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Meet Catholic Historical Fiction Writer Jessika Caruso

Meet Catholic Historical Fiction Writer Jessika Caruso

Last updated on: September 3, 2026 at 7:00 am by Mark Wilson

Meet Catholic Historical Fiction Writer Jessika Caruso 2026-08-31T20:29:14-05:00 Mark Wilson

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Some people you meet in life, just have that glitter of sunshine in their personality. Jessika has bottled that sunshine and put it into her writings. Her writings bring you back to the historical beginning of our country, which is appropriate for the 250th anniversary of our country. She really brings out the color of the times which is displayed on the cover of her books. She can be added to the list of other great Christian authors who have taken the interview. One of the things that makes her shine is her faith in Christ. Like another writer in our series, she has also suffered the loss of a child which has helped shape her life. Her cross has only made her stronger with Jesus carrying it with her. I hope you will be delighted and inspired as you…

1. Tell something interesting about yourself.

In addition to writing, I am passionate about photography and video editing. I would love to become a family portrait photographer as a side-gig. I also enjoy making video montages of my family vacations and fan videos for movies and television shows. I recently made a video of our family’s trip to Philadelphia set to the song “Gonna Fly Now” from Rocky

and a precious video of my son’s voice praying the Hail Mary.

2. What makes a good Catholic writer?

To me, a good Catholic writer is someone who always consults God in the writing process and invites Him into the process before each writing session. A good Catholic writer can write in any genre but approaches his work with a Catholic worldview that humanity is inherently good and destined for eternity. However, the writer’s characters don’t necessarily need to possess this view. Catholic writers should be open to depicting a wide variety of personalities on the page to reflect the wide variety of human experiences that exist in the real world.

New Jersey, 1776. Twenty-nine year old Catharine Van Cortlandt and her husband Philip live an idyllic life on a colonial New Jersey farm with their eight children. When Philip, a Loyalist, is branded a traitor to the Continental cause, he must flee his home, leaving his wife and children with a sparse harvest and only two servants for company. Shunned by friends and neighbors, Catharine despairs, until a kindly Dutch widower named Pieter offers to carry her letters to Philip – and provide Catharine’s family with food and friendship. Soon, a childhood friend named Gabriel lands on Catharine’s doorstep and offers to help protect her family from a raging smallpox epidemic.

Will Catharine fall for the charms of another man, or will she have the strength to remain loyal to her absentee husband?

3. What do you like about being a Catholic/Christian Writer?

I am so grateful for the Christian writer friends I’ve met along the way. I am glad I joined the Catholic Writers Guild; it helps motivate me to have a group of writing enthusiasts who share the same beautiful, life-giving faith. I’ve also met many Christian writers on Instagram of various denominations. My online writer friends have certainly helped encourage me and championed my writing. I hope I can continue to do the same for others.

4. What is the main focus of your particular writing or what do you like to write about?

I am very eclectic in my writing interests. My published works include two historical fiction novels and one anthology. My historical fiction novels take place during the American Revolution. These are part of a continuing series (Rainbows of Revolution) that I hope to continue throughout the entire war.

On the 24th of December, in the year 1776, I found myself contemplating whether Our Lord Himself would have remained neutral in this war. My inclination was that Christ would always choose peace, yet if a decision were forced upon Him, no doubt he would answer with a baffling and troublesome response. These were questions I was inclined to ask Father Steinmeyer, who now sat by the fire in my family’s parlor.
Perpetual Rainbows: A Novel of the American Revolution

My Substack blog (Catholic Safari) focuses on my reflections as a Catholic woman, wife, and mom. I started the blog in 2020 and have written about my personal struggles, spiritual growth, and pivotal moments in my life. I’ve also published a few nonfiction articles on Christian websites like Busted Halo, The Young Catholic Woman, and Those Who Mourn.

I have written two unpublished picture books, one unfinished middle grade novel, and one completed book of poetry that I hope to share with the world one day.

5. How does your Catholic Faith influence your writing?

In fiction, I enjoy including Catholic characters that readers can identify with. These characters make mistakes like any of us, but through them, I hope to illustrate God’s redemption, forgiveness, and mercy.

In nonfiction blog posts, I enjoy sharing how God has helped me throughout my life, redeemed seemingly impossible situations, and shown me His constant presence and love.

I suppose I stopped writing fiction when my own life became its own soap opera —the era of trying to find a spouse with whom to take on the world. What need had I for the romantic conquests of fictional heroes when the pursuit of my vocation demanded so much attention? After marrying the perfect spouse, the birth and first year of my son, JP, demanded 100% of my energy and focus. The idea of writing a novel never even crossed my mind. Focusing on Fiction – by Jessika Caruso – Catholic Safari

6. What’s your favorite article/Post/book/story you have written?

My favorite book I’ve written is The Promise of Spring, which is the sequel to Perpetual Rainbows. I prefer the second book in the series because in a sequel, readers are already familiar with the setting and characters, and I was able to jump right into the plot. In book two, the characters grow and develop even further and have extremely high-stakes adventures. I also had fun weaving some real historical figures and battles from the American Revolution into the plot.

My favorite article I’ve written is You Still Speak which is about the grief of two infants I lost in the womb. Miscarriage is a topic that is getting less taboo, but is still shied away from, in my opinion. I wrote it to be able to communicate to loved ones what I was feeling after these sorrowful deaths.

“Though you did not have any audible first words, perhaps you spoke by simply existing. Your presence was a song of life and hope. Your presence was an answered prayer, a response from God to a longing heart. I heard these words with my soul.”

7. What is your favorite topic/subject to write about?

My favorite topic to write about is anything I feel is missing in the literary market. I love to write the books and articles I’ve always wanted to read in hopes that someone else might need those stories as well. So far, these topics have included American history from a Catholic perspective, coming of age as a young Catholic, and the grief of infant loss.

8. Favorite scripture verse.

John 16:33: “I have told you this so that you might have peace in me. In the world you will have trouble, but take courage, I have conquered the world.”

9. What are you currently working on?

I am currently working on the third book in my Rainbows of Revolution series. I also hope to continue the middle grade novel I started a few years ago. It’s about a sixth-grade girl who faces an overwhelming year of bullies, family drama, and growing up after her family can no longer afford Catholic school.

10. Name a favorite saint or Catholic or some other figure who inspires you in your life.

One saint who has greatly inspired me is Pope St. John Paul II, especially his catechesis on Theology of the Body. This teaching set me on the path of trying to love others according to their worth and seeing all of Creation as a sacrament, but especially the human person. I admire many of his other writings and his world mission, especially his devotion to youth and young adults.

Another favorite saint is St. Carlo Acutis because he is someone I both relate to and aspire to emulate. We are both Millennials and grew up with the Internet. Like St. Carlo, I try to use the Internet for God’s glory, and am fascinated by Eucharistic miracles. He also entered into Eternal Life on my birthday! Yet, he was only fifteen and achieved holiness in such a short time. I read his mother’s memoir (My Son Carlo) and he was so fearless, joyful, and loving towards everyone he crossed paths with. I pray for his intercession often.

11. Who is your favorite Living Writer?

Probably Dr. Peter Kreeft because he explains the Catholic faith and philosophical ideas so succinctly with lots of heart, simplicity, and humor. He’s so prolific with over a hundred books to his name. I wish I had the opportunity to take one of his courses. He’s also a native New Jerseyan like me so that might make me biased.

Two of my favorite Dr. Kreeft quotes ate:

“The world was won for Christ not by arguments but by sanctity: ‘What you are speaks so loud, I can hardly hear what you say.’” — Handbook of Christian Apologetics

“Everything smaller than Heaven bores us because only Heaven is bigger than our hearts.” — Jesus Shock

12. If you could have lunch with any deceased writer, who would it be, what would you eat and what would you talk about?

I read some of your other interviews and some folks chose Biblical writers. I would LOVE to sit down with some of Scripture’s writers, but realistically, I would not understand their language nor want to waste time with a translator app. But since this is a hypothetical anyway, maybe St. Paul? If I had to choose a modern writer, maybe St. Therese of Lisieux because her autobiography greatly inspired me, but my French isn’t that great, either.

13. Name a favorite movie/tv show or music you find worth sharing with others.

Over the years, my life has been changed by certain films and television shows. My childhood was changed by the Rocky films, Soul Surfer, Dr. Quinn: Medicine Woman, and Touched by an Angel. More recently, some TV shows I recommend are Netflix’s reboot of Little House on the Prairie and Amazon’s The Gray House about espionage during the American Civil War.

14. Can you see one of your books being made into a movie or tv series? Who would you want to star or direct?

It would be amazing to see my Rainbows of Revolution novels realized as a TV series. I would leave the casting up to the professionals, but it would be an absolute dream come true if I could direct at least one episode!

15. Favorite Historical event.

Of course, it has to be the original Easter Sunday. I wish I could be a fly on the wall – er, maybe a butterfly fluttering through the garden – when Mary Magdalene met the Risen Christ.

Christ’s Appearance to Mary Magdalene after the Resurrection (1835) by Alexander Andreyevich Ivanov.

In Modern History, I would have to pick the legendary event of George Washington crossing the Delaware River on December 25, 1776. If I could be a tree on the riverbank, I’d like to see the raw, unadulterated truth of it, and therefore appreciate more fully the sacrifices endured.

This interview was published on September 3, 2026

The day these other Historical Trivia events happened.

1777 – American Revolutionary War: During the Battle of Cooch’s Bridge, the Flag of the United States is flown in battle for the first time.

1849 – Sarah Orne Jewett, American novelist, short story writer and poet (died 1909) is born.

1933 – Yevgeniy Abalakov is the first man to reach the highest point in the Soviet Union, Communism Peak (now called Ismoil Somoni Peak and situated in Tajikistan) (7495 m).

1944 – Holocaust: Diarist Anne Frank and her family are placed on the last transport train from the Westerbork transit camp to the Auschwitz concentration camp, arriving three days later.

16. What else do you want people to know about anything.

Thanks so much for this interview! I am grateful for my writing journey thus far and pray there is more to come! I would love to connect with other writers and readers on my Substack, Instagram, and Goodreads. You can find all of the links to my writing and projects on my Linktree.

Want to Be Interviewed Also?

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A List Of Catholic Authors Who Write Fiction With A Few Exceptions.

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