96 ratings | 89 reviews | avg rating:4.79

J.M. Kirkley’s Followers (172)

J.M.’s Bookshelves

to-read (7)
currently-reading (0)
read (91)
life-after-katie-ganshert (0)

J.M.’s Friends (43)

Elle Kay

1,704 books | 333 friends

Nadine Keels

2,151 books | 271 friends

Christian Shelves

2,517 books | 165 friends

Barbara Campbell

3,422 books | 100 friends

Teri

3,012 books | 268 friends

Allyson Anthony

1,381 books | 117 friends

Patricia Rupell

365 books | 452 friends

Joy Tiff

1,523 books | 308 friends

More friends…

J.M. Kirkley

Goodreads Author

Born

in The United States

Website

https://www.jmkirkley.com/

Genre

Christian, Historical Fiction, Romance

Member Since

October 2023

URL

https://www.goodreads.com/jmkirkley

edit data

J.M. Kirkley is an award winning author of the Christian Historical Romance novel, A Writing Upon the Sand. She received the Artisan Book Reviews Book Excellence Award for this debut novel.

By trade, she’s a storykeeper. She's a faith-based counselor who specializes in grief and trauma recovery. By night, she researches and writes grace-filled Christian historical fiction.

She calls East Texas home. Her favorite pastimes include visiting museums and art festivals, refinishing furniture, touring coastal offices of the National Weather Service with her meteorologist son-in-law, and making memories with family and friends.

Iris Fuller for Artisan Book Reviews shares, “Draped in southern charm, cloaked in mystery and belted in real tragic histo ...more

Learn more
Ask the Author

To ask J.M. Kirkley questions, please sign up.

Combine Editions
J.M. Kirkley’s books

Average rating: 4.5 · 181 ratings · 26 reviews · 1 distinct work • Similar authors

A Writing Upon the Sand

4.50 avg rating — 181 ratings — 3 editions

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

* Note: these are all the books on Goodreads for this author. To add more, click here.

rss
J.M.’s Recent Updates

J.M. Kirkley liked Susan's review of A Writing Upon the Sand:
Feb 23, 2026 02:07PM · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of A Writing Upon the Sand by J.M. Kirkley. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — A Writing Upon the Sand by J.M. Kirkley <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
J.M. Kirkley rated a book it was amazing Sense and Suitability by Pepper Basham (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
I thoroughly enjoyed this delightful second-chance Regency romance with a nod to Jane Austen and bookish themes.
Feb 16, 2026 06:25PM · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Sense and Suitability by Pepper Basham. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Sense and Suitability by Pepper Basham <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
J.M. Kirkley liked Fran Barry Kinservik's review of A Writing Upon the Sand:
Feb 13, 2026 05:33PM · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of A Writing Upon the Sand by J.M. Kirkley. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — A Writing Upon the Sand by J.M. Kirkley <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
J.M. Kirkley liked Lindy Bell's review of A Writing Upon the Sand: "Interesting History The strong history and research were evident in the story’s writing, and the plot was mostly well told. There were gripping features that kept you guessing until the end but there were also times that the actions of the main charac" Read more of this review »
Feb 09, 2026 07:39AM · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of A Writing Upon the Sand by J.M. Kirkley. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — A Writing Upon the Sand by J.M. Kirkley <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
J.M. Kirkley rated a book it was amazing Whispers at Painswick Court by Julie Klassen (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
4.5 Stars. I love gothic tales and this may be my favorite by Julie Klassen, complete with a manor presumed to be haunted. What started out as a mystery turned into murder and the author kept me guessing who the villian truly was. I thoroughly enjoyed ...more
Feb 02, 2026 09:06AM · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Whispers at Painswick Court by Julie Klassen. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Whispers at Painswick Court by Julie Klassen <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
J.M. Kirkley liked Barbara Hagler's review of A Writing Upon the Sand:
Feb 02, 2026 07:03AM · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of A Writing Upon the Sand by J.M. Kirkley. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — A Writing Upon the Sand by J.M. Kirkley <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
J.M. Kirkley rated a book it was amazing Riders on the Storm by Sherri Kukla (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
4.5 stars To begin, I'm not typically a fan of true crime stories, but I love historical fiction based on true events. I became intrigued by Riders on the Storm when I learned of the depth of the author's extensive research into writing this book. Gro ...more
Jan 18, 2026 08:19PM · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Riders on the Storm by Sherri Kukla. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Riders on the Storm by Sherri Kukla <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
J.M. Kirkley rated a book it was amazing The Vanishing at Loxby Manor by Abigail Wilson (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
I've always enjoyed a Gothic mystery and this Regency era fiction struck the right notes of intrigue and suspense, filled with creepy scenes, a disappearance, and a secret society. There's also a second chance romance where the main characters deal w ...more
Jan 18, 2026 06:20PM · 2 likes · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Vanishing at Loxby Manor by Abigail Wilson. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Vanishing at Loxby Manor by Abigail Wilson <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
J.M. Kirkley entered a giveaway An Unconventional Lady by Sarah E. Ladd (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jan 09, 2026 09:32AM · like · see giveaway · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of An Unconventional Lady by Sarah E. Ladd. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — An Unconventional Lady by Sarah E. Ladd <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
J.M. Kirkley rated a book really liked it Hope Beyond the Waves by Heidi Chiavaroli (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Some stories linger in the mind after finishing them. Such was the case after reading this immersive dual timeline tale. The setting is Penikese Island in the early 1900s, where patients with leprosy were exiled to live in a colony and receive treatm ...more
Jan 05, 2026 07:36AM · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Hope Beyond the Waves by Heidi Chiavaroli. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Hope Beyond the Waves by Heidi Chiavaroli <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">

More of J.M.'s books…

J.M.’s Quotes

“Grace is free only because the giver himself has borne the cost.”
― Philip Yancey, What's So Amazing About Grace?

50 likes

“We grow up hungry for love, and in ways so deep as to remain unexpressed we long for our Maker to love us.”
― Philip Yancey, What's So Amazing About Grace?

22 likes

“Jesus did not give the parables to teach us how to live. He gave them, I believe, to correct our notions about who God is and who God loves.”
― Philip Yancey, What's So Amazing About Grace?

13 likes

“As a writer, I play with words all day long. I toy with them, listen for their overtones, crack them open, and try to stuff my thoughts inside.”
― Philip Yancey, What's So Amazing About Grace?

7 likes

“Grace is shockingly personal. As Henri Nouwen points out, 'God rejoices. Not because the problems of the world have been solved, not because all human pain and suffering have come to an end, nor because thousands of people have been converted and are now praising him for his goodness. No, God rejoices because one of his children who was lost has been found.”
― Philip Yancey, What's So Amazing About Grace?