The Christian Romance Podcast

About The Christian Romance Podcast

Welcome to the Christian Romance Podcast, where we go behind the books with inspiring Christian romance authors, exploring faith, love, and the journey that brings the story to life.

Publisher

Kelly Jo Wilson

Category

arts · fiction · religion & spirituality

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

22 Jul 2024

Latest episode

6 Mar 2026

Latest episodes

114 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   6 Mar 2026

   Interview with Colleen Coble and Rick Acker: Forgiveness, Second Chances, and the Suspense Behind When Justice Comes

   Kelly chats with bestselling Christian romantic suspense authors Colleen Coble and legal thriller writer Rick Acker about their powerful collaboration on the Tupelo Grove series and the newest installment, When Justice Comes. In this heartfelt conversation, they share how a simple Pokémon Go notification sparked their co-writing partnership and how their unique blend of plotting and “plancing” brings their suspense-filled stories to life. Kelly and her guests dive into the emotional core of the series—Hez and Savannah’s journey through grief, forgiveness, and the possibility of a second chance after unimaginable loss. With a Southern Gothic setting, decades-old secrets, and themes of justice and redemption, this story explores how faith and forgiveness can transform even the deepest wounds. Colleen and Rick also open up about the personal experiences that shaped their writing, the power of forgiveness in broken relationships, and how God can redeem even the most painful moments in life. Readers will walk away encouraged, reminded that while life brings hardship, God’s grace can bring healing and hope. Listen to the episode here. Meet Colleen Coble (https://kellyjowilson.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/author-colleen-coble-231x300-1.jpg) Publishers Weekly and USA Today best-selling author Colleen Coble’s novels have won or finaled in awards ranging from the Best Books of Indiana, the ACFW Carol Award, the Romance Writers of America RITA, the Holt Medallion, the Daphne du Maurier, National Readers’ Choice, and the Booksellers Best. She has over six million books in print. When she’s not writing, Colleen is playing Pokemon Go! with the family or traveling to the locales where she sets her novels. She’s a perpetual learner and a natural health nut. Colleen was the CEO of American Christian Fiction Writers for nineteen years and still serves on the Executive Board. She lives with her husband Dave in Arizona so she can spoil her small grandsons. She’s praying her granddaughter chooses Arizona for college to keep her close too. Visit Colleen at www.ColleenCoble.com (http://www.colleencoble.com) Follow Colleen Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/colleencoblebooks) TikTok (https://www.tiktok.com/@cobleacker) Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/colleencoble) Meet Rick Acker (https://kellyjowilson.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Author-Rick-Acker-2024.jpg) Rick writes novels during breaks from his “real job” as a Supervising Deputy Attorney General in the California Department of Justice, where he leads a team prosecuting corporate fraud lawsuits. Rick has authored or coauthored over a dozen acclaimed suspense novels. When he’s not writing, he leads investigations and lawsuits that made headlines in and out of California. For example, he and his team won a string of record-breaking judgments and settlements against the Wall Street players who created the toxic mortgage securities that triggered the Great Recession. Before joining DOJ, Rick was a senior litigator at Bingham McCutchen, where he worked on high stakes litigation, including a fight between two owners of the San Francisco Forty-Niners and a multibillion dollar international fraud case. Rick studied at the University of Oslo and has a law degree from the University of Notre Dame, where he graduated with honors. In addition to his novels, he is a contributing author on two legal treatises published by the American Bar Association. Rick is a transplanted Chicagoan who spent thirty-five years in the Midwest before finally trading the certainty of winter and mosquitoes for the risk of earthquakes and wildfires. He now lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with his wife, Anette. They have four adult children. Visit Rick at www.RickAcker.com (https://rickacker.com/) Follow Rick Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61560624415304) X (https://twitter.com/authorrickacker) Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/694068.Rick_Acker) Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/rick_acker/) Bible Verses for Encouragement Romans 8:28 (NKJV (https://www.bible.com/bible/114/ROM.8.28.NKJV)) And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. Philippians 4:13 (NKJV (https://www.bible.com/bible/114/PHP.4.13.NKJV)) I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Colleen and Rick’s New Book: When Justice Comes (Tupelo Grove Series Book 3) (https://kellyjowilson.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/When-Justice-Comes_Christian-Romantic-Suspense.webp) Hez and Savannah Webster have survived storms that would bury others without a love as strong as theirs–but can they withstand the final battle in the deadly Legare-Willard feud that threatens to sweep away everything they’ve fought for? Hezekiah “Hez” Webster and his fiancée, Savannah, stand on the brink of a new life, but their dreams are haunted by specters of the past. Just as they’re getting ready to adopt her nephew, two other petitioners also file for custody–both of whom only want Simon for their own gains. Between the financial company that Hez outmaneuvered to save the university from ruin and the bad blood from the head of the Willard family, it’s hard to say who wants them out of the way more. Hez and Savannah’s quest for justice leads them through a labyrinth of family law, where loyalties are tested and trust is a dangerous luxury when every decision could be their last. With the clock ticking, Hez and Savannah must confront the ghosts of their past and their deepest fears to secure a future for Simon. But with every secret revealed, the stakes grow higher. Can they build the family they’ve always dreamed of, or will their enemies succeed in tearing them apart forever? The Tupelo Grove series reaches its breathtaking conclusion as an enemy’s agenda for revenge runs darker than swamp water and justice remains as precarious as quicksand in this heart-pounding narrative that underscores the power of redemption and forgiveness. Colleen Coble and Rick Acker’s When Justice Comes is gripping suspense with closed-door, second-chance romance. Looking for more from these authors? Don’t miss their standalone novel I Think I Was Murdered. All their novels include discussion questions that are perfect for book clubs. 💞 Tropes in When Justice Comes Second Chance Romance Marriage in Crisis Redemption Arc Grief and Healing Justice vs. Vengeance Southern Gothic Setting Hidden Family Secrets Faith and Forgiveness Legal Thriller Elements Partners Facing the Past Together Slow Trust Rebuilding Get your copy today! Amazon (https://www.amazon.com/dp/1400345731/?bestFormat=true&k=when%20justice%20comes&ref_=nb_sb_ss_w_scx-ent-bk-ww_k0_1_19_de&crid=23PGVF4HH7JVV&sprefix=when%20Justice%20Comes%20) Get updates on our book giveaways Enter the most current book giveaway on ChristianRomancePodcast.com (https://kellyjowilson.com/christian_romance_podcast-2/) and sign up for our email list. [convertkit form=6900532] Kelly’s Personal Update Thank you so much to everyone who has supported me during the Kickstarter! I’m so grateful for you! (https://kellyjowilson.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/bookcover0015172-2025-04-28-20-09-22-550x850-1-scaled.jpg) Finding Forevermore is available today! Her family secrets. His guilt. One road trip that changes everything. Raven Cunningham has built a quiet life between the shelves of a small-town bookshop, ghostwriting stories for others while hiding her own. She’s long believed her father abandoned her, until a letter from her late grandmother reveals a shocking truth. Convinced the reclusive author J.C. Nevermore is her father, Raven sets out to uncover the real story. When her childhood friend Cole Walker, a former Army medic wrestling with his own scars, offers to help, she’s not sure if she can trust him . . . or herself. As they chase clues and revisit old memories, what begins as a search for answers becomes a journey toward something deeper. Finding Forevermore is a heartfelt story about faith, family, and the kind of love that’s anchored in God’s unfailing grace. Get your copy (https://www.amazon.com/Finding-Forevermore-Kelly-Jo-Wilson-ebook/dp/B0FPSGG2V4/ref=sr_1_1?crid=H4L5T1WEFYGI&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.tzkojQLeQ-xijEGJaI6_2aa5TtgrvMuWDIptGhVbCmc.r9SHSvYUdQNZbD-X-mzsc5xK2u-baRNkGauRMA9UFuc&dib_tag=se&keywords=Finding+Forevermore&qid=1757429532&sprefix=finding+forevermore%2Caps%2C145&sr=8-1) For Kindle Unlimited lovers, Finding Forevermore is ready for you to check out. You’ll get updates by joining my free email list. Visit my website here to sign up (https://kellyjowilson.com/) Follow me for updates Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/kellyjowilson_/) YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@ChristianRomancePodcast) TikTok (https://www.tiktok.com/@christian_romance_podcas)

2. 

   19 Feb 2026

   Interview with Kristen Hogrefe Parnell: Bristly Hearts, Redemptive Hope, and Romantic Suspense in Watch Your Back

   Kelly chats with Kristen Hogrefe Parnell about her powerful Christian romantic suspense novel Watch Your Back, a story filled with grit, emotional depth, and redemptive hope. In this episode, Kristen shares her author journey—from self-publishing to traditional publishing—and how motherhood, faith, and perseverance shaped the writing of this deeply personal story. They dive into Avery, a fiercely independent private investigator hardened by abandonment, and Ethan, a Coast Guard veteran wrestling with PTSD and survivor’s guilt. Together, Kelly and Kristen explore themes of fear of failure, self-reliance, foster care trauma, and what it truly means to surrender to Christ in the midst of brokenness. This episode is an honest and hope-filled conversation about sanctification, spiritual growth, and how Jesus meets us in the dark places—not necessarily to erase the struggle, but to walk with us through it. If you love layered characters, opposites-attract tension, and faith-filled romantic suspense, this one is for you. Listen to the episode here. Meet Kristen Hogrefe Parnell (https://kellyjowilson.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Headshot_Kristen.webp) Kristen Hogrefe Parnell writes suspenseful fiction from a faith perspective for women and young adults. A former English teacher, she now designs curriculum for a Christian academy and spends most of her time at her favorite assignment to date: being a mom to her toddler. Her books have won the Selah Award and the Grace Award, among others. She lives in the Tampa, Florida area with her husband and son. Visit Kristen at KristenHogrefeParnell.com (https://kristenhogrefeparnell.com/). Follow Kristen Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/KHogrefeParnell.author) Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/khogrefeparnellauthor/) Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4774818.Kristen_Hogrefe_Parnell) Pinterest (https://www.pinterest.com/kristenhogrefeparnell/) Bible Verse for Encouragement 1 John 1:8–9 (NKJV (https://www.bible.com/bible/114/1JN.1.NKJV)) If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Kristen Hogrefe Parnell New Book: Watch Your Back (https://kellyjowilson.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Watch-Your-Back_Cover-Final.webp) You can’t watch your own back. Private Investigator Avery Reynolds leads the charge to expose Tampa’s supposedly “extinct” mob. The crime boss responsible for her foster brother’s death is within her grasp—until she hits a wall in the form of Ethan Bridger, a Coast Guard veteran who unknowingly derails her sting operation. When the elusive “Big Eddie” comes out of hiding, he targets their mutual friends about to tie the knot. Avery sets aside her angst toward Ethan to focus on ending the crime boss’s reign of terror. But working together exposes her trust issues and his PTSD stemming from a comrade’s tragedy. When Avery goes solo into a prisoner exchange operation, she discovers her vulnerability too late—and must lean on Ethan and the God she thought had abandoned her. But will that help reach her in time? 💞 Tropes in Watch Your Back Romantic Suspense Opposites Attract Enemies to Lovers Forced Proximity PTSD / Wounded Hero Emotionally Guarded Heroine Found Family Faith Journey / Salvation Arc Redemption Protector Hero Private Investigator Heroine Coast Guard Veteran Hero Self-Reliance vs. Surrender Get your copy today! Amazon (https://www.amazon.com/Watch-Your-Back-Crossroads-Suspense-ebook/dp/B0DS82WT7Y/ref=sr_1_1?crid=GO1BHNTGQI7J&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.5lJXAwLC_VKkWw8QsLIDL-Ya1IByRlwVybvhrcSfIy8.pOTTL6UAwBVzaUDv5cAXF8iYqMll68BuRS_KvYu_tjI&dib_tag=se&keywords=watch+your+back+kristen+parnell&qid=1771375285&sprefix=Watch+Your+Back+Kristen+%2Caps%2C144&sr=8-1) Get updates on our book giveaways Enter the most current book giveaway on ChristianRomancePodcast.com (https://kellyjowilson.com/christian_romance_podcast-2/) and sign up for our email list. [convertkit form=6900532] Kelly’s Personal Update Thank you so much to everyone who has supported me during the Kickstarter! I’m so grateful for you! (https://kellyjowilson.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/bookcover0015172-2025-04-28-20-09-22-550x850-1-scaled.jpg) Finding Forevermore is available today! Her family secrets. His guilt. One road trip that changes everything. Raven Cunningham has built a quiet life between the shelves of a small-town bookshop, ghostwriting stories for others while hiding her own. She’s long believed her father abandoned her, until a letter from her late grandmother reveals a shocking truth. Convinced the reclusive author J.C. Nevermore is her father, Raven sets out to uncover the real story. When her childhood friend Cole Walker, a former Army medic wrestling with his own scars, offers to help, she’s not sure if she can trust him . . . or herself. As they chase clues and revisit old memories, what begins as a search for answers becomes a journey toward something deeper. Finding Forevermore is a heartfelt story about faith, family, and the kind of love that’s anchored in God’s unfailing grace. Get your copy (https://www.amazon.com/Finding-Forevermore-Kelly-Jo-Wilson-ebook/dp/B0FPSGG2V4/ref=sr_1_1?crid=H4L5T1WEFYGI&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.tzkojQLeQ-xijEGJaI6_2aa5TtgrvMuWDIptGhVbCmc.r9SHSvYUdQNZbD-X-mzsc5xK2u-baRNkGauRMA9UFuc&dib_tag=se&keywords=Finding+Forevermore&qid=1757429532&sprefix=finding+forevermore%2Caps%2C145&sr=8-1) For Kindle Unlimited lovers, Finding Forevermore is ready for you to check out. You’ll get updates by joining my free email list. Visit my website here to sign up (https://kellyjowilson.com/) Follow me for updates Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/kellyjowilson_/) YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@ChristianRomancePodcast) TikTok (https://www.tiktok.com/@christian_romance_podcas)

3. 

   6 Feb 2026

   Interview with Sarah Sundin: Forbidden Love and Unseen Faith in Mists Over the Channel Islands

   In this episode, Kelly chats with award-winning Christian historical romance author Sarah Sundin about her newest World War II novel, Mists Over the Channel Islands. Set on the British Channel Island of Jersey during German occupation, this deeply emotional story weaves together courage, forbidden love, and sacrificial faith. Listeners will fall in love with Ivy, a young female physician risking everything to help escaped forced laborers, and Garrett, a Dutch resistance fighter in disguise as a German engineer. Kelly and Sarah dive deep into the emotional tension of falling for someone in the enemy’s uniform, the historical realities of island occupation, and the incredible strength it takes to obey God even when the risks are high. Don’t miss this heartfelt conversation about standing firm in faith when God’s goodness isn’t visible, loving sacrificially, and the power of unseen courage during history’s darkest days. Listen to the episode here. Meet Sarah Sundin (https://kellyjowilson.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Sarah-Sundin.jpg) Sarah Sundin is the bestselling author of Midnight on the Scottish Shore, Embers in the London Sky, The Sound of Light, and Until Leaves Fall in Paris, as well as the popular WWII series Sunrise at Normandy, among others. She is a Christy Award winner and a Carol Award winner, and her novels have received starred reviews from Booklist, Library Journal, and Publishers Weekly. Sarah lives in Southern California. Visit SarahSundin.com (https://www.sarahsundin.com/) Bible Verse for Encouragement Hebrews 11:1 (NKJV (https://www.bible.com/bible/114/HEB.11.1.NKJV)) Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Sarah Sundin’s New Book: Mists Over the Channel Islands (https://kellyjowilson.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Mists-Over-the-Channel-Islands.webp) Behind enemy lines, adversary and ally become impossible to distinguish. The German invasion of the British Channel Islands shatters Dr. Ivy Picot’s peaceful world, forcing her to shoulder the weight of her father’s medical practice and hold together a family unraveling under the strain of war. As conditions worsen in Jersey with the arrival of thousands of forced laborers, Ivy’s quiet allegiance to the Allies compels her to risk everything by providing medical aid to escaped workers–even as danger closes in. Dutch engineer and resistance member Gerrit van der Zee volunteers to build fortifications for the Germans so he can secretly send maps and diagrams to the Allies. On his arrival in the Channel Islands, he crosses paths with Ivy, who shows him contempt for the uniform he wears. As tensions mount and their missions grow increasingly dangerous, Ivy and Gerrit must confront the cost of courage, the meaning of sacrifice, and whether love can survive in the shadow of war. Will their covert efforts turn the tide–or will they pay the ultimate price for defiance? 💞 Tropes in Mists Over the Channel Islands Enemies to Lovers Opposites Attract Forbidden Love Slow Burn Wartime Romance Hidden Identity Found Family / Community Support Heroine in a Male-Dominated Field Sacrificial Love Protector Hero Historical Real-Life Events Get your copy today! Amazon (https://www.amazon.com/Mists-Channel-Islands-Enemies-Lovers/dp/0800741870/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2FVK2KCBMF0KY&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.Vbckz4XlZXpiaAyOQu8wQa5FRwPICTG1yZdWuh8ku67dBhYrODxhp5aO75xlC1gw-DMtOPEGSyu58RLl0z90CbHJXLlvnLRHSlNNosfhGXTxexMKFUYvtKhcxEXSsXZeTm1RhHZDfWlit3cz2kS8mZs99P0gjiNBa0ZYJT6kqV8MCbZURz3H7KdAkfariatM.wLSV1LdABZpLeodrTtXl8PEOqDIJh-Bkoty-oVmR2Hg&dib_tag=se&keywords=mists+over+the+channel+islands&qid=1770408305&sprefix=%2Caps%2C123&sr=8-1) Baker Book House (https://bakerbookhouse.com/products/9780800741877_mists-over-the-channel-islands) Get updates on our book giveaways Enter the most current book giveaway on ChristianRomancePodcast.com (https://kellyjowilson.com/christian_romance_podcast-2/) and sign up for our email list. Kelly’s Personal Update Thank you so much to everyone who has supported me during the Kickstarter! I’m so grateful for you! (https://kellyjowilson.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/bookcover0015172-2025-04-28-20-09-22-550x850-1-scaled.jpg) Finding Forevermore is available today! Her family secrets. His guilt. One road trip that changes everything. Raven Cunningham has built a quiet life between the shelves of a small-town bookshop, ghostwriting stories for others while hiding her own. She’s long believed her father abandoned her, until a letter from her late grandmother reveals a shocking truth. Convinced the reclusive author J.C. Nevermore is her father, Raven sets out to uncover the real story. When her childhood friend Cole Walker, a former Army medic wrestling with his own scars, offers to help, she’s not sure if she can trust him . . . or herself. As they chase clues and revisit old memories, what begins as a search for answers becomes a journey toward something deeper. Finding Forevermore is a heartfelt story about faith, family, and the kind of love that’s anchored in God’s unfailing grace. Get your copy (https://www.amazon.com/Finding-Forevermore-Kelly-Jo-Wilson-ebook/dp/B0FPSGG2V4/ref=sr_1_1?crid=H4L5T1WEFYGI&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.tzkojQLeQ-xijEGJaI6_2aa5TtgrvMuWDIptGhVbCmc.r9SHSvYUdQNZbD-X-mzsc5xK2u-baRNkGauRMA9UFuc&dib_tag=se&keywords=Finding+Forevermore&qid=1757429532&sprefix=finding+forevermore%2Caps%2C145&sr=8-1) For Kindle Unlimited lovers, Finding Forevermore is ready for you to check out. You’ll get updates by joining my free email list. Visit my website here to sign up (https://kellyjowilson.com/) Follow me for updates Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/kellyjowilson_/) YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@ChristianRomancePodcast) TikTok (https://www.tiktok.com/@christian_romance_podcas)

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Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

5 ratings

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Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.