Iola's Top Ten Christian Novels of 2016

By Iola Goulton

I had a lot of trouble writing this list last year—it’s no small feat to narrow over 150 books read into a top ten list for the year.

This year, I decided I’d get sneaky. I’ve been writing monthly posts of my favourite books for my author blog, www.iolagoulton.com. So coming up with this list should have been easy, right?

No.

But after some arguing with myself (I won. And I lost), I’ve managed to come up with a list of my Top Ten for the year. I stuck to novels published this year—cutting non-fiction and novellas was the only way I could do this … but I must cheat and give a shout-out to the excellent Aussie Summer Christmas romance novella collection. Click here to read my review.

So here are my Top Ten Christian Novels published in 2016 (in alphabetical order. It was enough trouble to narrow them down to ten without having to rank them!):

Since You’ve Been Gone by Christa Allan

Since You’ve Been Gone starts with a twist on a cliché: a groom who doesn’t show up to the wedding, and a bride-to-be who is left to work out why. The obvious is soon discovered (he’s dead in a car wreck), but that doesn’t answer the important questions … Click here to read my review.

Waves of Mercy by Lynn Austin

An excellent dual timeline story from Lynn Austin, showing the difficulties faced by early American settlers, and their determination to succeed. And their faith. Click here to read my review.

The Cautious Maiden by Dawn Crandall

This is the fourth novel in The Everstone Chronicles, and it’s as good as the rest. Don’t worry—you don’t have to read them all. But you’ll want to. Excellent historical romantic suspense. Click here to read my review.

Intermission by Serena Chase

Intermission isn’t Serena Chase’s first novel, but it’s the first one I’ve read—an excellent Young Adult novel with some valuable lessons about God and obedience. Click here to read my review.

Can’t Help Falling by Kara Isaac

Kiwi author Kara Isaac has actually released two books this year: Close to You, and Can’t Help Falling. While I’ve read and enjoyed both, Can’t Help Falling is definitely my favourite. Click here to read my review.

A Heart Most Certain by Melissa Jagears

A Heart Most Certain looks like a typical romance novel set in the American West in the late 1900’s—a sweet romance between two almost-perfect characters. Bland, predictable. But it’s anything but, and that’s what makes it so good. Click here to read my review.

No One’s Bride by Nerys Leigh

I love a good mail order bride story, and this one was excellent. Even better, it’s the start of a series and I’m already holding the date to review book two. Click here to read my review.

The Thirteenth Chance by Amy Matayo

Everyone has been telling me I need to read Amy Matayo’s work. I finally did, and everyone was right. She’s brilliant—real characters with real strengths and failings. I’ll certainly be reading more. Click here to read my review.

The Long Journey to Jake Palmer by James L Rubart

No, I didn’t include this simply to include a token male author (although I do read a lot more female authors than male). James L Rubart is an excellent writer of almost-speculative fiction. I say ‘almost’ because we serve a God of miracles, so who is to say these things couldn’t happen? Click here to read my review.

On the Edge by Theresa L Santy

On the Edge won the FaithWriters 2013 Page Turner Contest … and it certainly was a page turner. I’ll be watching for more from this debut author. Click here to read my review.

Although my choices are a mix of contemporary and historical, American authors and authors from England and New Zealand, they all have one thing in common. No, they’re not all romance novels (although yes, most are).

No, the one thing they all have in common is flawed characters doing their best to become better people.

Just like we all do in real life.

Some of my favourite 2016 reads: Part 1 - fiction

Photo courtesy of Stuart Miles/
FreeDigitalsPhotos.net

It’s that time of year when we start seeing the “Best ofs” across multiple media platforms so I thought I’d add to the discussion with my own. A number of other ACW authors will be contributing their own selections during December so watch out for those ones as well.

Most of the books I read are good and it’s often hard to distill a shortlist of the best ones hence, the title of my post: Some of my favourites. These are ones I recall with much fondness for various reasons.

I read more non-fiction than fiction so I thought I’d bring you a sample of both. Let’s start with the fiction and I’ll share the non-fiction ones in my Book Review post on 15 December. In no particular order, here goes:

The Harbinger Series. Four authors, each take one character, and take turns to write an episode each month. I love the episodic style (ala a TV series). As a reader I know the story is “live”, the next episode is being drafted as I read the latest one.

Presently there are 16 episodes and the series has been running now for 18 months, I guess. It’s speculative fiction with lots of craziness but some very clever storylines as one comes to expect from authors of the calibre of Bill Myers, Angie Hunt, Frank Peretti (now succeeded by Jeff Gerke) and Alton Gansky.

The series has now been picked up by Bethany House (previously self-pubbed) which will enable wider distribution.

AD 30 (Ted Dekker) The first in his two-part Biblical fiction series where we meet Maviah who is unexpectedly called to rescue her people. She goes on a daring adventure crossing multiple lands until she comes to Israel where she provides a unique perspective to the ministry of Jesus.

One of Dekker’s best. I’m feeling very guilty that I haven’t got to the sequel AD 33 yet but plan to very very soon.

The Long Journey to Jake Palmer (Jim Rubart) Jim’s stories just keep getting better and better. As I wrote in my review:

"The writing, the depth of insight in his characters and his ability to weave the mystical, spiritual and natural together is simply outstanding. I loved this novel. You can't not read this novel and not be impacted by the themes of healing, discovery of identify, where we place our significance and the absolute desire our Creator has for us to know Him."

This is probably the best novel I’ve read this year.

The Curse of Crow Hollow (Billy Coffey) This was a great surprise for me. I’d never read any of Coffey’s until this one. Known for his “Southern Spirituality” this story oozes with a voice from the deep south. What I particularly appreciated about this novel besides the voice was Coffey’s portrayal of good and evil within a small town. Excellently written with a brooding creepiness.

The Occupied (Craig Parshall) Another new author for me. I just finished this one. Classic detective story told in the first person with a supernatural twist which was a lot of fun to read.

My Dabble in Romance

I continue to read quite a lot of romance. Contemporary, historical, biblical, suspense, you name it. It’s not a great surprise to me having read Pride and Prejudice more times than I can remember (and all of her collection).

A few to mention:

Herringford and Watts Series (Rachel McMillan) – this series is simply delightful. Rachel’s voice is sophisticated and witty. Yes, witty. And her two detectives: Merinda Herringford and Jemima Watts are fabulous creations. Sample one of the novellas if you want to give it a try.

Close to You (Kara Isaac) – wow. First novel. Wow. Such a fun premise, the whole Hobbit-tour thing where romance blossoms. Two well developed characters. I’m running hard trying to get to Kara’s second one which everyone tells me is even better.

Thirteenth Chance (Amy Matayo) – Amy’s stories have many admirers down under and so I decided to sample her latest. Oh wow. Can this girl write. And Olivia Pratt! What a creation. I was awe of how Amy developed such a complex character: her insecurities, her weirdness, her dagginess (hey, I’m a dag too) and her meekness. A relatively simple story so well written and two great leads.

Too Pretty and All is Bright (Andrea Grigg) – our own Andrea creates marvellous characters. These were both a delight to read simply because her leads are so relatable and fun to watch.

That’s it from me. I’ve gone on for too long. I hope you found something of interest here.

What one author did you discover this year that you’ve now become a raving fan of their work? I’d love to read in the comments below.

Till 15 December for the non-fiction Part 2.

Ian Acheson is an author and strategy consultant based in Northern Sydney. Ian's first novel of speculative fiction, Angelguard, is now available in the US, UK, Canada and Australia. Angelguard won the 2013 Selah Award for the Best Speculative Fiction novel. You can find more about Angelguard at Ian's website, on his author Facebook page and Twitter

Interview with Amy Matayo

By Andrea Grigg

I can’t remember who introduced me to Amy Matayo’s books. God bless whoever it was! It wasn’t long before I was spreading the word about my new fave author and telling everyone who reads contemporary Christian romance they must read Sway. (Don’t think I’ll ever stop saying it.) 

Amy, who is from Arkansas in the USA, has been kind enough to let me interview her. Fan girl moment!

What did you want to be when you were growing up?

Depends on the age. From 5-8, a gymnast. Bless my parents for going along with that dream even though I was hopelessly awkward (still am). From 9-12, a model (because I was delusional and completely disproportionate). From 13-15, a songwriter (wrote a few complete with cheesy rhymes, but at least writing was involved). From 15 on, an author. That one stuck. Though I still haven’t given up on the gymnast thing...

If you could time travel, where would you go and why?

I would go back in (fake) time and be Mrs. Darcy, and he would ardently admire me and love me and we would have a couple of cute little Darcy’s and a nanny.

What does a typical day in the life of Amy Matayo look like?

My days are actually boringly typical and routine, and go something like this: Wake up, wake two kids, make breakfast, set plates in front of kids, shower, dry hair, slap on makeup, take kids to school, come home to write except get distracted by laundry and pets and Facebook, write a little, get coffee, sit back down, stare at computer, get more coffee, head outside with laptop, get distracted by falling leaves, write a little, watch more leaves, go back inside, write a little, give up, pack bag, head to coffee shop where actual writing happens until it’s time to pick up kids again. A writer’s life. It’s super-glamorous.

When and how did you get the writing bug?

It was there all my life, but it hit hard in seventh grade. My English teacher gave us a short-story assignment, and I wrote about a psychopath who kills an entire family. A little different than what I write today. But she loved the story, read it to the class, entered the story into a contest (I didn’t win), and told me I should be a writer. That’s when I really began to think about it. I never stopped.

What was the inspiration for your latest book, The Thirteenth Chance?

My neighbor. He played for the New York Mets and the Detroit Tigers, so I had first-hand access to research.

The Thirteenth Chance and The End of the World aren’t predominately Christian books. Can you tell us about your transition into the general market?

I’ve never really thought about it as a purposeful transition, even though I know others might. For me, my faith is always there, always constant. But the stories I feel an urge to write are always different. Sometimes I want to talk about faith, sometimes abandonment, sometimes adventure, sometimes crazy women with OCD issues. Sometimes the faith message fits the story, and sometimes it seems too much of a stretch to be included. But my sole purpose for writing (other than the fact that it’s necessary for me to do), is to entertain, be as real as I can, and hopefully deliver a good story. I write for me—often about things that indirectly relate to my current circumstances—and my moods change. The book I’m currently writing brings faith back into the equation a bit, but the next book might not. I realize that might make a book hard to market or fit into a specific category, but I’ve always been okay with that. I just want the name “Amy Matayo” to mean you’ll get a good, relatively clean story that will both entertain and maybe kill a few stereotypes. If I had a mission statement, that might be it.

Your first books were written in third person, your last three in first person. Personally, I love it, but what was your reason for the switch?

Initially I switched to challenge myself to a different style, just to see if I could do it. Turned out that I liked that style better. But soon I’m going back to third to challenge myself again. Or maybe first, but from only one point-of-view. I’ve only done that in novella form. I’d like to see if I can manage a full-length.

  

I hear you’re a sucker for an Australian accent. Any comment?

A total sucker. I mean seriously, do you guys hear yourselves when you talk? Best accent ever.

What’s your favorite holiday?

Christmas, hands down.

What kind of music do you listen to?
Any and all. My kids (I have 4) listen to everything, so I do by default. They’ll pass songs along to me. And then I have a couple of close friends who text me songs and introduce me to new artists. Some of my favorites have come from that.

Favorite treat?
Pizza, ice cream, Snickers bars.

Which author(s) inspire you?
My favorite author is Tarryn Fisher, because all her books are different in style and she’s a fantastic writer. I also like Colleen Hoover, Jenny B. Jones, Nicole Deese, Sarah Maas, Liane Moriarty, Stephen King.

What do you do to relax?
Go for walks, sit by the lake, drive, go to movies.

What are you working on now?
I’m rewriting a book that I wrote six years ago, the third book I ever wrote. It’s my daughter’s favorite of mine, and I promised that I would redo it for her. It involves a famous musician and I’m be intentionally vague, but it’s called The Whys Have It. Will be out next summer.

Any plans for a trip Down Under?
Yes. I’m coming to your house. Did I forget to tell you? ;)

Haha. You know you're welcome :) Amy, thanks so much for the fun interview, for the intriguing mission statement, for the love of our accent, and for mentioning our own Liane Moriarty as one of your favourite authors. (She's one of mine too. After you, of course.) 

If you would like to check out Amy's books further, click on the Amazon link here. 

Andrea Grigg lives on the Gold Coast, Queensland, and is a writer of two contemporary Christian romance novels, ‘A Simple Mistake’ and ‘Too Pretty’. Her Christmas novella, 'All is Bright', was released September 27 in a boxset along with five other authors, entitled, 'An Aussie Summer Christmas', and is now available as a single title. You can find her books here.
She would love to connect with you via: 

Facebook

Twitter

Email: andreagrigg@live.com

Book Review: Sway - by Amy Matayo

You know how a book sometimes just grabs you by the throat …

Catherine Hudson recommended Sway to me (in an almost incoherent message punctuated with exclamation marks) so I knew it would be good. I’d never heard of Amy Matayo so I checked her out on Amazon. There were two previous books and I read those first. Glad I did it that way around. They were entertaining, but Sway? Whoa.

Yes, it’s a romance. That’s the bulk of what I read. And I think it’s because Caleb and Kate take turns in telling us the story in first person, present tense that the story is extra special. And Amy Matayo’s use of imagery and figurative language is fabulous along with a bunch of pithy statements like:

 ’Assumptions aren’t usually pretty, and they’re hardly ever right. Kind of like thinking a girl is shallow just because she likes the colour pink.’

Love it.

We find out about twenty-four-year-old Caleb first, learn he’s uncomfortable sitting in a bar because he used to frequent them. We know he’s there to watch out for some of his boys, but who they are and what Caleb’s occupation might be isn’t revealed until just over a third of the way into the book. Clever move.

What we do find out in the first chapter is that he is a man who listens to nudges from God even though it could cause him grief. What Caleb doesn’t expect is for his heart to be captured that night.

Kate, a college student, is there because her friends thought it would be a good idea to go to a bar for her twenty-first birthday. When it all turns to custard (in an all too realistic fashion) Kate is rescued by Caleb.

What follows is an intensely emotional story of two people falling in love and then discovering they can’t possibly ever be together. I’d read the blurb but had no idea what the conflict could be. And once it was revealed, I couldn’t put the book down until it was resolved.

Of course, being a romance, Sway has a satisfying ending, but the ride left me breathless. And I don’t think I’ve ever read a better last line - albeit before an epilogue -  in a Christian novel.

I can’t wait for Amy Matayo’s next book.

Website: www.andreagrigg.com

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Twitter: @andreagrigg https://twitter.com/andreagrigg