What I've Been Building Lately
For the past several months, I’ve been living inside Beyond the Storm, the third and final book in the Arms of Grace series. It’s amazing how fictional people can start to feel like family after spending so much time with them.
The characters in the Arms of Grace series have been with me for years now, and every new book feels a little like catching up with old friends. Grace, Johnny, and the people surrounding them have grown in ways I never expected, and this latest story pushes them to their limits, especially Grace. The story is about resilience, family, hope, and discovering that healing isn’t usually a single moment. It’s a choice we make repeatedly over the course of our lives.
As I worked on Beyond the Storm, I kept coming back to one thought. Life has a way of changing and challenging us. Sometimes gently. Sometimes all at once. Sometimes in ways we never could have imagined. But I’ve always believed that even after the roughest storms, people are capable of finding their way back toward hope. That’s the heartbeat of this novel, and honestly, it’s the reason I love writing women’s fiction.
One of my favorite parts of being an author isn’t simply creating stories. It’s exploring the emotional journeys that connect us. I love characters who aren’t perfect, the people who make mistakes, carry regrets, laugh when they shouldn’t, cry when nobody’s watching, and somehow keep putting one foot in front of the other anyway.
These are the kinds of stories that stay with me as a reader, so they’re the stories I strive to write. Hopefully, I’ll continue to hit that mark.
Having said all of that, I have an exciting update: The Beyond the Storm Kindle edition releases from Vinci Books on August 26, and the audiobook releases around the same time from Podium Entertainment! I’ll keep you posted on the exact release date. The print editions will follow early next year. I also have an exclusive short prequel to the Arms of Grace series that is almost finished. It will be an exclusive story for my readers!
Coming this fall, I’ll be sharing another very different story with my standalone novel, Heart of the Diamond. I can’t wait to introduce you to these new characters! Early in 2027, Emerald Island Escape will be released. It’s the first in my new Passport to Misadventure series. As those of you who have been around know, this one has been a challenge, but it’s finally coming together, much to my everlasting relief.
Here on Stories by Chance, I’d love to pull back the curtain a little more often. I’ll be sharing behind-the-scenes moments, writing life, book recommendations, deleted scenes, character conversations, and little glimpses into how these stories come together.
Mostly, though, I’m looking forward to reconnecting with all of you through the stories we love. Thank you for being along for the journey.
I’d love to know...What kinds of stories stay with you long after you’ve finished the last page? I read every comment, and I can’t wait to hear your answers!
Until next time, never underestimate the power of a good story.
