On the Eve of Launch: What The Second Coming of Grace Means to Me

It’s happening.

In just a few days, The Second Coming of Grace will be out in the world. And while I’ve been building toward this moment for months (and in some ways, years), I’m still catching my breath.

This isn’t just fiction. It’s one of the most personal things I’ve ever written.


Why I Wrote This Story

It all began with a question that came to me out of nowhere: What if Yeshua of Nazareth—known today as Jesus—came back in the modern world… as a woman?

That idea sent a jolt through me. It wasn’t about religion—it was about reclaiming a voice that history never gave space to. It was about feminine spiritual power, healing, and transformation.

And so Grace Morgenstern was born: a sensitive, neurodivergent actress trying to make it in Toronto’s film industry while carrying an intuitive gift that makes her feel everything—and everyone—too deeply.

Like me, Grace has faced rejection, insecurity, and pressure to conform. She’s been told to be smaller, quieter, more palatable.
Like me, she’s discovered that her greatest challenge is also her greatest strength.
And like me, she’s learning to trust her voice.


What It Took to Get Here

Writing this novel has not been easy. I run a full-time business from home and care for my elderly mother. Time is precious, energy even more so.

There were late nights, early mornings, tearful pauses, and a couple of run-out-of-energy plot stalls. But what kept me going was Grace—and the legacy she carries.

She stands on the shoulders of women like Zofia, the fictional version of my real-life great-aunt who defied the Nazis in 1942.
She’s held up by friends like Liam and Rowan—reminders that chosen family matters, and no one heals alone.
She finds courage in Tobias, who sees her fully—not in spite of her complexity, but because of it.

And slowly, surely, she begins to believe in herself.


What This Book Means to Me

It means honouring the parts of me that once felt too different.
It means acknowledging the strength in softness.
It means saying yes to stories that don’t fit neatly into boxes—but still belong.

This novel is for anyone who’s felt like a misfit, a questioner, a seeker. It’s for anyone who’s carried ancestral pain, tried to please everyone else, or wondered if they were ever going to feel whole.

It’s for you.
And it’s for me, too.


Coming June 9

On Monday, The Second Coming of Grace will be available on Amazon in paperback and ebook format.

I hope it finds its way to the people who need it most. And I hope, if you read it, that you see a bit of yourself reflected in Grace’s journey.


Have you ever worked on something that felt bigger than you—something that asked you to dig deep, be vulnerable, or grow? I’d love to hear what it was, and how it changed you.


Next Friday, I’ll be celebrating launch day and sharing early reader reactions (if I have them!), thoughts from behind the scenes, and a few words on what’s next for Grace—and for me.


The second coming doesn’t always look the way we expect it to.
Sometimes, it shows up as a story—and the courage to tell it.


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Naomi Vondell

Naomi Vondell is a Canadian writer of literary fiction with spiritual undertones, emotional resonance, and a touch of quiet humour. She lives in Northwestern Ontario, having spent most of her adult life in Toronto and the surrounding area. Her work explores themes of identity, memory, faith, and transformation. A lifelong storyteller, Naomi’s creative path has included acting, songwriting, and screenwriting. She holds a Master’s degree in clinical psychology and worked for years as a psychometrist before turning to fiction full-time. She earned her Creative Writing Certificate from the University of Toronto and studied screenwriting through UCLA Extension, where she trained with industry professionals—including a Star Trek: The Next Generation writer. Naomi is also a caregiver, a lover of Shakespeare and Buster Keaton, a fan of classic sitcoms and naval history, and a survivor of childhood bullying due to her neurodivergence. Her writing is shaped by curiosity, compassion, and a deep reverence for stories that reach across time. She is currently at work on a play (The Shell), two feature films (Going Global and a body-swap political satire), and a companion story collection titled Before the Light.

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