My website contains information on books I have written as well as books by other authors. I offer promotions of historical fiction books, and if you subscribe to my newsletter, reviews and announcements of new releases in the genre. In this post, I want to share how I decide what books to promote and review.

My focus as an author is “faith-friendly historical fiction.” That is what I offer to my readers. Both the books I write and the books I promote must be friendly to readers of faith. Let’s break down “faith-friendly historical fiction” to understand what this means.

Historical fiction means the story is set during or before the Vietnam War. This definition provides centuries of settings from an ancient warrior with a spear, to the Revolutionary War, the American frontier, and beyond. Books set in different cultures and locations, as long as set in the past, may fall into the historical fiction genre. Sometimes, I include dual-timeline books as well.

Another defining trait is the distinction between historical fiction and historical romance, though this distinction can be a matter of judgment. In a romance, the main theme is the relationship between a man and a woman. Most historical fiction books include romantic elements, but these are not the primary plot and theme. In my book Kate’s Crucible, Kate faces obstacles that challenge her views of God’s will for her life. This is the book’s theme, and the romance elements support it.

What about “faith-friendly”? This means the worldview and content of the story supports a biblical faith. It does not mean the books are filled with preaching or make a gospel presentation (though this could happen in some stories). Nor does the phrase promise that all books will be as clean as a G-rated film. (Even a G-rated film can have worldview elements antithetical to a biblical faith.) Here are the guidelines I use so my writing is faith-friendly:

• No gratuitous or persistent violence
• Only mild profanity allowed
  • No use of sexually-related terms.
  • No use of profanity that includes “God” or “Jesus”
  • No constant use of profanity
• No sex scenes more detailed or intense than PG movies
• No LGBTQ+ themes
• No sexually-suggestive book covers
• No erotica

I also use these guidelines when running a promotion or reviewing a book. If I write a review, I read the book and include comments on anything that may cross the line, or even come close. If I create a promotion for other authors to join, I can’t read every book, but if I can get a sample, I search and skim the book for objectionable elements.

I also join the promos created and run by other authors and share the links with my readers. These authors may not follow the same guidelines that I do. Also, I must trust these authors to screen the books. Sometimes, authors will join a promo and ignore the guidelines. So if you find books offered on a promotion on my site or in my newsletter that are not faith-friendly, please let me know. I will note the author and use the information to improve my screening if objectionable content.

A word about quality. Though it is not obvious in my tagline, I also want to share good faith-friendly historical fiction. I know the quality of the books in promotions varies, just as the quality of books in a bookstore can vary. Since I read the books I review, I work harder to find high-quality writing. I have started books, especially by new authors, planning to write a review, and decided not to include them in my newsletter. I’m always searching for books to review, so if you know a good historical fiction book, especially one recently released, that meets the criteria above, please let me know with the form on my About page.