Welcome to the Blog Tour for Anna of Arimathea by Susanne Blumer, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!
About the Book
Title: Anna of Arimathea Series: The Arimathea Chronicles #1 Author: Susanne Blumer Publisher: Sutton Avenue Press Release Date: December 7, 2025 Genre: Biblical Fiction Some wounds are carried in silence. Some healings require more than medicine. Eighteen-year-old Anna bears the marks of a childhood tragedy that left her motherless, scarred, and lame. Hidden within the household of her father, Joseph of Arimathea, a wealthy councilman of the Sanhedrin, her days are measured in herb gardens and healing tinctures, in the steady work of hands trained to help others, and in the quiet safety of a world made small. Then Andrew of Bethsaida arrives at her father’s gate with urgent business for Joseph and talk of a teacher who calls ordinary people to extraordinary purpose. A fisherman turned disciple, Andrew follows the rabbi Jesus with a conviction that unsettles every long-held expectation—including Anna’s own. When Andrew’s kindness cracks open the door to a larger world, Anna faces an impossible choice: remain in the safety of her father’s estate or risk everything for the possibility of healing, love, and a life she never dared imagine. Set against the dusty roads and fishing villages of first-century Judea, where miracles unfold and mercy walks among the broken, Anna of Arimathea opens The Arimathea Chronicles—a richly imagined tale of faith, first love, and redemption in the footsteps of the Messiah. Anna of Arimathea is perfect for readers who love: Biblical and historical fiction with rich period detail Redemptive love stories that explore the cost of faith Immersive historical worlds Characters who choose courage over comfort.
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More in This Series
Guest Post
How did you create the fictional characters and balance them with the Biblical characters?
I have been curious about Joseph of Arimathea for years. Why was he allowed to claim the body of Jesus and why did he want to do it? Who was he? I started researching him, and the idea of Anna started to take hold of my imagination. She became real to me, and I decided to try to tell her story. Early on in that process, I realized her story was a big one that could carry over multiple books as she walked beside Jesus during his ministry. I began outlining the book, fell in love with Anna, and here she is.
The rest of the fictional characters came about as support characters in Anna’s story. The people who loved her and took care of her, worked at her estate, or people she tended with her healing. Most of the characters in the book are real people from the bible: Jesus, Joseph of Arimathea, the disciples, Mary Magdalene, Mary, mother of Jesus, Joanna, John the Baptist. I did my best to bring what the bible says about them to life on the pages. Andrew the disciple plays a big role in this book. He doesn’t have a lot written about him in the bible, but I took what was there and developed him from that.
The story dictated the balance between them. The first half is definitely Anna and Andrew’s story. The second half draws more from the people of the Bible. In the end, I believe the book did a good job of creating believable, true-to-scripture characters with a wonderful supporting cast of people from my head. I hope the reader loves the book (and Anna!) as much as I do!
About the Author
Susanne Blumer lives her life surrounded by stories—some she writes, and some she sells. As the CEO and Founder of Sassafras on Sutton LLC, she is the owner of three magical indie bookstores nestled in the North Carolina mountains of Black Mountain and Waynesville and Beaufort, South Carolina. One even has a full coffee bar. Oh, happy day! She is the author of The Arimathea Chronicles, a series set in first-century Judea and centered on the life of Anna, the daughter of Joseph of Arimathea. The first book, Anna of Arimathea, published in December 2025 and the second, Anna of Bethsaida, will be available in March 2026. She’s also written several children’s books, including the award-winning Bell Tower Bible Adventure series she co-wrote with her husband. Her new children’s picture book series, The Story of You, will release its first book late Spring 2026 called Before Your Story Had A Name. When she’s not writing or doing other entrepreneurial tasks, you can usually find her hanging out on the floor of one of her stores, drinking coffee and learning the stories of her customers or spoiling her eight chickens. Susanne splits her time between Waynesville, NC in her beloved mountains and Beaufort, SC on the enchanting Lowcountry coast.
Connect with Susanne by visiting susanneblumer.com to follow her on social media and subscribe to email updates.
Tour Giveaway
(2) winners will each receive a signed print copy of Anna of Arimathea plus a $50 Bookshop.org Gift Card!
Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight January 21, 2026 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on January 28, 2026. Winners will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.
Giveaway is subject to JustRead Publicity Tours Giveaway Policies.
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