Moonlight and Mystery by Karen Malley

Recently, I interviewed Karen Malley. I hope you enjoy getting to know Karen better and learning more about her upcoming release, Moonlight and Mystery. 

What are your hobbies (besides writing)?

Playing board games, camping, hiking, and cooking!

When my husband and I were first married, we were in grad school. We lived far from our families and didn’t have much money, so we got into playing board games. Now, over two decades and two kids later, our family has spent countless hours playing games. It’s a great way to enjoy time together. When we’re not home playing games, we love to camp and hike. I especially enjoy visiting National Parks. They’re such treasures and there’s always something amazing to see. When I’m not off in a park or playing games, I also enjoy experimenting with new recipes. There’s lots to keep me busy when I’m not sitting in front of my computer making up stories!

 

How/when did you learn about Christ and become a Christian?

I was blessed to grow up in a Christian home, so I learned about Christ at an early age. My parents were active in our church and I attended Sunday school, Vacation Bible School, and when I reached middle and high school, went to youth group. My Sunday school teacher had me write the date in my Bible when I asked Jesus into my heart. I still have that Bible, many, many years later.

I used to think I didn’t have much of a testimony since I didn’t have a dramatic conversion story. In most of my books, one (or more) of the characters becomes a Christian, and I write about the changes in their lives. In the second book of my latest series (Recipes and Redemption, which will come out in the spring), I tell the story of Erin, who has been a Christian for as long as she can remember, and she struggles with not having a testimony. Her friend Rusty tells her God doesn’t judge how good we are as Christians by how bad we were before.

Even though I’ve been a Christian a long time, God still works in my life, since I still have a long way to go!

 

What do you enjoy most about writing books?

I love bringing characters to life. I have stories in my head, and I get to put them down on paper and decide what happens next. So much of life is about what you’re supposed to do, or what you have to do. I love writing what I want to write. And what I want to write are stories that honor God. I only have so much time in the day, so if I’m going to invest a lot of time into writing, I want it to be something that pleases God. One of the greatest blessings about writing Christian fiction is when a reader tells me that something I’ve written has spoken to their heart.

 

Bio:

Karen lives in Pennsylvania with her husband and two sons and is, by far, the shortest person in the house. A perfect weekend would be spent hiking and camping with her three guys. She loves God, her family, playing games, and has a goal to visit as many National Parks as possible! When not in the great outdoors, she’s either at work as a scientist or at home writing stories in her pajamas.

 

Blurb:

Beth Tarrington has it all: a gorgeous fiancé, a lucrative career, the latest model car, and a high-priced condo. On top of that, the Tarrington name opens every door in town. So why is she so discontent? When everything falls apart in Beth’s life, will she finally find the strength to stand on her own two feet? Is God really willing to stand by her side, even after ignoring Him for so long?

 

When Jason Brooks meets Beth, his head tells him to run in the opposite direction. Beth is a high-society snob engaged to another man, and he’s not sure where she stands with God. So why does God keep bringing the two of them together? Can these two find love, in spite of everything that stands in their way?

 

Purchase link:

 https://www.amazon.com/Moonlight-Mystery-Chester-County-Couples-ebook/dp/B0CG9TWDS5/ref=sr_1_1?qid=1695175500&refinements=p_27%3AKaren+Malley&s=books&sr=1-1

 

Social Media links:

Amazon author page

https://www.amazon.com/Karen-Malley/e/B08HRDQ4QW/ref=dp_byline_cont_pop_ebooks_1

Website (with short-story blog posts)

www.KarenMalley.com

Twitter

https://twitter.com/KarenLMalley

Goodreads

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/20700661.Karen_Malley

Facebook

Karen Malley Books | Facebook

BookBub

https://www.bookbub.com/authors/karen-malley

 

My review of Moonlight and Mystery:

Beth Tarrington comes from a wealthy family with high expectations. Beth is engaged to Blaine, who hopes to make partner with Beth's father's company.

Jason Brooks is a science teacher at a Christian school. He does a magic show for Beth's brother's children and gives Beth a carnation. Beth goes against her family's expectations to participate in a local theater production, where Jason also happens to be an actor. Beth has to struggle with the weight of her parent's expectations versus how God is leading her. This book is a sweet romance with a strong faith element. The story has a powerful message about finding one's worth in Christ rather than perfectionism or people pleasing. I like the secondary character, Erin. I also like how the author shows that Erin's life doesn't turn out perfectly, but she follows God anyway. I received a free copy of this story from the author. This did not influence my review.