14 Best Christian Fiction Authors You Have To Check Out

In this article, we will explore some of the best Christian fiction authors in differ genres. So, get ready to pick out a new book…

Christian authors have been around since the first century after Christ. The first Christian authors wrote the New Testament. There are still thousands of Christian authors around, enough to justify the existence of a Christian bookstore.

Which I LOVE! I seriously could spend hours in a big Christian bookstore. We had a HUGE one in the city where I grew up. They had the best selection of books.

Although most Christians know about non-fiction books about faith and many other Biblical topics, you may wonder about Christian Fiction.

Christian fiction is written by authors often based on their Christian beliefs and lifestyle. Jesus is usually entwined within the story.

Actually, a good portion of Christian bookstores is filled with Christian fiction books and you can even find them in libraries worldwide. Like secular fiction, Christian fiction comes in many genres and niches.

Just to clarify before we go on….one must understand that, although people wrote the Bible, the Holy Spirit inspired it (2 Timothy 3:16-17). Modern Christian non-fiction, on the other hand, is usually based on the author’s interpretation of scripture.

Finally, Christian fiction usually deals with Christian characters or expresses a Christian worldview in its plot.

Best Historical Christian Fiction Authors

Historical Christian fiction is a fictional story where the period and the plot are set somewhere in history. Some historical Christian fiction writers like writing fictional stories based on Biblical characters or events. Others merely set their story in history, with fictional Christian characters and a fictional plot.

There are far too many historical Christian fiction authors to mention, but here is a handful of the better-known and most popular authors:

Julie Klassen

Julie worked as an editor at a publishing house before she started writing. Three of her novels won the Christy Award for Historical Romance:

• The Girl in the Gatehouse
• The Silent Governess
• The Maid of Fairbourne Hall.

You can learn more about her by visiting: julieklassen.com

Janette Oke

This prolific Canadian writer’s first novel, Love Comes Softly, was published in 1979, with more than seventy novels published since. Love Comes Softly eventually became an eight-book series, published between 1979 and 1989. She likes to set her novels in the pioneer era.

The cool thing about her book series is that it also was made into a cinematic saga: The Love Comes Softly Saga

Lisa T. Bergen

Lisa T. Bergen is an amazing author with over 40 books under her belt featuring some wonderful historical series that work even for teen readers, like the River of Time Series, which focuses on two modern women who are sent back to medieval Italy! If you want to keep it more on your general historical fiction, she has you covered with her series: The Sugar Baron’s Daughters Series and The Northern Lights Series.

Lynn Austin

In 1992, this American writer left her teaching career to become a full-time author. She has published over twenty novels and won eight Christy awards for historical fiction, including Candle in the Darkness, Fire by Night, and Hidden Places, which also became a Hallmark Channel movie.

Best Romance Christian Fiction Authors

As love is a central theme throughout the Bible, it is no surprise that numerous Christian authors have written many Christian romance novels. However, unlike secular romance, Christian romance novels would rather see couples striving to keep their relationships pure and would not feature steamy sex scenes.

Again, there are far too many Christian Romance Authors to list, but here is a handful of the best-known and most popular authors:

Karen Kingsbury

One of America’s favorite Christian novelists and a #1 New York Times bestseller, Karen Kingsbury has written over 50 novels and sold more than 20 million books globally. Her Baxter Family book series is now also a TV series.

Beverly Lewis

Beverly has written over 100 books for adults and children and has received several literary awards. She started writing as a child, beginning with short stories and poetry. Many of Beverly’s novels revolved around the Old Order Amish, such as The Heritage of Lancaster County Series. She has also written an Amish cookbook.

Dee Henderson

If you are looking for a bit of suspense with your romance, then Dee is your lady. She is another New York Times Bestselling author of books such as the O’Malley Series and The Marriage Wish. Dee began her writing career in 1996 and has been nominated for and won many literary awards.

Francine Rivers

This American author published several secular romance novels before she was born again in 1986. She has since written more than 20 Christian fiction novels in different genres. One of her best-known romance novels is Redeeming Love, which has also been made into a movie.

Best Fantasy / Science Fiction Christian Authors

As secular fantasy novels usually involve wizards, witches, and magic, many believe there is no such thing as Christian fantasy fiction. However, two of the best-known Christian authors of modern times, CS Lewis and JRR Tolkien, wrote several Christian fantasy novels. Christian fantasy novels often have a plot where some characters symbolize Biblical persons.

What distinguishes Christian Sci-Fi from secular Sci-Fi is that the authors usually write the plot around Christian beliefs. Some Christian Sci-Fi novelists enjoy writing about apocalyptic events, depicting these from a Christian point of view, and may even use their own interpretations of end-time prophecies in their novels.

Although there aren’t as many Christian authors in this genre as in the others, the following is again just a few of the published Christian Fantasy / Sci-Fi genre:

C.S. Lewis

Born in 1898, this Irish author was initially an atheist, but a close friend and fellow author, J.R.R. Tolkien, was instrumental in converting him to Christianity. From here, Lewis became one of the greatest Christian authors, writing non-fiction and fiction books. Undoubtedly, his best-known fiction work was the Chronicles of Narnia series. It’s one of my personal favorites, but he also has a space trilogy.

J.R.R. Tolkien

One of CS Lewis’ closest friends was born in South Africa in 1892 but spent most of his life in England. Tolkien was a devout Catholic and authored over 50 books, mostly fiction. His Fantasy works included the Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings trilogy.

George MacDonald

I’m going to keep it classic again with George MacDonald. Born in 1824, MacDonald is known for his whimsical stories and fairy tales. But he actually authored many other types of literature from sermons to even poetry.

Best Action-Adventure & Thriller Christian Authors

Like secular authors, many Christian authors like to write action-packed novels full of adventure to grab the reader’s attention. However, unlike secular action-adventure, Christian authors often use Christian characters. Some even base the plot of their books on Biblical prophecies.

Many Christian authors who often write in other genres have also written novels in the action-adventure genre. Here are a handful of the best-known Christian action-adventure authors:

Terri Blackstock

Originally a secular writer, Terri Blackstock started writing fiction for the Christian market in 1994 after a spiritual awakening. She writes in many genres and has sold over seven million books internationally. Many consider her Restoration series of four novels to be some of the best Christian fiction they read. She leans more toward the genre of thrillers.

Ted Dekker

Another award-winning author whose novels have sold millions of copies worldwide, two of which were produced for the big screen. Thr3e, Obsessed, and the Circle Series are some of his most successful books. Ted was born in Indonesia to missionary parents. He relocated to the United States as a young man, where he studied religion and philosophy.

I would say his genea is a mix of fantasy, sci-fi, and adventure. He is a truly talented writer

Creston Mapes

Mapes started his writing career as a reporter for the neighborhood newspaper he started as a kid. He switched to freelance writing in 1991 and continued that while writing 12 novels, such as I Am In Here and Nobody. Some of his novels were listed on the Amazon Bestseller list numerous times.

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To sum up, Christian fiction authors are diverse in the books they write and their backgrounds, but united in their purpose of bringing glory to God and giving readers stories that inspire and express faith.

Whether you’re a long-time fan of Christian fiction or new to the genre, there is something for everyone who reads for spiritual growth and entertainment.

Something I recommend doing is asking library or your favorite bookseller about recommended books from Christian authors — expanding your reading list with new authors and books can be an exciting (and educational) adventure!