Thicker Than Blood Books In Order

Publication Order of Thicker Than Blood Books

“The Thicker than Blood” series is a set of Christian contemporary novels by CJ Darlington, a bestselling contemporary and Christian fiction novelist. Darlington prides herself on being a homeschool graduate that has gone on to become a freelance writer and novelist. She started working on the manuscript for “Thicker than Blood,” her debut novel when she was just fifteen years old. Her huge break came when the manuscript won the 2008 Christian Writers Guild contest. She won a publishing deal with Tyndale House and $20,000. She would go on to publish several novels with Tyndale and currently has more than seven novels to her name. For CJ, writing is some type of apprenticeship and she believes it is not possible for a goldsmith to show up on the first day and craft a masterpiece. She started her apprenticeship at 16 when she found some instruction manuals such as “The Writer” and “Writer’s Digest” from which she learned the craft of writing. She was excited about learning the craft and since she had been homeschooled, teaching herself how to write was a breeze.

Aside from writing fiction, CL Darlington has written many book reviews and articles and has also been invited to many interviews. Since 2006, she has been actively working on Christian fiction and has promoted the genre on TitleTrakk.com, a Christian entertainment website she set up with Tracy her sister. She also writes “One Question” a monthly column for “Family Fiction Digital Magazine” and also writes for NovelCrossing.com. Her resume also includes several articles for “Christian Retailing Magazine.” In 2013, C.J. started Mountainview Books, LLC, a publishing company with her sister and mother. Through their publishing house, they intend to enhance the quality of inspirational fiction by carefully hand selecting, editing and proofreading each manuscript submitted. Since they are indie publishers, they are able and willing to partner with both established and new writers in inspirational fiction.

The “Thicker than Blood” series tells the stories of women who endure hardships but through it all, rely on faith in God to emerge stronger. With themes from family love, to addiction, domestic violence and robbery, they are fascinating novels with a lesson. “Thicker than Blood,’ the first novel of the series tells of May and Christie, two sisters that were separated following a family tragedy. They had gone on to live very different lives with May coming to faith. Living with an older relative and getting her dream job of working on a ranch. Christie her sister has always felt she was to blame for the tragedy and plunged into the world of abusive relationships, alcohol and crime. In “Bound by Guilt,” the second novel of the series, Roxi feels unwanted as she has been moved from one foster home to another all her life. She has always longed for a place to call home and a real family but has never achieved it. She is willing to do anything to please her new guardian and fit in, even if it means breaking the law. In “Ties that Bind” the third of the series, Brynn Taylor is woman determined to find her father now that she is out of prison. She has never met the man and the only thing she has to go on is an address she finds in “Sense and Sensibility.” He had left her the rare Jane Austen volume before he had disappeared years ago.

In “Thicker than Blood,” the debut novel of the series, Christy Williams finally managed to get her life in order. She has been working hard and is now buyer for a large used bookstore and is determined to put the past behind her. But she has been unable to slay the demon of her drinking until she gets a DUI on the eve of her thirty third birthday. Back at work, she is accused of a terrible crime she is certain she is innocent of but has no one to turn to. She has always yearned to reconnect with family and especially May her younger sister. They have not seen each other for more than fifteen years. Her sister lives in Elk Valley, Colorado, where she owns a cattle ranch that is not doing so well. Christie thinks May would not want anything to do with her, given her behavior sixteen years past when she had abandoned her. It is not long before Christy is running from her abusive ex boyfriend, her shattered dreams and her faith. Could she find a safe haven at the Triple Cross Ranch, or will her sister who has rediscovered God reject Christie.

In “Bound by Guilt,” the second novel of the series, Roxie is a girl that had always wanted a place to call home and a family of her own. At a very young age, she had been left by her mother and had to move through several foster homes before she ended up living with a relative. Roxie had to work in the family business even though that is never what she ever wanted to do. But she had nowhere to go and if she refused she would more likely than not have to go back to foster care, which is not something she ever wanted to go back to. On the other hand is Abby Dawson a police officer that had gotten into the force to clean up the streets and help people. Abby was always frustrated when the criminals she put in jail ended up on the streets causing harm. Life never seemed fair in her personal life or in the legal system that she felt that she could be losing meaning in life. But then Abby and Roxy’s life changed in an instant as Abby gets a call from her father that changes everything. Roxy also gets on a new path which she never thought she could ever have had. Could they finally be heading towards a better future?

“Ties that Bind,” the third novel of the series continues to follow the life and times of May the rancher and outdoors girl and her bibliophile sister Christy. In this novel, the two sisters come to learn of something about their parents. Out of the blue, May receives a young woman who is looking for a job and sends her to Ruth her co-owner who proceeds to hire her. The new girl goes on a downward spiral just at the time when the ranch experiences a devastating tragedy. Christy takes to helping Brynn Taylor the new girl deal with addiction as she is better at it as compared to May who has never had a similar experience. May soon learns about the sister her father had but she never in her wildest dreams thought she could be so close.