Encouraging Reviews

As an author, I read every review posted about my books on Amazon. I find most of them very encouraging and motivating. The people who leave low ratings don't usually write a review. The reviews I treasure the most are the ones that say my stories draw them closer to God or teach important biblical lessons. Those are some of my main goals in writing. Here are a few reviews that particularly touched me:

"One of the best books I’ve ever read! So full of beauty and God’s truth. I smiled so much through it! The scene with the sheriff helping the sister and the dad coming to rescue her-the overwhelming kindness of the sheriff and the fierce protective love of the father…I was in tears and so deeply moved. The entire novel blessed me. It was like a gift from God to me. I didn’t want it to end. Janice is a gifted writer and I’m so thankful God led me to find her novels. Keep writing for Jesus Janice! He is using you to bring joy to so many (it is so hard to find a pure, inspiring, beautifully written novel these days) and to encourage us in our walk with Jesus."

"Five stars! I couldn't put it down! It was the perfect novel full of a sweet building romance, suspense that kept you turning the pages , and humor that made me laugh out loud. I love how Janice brings in other characters that are interesting and add so much to the story. And I love how she paints such vivid, beautiful scenes of the book's location--this time a farm up in the mountains. Thank you Janice for another wonderful novel that blessed, inspired, and entertained me for hours! Thank you for using your gift for the Lord and always using your books to point your reader to Jesus and draw us closer. You are a gem and my top favorite historical fiction author out there!"

"I loved this book, but that is no surprise. Janice Cole Hopkins has a gift for writing! She has a way of weaving a realistic storyline in with well-developed characters who can pull at your heartstrings. Her books make me feel like I am right there, experiencing all of the emotions right alongside each character. I love that she can write a great story while keeping it clean and wholesome. Love without graphic details and no bad language. This book touches on grief due to the loss of a wife and mother. Pastor McBride struggles a little in his faith after the loss of his wife. Being a single parent to his daughter is rough. Soon Chrisitne arrives in town and slowly wins both of their hearts. However, that is not without controversy as there is always that one saint (if that is what you want to call her). She causes strife and uncertainty for Christine, but only makes the picture clearer for Pastor McBride.There is grief, romance, and drama that keep the reader engaged. Scripture tells us that God knows the end from the beginning and certainly in this case.... He worked it all out for good. Get this one, you won't be sorry!"

"This story is completely different from others I have read by this author! I loved the uniqueness of it. I loved how he returned to his faith that he lost after devastating circumstances! It was just such a realistic story!"

"So good! I love how Janice filled this book with God’s Truth. I always feel so close to Him when I read her books and am encouraged in my walk with Jesus. Thank you Janice! This novel was full of action and kept you reading the pages to solve the mystery. (I admit, I did read a bit ahead at the end to see who did it! I was dying to know! Lol). And as always, the most beautiful love story!!! They always melt my heart the way Janice writes them :)."

"This was another amazing book by Janice Cole Hopkins—the best author in Christian fiction today! I just love her writing and the beautiful love story she crafts with the purity and sweetness that reminds me of when my husband and I first fell in love-she captures the feelings so well. And most of all I love how she always exhorts her readers to live more holy and surrendered to God. She’s an amazing and gifted author and this book was yet another 5 stars!" 

Aren't my readers the best!

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Generational Faithfulness

Tell ye your children of it, and let your children tell their children, and their children another generation" (Joel 1:3).

Passing faith from one generation to the next is not merely a suggestion in Scripture. It is a divine mandate. Parents and grandparents are called to do more than bring their families to church or offer a surface-level understanding of what they believe. They are instructed to cultivate a deep, abiding faith that shapes character, anchors the soul, and endures trials. Grandparents often hold a unique place in a child’s heart, and with that comes tremendous influence. That influence is meant to be used for eternal good: to give the most valuable inheritance possible, a biblical faith that cannot be shaken.

We will not hide them from their children, shewing to the generation to come the praises of the Lord and his strength, and his wonderful works that he hath done (Psalm 78:4).

We must ask ourselves if we have truly done what the psalmist says. Have we taught the younger generations with the seriousness and consistency God intended? The widespread falling away in churches today suggests too many gaps—gaps in homes, gaps in congregations, and gaps in the mentoring relationships that once shaped young believers. But Scripture also teaches that it is never too late to begin again. Today can be the day we recommit to being present, intentional, and spiritually nurturing to the youth around us.

Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it (Proverbs: 22:6).

God calls His people to be living examples of faith, visible, accessible, and engaged. Children and teens need role models who demonstrate what it looks like to walk with God daily, not just on Sundays. They need adults who will speak truth, pray with them, listen to them, and show them the mighty acts of the Lord through both Scripture and personal testimony. When we invest in them spiritually, we participate in a divine chain of faith that stretches far beyond our own lifetime. Scripture is clear: faith is meant to be handed down deliberately, lovingly, and continually.

One generation shall praise thy works to another, and shall declare thy mighty acts (Psalm 145:4).

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A New Opportunity

I was offered an exciting opportunity this week. Heather Blanton is putting together a historical Christmas anthology, and although my 2026 calendar is full, I couldn't pass this up — not with the chance to work alongside writers of this caliber. Besides, I happened to have a November slot open.

Now, I don't like to write short stories (1,000-7,500 words) because I like to develop the characters and plot beyond what the length allows. Since the anthology will contain about a dozen stories, each one will fit the novelette requirements (7,500-17,500 words). Over the years, I've found I enjoy writing and reading the long novellas (17,500-40,000 words) or shorter novels (40,000 words and up) better.  However, the first ten or so novels I published were longer ones. I'm looking forward to trying my hand at this new venture.

I have already started the research. Mine will be called One Crazy Christmas and be set in Nebraska in 1890. Marianne Kincaid is running out of time to find a husband before she loses the freighting company inherited from her uncle. She sees a handsome man about to be arrested for a crime she knows he couldn't have committed, so she pretends he is her mail-order groom. He goes along to keep from ending up in jail and perhaps prison or worse. As soon as her ploy works, she panics. What had she done?

Be on the lookout. I'll share more details as the research and writing continue and the anthology moves closer to being released. This promises to be an unforgettable Christmas collection — one you won't want to miss.

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When the Word Takes Root

"But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit ... " (Matthew 13:23).

The Word of God was meant to penetrate. It is living seed, and seeds must sink into the ground before they can grow. As Dr. Mike Dease said, "The mistake that many sincere believers often make is they act on head faith instead of heart faith. The difference is that we can have a mental agreement with God and even acknowledge it as true, but it has yet to take root within our hearts" (Dr. Mike Dease, Called According to His Purpose). That is why we must study, confess, and proclaim Scripture. When we handle the Word with our intellect, it remains information. When we handle it with meditation and obedience, it becomes transformation.

"Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee" (Psalm 119:11).

Heart faith grows when the Word is planted, watered, and tended. We hide Scripture in our hearts by returning to it daily, speaking it aloud, praying it back to God, and applying it to our lives, especially in moments that test us. Confession is not merely admitting truth. It is agreeing with God so fully that His truth reshapes our desires, our reactions, and our decisions. As we proclaim His Word, it strengthens our faith and reminds us of who He is, even when feelings waver.

"But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only ..." (James 1:22).

When the Word takes root, it produces fruit: steadfastness, obedience, peace, and spiritual maturity. Head faith hears the Word and admires it. Heart faith hears the Word, obeys it, and incorporates it into core beliefs. The difference is life-changing. We study Scripture so we know God's voice, we confess it so our hearts align with His truth, and we proclaim it so others may see His power at work in us. As we do, the seed grows, the roots deepen, and the word becomes the very foundation of our lives.

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 Jo  

Jo, the second book in the Disabled Daughters series has just released, and, as with all my books, it can be enjoyed as a standalone. I don't write cliffhangers or leave threads unfinished, so each story is complete. However, if you want to read the whole series, reading the books in order will prevent spoilers.

In the new novel, Jo Walsh knew this day would come, but knowing didn’t make it easier. With Ava, her older sister, happily married and her father’s health growing more fragile, Jo is next in line to find a match. The weight of that responsibility feels enormous. Marriage is a lifelong commitment, and she refuses to choose convenience, take it lightly, or rush ahead. She wants to honor her father, stay true to her convictions, and seek God's guidance. What follows is a journey that requires discernment, insight, and a patience she never realized she possessed.

The book is available in paperback, Kindle, KU, and Audible. Chloe, the final book in the trilogy, is available for preorder now and will publish on August the fourth. You will want to follow all three sisters as they strive to fulfill their father's request and find their happily ever after, despite their permanent injuries that changed their lives forever.

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Lives Set Apart

The Nazarite vow in Scripture is one of the most striking pictures of total devotion to God. Numbers 6 explains that a Nazarite was someone set apart for a season (or in rare cases, for life) by abstaining from wine, avoiding ritual defilement, and leaving the hair uncut as a visible sign of consecration. Most Nazarites served God for a limited time, but a few were uniquely called from the womb, marked out by God Himself for lifelong dedication.

Only three major figures in the Bible fit this pattern. Samson is the only person explicitly named as a Nazarite, his calling announced before his birth and confirmed throughout his life. Samuel is not labeled with the word, yet his mother’s vow, “no razor shall touch his head,” uses the exact Nazarite formula, and his lifelong service in the sanctuary reflects the same consecrated pattern. John the Baptist, too, shows Nazarite traits: he was set apart from the womb, abstained from wine, and lived a life of prophetic purity. Scripture never uses the term for him, but many scholars see him as a Nazarite‑like figure whose mission mirrors Samson’s and Samuel’s in its God‑given intensity.

Beyond these individuals, the Bible shows that Nazarites were a recognized group within Israel. Amos speaks of unnamed Nazarites whom God Himself raised up, only for the people to pressure them into breaking their vows. Numbers 6 also implies that many Israelites took temporary Nazarite vows as acts of devotion, even though their names are not recorded. Together, these passages remind us that God has always called His people to wholehearted obedience, whether through a formal vow or through the daily choices that set our lives apart for Him.

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250 Years Ago 

This year, our country will be celebrating its 250th anniversary, a very special milestone. I still remember planning special events for the entire school when I was a young teacher, and the nation was celebrating the bicentennial. This time, I have a few books set in the Colonial Period. A Bird in the Hand is set in 1776, at the beginning of the war. It shows what was happening on a personal, heartfelt level. 

When Winter Is Past is set in Pennsylvania in 1739. Stanton Klein’s father had given up on life after his wife died and left Stanton orphaned to live with his grandparents. He decided he would never love like that. He and his first wife had fared well together, but she’d died in childbirth. Now he’s decided to find another woman to marry. After all, a farmer needs a wife and sons. However, with the changes come important lessons and dangers that Stanton never imagined. Beth Evans has taken care of her father since he fell from a barn roof and can no longer walk. People, like Fiona, have always made fun of her because she has a limp. When Stanton befriends her, she’s wary but also intrigued. 

South to Freedom is a completely different story set in 1739. When Mae Briscoe learns that a small group of slaves plans to flee from South Carolina to Florida for freedom among the Spanish, she knows she must go with them. The master’s son has been far too friendly lately, and there’s no one to protect her. She knows the trek will be rough, and it will be hard adapting to a new culture, but given the circumstances, the call of freedom is too strong to resist. Thus, she begins an adventure of a lifetime, heading south to freedom. 

And It All Started at the Masquerade takes place in 1793, after the country has gained its freedom. But it will still take you back to the early years of our country. When Melanie Carter’s older brother decides she’s to marry Lott Jenkins, a wealthy man who has the reputation of being harsh and unbearable, she knows her life has just started on a downward spiral. However, she’s determined to trust that God would not want her with such a man and try to make the best of the awful situation. At a masquerade ball in Edenton, she meets a rather mysterious man dressed as a knight, and she can’t forget him. Lucas Hall can’t forget Melanie either, but he might as well. Once she sees the hideously scarred side of his face, she’d be repulsed like everyone else. That’s why he wears a mask whenever he goes out, which isn’t often. He wouldn’t have gone to the masquerade ball if his housekeeper hadn’t tricked him into it. Now he’s haunted by a scene he saw between Lott Jenkins and Melanie. No woman should ever be treated with such disregard, but what can he do? If he tried to help, they’d take one look at him, and he’d be no help at all.

Together, these stories span the early decades of America's history, each one exploring the courage, resilience, and strength of ordinary people who often don't turn out to be so ordinary at all. As we celebrate 250 years of our nation's journey, I hope these novels will offer readers not only a glimpse into the past but also a renewed appreciation for the faith, endurance, and hope that shaped the country we know today.

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