Has that title got you humming the song? I know it has me! I’m so happy and excited to be part of the official launch for the first ever Christian contemporary romance Kindle Worlds, based on Melissa Storm’s First Street Grove books!
After months of anticipation, today is the launch day!
It’s been enormous fun getting to know a diverse group of authors and working together to add to the town of Sweet Grove, Texas, as we write our stories.
I admit to not knowing much about Kindle Worlds before this project started. I knew it existed, but that was all! Never occurred to me I’d ever want to write for it. But turns out, it’s worth taking a look at. You know that feeling when you finish reading a series and loved the place and the people so much you want more? Giving readers that “more” is what Kindle Worlds is all about!
When Amazon ask bestselling authors to create a “World”, those places and people from the original books become available for other authors to write about, as long as the stories are published only in the Kindle World. New books are expected to stay true to the spirit of the original books. The rule for the Sweet Grove books is simple – stories must be clean, sweet, and ideally, Christian. Authors or aspiring authors – you can write for this World too! There’s one very excited first-time author in the launch group. If anyone wants to know more, just ask me in the comments.
So welcome to Sweet Grove!
Welcome to the tiny town of Sweet Grove, TX, where neighbors still care deeply about each other and the little white chapel on First Street is the heart and soul of all who live here.
It’s a simple life–a good life–yet many here are suffering invisible pains. From alcoholism to divorce, hoarding, and even suicide, the struggles are real but so is the God who loves this town and all its residents. Through the darkest of times and the deepest of tragedies, each day provides a new chance to find faith, hope… and even love.
That’s the official description.
It’s the sort of town many of us would love to visit – small, picturesque, and friendly. Above all, filled with people who have faith in the God who is far bigger than the biggest problems any of us face.
I do hope you’ll read and enjoy Love’s Healing Touch my new book that’s part of the official Sweet Grove launch. Adam and Lainie definitely struggle with problems to big for them to manage, though they believe they can, especially when life-changing events cause them both to lose their faith. But together, they discover God can manage anything, and support us through it all. They go through some tough times, make some wrong choices, but ultimately rediscover their faith in the God who changes lives!
Are their wounds too deep for love to heal?
When nurse Lainie Sullivan’s beloved father dies, she vows to fulfil his retirement ambition — visit each of the mainland US states on his classic motorcycle. Then an overnight stop in Sweet Grove, Texas, could stretch into weeks as she waits for repairs on her bike.
The warm welcome and uncomplicated faith of the townsfolk make this place feel like home, healing her faith — and her heart. As does working to repair her bike with Adam Davis, a wounded warrior, and her former patient.
But for Adam, a war still rages. Survivor guilt, anger with God, coming to terms with his disability. His worst scars aren’t on his body, but on his heart and soul. Can Lainie’s love help him heal, when soon she’ll be moving on?
There are twenty other sweet and clean romances in the launch. Most are Christian, though the levels of faith in the stories will vary. There definitely won’t be any sex, cussing, or taking the Lord’s name in vain in any! I will warn you that my book includes a scene set in a karaoke bar, but no alcohol consumption is shown, as neither of my characters drink.
I hope you’ll visit the Sweet Grove Books website and check them all!
One comment on this post before July 26 will be chosen at random to win an ebook copy of Love’s Healing Touch.
Also, unfortunately the books are only available via Amazon.com. If any of my readers can’t buy on that site because they live in other countries, just contact me. Amazon permit me to provide a limited number of review copies for my book only.
Blessings, and happy reading!
USA Today bestselling author Autumn Macarthur writes romances full of faith and hope, celebrating God's love as well as a man and a woman finding their happily ever after. She prays they’ll warm your heart and make you smile. An Australian transplanted to Britain, Autumn lives just north of London with her lovely English husband and three demanding cats, in a very small house with a teensy tiny garden. She loves talking to readers, so please get in touch! And get a free Christian romance novella when you sign up for her reader newsletter at http://bit.ly/Autumnsubscribe
I have been waiting for the Kindle world books in this series as I have heard so much about the series! I cannot wait to read your book!
Sounds like a great story! I haven’t heard of Kindle World books; now I’m fascinated.
Hi Autumn, after your interview with Jackie, this had me intrigued. I had never heard of a kindle world before, but it sounds like a great idea. How exciting that you could contribute to this:) Why are the series only available on amazon.com- is it a copyright thing? We’ve come across that a bit unfortunately, books not available here in Australia, while they are in the US.
Blessings:)
Hi Autumn! Best wishes on LAUNCH DAY! Kindle Worlds is a new concept for this reader. Fascinating new concept that authors now interact and write a series world wide. Best wishes. Your story sounds fascinating. With each new concept, more books and authors to add to my wish list and to read list. Enjoy your summer.
I’ve just learned what Kindle Worlds are after your interview with Jackie this week (which is when I also heard about your book and got hooked–as usual). I’d heard about it from newsletters but didn’t really get it. Thanks for providing a more detailed introduction.
This sounds interesting. I’ve never heard of a kindle world before.
Thanks for your description of the series and the kindle world. It is a new concept to me also. I’ll have to look at it on Amazon. Congratulations on your release!
Happy for launch day. I am glad I was able to sign up for the community to see what’s coming next. Please tell me more about Sweet Grove.
This is the first I have heard of Kindle Worlds, but not the first of Sweet Grove. I am very much looking forward to exploring. Thanks and God bless.
This Sounds Fascinating!!!
Your book sounds like something we’d all like to do at some point in our lives and I’d really like to read it!
I hope you enjoy it! There are some amazing books in the twenty new releases!
I’d never peeked at the site before this new World was talked about. There are a couple of historical and Western Christian romance Worlds there, but this is the first contemporary Christian one. A lot of the other romance Worlds are way past the too-spicy-for me line!
It’s to do with the way the Worlds are licensed, AFAIK. Some are based on TV shows where only US rights are granted.
Email me, autumn at autumnamacrthur dot com. I have a solution for you!
Thanks Renate! You to!
It’s a fascinating concept! I think we all had a lot of fun working together on this. I have plenty more stories planned for this World. I hope you enjoy the book!
We’re all the same, Melynda! I knew it existed and that was it. But when I heard a Christian and clean one was happening, I was keen to be part of it!
Thanks Diana! I hope you find the books interesting!
Sweet Grove is a small town in the Texan hill-country., with a great community spirit and a lot of churchgoers. It has a large apple orchard and cider mill, and is surrounded by ranches.
Between us we’ve come up with plenty of additional community activities as well as those in the the original books. The annual Apple Blossom Festival (my addition!), a big 4th of July parade and picnic, a Fall celebration for the first pressing of sweet cider, and a winter Christmas tour of the town’s historic houses.
I think all the authors decided we wanted to move there!
Thanks Heather! Enjoy the books!
I want to move there?
It’s been fascinating for the authors, and hopefully fascinating for readers, too!
I hope you can purchase it, Jenny! Are you in the US or able to buy on Amazon.com? If not, please email me!
Autumn, my journey of reading your fanscinating books continues to grow! Best wishes on your Launch!
This is even more exciting then. Are you planning a series within this world? Also one thing I didn’t get was if all stories were somewhat connected or if each author had their own thing.
Wish we could! Love to have you as a neighbor :)
Each author can do their own thing, the sole connection is the place. Many of us will have used characters from the original stories as secondary characters in our books, too. But the only absolute requirement is that the books written for the World contain some link back to the original books, whether the place or the people..
Mine will be a loosely linked series. My hero has three sisters and a widowed mom, and the heroine made friends with a teacher from the elementary school. So they all want their own stories now!
The teacher Noelle will get her romance in the short novella I hope to write for a Christmas release.
Thanks Mattie! I really hope you enjoy this story!
I never heard of kindle worlds before. It is a fascinating concept, thanks for introducing and explaining it. And also your book sounds great!
I’ve never heard of Kindle Worlds. Kinda like a virtual world in books, interesting! I like that they are all clean and ideally Christian reads, because those are the only kind I read. :-)
That’s the only kind I write, too! So until I heard about this World, writing for Kindle Worlds wasn’t something I thought I’d ever do. A lot of the other Worlds are “Whoa, get me outta here!”
Faith elements in the stories from the different authors will vary from characters powerfully experiencing God’s transforming love and grace in their lives to just a mention of church. But all the stories in the official launches (and our semi-official Christmas launch) will be clean and at least respectful to God, even if not overtly Christian.
Noelle for Christimes sounds just perfect. How fun.
Hope so! But she needs to wait in line, there are a few more stories ahead of her!
I also had not heard of Kindle Worlds – thanks for the info! I look forward to exploring what it has to offer :)
It’s interesting, though watch out if you just go on the general Kindle Worlds page or click on the bestselling romance list! Some of those covers and titles left me in need of mindbleach!
There are some cleaner ones in there, and a couple of historical Worlds that are clean and mostly Christian. But there’s an awful lot that are the opposite end of the spectrum.
I’m really looking forward to reading books in the Sweet Groves series!
Congratulations on the launch, Autumn! I’ve been reading Love’s Healing Touch. The book is awesome!
Thank you so much, Alexa! I’m really blessed that your enjoying it! :)
I hope you love them all, Becky! <3
I haven’t heard of Kindle Worlds before. Do you also publish “real” books?
Thanks for entering me in your giveaway.
I hadn’t heard of Kindle Worlds, either, before this adventure! And yes, I definitely also publish “real” books, or I think they are real, anyway! You can see all my current releases on my website Books page http://faithhopeandheartwarming.com/books/
Four are Amazon only and in Kindle Unlimited, the rest are available at most major online booksellers.
I hope you find a book to enjoy!
I hadn’t heard of Kindle Worlds before but it sounds like a really cool concept.
Hi Jessica! Yes, I think so too! It’d really great to know there’s another place for clean, wholesome, and mostly Christian romances!