APRIL GIVEAWAY

 

CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR MARCH WINNER!

 

Congratulations to the March winner of our monthly contest! Lelia Reynolds won her choice of a $100 gift card to her choice of Amazon, Walmart, Christianbook.com or Hobby Lobby. 

We're starting our April contest today! Be sure to enter. 

Farm and Ranch Values

by Sharon Dunn

 I live in a state that is mostly agricultural and my late husband was raised on a ranch in Eastern Montana. People who live off the land have a different mindset than other people. There is so much to admire about these tough salt of the earth people where a good year is when you break even. Like many of my books, my June release Targeted Montana Witness partly takes place on a ranch. In the years that I have been around farm and ranch people, I have found three values that most of them seem to have in common. 

First, regardless of past history or disputes, you help a neighbor in need. This means that if your neighbor's car has broken down or slid in a ditch, you stop to help. When someone suffers a setback or a loss, you find a way to help them that doesn't cause embarrassment.  

Second, people who live off the land throw almost nothing away. This isn't because they are junk collectors. When you live miles from the nearest tractor repair or auto parts store having old cars and tractors around means you might already have the part you need to fix what is broken down. Scrap metal can be welded and reshaped to repair things. 

Three, even if you are doing well financially, it is considered poor taste to show off that that is the case. This means not driving expensive trucks. A nice truck is fine but an obnoxious one that screams "I have money" is not.  Years ago, my husband leased some land next to two brothers who were the top bull breeders in the nation. They were probably millionaires. Yet, I watched those men wearing shirts with cut off sleeves and climbing into tractors on hot days and working along side their hired hands. 

So much to admire about people who live close to the land. What is your experience with farm and ranch people? Did you grow up in the country? Do you share some of these values?  Leave a comment along with your email address. I will be picking three winners to receive a pre-release copy of Targeted Montana Witness (USA only). Also if you want to sign up for my newletter, where there are chances to win copies of books as well, you can go to my website at www.sharondunnbooks.net. 

 

What's HOT in Inspirational Suspense

 Wondering what's new in inspirational suspense and mystery? Seeking Evil, Book Three of Hallowed Halls Series, by our own Mary Alford was released just this past week! Here's a little bit about it--

No one knows where she is. . .

When BAU Agent Sierra Parker's car dies in the middle of nowhere Wyoming, she breaks a critical rule by catching a ride with a kind stranger. This decision leads her straight into the lair of a serial killer, where she discovers she isn't the first victim. Barrels containing the remains of those who went before her line a wall proving none of them escaped their captor. Can Sierra outwit the seasoned killer to save her life, or will she become the latest victim buried in a barrel?

The last Agent Zeke London heard from Sierra was when she told him she needed to get away to figure things out between them. That was over a week ago and his calls have been met with radio silence. Can he do the impossible and locate Sierra in the middle of the mountains before it's too late?

Find out in the next book in the Hallowed Halls Series!

You can buy Seeking Evil from the Hallowed Halls series HERE  or read it on KU!

Have a great week of reading, lovers of inspirational suspense and mystery!

Patricia Bradley ~ Suspense Sisters

THIS WEEK ON THE SUSPENSE SISTERS

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

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

Wednesday, author Sharon Dunn will talk about the mindset of people who grow up on farms and ranches. She will give away pre-release copies of Targeted Montana Witness.

On the run from unknown enemies…staying hidden is their only chance for survival.

After being attacked in her workplace, Jillian Welch fears the worst—the mobsters behind her fiancé’s murder have found her. Uncertain of her safety in witness protection, she turns to Sheriff Luke Mayfair for help. But clues point to an obsessed fan of Jillian’s anonymous nightly podcast as her assailant. Now with potential threats all around, Jillian and Luke must seek refuge at Luke’s family farm. But when the continued ambushes escalate to attempted murder, they must expose the culprits before they get to Jillian first.

ORDER IT HERE 

Friday, Mary Alford will be talking about her new release, Amish Country Killer. She’ll also be giving away a copy of the book!

An unsolved mystery…Seeking the truth could be fatal.

Reopening the investigation of her mother's disappearance puts chief of police Diana Fisher in someone’s lethal sights. As she delves deeper into the mystery, a murderer resurfaces, targeting the Amish community. Detective Micah Nissley, whose fiancée went missing a decade ago, joins forces with Diana to stop the threats and bring the killer to justice. But can they uncover the connection between Diana and the culprit before she becomes the next victim?

ORDER IT HERE 

One more day to enter our March contest through the link at the top of the blog! But then we'll have another one!

NEW RELEASE BOOK REVIEW - and a giveaway!

Marji Laine here. 

I was recently doubly gifted. First, I was able to meet a favorite author and a dear online friend, Nancy Mehl. (Had fabulous Mexican food as well, but that's beside the point!) I so enjoyed chatting and laughing with her! Then I was honored to receive a signed copy of her not-yet-released suspense, SHATTERED SANCTUARY. 

Well, lemme tell you: it is available now, and oh so good. Creepy Good! And the little shiver down my spine began with the opening poem. You need to read that poem! You can see it through Amazon's "Read Sample" option that shows under the book cover on the BUY PAGE HERE.

Her two main characters, Erin (ex-cop turned author) and Kaely (former FBI), have worked online together on Erin's blockbuster best-seller and decide to take a needed break and meet in person in a quiet, peaceful little town of Sanctuary in the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee. Seems placid enough, but the two of them together make a dynamite team when a murder is discovered. Especially when the police begin to suspect a serial killer. 

This story is a psychological suspense with one perspective an expert on crime scenes and gifted with amazing skills at observation. The other perspective is a profiler with unique instincts and processes. I just ate up the discussions these gals had! 

And there is quite a twisted mystery here. Even though the readers are given all of the information as it comes to the main characters, it's hard to wade through, especially with multiple suspects on the table. With the help of the unique skills of Kaely and Erin, the resolution reveals itself in baby-step increments. But this is a true suspense. I felt like I held my breath throughout the whole thing, anticipating another death any minute. It felt like it teetered on next page turn. 

This is definitely a five-star Christian suspense with a strong redemptive message and peril in every chapter. I could so see this as a movie, thinking along the lines of some of the Hallmark Movies and Mysteries mixed with episodes of Criminal Minds. 

Here's a little about the book and you can click the cover for a direct buy link at Amazon.

Was this the last thing she'd ever see? Would she be able to make things right before it was too late?
"God . . ." was all she got out before he lunged toward her.

Grappling with the aftermath of a tragic incident that altered her life, ex-police officer and bestselling mystery author Erin Delaney finds solace in the tranquility of a cabin nestled deep in the Smoky Mountains. But her restful stay is shattered when cries pierce the night, hinting at a lurking presence haunting the woods. When local police chief Adrian Nightengale seeks her help with a carefully arranged murder scene, she is thrust back into the world of crime solving. As they delve into the investigation, Erin's intuition reveals chilling truths about the killer's motives and strategically perfected methods.

Joined by the enigmatic Kaely Quinn-Hunter, a former FBI behavioral analyst, Erin not only embarks on a quest to stop the merciless serial killer, but also confronts the revived ghosts of her past. In a race against time, Erin must defeat her own demons while outmaneuvering a cunning killer or risk becoming the next victim in this deadly game of cat and mouse.

Shattered Sanctuary is a clean, Christian, thrilling suspense novel set in the Smoky Mountains, full of police investigations, haunted woods, eerie threats, and ominous evidence. For fans of high-stakes suspense, Lynette Eason, and Elizabeth Goddard.

In the past two weeks, I've also read 2 of the Security Hounds Investigations by Dana Mentink and 3 of the Lantern Beach Guardian books by Christy Barritt. I've reviewed them on my blog at MarjiLaine.com, but I mention them because I'm wondering about you. What is the most recent mystery or suspense that you've read? Share the title/author with me in the comments (ALONG WITH YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS) for a chance to win a paperback copy of Nancy's new book (no, not my autographed copy 😉). And this is only for US residents.