In Goodreads you can also get series information, thus I don’t quite get what’s good (or bad) using “fantastic fiction” vs GoodReads. And if “Fantastic fiction” has an appp, I can’t find it!
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Enviado desde mi iPhone 16e
El 17 ene 2026, a la(s) 10:06 a.m., 'Richard Turner' via VIPhone <[email protected]> escribió:
Karen Kingsberry is a good example of why I use book series in order's page. Below is the link to her page at that site, and after the link is the complete page. I've not run into an author with so many books, in so many series. At the bottom of each author's page is a short biography and a summary of a book or two.
I've not read this author, but I thought it was a good example.
The article describes the life and career of Karen Kingsbury, a renowned Christian author. The article highlights her successful career, including her numerous best-selling novels, many of which have been adapted into movies. The article also mentions Kingsbury's motivational speaking engagements and her strong Christian faith, which is a recurring theme in her work.
Book links take you to Amazon. As an Amazon Associate I earn money from qualifying purchases.
Baxter Family Reading Order:
Redemption Series
Firstborn Series
Sunrise Series
Above The Line Series
Bailey Flanigan Series
Coming Home Book
(“The Baxter Family” books can be read after that and are all standalone)
Karen Kingsbury was born on June 8 1963 in Fairfax, Virginia in the United States of America. Her parents were Ted and Anne Kingsbury. There were other children in the family with Karen being the eldest. She went to Canoga Park School from where she graduated in 1981. She later joined California State University Northridge which she left with a degree in Journalism in 1986.
During her senior year at the University, she took her internship at the Los Angeles Times as a sports reporter. After graduation she was employed by the Los Angeles Daily News where she continued as a sports writer for two years. Karen was then promoted to the front page of the Sunday paper in which she wrote emotional feature stories.
Marriage and Family
Karen Kingsbury got married to her husband Donald when still in her twenties. They have a total of six children, three biological and three adopted. Their three adopted sons were orphans in Haiti, and she strongly felt that she should bring them up. They have since been one big family, who are easily a great inspiration for her in her writing. The family has a deeply Christian orientation. They are all Christians professing salvation.
This orientation helped greatly in making Karen’s work consist of mainly Christian messages. That is what earned her the title of Queen of Christian writing from the New York Times. Karen says that all the members of her family are very supportive of her writing career. Apart from her immediate family, she says that her big legion of fans constitute a larger family with which she has to communicate every day.
Career
Karen started off as a journalist but became more renowned for the many novels she has written. Her fictional works number over 50 and she is still writing. Ten of her novels have hit number 1 on American national listings. There are over 25 million copies of her books in print, and they are still selling. Her very first novel was Missy’s Murder which came out in 1991. It is based on a true murder story she had covered for the Los Angeles Daily News.
It is about a lady, coincidentally known as Karen, who goes after the killers of her friend Missy. Some of her books are produced in series while others are stand alone novels. Among her renowned series are the Redemption, 9/11, Lost Love, Red Glove, Forever Faithful, Women of Faith, Cody Gunner, Children, First Born, Above the Line, Bailey Flanigan and True Crime. In addition she has over 14 stand alone ones.
Themes and Characters
Due to her Christian orientation, her novels have a strong religious message in them. They cover several themes including love, crime, family relations, faith, romance and success. Her earlier novels were heavily influenced by real life stories she covered for the newspaper, which were later thinly fictionalized.
Her latter stories were influenced by her religion and experiences of her relatives. For instance, Zack Dylan, the lead character in Fifteen Minutes closely resembles Donald, Karen’s Husband. In some cases, the challenges she faced in her life led to books with strong central female characters, who closely resemble her, such as the mother in Whatever you Grow Up to Be.
Famous Characters
Perhaps the most famous characters that Karen Kingsbury ever created are the Baxter Family who transcend from the Redemption series all the way to the Bailey Flanigan series. They also appear in the stand alone novel Coming Home. This makes them almost real. There is also the main character, David Milner, in the Deadly Pretender. Milner is a double life character, who marries two women without disclosing to either, the prescience of the other.
When he is found out, he now plans to carry a murder that can’t be traced to him. Also outstanding is Karen Severson, a friend to the murdered girl, Missy Avila, in Missy’s Murder. Severson vows to unearth Missy’s killers and works heard against all odd to achieve just that. Interestingly, she shares a first name with the author herself.
Movies
Many of Karen’s novels have been scripted into movies and subsequently released, with great reviews. Among these are; Like Dandelion Dust which is a movie and now features in the form of DVDs. Another one is Missy’s’ Murder which has received great levels of success in theatres and home entertainment. Another one is The Deadly Pretender. The novel is so dramatic and has such a strong theme, that it makes a natural movie. It definitely didn’t disappoint when it was released as one.
Plans are underway to release more of her books into movies as well. The outstanding thing about all these movies is the way they deliver their messages without resorting to sexual overtures, undue violence or exaggerated drama which are common features in most contemporary productions. Nevertheless, they still make for intriguing viewing.
Songwriting
Karen has also proven herself in the field of song writing. She has penned a number of tunes which have been sung by reputable musicians. Her songs include Walls co-written with Gary Baker and Richie McDonald. It was later produced as part of the McDonald’s album I Turn to You.
It has strong religious message and was thus featured on Christian radio and sold in Christian stores. It is simply outstanding how the lady successfully combines textual and lyrical prowess with outstanding results in both. However, music is more of a pastime to her, the first love is writing.
Motivational Speaking
Karen is quite an active character. She is a motivational speaker addressing audiences of 100,000 women regularly on life issues. Though her messages are based on her faith, she reaches a wide audience that includes non-Christians.
She also has a wide fan base in the social media with which she communicates regularly. She answers questions about her life emanating from eager followers in the sites. Many women consider her a proper role model and great motivator in their lives. Judging by the millions of followers she has and the many books she has written, Karen Kingsbury is definitely one of the greatest writers today.
"Reality is the leading cause of stress for those who are in touch with it." -- Jane Wagner, from The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe.
My web site: https://www.turner42.com
Sent from my iPhone 16 Pro
Richard, USA
"While striving for perfection, let us do what is possible." -- John Wesley
My web site: https://www.turner42.com
(sent from my iPhone 16 pro)
On Jan 16, 2026, at 10:46 PM, Katrina Anderson <[email protected]> wrote:
Karen Kingsbury
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If you have any questions or concerns about the running of this list, or if you feel that a member's post is inappropriate, please contact the owners or moderators directly rather than posting on the list itself.
Your V iPhone list moderator is Mark Taylor. Mark can be reached at: [email protected]. Your list owner is Cara Quinn - you can reach Cara at [email protected]
