This time The Visitor has arrived at a LAKE which is really nice, but not so great!
Check the clue below to see if you can figure out where The Visitor is this time! Send your guess to the email given and be sure to include your shipping address in case you win! One correct entry will be randomly selected for this week’s winner!
This was to be our final day of our WE LOVE OUR READERS sale and sweepstakes, but our prize is such a great one, we’re extending the giveaway for a week to make sure everyone who wants to enter gets the chance! So today, I’m spotlighting some ladies who have become dear friends. They cowrite the Glimpses of God devotional series and have a brand new book coming out in three weeks (August 13 to be exact).
Shirley Crowder and Harriet E. Michael grew up together on the grounds of a medical mission in Nigeria. Though the live several states apart, they have stayed good friends. When Harriet wrote her outstanding Bible study on prayer, PRAYER: IT’S NOT ABOUT YOU, Shirley used it for a unit in a small group. To help dig deeply into the book and into Scripture, Shirley created a STUDY GUIDE ON PRAYER for it. After that, they collaborated together to complete the Prayer Project with a devotional and an anthology.
Shirley is passionate about disciple-making. She is Biblical counselor commissioned by, and serving on the national Advisory Team for, The Addiction Connection. Several of her articles have appeared in “Paper Pulpit” in The Gadsden Times’ Faith section, and in a David C. Cook publication. She also writes articles for Life Bible Study, Woman’s Missionary Union, and InspiredPrompt.com. She has authored or co-authored six books.
Harriet is a wife and mother to four grown children, grandmother to two precious grandchildren, and an award-winning author. She has authored a growing number of books, including “Prayer: It’s Not About You,” a finalist in the 2011 “Women of Faith” manuscript contest. She is also a freelance writer with numerous published pieces, including more than a hundred devotions in various magazines.
Collaborating on devotionals was a perfect fit for the lifelong friends. With the launch of their coming book, GLIMPSES OF GOD: an autumn devotional for women, they will complete their second series of books with our company.
Sadly, GLIMPSES – AUTUMN isn’t available yet, but their anthology, PRAYER WARRIOR CONFESSIONS, is not only available, it’s only 99¢ today! Here’s a little about this great collection:
True accounts of prayer in action.
Read the stories of warriors. Prayer warriors. Those who have struggled with the enemy, fighting on their knees through tragedy and triumph. Cry with them. Laugh with them. Learn the insight they have learned about prayer. About themselves. About God.
Experience the reality of prayer in a new and deeper way with the true and candid stories of experiences from the battle.
Get your copy of PRAYER WARRIOR CONFESSIONS HERE!
Don’t forget to take advantage of the final day of our sale HERE!
And sign up to win our great giveaway HERE!
We’re almost done with our We Love Our Readers week at my publisher, Write Integrity Press, but if you haven’t entered our Sweepstakes for a $50 Amazon card, a new Kindle Fire, and a bunch of books, read on to find the link!
An amazing group of authors sponsored this giveaway, and I’m giving them the spotlight on my blog this week. They so inspire me.
One of the most inspirational is Joan Deneve. Her book, LOVING BROCK made it to my top ten list a few years ago when it first released, even though it isn’t a mystery, and is still there! Here’s what Joan says:
“I am one blessed woman. I’ve had the privilege to share my life with Rene’, my best friend and husband of more than forty years. We live in a small town in Alabama and together, we have a son and a daughter, seven phenomenal grandchildren, and two very spoiled dogs. I teach in a Christian school, and my passion is to help young people fall in love with Jesus and then equip them to become all God wants them to be. My other passion is writing. I love to show how God changes and restores broken people and relationships through His amazing, transforming grace.”
Learn more about Joan at her website: JoanDeneve.com
Her award-winning book Saving Eric started her “Redeemed Side of Broken” series. Here are the details:
Templetons don’t break down. Even when their worlds are falling apart.
Eric Templeton’s well-ordered life as a top CIA agent is shattered when a traitor within the agency plots to have him eliminated. Sent on a bogus mission to Africa, Eric is ambushed and critically wounded. A helicopter pilot flies him to a remote mission hospital where Dr. Brock Whitfield and his daughter, Ellie, work to save his life.
If Eric survives, his life may never be the same, and he still has to deal with the traitor who wants him dead. Eric wants justice, but Brock and Ellie know that Eric’s survival is the least of his worries. What he needs most is mercy and truth.
The completed, three-book series is on sale right now for only 99¢ per book because WE LOVE OUR READERS!
Cynthia T. Toney is another inspiring author, and she makes me laugh! She writes fiction with hope and humor that addresses issues important to tweens or teens and contains elements of mystery and romance. She says, “I love writing for tweens and teens, particularly those who speak without thinking, make poor decisions, and have love to give but don’t always know where to direct it. Young people I’ve encountered over the years inspired me to write novels that show them how wonderful, powerful, and valuable they are. Today’s tweens and teens can identify with the emotions, needs, desires, and challenges of characters in my historical as well as contemporary novels.”
You can contact Cynthia through her website: CynthiaTToney.com.
Her completed “Bird Face” series contains books that won multiple awards. Book one is called 8 Notes to a Nobody. Here is a description:
Anonymous sticky-notes, a scheming bully, and a ruined summer send fourteen-year-old Wendy down a trail of secrets and self-discovery.
“Funny how you can live your days as a clueless little kid, believing you look just fine … until someone knocks you in the heart with it.”
Wendy Robichaud doesn’t care one bit about being popular like good-looking classmates Tookie and the Sticks—until Brainiac bully John-Monster schemes against her, and someone leaves anonymous sticky-note messages all over school. Even her best friend, Jennifer, is hiding something and pulling away. But the spring program, abandoned puppies, and high school track team tryouts don’t leave much time to play detective. And the more Wendy discovers about the people around her, the more there is to learn.
When secrets and failed dreams kick off the summer after eighth grade, who will be around to support her as high school starts in the fall?
You can reach the purchase link by clicking the cover or HERE! All of the Bird Face series as well as Cynthia’s historical THE OTHER SIDE OF FREEDOM are only 99¢ each because WE LOVE OUR READERS!
And don’t forget to enter the WE LOVE OUR READERS sweepstakes by clicking HERE!
Yesterday was the beginning of my publisher’s annual We Love Our Readers Sale and Sweepstakes. The publishing company does a lot to bring this opportunity to you, but many of our authors contribute and sponsor the event as well. I want to share about two other of our sponsors – these two both write mystery/suspense!
Julie Cosgrove is an award-winning author of sixteen novels as well as short stories. She developed a passion for words at a young age. She began with word search puzzles. Then she solved the word games in the daily newspapers. She and her mother shared many fun hours playing Scrabble and Hang Man.
Then, another passion developed―whodunnits. She loved the Charlie Chan, Sherlock Holmes, and Hercule Poirot movies that played on Saturday afternoons on TV. Nancy Drew and the romantic mystery novels of the late Mary Stewart and Victoria Holt kept her eyes dancing over the pages through her school years.
Later in her adult life, her passion for Christ spurred her to write faith-based fiction and devotionals for several publications, which she has been doing since 2009. Her blog, Where Did You Find God Today? now has readers in over fifty countries.
But her passion remains mystery, the cozier the better. Now, she has mysteries stacked up on her watchlist on Britbox and a long list of cozies on her e-reader’s to-be-read list. She loves to write them as well.
You can find all of her fiction and nonfiction books as well as her blog’s link on her website, www.juliebcosgrove.com.
Her completed “Relatively Seeking Mysteries” is on sale this week because We Love Our Readers! Click the image to find out more about these three friends that get into some deep, hot water when they innocently begin investigating their ancestries. Who would think that something as benign as looking back into history could be so terribly dangerous? Learn more about book 1, One Leaf Too Many, HERE!
Suspense author Dena Netherton has a three-book series as well. “The Hunted” series is an edge of your seat psychological suspense dealing with a stalking situation that was inspired by real issues from the past. Now based in Wyoming, Dena writes with a goal to give you stories that are compelling neough to keep you up all night.
Born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area. She studied music and theater in the Midwest and in Colorado and taught music for thirty-five years. In the 1970s, when Dena was just a teenager, her family took a road trip through the Pacific Northwest, ending with a stay in Anacortes, Washington, and a ferry ride through the San Juan Islands. She was captivated by the beauty of Washington’s west coast and vowed she’d one day move to the area. Forty years later, not only did God move her to the beautiful area, He inspired her with stories set there.
Dena’s prayer as a Christian author is that her stories inspire and encourage your faith. Her goal is to write stories compelling enough to keep you ‘up all night.’ Find Dena on her website: denanetherton.me.
Her series begins with Haven’s Flight.
How can you flee from an unseen enemy?
Haven Ellingsen enrolled in Life Ventures Therapy Camp in the Cascade Mountains to help her heal from horrible memories of her mother’s violent death at the hands of an armed robber. But now, a greater fear dogs her steps. The rustle of leaves or the snap of a twig could be nothing. Or it might signal the sinister presence of the stalker who won’t stop following her. It seems like a cruel trick from God to throw Haven into another dangerous situation only a year after her mom’s murder.
He hides near her tent and listens to the girl talk with the counselor. Mostly she talks about her father. She’s unhappy, and he can’t stand to listen and do nothing about it. He needs to rescue her. He needs to make sure she doesn’t ever go back to that man. His own father was the cause of his mother’s death. And Ruth’s. He can’t let that happen again. Not with this girl. When the time is right, he’ll take her away to his hidden cabin where she’ll be safe. And he will feel peace for the first time in years.
Can one month of survival training equip a girl to face all that the rugged wilderness and a madman can dish out?
All three books of the series are on sale this week. Click the image to reach the series page on Amazon HERE.
Don’t forget to also enter our sweepstakes. We’re giving away a free Kindle Fire, a selection of books for it, and a $50 Amazon gift card to boot! You’ll not want to miss out on this opportunity. Visit WriteIntegrity.com for the scoop!
Today begins our Write Integrity Press annual WE LOVE OUR READERS contest. Eleven different authors are bringing this contest to you and I want to highlight two of them today.
Jerusha Agen imagines danger around every corner, but knows God is there, too. So naturally, she writes suspense infused with the hope of salvation in Jesus Christ.
With a B.A. in English and a background in screenwriting, Jerusha is a speaker, writing instructor, and Fear Warrior who sounds the call to battle against fear in our everyday lives.
Jerusha loves to hang out with her big furry dogs and little furry cats. You’ll often find her sharing irresistibly adorable photos of them in her newsletter and on social media.
Get a free suspense story from Jerusha and find more of her thrilling, fear-fighting novels at www.JerushaAgen.com.
Jerusha’s Sister’s Redeemed series is about broken people finding their way with the help of God and others. Here’s a tidbit from her first book, THIS DANCE.
No love, no pain. No God, no games.
A tragedy three years ago destroyed Nye’s rise to the top of the dancing world as an upcoming tango star, and in the process destroyed her reason for living, too. She survived the pain and built a new life resembling nothing like the one she left behind, determined never to hurt again.
Nye’s emotional walls hold up perfectly until she meets a handsome lawyer and an elderly landowner. They seem harmless, but one awakens feelings she doesn’t want and the other makes her face the God she can’t forgive. Will these two men help Nye dance again?
Kristen Hogrefe is an award-winning author and life-long learner. An educator and mentor, she teaches English online and is an inspirational speaker for schools, churches, and podcasts.
Kristen and her husband live in Florida and enjoy sharing their lake home with family and friends.
Connect with her at KristenHogrefeParnell.com where she blogs under her married
name.
Kristen’s award-winning, young-adult speculative is a dystopian book with hope. That seems an oxymoron, but it works. And clearly others agree. Two of her three books won the coveted Selah Award for speculative fiction.
Here’s a little about book 1, THE REVISIONARY from her series “The Rogues:
A Revisionary rewrites the rules.
A Rogue breaks them.
Which one is she?
Nineteen-year-old Portia Abernathy plans to earn a Dome seat and rewrite the Codex rules to rescue her exiled brother. Her journey demands answers from the past civilization, but uncovering the truth means breaking the rules she set out to rewrite.
Where will the world be in 2149? If citizens forget their past, they will be lost in an identity crisis. That’s exactly the state of the American Socialists United (ASU). This dystopian story opens in Cube 1519, a ghetto where the only use for obsolete cell phones is to throw them like rocks at mongrels. Portia and her father survive like many other citizens, with no electricity or technology and no expectation for a better life.
Written for young adults, THE REVISIONARY offers a suspenseful plot, flashbacks to America’s Revolutionary era, and a rediscovery of the founding values needed to rebuild Portia’s unraveling world. Blockbuster novels like The Hunger Games, Divergent, and The Giver popularized the dystopian YA genre. THE REVISIONARY builds a dystopia of a different kind—one that looks backward to find wisdom and moves forward to offer an underlying message of heritage and hope.
Both of these authors have new books out and coming out! You can learn more about them at their author pages. And be sure to enter our Sweepstakes at WriteIntegrity.com
I’m so excited to share this book with you. It’s literally been over a decade in the making. But after 5 full rewrites, 8 editors, and countless revisions, I’d like to share the opening scene from BREAKING POINT. (BREAKING POINT is only 99¢ right now on Kindle. Get your copy HERE.)
BREAKING POINT – Chapter One
“What do you mean he’s missing?” Lt. Jason Danvers set his fishing pole aside. Myra Stone wasn’t given to panic. He’d never even noticed the lady flustered. Until this phone call.
“I found a note this morning. I thought he’d taken an early walk, but then I saw that his car was gone and found the note taped to the kitchen faucet that he’d gone to the store for some of his hot chocolate.” The older woman’s voice broke, though she struggled to lower her volume. “And I called his phone, but it was plugged into the charger in the office.”
He pulled a pad out of his jacket pocket and the stub of a pencil. “When did you see him last?”
“I went to bed last night at about eleven. He was watching a baseball game that we’d recorded earlier.”
“And you don’t know when he left?” Who ventured out in the middle of the night for a silly can of cocoa? Jason jotted the quick details in case he needed to remember them later.
“No. I didn’t hear him leave, and didn’t … Oh, dear.” She was losing control.
“Myra, I’ll call Chief Tate, and we’ll start a search.” He needed to do better than that if he wanted to settle her tension. “He probably ran out of gas or maybe had a flat. With no phone, he couldn’t very well call for help.”
She stayed silent for a moment. “Yes. I’m sure you’re right about that. Please find him for me.”
Her plea ripped at a piece of his heart. He ended the call and reeled in his empty line. He’d pack stuff up later. Palming his phone, he jogged to his black Jeep and climbed in.
Pulling onto the gravel road that ran alongside this forgotten branch of Grayson Lake, he called Heath’s Point Chief of Police and filled him in on the details. “I’m north of town, but I can swing west a few miles and try some of the back roads from Dallas.” That late at night, Ellis would have had to go into the city or at least the suburbs to find his favorite chocolate powder.
“You take that side, and I’ll check in town for his car.” Chief Dell Tate’s normally gruff voice held a tone of worry. “Chances are he came in for donuts or something and just forgot to pick up the note he’d left before going fishing.”
Reasonable. But Jason would still feel better when they found the man. He turned onto the county road and tuned in his police radio. He tried to keep the darn thing off on his free days, but this situation warranted his monitoring the feed. Setting it to scan the local agencies, he tried to relax. Ellis Stone would be found. He’d be fine. This would be a non-issue.
But something in his gut argued against all of that.
God, please, calm Myra right now. Help us find Ellis, so she doesn’t have to worry.
The Lord knew where Ellis was. Given a little time, He’d allow Jason or Dell to find him. And Jason had the time—part of the charm of working for a small-town police department. The fish probably wouldn’t even know they’d been stood up.
He traversed one country road after another, each slick and shiny from the overnight rains, but found no little white sedan stopped alongside the asphalt.
“Cruiser 10, single-vehicle accident near Farm-to-Market 457.” His gut clenched with the call from the county dispatcher. But there was no reason to assume that Ellis had an accident.
Still, Jason wasn’t far from the area. He’d travel that direction if only to get a look at the vehicle and ease his mind that it wasn’t Ellis. Jason glanced at his dashboard clock. Almost ten. He’d have been tired of fishing by now anyway.
His cell buzzed from the pocket of his gray-green shirt and gave his normal greeting, “Danvers.”
“You hear that call?” His superior’s gruff voice barely echoed over the background sounds of his noisy patrol car.
“Yes, sir. I’m already headed in that direction.” Thankfully, he hadn’t picked up his cruiser. Nothing official. Maybe the deputy he always seemed to butt heads with wouldn’t be too hostile toward him since he wasn’t in the uniform or the painted car.
“I’ll meet you there.” Chief Tate snorted. “Those county boys don’t like you much.”
“I know how to play nice.” Too bad the sheriff’s office treated every accident and crime as some sort of competition with all the local agencies. “Besides, they don’t like you either.” Antagonizing them didn’t take much.
“That’s because they think I’ll toss my hat in the ring for sheriff someday.”
Sheriff Beauregard Kindrich had been in charge of the county for almost two decades, and he wasn’t about to relinquish his power to anyone. Especially not to Chief Dell Tate, fifteen years younger than Kindrich and exponentially better at his job. Tate had hinted more than once—even within the sheriff’s hearing—that he might like to run for the elected position.
The chief scoffed. “But they still don’t dare shove me around the way they do you.”
Who would shove a rattler with his bare hands? Jason kept the image to himself. After all, he was still the newcomer to the HPPD, only here for a few years. An outsider to many people, even in town but especially to the sheriff and his deputies. “I’ll stay out of sight until you arrive, then.”
He turned onto County Road 457, a narrow strip of asphalt still glistening in the morning sunlight. This wouldn’t have been a direct route to the store that Myra claimed her husband visited, but it might have been his choice to avoid the more direct route, which often flooded in a heavy sprinkle.
After following it for a few miles without spotting anything, he resisted the urge to turn off and head for Myra’s place, Sunrise Inn. Maybe Ellis had returned home by now.
Cresting another hill, he sighted a small gathering of county cruisers. Looked like he’d located their accident. He pulled off the road some distance from the other vehicles. No need to poke the brown bears, as the local police tended to call them.
Jason did a quick, three-point turn and found a wide area on the other side where he could park. He jogged back to the curve and stood at the crest of the hill overlooking a sorghum field which was soggy from last night’s showers. Sounded like the entire sheriff’s department was down there except for one sad lackey on the far side of the curve who’d been stuck with traffic duty.
From his position, Jason couldn’t see any accident. The curve jutted out a bit, blocking his view. But he could hear the men talking. Unfortunately, one voice rang out above the others.
Deputy Martin Cain. The man practically worshiped at the feet of the sheriff, probably in hopes of being his successor someday. Cain, one of the senior deputies, had probably taken charge of the scene.
Jason wouldn’t get a blade of grass from that guy.
Before the traffic lackey turned toward him, Jason eyed the incline off the side of the road. Steep, but with little flat areas spaced at good intervals. Jason dropped off the edge of the embankment and cut downhill to a grove of leafy cottonwoods on the edge of the sorghum field. If Deputy Cain searched, he might distinguish Jason’s pale mossy shirt or his light tan hat in the undergrowth, but Cain missed more than he caught.
Jason had a clear view of a white sedan resting on its roof in the gully at the edge of the field.
A sick feeling punched his gut. He’d held out hope for any other color. But even so, this was East Texas. Every third vehicle was white to reflect the blistering, summer sun.
None of the county people seemed to be moving very fast. He wanted to believe that they’d already transported the injured driver away, but he knew better. This was a new scene. The fact that they weren’t moving could only mean one thing. Someone was dead. No need to hurry. Even after almost a decade of law enforcement, he’d never gotten used to seeing the dead. Especially after what had happened to him in Chicago.
But even without that tragedy, he couldn’t fathom how law enforcement professionals were supposed to simply shrug off the ending of a life, callously discarding the dreams and potential of the victim? That went for any victim, but especially for a nice, old man who had made Jason a member of the family, welcoming him with a goodhearted laugh and a firm handshake.
Not that the driver was Ellis. Maybe Chief Tate had found him by now. Jason pulled out his phone and texted in order to keep things quiet. “Found the accident. Deputy Cain’s in charge. White car. Tell me you’ve found Ellis.” With nothing to do except wait for his boss’s response, he picked a wide leaf from a nearby branch and absently tore it into thin strips while he listened to the discussions from those at the scene.
“Been dead since about midnight, if I had to guess.” The county coroner, Dr. Barnes, was a plumpish, middle-aged man with dark hair under his trademark Texas Rangers Baseball cap.
“Don’t want chur guessing Charlie. I could do that misself.” Deputy Cain didn’t tend to make friends even within his department.
“Medical Examiner’ll get closer.” The coroner pulled off the cap, scratched his bald spot, and put the cap back on. “Take a while to hear from him.”
“Un-Ax-ceptable.” Cain’s volume rose. “This case’ll be wrapped up with a bow by Sunday’s paper.”
Two days? Cain was dreaming. This was probably a simple accident, but the county ME, Doc Umbridge, wouldn’t even see the data before sometime next week. Maybe the week after if he was busy.
“Like I said ….” The coroner looked meek and amiable, but he had enough gusto to stand up to Deputy Martin Cain. “’Bout midnight. Maybe one. Best guess you’ll get for Sunday’s paper.”
Jason edged to the right, staying in the tree line but hoping to get a view of the driver. He spotted the chief’s cruiser coming around the bend.
Good, he’d get some answers.
The county crime scene investigators measured, marked, and photographed every aspect of the scene. Cain stood to one side with his arms folded.
“What you got going on down here, Cain?” The chief made his way down the hill, and his booming voice seemed to fill the entire valley.
“Nothing you LEOs need to worry about.” Cain might have jurisdiction over the local Law Enforcement Officers, but he had no sense when it came to talking to the chief.
Jason strode from his camouflage and climbed through the slats of the fence. “I should think after all the help we gave the county a few months ago, during those drug raids, that Deputy Cain would at least extend respect, Chief.”
“Great, so the outsider is here, too.” Cain glared at Jason.
“The important people show respect, Jason. Others show immaturity.” The chief sniffed in Cain’s direction as he rounded the car.
Jason joined the county coroner who stood taking notes in a little booklet. “One occupant?”
The coroner didn’t even glance at Cain’s thundercloud face before nodding. “Late sixties, maybe earlier seventies.”
Not what Jason wanted to hear.
“And that ain’t none of their business, Charlie.” Cain stepped between the two, bending over the shorter coroner as if chastising an errant youth.
Dell scratched at his whitish beard. “Son, you need to learn how to work and play nice with others.”
The coroner snickered.
Dell continued, laying his palm on the deputy’s shoulder. “Normal for a cop like Jason to be concerned about something like this.”
“He ain’t got no jurisdiction here.” Cain used that mantra like a business card. “And neither do you.”
“Shoot, son. Just because a career officer is hanging around don’t mean he wants to take over. Stop getting your shorts in a wad about a fight that ain’t even there.” Dell’s comment raised a rumble of chuckles from the others working the scene and a couple of firemen sent to retrieve the body.
The chief bent over to peer through the shattered back glass. “So. This Ellis Stone’s car?”
Jason’s gut twisted. He waited, hoped, for someone to say, No, it belongs to some stranger.
This time the coroner glanced at Cain. The deputy shook his head, but the older man turned toward Dell. “You recognize the man’s car in this condition?”
“Good friend.” Dell’s tone lowered.
To both of them. The knot in Jason’s gut tightened. He squatted, avoiding the view of the man who had been his friend hunched against the passenger window.
“I’m sorry, Chief. Wallet belongs to Ellis Stone. Picture matches.” The coroner continued to speak about details to the chief and the deputy. Jason stopped listening.
Victim. Ellis was the victim. And Jason needed to see him in that way to stay detached enough to let his observations connect.
He glanced around the interior of the car. No wires on the accelerator. The car was in gear. The victim wasn’t belted into the seat. That was strange. Ellis was always automatic in buckling his seatbelt. His blue jeans were soaking wet in places.
Jason put a knee down in the wet grass.
“Keep your fingerprints to yourself, Danvers.” Cain stepped around the car from the other direction.
“Just making observations.”
The chief knelt beside him. “Awful way to go.”
Jason pointed to a puddle of water that soaked the headliner. “Where did all that water come from?”
“It rained last night, of course.” Cain hadn’t bothered to get a glimpse of it for himself. He would’ve seen how unlikely that was.
“Didn’t rain that hard last night. Less than a quarter-inch.” The chief stood and pointed it out to the coroner.
The man bent down next to Jason. “I’m not an investigator, but it looks strange to me.” He turned to Cain. “You should make a note. There’s more than an inch of water pooling near the dome light.” He stood and looked expectantly at Cain.
“This is a waste of time.” But the deputy pulled out his tablet and tapped a few keys.
“Maybe.” Jason took another look, particularly scanning the backseat. A smashed Whataburger cup was near the back window. A discarded receipt with a burger wrapper was near it. “Maybe not. You going to collect all of the items in the car?” Jason stood.
“This is an accident scene, Lieutenant.” Cain narrowed the gap between them, elbows back like a banty rooster and staring up from the height of Jason’s chin. “And this ain’t none of your business.”
Jason stood firm, looking over the man’s head at the chief.
The older man patted Cain on the shoulder. “There’s no call for that, son. Procedure says you collect everything from the scene, even of an accident. Insurance, you know.” He patted him again, persuading him to turn away from Jason. “And I tell you what, you make sure all of those little details get collected and we get access to them, and we’ll go tell the family about their loss.”
Cain huffed but released his attitude. “The sheriff will appreciate that, Chief.”
“Of course.” Dell eyed the junior bear. “Rather it come from me.”
“Sorry for your loss.” To Cain’s credit, he delivered his condolence with a semblance of regret instead of a victory dance. “If it’s any comfort, he went quickly.”
The coroner chimed in. “Broken neck, head wounds. Didn’t have time to even be afraid.”
“Probably saw the Lord before he even saw the ground.” Leave it to Dell to put things into perspective, but that wouldn’t make the loss any easier. He nodded at the two men. “Jason and I will break the news to his wife.”
Cain nodded then raised one eyebrow. “But you’ll need to contact the sheriff right after you’ve spoken to her and let him announce it to the media.”
So much for Cain’s credit. His intention to use Ellis’s death to secure voters for the sheriff left a putrid taste in Jason’s mouth.
Dell lifted his eyes heavenward but agreed and gestured for Jason to join him on a trek back toward the road.
“Not the way I’d hoped to find Ellis.” Jason dug his hiking boots into the soft dirt of the incline.
“Me neither, though I’d never known the man to disappear. Knew something had happened.” He fingered his tuft of beard again above his light-blue uniform shirt. “I hate what this is gonna do to Myra.”
“Especially with no family around.” Though they had a daughter, maybe two, he’d never met them. Myra’s closest friend, Cat Alexander, was out of town. “Should we let Cat and Ray know?”
“No. they deserve to finish their honeymoon in ignorant bliss.” Dell shot him a look. “And until they get back, we’ll make sure Myra has plenty of help and support, starting with you taking her out to Howie-Mem to wait for her husband’s body.”
Howerton Memorial Hospital served as a temporary morgue until the county could build one of their own. “I’ll take care of her.” Jason ached for Myra. Losing a soulmate was hard enough without having to go through the loss all alone. He knew the feeling well.
A position he’d vowed to never relive.
I’m so excited about the release of my newest book – a poignant clean romance that was a 4-tissue story for me!
Enjoy chapter 1 and be sure to order the full novel on Amazon (available both in print and e-book). Oh/, and don’t miss out on a free copy of COUNTER POINT today only! 1/16/18
Her future wasn’t the only thing at stake.
Annalee Chambers slipped into the bare consultation room with her mother, father, and attorney. Reporters filled the hallway and shouted questions as the door closed.
She tugged at a stray blond curl the August breeze had pulled from her hair clip and sank into the wooden chair. If only invisibility were possible—a desire initiated when they’d arrived at the Frank Crowley Court Buildings, and cameras started flashing.
Leaning against the high back of the seat, she stared at a ceiling fan making a slow rotation. For a solid minute, she matched her breathing to the fan’s rhythm.
“The judge has to toss away this whole fabrication.” Her mother paced the same path as the shadows from the circling blades. “Can’t she identify the real victim in this case?”
Annalee bristled at the insinuation. “Mr. Madison was the victim. He and his family are the ones impacted by the accident.” Accident. She hadn’t even realized she’d hit anyone.
“It’s clear the district attorney is only trying to hurt my campaign.” Father lifted a slat from the blinds hanging over the only window in the room. The sunlight made him squint. “He’s been a fan of Mayor Ellis since the beginning. Now, since I’m a real threat, he’s doing everything he can to make me look bad.”
And Annalee had aided in the destruction of her father’s mayoral campaign when she traveled to club-row to pick up her tipsy friend.
“We don’t have too much time to plan this defense.” Mr. Walbright bent his balding head over his briefcase. He unearthed a stack of legal-sized documents and came up for air.
She caught her father’s disgusted glance. Poor Walbright. He probably hoped that his representing Annalee would pave the way for him to work at her father’s firm, but his lack of organization and planning for this case destroyed that dream in its infancy.
The man thumbed through the stack until his forehead relaxed, and he pulled a page from the chaos. “As I understand the events of the night, the officers didn’t actually see you driving the car. Is that correct, Miss Chambers?”
“Yes, but what does it matter?”
“That is the whole point. Can’t you see?” Mother took another lap around the room. “There are no witnesses. Not even Mr. Madison saw your face because you had something white covering it.”
“Giselle’s napkin.” She eyed her Versace bag, tempted to pull out her sketch pad and let this conversation fade from her mind.
“Whatever.” Her mother halted. “If no one can place you in front of the bar, there is no case.”
“But her car was at the scene.” Mr. Walbright pointed to another report he’d extracted from the mess. “Circumstantial, yet it does place her at the accident.”
“Except she wasn’t in her car when the police joined her in the parking lot.” Her father swung around, his blue eyes bright under his tawny hair. “She was helping her friend get in the backseat.”
Friend. A Strange term to use for Giselle. The woman claimed she remembered nothing of her trip home—not blocking Annalee’s view or hysterical giggling or even slamming her foot on the gas pedal. And she hadn’t so much as called to wish Annalee luck in court.
“If only you hadn’t gone to that club.” Mother stared at the ceiling.
“I told Giselle to call me. She needed a safe trip home.” And the ride would have been safe if her friend had stayed on the passenger side of Annalee’s Mustang. The moment she crawled across the seat, Annalee should have pulled over.
“I assume she didn’t appreciate having to sober up at the jail.”
Better than being in the hospital if she’d attempted to drive herself home. Annalee focused on the heavy table in front of her. What unpronounceable combination of elements made up the super industrial-strength material? And where could she get some to help her through this next hour?
Sharp heel clicks resounded in the hallway. The low rumble of voices gave way to a few raised ones, maybe questions being shouted but not distinguishable. The door opened. Annalee shielded her eyes against camera flashes. Several of the reporters called out, but she ignored them.
Her tall, elegant sister shut the door and tugged sunglasses from her face. “The people are crazy out there.” As a well-known model, Ramona Chambers knew what crazy looked like.
“Another reason why the judge will throw this whole thing out.” Her mother stood as tall as her daughter, though her hair was short-cut and silvery instead of the perfect long waves that Ramona enjoyed.
Annalee examined her French manicure against the smooth gray of the sturdy table. How many fists had pounded on it yet not affected its steady balance? The temptation to do a little pounding crossed her mind, but instead, she refocused on Mother’s comment. “If the judge throws out the case, what will happen to Mr. Madison and his family?”
“You’d better worry about what happens to your father and his campaign if Judge Vaught doesn’t.” Mother withdrew a lipstick from her purse and applied the pinkish tone.
“But the man works two jobs.” She lifted her gaze to the quad. Each of them stared down at her like her nose had gone missing. “His family will be on the streets.”
“Where did you get all of that hogwash?” Her sister pulled the wispy scarf from around her head and tucked it into her bag.
She stood. “It’s not hogwash. The story has been on the news and all over the Internet.”
“Well, you’ve got me there. Must be true.” Ramona chuckled.
“None of that matters, Annalee.” Mr. Walbright packed his things back in his case. “The judge will decide.”
“But if there is a case …” Father stood.
“If Judge Vaught accepts the DA’s charges, which she won’t, I’ll make sure the delays extend well past the election. After November, DA Barrett may lose interest when his man is no longer in office.” Walbright chuckled and led Mother to a back door leading to the courtroom.
Father patted Annalee’s hand. “See, Sunshine? Things are going to be fine.”
Fine? Maybe for her family, but the Madisons would see nothing fine about Mr. Walbright’s scenario.
He ushered her in front of him through the door. She followed her attorney to a small table on one side of a wooden rail while the rest of her family sat behind the divider.
The slender judge climbed to her place as everyone stood. She took her seat in a cascade of black robes.
In this heat? No wonder the woman’s gray-brown bangs stuck to her forehead.
“Be seated.” She proceeded to read the formal case title and all of the details of the accusation. “Defendant, please stand.”
Annalee rose, every eye watching like an audience at an open-heart surgery. She lowered her chin but glanced at the judge. The robed woman there gave her a lingering perusal.
“Straighten up.” Her mother’s whisper brought reality to the situation.
Annalee relaxed her shoulders and lifted her face.
“You stand accused of the crime of Leaving the Scene of an Accident Involving Injuries, a Class A misdemeanor carrying up to one year in county jail, a fine not to exceed $5,000, and restitution to the victim in this case …” The judge flipped a page in her file and continued in a robotic tone. “… a Mr. Robert Madison.”
She hadn’t considered the possibility of jail time. The thought chilled her. Maybe Walbright’s ideas were best after all.
“How do you plea?”
Annalee stole a look at her attorney. Why didn’t he say anything?
“Just say not guilty,” he whispered.
What? She had to talk in front of this whole roomful of people? Wait … she was the one to declare her plea?
A low rumble resonated over the room. The judge tapped her pen against a wood block. “Quiet, please.” She arched her unibrow in Annalee’s direction. “Miss Chambers?” The jerk of her head made her wispy bouffant teeter.
“Guilty.” Annalee’s answer came out in a conversational tone, as though she commented on the weather.
The room erupted with urgent voices. Annalee clamped her jaw tight. Her announcement would have repercussions of storm-like proportions.
Mother exclaimed and leaned over the bar, hissing instructions. Ramona joined her, though slightly more composed. Mr. Walbright called for the judge to give him a few minutes alone with his client. Father stared at his hands on his knees.
Annalee hated betraying him, but the mayoral race wasn’t life or death.
The judge tapped on the block again and raised her voice to gain order. “Mr. Walbright, you just came from a conference with your client. Didn’t you discuss this?”
“No, your honor. I mean yes, but …” He ran his fingers through what little hair decorated his bare scalp. “She’s confused.”
“Are you confused, Miss Chambers?”
Annalee shook her head and lifted her chin higher. “No, I’m not.” She dug her nails into her palms but kept her voice steady and strong.
“She seems coherent to me, Mr. Walbright.” The judge narrowed her eyes. “Perhaps you’re the one who’s confused.”
He nodded, adjusting his rimless bifocals. “A minute, please?”
“You have five while I consider the matter.” The judge held up her hand as Walbright shoved Annalee back through the side door and shut it behind him. “What were you thinking, Annalee?” The man mouthed her mother’s words like a ventriloquist dummy.
The thought caught her off guard for a moment, but she clasped her hands in front of her and straightened her shoulders. “I told you I didn’t want the Madison family to bear the financial burden of the accident. Then you and Mother and Father decided their needs didn’t matter.” She turned toward the window.
“So, you took it all on yourself?”
She whirled on him. “Who else should?” If her father’s money was the only valuable thing about her, then at the very least, she could support those poor people.
“But I could have gotten you off. You would have walked away.” He lifted both fists and turned toward the doorway, probably plotting his escape?
“Mr. Madison can’t walk. At least not for a couple of months while he heals.” Surely, Mr. Walbright could tell the difference between winning and stepping on people.
He spun in her direction. “Don’t you realize you can go to jail for this?”
Not until the judge mentioned it, but by then, Annalee had already made her decision. She crossed her arms. “It’s your job to see I don’t. Your magical defense?” She eased the sarcasm out of her voice. No need to further rile the man.
“The only thing I had was their lack of evidence. With your guilty plea, my defense is null and void.”
She hadn’t thought through the details but didn’t regret her action. “This was the right thing to do, Mr. Walbright.”
“Maybe yes, maybe no.” He took her arm and led her back toward the courtroom door. “But you put your future in the hands of a perfect stranger.” He paused as he pushed the door open. “And she was appointed by Mayor Ellis.”
Oops.
Summoned to Camelot.
CJ Whelan approached the expansive doors of the Preston Park Country Club. Hand-carved wood, wrought-iron handles, and lead-crystal insets proclaimed their value in a dignified tone. He jerked one of them opened and passed through the portal from normal life to luxury.
“May I help you?” The host’s tuxedo seemed too formal for such an early hour and way too hot for the Texas heat wave going on outside.
“I’m here to see Scott Whelan.” His dad had insisted he attend the Intercede Foundation’s board meeting. Everything in CJ wanted to rebel or at least, find a plausible excuse. But when he’d blown off last month’s meeting, they’d cut some of the funding for the program he directed.
This time, he’d spent almost an hour talking to God about the situation before he arrived. Dad didn’t understand the importance of the program.
Or maybe he only cared about getting his way.
The man behind the concierge counter dipped his gaze toward CJ’s sneakers and back up across his blue jeans and shirt. “I beg your pardon. Mr. Whelan is in the formal dining room.” He emphasized formal.
What was his problem? CJ wore a button-down shirt over his tee. In this August blast, that took effort and dedication. “And?” He lifted his chin and nailed the host with steady eyes.
The man didn’t meet the challenge. Instead, he dug through a drawer on his left. “The Preston Park Country Club has certain standards for our formal areas.” He pulled a folded, navy tie from the drawer. “This should satisfy the membership.”
Next time his dad forced him to come here, he’d not bother covering his Casting Crowns tee shirt. He ground his molars together and snatched the silk dog collar. Knotting it around his neck, he left it loose. The maître d’ attempted to tighten it, but CJ swatted his hands away. “I can see myself in.”
“No, no, no.” The man leaped to bar his way. “I must see your identification, sir. Mr. Whelan has given me a list of his guests, and I must check off your name.”
Of course. We mustn’t color outside of the lines, must we? He whipped out his license and dropped it on the host station. “There. We good now?”
“Mr. Whelan?” The host’s eyes widened. “I’m so sorry, sir. I had no idea.”
“So, I’m not on dear Daddy’s list?” CJ collected the card and stuffed his wallet into his back pocket.
“No need to be on his guest list. As Mr. Whelan’s son, that is, your father’s son, I mean of course you are, but your entrance is automatic, or at least it should be. I’m terribly sorry for all
of—”
CJ raised his palms. “Look, if you’ll tell me where to find my dad …”
“This way.” The man’s face had reddened from his ears forward.
He probably expected CJ to raise a fuss or make an official complaint. Fishing a dollar out of his front pocket, CJ stuffed it in his hand. Not the amount of tip the man normally received, but it would have to do. “It’s all right. Really.”
The worker slunk away and left CJ scanning the six faces around the table. His dad had his head buried in a deep discussion with two men on his left. Leon sat beside him with Davis one seat down. On his right, Mr. Simons had his arms crossed and lips pressed together. Next to him, the only woman in the group, Delfia Moncrief, matched his body language, only adding furrowed eyebrows. A large balding man, Arthur Bench completed the circle. The grimace he wore, along with his hand on his swollen belly, looked more like gas than disagreement.
“Ah. Carlton.” Dad’s toothy smile didn’t reach his eyes. “You decided to come.”
“After you cut funding during your last meeting, I didn’t have much of a choice.”
“And I didn’t agree with that motion, either.” The woman pointed a slender finger toward Dad.
With every seat occupied, CJ pulled a chair over from a neighboring table. Dear old dad hadn’t truly expected him. Fancy that.
“So, what is it you don’t agree with Mrs. Moncrief?”
“Selling that beautiful old house where the center is. I’d rather see it become some sort of monument than another parking lot.”
Sell the center? A thousand tiny scorpions stung the back of his neck and began traveling down his spine. “The center is kinda still using the building right now.”
Dad straightened. “We can’t expect you to come in mid-discussion and understand what all is going on.” He tapped the table in front of Leon.
Alton Leon cleared his throat. “I move this discussion be postponed until we can discuss details more fully.”
“I second.” Charles Davis puffed out his chest with the announcement.
“Well, I don’t. I want to discuss this now.” Mrs. Moncrief patted the surface of the shiny wooden table.
You go, Mrs. M. CJ studied his father. The man’s lips curled up a bit, and he acknowledged Mrs. Moncrief through half-closed eyes. He held the influence, and he knew it.
“Let’s keep moving.” Arthur Bench popped a couple of Tums from a small bottle and leaned on his elbows.
How had this group ever made any decisions? “Where are you planning to move the center if you end up selling the Haskell house?” He didn’t care what Davis and Leon declared. Dad was the puppet master, again attempting to direct CJ’s life for him.
“That’s a discussion for another time.” Dad pointed to Mr. Bench. “Didn’t you have a—”
“But I’m here. And moving the center will make drastic transitions for me and my team, not to mention the families we serve. If you move to a building too far away, those who walk to their homes, almost thirty percent of our children, won’t be able to use our services at all.”
“My thoughts exactly.” Dean Simons slapped his palms on the table. “Moving isn’t necessary. We can add on where it is right now.”
Add on? This was a discussion CJ could embrace. “Absolutely. The side lot goes virtually unused, except for the bus drive-through. We could move the lane further over and have enough room to make two more buildings, both as big as the first.”
Mrs. Moncrief smiled at him. “You are so like your mother, CJ. So singular in your purpose for those children.”
Dad stiffened at the mention of Mom.
“I love the idea.” Simons tapped the table.
“You’re getting ahead of yourself, Carlton.” Dad’s gaze, no longer under the comfortable half-lids, pierced him with warning. The others chimed in and a rumble of discussion overwhelmed the table.
CJ gave his dad a side-long look. “I’m not the one selling a building that’s still in use.”
Dad’s composure slipped. “No one said we were selling.” A red blotch grew above his proper business shirt.
“I second the motion.” Mr. Simons slapped the table again.
“That wasn’t a motion.” His dad pulled at his collar.
“All in favor.” Mrs. Moncrief’s wide smile overwhelmed her tiny mouse-like face, but she raised her hand and called out “Aye” along with Simons and Bench. “Opposed?”
“Now just a minute.” Dad’s graying hair, normally smoothed to perfection, had a few fraying edges. His eyebrows mimicked the look as he attempted to regain the control he’d lost. “This isn’t a real—”
“None opposed. The ayes have it.” Mrs. Moncrief let out a tiny giggle, girlish despite her sixty-some-odd years. Bench and Simons joined in her laughter. Davis and Leon looked confused.
Dad took an audible breath. “Very well. We won’t be selling the center … this year.” He drew a hand across his hair from front to back and lowered his tone. “But we have received a serious complaint from one of the surrounding businesses.”
Surrounding businesses? “There’s only one, and the owner and I are good friends.”
“I’m not speaking of the adjacent body shop. I’m referring to The Glan-Sec offices on the east side of the property. They insist the loud noises of the children while they play interrupt their business dealings.”
“What business dealings? One’s a dentist and the other’s a day-trader.” And neither of them could claim quiet offices if CJ’s visits were any indication.
“Nevertheless, the children may not play within fifty feet of their building from here on in.”
“That’s ridiculous. They can’t stop children from playing in their own yard during the middle of the day.”
“But it’s not their yard.” Dad’s volume rose and conversation at nearby tables silenced for a moment. His Adam’s apple dipped. “The center’s in a business district and had to earn the acceptance of the surrounding owners before we could move in.”
“And the owners of the Glan-Sec building approved. They can’t go back on their agreement now.” CJ leaned forward. “Besides, Glan-Sec are only lessees. They don’t have any say.”
“But they can complain to the city planning and zoning committee.” Leon agreed with Dad. Small wonder there.
“Yes, and the committee can remove the center’s license, making the entire foundation look bad.” Davis’s comment only confirmed CJ’s opinion that he was indeed a shadow of Leon and not a separate man at all.
“Still, you can’t force the children to stay indoors all day. That’s not healthy.” Mrs. Moncrief’s argument brought mumbles of agreement from the other two men.
“You seem to have a standoff, Dad.” CJ gripped the edge of the table. “Maybe you should postpone this discussion, too, until someone actually makes a formal complaint against the center.” Which would never come.
Dad squinted.
“Seems fair, Whelan.” Mr. Bench rocked forward. “I suggest we call this meeting complete.”
“Second.” Simons raised his hand as the rest of the attendees mumbled. “I think we’re on the right course, Scott.” Mr. Simons shoved against the table to stand. Bench engaged him in conversation as they walked out together.
“Well, if we’re done here, I have an appointment.” Leon didn’t look at Dad. “Good-bye, all.” Davis followed him out without a word.
What sort of invisible adhesive did those men use to be so synchronized?
“You’ve got a good man in charge over there.” Mrs. Moncrief smiled in CJ’s direction and patted his dad’s shoulder. “The afterschool center is in good hands.”
Dad’s eyes hadn’t strayed from CJ’s face.
CJ ignored the stare-down, drumming his thumbs on the polished wood. “Don’t you all eat at these meetings?”
“We ate before the meeting began. And you were late.”
“Better check with your secretary, Dad. I was here five minutes early according to her e-mail.”
He broke his choking glare and scooted his chair back. “I’ll do that. Next month, be here at eight.” He waved a finger at CJ’s neck. “And wear your own tie.”
Dad exited the dining room without a backward glance.
CJ resisted the smile wanting to spread.
This win was only round one.
And I’m so excited that my book is among them! Check out the third one down! Squee!
January 2018 New Releases
More in-depth descriptions of these books can be found on the ACFW Fiction Finder website.
Contemporary Romance:
Her Handyman Hero by Lorraine Beatty — Reid Blackthorn arrives in Dover on a personal mission—to make sure his terminally ill brother gets a chance to meet his daughter. Deceiving little Lily’s guardian isn’t his intention. Yet once Tori Montgomery mistakes Reid for her new handyman, he knows it’s the only way to be close to his niece. Tori is honoring her friend’s last wish by keeping Lily away from her father’s family. And once she learns who Reid truly is, she realizes there’s too much at stake—including custody of Lily—for her to fall for the former DEA agent. But in keeping a promise, is she losing out on her chance for a happily-ever-after? (Contemporary Romance from Love Inspired [Harlequin])
Beneath the Summer Sun by Kelly Irvin — It’s been four years since Jennie’s husband died in a farming accident. Long enough that the elders in her Amish community think it’s time to marry again for the sake of her seven children. What they don’t know is that grief isn’t holding her back from a new relationship. Fear is. A terrible secret in her past keeps her from moving forward. Meanwhile, Leo Graber nurtures a decades-long love for Jennie, but guilt plagues him—guilt for letting Jennie marry someone else and guilt for his father’s death on a hunting trip many years ago. How could anyone love him again—and how could he ever take a chance to love in return? (Contemporary Romance from HarperCollins Christian Publishing)
Ain’t Misbehaving by Marji Laine — True, Annalee’s crime amounted to very little, but not in terms of community service hours. Her probation officer encouraged her with a promise of an easy job in an air-conditioned downtown environment. She didn’t expect her role to be little better than a janitor at an after-school daycare in the worst area of town. Carlton Whelen hides behind the nickname of CJ so people won’t treat him like the wealthy son of the Whelen Foundation director. Working at the foundation’s after-school program delights him and annoys his business-oriented father. When a gorgeous prima donna is assigned to his team, he not only cringes at her mistakes but also has to avoid the attraction that builds from the first time he sees her. (Contemporary Romance from Write Integrity Press)
Finding Grace by Melanie D. Snitker — Single dad Tyler Martin can’t be more grateful to the woman who finds his missing daughter. Even though he feels a spark between them, falling in love is a risk he shouldn’t take. Too bad chance encounters and his stubborn heart keep trying to convince him otherwise. After escaping a nightmarish relationship, Beth Davenport is content with her safe and blessedly normal life. Yet something about Tyler and his adorable daughter makes her wish for more. With the walls around her heart finally starting to crumble, she’s afraid of a future she can’t predict. Can they let go of their fear and trust God to lead them to the love they desperately need? (Contemporary Romance, Independently Published)
Marrying Mandy by Melanie D. Snitker — Mandy Hudson swore she’d never marry. Abandoned by her parents and raised by her grandparents, she has a hard time trusting that real love will last. When her grandmother dies, Mandy’s shocked to discover a stipulation in the will. Considering marriage to her best friend may be the only way to keep her family’s beloved bed-and-breakfast. The loss of his job threatens Preston Yarrow’s shaky financial stability. Besides, he can’t watch his best friend give up the only real home she’s ever known. Frustrated by Mandy’s stubborn refusal to let him help, he’s certain they are stronger together than they are apart. A marriage of convenience might be crazy… or an answer to both their prayers. (Contemporary Romance, Independently Published)
Historical:
Son of Promise by Caryl McAdoo — Can a wife find the grace to forgive when her husband’s withheld the truth? Travis Buckmeyer has a secret son, and the morning’s come to tell his sweet wife. He hates breaking Emma Lee’s heart. She promised him one ten years ago, but hasn’t been blessed to carry a baby to term. Every miscarriage made the telling harder, but now his clock’s run out. He’s going for his son, praying he won’t lose her.
Cody knows who his mother claims his father is, but he’s only interested in getting sprung from reform school then boosting enough from the do-gooder to bust out on his own.
Can Travis find redemption, Emma Lee forgiveness, or Cody the love he’s been longing for? (Historical, Independently Published)
Historical Romance:
Hearts Entwined by Mary Connealy, Melissa Jagears, Regina Jennings, and Karen Witemeyer — Four top historical romance novelists team up in this new collection to offer stories of love and romance with a twist of humor. In Karen Witemeyer’s “The Love Knot,” Claire Nevin gets the surprise of her life awaiting her sister’s arrival by train. Mary Connealy’s “The Tangled Ties That Bind” offers the story of two former best friends who are reunited while escaping a stampede. Regina Jennings offers “Bound and Determined,” where a most unusual trip across barren Oklahoma plains is filled with adventure, romance, and . . . camels? And Melissa Jagears’ “Tied and True” entertains with a tale of two hearts from different social classes who become entwined at a cotton thread factory. (Historical Romance from Bethany House [Baker])
A Bouquet of Brides Collection by Mary Davis, Kathleen E. Kovach, Paula Moldenhauer, Suzanne Norquist, Donita Kathleen Paul, Donna Schlachter, and Pegg Thomas — For seven bachelors, this bouquet of brides means a happily ever after. Meet seven American women who were named for various flowers but struggle to bloom where God planted them. Can love help them grow to their full potential? (Historical Romance from Barbour Publishing)
A Mother For His Family by Susanne Dietze —
Lady Helena Stanhope’s reputation is in tatters…and she’s lost any hope for a “respectable” ton marriage. An arranged union is the only solution. But once Helena weds formidable Scottish widower John Gordon, Lord Ardoch, and encounters his four mischievous children, she’s determined to help her new, ever-surprising family. Even if she’s sure love is too much to ask for.
All John needs is someone to mother his admittedly unruly brood. He never imagined that beautiful Lady Helena would be a woman of irresistible spirit, caring and warmth. Or that facing down their pasts would give them so much in common. Now, as danger threatens, John will do whatever it takes to convince Helena their future together—and his love—are for always. (Historical Romance from Love Inspired [Harlequin])
His Forgotten Fiancee by Evelyn M. Hill — Liza Fitzpatrick is stunned when her fiancé finally arrives in Oregon City — with amnesia. Matthew Dean refuses to honor a marriage proposal he doesn’t recall making, but Liza needs his help now to bring in the harvest, and maybe she can help him remember… Matthew is attracted to the spirited Liza, and as she tries to help him regain his old memories, the new ones they’re creating together start to make him feel whole. Even as he falls for her again, though, someone’s determined to keep them apart. Will his memory return in time to save their future? (Historical Romance from Love Inspired [Harlequin])
A Song Unheard by Roseanna M. White — Willa Forsythe is both a violin prodigy and top-notch thief, which makes her the perfect choice for a critical task at the outset of World War I–to secure a crucial cypher key from a famous violinist currently in Wales. Lukas De Wilde has enjoyed the life of fame he’s won–until now, when being recognized nearly gets him killed. Everyone wants the key to his father’s work as a cryptologist. And Lukas fears that his mother and sister, who have vanished in the wake of the German invasion of Belgium, will pay the price. The only distraction he finds from his worry is in meeting the intriguing and talented Willa Forsythe. But danger presses in from every side, and Willa knows what Lukas doesn’t–that she must betray him and find that key, or her own family could pay the same price his surely has. (Historical Romance from Bethany House [Baker])
Mystery:
Surgeon’s Choice by Richard L. Mabry, MD — Dr. Ben Merrick thought his biggest problem was getting his fiancé’s divorced parents into the same room for the wedding–and then, people started dying. (Mystery, Independently Published through White Glove)
Romantic Suspense:
Innocent Lies by Robin Patchen — Desperate to be safe from the man who held her captive and ruined her life, Kelsey must ensure her child is protected before she can take her enemy on. But a string of bad luck gets her arrested and lands her face-to-face with the only man she’s ever loved—the only man who can destroy all her plans. (Romantic Suspense, Independently Published)
Cold Truth by Susan Sleeman — When research chemist Kiera Underwood receives the cryptic phone call about her twin brother, she tries to contact him to no avail. Her twin sense tingles, warning her that something is wrong. Kiera’s not prepared when an attempt is made on her life and Blackwell Tactical operative Cooper Ashcroft delivers her second shock of the day. Someone killed the supervisor at the research lab where her brother works and stole a deadly biotoxin. The main suspect? Her brother, and Blackwell Tactical has been hired to bring him in. If that wasn’t shocking enough, she’s suspected of colluding with him. Setting out to prove herself and her brother is innocent, she is almost abducted before Ashcroft rescues her. He’s faced with the reality that she’s telling the truth and someone has likely abducted her brother—perhaps killed him—and now Kiera’s very life is in danger, too. (Romantic Suspense, Independently Published)
I’m so excited to share about these new books!
(And don’t miss out on the special pre-order price of THE REVISIONARY, the first book of Kristen Hogrefe’s new Young Adult Dystopian series, The Rogues! Order yours at 40% off – only $2.99 – at this Amazon link, and learn more about the book at Fiction Finders and www.WriteIntegrity.com.)
More in-depth descriptions of these books can be found on the ACFW Fiction Finder website.
Contemporary Romance:
Amish Brides by Jennifer Beckstrand, Molly Jebber, Amy Lillard — Under bright blue skies, wedding bells ring–fulfilling sweet dreams, impossible wishes, and joyous new beginnings among these three new stories. (Contemporary Romance from Kensington Publishers)
Sprouts of Love by Valerie Comer — An overzealous community garden manager delivers more than the food bank manager can handle. Can love sprout amid the tsunami of vegetables? (Contemporary Romance, Independently Published)
Summer Dreams by Delia Latham — God’s love…reflected in the waters of the Pacific, and in the eyes of a young couple who walk its moonstone shores. (Contemporary Romance from White Rose Publishing [Pelican])
Right Where We Belong by Deborah Raney, Melissa Tagg, Courtney Walsh — Three sweet stories of small-town romance by three tried-and-true authors. Whether in a quaint home bakery in Langhorne, Missouri, a cozy boho coffee shop in Maple Valley, Iowa, or a charming lakeside cottage in Sweethaven, Michigan, love grows best in small towns just like this! (Contemporary Romance, Independently Published)
A Spring of Weddings by Toni Shiloh and Melissa Wardwell — Two Spring wedding novellas, “A Proxy Wedding,” and “Hope Beyond Savannah.” (Contemporary Romance from Celebrate Lit Publishing)
True to You by Becky Wade — Former Navy SEAL John Lawson hires genealogist Nora Bradford to help him to uncover the identity of his birth mother. As they work side-by-side, this pair of opposites begins to suspect that they just might be a perfect match. (Contemporary Romance from Bethany House [Baker] Publishing)
Cozy Mystery:
What the Bishop Saw by Vannetta Chapman — A fire blazes out of control in the San Luis Valley of Colorado, leaving an elderly, Amish bachelor dead. Bishop Henry Lapp rushes to the scene, and he learns the fire was no accident. When the police point the finger at a suspect Henry knows is innocent, the bishop must decide whether or not to use his mysterious, God-given gift—one he’s tried desperately to ignore all these years—to try and set the record straight. (Contemporary Romance from Harvest House Publishers)
General Contemporary:
A Season to Dance by Patricia Beal — The heart wrenching love story of a small town professional ballerina who dreams of dancing at the Met in New York, of the two men who love her and of the forbidden kiss that changed everything. (General Contemporary from Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas)
Looking Glass Lies by Varina Denman — A poignant and relatable novel, Looking Glass Lies captures the war women wage against themselves, and the struggle to see beauty reflected in a mirror not distorted by society’s unrelenting expectations. (General Contemporary from Waterfall Press)
Historical:
Blind Ambition by Carol Ashby — What began as a bored man’s decision to try a different road turns into an emotional and spiritual quest that changes the direction of his entire life. (Historical from Cerrillo Press)
Wings of the Wind by Connilyn Cossette — A broken and bitter Canaanite woman dresses as a man to fight against the invading Hebrews, never expecting that she would live to be captured and married to one of her enemies, and certainly not to find love and healing among the very people who killed her family. (Biblical/Historical from Bethany House [Baker] Publishing)
Historical Romance:
The Secret Admirer Romance Collection by Amanda Barratt, Lorraine Beatty, Molly Noble Bull, Anita Mae Draper, CJ Dunham, Jennifer Uhlarik, Becca Whitham, Kathleen Y’Barbo, Penny Zeller — Shy expressions of love lead to nine historical romances. Declaring one’s love can be hard–even risky–especially when faced with some of life’s greatest challenges. (Historical Romance from Barbour Publishing)
The Noble Servant by Melanie Dickerson — She lost everything to an evil conspiracy . . . but that loss may just give her all she ever wanted. (Historical Romance from HarperCollins Christian Publishing)
My Heart Belongs in Ruby City, Idaho: Rebecca’s Plight by Susanne Dietze — It’s a mail-order disorder when newlyweds realize they’ve married the wrong partners with similar names. An annulment seems in order–and fast. But when the legalities take longer than expected, Rebecca Rice wonders if Tad Fordham wasn’t the right husband for her all along. . . . (Historical Romance from Barbour Publishing)
A Love So True by Melissa Jagears — They begin with the best of intentions, but soon the complications pile up and Evelyn and David’s dreams look more unattainable every day. When the revelation of a long-held secret creates a seemingly insurmountable rift between them, can they trust God still has a good plan for them despite all that is stacked against them? (Historical Romance from Bethany House [Baker] Publishing)
Road to Harmony by Sherry Kyle — When Jonas returns to Harmony, Elena’s heart is torn between her secret love, and the storeowner her parents hope she marries. (Historical Romance, Independently Published)
Hills of Nevermore by Janalyn Voigt — Can a young widow hide her secret shame from the Irish preacher bent on helping her survive? (Historical Romance from Mountain Brook Ink)
Romantic Suspense:
Fatal Mistake by Susan Sleeman — Each day could be her last…but not if he can help it. An FBI agent must protect the woman who can identify a terrorist bomber in bestselling author Susan Sleeman’s riveting romantic suspense novel. (Romantic Suspense from Faith Words [Hachette])
I’m so excited! Yeah, the words of that song are running through my mind at the moment! Some GREAT things have been in the works for a while and they are all coming to a head TODAY! Woohoo!
… is my radio talk show, Publishing Laine, airing tonight on BlogTalkRadio.com at 7PM Central. Here’s the direct link:
Tonight’s topic is the variety of choices that today’s market gives to authors in regards to publishing. All of those options produce both challenges and benefits. And we’ll be analyzing those. I say “we” because I won’t be alone on this talk show. My guest is Dena Netherton, author of a creepy new thriller, HAVEN’S FLIGHT.
Yea! This book goes beyond suspense and involves a mad stalker and the natural challenges of the rugged Cascade wilderness. Here’s the short version:
Sometimes you flee from your enemy; sometimes you stand and fight.
Haven enrolled in Life Ventures Therapy Camp in the Cascade Mountains to help her heal from horrible memories of her mother’s violent death at the hands of an armed robber. But now, a greater fear dogs her steps. In the mountains, the rustle of leaves or the snap of a twig could be nothing. Or it might signal the presence of the man who won’t stop following her. It seems like a cruel trick from God to throw Haven into another dangerous situation only a year after her mom’s murder.
He hides near her tent and listens to the girl talk with the counselor. Mostly she talks about her father. She’s unhappy, and he can’t stand to listen and do nothing about it. He needs to rescue her. He needs to make sure she doesn’t ever go back home to her father. His own father was the cause of his mother’s death. And Ruth’s. He can’t let that happen again. When the time is right, he’ll take her away to his hidden cabin where she’ll be safe. She’ll never be seen or heard from again. And he will feel peace for the first time in years.
Can one month of survival training equip a girl to face all that the rugged wilderness and a madman can dish out?
And then there’s my thirdThis one is on a more personal level. Spunky, one of my twins, started her new job this morning and yes, the dog picture does her justice! It’s a mirror image of her enthusiasm when I picked her up after her shift! So happy for her!
But I could use the prayers. For the next several weeks, until she gets her license, she’s got 5AM and 3AM shifts – guess who gets to chauffeur? #Just5MoreMinutes? #WayTooEarly!
YOUR TURN: What is turning on your excitement today???
Marji Laine 