Ever been in the Appalachian Mountains? No? Me either but after reading Cindy Sproles latest novel, I feel like I've been immersed in those hills and hollers. The Eyes Of River is set in the early 1900's in the Appalachians and follows a young woman through a harrowing flight to clear her name and save her brother's life...not to mention her own. In Episode 20 of Season 2 - the finale for this season - Cindy uncovers her steps from having a deep seated desire to be a writer, to publishing her first novels, to starting a devotional ministry, to becoming an editor/publisher, to building an author mentoring program and more. She is also the director of the Asheville Christian Writers Conference which is held at the Billy Graham Training Center at The Cover each year. So hold on to your hats...this conversation with Cindy is quite a ride. You can follow her at www.CindySproles.com and find her ministry at www.christiandevotions.us.

Ocieanna Fleiss has published books in a number of genres from memoir to romance to cozy mystery to devotional. It was hard to pick which one to chat about...so, we covered them all in Episode 19 of Season 2. We start with her memoir - Love Like There's No Tomorrow: How A Cardiac Arrest Brought My Heart To Life. At age 41, she literally died and had to be revived - more than once. But the interventions of God both in those first harrowing days and in the slow recuperative days that followed speak to his amazing, tender healing power. We also go over her romance novels written in tandem with Tricia Goyer - how that came about and how it proceeded. Her cozy mysteries, published by Guidepost, are two of an extensive series set at the Wayfarers Inn in Marietta, OH. Working in conjunction with an entire group of writers via a shared Facebook group and a deeply involved editor, makes this series flow seamlessly. And then there's Ocieanna's stunning devotional - Awaiting the Manger: Whispers of Advent in the Old Testament. Yup, we covered lots of ground and loved every minute. I think you will too! Check out all of Ocieanna's books and her blog at www.ocieanna.com

Eva Marie Everson is my guest in Episode 18 of Season 2. Her latest novel, Miss Beth Bettencourt, is being released on May 12, 2026. We discuss the evolution of that story from the combination of a Miss Abby column and a writing exercise into a full-blown novel set in small-town Georgia. We also get to delve into Eva's various ventures beyond her prolific writing career such as being the conference director for Florida Christian Writers Conference, the CEO of Word Weavers International and the overseer of the Selah Awards and Foundation Awards for the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference. Eva Marie shares about setting goals in her writing process with word count and deadlines in mind while also recognizing that life happens to all of us despite our best laid plans. Her advice? Embrace real life even as you enjoy the journey of writing.