Unforgiven Launch Week: Yet Another Sale—and All about Untold!

On this third day of Unforgiven’s launch week, I’ve finally reached the third book in the series—Untold!

You can only run for so long …

Two years hasn’t erased the sting of betrayal and the shadow of the past, but Nikolai Alexandrov has finally found a way to live. Moscow, Russia, is the last place anyone would look for a rogue ex-CIA officer, and the members of Grace Baptist Church see beyond his past to the man he is now.

Molly Baird never wanted to be a missionary, but due to her father’s wishes, she lands in Moscow to aid her missionary cousin, Gabe Kelly. All is foreign in the massive city, though, rendering her unable to serve. Only the few English speakers in Grace Baptist’s congregation hold a trace of familiarity—including Nikolai, whose kindness she can’t deny.

Yet when a sniper’s bullet strikes far too close, Nikolai and Molly are thrown together in a desperate race against untold threats. When time runs out, will Nikolai and Molly be able to trust God with the past—and with the future?

For a limited time, Untold is $3.99!

Purchase!

Unlike Unworthy, I quite well remember plotting Untold—and it all came to me in a very short amount of time. Wouldn’t it be nice if all books turned out like that? But I guess all books wouldn’t be as fun to write, since plotting—at least for me—as a write is quite the experience

However, Untold was when I finally got my spy! Gabe had turned out to be way too much of a sweetheart, Evgeny was … well, let’s just say he got mixed up on the wrong side of all of the spying matters, but when Nick Bates showed up, he was the man.

Originally, Nick was this hardcore, Southern guy who just talked about drinking sweet tea, and it was cringy. The dude was literally out of a bad country song.

But after many edits, I think he leveled up from that status—and interestingly enough, I think he’s one of my characters who had the strongest “voice.” I just knew what he sounded like, what he would say, etc., more easily than maybe any other character I’ve ever written.

Except maybe for Gregor.

Gregor Malkov was a side character in this book, but he did his best to take over. (Of course, I didn’t let him.) I had so much fun with his character, and I enjoyed watching how Nick and the entire of Grace Baptist loved on this guy who had such a rough exterior yet such a broken heart.

And finally, there’s Molly Baird—my poor, timid heroine. Molly and her musical heart was so enjoyable to explore, and her interactions with the Russians were so relatable.

Nick and Molly are probably my favorite couple that I’ve ever written—these two Americans in Russia who have wildly different pasts but are bound together because of their love for Christ. Both of them deal with different struggles with anxiety—obviously Nick’s is brought on by his traumatic past—but Molly’s fears were just as real as his. And together, they walk through trials of various sorts, all the while clinging to Christ.

And that’s the overwhelming theme of this book—looking to Jesus. I love that old hymn, “Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus,” and it’s such a pivotal song for Nick and Molly throughout the entire book. And what a reminder we all need in the everyday stresses and anxieties of this life—whether you’re like Molly and stress out over talking to someone you don’t know, or if you’re like Nick, who has suffered unspeakable trauma—Jesus can strengthen, heal, and uphold you.

Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His glory and grace.

Forever, His grace is sufficient!