I have book news! But first, a smidge of background... In 2017, my book Free to Lean: Making Peace with Your Lopsided Life released from Discovery House (now Our Daily Bread Ministries). This was the nonfiction book of my heart, the one in which I metaphorically link arms with you and we talk about what it means to live an unbalanced life. (Hint: Not only is it OK to not do it all, it's biblical to focus on priorities for a given season.) It went out of print a few years later, which was much too early in my opinion.  And so, over the last several months, I formed my own ..read more

Now available: a FREE book club kit to go along with my new Civil War novel, A River Between Us! Even if you're not in a book club, you might enjoy what I've put together for you:   Printable Discussion Questions I didn't add these to the back of the novel itself, so you'll want to grab them here.   A River Between Us Spotify Playlist  This playlist begins with Civil War-inspired music from various sources, then switches to contemporary worship songs that display the timeless themes of hope, courage, and faith you'll find in the story.   ..read more

Happy release day, everyone! A River Between Us is now officially out into the world, and I couldn't be happier to finally deliver to you the full story of hope and home these characters deserve.  Many readers have asked how they can support the launch of the book. Thank you!! I'm so grateful that you asked. The most obvious way is to buy a copy of the book. (You can check with your local bookstore, order a signed copy from my Etsy shop here, or shop from other retailers here.)  But that's not the only way you can help. In fact, here are SEVEN things you can do that won't cost ..read more

A River Between Us, a new full-length Civil War novel, will release October 3, 2023! Some of you may remember I'd written a novella by this title that was included in The Message in a Bottle Romance Collection, published in 2017. That collection has since gone out of print, so I was able to get the rights back to the story and give it the word count the story always deserved.  A River Between Us is based on the true story of events that happened in Roswell, Georgia, starting in July 1864. It's the story of ordinary people just trying to find their way home in a world ..read more

Whew! Last weekend was the third Windy City Saga Tour that I've hosted in less than eighteen months. It was an unmitigated success. This time we were at capacity again with 22 readers plus my husband and myself, and two special guest authors on Saturday--Kate Breslin and Laura Frantz! These tours are based on the sites readers see in my historical novels in the Chicago-based series called The Windy City Saga: Veiled in Smoke, which focuses on the Great Fire of 1871; Shadows of the White City, which is set during the World's Fair of 1893; and Drawn by the Current, which revolves around the ..read more

Come celebrate the launch of my newest Civil War novel: A River Between Us Sunday, October 1, at 2pm! The Civil War-themed party will be held in the ballroom of the Cedar Falls Woman's Club at 304 Clay Street, Cedar Falls, IA, and will include: Live string trio provided by Cedar Valley Strings A program by the author, Jocelyn Green A Victorian dessert buffet with tea and coffee A Civil War fashion show, featuring dresses on loan from Gettysburg, and interpretation by Civil War fashion expert Ann Olsson An opportunity for book sales and signing will follow in the ..read more

Today is the 108th anniversary of the Eastland Disaster, which was the historical event my novel Drawn by the Current revolves around. (For those unfamiliar: on July 24, 1915, the steamship SS Eastland tipped over in the Chicago River while still tied to the docks. It held 2500 passengers, most of them Western Electric employees on their way to a picnic across the southern tip of Lake Michigan, in Michigan City, Indiana. 844 of them lost their lives.) Some of you may remember my visit to Michigan City in May, searching for the Eastland Disaster Memorial. Last week, I altered my route home ..read more

Last weekend I had the opportunity to explore an exhibit on King Tut's tomb and treasures while in Columbus, Ohio! This exhibit was hosted by Cosi and will remain open until September 4, 2023. Given the King Tut fever that served as the backdrop and catalyst for my novel, The Metropolitan Affair, I couldn't resist visiting--and of course I took along a copy of the book. (Quick recap: King Tut's tomb was discovered in November 1922. The inner tomb was finally reached and excavated months later, in early 1923. When my novel takes place in 1925, King Tut fever was all the rage. Read more ..read more

One of the great things about writing a novel set in 1925 Manhattan is that many of the settings are still around and can be visited today. If you’ve not been there personally, I hope this virtual tour of some of the sites will help you picture the scenes in The Metropolitan Affair. Let’s start with the obvious: The Metropolitan Museum of Art. This is where the protagonist, Dr. Lauren Westlake, serves as an assistant curator of Egyptian art. It’s a gigantic structure on Central Park, as are all three institutions featured in this new series—hence the series name, On Central Park ..read more

On Saturday, I stopped in Michigan City, Indiana, on my way home from the Fiction Readers Summit. I pulled up to the parking attendant at Washington Park Beach. “I’m looking for any kind of Eastland Disaster memorial,” I told him. I had read it was around here somewhere. “I have no idea what you’re talking about,” he said. So I told him what many of you already know if you’ve read my novel, Drawn by the Current. On July 24, 1915, the SS Eastland tipped over in the Chicago River while still tied to the dock. 844 people lost their lives. Their destination had been Washington Park Beach in ..read more