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Thursday, March 28, 2024

REVIEW: One Award Finalist!

I believe this book was reviewed on this blog when it first released, but upon learning that it was a finalist for the esteemed Selah Award, I had to look into it for myself! I'm so glad I did. 

COLD PURSUIT is a story that left me with little tingles crawling up my back. Seriously, Nancy Mehl has a deviously clever mind! I was hooked from the first moment, when the main character was shot! Yes, shot! And then the other main character was locked in a box and thrown into the river. 

You know, I always go into books expecting that the main characters will at least live through the first chapter. I wasn't sure this time! 

Hard to believe, but the suspense actually gets even more intense. I was intrigued by the explanation of synesthesia and then the experience of it manifested through the mind and point of view of the antagonist. Mrs. Mehl drew him as a tragic character that sparked my empathy, along with disgust and a big dose of dread/fear. I consider her an absolute master at drawing creative characters that are way too real - especially when they are killing people!  

Along with the empathetic character of the antagonist, the series has a great chemistry between the hero, Tony St. Clair, and the heroine, River Ryland. They are attempting to stick to the best friends monikers, but I don't expect their relationship to remain there for long. 

I was drawn to River's character in particular. Her frustration with her mother's condition gave me flashbacks of my own encounter with Alzheimer's. It is a cruel disease for those watching its affects. But in my experience with my mom, it became truly merciful, allowing her to dwell into situations that brought her joy and made her feel needed even if they'd happened decades before. And I loved how she could remember every word of a dozen or more hymns - all the verses - up until the end. I could see similar effects in River's mom - her unwarranted anger and the hurtful words that were quickly forgotten. River has her hands and her heart full with this situation and that makes her all the more real... and vulnerable. 

The ending was satisfying, spooky even. But though this situation was resolved, a bigger-picture issue
was revealed to bleed into the next book. COLD THREAT, book 2 of the Ryland & St. Clair series, released in January (Get it HERE!), and book 3, COLD VENGEANCE will launch in July. Can't wait! 

I can certainly see why this book was targeted as a finalist for the distinguished Selah Award. You're going to want to read it! Here's the LINK and here's a bit more about the book: 

Ex-FBI profiler River Ryland still suffers from PTSD after a case went horribly wrong. Needing a fresh start, she moves to St. Louis to be near her ailing mother and opens a private investigation firm with her friend and former FBI partner, Tony St. Clair. They're soon approached by a grieving mother who wants them to find out what happened to her teenaged son, who disappeared four years ago. River knows there's almost no hope the boy is still alive, but his mother needs closure, and River and Tony need a case, no matter how cold it might be.

But as they follow the boy's trail, which gets more complicated at every turn, they find themselves in the path of a murderer determined to punish anyone who gets in his way. As River and Tony race to stop him before he kills again, an even more dangerous threat emerges, stirring up the past that haunts River and plotting an end to her future.

And don't miss what other best-selling and award-winning suspense authors are saying about this book!

 "Guaranteed to captivate with plot twists you won't see coming."--Tosca Lee, New York Times bestselling author

"This story is sure to leave you breathless from the thrill of the ride. Hold on tight, it's about to get exhilarating!"--Lynette Eason, bestselling and award-winning author of the Extreme Measures series

"Cold Pursuit sucked me in from the first riveting page and pulled me deeper into an intricate, danger-filled plot."--Elizabeth Goddard, bestselling author of Cold Light of Day

Tuesday, March 26, 2024

Writing Ain't for the Weak, Folks

 This morning, I was driving down the road thinking about books.

Yep, I do that sometimes.

More specifically, I was thinking back to the time before I really became a writer. (I say that because I've always written stories, I just never considered publishing as an actual career until, one day, God whacked me upside the head... But that's another story.) Back them, I would read a book, love a book, set aside a book, and pick up another book.  Ah, lost in another world. How wonderful! Books are awesome and amazing! They take me to new places! They teach me new things! I love books!

And then I became a writer.

Oh, I still love books, but I look at them in a whole new way now.  

So, as I was driving today, I was thinking about how books are put together and how much goes in to what we pick up off a shelf or download onto our e-readers.  Here's a little glimpse behind the scenes.

There are books that just flow. We sit down, we write, we revise, we edit, some publishing things happen, and readers read. Those books rock. 

And then there are other books. Y'all, I am not joking when I say I see a massage therapist twice a month because I'm a writer. I saw mine yesterday, and I loved her more than ever before because I had just spent two solid weeks hunched over my laptop, revising a book that doesn't even have the final three chapters written yet.  Why? A perfectly normal thing happened.  My editor said, "Hey, I love this idea, but can you change this one thing?" It was a good request from her, because changing that one thing will make the book better. I am down with making the book better every time.

But "one thing" is like dropping a rock into a pond. It makes ripple effects. One thing meant every chapter had to be rewritten before I could write the ending. And it had to be done fast, because I need to write the ending. In about fourteen months, there will be a book on the shelves that someone will pick up and read... and they will never know that those words came at the expense of my neck and back for two weeks. :-)

And then I was thinking about my good friend/prayer partner/brainstorming buddy/encourager/all-around partner-in-making-trouble, Jessica Patch. She's working on a new book right now that I can promise you is going to knock your socks off when you get a chance to read it. Y'all.  I mean, Y'ALL. I can't wait until she's done, even though I already know how it's going to go. 

But can we talk about this book? It is twisty. It is turny. It flips the script on you. She had a whole first draft done.  

And then she decided it could be better. She has completely ripped this book apart. Like, chapter one no longer exists. A character has been completely removed. Chapter 4 is now chapter 13.  Chapter 13 is now chapter 6. I'm talking some serious reconstruction here. Every day, I get an update on what's different now. And let me tell you, it's even twistier and turnier and script-flippier than ever.  And one day, that book will be on the shelves or on e-readers, and anybody reading it will absolutely fall into this amazing, wild story, flipping pages until they forget to sleep at night. No one who reads it will ever know Jessica spent a whole lot of days looking like this:


Photo recreations of actual faces made during the revision process.
No writers were harmed in the taking of these photos.

So pray for us writers. We're probably somewhere ripping our favorite scenes apart as we cry into our coffee cups.  (Or maybe we're just taking fake agonized-face selfies of ourselves and sending them to our friends. You never know.)


Monday, March 25, 2024

WHAT'S HOT IN INSPIRATIONAL SUSPENSE

 Wondering what's HOT in Inspirational suspense this week? I have two Harlequin Love Inspired Suspense books releasing this week! Dana Mentink's Tracking the Truth and Jessica R. Patch's Cold Case Target (Texas Crime Scene Cleaners, !


Tracking the Truth by Dana Mentink
To expose a suspect, he needs evidence…
and a K-9’s instincts.

After Emery Duncan is abducted and dumped in a lake, private investigator Roman Wolfe and his bloodhound partner rescue her from an icy death. Someone doesn’t want Emery to find out what really happened the night her father confessed to attempted murder. To keep Emery and her baby nephew safe, they must uncover the connection between her father’s confession and the attack…or they’ll be silenced for good.

From Love Inspired Suspense: Courage. Danger. Faith.

Security Hounds Investigations

Cold Case Target by Jessica R. Patch

Caught in a serial killer’s deadly game with nowhere to turn…

Interrupting an attempted murder—and leaving with incriminating evidence—makes Sissy Spencer a serial killer’s next target. With a flash drive in her possession containing disturbing proof of multiple murders, Sissy has no choice but to trust her ex-boyfriend, private investigator Beau Brighton, to keep her safe. But can they unravel the clues and track down a killer…before he catches them first?

From Love Inspired Suspense: Courage. Danger. Faith.

Texas Crime Scene Cleaners


Click on each cover or title to buy from Amazon!


We Love Books!




THIS WEEK ON THE SUSPENSE SISTERS


We have exciting things planned for you this week on the Suspense Sisters!




On Tuesday, author Patricia Bradley will tell us what’s hot in inspirational suspense and mystery.



Wednesday, author Jodie Bailey will talk about the “backstage” work of writing, and of tearing apart our books sometimes. 

Friday, Suspense Sister Marji Laine will review COLD PURSUIT by Nancy Mehl.

Ex-FBI profiler River Ryland still suffers from PTSD after a case went horribly wrong. Needing a fresh start, she moves to St. Louis to be near her ailing mother and opens a private investigation firm with her friend and former FBI partner, Tony St. Clair. They're soon approached by a grieving mother who wants them to find out what happened to her teenaged son, who disappeared four years ago. River knows there's almost no hope the boy is still alive, but his mother needs closure, and River and Tony need a case, no matter how cold it might be.

But as they follow the boy's trail, which gets more complicated at every turn, they find themselves in the path of a murderer determined to punish anyone who gets in his way. As River and Tony race to stop him before he kills again, an even more dangerous threat emerges, stirring up the past that haunts River and plotting an end to her future.

ORDER IT HERE 

Don’t forget to enter our monthly contest! You could win your choice of a $100 gift card from Amazon, Walmart, Barnes and Noble or Christianbook.com.




THE SUSPENSE SISTERS



WE LOVE BOOKS

Thursday, March 21, 2024

A STORY'S JOURNEY

I'm taking a break from reading the last edit for Deadly Revenge before it goes to galleys. Have you ever wondered at the process a book goes through? I thought I'd share about that with you today using Deadly Revenge.

First, the book had to be proposed. Since this is book three, I only had to write a short paragraph. Here's what I proposed: 

Book 3:
It will feature Allison Quinn and a TBI agent assigned to a woman who is running for governor. The candidate is making a campaign stop in Russell County and Pearl Springs is chosen to host a campaign stop. Allison discovers a plot to assassinate her. She crosses swords with the TBI agent as well as the candidate.

As I read that, I have to chuckle. The only part of the proposal that is anywhere near what Deadly Revenge is about is the TBI agent. Here's the catalog copy:
 
Deputy Jenna Hart has only been working in her sleepy hometown of Pearl Springs for seven months when city officials begin to be targeted by a killer. Twenty years ago, the construction of a dam caused people to lose their land to eminent domain. That wound has not healed with time, and someone bearing a grudge is clearly set on revenge. With the former mayor of Pearl Springs now running for the US Senate, Jenna will have to call in backup to ensure his protection.

That’s where Agent Maxwell Anderson comes in. He and Jenna used to work together in the Chattanooga Police Department, and there was even a smoldering fire of attraction. Now they team up to track down the killer before a big political rally that promises not only to bring the former mayor into the crosshairs but hundreds of civilians as well.

As the sparks of romance reignite and the threads of the investigation get tangled when another suspect comes into play, Jenna and Max will have to draw on all of their skills to stay alive and prevent the wave of disaster poised to hit the community of Pearl Springs. The question is, can either of them fully trust that the other has their back?

After the book is written, it goes to my acquisition editor. She will read it and send it back with the changes she wants made. I usually have a couple of weeks to make the changes and get it back to her. 

Once that's done, I have a few weeks of breathing room, maybe even a month or two. During this time, I also get a preview of the cover, and I love the cover of Deadly Revenge!

Then the BIG edit will arrive in my inbox. I usually have two to three weeks to make the changes on this edit. This editor keeps track of the timeline, plot holes, and the places I'm not consistent. She also notes when I change the color of my character's eyes. :-) (I affectionately call her the Plausibility Police--it has to be plausible or she will catch it!)

Once I make the changes and send it to her, off the manuscript goes to a proofreader who doesn't just check for typos and misspelled words, but contradictions in it. When I get it back this time, I make the changes and then let Word read it back to me. That way I can catch the words I've left out, the rhythm, and any clunky structure. Not that I ever catch all of the typos, etc. My brain sees what I thought I wrote. Up until this point, any changes aren't too costly for the publisher. 

That's where I am now. Once I send it to my editor, it will go to the printer, and before it's actually set in stone, I'll get one more chance to make changes. By this time it's been a couple of months, and when I read it again, I catch more typos and left out words. At this point, each change I make costs more for the publisher to make, so I have to have a good reason to make the changes. 

A few months later a box of books arrives at my house, and when I open it, the thrill of seeing a story I created has me practically jumping for joy--it never gets old. 

And that is the process my books go through to get to you, the readers. Deadly Revenge will release November 5, 2024!

Here's the cover of Deadly Revenge: