Unfortunately, there won’t be any more Poppy books for a while. I am working on a new series with a new publisher – not Christian Fiction and not a Christian publisher. There is nothing of formal faith in the first book, the second though touches on it. An announcement will be made later this month, so I can’t say any more about it now! But I hope you enjoy the rest of this series and might try out my new one down the line.

Happy reading, Ashley. Or should I say happy listening!

Fiona

I’m listening to The Jazz Files and after the scene at the asylum between Poppy and Liz I was curious if this series was ‘Christian lit’ due to all the mentions of faith. But what really made me curious wasn’t the mentions themselves but the fact that, unlike with many other CL books I had accidentally picked up over the years, I was thoroughly enjoying the story and characters.

This isn’t to say that there aren’t good writers who specifically do categorize themselves as CL authors. I’m just one of the readers you mentioned who would avoid a Christian bookshop like the plague because the books tend to be very, very, very Christian and, as you put it, do “Bible bash” a bit. Which is great, if that’s what the reader is looking for, but I’ve personally never found the hyper virtuous, never-questioning characters who often feature as protags to be very relatable or realistic. I know plenty of Christians and would categorize myself as one as well and we’re all flawed and varied humans who make mistakes, bend the rules, and have very different interpretations of what is and isn’t acceptable. Humans exist in a gray area, after all.

So, I genuinely appreciate that the novel so far has been populated with characters that feel real. Poppy not immediately jumping to reassure Daniel that God is real and he cares stands out as an example. She didn’t preach at him, however kindly intentioned, she acknowledged that what he had been through and seen was something that made a lot of people question or even lose faith. That isn’t the way such scenes have gone in other stories I’ve read. And it’s the sort of thing that landed almost all of them (I can think of only one CL book that I’ve finished) in the did-not-finish pile.

Again, this isn’t a dig at those who create more idealized worlds for their stories. As a reader, I understand that books are a often a bit of escapism and we don’t necessarily want complete realism and I fully understand why a reader would want a story where the main character is unrelentingly faithful and ‘good’. And, as someone who also writes, I understand that the muse shall do what the muse very well pleases, so if it pleases to write squeaky clean characters then that’s what will happen. But as someone who does prefer a bit of realism in the personalities populating the pages of the novels I read, I love that Poppy is just as human as I am. She isn’t always sure she’s doing things 100% the right way, even if she means well, and she doesn’t judge those who are at different places or hold different views than her own. She’s not perfect, she’s curious, she asks questions, and she thinks for herself. That she happens to be Christian is a part of who she is, not the all of her personality. It’s refreshing and I’m so genuinely glad to have found this series. For those who are a bit mad that Poppy isn’t Christian-y enough, you’re right. This series isn’t for them. But it’s definitely for me. And I thank you for writing it.