Cate Touryan is a faith-based literary fiction author. She writes stories filled with atmosphere, emotion, and hope. Her novels and creative nonfiction invite readers to discover truth, grace, and redemption in unexpected places.
Inspired by the Mediterranean coast of her birth and California’s central coast, Cate creates vivid settings and memorable characters. Her stories explore loss, identity, faith, and belonging. Through lyrical prose and compassionate storytelling, she reveals both the beauty and hardships of life.
Cate often blends mystery, coming-of-age themes, and faith. She writes honest stories with heart and humor. Her books avoid gratuitous violence and profanity. They appeal to readers who enjoy meaningful stories and unforgettable characters.
Her award-winning novel, Turning Toward Eden, showcases her distinctive voice. Set along the California coast in the 1970s, it weaves together mystery, friendship, family struggles, and faith. The story draws readers into a world rich with emotion and memorable characters.
Whether writing fiction or creative nonfiction, Cate invites readers on journeys through lives both real and imagined. Her stories offer hope and explore the complexities of the human heart. They remind us that redemption often appears in unexpected places.
Cate’s storytelling is deeply rooted in coastal settings. She was born on the Mediterranean coast and now lives on California’s central coast, just miles from the beach that inspired her first novel. Her career in education and editing has shaped her lyrical and heartfelt voice. Through her writing, she searches for beauty among the ashes.
When she isn’t writing, Cate enjoys walking coastal trails, reading both classic and contemporary books, and spending time with family and friends. Her fiction and creative nonfiction are known for their rich atmosphere, compassion for flawed characters, and a faith that sees the invisible.
A 1971 California Coming-of-Age Mystery
Winner of the 2025 IAN Book of the Year Award (Cross-Genre Fiction)
Silver Medal, 2026 IPPY Awards (Best First Book–Juv/YA)
Gold Medal, 2026 Illumination Book Awards (General Fiction)
Finalist, 2026 Next Generation Indie Book Awards (General Fiction)
Finalist, 2025 IAN Book of the Year Awards (General Fiction)
Finalist, 2026 the Wishing Shelf Awards, Audiobook YA, Readers Choice, UK
Eden Lewis knows two things for certain. Family is complicated, and someone in her sleepy beach town wants revenge.
For most fourteen-year-olds, summers in early-1970s California mean sun and surf. Not for Eden. Her father has gone AWOL and turned her life upside down. Now she lives in a shabby seaside bungalow and cares for her severely disabled brother, Dex.
Caught in her parents’ own cold war, Eden escapes whenever she can. She goes pier fishing with Hollis, plays poker with old card sharks, and sings loudly in the church choir. Never mind that she’s not on speaking terms with God.
Then Raven arrives. The mysterious Soviet girl is rumored to be behind a string of petty crimes. When the mischief turns deadly and blood is spilled on the beach, suspicion falls on the “commie.” For Eden, the mystery offers an escape from her responsibilities—until accusing eyes turn toward her.
Desperate to clear her name, Eden begins a reckless chase for the truth. But the danger follows her home. To uncover what really happened, she may have to risk the life of the person she loves most.
Will she go all in, no matter the cost?
“This is storytelling at its most atmospheric—brimming with quirky, well-drawn characters, razor-sharp prose, and the kind of setting you can almost smell. The writing is lyrical, grounded, and often laugh-out-loud funny—even in the midst of deeply poignant moments. With a cast of endearing misfits and a tone reminiscent of Southern Gothic charm, this story lures you in from the very first line and doesn’t let go. Cate Touryan has a truly original voice, a rare gift for language, and a special ability to render a world so vivid you feel baptized in it.” — Zena Dell Lowe, Screenwriter, Story Coach, and Founder of The Storyteller’s Mission AMAZON