About the Book

Book: Plague of Lies

Author: Marbeth Skwarczynski

Genre: Contemporary Christian Fiction

Release Date: January 6, 2026

Plague of Lies

The man who taught him how to live was living a lie.

Scott Andrews was content to be a rule-follower, happily attending church and youth group while planning a future with his beautiful girlfriend, Cindy. He and his friends planned to change the world. But when his mentor is exposed as a fraud, Scott’s life turns upside down. He’s forced to grow up, but unlike the man who betrayed him, Scott is determined to live honestly.

Lauren spent her life believing she was a mistake. Then, on her eighteenth birthday, a letter arrives from the father she’s never met. It seems out of character for a deadbeat dad who wanted nothing to do with her. But with the letter in hand, Lauren’s life suddenly has a purpose. She’ll confront the man and demand to know why he abandoned her so many years before.

It’s time for the truth to come out.

 

Click here to get your copy!

 

About the Author

Like many writers, I began as a reader. My favorite authors were those whose styles were realistic and relatable, so when I began creating my first novel in my thirties, I knew that, above all, I wanted my stories to connect with readers.

My first foray into writing was a book about the biblical character Ruth. I spent years rewriting and shelving the book before finally submitting it to Elk Lake Publishing. They loved the book, and helped me prepare it for publication. Now, my work of biblical fiction, Princess of Moab: A Novel of Ruth, is finished and ready to find its readership.

I also have a contemporary Christian fiction series called The Rose Collection. These timely novels spotlight healing after spiritual abuse. I keep my characters grounded in the real world, so while they grow, learn, and seek solutions, they must also confront the detritus of the past. I write what I know, whether firsthand or through close observation, infusing the joy, happiness, and humor that come with spiritual freedom and love. The Rose Collection goes further than the deconstruction of broken spirits to the reconstruction of rescued souls.

My non-fiction book, The Women Who Set the Precedents: An Exploration of the Bible’s Bill of Rights for Women, is a deep dive into the prophecy of Bathsheba. Each chapter explores the life of a biblical woman as she embodies the principles of empowerment, intelligence, and spiritual maturity mentioned in the iconic, but often misapplied, last chapter of Proverbs.

More from Marbeth

I wrote Plague of Lies during school holidays while teaching at my church’s Christian school and raising two teen boys. Some of the conflict in the novel was inspired by the sudden appearance of a youth pastor from another school (my sons played against that school in basketball and football). He joined our church and was immediately placed in leadership positions. Later, it came out that he was fleeing from a bench warrant.

My story follows the fallout after a beloved church leader and mentor is exposed as a fraud and shuffled off to another church. I wanted to explore what happened to one of the students left behind as he attempts to pick up the spiritual pieces of his life.

While the book contains some heavy subject matter, it also offers hope, encouragement, and relatable main characters.

Scott Andrews, a seventeen-year-old who is blindsided by his mentor’s moral failing, has a failing of his own. But, instead of running away, he repents and becomes determined to live his life with complete honesty.

Eighteen years later, the fallout of the lies and betrayal continues as Lauren Andrews-Gianni reconnects with her long-lost father and learns the truth about her birth, why Scott walked away, and how he remembered her during their forced separation.

The rebuilding of Scott and Lauren’s relationship is the crux of the book and serves as a picture of how our Heavenly Father is preparing a home for us

Interview with the Author

• What’s your favorite under-appreciated novel?

I think The Tenant of Wildfell Hall deserves a much larger readership than it has. Anne Brontë wrote it and is too often overlooked in the light of her sisters’ popularity.

Anne’s MMC begins as a typical self-centered gentleman of his day, doted on by his mother, reluctantly served by his sister, and chased by the eligible ladies in his community. It isn’t until a mysterious widow, the new tenant of the broken-down Wildfell Hall, challenges him that he examines his life and is determined to change from the inside out.

As for the widow? As mysteriously as she arrives and captivates the young gentleman with her determined, self-possessed ways, she disappears, leaving him her private journal, filled with the secrets of her past.

It’s an absolutely brilliant novel.

• How do you select the names of your characters?

The two main characters of Plague of Lies were given names from the shortlist I’d made when expecting my children.

When I’m really stuck for a name, I go to IMDb and search for ideas there.

• What is your favorite childhood book?

I grew up on the Little House books and biographies of historical women, but when it comes to emotional punch, I loved Old Yeller. The author “spoils” the ending in the first chapter, and yet keeps the reader fully involved, laughing and crying her way through the novel.

• What comes first, the plot or characters?

This is a tough one. I tend to think in terms of plot first, but sometimes a character will insist they have a story to tell, and that becomes my next assignment.

For Plague of Lies, I knew the setup would be “What happens to the youth group left behind after their leader is removed to another church?” with lots of investigative questions and the realization that their leader was living a double life. After that, I was able to flesh out the characters. The fallout from one leader’s lies influences not only his youth group but, in the case of youth group member Scott Andrews, it also directly affects the life of his daughter a generation later.

• Who is the author you most admire in your genre?

I’ll read anything/everything written by Catherine Brusk. When I first started writing, I didn’t have much exposure to the contemporary Christian fiction genre, so I asked for suggestions from a FB group. Catherine suggested her debut novel, What Love Washed Up. Although Catherine is technically a romance writer, her books are gritty and don’t shy away from hard topics. Her style and subject matter instantly hooked me. I read, rated, and reviewed, then reached out to her via private message. She read my books and encouraged me to keep writing. We’ve since become good online friends, each other’s beta readers, and allies in the indie-pub marketplace.

Blog Stops

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, February 4

Simple Harvest Reads, February 5 (Author Interview)

Texas Book-aholic, February 6

Artistic Nobody, February 7 (Author Interview)

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, February 8

Guild Master, February 9 (Author Interview)

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, February 9

Leslie’s Library Escape, February 10

Fiction Book Lover, February 11 (Author Interview)

Lots of Helpers, February 12

A Reader’s Brain, February 13 (Author Interview)

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, February 14

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, February 15 (Author Interview)

Books Less Travelled, February 16 (Author Interview)

For Him and My Family, February 16

History, Hope & Happily Ever After, February 17 (Author Interview)

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Marbeth is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon Gift Card and a copy of the book!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://gleam.io/vm5xP/plague-of-lies-celebration-tour-giveaway