On this special edition episode of “The Romantic Side of Suspense,” I’m talking with my fellow authors, Jayna Breigh and Kimberley Woodhouse, about our Christmas novella collection, The Last Noel. Learn more about our characters, villains, settings, and storylines about these Christmas-themed second chance romance with a dangerous twist!
The Last Noel is a riveting Christmas novella collection with suspense, intrigue, and second-chance romance.
“Do You See What I See?” by Sarah Hamaker
Oakleigh Wright’s estranged foster sister reappears late one night desperate to hand off her children. Oakleigh agrees to bring them to their aunt out of state, but her travels are intercepted by a ruthless gang. She turns to her ex, Joseph, for help. Will they rekindle their love as they uncover what the gang seeks?
“Do You Hear What I Hear?” by Jayna Breigh
Trial lawyer Elise Sinclair resigns herself to a lonely Christmas reviewing legal documents—until her renegade fiancé, Jack, reappears. He is jobless, broken, and seeking forgiveness. Can two battered hearts overcome secrets and restore their love?
“Do You Know What I Know?” by Kimberley Woodhouse
When Faith Thibodeaux returns to her Cajun-style food truck in Alaska after an accident, the last thing she expects is to find out that her ex-boyfriend is the executive chef of a new restaurant. When they return to their hometown over the holidays to fundraise, will the “friendly” competition restore their love or rip them apart forever?
Not My Hero by Michelle Bolanger — She lost everything… except the chance to begin again. He has everything… except the freedom to follow his heart. “Not My Hero” is a modern retelling of the Biblical Book of Ruth. (Contemporary Romance, Independently Published)
What About the Song? by Rebecca Reed — What About the Song? is a kisses-only, faith-forward, contemporary Christian romance set in Nashville, perfect for readers who love equine therapy, wounded-hero, and music-driven slow-burn love stories. (Contemporary Romance from Moonsong Publishing)
Her Reluctant Amish Heart by Pamela Desmond Wright — When a reckless street race injures her brother, Anika Glick wants nothing to do with the man responsible—especially when he’s sentenced to help her family. But Elam Muller is desperate to prove he’s changed. As they work together on her family farm, Anika finds herself drawn to Elam’s remorse and kindness. But when they’re presented with one last risky race that could secure their future or destroy it all, everything they’ve built is put to the test. Will their growing love survive the pull of the past—or will it all come crashing down? (Contemporary Romance from Love Inspired [Harlequin])
General Historical:
Keeping Thessalonica by Jenifer Jennings — In the port city of Thessalonica, Persis, a daughter of Persia and bondservant of Aristarchus, is forever changed when she encounters the teachings of Jesus and learns of His imminent return. (General Historical, Independently Published)
Sibella’s Stand by Naomi Musch — A woman on the New York frontier, whose husband has gone to fight, must use her wits to protect herself and a young girl when enemy forces arrive at her door. (General Historical, Independently Published)
Historical Romance:
A Lady Unveiled by Sandra Ardoin — Frustrated with her present life, Issy Krueger seeks to reclaim the independence that defined her as the black sheep in her family. Then secret, romantic notes arrive to lift her spirits—until the words escalate into veiled threats. As tragedy strikes and fear mounts, Issy’s best chance of survival could come from the man who once broke her heart. (Historical Romance, Independently Published)
A Contrary Betrothal by Denise Farnsworth — A Cherokee lieutenant, a colonel’s daughter, and a desperate fight to protect both land and love. (Formerly published as Bent Tree Bride). (Historical Romance from Wild Heart Books)
The Darling’s Daughter by Sydney Schmied — In 1912, Chillicothe, Ohio, a painter lands a job at a local theater in hopes of discovering the truth behind her stage actress mother’s murder, while enlisting the help of an architect battling his own secrets. (Historical Romance from Wild Heart Books)
The Heiress and the Woodsman by Christine Hill Suntz — She’s a city-bred heiress chasing a brother in trouble. He’s a rugged settler with everything to lose. What begins as a desperate bargain becomes a journey of hope, healing, and a love neither saw coming. (Historical Romance from Tyndale House)
Military Action/Adventure:
Stars and Stripes for Freedom by Delores Topliff, Jennie Atkins, Ellen E. Withers, Shirley Gould, and Cindy Bonds — With admiration for the women in all five branches of our military, these high action stories present five intelligent seasoned warriors who risk everything to protect the land of the free and the home of the brave. (Military Action/Adventure from TrueNorth Publishing)
Romantic Suspense:
Mad Dog by Sara Davison — Nothing was worth what it had cost him to walk away. In the next eight seconds, he will achieve everything he ever thought he wanted. Or he will die. (Romantic Suspense, Independently Published)
When the Silence Breaks by Elizabeth Goddard — A deathbed confession. A decades-old secret. A mountain that holds the answers–and danger closing in. (Romantic Suspense from Revell [Baker Publishing Group])
The Last Noel by Sarah Hamaker, Kimberley Woodhouse, and Jayna Breigh — The Last Noel is a riveting Christmas novella collection with suspense, intrigue, and second-chance romance. The stories are “Do You See What I See?,” (Hamaker) “Do You Hear What I Hear?” (Breigh) and “Do You Know What I Know?” (Woodhouse). (Romantic Suspense Novella Collection from Kregel Publications)
Speculative/Time Travel:
Braving Red Waters by Sarah Hanks — Phoebe Bristow has spent a decade guarding her heart after her father walked out and shattered her family. When she touches a mysterious antique mailbox aboard a whale-watching cruise in Baja California and wakes up in Civil War St. Louis, she must learn to trust again, first the quick-witted man who greets her on shore, then the God who placed her there for reasons she cannot yet understand. Back on the cruise, her mother Erica clings to the mailbox as the only thread connecting her to her missing daughter, while a thoughtful marine biologist, Rodney Duncan, steadily dismantles the walls around her wounded heart. Together and apart, mother and daughter discover that the courage to love again may be the most dangerous mission of all. (Speculative/Time Travel, Independently Published)
Jezebel’s Children by Lynne Basham Tagawa — Historian Geneva Fielding and physicist Peter Donatelli travel back in time to document the trial of Anne Hutchinson, but they find themselves caught in a web of politics, doctrinal disputes, and colonial intrigue. A dystopian time travel story where faith, gentle romance, and even humor overwhelm the dark elements. (Speculative/Time Travel from Blue Rock Press)
Plus check out these recent additions to Fiction Finder published within the past month:
Disguised Love by Marie E. Bast — Disguised Love: An Inspirational Victorian-Era Sweet Marriage of Convenience Romance Set on the Western Frontier During the Cholera Epidemic. (Historical Romance)
The Robber and the Witness by Danielle Grandinetti — Wisconsin, 1931—When Gideon Lundgren agrees to escort his best friend’s sister to Manitowish Waters, plans go awry when she witnesses a robbery. (Historical Romance)
Passionate Pursuit by Pamela Jo Harstad — Difficult backgrounds in the midst of threatening life challenges make having a relationship and safety almost impossible. (Romantic Suspense)
Sweet Dare by Sally Jo Pitts — A research biologist and curious youngsters are accused of unleashing a curse when a honeymooning couple is unearthed in an Indian burial mound. (Romantic Suspense)
Sunset Pointe: The Baby Between Us by Brenda Poulos — On the day before her Senior Prom, Karla finds out that her boyfriend, Jonathan, has fathered a baby with her best friend, Missy. (General Contemporary)
Ribbons of Guilt by Laura Thomas — In the charming English village of Bramble Downs, threads of betrayal unravel the sickening truth as a ballerina’s family is stalked by a delusional murderer… (Romantic Suspense)
During this episode of “The Romantic Side of Suspense” podcast, you’ll hear from four authors about their romantic suspense books available this month. Here’s the list of authors and books for August 2026, with the book’s release date if not available now.
On this episode of “The Romantic Side of Suspense,” my guest is Carol J. Post, a New York Times and Publishers Weekly bestselling author of fun and fast-paced Christian romance and Christian romantic suspense stories. Her books have won several awards and been nominated for two RITA® awards and an RT Reviewers’ Choice Best Book Award. She is also a popular speaker, presenting workshops on a variety of craft topics.
Carol especially enjoys research trips, which usually involve camping, with some hiking, kayaking and bonfires thrown in when possible. She also loves playing the piano and writing songs with her musical husband. Her two grown daughters and grandkids live too far away for her liking, so she now pours all that nurturing into taking care of two sassy cats—Ziggy and Ziva—who also love camping and are known to occasionally take over her blog with their “It’s Zaturday!” posts.
“Probably the hardest part of [writing romantic suspense] is … keeping the characters in danger, direct threats to their lives, throughout the book. It can be hard to keep them in that kind of danger without them taking stupid risks or the villains coming out as inept,” Carol said. “I enjoy the suspense part—that’s always my favorite part to write.”
Listen to the podcast for more from our interview, plus an excerpt from Witness Safeguard Mission by Carol J. Post. Excerpt and back cover copy read by Janda Sample of Janda Sample Storytelling.
Award-winning and bestselling author Sami Abrams recently stopped by to share some about her writing life.
Where do you get the inspiration for your plots?
My inspiration comes from many different sources. Sometimes, it’s either from a single piece of personal experience OR a friend’s experience. Usually, it’s only a small event that gives me an idea to run with. For example, I used my own experience with the county fair and carnival to give me perspective in Rodeo Witness Protector. Then there are times I see a story on the news or online and think. Oh, that’s a great jumping off point. And of course, there are TV shows with scenes that spark an idea. Basically, ideas come from almost anywhere.
Have you ever regretted killing off a character? Why?
Now why would I regret that? LOL! I did have one character I planned to kill off, and by the end, I changed my mind. Instead, I kept him alive and used him as the hero in Tracking the Missing.
How do you pick the location/setting of your romantic suspense novels?
Almost all of my locations/settings are fictional. I do that on purpose. It keeps my readers from calling me out on mistakes. LOL!! There are times when I do use real locations, but I try to be a bit vague so I don’t mess up the details. 😊
What does your family think of your writing romantic suspense? It varies. Everyone thinks it’s awesome that I’m writing, but I do get raised eyebrows when I kill people off in my stories. (Insert evil laugh here.)
How do you ensure your books are accurate? The key is ‘Is it plausible?’ Whether law enforcement, rodeo, or any other job. I tend to do online research on what I don’t know and/or ask those with inside information, i.e my law enforcement consultant.
What has been most frustrating about writing romantic suspense?
Remembering to add the romance. Hahaha!! Kidding, not kidding. There is that, but I think the hardest part is the crime. Tying up all the loose ends and having it make sense. There are times I start with one thing, and it shifts. Then I forget to fix it.
About Sami Award-winning, bestselling author Sami Abrams lives in Northern California, but she will always be a Kansas girl at heart. She is a retired teacher and has a love of sports, family, and travel. However, a cabin at Lake Tahoe writing her next story is definitely at the top of her list.
About Rodeo Witness Protector
While stopping an attack near the rodeo grounds, bullfighter and part-time deputy Daniel Sinclair is stunned to see his high school sweetheart attempting to save a stabbed undercover deputy. As a witness now in possession of crucial evidence about a narcotics investigation, new rodeo doctor Annie Davis needs Daniel’s protection—for her and her missing four-year-old daughter. And the stakes only grow higher when the girl’s babysitter is found murdered and the recovered child refuses to speak. To safeguard the targeted family, can Daniel uncover who is behind it all…before a drug ring silences them for good?
