God has so blessed me to have three series going presently. One day I’ll try to get some of my back-list updated and digitized, but for now writing for the three genres is keeping me busy. But there’s not a one I want to give up.

Historical Christian Romance

My new favorite genre!

Once upon a times, at a critique group far, far away–well three hours one way, too far for me for weekly meetings–a mentor I loved and respected imparted to me his wisdom saying, “Caryl, pick a genre.” 🙂 That was prolific western writer Jack Ballas. I’d written a Biblical fiction, a thriller, a mystery, a mature inspirational romance, a World War Two novel, three mid-grade chapter books, a Texas firemen cookbook, an antique guide, and stared even more. How could I choose?

My world spun on, after a year’s empty nest, the Lord saw fit to give us four more little boys to rear. Too soon, we moved away from the DFW Writers Workshop to Red River County and putting words to paper–or computer monitor as the more accurate case–took a back seat. Never for long though, Ron and I founded the Red River Writers Workshop and began again. There, a local history teacher and writer told us about the North East Texas Writers Organization that met about thirty minutes away, so we joined that group, too., in January.

That April, the group hosted it’s twenty-sixth annual Writers’ Round-up Conference, and invited Mary Sue Seymour of the Seymour Agency in New York. Gung-ho new member, I volunteered to be her gopher which included going for her at the hotel and carrying her to the Civic Center in Mt. Pleasant, Texas. When she stepped off the elevator, she hugged my neck and told me, “You’re the first McAdoo I’ve ever met who wasn’t family.” I considered God hit us over the head with a velvet hammer.

LADIES PAY ATTENTION I HAVE A PLAN

So, to make a long story short, she loved the pre-conference chapter I’d sent in and told me, “If you’ll write a historical Christian romance set in the 1800s, I’ll sell it.” I did, and she did–to Simon and Schuster. The opportunity to extol God and write of His love and grace and principles cf His Word caught my fancy like a hen on a June bug. I loved it, and it literally poured onto the page. ninety-three thousand-plus words in nine weeks. She sold it in two months. Miracles all the way around!

Vow Unbroken opened the floodgate, and now I love the genre, though not just the genre, I love the community and the colleagues. We’re all Christians, none are offended when you speak of the Lord, Prayer requests come in daily. There’s so much sweetness and kindness going around–just as you might expect from His children! 🙂

Mary Sue said one of the characters, either the hero or his  heroine,  had to be lost–a heathen–to keep the tension building 🙂 Not hard at all.

Once, I was blind, but now I see. I was lost, but now I’m found. Are you lost? Is there an emptiness inside that nothing has filled? E’me! We’ll have a talk!

 

Contemporary Christian Romance

It seemed perfectly natural to whip out a present-day love story and gave me somewhat of a break. Such a blessing to use words like ‘lunch’ and ‘okay’ again, and the stories went so fast since very minimal research was necessary. Already had LADY LUCK’S A LOSER since it’s a re-release of a 2002 THE APPLE ORCHARD BED AND BREAKFAST with a new cover, title, and last chapter. So I launched it in April, 2015.

The new stories took place in Red River County–my new hometown Clarksville is the County Seat–so I figured to call the series Red River Romances. They are all stand-alone novels, connected by the setting, and a few of the characters visit another title from the one they started in, because as you’d find out pretty quick after you got here, most the residents here are related by blood or marriage!

I’m really having fun with these, and go figure! Some of them are the great-great grandchildren of those wonderful characters from the 1800s who lived in these same parts. Many of the families have truly been here that long, too.

 

Biblical Fiction

God has so many wonderful stories in His book, In writing this genre, it is imperative to me that His story is set in stone, absolutely not to be changed, not one bit. By adding my fiction to them, I hope to bring the characters we’ve known all our lives to three-D life, to place you, my reader, right into the story so that it becomes as real as a visit with your friend.

I love my extra time in the Word writing The Generations series and the revelations the Holy Spirit has so graciously given. I know of course that these renditions of the age old stories don’t always fit the mold, yet…they do fit the Word, and any time any one can show me a scripture where I’ve deviated one iota from the Word, changed God’s story, and I will repent and change it!

How arrogant to think that it is acceptable to think a writer or movie maker can improve on the story God gave to us…His Holy and Living Word, sharper than a two edged sword for the diving asunder the bone from the morrow, the thought from the intent of the heart. I will go forth and proclaim His precious Word to the world.

 

Blessings from Texas!

 

HISTORICALS:

VOW UNBROKEN            1832 / Susannah Baylor               Buy VOW Now

HEARTS STOLEN       1839-1844 / Sassy Nightengale   Buy HEARTS Now

HOPE REBORN             1850-1851 / May Merriwether       Buy HOPE Now

SINS OF THE MOTHERS   1851-1853 / Mary Wheeler  Buy MOTHERS Now

 

CONTEMPORARY:

LADY LUCK’S A LOSER         present  /  Marge Winters      Buy LADY Now

THE PREACHER’S FAITH        present / Faith Johnson    Buy FAITH Now

SING A NEW SONG        present / Mary Esther Robbins     Buy SING Now

 

BIBLICAL FICTION:

A LITTLE LOWER THAN THE ANGELS    First Family      Buy ANGELS

THEN THE DELUGE COMES             Seth~thru~Noah       Buy DELUGE

If you’d like to purchase a signed copy of any of my books that are still available, I’m happy to sign them for you and mail them out. Just go to my contact page and e’me or send a check to the post office box!