University where she earned bachelor and master's degrees in Psychology. It was also there that she met and married her own Texas hero. He roped her in good, for she has lived in Texas ever since. In fact, she fell so in love with this rugged land of sweeping sunsets and enduring pioneer spirit, that she incorporates it into the pages of her novels, setting her stories in the small towns of a state that burgeoned into greatness in the mid- to late1800s.

A life-long bookworm, Karen is living her dream by writing novels. Her books have consistently hit bestseller lists and have garnered numerous awards. When not writing, she loves to pester her adult children, play board games, and cross-stitch intricate patterns reminiscent of the historical eras present in her stories.

Karen's favorite aspect of her writing life is hearing from readers. Nothing encourages her heart more. She'd love to hear from you. You can contact her here.

Visit Karen's website.

Christian Historical Fiction Talk is listener supported. When you buy things through this site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Michelle Shocklee makes a return appearance on the show this week, talking about her new release, All We Thought We Knew. We chat about the interesting intertwining of the WWII and Vietnam War eras, how it feels to be a Christy Award finalist, and why she'll never read a book in ebook format. Patrons will hear about all the special items she has sitting on her desk.

All We Thought We Knew by Michelle Shocklee

She was so sure she knew her family’s story . . . Now she wonders if she was wrong about all of it.

1969. When Mattie Taylor’s twin brother was killed in Vietnam, she lost her best friend and the only person who really understood her. Now, news that her mother is dying sends Mattie back home, despite blaming her father for Mark’s death. Mama’s last wish is that Mattie would read some old letters stored in a trunk, from people Mattie doesn’t even know. Mama insists they hold the answers Mattie is looking for.

1942. Ava Delaney is picking up the pieces of her life following her husband’s death at Pearl Harbor. Living with her mother-in-law on a secluded farm in Tennessee is far different than the life Ava imagined when she married only a few short months ago. Desperate to get out of the house, Ava seeks work at a nearby military base, where she soon discovers the American government is housing Germans who they have classified as enemy aliens. As Ava works to process legal documents for the military, she crosses paths with Gunther Schneider, a German who is helping care for wounded soldiers. Ava questions why a man as gentle and kind as Gunther should be forced to live in the internment camp, and as they become friends, her sense of the injustice grows . . . as do her feelings for him. Faced with the possibility of losing Gunther, Ava must choose whether loving someone deemed the enemy is a risk worth taking, even if it means being ostracized by all those around her.

In the midst of pain and loss two women must come face-to-face with their own assumptions about what they thought they knew about themselves and others. What they discover will lead to a far greater appreciation of their own legacies and the love of those dearest to them.

Get your copy of All We Thought We Knew by Michelle Shocklee.

More about Michelle:

I have always loved the written word. As far back as I can remember I've enjoyed books.
My mother, an elementary school teacher, read to my four older siblings and me a lot while we grew up in the shadow of the Rocky Mountains in Santa Fe, New Mexico. After I learned to read on my own, books were part of my daily life. When I walk into a bookstore, I take a deep breath, inhaling that wonderful, unique aroma. Ahhh.
(Sorry techies, but ya just can't do that with a Kindle!)

So it wasn't a big surprise when I discovered how much I enjoyed writing my own stories. I filled pages of notebooks and eventually computer screens with tales of love, heartbreak, drama and humor. Although I write various genres,
historical settings are my favorite.

When I'm not writing, editing, or dreaming up new stories, my husband and I work as Estate Caretakers! We also enjoy spending time at the beach with our two grown sons and their beautiful wives.

Visit Michelle's website.

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Become a patron and enjoy special perks and bonus content.

Wow! Somehow, Christian Historical Fiction Talk has made to it to 200 episodes. That's unbelievable to me. Thank you all for your support of the show over this past 4+ years. I appreciate it more than you can ever know.

On this episode, we do a little celebrating. I pull back the curtain and give some insight into how an episode comes to be, I share a little bit of trivia about the show, and think aloud about what I'd like to see happen to the show in the future and what I've learned along the way.

If you'd like to check out some of my books, take a look at these:
What I Would Tell You
What I Promise You
What I Left for You
When the Sky Burned

Books by some of the show's most popular authors:
Embers in the London Sky by Sarah Sundin
For a Lifetime by Gabrielle Meyer
The Rose and the Thistle by Laura Frantz
By Evening's Light by Leslie Gould

Create your podcast today! #madeonzencastr