About the Book

Book: Before the King: Joanna’s Story (Women of the Way Book 2)

Author: Heather Kaufman

Genre: FICTION / Christian / Biblical

Release date: January 21, 2025

Joanna’s wealthy family aspires to Herod’s inner circle, but when her father’s esteemed position in the Sepphoris Sanhedrin is threatened, her family harbors a dark secret. Entangled in the complexities of aristocratic life and an impending arranged marriage, Joanna is caught between her own desires and maintaining appearances. When tragedy strikes, Joanna grapples with a new future that challenges her sense of duty and hope for love.

Years later, Joanna is forever changed when a rabbi comes preaching a new kingdom and healing the sick. As she contributes to his ministry, Joanna treads a perilous path between a court that mocks Jesus of Nazareth, disciples who view her with suspicion, and a husband who guards his own secrets. With pressure increasing on all sides, Joanna must decide where her allegiances lie and protect her relationship to the Christ, whose message is as compelling as it is dangerous.

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Heather Kaufman is the author of multiple books and devotions, praised by Kirkus Reviews for writing “a charming and well-crafted tale.” She delights in highlighting the goodness of God through storytelling. When not reading, writing, or accumulating mounds of books, Heather can be found exploring new parks with her husband and three children near their home in St. Louis, Missouri.

More from Heather

Hello, Fellow Book Lover!

My heart behind the Women of the Way series is to highlight the beauty of Jesus through the eyes of some of his lesser-known female followers. In Before the King, we behold Jesus through the eyes of Joanna. Although she’s only named twice in Scripture, the little we do know about her is compelling. In Luke 8:1-3, we discover that Joanna was healed by Jesus of an infirmity and then followed him, supporting his ministry from her own means. What’s so shocking is that she’s the wife of Chuza, Herod Antipas’ steward! During my research, I discovered that her husband’s position is better translated “procurator,” someone in charge of financial affairs. Such a position suggests that Chuza was a prominent man within Herod’s administration. But the surprises don’t end there! My research also indicated that Chuza was most likely Nabatean. Nestled just southeast of Herod’s own territory of Perea, Nabatea was a major world power at the time of Christ.

The more I researched, the more my jaw dropped to the ground. How did a Jewish woman married to a prominent Gentile within Herod’s administration come to support Jesus of Nazareth? Did her husband know? Did he approve? Did Herod himself ever find out? You’ll have to read Before the King to see just where my imagination took me!

I depict Joanna as caught between two courts—that of Herod Antipas and that of Jesus Christ. She chooses to risk everything for her faith and that choice pays off. The second time we see Joanna in Scripture is in Luke 24:10 as an eyewitness to the empty tomb. Not only did she behold the empty tomb, she gazed upon the risen Christ, for in Matthew 28:9 we read that as the women left, they encountered Jesus himself. What an amazing privilege to be one of the first to meet the risen Lord in the flesh!

I hope Joanna’s story encourages you to live a bold faith that clings to Christ, despite opposition. Our world now isn’t so different from hers then. Christ’s Kingdom is still advancing in the midst of political unrest, social division, and rampant greed. May we pin our hopes upon King Jesus, who is worthy of our devotion. Like Joanna, may we place all we have within his hands, deeming him worthy of the cost.

While you read, consider listening to the Before the King playlist! It’s full of inspirational music that ties into the themes from the book. Give it a listen HERE. Happy reading (and listening)!

Surrendering with you to Him,

Heather

Interview with Heather

How do you create your main characters?

Because my heroines are women in the Bible, I start with what we know from the biblical text. What can I discover about this woman from the choices she made in the accounts we have of her? For example, Joanna leaps off the page as someone who must have been brave to support Jesus despite her connection to Herod’s court. Once I have these key characteristics down, I ask myself how my heroine came to be this way. If she is brave, what informed and shaped that bravery? If she’s prone to worry, what happened in her youth to feed that particular stronghold? I take her characteristics and trace them back to their early formation and, in doing so, gain a more vivid picture of her motivations moving forward in the story.

What would you say is the most difficult part of writing a book?

A: The first draft is always the hardest for me! My books are heavily character-driven, and I often discover my characters as I write. Oftentimes this makes for a slow start as I try to figure out the nuances of each character during the writing process. With my current project, I tried something new. I created a detailed questionnaire for my main character and answered it before beginning the draft. This helped, but I still find the first draft to be sluggish and difficult.

Have you experienced writer’s block, and how do you handle it?

Yup, writer’s block is a real thing! If I’m feeling stuck, I try to mentally reset by doing something completely unrelated to reading or writing. Whether it’s a long walk outside or crafting a new recipe in the kitchen, the activity can serve to lift the fog shrouding my mind. Sometimes this reset works, but honestly, sometimes it doesn’t. And in those cases, I just write anyway. It’s never fun to throw down words when you’re feeling stuck and uninspired, but sometimes the very act of mulishly pushing through the fog can unloosen creativity.

What was one of the most surprising things you learned in creating your books?

The most surprising thing I learned while writing my latest book, Before the King, was that Joanna’s husband was most likely Nabatean, which means he was a Gentile. This added another layer of intrigue to an already enigmatic woman. Not only was Joanna from a much different socioeconomic class than many of the other disciples surrounding Jesus, she was also married to a Gentile! I used this piece of information to further fuel some of the disciples’ distrust of Joanna, which makes their eventual acceptance of her all the more impactful. Christ’s Kingdom really does cross all boundaries, uniting hearts beneath God’s rule.

Where can readers find out more about you and your books?

Readers can visit my website at www.hmkstories.com to learn more about me and my writing. Once there, they can sign up for my Substack newsletter, entitled the Stories & Sundries MiniMag. When they subscribe, they’ll receive a free devotional. I send out my newsletter once a month with writing updates, current reads, giveaways, and more!

Any current or upcoming projects you’d like to tell us about?

I’m currently working on Book 3 in the Women of the Way series, which releases early Spring of next year. The heroine is Salome, the mother of the Sons of Thunder, James and John. We get a front-row seat to Jesus’ ministry through the eyes of a mother watching her sons be formed into pillars of the Church. It’s been hard to write but also deeply rewarding. I can’t wait for readers to learn more!

Blog Stops

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, April 2

Stories By Gina, April 3 (Author Interview)

Texas Book-aholic, April 3

Locks, Hooks and Books, April 4

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, April 5

Life on Chickadee Lane, April 6

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, April 7

Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, April 8

She Lives to Read, April 8

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impression, April 9

Cover Lover Book Review, April 9

Lily’s Corner, April 10

Bigreadersite, April 11

Inspired by Fiction, April 11

For Him and My Family, April 12

Pause for Tales, April 13

EmpowerMoms, April 13

Holly’s Book Corner, April 14

Inklings and notions , April 15

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Heather is giving away the grand prize of a $15 Amazon gift card and a paperback copy of the book!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/00adcf54190