Welcome to Story Corner. I’m so glad you’re here.
If we were sitting across from each other at my kitchen table, I’d probably be holding a teal coffee mug that’s already been reheated once or twice. We’d chat about life for a while before we ever talked about books, because I’ve always believed the best stories begin with people, not plots.
One question readers often ask me is, “Why do you write such different kinds of books?
At first glance, it probably seems a little unusual.
There’s the Grace Series, filled with faith, family, and second chances.
There’s Sam Sunday, a grumpy amateur detective who just happens to solve murders from a wheelchair.
And then there’s the Access Unleashed Tails series, inspired by my service dog, Barley, and the incredible ways service dogs change lives.
They may look like three very different worlds, but to me, they’re all telling the same story.
Three themes shape every book I write:
Grace. Mystery. Hope.
Those aren’t just words on my website. They’re the heartbeat behind every page I write.
Grace: Because None of Us Has It All Together
I don’t write about perfect people because I’ve never met one.
Life has a way of humbling all of us. Plans change. Hearts break. Dreams take unexpected detours. Sometimes we’re left wondering how we’ll ever put the pieces back together.
I’ve lived through seasons where nothing looked the way I expected it to. Living with chronic illness has taught me that some victories are quiet ones. Simply getting through the day can be an accomplishment.
Maybe that’s why I love writing characters who are a little broken.
In the Grace Series, you’ll meet people carrying regrets, grief, disappointment, and fear. They’re stubborn sometimes. They make mistakes. They don’t always choose the right path the first time.
Honestly, neither do I.
What gives me hope, and what I hope my readers discover, is that God’s grace isn’t reserved for people who have everything figured out. It’s for ordinary people trying to take one faithful step at a time.
That’s the kind of grace I want to write about.
The kind that shows up in ordinary places, through ordinary people, and quietly changes everything.
In Restoring Grace, I wanted to look at what happens when our lives fall apart in front of the people we care about most. We all have those moments where we feel like we’ve failed so spectacularly that there’s no coming back. I’ve been there. I think we all have.
I write about grace because I need it as much as my characters do.
Writing romance isn’t about creating perfect people who never make mistakes. It’s about creating characters like Viviane or Cole who are a bit broken, a bit stubborn, and a lot like us. It’s about showing that God’s grace isn’t a one-time gift; it’s a daily companion that walks us through the healing process.
Mystery: Because Life Doesn't Always Make Sense
If you’ve met Sam Sunday, you already know he’s not your typical detective.
He’s sarcastic. Brilliant. Occasionally impossible.
He’s also one of my favorite characters because he reminds me that limitations don’t define people.
Long before I ever started writing mysteries, I loved puzzles. I wanted to know why people made the choices they did. I loved looking for connections everyone else overlooked.
Mysteries let me explore those questions.
Every crime Sam investigates eventually gets solved, but what interests me most isn’t the murder. It’s the people.
What makes someone choose forgiveness?
Causes someone to give up?
What happens when we assume we know someone’s story before we’ve really listened?
Those are the mysteries I find myself thinking about long after I’ve finished writing a chapter.
Life doesn’t always hand us easy answers.
Sometimes we’re left asking, Why did this happen? or Where do I go from here?
I may not have those answers in real life, but I do believe truth matters. I believe kindness matters. I believe every person deserves to be seen beyond first impressions.
Those beliefs find their way into every mystery I write.
Hope: Because Every Story Deserves Light
If grace is the foundation and mystery is the journey, hope is where I always want to leave my readers.
That’s where Barley comes in.
Barley is currently training to become my gluten detection service dog, but she’s already taught me more than I could have imagined about courage, patience, and trusting the process.
She also inspired an entire children’s book series, Access Unleashed Tails.
When I began writing Barley’s Dream, I wasn’t simply writing about a puppy.
I wanted children to understand that not every disability is visible.
I wanted families to have conversations about kindness, empathy, and inclusion.
Most of all, I wanted every child who feels different to know they aren’t alone.
Living with invisible disabilities has given me a perspective I never expected to have. There have been difficult seasons. Frustrating seasons. Seasons where hope felt very far away.
But hope has a funny way of showing up anyway.
Sometimes it arrives through a faithful friend.
Sometimes through an encouraging reader.
Even sometimes through a white Labrador with an enthusiastic tail and an important job to do.
Hope rarely arrives all at once.
More often, it grows quietly, one small step at a time.
The Story Behind Every Story
When I look across everything I write, I don’t see three separate series.
I see one invitation.
An invitation to believe that grace is bigger than our mistakes.
That truth is worth seeking.
That hope is always closer than it feels.
- Grace meets us in our messes.
- Mystery invites us to seek the truth.
- Hope reminds us the story isn’t over yet.
Whether you pick up one of my Christian romances, follow Sam Sunday through another mystery, or read about a service dog’s latest adventure, I hope you close the book feeling encouraged.
Not because life suddenly becomes easy, but because you remember that even difficult stories can end beautifully.
Before You Go...
Thank you for spending a little time here in Story Corner.
Writing can be a solitary job, but knowing these stories are finding homes in readers’ hearts makes every early morning, every rewritten chapter, and every cup of reheated coffee worthwhile.
I’d love to know you a little better, too.
What kind of stories stay with you long after you’ve finished the last page? Are you drawn to stories of grace, mysteries that keep you guessing, or stories that leave you feeling hopeful?
Leave a comment below—I genuinely love hearing from readers.
And if you’d like occasional updates from my writing desk, behind-the-scenes glimpses of upcoming books, and, yes, more Barley photos than anyone probably needs, I’d love to have you join my newsletter.
Until next time, may you find grace in unexpected places, discover hope in the middle of life’s mysteries, and remember that your story is still being written.
Anna Christine