• novel,  TNB

    Kage: The 6th Commandment

    e-book Cover of Kage: The 6th Commandment by Charlene Amsden.

    Why You Might Want to Read Kage: The 6th Commandment

    I write Christian romantic suspense because I’m interested in what happens when faith is tested under pressure—not in quiet moments, but in dangerous ones.

    Kage: The 6th Commandment centers on a man with a violent past who has chosen a life of peace, and what it costs him to live that choice when the people he loves are threatened. There is romance in this story, but it grows slowly, through trust, protection, and shared resolve. There is suspense, but it’s grounded in consequence, not spectacle. And faith isn’t an add-on—it’s the lens through which the characters make their hardest decisions.

    This is a story about redemption that doesn’t erase history, self-control that isn’t easy, and obedience that sometimes feels like the most dangerous choice of all. It asks what it really means to live out “Thou shalt not kill” when violence would be justified—and even expected.

    If you’re drawn to Christian stories with depth, romantic tension that unfolds under stress, and suspense that takes both danger and faith seriously, this book was written with you in mind.

  • book review

    Always With You (Baxter Boys, Book 1)

    previously titled: What He Wants

    written by Jessie Gussman

    Romance: Second Chance at Love

    Themes: forgiveness & sacrificial love

    One night changed everything… Cassidy Kimbell killed a man when she was only nineteen. Torque Baxter took the blame, serving ten years for her crime.

    Characters: Cassidy Kimbell, Torque Baxter, three sweet children, plus an assortment of siblings and friends.

    This book has a daring plot and tough themes, yet manages to maintain an uplifting and heart-warming tone. There are light moments and laughter. There are tense moments and angst. There are moments that reduced me to ugly crying. All of those things make this one of my favorite romance books ever.

    The writing is all but invisible. As a reader, I fell into this story and no jarring typos or formatting problems pulled me out. I cannot recommend this book highly enough, which is why I rated it Five out of five stars.

  • He Said/She Said,  memoir

    He Is Helpful

    She finished her novel and said to He: “I just typed my tentative title into Amazon. Three-thousand other novels have the title, A Place to Belong.”

    He said: “That’s easily fixable.”

    She said: “Yeah, change the title.”

    He said: “A Place to Be Short.”