Local author makes USA Today Best Seller list

12 Contemporary Christian Romance authors named to USA Today Best Sellers List, including Lesley Ann McDaniel from Shoreline.

When twelve Christian Romance authors came together in February of 2016, they had a vision for what could be accomplished if they worked not as “indies” but as a team. On July 7, 2016, that vision became reality when WHISPERS OF LOVE, a compilation of 12 brand new contemporary Christian romance novels, crested the hill and broke onto the USA Today Best Sellers list at #79.

“Writing is an uphill climb most days,” said McDaniel, whose novel Oceans Apart was part of the set said. “The days when you get to stop and enjoy the view are few and far between, and I'm really happy to be enjoying this particular view with this amazing group of authors.”

The twelve newly-minted USAT best sellers and titles include:

• Lesley Ann McDaniel Oceans Apart 
• Valerie Comer Secrets of Sunbeams
• JoAnn Durgin Gentle Like The Rain
• Kimberly Rae Jordan A Change of Heart
• Jan Thompson Smile for Me
• Marion Ueckermann The Other You
• Autumn Macarthur Teapots & Tiaras
• Leah Atwood Not This Time
• Staci Stallings Flight 259
• Sally Bradley Homestands
• Carol Mancado The Lifeguard, the Abandoned Heiress, and Frozen Custard
• Christina Coryell Overture and a Prince

Lesley Ann McDaniel

The idea behind the set, conceived and shepherded to completion by Jan Thompson, was to take twelve current Amazon bestselling authors, get each of them to contribute a brand-new, never-before-released novel, and then market the books as a unit rather than as individual books. However, while the destination was always in mind, just how to get there wasn’t always so clear.

“The cover was one of the hardest things about the set,” Staci Stallings said. “We knew it had to be perfect, and somehow it needed to perfectly convey all twelve stories and authors. That is a much bigger challenge than it might at first appear.”

With story settings ranging from the USA to Canada and South Africa to the Bahamas, not to mention such varied characters as an architect, a doctor, a principal, an artist, a lifeguard, an athlete, and a medical missionary, even finding common ground was no easy task.

After discussing and submitting many, many possibilities, Durgin finally dropped the right piece into the overwhelming puzzle. The picture featured on the front cover was from an actual wedding shoot, and perfect it turned out to be.

“I think it says Christian romance,” Stallings said. “Gentle, fun, quirky but really, really romantic just like the stories. It’s an absolutely perfect match for such a diverse collection.”

The stories contained in the WHISPERS OF LOVE collection range from one about a swim team to one that features a cantankerous goat. From tears to laughter, this collection has it all.

The USA Today Bestselling collection, WHISPERS OF LOVE, can be found at the following online bookstores: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, and iBooks