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Karen Kingsbury Books In Order

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Baxter Family Reading Order:

  1. Redemption Series
  2. Firstborn Series
  3. Sunrise Series
  4. Above The Line Series
  5. Bailey Flanigan Series
  6. Coming Home Book

(“The Baxter Family” books can be read after that and are all standalone)

Publication Order of Above the Line Books

Take One (2009)Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle
Take Two (2009)Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle
Take Three (2010)Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle
Take Four (2010)Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle

Publication Order of Angels Walking Books

Angels Walking (2014)Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle
Chasing Sunsets (2015)Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle
Brush of Wings (2017)Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle

Publication Order of Bailey Flanigan Books

Leaving (2011)Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle
Learning (2011)Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle
Longing (2011)Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle
Loving (2012)Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle

Publication Order of The Baxter Family Books

A Baxter Family Christmas (2016)Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle
Love Story (2017)Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle
In This Moment (2017)Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle
To the Moon and Back (2018)Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle
When We Were Young (2018)Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle
Two Weeks (2020)Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle
Someone Like You (2020)Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle
Truly, Madly, Deeply (2020)Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle
Forgiving Paris (2021)Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle
The Baxters: A Prequel (2022)Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle

Publication Order of Baxter Family Children Books

with Tyler Russell
Best Family Ever (2019)Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle
Finding Home (2020)Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle
Never Grow Up (2021)Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle
Adventure Awaits (With: Tyler Russell) (2022)Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle
Being Baxters (With: Tyler Russell) (2023)Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle

Publication Order of The Bridge Books

The Beginning (2012)Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle
The Bridge (2012)Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle

Publication Order of Cody Gunner Books

A Thousand Tomorrows (2005)Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle
Just Beyond the Clouds (2007)Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle
This Side of Heaven (2009)Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle

Publication Order of Coming Home Books

Coming Home (2012)Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle

Publication Order of Lost Love Books

Even Now (2005)Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle
Ever After (2006)Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle

Publication Order of Firstborn Books

Fame (2005)Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle
Forgiven (2005)Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle
Found (2006)Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle
Family (2006)Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle
Forever (2007)Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle

Publication Order of Forever Faithful Books

Waiting for Morning (1999)Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle
A Moment of Weakness (2000)Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle
Halfway to Forever (2002)Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle

Publication Order of Heart of the Story Books

The Family of Jesus (2014)Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle
The Friends of Jesus (2015)Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle

Publication Order of Liberty University Short Stories/Novellas

Once Upon a Campus (2016)Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle

Publication Order of Red Gloves Books

Gideon's Gift (2002)Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle
Maggie's Miracle (2003)Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle
Sarah's Song (2004)Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle
Hannah's Hope (2005)Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle

Publication Order of Redemption Books

Redemption (2002)Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle
Remember (2003)Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle
Return (2003)Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle
Rejoice (2004)Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle
Reunion (2004)Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle

Publication Order of September 11 Books

One Tuesday Morning (2003)Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle
Beyond Tuesday Morning (2004)Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle
Every Now & Then / Remember Tuesday Morning (2008)Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle

Publication Order of Sunrise Books

Sunrise (2007)Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle
Summer (2007)Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle
Someday (2008)Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle
Sunset (2008)Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle

Publication Order of Timeless Love Books

A Time to Dance (2001)Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle
A Time to Embrace (2002)Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle

Publication Order of Standalone Novels

Where Yesterday Lives (1998)Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle
When Joy Came to Stay (2000)Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle
On Every Side (2001)Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle
Oceans Apart (2002)Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle
Divine (2006)Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle
Like Dandelion Dust (2006)Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle
Between Sundays (2007)Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle
Shades of Blue (2008)Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle
Unlocked (2009)Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle
The Chance (2013)Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle
Fifteen Minutes (2013)Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle
A Distant Shore (2021)Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle
Just Once (2023)Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle

Publication Order of Picture Books

Go Ahead and Dream (2000)Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle
Let Me Hold You Longer (2004)Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle
Let's Go on a Mommy Date (2008)Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle
We Believe in Christmas (2008)Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle
The Princess and the Three Knights (2009)Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle
Let's Have a Daddy Day (2010)Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle
Brave Young Knight (2011)Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle
Far Flutterby (2012)Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle
Always Daddy's Princess (2013)Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle
Whatever You Grow Up to Be (2014)Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle
Forever My Little Boy (2016)Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle
Forever My Little Girl (2016)Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle

Publication Order of Short Story Collections

A Treasury of Christmas Miracles (2001)Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle
A Treasury of Miracles for Women (2002)Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle
A Treasury of Miracles for Teens (2003)Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle
A Treasury of Miracles for Friends (2004)Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle
A Treasury of Adoption Miracles (2005)Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle

Publication Order of Non-Fiction Novels

Missy's Murder (1991)Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle
Final Vows (1992)Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle
Deadly Pretender (1993)Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle
The Snake and the Spider (1995)Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle
The Prism Weight Loss Program (1999)Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle
Forever Young (2005)Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle
Be Safe Little Boy (2006)Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle
Stay Close Little Girl (2006)Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle
Miracles: A 52-Week Devotional (2009)Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle
I Can Only Imagine (2012)Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle
The Family of Jesus Bible Study (2014)Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle
The Friends of Jesus - Bible Study Book (2015)Hardcover  Paperback  Kindle
Karen Kingsbury was born on June 8 1963 in Fairfax, Virginia in the United States of America. Her parents were Ted and Anne Kingsbury. There were other children in the family with Karen being the eldest. She went to Canoga Park School from where she graduated in 1981. She later joined California State University Northridge which she left with a degree in Journalism in 1986.

During her senior year at the University, she took her internship at the Los Angeles Times as a sports reporter. After graduation she was employed by the Los Angeles Daily News where she continued as a sports writer for two years. Karen was then promoted to the front page of the Sunday paper in which she wrote emotional feature stories.

Marriage and Family

Karen Kingsbury got married to her husband Donald when still in her twenties. They have a total of six children, three biological and three adopted. Their three adopted sons were orphans in Haiti, and she strongly felt that she should bring them up. They have since been one big family, who are easily a great inspiration for her in her writing. The family has a deeply Christian orientation. They are all Christians professing salvation.

This orientation helped greatly in making Karen’s work consist of mainly Christian messages. That is what earned her the title of Queen of Christian writing from the New York Times. Karen says that all the members of her family are very supportive of her writing career. Apart from her immediate family, she says that her big legion of fans constitute a larger family with which she has to communicate every day.

Career

Karen started off as a journalist but became more renowned for the many novels she has written. Her fictional works number over 50 and she is still writing. Ten of her novels have hit number 1 on American national listings. There are over 25 million copies of her books in print, and they are still selling. Her very first novel was Missy’s Murder which came out in 1991. It is based on a true murder story she had covered for the Los Angeles Daily News.

It is about a lady, coincidentally known as Karen, who goes after the killers of her friend Missy. Some of her books are produced in series while others are stand alone novels. Among her renowned series are the Redemption, 9/11, Lost Love, Red Glove, Forever Faithful, Women of Faith, Cody Gunner, Children, First Born, Above the Line, Bailey Flanigan and True Crime. In addition she has over 14 stand alone ones.

Themes and Characters

Due to her Christian orientation, her novels have a strong religious message in them. They cover several themes including love, crime, family relations, faith, romance and success. Her earlier novels were heavily influenced by real life stories she covered for the newspaper, which were later thinly fictionalized.

Her latter stories were influenced by her religion and experiences of her relatives. For instance, Zack Dylan, the lead character in Fifteen Minutes closely resembles Donald, Karen’s Husband. In some cases, the challenges she faced in her life led to books with strong central female characters, who closely resemble her, such as the mother in Whatever you Grow Up to Be.

Famous Characters

Perhaps the most famous characters that Karen Kingsbury ever created are the Baxter Family who transcend from the Redemption series all the way to the Bailey Flanigan series. They also appear in the stand alone novel Coming Home. This makes them almost real. There is also the main character, David Milner, in the Deadly Pretender. Milner is a double life character, who marries two women without disclosing to either, the prescience of the other.

When he is found out, he now plans to carry a murder that can’t be traced to him. Also outstanding is Karen Severson, a friend to the murdered girl, Missy Avila, in Missy’s Murder. Severson vows to unearth Missy’s killers and works heard against all odd to achieve just that. Interestingly, she shares a first name with the author herself.

Movies

Many of Karen’s novels have been scripted into movies and subsequently released, with great reviews. Among these are; Like Dandelion Dust which is a movie and now features in the form of DVDs. Another one is Missy’s’ Murder which has received great levels of success in theatres and home entertainment. Another one is The Deadly Pretender. The novel is so dramatic and has such a strong theme, that it makes a natural movie. It definitely didn’t disappoint when it was released as one.

Plans are underway to release more of her books into movies as well. The outstanding thing about all these movies is the way they deliver their messages without resorting to sexual overtures, undue violence or exaggerated drama which are common features in most contemporary productions. Nevertheless, they still make for intriguing viewing.

Songwriting

Karen has also proven herself in the field of song writing. She has penned a number of tunes which have been sung by reputable musicians. Her songs include Walls co-written with Gary Baker and Richie McDonald. It was later produced as part of the McDonald’s album I Turn to You.

It has strong religious message and was thus featured on Christian radio and sold in Christian stores. It is simply outstanding how the lady successfully combines textual and lyrical prowess with outstanding results in both. However, music is more of a pastime to her, the first love is writing.

Motivational Speaking

Karen is quite an active character. She is a motivational speaker addressing audiences of 100,000 women regularly on life issues. Though her messages are based on her faith, she reaches a wide audience that includes non-Christians.

She also has a wide fan base in the social media with which she communicates regularly. She answers questions about her life emanating from eager followers in the sites. Many women consider her a proper role model and great motivator in their lives. Judging by the millions of followers she has and the many books she has written, Karen Kingsbury is definitely one of the greatest writers today.

Book Series In Order » Authors » Karen Kingsbury

17 Responses to “Karen Kingsbury”

  1. Lois Martin: 5 months ago

    I finished reading the Sunrise Series which they very good, then A Baxter Family Christmas. Boy was I upset when I found out that Erin, Sam, and 3 of their daughters were killed in a car accident. What book or books was that in? I would love to read them, please.

    Reply
  2. Pam Talcott: 5 months ago

    Hi Karen, I have read and own over 50 of your books. I was given them by a senior citizen at a retirement community I worked at. I would read one, return it, and she would give me another. When she could no longer see to read she gave me her entire collection which are the books I now own. I am currently in the process of sharing them with friends. I love your books Karen, and am so blessed to have gotten to read a whole lot of them. Thank you for your continued efforts.

    Reply
  3. Jane Carpenter: 7 months ago

    I have read over 30 of your books since latter part of August. The Baxter family books are the best books I’ve ever read. I can’t put them down once I get started reading and so much scripture in them that goes along with our daily living. Will start on the Baily Flanigan series tomorrow after I go to library.
    Keep up the writing.

    Reply
  4. Janice: 12 months ago

    Just finished the Above the Line series and Unlocked(2nd time) and was mesmerized that it was hard to get anything else accomplished. I love to read your books. Have read several others, but always condemned myself for reading. NOT anymore. I love your books and I am just getting started. I am starting on “Leving” right now. I need to pick up a couple I am missing. Thank you for your inspiration to write and give us such wonderful books. May the Lord continue to bless you in your writing.

    Reply
  5. Linda Boylan: 1 year ago

    I am 79yr old & have read 29 of her books in 5 1/2 months & have cried many times. They are addicting & inspirational. I love the constant reminder in everyday life situations that God is in control & that He NEVER leaves us. We just need to remember to talk to Him often. I regret that I was not a better Christian parent when my children were young & taught to love Jesus more like the Baxters & Flannigans did. And “Great Is Thy Faithfulness” is one of my favorite songs too.

    Reply
  6. Helen E Burnett: 1 year ago

    Love all your books and have now finished all the Baxter Family series, and many of your other books.
    Are there other Christian authors that you recommend? I know Jesus as my loving Savior and love how you write of Him. Thanks Karen – have a blessed day.

    Reply
  7. Becky C: 1 year ago

    I’m reading the Chance. but I so wish I had read the Cody Gunner books and the bridge books first

    Reply
  8. Elaine Wood: 1 year ago

    Was the book-The Followers of Jesus published? I can’t find it anywhere.

    Reply
    • Graeme: 1 year ago

      Hi Elaine – no it was not. Canceled by the publisher.

      Reply
  9. Retha Moore: 1 year ago

    I would like the order of Karen Kingsbury series

    Reply
    • Graeme: 1 year ago

      That’s what this is?

      Reply
  10. Edna Hendershot: 1 year ago

    Printed the list off, in order. I am hooked on your books. Written beautifully. I wanted to make sure I haven’t missed one. I found a few on Amazon.

    Very Appreciated
    edna

    Reply
  11. Linda Elizer: 1 year ago

    What order should you read Karen’s books? I read Even Now and Ever After and I am hooked.

    Reply
    • Graeme: 1 year ago

      The orders listed above. Each series is separate except for the Baxter Family universe which we explain at the top how to read.

      Reply
      • Melody: 1 year ago

        I have a question ⁉️ on the Bailey Flanagan series,. I was wondering if To the Moon and Back , connected to this series,. Cause I love Bailey’s story. Would love to know more about her and her family ❤️

        Reply
  12. Norma Baker: 2 years ago

    chronological order of books written by Karen Kingsley

    Reply
    • Graeme: 2 years ago

      You can follow the Baxter Family Reading Order listed at the top.

      Reply

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