A series of charming family stories

If you are looking for endearing stories you can enjoy with your youngsters, Paddling Around Whiskey Bay and my upcoming release Snail Mail Pen Pals are the perfect books to read together curled up in a cozy chair. Follow Hope as she embarks on two different adventures filled with topics ripe for learning and discussion. Hope meets new friends, learns new skills and most importantly discovers more about herself. I hope these will become cherished favorites upon your bookshelves.

Snail Mail Pen Pals cover

Available June 7, 2025

Sometimes being left behind is the first step toward finding your true path:

When all her friends get cell phones, Hope feels left behind. Feeling betrayed by people she thought she could trust, Hope struggles to understand why she is being ostracized and longs for the days when she didn't feel like an outsider. She now faces a life filled with inside jokes and plans shared over group chats she's unable to join. it doesn't help that the girl Hope most wants to avoid seems determined to make her life even more stressful.

But everything changes when Hope reconnects with Lily, a wise-beyond-her-years older girl who lives on a nearby farm. Amidst the simple pleasures of feeding chickens, learning to ride horses, and sharing heartfelt stories under open skies, Hope discovers something she didn't even know she was missing. As she connects with a world beyond her former friend group, Hope discovers that sometimes the "old fashioned" ways of life (including "snail mail"!) contain the secrets to lasting happiness. Hope's journey to discover real friendships and inner strength come from a much deeper connection within herself—and with God.

Perfect for young readers, this heartfelt novel celebrates the beauty of deepening faith and real friendship—and the power of truly seeing oneself and others with compassion.

 

Available now on Amazon

Sassy first born, Hope Campbell, is just a week shy of her 11th birthday. Living in a small town in the Great Lake State of Michigan, she feels her responsibilities with her younger siblings are a huge pain in the neck and she is downright bored with the whole church thing. She would be happy with an interesting book, some peace and quiet and a sweet treat. But... is that all she is really looking for?

After sneakily rifling through her grandmother's photos, Hope is caught in the act; but in a twist of fate, her grandma is pleased. They take a stroll down memory lane and she surprises Hope with an invitation to join her at the family cottage for a week. Hope jumps at the chance to venture out without her siblings in tow, not realizing what she might be getting herself into.

In addition to all the wonderful adventures of cottage life, she struggles with self-doubt, homesickness and an unexpected mystery. Join Hope as she learns how to navigate the roller coaster of emotions that children often face and discover how she learns to cope with it all.