BOOKS
Elaine R Kelly Author brings healing and hope to those who are sidelined or silenced by the church by writing historical fiction and blogs about women in the Bible and church history, gender and religion, and biblical studies.
​
📖Forgotten Follower from Broken to Bold, a historical fiction empowering women, shows women in the Bible overcoming trauma, abuse, and racism.
📖Because She Was Called: from Broken to Bold Book 2, A Novel of the Early Church shows early Christians overcoming divisions, advocating for women in ministry, mutuality in marriage, affirming LGBTQ+, and adopting all believers into the family of faith.
📖Walk with Mara on Her Healing Journey: 21 Steps to Emotional Resilience. It's a spiritual self-care and self-help book, including psychology, theology, and stories from fiction and from the Author's experiences.
📖The Sword: A Fun Way to Engage in Healthy Debate on What the Bible says about a Woman’s Role contains 104 flashcards and 180 end notes showing an objective rationale for diverse views on gender roles.
Released April 16, 2024
Because She Was Called
from Broken to Bold book 2
A Novel of the Early Church
After legalists kill Stephen, followers of The Way scatter. Susannah takes off to Caesarea and lands in the arms of a deacon. But will he limit her freedoms? Will she choose romance over obeying God's call? Torn by grief and anger, where will Joanna turn for shelter? Will she testify before powerful men? Will loyalty to Jesus cost her the loss of her son?
​
“A remarkable tale affirming Christian egalitarianism that will captivate, provoke, and inspire readers on an unforgettable journey through the origins of Christianity.” -Prairies Book Review
​
Because She Was Called was named a Finalist in the 2024 Independent Author Awards, a stage for diverse voices to connect with worldwide audiences.
While this novel continues character development from Forgotten Followers From Broken to Bold, Book 1, each can be read as a stand-alone novel. Forgotten Followers is set in the Gospels; Because She Was Called is set in Acts 2-11. If you are a spiritual wanderer or ex-vangelical, take a sip of fresh, living water with this story of how the early church overcame divisions and changed the world.
This is a Christian egalitarian
and affirming fiction.
Forgotten Followers
from Broken to Bold book 1
A Novel
Released September 2022
After years of submission, Mara is afraid and unsure about everything—especially her nephew, Jesus. Then he is chased off a cliff, and Mara is forced into the unknown. At the same time, Joanna grapples with hiding her mixed-race heritage or losing her family and community. Despite trauma, abuse, racism, and inequality, they join other women following Jesus. Will Jesus’s opposition to the establishment endanger their lives?
​
Book 1 of the From Broken to Bold series, Forgotten Followers brings love and encouragement to anyone who has felt alone, sidelined, or silenced. Whether evangelical or exvangelical, confident or questioning, readers can find healing and hope in this CIPA EVVY award-winning religious fiction.
​
Be sure to check out the FAQ and Freebees tabs!
Details of the twelve women disciples of the novel are here.
You may buy directly from the publisher, FriesenPress, simply
toggle between US$ and CDN$ at the bottom of the page.
Click Linktree to shop at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Nook, AppleBooks, Google Play Books, Kobo, or ChaptersIndigo.
Released August 7, 2024
Walk with Mara on Her Healing Journey:
21 Steps to Emotional Resilience
.jpg)
​Do you sometimes feel unsure, doubting yourself, others, or even God? Have
you felt disheartened, alone, or hopeless? Has anxiety or fear hurt your mental health and ability to make friends? Does your church sideline or limit your participation? Has being silenced and told to be submissive, broken your self-confidence? Do you need to reconstruct your faith?
​
I have felt all these and am sharing tools that can help you heal from the emotional hurts of everyday living.
​
Unlike other self-help books, these 21 steps are each illustrated by examples from my own life and from Mara, a character in my historical fiction, Forgotten Followers from Broken to Bold. Now you can walk with Mara in this stand-alone book to build your own emotional resilience.
Each principle contains relatable examples, biblical references, and reflection prompts. As liquid gold repairs broken pottery, may the Spirit use these ideas so you might be restored, accept your place as a worthy, equal heir in God’s family, and fulfil the purpose for which God created you.​
The Sword
A Fun Way to Engage in Healthy Debate on
What the Bible Says About a Woman's Role
Released February 2023
Imagine the Bible as the Spirit's powerful Sword. What if the Sword could only be drawn by those with good intentions, ears to hear, and a heart to love?
​
What if people learned to handle this Sword to cut away barriers between us instead of cutting out people?
This book provides 104 flashcards with various understandings of biblical passages. Sword cards thrust a case for one stance, while shield cards deflect with an alternate perspective. There are an equal number of flashcards introducing Egalitarian and Complementarian views. These flashcards support healthy debate on conflicting biblical interpretations of gender roles at home, church, and society. Contemplate, converse, or cut out the flashcards to use with adults or youth.
Let's increase our mutual understanding and respect.
Explore, reflect, and have fun!
Coming Soon
What to Do When You Feel Forgotten:
Reconnect with Jesus in 40 Devotions based on a Harmony of the Gospels
​Do you sometimes feel forgotten, alone, sidelined or silenced? Do you doubt Jesus, Christianity, or your place in God’s family? Are you deconstructing your faith? Re-encounter Jesus in one chronological narrative harmonizing the four Gospels. Experience the story of Jesus empowering the women who walked with him. Through forty interactive devotionals, explore doubt, healing, affirmation, inclusion, equality, and hope. Break down the layers of religion and re-set your faith on the foundation of Jesus, who encourages, equips, and empowers women as patrons, disciples, and apostles.
.jpg)
Released June 2024
Short Story:
A Companion's Strength
What if you were the centurion in charge of the guards at Jesus's tomb? What if you fell asleep and the body went missing? And you had already shown your loyalty to Jesus publicly? Would the priests take you to Pilate asking for your death sentence? Where would you go? Who would support you?
​
This Short Story introduces two characters in Because She Was Called.​
A Companion's Strength is available free, exclusively for e-news subscribers.
​
Sign up at the bottom of the page for your free short story, while offer is valid.
Rest assured that I never share your email with anyone, ever, and I will not send more than one email per month and you can unsubscribe at any time.