Suspense Sisters: November Giveaway

Faith Over Fear: The Thread that Makes Our Suspense “Christian”

 

Faith Over Fear: The Thread that Makes Our Suspense “Christian”

by Gina Holder

We’ve all faced fear—that moment when circumstances slip out of our control. Did you know that’s the source of all fear? If we could control it, we wouldn’t be afraid.

We fear when others make decisions that could harm us and we can’t make them change. We fear when we feel powerless to right a wrong—or afraid we’ll make the wrong choice trying to avoid tragedy.

Suspense novels feed on these fears. As authors, we put our characters into situations many would call life’s worst moments—a kidnapping, the death of a loved one, being hunted by a killer, or facing a natural disaster.

But in Christian suspense, fear is never the end of the story.

General market and Christian suspense share many of the same elements—danger, secrets, romance, high stakes, and characters in law enforcement.

But what makes Christian suspense different is that our characters never face these trials alone. A single thread runs through every story—faith in a God who knows all, sees all, and is in control of it all. He brings us through the darkest days—safe on the other side. Even if that “other side” is our home with Him in Heaven.

“For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.”
—2 Timothy 1:7

In every dangerous decision our characters face, they must choose: will they trust in their own abilities, or will they have faith in the God who holds the unknown?

These trials either grow a believer’s faith or lead an unbeliever to discover God for the first time. Amid danger, love becomes an act of courage—not just trusting another person but trusting God’s plan through them.

Christian suspense isn’t just about who survives the deadly and the dangerous. It’s about discovering Who holds your life in His hands when fear closes in and the world falls apart.

What’s your favorite Christian suspense novel that turned fear into faith? Share it in the comments below—I’d love to hear your recommendations!

The Art of Unraveling – Plus a Giveaway!

 

In real life, we want answers quickly. We Google them, demand explanations, and seek closure as soon as possible. But in fiction, suspense thrives on patience — on the slow, deliberate release of information that keeps readers turning pages long past midnight.

Every reveal in Shattered Amish Identity had to be carefully timed — from the first shocking moment Hannah defends herself with combat skills she shouldn’t have, to the chilling realization that her family’s lives hang in the balance. Each moment builds upon the last, forming a chain of escalating tension that pulls the reader deeper into the story.

I like to think of it as breadcrumb storytelling. You give readers just enough to keep them moving forward, but never the whole loaf. A scrap of memory here, a suspicious comment there, a piece of evidence that doesn’t quite fit — all of it designed to nudge them closer to the truth while leaving them hungry for more. The key is balance: reveal too much too soon, and the suspense fizzles; hold back too long, and readers grow frustrated.

The real magic happens when the unraveling mirrors the character’s own journey. As Hannah struggles to piece together her fractured past, the reader is right there beside her, questioning what’s real, who can be trusted, and how far she’s willing to go to protect the people she loves. By the time the final revelation hits, the truth doesn’t just satisfy curiosity — it delivers an emotional punch because the reader has earned it, step by painstaking step.

For a chance to win a copy of Shattered Amish Identity, tell me;

If you were in Hannah’s shoes and discovered everything you believed about yourself might be a lie, would you keep digging for the truth — no matter the danger — or walk away to protect the life you know?

Be sure to leave your email address in your comment!

Shattered Amish Identity is now available!

The key to her survival

lies hidden within her memories.

When Amish school teacher Hannah York is attacked, she defends herself with skills she never knew she had. CIA agent Titus Miller arrives, claiming that she’s actually fellow agent Lara Redmond—and that she’s in danger from a powerful enemy. Despite suffering from amnesia, Hannah is certain she’s only ever lived a quiet Amish life. But why does Titus seem so familiar, and could it be true that he loved her once? When Hannah’s family is abducted, she and Titus must work together to find them. Can Hannah trust him to help unlock the truth of her past…and keep her safe?

https://amzn.to/3ID6cNI

WHAT'S HOT IN INSPIRATIONAL SUSPENSE?

Wondering what's HOT in Inspirational Suspense this week? WASTED by Jerusha Agen!

She always follows the rules. But what are the rules for murder?

Victoria Weston encounters tough things as a home health physical therapist, but this is a first—a dead body. The police call the patient’s death accidental. Victoria knows that can’t be true. Her efforts to convince the police they’re dealing with a murder get her labeled a troublemaker by all but one man—the troubler of her youth.

When Cillian Doherty returns to right the wrongs of the past, he finds his high school flame in a different kind of danger than he expected. As a social worker, he’s in the perfect position to corroborate her cry of murder or give her what she wanted—to handle her problems without his help.

But someone wants to silence Victoria. When lies escalate to violence and threaten more lives, the Weston siblings join the battle to save their sister. But it will take a God more powerful than all of them for Cillian and Victoria to make peace with their past and catch the killer. Before the killer catches them.

Wasted continues the thrilling Windy City Westons series that features five siblings who encounter danger, love, and God in the city of Chicago. (Each book can stand alone or be read as series installments.)

Praise for Jerusha Agen:
"Jerusha Agen once again delivers top-level suspense and thrilling action. Fast-paced suspense at its best.”
– DiAnn Mills, bestselling author of Concrete Evidence on Covert Danger

"Fast-paced, explosive thriller. I couldn't turn the pages fast enough."
– Carrie Stuart Parks, award-winning, bestselling author of Relative Silence on Rising Danger

WASTED is book 2 in the the Windy City Westons Christian Romantic Suspense series. And you can get your copy at THIS LINK! 

I hope you LOVE it! ~ Marji Laine

THIS WEEK ON THE SUSPENSE SISTERS

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

On Tuesday, Suspense Sister Marji Laine will tell us what’s hot in inspirational suspense and mystery.

Wednesday, author Mary Alford talks about how suspense thrives on patience — on the slow, deliberate release of information that keeps readers turning pages long past midnight. She’ll also be giving away a copy of her book, SHATTERED AMISH IDENTITY.

The key to her survival lies hidden within her memories.

When Amish school teacher Hannah York is attacked, she defends herself with skills she never knew she had. CIA agent Titus Miller arrives, claiming that she’s actually fellow agent Lara Redmond—and that she’s in danger from a powerful enemy. Despite suffering from amnesia, Hannah is certain she’s only ever lived a quiet Amish life. But why does Titus seem so familiar, and could it be true that he loved her once? When Hannah’s family is abducted, she and Titus must work together to find them. Can Hannah trust him to help unlock the truth of her past…and keep her safe?

From Love Inspired Suspense: Courage. Danger. Faith.

ORDER IT HERE 

Friday, the title of Gina Holder’s post is: "Faith Over Fear: The Thread that Makes Our Suspense "Christian." She’s also giving away a copy of Halle Bridgeman's new release, LOVE MAKES WAY.

U.S. Army Special Forces sniper Gerald "Jerry" McBride is no stranger to danger, but his heart faces uncharted territory when he reconnects with surgical nurse Olive Duncan. Years after she patched his wounds in a German hospital, their chance reunion at Fort Campbell sparks a romance the sweeps both of them off their feet. When Jerry invites Olive as his plus-one to a friend's wedding on a Caribbean cruise, he's ready to take the leap with a ring in his pocket.

But the ship's idyllic voyage hides a deadly undercurrent. A Chinese-backed plot to smuggle thousands of weapons into Haiti threatens to destabilize the region, and the pirates orchestrating it have infiltrated the crew.

When the pirates take the cruise ship with Jerry's special forces team on board, it turns the wedding venue from a celebration into a battlefield.

They have no weapons and no gear. Can they take back the ship and save the people they love, or will celebration turn to tragedy?

ORDER IT HERE 

Don’t forget to enter our monthly contest!

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That Time of Year Already?

 A couple of weeks ago, I went into a department store and encountered three large Christmas trees at the entrance. Beautiful to look at and it did give me a warm and cozy feeling when I saw them. A couple of weeks ago was early October so it just seemed a little soon to be breaking out the Christmas decor. It seems like when I was a kid that stuff didn't go up until after Halloween, but maybe my memory is not working right. 

In light of the store getting into the spirit of the holidays, allow me to do a shameless self promotion in this blog post and talk about two holiday reads that you may not have heard of from me. The first is called Thanksgiving Protector. There aren't that many books where this holiday is featured so I think the book is unique in that way. It is book one in the Texas Ranger Series with the other two books having a Christmas theme. The book features border patrol agent Kylie Perry who adopts a baby girl when an informant Kylie working with and dearly loved is murdered. Kylie teams up with Texas Ranger Austin Rivers to track down the informant's killer. 

The second book is Christmas Hostage. Security expert Laura Devin is taken hostage in the middle of a bank robbery but one of the bank robbers Hollis Pryce is kind and protective toward her. Is he really part of the group that has been robbing banks in small towns or is something else going on? 

I'd love to give away a couple of copies of Christmas Hostage (USA only). Let me know what you think. Do you like it when all the Christmas decor is put out in early October? Does is help you get in the Christmas Spirit and remember what Christmas is really about (birth of Jesus) or does it just feel too commercial to you? Leave a comment down below along with your email address. 

Sharon Dunn