Every year there are tons of great books that come out. And it seems that there are an ever-growing number of debut authors as well! Here's my list of debut authors from 2012 that I'm going to be sure to keep an eye on. I've included a link to the author's website (click the author's name), a link to my full review (click the title), and the blurb from their debut novel. If you haven't already read them, you should definitely check them out!
In no particular order ...
2012's Debut Authors to Watch
Beth K. Vogt, author of Wish You Were Here
Kissing the wrong guy days before her scheduled wedding leads Allison to
become a runaway bride. But can it also lead to happily ever after?
Allison Denman is supposed to get married in five days, but everything
is all wrong. The huge wedding. The frothy dress. And the groom.
Still, kissing the groom’s brother, Daniel, in an unguarded moment is
decidedly not the right thing to do. How could she have made such a
mistake? It seems Allison’s life is nothing but mistakes at this point.
Daniel’s adventures—chronicled through a collection of postcards—have
always appealed to Allison’s well-hidden desire for something more. But
how can betraying her fiancé’s trust lead to a true happily ever after?
Can Allison find her way out of this mess? Recognizing she doesn’t have
all the answers won’t be easy because she’s used to being in control. To
find her way again, she will have to believe that God has a plan for
her—one outside her carefully defined comfort zone—and find the strength
to let Him lead.
Watch for Catch a Falling Star in May 2013 (Howard Books).
Jocelyn Green, author of Wedded to War
When war erupted, she gave up a life of privilege for a life of significance.
Tending to the army's sick and wounded meant leading a life her mother
does not understand and giving up a handsome and approved suitor. Yet
Charlotte chooses a life of service over privilege, just as her
childhood friend had done when he became a military doctor. She soon
discovers that she's combatting more than just the rebellion by becoming
a nurse. Will the two men who love her simply stand by and watch as she
fights her own battles? Or will their desire for her wage war on her
desire to serve God?
Wedded to War is a work of fiction, but the story is inspired by the
true life of Civil War nurse Georgeanna Woolsey. Woolsey's letters and
journals, written over 150 years ago, offer a thorough look of what
pioneering nurses endured. This is the first in the series "Heroines
Behind the Lines: Civil War," a collection of novels that highlights the
crucial contributions made by women during times of war.
Watch for Jocelyn's next fiction release, Widow of Gettysburg, in May 2013 (River North).
Darrel Nelson, author of The Anniversary Waltz
It’s the summer of 1946, and Adam Carlson has just returned from the war
to his home in Reunion, Montana. Despite the strained relationship with
his father, Adam sets out to revive the dilapidated family farm,
neglected since his departure overseas four years ago. After some
convincing to take a rest from his labors, he attends the town festival,
where he meets Elizabeth Baxter, a young woman going steady with his
former high school rival and now influential banker, Nathan Roberts.
Watch for The Return of Cassandra Todd, which releases in February 2013 (Charisma Media).
Olivia Newport, author of The Pursuit of Lucy Banning
She has a secret to keep. But will she give her heart away?
Lucy Banning may live on the exclusive Prairie Avenue among Chicago's
rich and famous, but her heart lies elsewhere. Expected to marry an
up-and-coming banker from a respected family, Lucy fears she will be
forced to abandon her charity work and squeeze herself into the mold of
the well-dressed wife who spends most of her time and money
redecorating.
When she meets Will, an unconventional young architect who is working on
plans for the upcoming 1893 World's Fair, Lucy imagines a life lived on
her own terms. Can she break away from her family's expectations? And
will she ever be loved for who she truly is?
Get swept away into the lavish world of Chicago's high society as Olivia
Newport brings to life an age of glitz and grandeur, stark social
contrasts, and one woman who dares to cross class lines for what she
believes.
Watch for The Dilemma of Charlotte Farrow in January 2013 (Revell) and the last book in the series this fall. You may also want to check out her other series published in 2012 and 2013 (Barbour Books).
Krista McGee, author of The First Date
The last thing Addy Davidson wants is to be on a reality TV show where the prize is a prom date with the President’s son.
She’s focused on her schoolwork so she can get a scholarship to an
Ivy League college, uncomfortable in the spotlight, never been on a
date, and didn’t even audition for it.
But she got selected anyway.
So she does her best to get eliminated on the very first show. Right
before she realizes that the President’s son is possibly the most
attractive guy she has ever seen in person, surprisingly nice, and
seemingly unimpressed by the 99 other girls who are throwing themselves
at him.
Addy’s totally out of her comfort zone but that may be right where God can show her all that she was meant to be.
Watch for Krista's new book Anomaly, which will be available in July 2013 (Thomas Nelson). You may also enjoy her other books, Starring Me and Right Where I Belong, released in 2012.
Jen Turano, author of A Change of Fortune
Lady Eliza Sumner is on a mission. Her fortune was the last thing she
had left after losing her father, her fiance, and her faith. Now,
masquerading as Miss Eliza Sumner governess-at-large, she's determined
to find the man who ran off with her fortune, reclaim the money, and
head straight back to London.
Mr. Hamilton Beckett, much to his chagrin, is the catch of the season,
and all the eyes of New York society--all the female ones, at least--are
on him. He has no plans to marry again, especially since his hands are
full keeping his business afloat while raising his two children alone.
Eliza's hapless attempts to regain her fortune unexpectedly put her
right in Hamilton's path. The discovery of a common nemesis causes them
to join forces and, before she knows it, Eliza has a whole retinue of
people helping her. Eliza's determination not to trust anyone weakens
when everyone's antics and bumbling efforts to assist her make her
wonder if there might be more important things than her fortune and
independence.
When all of Hamilton's and Eliza's best-laid plans fall by the wayside,
it will take a riot of complications for them to realize that God just
might have had a better plan in mind all along.
Watch for A Most Peculiar Circumstance in June 2013 (Bethany House).
Becky Wade, author of My Stubborn Heart
Kate Donovan is burned out on work, worn down by her dating
relationships, and in need of an adventure. When her grandmother asks
her to accompany her to Redbud, Pennsylvania, to restore the grand old
house she grew up in, Kate jumps at the chance.
Upon her arrival in Redbud, Kate meets Matt Jarreau, the man hired to
renovate the house. Kate can't help being attracted to him, drawn by
both his good looks and something else she can't quite put her finger
on. He's clearly wounded—hiding from people, from God, and from his
past. Yet Kate sets her stubborn heart on bringing him out of the dark
and back into the light... whether he likes it or not.
When the stilted, uncomfortable interactions between Kate and Matt
slowly shift into something more, is God finally answering the longing
of her heart? Or will Kate be required to give up more than she ever
dreamed?
Watch for Becky's next book, Undeniably Yours, in May 2013 (Bethany House).
Keli Gwyn, author of A Bride Opens Shop in El Dorado, California
An ever-resourceful widow, Elenora Watkins arrives in El Dorado ready to
go into partnership with Miles Rutledge. When he refuses, Elenora
becomes the competition across the street. Is this town big enough for
the two of them? Miles can’t help but stick his well-polished boot in
his mouth whenever he comes face-to-face with Elenora. Can he find a way
to win her heart while destroying her business? Miles’s mother, Maude,
is bent on Elenora becoming her new daughter-in-law while Elenora’s
daughter, Tildy, thinks Miles would make a perfect papa. How far will
these meddlers go to unite this enterprising pair?
No details yet on the Keli's next book, but I'm looking forward to it!
Jordyn Redwood, author of Proof
Dr. Lilly Reeves is a young, accomplished ER physician with her whole
life ahead of her. But that life instantly changes when she becomes the
fifth victim of a serial rapist. Believing it's the only way to recover
her reputation and secure peace for herself, Lilly sets out to find--and
punish--her assailant. Sporting a mysterious tattoo and unusually
colored eyes, the rapist should be easy to identify. He even leaves what
police would consider solid evidence. But when Lilly believes she has
found him, DNA testing clears him as a suspect. How can she prove he is
guilty, if science says he is not?
Watch for the next book in the series, Poison, which will be released in February 2013 (Kregel Publications).
Kellie Coates Gilbert, author of Mother of Pearl
Barrie Graeber has two great kids, a loving husband, and a respected
job as the high school counselor in her close-knit community. Without
warning, everything unravels when her teenage daughter, Pearl, is
betrayed by friends and lashes out.
Nothing prepares this mother for the helplessness that follows when
her attempts to steer her daughter back on course fail and Pearl shuts
her out . . . or when she discovers the unthinkable about her nemesis,
the football coach.
Emotionally riveting and profoundly moving,
Mother of Pearl brings
us into the heart of a mother bound by an incredible burden, who
ultimately finds she must recognize her own vulnerability and learn to
trust in something much bigger.
I can't find details about Kellie's next book, but I'll be sure to let you know when it comes out!
Note: Some of the authors listed may have other books published previously. I included them if this is the first full-length, Christian novel, for the particular age group.
