Carla's Book Crush

A Summer to Treasure by Leslea Wahl
Publisher: Perpetual Light Publishing
Release Date:  May 27, 2025
Genre:  MG/YA Adventure Mystery

Teenage siblings Luke, Celia, and Austin are dreading their summer vacation. A month cooped up in an RV, touring around the Southwest, with their parents, grandmother, and each other? Pure torture.

But when Grandma reveals the real reason for the trip, the journey becomes an unexpected adventure. As they travel through breathtaking canyons, the teens develop new friendships, deepen their faith, and join together to solve a decades-old mystery.

And if the siblings can put down their phones long enough to enjoy the incredible journey, they might just discover that their relationships with each other are truly the greatest treasure.

PURCHASE LINKS:
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About the Author

Leslea Wahl is an award-winning author of adventurous teen mysteries. She not only writes for teens but is an avid reviewer of Christian fiction and a founding member of Catholic Teen Books. Her journey to become an author came through a search for value-based fiction for her own children. Leslea now strives to be an advocate for other families battling against society’s secular messages through her faith-based writing and reviews.

Connect with Leslea by visiting lesleawahl.com to follow her on social media and subscribe to email newsletter updates.

Author Q&A

CB: Your dream job includes being a stay-at-home mom and a writer—how have both roles influenced each other throughout your journey

Wahl: I’ve always been creative with stories swirling through my mind. However, I didn’t really pursue writing until I was a mom and was searching for fun adventures with positive messages that my kids would enjoy reading. I had trouble finding such books but during that time, the idea for my first novel, The Perfect Blindside, just popped into my head, so I began writing it. And I haven’t stopped writing since. My entire focus of writing is to provide entertaining fiction for teens that can also strengthen their faith. Being a mom focused my calling, melding my passions together. 

CB: I see you’re about 10 states away from visiting all 50 states. That’s amazing! How do your travels inspire your stories? 

Wahl: A recent reviewer referred to me as “The Master of the ‘Vacation Story.’” I really never thought of my writing in that way as I just choose settings that inspire me. My stories have included the Rocky Mountains, a South Carolina Island, Washington D.C., a Caribbean cruise, and this newest release is about a family road trip through the Southwestern United States. I guess my travels spark my imagination. 

CB: You’ve said that “the easiest way to find your gifts is to focus on what you are good at and what you enjoy. I see you acknowledge that’s not always easy (it’s not!), but you have been blessed with understanding that your current calling is to write Young Adult Christian novels. I know you’ve talked about this in your books and on your website, but I’d like to hear more of the advice you would give to others trying to discern if their desire to write is a gift from God.  

Wahl: I think being open to changing your plans is the key. I’ve had numerous ideas and dreams that did not pan out. It can be frustrating when you are trying to live your life for Christ, truly wanting to use your gifts and talents to glorify Him but not knowing how to do that. I think no matter what you pursue, if you are keeping Him as the focus, the Holy Spirit will lead you to where He wants you. Each failure I had helped me, whether in providing perseverance, ideas for stories, or fueling encouragement and compassion for others. I continue to pray for guidance when contemplating new ideas and know that He will help lead my steps. 

CB: Let’s talk more about A Summer to Treasure. What or who inspired Grandma Grace? And what role do you see older generations playing in stories for young readers?  

Wahl: The original spark for this story came when my family was on a trip to the southwest. As the miles rolled by, the red canyon lands seemed like a great place for an adventure. I was contemplating my own kids who were thoroughly enjoying the National Parks we visited and remembering traveling to the same area when I was a teen with my grandparents. Those threads wove together to form the basis for the story. 

Several of my books include an older person who interacts with my teen characters. There is such wisdom and beauty in an intergenerational relationship. Hopefully, my readers will recognize this and look at the elders in their lives a little differently. 

Grace is a particularly fun character because her father was an archeologist which provides lots of cool opportunities for adventures. I have several more stories in mind for this family and can’t wait to discover what is in store for them next. 

CB:  Discovering lost relics of the Church is exciting. What kind of research did you need to do for that part of the plot? 

Wahl: Relics are something that is fairly new to me. Only a few years ago I discovered that Catholic Churches house relics of saints—small items that belonged to the person such as clothing, hair, or even bone fragments. This may seem rather strange at first, but the Church likes to honor those members of the faith that have come before us and even ask them to pray for us. 

The idea to add relics to the story formed after I featured a young Grace in a short story collection where an item of St. Patrick’s appeared in each of the stories. If you’re curious about that story, Grace Among Gangsters, you can find it in the anthology Treasures: Visible & Invisible. 

CB:  What do you hope readers, especially teens, take away from A Summer to Treasure?   

Wahl: There are a few themes running through the story that I hope resonate with teens. The first is their relationships with their siblings and what a special and unique bond that is. Not everyone has siblings, and while they can be complicated relationships, they are usually the people we ultimately know the longest in our lives. No matter what our family may look like, it is where God placed us. 

Another theme that runs through the book is about technology and how it can steal our focus from more important things such as relationships and faith.

Tour Giveaway

3) winners will each receive a signed copy of A Summer to Treasure, a book-themed Glass Tumbler with Lid and Straw, and a magnetic bookmark!

Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight May 27, 2025 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on June 3, 2025. Winners will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US/CAN only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Giveaway is subject to JustRead Publicity Tours Giveaway Policies.

Enter Giveaway

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