I’m so excited to share the book cover for Sarah and Alex’s story, No Plan At All. No Plan At All is the Prequel Novella in the Best-laid Plans series and releases November 4, 2025.

Set in 1867, two years before When Plans Go Awry.

Alex left Scotland and a noble title behind…Sarah left behind the only home she’d ever known. Neither expected to find love on the road.

A Pre-order link will be available next month.

So now for the reveal on my blog.

No Plan At All book cover reveal. this is the prequel novella in the best-laid plans series by denise m. colby and is a travel romance with hidden identity, strangers to lovers, and forced proximity tropes

Two strangers. One journey. A love neither expected.

Sometimes the best life is the one we never planned.

Sarah Anne Baker never wanted to be anyone’s burden. But hours after losing the Godmother who raised her, she faces an impossible choice: marry her late fiancé’s brother—or flee into the unknown. With fear as her only companion, she places her trust in the one man leaving town that night—the enigmatic traveling peddler known only as Mr. Smith.

Alexander Sinclair walked away from his noble title in Scotland to live a quiet, hidden life. Peddling wares from town to town has given him peace, free from the weight of expectation. Until a desperate young woman crosses his path. He can’t turn her away… no matter the cost.

Together, Sarah and Alex set out on a journey through loss, healing, and a bond neither expected to find. But as secrets surface and choices demand to be made, both must decide: cling to the lives they planned—or risk everything to embrace the future God has written for them.

A tender tale of courage, redemption, and love strong enough to change the course of two hearts forever.

No Plan At All hits these tropes:

Romance Tropes

Strangers to Lovers
Forced Proximity / Traveling Together
Hidden Identity / Secret Nobleman
Protective Hero
Wounded Heroine
Slow Burn Romance

Inspirational / Christian Fiction Tropes

God’s Plan vs. Human Plans
Redemption / Healing through Love and Faith
Providence in Unexpected Places
Self-Sacrifice / Service

Historical Romance Tropes

Road Romance / Journey Romance
Escape & Reinvention
Cross-Class Romance
Found Family

If you adore secret identities, runaway brides, and love stories woven with faith, this book is for you.

Sarah is mentioned in When Plans Go Awry, Book 1 in the Best-laid Plans Series. No Plan at All is set in 1867, two years before When Plans Go Awry.

Hashtags for No Plan At All

General Christian Fiction #ChristianFiction #ChristianRomance #FaithBasedFiction #ChristianBooks #CleanRomance

Historical Romance Focus #HistoricalRomance #ChristianHistoricalRomance #HistoricalFictionRomance #CleanHistoricalRomance #InspirationalRomance

Reader/Community Engagement #AmReading #BookLovers #ReadersOfInstagram #Bookish #FaithAndFiction #BookCommunity

Specific Tropes #RunawayBrideTrope #HiddenIdentityTrope #RoadRomance #SlowBurnRomance #SecondChanceRomance

Newsletter subscribers get first peek on all book covers. Click here to join my newsletter list for future sneak peaks and behind the scenes fun.

Check out the series page on Amazon or on Bookbub and be notified when this book releases.

Writing

A Slight Change of Plans Cover Reveal

April 4, 2025April 4, 2025 Denise M. Colby

I’m so excited to share with you A Slight Change of Plans Cover Reveal on my blog. Book two in the Best-laid Plans Series is Jenny and Ren’s story. Jenny is one of the schoolteachers that came west to teach. It is scheduled for release Tuesday, May 27, 2025. Stay tuned for pre-order information, as well as new blog posts related to behind the scene research.

A Slight Change of Plans

She believes she doesn’t matter.

Jenny Millard’s hopes for security and stability as a schoolmarm out west are dashed when her schoolhouse closes and no positions are available nearby. With only enough money for a one-way train fare, Jenny heads to her friend’s home uncertain of her next step.

His scars have made him an unlovable outcast

Newcomer Ren Lyman prefers to keep to himself, hiding in the back of the blacksmith shop to avoid the stares at the scars left by a childhood accident. When he comes across a lost stranger, he’s surprised when she doesn’t recoil at his appearance, and even more so at his eagerness to assist her.

As Jenny settles into the welcoming, but small, town of Washton, she can’t help but come across Ren, especially since his daily constitutional takes him along the same path. It doesn’t take long for them to form a connection that breaks down the walls erected by years of hurt. But when strange occurrences unsettle the townspeople, it seems their chance at happiness might be at risk.

Will Jenny and Ren discover that they’re enough—for God, and each other?

A Slight Change of Plans is being published by Scrivenings Press. Each story in the Best-laid Plans series is a standalone book. Book one, When Plans Go Awry, is currently available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

Writing

My Very First Book Cover

March 23, 2024March 23, 2024 Denise M. Colby

Since my last post, I now have my very first book cover design completed, and I’ve created a book page on my website. This year everything is moving fast. And I’m loving every minute of it!

I was able to give a sneak peek to my newsletter subscribers before posting about it on Facebook and Instagram. But I also wanted to talk about my very first book cover here on my blog. It’s such a big moment for me, after years of wondering what my book cover would look like.

And now, here it is!

Historical Romance Book Cover with land, one-room schoolhouse, schoolmarm on cover with words When Plans Go Awry by Denise M. Colby which is a historical christian romance novel

There’s a one-room schoolhouse.

A river.

And Olivia, holding her journal.

My very first book cover!

I only get one time to say that it’s my first book cover, so it’s fun for me to state it. As I said earlier, I’m enjoying every minute of this new chapter in my writing journey.

It’s amazing how quickly this book cover came together. The overall design was complete within three to four days. Way shorter than what it took to write the story. I may never look at covers the same now that I understand how they are put together. Now the next part is the back and inside. I can’t wait to see everything in print.

My publisher, Scrivenings Press, has created a book page for When Plans go Awry. And just this week I was able to create a GoodReads book page as well, where you can add it to your ‘want to read’ list. And again I have my own dedicated book page on my website.

All of these pages are showing off my very first book cover. As well as a short description of the story. It feels very surreal!

Book Launch News

So as you can see, I have many exciting things to share here, and many more to come. If you are interested in joining my launch team, go to my launch team interest form sign-up. You will get to read the book before it launches, have a chance to win prizes, and help me launch When Plans Go Awry.

I would love it if you would join me. And I can’t wait for you to read all about Olivia, Luke, the town of Washton, and its wily rooster, Bert.

Tag: Book Covers

Book Cover Reveal for No Plan At All