Welcome to My Wilderness

Hello! I’m so glad you dropped in. Please, grab your favorite beverage and relax here a while. Peruse these pages, drop me a line, and let’s wile away some time exploring stories together. Keep reading to find a free gift!

I’m author Naomi Musch. I was born and raised in central Wisconsin but have made my home for many years in the pristine north woods, where my husband Jeff and I live as epically as God allows, enjoying the families of our adult children. Amidst it, I write about imperfect people who are finding hope and faith to overcome their struggles, whether the story venue is rich in American history or along more contemporary lines. In short, I write to change the story. Along the way, my own is sometimes changed.

Besides writing, my biggest joys are my family–loving on my passel of grandchildren, encouraging homeschoolers and new writers, gardening, camping, kayaking, and fellowshipping with friends.

~~~~~~~~~~

I’d love to connect with you! I am available for speaking, workshops, and book groups. I love engaging with others and I’m always on the search for kernels of a new story.

Please, grab your favorite beverage and relax here a while. Peruse these pages, drop me a line, and let’s wile away some time exploring stories together. As my thank you for stopping by, I invite you to download this free phone wallpaper (png) or the printable Read-By-Genre Record (pdf) or both! I’ve included a simple black & white version for the reading record if you’d rather avoid color printing.

     

Join me on  Goodreads, BookBub, and on social media by clicking the social media buttons over there –>

~~~~~~~~~~

 

Three New Books in 2024!

Brand New! Available Now!

Courting the Country Preacher – 4 Stories of Faith, Hope, and Falling in Love

Every Preacher Needs a Wife, Right? Being a preacher in the countryside is not for the faint of heart nor faith. Four inexperienced preachers face a myriad of challenges including those who figure a man of the cloth needs a wife. Can they meet the expectations of “helpful” congregants and be true to their hearts?
 
Convincing the Circuit Preacher by Carolyn Miller Australia, 1863 — As soon as Dorothea Maclean saw the country preacher, she knew Mr. Hammill was the man of her dreams. Now she just needs to convince her wealthy parents–and Mr. Hammill.
 
Mail Order Minister by Kari Trumbo South Dakota, 1889 — Olive’s parents mail-ordered a preacher and prayed he’d be a husband for their daughter. The rest of the town–and Olive–have other ideas.
 
The Mountie’s Rival by Angela K. Couch Canada, 1907 — Tired of living in his twin’s shadow, Jonathan Burton is frustrated to find himself serving as a still wet-behind-the-ears preacher in the same community as his Mountie brother. How is he to find a wife when all the eligible women of the community seem enamored by his dashing brother in scarlet uniform?
 
The Angel and the Sky Pilot by Naomi Musch Minnesota, 1910 — A preacher with a checkered past sets off to win souls in the lumber camps like the “sky pilots” before him. But can he earn the respect of hard-living men–and still respect himself–after a local trader’s daughter joins the congregation?
 

Summer 2024

An updated title that was out of print for six years, now re-released with new writing, fresh editing, and a gorgeously redesigned cover, here’s she is!

Paint Me Althena

Three years ago, Ava Day lost her way. She buried love and walked away, persuaded she had failed as a wife to Ethan and mother to their two young daughters. She’s since become Althena Bell, searching for her identity in painting fantasy art. She’s also moved in with Dan, a man whose idea of artistic expression is the ink on his arms and a purring street bike dressed in chrome.

 

Since his wife’s disappearance, Ethan Day has found refuge in a new faith, encouraged to grow by lovely widow Jackie Meyer. His star has risen in the art world, even though his personal life remains fractured. Now he wonders if it’s time to stop praying for Ava’s return and move on. If only he knew where she was and had answers to the questions that haunt him.

 

When Ava’s crooked path leads her into crisis with nowhere to turn, a chance encounter lands her unexpectedly in the haven of Ethan’s home again. Her children don’t seem to remember her, but her unleashed heart recalls everything she lost and aches to recapture. Nevertheless, conflict between her search for identity and Ethan’s new faith, along with interference from others, might break the safety net he offers.

Another Release Earlier This Year!

Polly ~ Apron Strings, Book One ~ a 1920s Vintage Romance

Polly ~ Book One in a string of heartfelt inspirational stories, featuring different women throughout the decades from 1920 to 2020. One cookbook connects them all…

The Great War has ended, but Polly Holloway’s heart is shattered when her fiancé finally returns home—with a French war bride. Now her future feels desolate, until she fastens onto the idea of using her skills and a special cookbook to turn her grandfather’s Victorian house into a fashionable ladies’ tea room. Yet, how will she endure the patronage of the woman who stole her sweetheart? Moreover, the suave tavern owner down the block is interfering in her business, personal and otherwise. Heaven only knows what goes on behind his doors.

Ross Dalton can no longer sell liquor in his establishment. With prohibition in force, it’s a mixed blessing. Ross met God on the battlefield, and he wants to start fresh, but he must earn a living. Converting his bar into a coffee house offers a partial solution. Still, bootleggers are pressing him to pedal their moonshine, and the girl up the street is convinced his place is a front for a speakeasy. She’s awfully cute when she turns up her pert little nose at his friendly overtures. How can he convince her he isn’t going to tarnish the neighborhood or ruin her business? And will she believe he’s a changed man when the bootleggers double down?

A new Apron Strings book releases every month by a different author, through November, 2024. Investigate the series here, and sign up for my newsletter below for monthly updates.

 

Did you miss any of these previous releases that received honors? 

     

Song for the Hunter, the much-anticipated sequel to Mist O’er the Voyageur  

Tragedy brought them together, but learning the truth might tear them apart.

Métis hunter Bemidii Marchal has never played his flute to court a maiden, but considers the possibility at Fort William’s Great Rendezvous. However, when rescuing his sister causes an influential man’s death, the hunter becomes the hunted. Bemidii flees for refuge to Lake Superior’s Madeline Island and takes the name his French father called him, Benjamin.

Carrying a secret, Camilla Bonnet travels with her husband into the wilderness where tragedy awaits. Now left alone, she fears “Benjamin” but is forced to trust him. As she does, their friendship grows and turns to deeper feelings. Then Bemidii discovers more about the man he killed. Now the secret he hides might turn Camilla’s heart away—and demand his life.

~~~~~

 

A mail-order husband might be the craziest idea Maggie’s ever had—or the best.

When widow Maggie Duncan sends a letter up north to the logging camps in search of a hard-working husband—in name only—to help her save her farm, she knows she’ll have to sort through all kinds of comers to find a man who can even stick his toe in Bobby’s shoes. Then Jack McCallister, one of Bobby’s old acquaintances, takes up her offer for a trial run. Once Maggie decides it’s safe to set aside her scattergun, she’s discomforted by the way Jack settles right in like the place was his from the start. She’s discomfited by other things about the man too. After all, she has no expectation of ever marrying for love again. 

~~~~~

   

The realities of WWII come to a Wisconsin farm bringing hope and danger.

Only last year Fannie O’Brien’s future shone bright, despite the war pounding Europe. Since her father’s sudden death however, with one older brother captured and the other missing, Fannie has had to handle the work of three men on their 200-acre farm, with only her mother and two younger siblings to help. That is until eight German prisoners arrive as laborers and, as Fannie feared, trouble comes with them.

Crops take precedence, even as accidents and mishaps happen around the farm. Are they leading to something more sinister? Suspicion grows that a saboteur may be among them. Fannie is especially leery of the handsome German captain who seems intent on cracking her defenses. Can she manage the farm and hold her family together through these turbulent times, all while keeping the prisoners—and her heart—in line?

Visit the Books tab above to have a look at more titles.

Subscribe to Northwoods Faith & Fiction Monthly Updates

.