Every town has a story.
For me, that town is Cartersville, Georgia.
It’s where I live, where I write, and where so many of the ideas for my stories begin. From the charm of downtown to the beauty of the surrounding hills, Cartersville has a way of making people feel welcome. It’s a community built on relationships, faith, and neighbors who show up when life gets hard.
That’s why I chose to set the Grace Series here.
While the characters and storylines are fictional, the setting is very real. As you read, you’ll recognize familiar places, local landmarks, and the small-town atmosphere that makes Cartersville so special. My hope is that local readers will smile when they recognize a favorite spot, and readers from elsewhere will feel like they’ve discovered a town they’d love to visit.
I’ve always believed that everyone has a story worth telling.
Life doesn’t always unfold the way we planned. We experience heartbreak, disappointment, loss, fear, and moments when we wonder what God is doing. I’ve experienced seasons where I needed His grace more than ever, and those experiences naturally find their way into my writing.
That’s the heart of the Grace Series.
These aren’t stories about perfect people. They’re stories about ordinary people learning to trust an extraordinary God. They’re about second chances, healing, forgiveness, friendship, and discovering that hope often appears when we least expect it.
If you’ve ever wondered whether God still has a purpose for your life after things have fallen apart, these stories are for you.
One of my favorite things about writing this series is bringing Cartersville to life on the page.
You’ll find familiar streets, local businesses, beautiful parks, and the welcoming spirit that makes this community feel like home. Cartersville isn’t simply where the stories happen-it’s part of the journey. The town shapes the people who live here, just as the people leave their mark on the town.
Whether you’ve lived here your whole life or have never heard of Cartersville before, I hope you’ll feel like you’ve been welcomed into the community.
The Grace Series invites readers to the charming town of Cartersville, Georgia, where faith, friendship, and second chances change lives. Each novel follows a different woman on a journey from brokenness to hope as she discovers healing, community, and God’s grace in the most unexpected places. Filled with heartfelt romance, memorable characters, and the warmth of small-town life, these stories celebrate the beauty of redemption and the promise of new beginnings.
What if going home meant facing the one person you never wanted to see again?
Viviane Stanton-Mays left Cartersville ten years ago with a broken heart and no intention of ever looking back. But when she suspects the grandmother who raised her is hiding a serious illness, she returns home determined to uncover the truth.
What she doesn’t expect is to come face-to-face with Cole West—her high school sweetheart, the man who shattered her heart, and now the youth minister at their hometown church.
Grand has plans of her own.
Convinced Viviane and Cole belong together, she’s determined to give them one more chance at the future they almost had. But neither she nor anyone else knows the secret that tore them apart all those years ago.
As old wounds resurface and long-buried truths come to light, Viviane and Cole must decide whether God’s grace is enough to heal the past…or if some broken hearts were never meant to be restored.
Can forgiveness rewrite their story, or has too much time passed to find their way home?
When everything falls apart, sometimes grace leads you exactly where you’re meant to be.
Hillary Blake’s life unravels in a single day. Falsely accused of cheating at the school where she teaches, she’s placed on unpaid leave. Then, just hours later, she learns she’s losing her apartment.
With nowhere to turn and no time to waste, Hillary accepts an unexpected job caring for three children who have already lost far too much.
After the sudden death of his sister, firefighter Luke Toledo is determined to give his orphaned nieces and nephew the stable home they deserve. Hiring a nanny wasn’t part of his plan, and neither was the compassionate teacher who arrives at his door carrying heartbreak of her own.
As Hillary helps the children navigate their grief, she begins to discover healing for herself. But old wounds, unanswered questions, and fears from the past threaten the future they’re slowly building together.
Sometimes accepting God’s grace means trusting Him with the life you never planned.
Will Hillary and Luke find the courage to become the family they all desperately need?
Sometimes the hardest step of faith is trusting God with what’s next.
Two weeks before her wedding, Bailey Evans watches the future she’d carefully planned fall apart. Determined to start over, she leaves Colorado Springs behind for a new life in Cartersville, Georgia, accepting an opportunity to become the chef and co-owner of Taste & See Catering.
Andrea Cabot has spent months praying for the right partner to help turn her struggling catering business into the dream she knows it can become. When Bailey walks through her door, Andrea is convinced God has answered her prayers.
Her oldest son isn’t so sure.
Certain Bailey is taking advantage of his generous mother, he keeps his distance—and a close eye on the new business partner. But as they spend more time together, first impressions begin to crumble, and an unexpected attraction forces them both to confront the hurts they’ve been carrying for far too long.
As Bailey learns that healing requires more than a change of scenery, she’ll have to decide if she can trust God’s plan when it looks nothing like the one she had imagined.
Sometimes trusting God’s plan means believing His best is still ahead.
It’s never too late for God to write a new chapter.
Andrea Cabot is finally settling into the life she fought so hard to reclaim. After a devastating accident and months of rehabilitation, she’s grateful to be back home, running Taste & See Catering with her new daughter-in-law and discovering what her “new normal” looks like.
Then an invitation to her young friend Noah’s birthday party changes everything.
Andrea expects balloons, birthday cake, and laughing children—not to meet bestselling author Mark Hastings, the man whose books have filled her shelves for years.
Mark has spent years rebuilding the life he nearly destroyed. Saved from alcoholism and restored through God’s grace, he’s made peace with his past but remains convinced that love is a chapter meant for someone else. Now, with a looming deadline and an empty page, the last thing he needs is the woman who suddenly occupies every one of his thoughts.
As an unexpected friendship grows into something neither of them saw coming, Andrea and Mark must decide whether the mistakes and heartaches of yesterday are powerful enough to keep them from the future God has planned.
Sometimes God’s greatest renewal begins when you least expect it.
Some wounds can’t be seen…and some can only be healed by grace.
Laura Flowers has spent years protecting her young son from the pain of their past. Widowed after an abusive marriage ended with her husband’s death in military service, she’s determined to raise Brian to become a kind, godly man—even as outside influences threaten to pull him in the wrong direction.
Jacob Cabot never imagined life without the Marines. Forced into medical discharge by injuries that ended his military career, he returns home carrying scars that reach far deeper than anyone can see. Struggling to discover who he is beyond the uniform, Jacob reluctantly agrees to join a local school mentoring program.
That’s where he meets Brian.
As an unexpected friendship grows between mentor and student, Jacob finds himself drawn to Brian’s devoted mother. But both Jacob and Laura have learned that trusting someone with their hearts comes at a cost, and the wounds of yesterday refuse to stay buried.
Together, they’ll discover that while time doesn’t always heal every wound, God’s grace can restore what once seemed beyond repair.
Sometimes healing begins when you trust God with the hurts you’ve carried the longest.
Sometimes the greatest gift we can offer is grace.
Preston Dyson III came to Cartersville chasing the life he thought he wanted. Instead, he found something far greater—a relationship with Christ that changed everything. Now he’s ready to build more than a successful restaurant. He wants to create a business where faith, integrity, and serving others come first.
He just needs the right person to help make it happen.
After her husband left her for another woman, Sharon Pruitt walked away from the life she had carefully built in Chicago. Starting over in Cartersville hasn’t been easy, and although she dreams of managing a restaurant again, trusting another successful businessman feels like repeating the mistakes of her past.
Preston sees a woman with talent but doubts she has the confidence to lead. Sharon sees a man whose polished professionalism reminds her of the husband who broke her heart. As they work together, first impressions begin to fade, forcing them both to reconsider what they believe about themselves, each other, and the God who brought their paths together.
Sometimes grace isn’t just something we receive—it’s something we’re called to give.
When forgiveness opens the door to new beginnings, will Preston and Sharon discover the future God has been preparing all along?
People often describe the Grace Series as Christian romance, and that’s certainly part of it. But I hope readers discover something even deeper.
I hope they find stories that encourage them.
Stories that remind them they’re not alone.
Stories filled with believable characters who struggle, grow, laugh, cry, and learn that faith isn’t about having a perfect life-it’s about trusting God through every season of life.
If you finish one of my books feeling encouraged or reminded that your own story isn’t over yet, then I’ve accomplished exactly what I set out to do.
Whether you’re already familiar with Cartersville or you’re visiting for the first time through these pages, I’d love to invite you into this community.
Walk the streets with my characters. Celebrate their victories. Cry through their struggles. Cheer them on as they discover that God’s plans are often better than the ones they imagined for themselves.
And if you ever find yourself in Cartersville, you might recognize a few places from the books.
After all, every great story begins somewhere.
I hope you’ll begin yours with the Grace Series.