What’s Happening In Narelle’s World?
Dear Friends,
Welcome to July! Winter is well and truly here where I live in Canberra, Australia. There's snow on the high peaks in the Brindabella Ranges and Corin Forest. It was sleeting yesterday but alas no snow. I've been busy indoors rearranging furniture and sorting out stuff in my house. I have a comfortable recliner chair on order that will be my new writing and reading spot. I'm finally catching up on admin and looking forward to having more time to work on my writing projects.
I'm plugging along with my Read the Bible in a Year Challenge. My goal is to listen to the daily readings in The One Year Chronological Bible and the encouraging Daily Bible Podcast - Audio Bible Reading Plan episodes with Tricia Goyer and her friend Michelle. In recent days I've been listening to chapters from Psalms.
I'm hosting a giveaway for a book I'm featuring in my latest Fan Girling with Narelle episode. A paperback copy of Jenelle Hovde's regency romance, No Stone Unturned, that's releasing on July 15, 2025. The giveaway is limited to USA mailing addresses and Jenelle is kindly including art (she's an illustrator) with the giveaway.
Enter the giveaway via the episode link:
https://www.narelleatkins.com/fan-girling-with-narelle-episode-22-love-regency-romance-no-stone-unturned-by-jenelle-hovde-giveaway/
Fan Girling with Narelle
Visit the Podcast Page on my website for links to my podcast and YouTube episodes. Here are the links to my recent episodes.
Ep. 22 – Love Regency Romance: No Stone Unturned by Jenelle Hovde + #Giveaway
Ep. 21 – Love Christmas Romance: Meddling with Mistletoe by Liz Johnson
Ep. 20 – Love Romantic Suspense: Perilous Tides by Elizabeth Goddard
Ep. 19 – Love Contemporary Romance: Everything’s Coming Up Rosie by Courtney Walsh
Book Recommendations
I’ve shared a few fiction book recommendations on my blog since I sent out my last newsletter.
Book Recommendation – The Collector of Burned Books by Roseanna M. White
Book Recommendation – Perilous Tides by Elizabeth Goddard
Book Recommendation – No Stone Unturned by Jenelle Hovde
For those interested in learning about Christian fiction new releases, I also compile a monthly new releases post on my blog — Christian Fiction New Releases - July 2025.
I have a Friday weekly blog series showcasing books on preorder. Here are the links to my recent "Narelle's Preorder Roundup" blog posts:
Narelle’s Preorder Roundup: 7/11/25
Narelle’s Preorder Roundup: 7/4/25
Narelle’s Preorder Roundup: 6/27/25
Narelle’s Preorder Roundup: 6/20/25
Paperback Giveaway - Uneasy Street or Every Deadly Suspicion
My contemporary Christian romance selection is Uneasy Street by Becky Wade, the third book in her Sons of Scandal series set in Maine. Max is a self-made multimillionaire who’s successful despite being the illegitimate son of a famous NFL quarterback. Sloane left Maine four years ago when her close friendship and business relationship with Max soured. Sloane ghosted Max and he wants closure on what went wrong. I recommend Uneasy Street to contemporary romance readers who like enemies to love romances with depth that include second chances, forced proximity, intriguing mysteries, family drama, and relevant faith threads in the story. Read my book recommendation here:
https://www.narelleatkins.com/book-recommendation-uneasy-street-by-becky-wade/
My alternative selection is Every Deadly Suspicion by Janice Cantore, a suspense novel with romance that's set in a small Northern California town. Hanna is a police chief who has no contact with her father who’s serving two life sentences for murder. The past and present collide when a prominent member of Hanna's community is murdered and their case becomes cold. Hanna is determined to discover what really happened in 1990 before she was born. Danger looms as she uncovers clues and law enforcement gets closer to exposing the truth. I recommend Every Deadly Suspicion to romantic suspense readers who like small-town police procedural dramas with complex cold case mysteries and relevant faith threads in the story. Read my book recommendation here:
https://www.narelleatkins.com/book-recommendation-every-deadly-suspicion-by-janice-cantore/
The paperback giveaway is open to readers with USA and Australian mailing addresses who can receive paperback books from Amazon USA or Amazon Australia. The choice of book is subject to availability from Amazon.
I’m happy to substitute an ebook for readers who live outside USA and Australia, as long as they have digital access to ebooks at either Amazon USA or Amazon Australia and can redeem an Amazon gift card for the equivalent US or Australian ebook price at the US or Australian store.
To enter the giveaway, please reply to this email by JULY 19, 2025 (USA Pacific West Coast Time Zone) and include your first name and the name of the country where you live and include the book title (Uneasy Street or Every Deadly Suspicion) that you'd like to win.
The winner will be contacted by JULY 23, 2025 to arrange the delivery of their paperback book.
Our JUNE winner, Sandra H, chose Sometimes You Stay.
Questions for You
Do you like the enemies to love romance trope? Do you prefer romantic suspense with a 50/50 split, or would you like more suspense, or more romance?
I look forward to hearing your thoughts, and I will do my best to reply to your emails within 7 days. If I receive an undelivered email message, I’ll try again and send a second reply. If you don’t receive a reply from me, please let me know because emails can go astray. You can contact me via my website.
July Featured Author ~ Toni Shiloh
If you've been reading my newsletter for a while, you'll know I'm a big fan of Toni Shiloh's books. I have many book recommendations for Toni's books on my blog and I chose Toni's February 2025 release, The Nature of Love, for my first Fan Girling episode.
Book Recommendation – In Search Of A Prince by Toni Shiloh
Book Recommendation – To Win a Prince by Toni Shiloh
A DEAL WITH A PRINCE is part of Toni's Ọlọrọ Ilé story world and is available as a FREE ebook download for her newsletter subscribers.
Claim your free ebook at the following link:
https://dl.bookfunnel.com/mng007jq7y
🌲 2025 Christmas in July Reader Extravaganza 📚
It's not too late to sign up for the 2025 Christmas in July Reader Extravaganza.
We offer daily giveaways with paperback prizes. Some of the daily prize drawings are open to international readers (non-USA mailing address).
Plus, we have an International Grand Prize that will be won by an international reader with a mailing address outside USA.
You won’t want to miss this, so sign up today!
👉 https://sarahhamakerfiction.kit.com/29f68db7f9
I'm sponsoring a quarterly gift card giveaway at the ACW blog for Tuesday Book Chat posts. Check out the ACW book chat posts here:
https://australasianchristianwriters.com/category/book-chat/
Final Thoughts
Thanks for journeying with me on my often crazy and challenging book publishing journey. If you’re a praying person, I’d love continued prayers for time to open up so I can prioritise a realistic writing schedule. I feel like I've spent 2025 playing catch up on a whole lot of important life stuff. The process of sorting through my late parents' belongings with my sister was long and, thankfully, is almost completed. I've really enjoyed the freedom to record Fan Girling episodes at my convenience and sharing my love of books in podcast and YouTube formats. I have appreciated all your email replies, prayers, good thoughts, and support.
Blessings and love to you,
Narelle xo
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