Conversations with Kav – Read to Zero Authors + Giveaway

I need you all to hold me accountable for one of my reading goals this year. I’ve been woefully negligent with goal #4 – Read to Zero Authors (play catch up with specific author’s backlists.) I’ve had great success with this goal in the past but for some reason I’ve been dragging my heels this year. I’ve only read a grand total of two books for this goal. Sigh. I need to make a major comeback with Goal #4 if I hope to make any kind of headway before the end of the year. So this is me publicly committing to focusing on three authors’ backlists for the next quarter. (Can you believe we’re half way through the year already?!)

My Read to Zero Authors

Sarah M. Eden – I’m officially overwhelmed and this right here might be what mired my progress overall because I actually thought I was doing a well with Sarah’s backlist…until I counted up the books I haven’t read yet. That would be 48!!!!! Where did they all come from? Obviously I won’t be able to complete her backlist this year so I’m going to strategically focus on a couple of series and some of her novella collections. So expect to see her books featured on the blog in the near future, specifically:

From the Lancaster Family series:

  • Romancing Daphne
  • Loving Lieutenant Lancaster
  • Charming Artemis

From the Huntresses series:

  • The Best-Kept Secrets

Novella Collections:

I had no idea this author is featured in so many novella collections! I’ve decided to focus on the seasonally themed ones and my goal is to read at least one collection per season.

Hannah Linden: Thankfully Hannah doesn’t have a huge backlist so reading her down to zero is entirely possible this year! Woohoo!

  • Garden of the Midnights
  • The Girl From the Hidden Forest
  • Never Forgotten
  • The Red Cottage (releasing November 2025)

Irene Hannon: I have read all Irene’s books except her Encore editions – early Love Inspired works revised and rereleased. The list is long but they are shorter books so I think it’s doable. I’d love to be able to say I’ve read every single book she’s written! (These books were originally published between 1997 – 2009)

  • The Hero Next Door
  • From This Day Forward
  • A Dream to Share
  • Where Love Abides
  • Crossroads
  • All Our Tomorrows
  • Gift From the Heart
  • The Unexpected Gift
  • The Way Home
  • Seasons of the Heart
  • A Place to Call home
  • A Time to Love
  • Till There Was You
  • Apprentice Father

So that’s me being accountable publicly. 🙂 Feel free to nag me if you don’t find these authors’ books cropping up in reviews frequently.

How about you? Any fave authors you are working on reading to zero? if so, share the author and a specific title on your backlist wishlist and I’ll enter you in the giveaway.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

Here’s an opportunity to win a specific title you’ve been pining for. Please stick to Christian Fiction and Closed Door Romances.

Paperback or ebook for US and Canada. Ebook for International readers with a US Kindle account.

Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday June 21 2025.

52 thoughts on “Conversations with Kav – Read to Zero Authors + Giveaway”

  1. So excited to see this conversation, because I don’t usually have this goal. (And wow, what an ambitious goal from what you mentioned! 48 books!!) However, I recently decided I’d like to get through Joanna Davidson Politano’s backlog 🙂 I finished A Midnight Dance this morning and now have just two books left. I’d like to enter for Finding Lady Enderly, please 🙂

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  2. I love this one! There are so many new authors to check out that I lose my old favorites. I need to catch up on Amanda Cox. I’d love Between the Sound and Sea. Thank you!

    kathrynlvossATgmailDOTcom

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  3. Does Irene Hannon’s newest book count? I am drooling for it. Have read everything else she has written. I need it in Kindle…got from library in print but could not see it so returned it and will try to get it in Kindle. Thanks Kav.

    jacsmi75 at gmail dot com

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  4. Oh fun! I started writing some of my favorite authors down who I’ve read to zero the last time this subject came up. Irene Hannon and Susan M Warren were two of the first authors I found at my Christian bookstore almost 20 years ago.

    My first book by SMW was Happily Ever After from 2003. In 22 years, I’ve read 87 of her 103 books (at last count). Sadly, I will never get to zero with her as I have no interest in reading any of her Rembrandt Stone 6 book time travel series or some of her other mentoring collaborations that others wrote but have her name on them. I would like to hit the 100 books mark though. I know of 3 more coming this year so I’ll at least hit 90.

    I’ve read a lot of Irene Hannon books too. I think I’m at 47 of 60 at last count. I do plan to read a couple more of hers this year.

    I enjoy armchair traveling especially when I can’t physically get there. I’d like to visit the Grand Tetons by reading Capture the Moment by Suzanne Woods Fisher. (And halleluiah the price finally dropped!)

    Thanks for the fun topic and giveaway Kav! tracey14567 at gmail dot com

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    1. Eeeep — I love hearing about reader’s Christian Fiction history — is that book nerdy or what? Wow, 87 SMW books read! That’s amazing! I had to idea she did a time travel series. Must go check that out…hang on a sec. Whoa, I had never heard about that series and she has three co-authors? How does that even work?! It’s got 508 Amazon reviews though so somebody knew about it. lol

      There’s one series by Sarah M. Eden that I’m not sure about. The Gents is the series name and it’s set in the Georgian era where they wore those white wigs and the women had those crazy dresses that protruded out the sides so they had to go through the door sideways. Anyway, I’m a very visual reader. I picture everything playing out in my mind when I read (or listen) and I just can’t do those visuals. It would ruin if for me. And yet I love the way Sarah writes banter and builds relationships and her touches of humour but….

      Hooray for 47 Irene Hannon books read! 🙂

      I love to armchair travel too with my fiction and Suzanne Woods Fisher does a great job bringing the park alive so you feel like you are there. Good luck, Tracey!

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  5. Love Wanda Brunstetter’s books!  I’ve been wanting to catch up on books I’ve missed by reading The Prayer Jars Trilogy.  I also love Edith Maxwell/Maddie Day’s books and would love to read some of the slightly older books I’ve not gotten to read yet like Speaking of Murder the first book in the A Lauren Rousseau Mystery series.

    Thanks for the reminder to check our first of the year goals to see if we are on schedule or need to give some areas a boost in reading.

    2clowns at arkansas dot net

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    1. I love Maddie Day’s Country Store Mystery series! I don’t think I’ve tried any of her other series though but I am all caught up with the Country Store now so it’s time I ventured into another of her series.

      I haven’t read very many of Wanda E. Brunstetter’s novels but I just checked out her latest from the library — The Rise and Fall of Miss Fannie’s Biscuits. The crazy title intrigues me. Good luck, Kay!

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  6. Working through some new authors I discovered starting with there debut books. Many are not christian fiction or closed door romances. Murder Mysteries or based on real life events.

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    1. That’s a neat way to work through a new-to-you author’s collection – from the debut and on up. I usually get hooked by their most recent release and then haphazardly work my way backwards depending on mood and availability. You are much more organized than I am! Do you have a title to enter in this giveaway, Kim?

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  7. I’ve resigned myself to the fact that I’ll never catch up on some series. Christy Barritt’s are among the list & Susan May Warren’s as well. So far I’ve kept up w/ Joanna Davidson Politano’s except her latest The Curious Inheritance of Blakely House. I looked up Denise Hunter’s backlist & I am caught up with hers with the exception of 1 (I think) & it’s an older book. Really interested in reading all of Liz Johnson’s PEI books & have read all but her recent:

    Sometimes You Stay

    Thanks for the giveaway opportunity, Kav. Have a blessed Sunday! dianalflowers at aol dot com

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      1. Jolene, some of these authors write so quickly, I’m sure they continue to write in their sleep! lol And how in the world do they come up with so many different plots? Amazing!

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  8. I used to be completely caught up on Becky Wade’s books, but I haven’t read any of her Sons of Scandal series. I’d love to win a copy of Uneasy Street. Thanks for the giveaway opportunity!

    Jolene – iwant2save34 at gmail dot com

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    1. Love Becky Wade and I think I might be all caught up with her books too. Must give that a check ’cause if I’m missing any it would just be a few and easily rectified. Good luck, Jolene!

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  9. I own 22 Terri Blackstock books and have only read I think 5 or 6. I need to catch up haha. I also have a ton of Michael Phillips books and haven’t read most of them. I alternate reading Christian fiction/Christian nonfiction and I can really get bogged down in the nonfiction which lowers how many books I actually get through each year. So I would say my main goal is reading the books on my current shelf before buying more. Unfortunately, my local thrift store is attached to a church and I find so many good Christian fiction for $.89! Not buying the whole shelf out is a struggle.

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    1. Bwahahaha! The good side of that quandary is that you’ll always have something to read! And an 89 cent library investment is impossible to resist. Why would you even try?! Are you entering a title for the giveaway, Rebecca?

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  10. An author I want to catch up completely on is Connilyn Cossette. I LOVE her books and only have a few that I’m behind on. One that I’ve yet to get ahold of (and would LOVE to) is The Life Giver: Shiphrah’s Story (part of the Ordinary Women of the Bible multi-author series.)

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  11. Indie Publisher ~ Australia. Read book 1 and I want to know what happens next in series! Carry Me Away (Blue Wren Shallows #2) by Dorothy Adamek – Crabapple House Publishing, November 5, 2019 Kathleen lanehillhouse(at)gmail(dot)com

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  12. Yikes, 87 books would be overwhelming! This was SO hard for me to pick someone, but I am going to go with Kristi Ann Hunter. The only series of hers I have not read is Hearts on the Hearth, and I haven’t read Frankly, My Dear Clara, but I own that one. So I am going to go with the first in the series, Vying for the Viscount. Have you read it? Enjoyed it? Thanks for the opportunity. Good luck with your goals, I know you can do it. cilydav at hotmail dot com

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    1. Have a wee bit of Kristi Ann Hunter catching up to do as well but I have read Vying for the Viscount. Swoonaliciousness all the way through! I love her Regency building and the emotional depth she gives her characters. Great choice. Good luck, Cindy!

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  13. I’ve read almost everything of Irene Hannon’s as well, except those. I started reading her suspense before I was on Goodreads so I likely don’t have an accurate count. I know there are an odd few I may have missed. I have some of the Encore now. One day…

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    1. I kept losing the rest of what I typed about an improvement I need so I’m making a reply instead. I have lapsed horribly in reading more male-authored books. I don’t like fantasy, sci-fi, or dystopian. I have some I really like. I’m avoiding a couple of the newer ones being published by CF houses because they have a lot of non-CF elements that don’t interest me or sit right with me. I enjoy Chris Fabry, Robert Whitlow, Dan Walsh and several others. I have more on their back lists to read.

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      1. Sorry silly WordPress was messing with you. She gets like that sometimes — in a snippy mood and watch out innocent bystanders! 🙂 I’m with you in not reading many male authors. I’ve read a ton of Dan Walsh’s earlier books and really enjoyed them, must see what he’s released since then. Do you have a title to enter for the giveaway, Tammy?

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  14. Sorry, I will try this again. I had to sign in and it posted before I was ready.

    When I am able to get a copy of Karen Witemeyer’s To Love a Beast I will have read all of her books.

    pmkellogg56[at]gmail[dot]com

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    1. No worries, I fixed it. Silly WordPress was full of mischief yesterday. I have To Love a Beast on my TBR right now and then I’ll have read almost all her books. I missed the Christmas one from two years ago. Aim to fix that this Christmas. Good luck, Pam!

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  15. Katie Powner’s backlist is currently the one I want to catch up with. I’ll go with her debut – The Sowing Season – for this giveaway, Kav. Good luck with your Sarah Eden goals! Wowzers! 🙂

    ckbarker at gmail dot com

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    1. I know, right? I’m kinda hoping that some of those novella collections are only in ebook since I don’t read ebooks and I can cross them off that long list. Bwahahaha! I need to read more Katie Powner too. Good luck, Cheryl!

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  16. Good luck with Sarah’s backlist! Those novella collections are quick reads and her stories in them are always so sweet. I also love Heather B. Moore’s stories from the same Timeless Romance collections. I’m working on her backlist currently, which is both challenging and entertaining because she writes in a variety of genres. Another author I’d love to read to zero is Nichole Van. Her stories bring all the feels, and are ones that would be a delight to re-read.

    The book I’m wishing for is a print copy of Adjacent But Only Just by Nicole Van.

    Thanks Kav! Happy reading!

    colorvibrant at gmail dot com

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    1. Ohhh, don’t give me any ideas. Nichole Van is another author I want to read more from. I’ve just read a couple and loved them. Nope, gotta stay focused on the three I’ve already picked, then, when I complete one author I can add another. Must stay on track! 🙂 Good luck, Heidi!

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  17. I’m actually terrible at being “down to zero” with an author, but here they are:

    Jaime Jo Wright

    Natalie Walters

    Abigail Wilson

    Rachel Fordham

    Amy Lynn Green

    Robin W. Pearson, 

    Amanda Wen

    Katie Powner

    Tara Johnson

    Heidi Chiavaroli (except for 1 Biblical and The Orchard House Bed and Breakfast series, read one, own Kindle of book 2)

    I’ve done fairly well keeping up with Pepper Basham, Amanda Dykes,  and Michelle Griep.  Going forward I need to catch up with Amanda Cox and I’m almost there.  I have a copy of Between the Sound and Sea that I need to  read, so I just need her August release, The Bitter End Birding Society (Do pre-orders count?).   Kav, I am incredibly impressed by your goals, you definitely blow me out of the water! Your Irene Hannon accomplishment is amazing! I’m looking forward to some very pretty pie charts and graphs for your end of year wrap up!

    perrianne (DOT) askew (AT) me (DOT) com

    (Sorry about the strange font change right in the middle of everything!  I have to type my comments in notes or WordPress will not like me and freeze up.

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    1. Sigh, why does WP have to be such a trial?! lol I’m impressed at your list of read-to-zero authors. That’s awesome! That’s like a who’s who list of Christian Fiction! And no, pre-orders don’t count for this giveaway, but no worries, Reader’s Choice Week is just around the corner! In the mean time, feel free to add another title for this giveaway.

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      1. Since pre-orders don’t count this time, I’m choosing Joanna Davidson Politano‘s The Curious Inheritance of Blakely House.  The asylum story about drove me nuts so I’m going out on a limb here! Now I need to go make notes for my read to zero authors.  

        I just use notes to copy to WordPress, even for a small comment.  Problem solved when Notes behaves.

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  18. I feel like I have A LOT of Read to Zero authors to get to. One that definitely springs to mind is Sarah Sundin and her book: Midnight on the Scottish Shore, among others!!
    manderley23 at gmail dot com

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  19. Jaime Jo Wright is a great author with many fantastic books. I need to connect with her again and I would love to read Tempest at Annabel’s Lighthouse.

    mauback55 at gmail dot com

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  21. One book that comes to my mind is Counterfeit Love by Crystal Caudill. I’ve read and enjoyed her newest book, as well as, her Christmas novella, but haven’t read her full series yet. 

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  22. I try to keep up with some of my favorites because I read a lot of new releases, but need to read some of their back lists, like Laura Frantz. I would choose The Colonel’s Lady.
    paulamarys49ATgmailDOTcom

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  23. I’ve been on a Michelle Griep reading binge lately, and am almost caught up except for her newest release (Of Silver and Secrets) so if that counts, I would probably pick that one. 🙂

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