Let me introduce you to one of my dearest writer friends: Connilyn Cossette. Her first book, Counted Among the Stars, came out a few years after I’d been publishing. It was evident from her debut novel that she’d be a strong voice in biblical fiction.
We met for the first time at an ACFW conference. A few years later, my hubby and I moved from Portland, OR to North Carolina. Only months later, Conni and her family also moved to NC! We met for coffee, which became lunch, which became a whole day spent together! And that was the beginning of a fun and lasting friendship.
We’ve encouraged each other through joys and sorrows, victories and challenges. Now, we write for the same publisher, Bethany House, and hope to do some exciting teaming up in the future!
Cossette’s Contribution to Biblical Fiction
When Counted Among the Stars released, other traditionally published authors were mainly using biblical characters as our heroes and heroines. Conni brought a fresh voice to the genre by using fictional MAIN characters to tell about true biblical events. It was bold. Romantic. Exciting. And it became her signature style of compelling biblical fiction.
Since 2015, she’s spanned nearly five hundred years with multiple series, all connected through her fictional characters’ descendants and the Scriptural events from Exodus to King Saul’s reign in her most recent release, Voice of the Ancient.
Book Description
As the eldest son of a Levite and a Philistine, Avidan is torn between his duty to his family legacy and the desire for something more. After an enemy attack strikes close to home, he takes the opportunity to fight with his cousins for the newly crowned King Saul. But when one of the cousins goes missing during the battle, Avidan refuses to leave him behind.
Keziah is the daughter of one of the most powerful clan chiefs in the territory of Manasseh. On the brink of a forced marriage to a loathsome man decades older than her, she has no choice but to run, hoping to find sanctuary with her mother’s family.
United during their journeys and battling to survive the dangers that surround them, Avidan and Keziah make a pact to travel together. As challenges pile up, they must not only rely on each other to stay alive but also learn to trust the true and eternal King of Israel to guide their every step.
My Review
5 Smiles 🙂 :-):-):-):-)
Voice of the Ancient is a stunning coming of age tale about four boys hoping to prove their manhood on a battlefield with King Saul. After a tragic detour changes Avidan’s plan, he discovers Keziah needs his help. With page after page of powerful truth, the Voice of the Ancient rocked their world—and mine as I read it!
Voice of the Ancient is the first in Connilyn Cossette’s The King’s Men series. It continues a generational story that began nearly 500 years earlier with her very first book! The skill with which she has woven story after story with fictional characters, historical insight, and the Truth of God’s Word is beyond admirable. It’s brilliant.
In her previous series, The Covenant House, readers experienced Israel’s burdensome years of Philistine oppression. Now, Voice of the Ancient introduces readers to four young men whose friendship draws them into the grand adventure of King Saul’s first battle.
Cossette’s signature tension, sweet romance, and exquisite eye for detail, sweeps readers into the era of King Saul’s reign. Get ready to be blown away!
About the Author
Connilyn Cossette is a Christy Award and Carol Award winning author whose books have been found on both ECPA and CBA bestseller lists. When she is not engulfed in the happy chaos of homeschooling two teenagers, devouring books whole, or avoiding housework, she can be found digging into the rich ancient world of the Bible to discover gems of grace that point to Jesus and weaving them into an immersive fiction experience. Although she and her husband have lived all over the country in their twenty-five-plus years of marriage, they currently call a little town south of Dallas, Texas their home.
For more information about Connilyn, check out her website at: https://www.connilyncossette.com/
