If you’ve had the pleasure of interacting with Author Connilyn Cossette at all you know that she is one of a kind, and very sweet. I have read all of her books to date and have sincerely enjoyed reading all of them; they are a biblical immersive fiction experience like no other. She has written several book series and more are on the way!
Author Connilyn Cossette’s books and series list in order:
Her first book series, the Out From Egypt Series, follows the journeys of three amazing female main characters from biblical times. This series has been nominated for numerous awards and has been on the CBA bestseller lists too!
- Book 1: Counted with the Stars
CBA Bestseller Historical Fiction December 2016, January 2017 & February 2017
Christy Finalist, Debut Author 2017
Inspy Award Finalist, Historical Fiction 2017
Christian Retailing’s Best Award Finalist 2017
Sold into slavery by her father and forsaken by the man she was supposed to marry, young Egyptian Kiya must serve a mistress who takes pleasure in her humiliation.
When terrifying plagues strike Egypt, Kiya is in the middle of it all. To save her older brother and escape the bonds of slavery, Kiya flees with the Hebrews during the Great Exodus.
She finds herself utterly dependent on a fearsome God she’s only just beginning to learn about, and in love with a man who despises her people. With everything she’s ever known swept away, will Kiya turn back toward Egypt or surrender her life and her future to Yahweh?
- Book 2: Shadow of the Storm
CBA Bestseller Top 50 Books: May 2017
CBA Bestseller, Historical Fiction December 2016, May 2017, June 2017
Having escaped Egypt with the other Hebrews during the Exodus, Shira is now living in freedom at the foot of Mt. Sinai, upon which rests the fiery glowing Cloud containing the shekinah glory of God. When the people disobey Yahweh and build a golden idol, the ensuing chaos gives Shira an unexpected opportunity to learn the arts of midwifery. Although her mother wishes for her to continue in the family weaving trade, Shira’s gifts shine brightest when she assists with deliveries. In defiance of her mother, Shira pursues her heart’s calling to become an apprentice midwife.
When a delivery goes horribly wrong, Shira finds herself bound to a man who betrayed her, the caretaker of three young children, and the target of a vengeful woman whose husband was killed by Shira’s people, the Levites. As contention between the Hebrew tribes and the foreigners fans the flames of another dangerous rebellion, Shira will come face-to-face with the heartbreak of her past that she has kept hidden for so long. How can she let go of all that has defined her to accept the love she’s denied herself and embrace who she truly is?
- Book 3: Wings of the Wind
Alanah, a Canaanite, is no stranger to fighting and survival. When her family is killed in battle with the Hebrews, she disguises herself and sneaks onto the battlefield to avenge her family. The one thing she never counted on was surviving.
Tobiah, a Hebrew warrior, is shocked to find an unconscious, wounded woman among the Canaanite casualties. Compelled to bring her to a Hebrew healer back at their camp, he is soon confronted with a truth he can’t ignore: the only way to protect this enemy is to marry her.
Unused to being weak and vulnerable, Alanah submits to the marriage—for now. As she comes to know and respect Tobiah and his people, however, she begins to second-guess her plans of escape. But when her past has painfully unanticipated consequences, the tentative peace she’s found with Tobiah, the Hebrews, and Yahweh is shaken to the core. Can Alanah’s fierce heart and strength withstand the ensuing threats to her life and all she’s come to love?
Next Author Connilyn Cossette wrote was the Cities of Refuge series, in this series, we get to follow a family saga involving redemption, second chances, and learning about the mercy that God shows us every day.
- Book 1: A Light on the Hill
2019 A Carol Award-Winning Author: Historical Fiction
Seven years ago, Moriyah was taken captive in Jericho and branded with the mark of the Canaanite gods. Now the Israelites are experiencing peace in their new land, but Moriyah has yet to find her own peace. Because of the shameful mark on her face, she hides behind her veil at all times and the disdain of the townspeople keeps her from socializing. And marriage prospects were out of the question . . . until now.
Her father has found someone to marry her, and she hopes to use her love of cooking to impress the man and his motherless sons. But when things go horribly wrong, Moriyah is forced to flee. Seeking safety at one of the newly-established Levitical cities of refuge, she is wildly unprepared for the dangers she will face, and the enemies–and unexpected allies–she will encounter on her way.
- Book 2: Shelter of the Most High
2019 Christy Award Winner for Historical Fiction
The daughter of a pagan high priest, Sofea finds solace from her troubles in the freedom of the ocean. But when marauders attack her village on the island of Sicily, she and her cousin are taken across the sea to the shores of Canaan.
Eitan has lived in Kedesh, a City of Refuge, for the last eleven years, haunted by a tragedy in his childhood and chafing at the boundaries placed on him. He is immediately captivated by Sofea, but revealing his most guarded secret could mean drawing her into the danger of his past.
As threats from outside the walls loom and traitors are uncovered within, Sofea and Eitan are plunged into the midst of a murder plot. Will they break free from the shackles of the past in time to uncover the betrayal and save their lives and the lives of those they love?
- Book 3: Until the Mountains Fall
ECPA Bestseller #11 Historical Fiction August 2019
Recently widowed, Rivkah refuses to submit to the Torah law compelling her to marry her husband’s brother, and instead flees Kedesh, hoping to use her talents as a scribe to support herself. Without the protection of her father, Kedesh’s head priest, and the safety of the city of refuge, Rivkah soon discovers that the cost of recklessness is her own freedom.
Malakhi has secretly loved Rivkah for years, but he never imagined his older brother’s death would mean wedding her himself. After her disappearance, he throws himself into the ongoing fight against the Canaanites instead of dwelling on all he has lost. But with impending war looming over Israel, Rivkah’s father comes to Malakhi with an impossible request.
As the enemies that Rivkah and Malakhi face from without and within Israel grow more threatening each day, is it too late for the restoration their wounded souls seek?
- Book 4: Like Flame in the Night
2021 Carol Award Winner
Historical Romance
2021 Christy Award Finalist
Historical Fiction
ECPA #22 Bestseller in Fiction
April 2020
Strong-willed Tirzah wants to join her people in driving the enemy from the land of Israel and undergoes training for a secret mission inside the stronghold of Shechem. But soon after she has infiltrated the ruthless Aramean commander’s kitchen, she makes a reckless decision that puts her and her allies in grave danger.
Fresh off the battlefield, Liyam returns home to discover his beloved daughter is dead. After his vow to hunt down her killer leads to months of fruitless pursuit, his last hope is in a family connection that comes with strings attached. Strings that force him to pose as a mercenary and rescue an infuriating woman who refuses to leave her mission uncompleted.
When an opportunity to pave a path to a Hebrew victory arises, can Tirzah convince Liyam to fight alongside her in the refuge city of her birth? Or will Liyam’s thirst for vengeance outweigh his duty to his people, his God, and the woman he’s come to love?
Her third series is The Covenant House series. In this series, Connilyn Cossette goes back again to the biblical history of the Israelites, and the covers on these might just be some of my all-time favorites!
- Book 1: To Dwell among Cedars
Eight years ago, when the Philistines stole and then surrendered the ark of the covenant back to the Israelites, Eliora left her Philistine homeland to follow the ark to the community of Kiryat Yearim. There, the family she was adopted into has guarded the ark at the top of a mountain in seclusion.
Ronen is a Levite musician determined to return the ark to Shiloh, where his tribe believes it belongs. He never expected that the Philistine girl he rescued years ago would now be part of the very family he’s tasked to deceive.
As Ronen’s attempts to charm Eliora lead them in unexpected directions, betrayal leaves Eliora with strained family ties and Ronen questioning his own loyalties. Ultimately, Eliora and Ronen are caught up in the battle for the soul of Israel and its future under the leadership of Samuel, the last judge before the era of the kings begins.
- Book 2: Between the Wild Branches
Ten years ago Lukio fled Kiryat-Yearim, where he’d been adopted by the Levite family who guarded the Ark of the Covenant. Feeling betrayed by everyone, he returned to his birthplace in Philistia to become a famous fighter. Now the champion of Ashdod, Lukio has achieved every goal with the help of his ruthless cousin. But just as he is set to claim the biggest prize of all, the daughter of the king, his past collides with his present in the form of Shoshana.
After a heartbreaking end to her secret friendship with Lukio, Shoshana thought to never see the boy with the dual-colored eyes and the troubled soul again. But when she is captured in a Philistine raid and enslaved
in Ashdod, she is surprised to find that the brutal fighter known as Demon-Eyes is Lukio himself.
With explosive secrets and unbreakable vows standing between them, finding a way to freedom for both may cost them everything.
Now I know I said that the last series of covers may be my favorites, however, after seeing just book one in her new series, The King’s Men, I may change my mind. This series will be comprised of four books, the last not coming out until August of 2026.
- Book 1: Voice of the Ancient
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.
- Book 2: TBA – August 2024
- Book 3: TBA – August 2025
- Book 4: TBA – August 2026
Connilyn Cossette also has written for a series called Ordinary Women of the Bible sold exclusively through Guidepost Fiction. It is a culmination of several authors each writing books about different women in biblical history. Currently, it is a twenty-four-book series, with Connilyn Cossette having written three of the books in the series so far.
The Healer’s Touch (Tikva’s Story)
– Book 2
After twelve long years of suffering, can Tikva find healing of body and soul simply by reaching out, in faith, to the Master Healer?
Find it on Goodreads and Guidepost Fiction
The Life Giver (Shiphrah’s Story)
– Book 10
With the help of El Shaddai, can Shiphrah find the courage and strength to do the right thing and rebel against the pharaoh’s order to kill innocent newborns?
Find it on Goodreads and Guidepost Fiction
Mother of Kings (Zemirah’s Story)
– Book 23
As Zemirah mends her broken heart and prepares for the birth of her child, she learns the wonders of Yahweh’s deep love for her—lessons that she will cling to when Jesse finds her and brings her back to Bethlehem.
Find it on Goodreads and Guidepost Fiction
About Connilyn Cossette
“She is too fond of books, and it has addled her brain.”
― Louisa May Alcott
I was that girl. The one with her nose in books all the time. The one with a stack of library books up to her chin. The one who got caught reading under her desk in school (usually during math class).
Among all those lovely books that ‘addled my brain’ as a young girl, the ones that became my best friends were the historical novels—the ones whose rich details and long-ago adventures took me to Regency England, Ancient Israel, the Civil War Era South, hidden rooms in WWII Amsterdam, Colonial America and into the Wild West. It was these stories that brought history to life in a way that schoolbooks never could, and fueled a desire to imagine myself in these times and places that would eventually spill over into my own writing.
“If history were taught in the form of stories, it would never be forgotten.” -Rudyard Kipling
And on top of being a voracious reader, I was a reader with a secret desire to someday see my own book on those library shelves—a secret desire of my heart that, for a long time, I honestly did not give God enough credit to grant me. I kept that secret desire so close to my chest that even those closest to me had no idea that I had been writing a manuscript for years!
But God is bigger than my lack of faith.
When I finally put aside my fears and put that first manuscript out there in the world, to my astonishment, I semi-finaled in the ACFW Genesis contest, won the Frasier Award from My Book Therapy, signed with literary agent Tamela Hancock Murray of the Steve Laube Agency and within only a few months I’d signed on with my dream house, Bethany House Publishers.
Since my first book was published in 2016 my books have appeared on numerous bestseller lists, have won both Christy and Carol Awards, and have sold thousands of copies all over the world in several languages.
And none of it would have ever happened without those first knee-shaking steps of faith and a God whose faithfulness and goodness far outweighs my doubts and insecurities.
Above all that God has done with my writing career and regardless
of where He may lead me in the future, my passion is to write stories that draw readers into an immersive fictional experience within the rich ancient world of the Bible, to personalize the history found there, and to spark a curiosity that will lead to digging deeper into the truth of the Word.
You can visit Connilyn Cossette at her website to learn more: https://www.connilyncossette.com/
So, if you too have a desire to embark on a literary journey back to biblical times, I cannot more highly recommend reading Connilyn Cossette’s books. She made me fall in love with biblical fiction and helped me see the events in a way that helped bring biblical stories to life in front of my eyes. I find myself forever indebted to Connilyn Cossette for her faithfulness to God’s calling, for it is through her words that I have not only discovered a newfound appreciation for biblical fiction but also gained a deeper understanding of the timeless truths contained within biblical narratives. Her books are not mere stories; they are gateways to a world where faith, history, and imagination intertwine in the most enchanting way. Thank you, Connilyn Cossette.
Sincerely,
The Travelers Wife 4 Life
Fans of Angela Hunt and Tessa Afshar or Mesu Andrews are sure to love Connilyn Cossette’s books! If you are looking for books more contemporary in nature I would suggest books by Denise Hunter or Toni Shiloh for sweet contemporary romance and the classic Anne of Green Gables if you need a sweet deep but quick series to read.
