About the Book

Book: Flames of Faith

Author: Marguerite Martin Gray

Genre: Historical Christian Fiction

Release Date: February, 2025

1870 Switzerland. One year. A mountain of ideas. And a menacing railroad forging the barrier between dreams and reality.

Claire Pennington formulates a bold plan to avoid the pressure of yet another London season. Her parents grant her one year in Switzerland, yet afterward she must return to England and find a suitor. Armed with a notebook and gumption, she determines to make the mountain town of Thun a tourist destination for all classes of society. However, she does not count on an equally determined railroad engineer set on leaving Thun in the dust.

The rugged mountain terrain grants Englishman Lucas Stanley the opportunity to launch his engineering career. The railroad is the answer to modern travel—expedient, efficient, and competitive, yet conquering the section of track from Thun to Interlaken is harder than he originally thought, especially with opposition from a fiery female. Claire confronts him at every turn, using her enthusiasm and people skills to flame local zeal for change and progress in another direction.

Opposing proposals collide as Claire, Lucas, and the citizens of the quaint Swiss town face an avalanche of decisions and compromises sparked by flames of faith—and perhaps love.

Discover romance and faith in 1870 Switzerland through this standalone novel from the Elements of Hope series where fire, air, water, and earth meet elements of the heart.

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Marguerite Martin Gray is an award-winning author of a dozen novels and novellas. She enjoys the study of history, especially when combined with fiction. An avid traveler and reader, she teaches French and Spanish online. She currently lives in North Louisiana with her husband and rescue pets. Her two adult children and two grandsons keep her young and up-to-date.

More from Marguerite

I am a tourist at heart and always have been since I was a child growing up in England as a preteen. A castle, a map, a manor house, a museum, a mystery, a myth in any country or state. Flames of Faith was sparked by a recent train ride from Interlaken to Thun, Switzerland where an old turreted castle rose above the lake and village. A perfect setting for a novel. It spurred thoughts of who visited this area as well as how and when since the terrain made it dangerous and tricky to just visit on a whim on a Sunday afternoon.

Have you heard of Thomas Cook (1850s and onward) and his famous travels all over Europe with tourists by horse, carriage, boat, foot, and finally train? He paved the way for the middle-class citizen to see gorgeous venues like Switzerland and the Alps. What an adventure to have been on one of his early tours! A Slow Train to Switzerland by Diccon Bewes cemented what I wanted to express in this novel.

Meet Claire Pennington, my heroine, who encompasses the traits of tourist in all the good senses. She wants everyone to have the opportunity to travel the continent and world as she does. Her bold dream inspires others to possibly regard seeing new sites as a way to refresh and revitalize their own lives.

Hop on board and discover romance and faith in 1870 Switzerland. Be a tourist without leaving your home.

Author Interview

What is your favorite genre of books? Why?

I read a wide variety of genres and can immerse myself in the pages of most clean fiction. But my favorite is historical fiction where I enter a past world and explore the many facets of a bygone time. My parents gave us many opportunities to travel where history oozed from the European castles, manor houses, churches, and cemeteries. I was hooked as a child as I wandered through the old places full of stories. Now, I read, and write, historical fiction to learn more about the past and its secrets.

Are you a one project at a time author or do you have multiple projects going at once?

Interesting question with the word project. I usually only write one book at a time until completion. But I have a research project going at the same time as I prepare to plot my next novel. Plus, there is always an editing project or two going on. There never is enough time.

How has your life experience helped in your writing journey?

I had the grand experience of living in England as a preteen with my family. During this time, my teacher introduced me to journaling, French, and world cultures. I never let go of those lessons and continued even to the present. I’ve always been a reader and considered a trip to WH Smith bookstore in England as the highlight of a day, much as Barnes and Noble today. I knew I wanted to create and share stories but didn’t know how until later in life when time allowed me to delve into the craft. Education and exposure to new adventures has aided my writing journey.

Where do you find your greatest inspiration?

Travel inspires me in my writing endeavors. I tend to travel any where as much as possible with any one who wants to join me. If I have no takers, I go alone! Travel opens the doors to interesting people, customs, languages, foods, history, colors, architecture, and thoughts. It causes me to dream and create. Nothing like an old church and cemetery to get the creative juices going whether in Charleston, S.C. or Castle Combe, England.

Do you have extensive outlines when writing or do you write a book as you go?

I am a planner with an outline. I won’t say an extensive outline without wiggle room, but in general I know where my characters are going and how it will end. But when my characters start leaving my outline for other parts, I have to follow and rearrange my plans. What a fun journey when the pages become alive.