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Thursday, March 31, 2016

Elizabeth Goddard Interview and Tailspin Giveaway!



Hi friends! Elizabeth Goddard here. I’m one of the Suspense Sisters, as you already know, so instead of answering interview questions, I thought it would be more fun to do a simple blog post. Today I’m sharing with you about my new release——Tailspin.



I’m also giving away a copy of TAILSPIN—either digital or print copy—to one winner. To enter the drawing, please answer one of two questions in the comments below:



Q1: What is your dream adventure vacation if you could travel anywhere in the world?


Q2: What adventure would you love to experience, if it didn’t terrify you?

Or you can BUY the copy HERE.

Now, back to discussing Tailspin.

I happen to love this title, and my editor loved it so much that she kept it. Usually, at Harlequin, we’re asked to send in a list of titles from which our editors choose. They know what titles have already been used in the line or what will soon release and don’t want to use a title twice. As it turned out, Tailspin was not only the perfect title for my story, but no one had used it yet in the Love Inspired lines. Hoorah for me!



The simple definition of “tailspin” per Merriam-Webster is:



1. a condition in which an airplane is falling rapidly while turning around and around

2. a state in which something quickly becomes much worse



So you see—perfect for my story! Before I go any further, here’s the back cover copy:



DIVING INTO DANGER



Nothing can stop Sylvie Masters from scuba diving to find her mother's downed plane—except possibly the hit man determined to keep the truth from surfacing. When brave bush pilot Will Pierson comes to her rescue, she knows she can still reach her goal, but she needs his help. Will wants answers about the crash, too, especially since his mother was the missing plane's pilot. He'll be the hero Sylvie needs, but can he ever trust her? Sylvie is shrouded in secrets that keep leading her back to Mountain Cove. Secrets someone will kill for. Will may protect her, yet no one can persuade her to end her search…not even a killer.



Mountain Cove: In the Alaskan wilderness, love and danger collide.






Tailspin is the 5th book in my Mountain Cove series, and it answers a big question I raised in Buried, the 1st book. But don’t worry, you can read it as a standalone if you haven’t read the Mountain Cove series.



As I wrote the Mountain Cove series, new characters emerged in the stories and I knew that one character in particular—a bush pilot named Billy—needed his own story. So he was my main inspiration. I’ve always wanted to write a bush pilot story. But then who do I pair him with—his exact opposite.



A scuba diver who hates to fly!




This story was one of my favorites to write because of the flying and the diving. I had to do a ton of research for both elements.



This is probably a good time to bring up that I had planned to be a marine biologist. I took the scuba diving lessons and I’ll go ahead and admit that I found it terrifying! That’s one of the main reasons I changed my direction in college. So do you think I’m a chicken now? Well, at least I can experience all these adventures by living through my characters, right?



So I’m scared of both flying and diving—which made writing this book even more fun. I love a great adventure and I hope you’ll join me on one with Tailspin.



Here are what a few of the reviewers are saying:



“Wow, what a ride! . . . Could NOT put this one down for a moment . . .”




“She had me hooked right from the start. . .”



“This story is full of spine tingling suspense interlaced with a romance.”




Thank you so much for joining me today. Don’t forget to enter the drawing for Tailspin. And I’d love to hear from you. Leave a comment or a question for me, or connect with me at my website: ElizabethGoddard.com Don’t forget to sign up for my newsletter while you’re there to receive updates and news about the next book release.




Many blessings!

Beth

With over half a million in book sales, Elizabeth Goddard is the bestselling, award-winning author of more than twenty-five romance novels and counting, including the romantic mystery, THE CAMERA NEVER LIES--a 2011 Carol Award winner. A 7th generation Texan, Elizabeth graduated from North Texas State University with a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science and worked in high-level software sales for several years before retiring to home school her children and fulfill her dreams of writing full-time. She currently makes her home in Minnesota with her husband and children. To get book news sign up for her newsletter at her website: http://elizabethgoddard.com
You can connect with Elizabeth on Facebook: http://facebook.com/elizabethgoddardauthor or Twitter: http://twitter.com/bethgoddard


















Wednesday, March 30, 2016

Five Characteristics of Memorable Heroines


Although female booklovers can’t wait to see if the hero will be a handsome cowboy with a soft spot for orphans, a rakish marquis who needs an heir, or a sophisticated jewel thief who donates his loot to charity, it’s the heroines who stick with readers. Here are 5 characteristics for heroines readers will remember long after they pass the book to their mothers-in-law.

1)    Heroines must be flawed. No one liked the girl in high school with perfect hair/clothes/teeth/car/parents…fill in the blank. Unless she happened to be us, that girl was annoying. Authors must make sure heroines have plenty of nice attributes, but there should also be things for her to work on. My heroine in What Happened on Beale Street hates people in her “personal space.” Beth Kirby often balks—or runs in the opposite direction—if people get too close. 

2)    Heroines recognize their flaws and strive to overcome them. Just like we don’t like perfection, we also don’t like women who keep making the same mistakes over and over. Consider the famous anti-heroine Scarlett O’Hara in Gone with the Wind. Although Margaret Mitchel gave us plenty of reasons to hate her, no one can deny that Scarlett made serious strides in self-improvement by the end of the book. 

3)    Heroines have integrity. Let’s face it. No one likes a woman who takes candy from a baby, rips off a humanitarian aid society, or advances her cause at the expense of others. If the heroine must kill somebody, he had better be a bad-guy. I remember a fictional cat burglar who refilled a dog’s water bowl while stealing a famous painting. At the end of the book, the burglar returned the painting to the rightful pre-World War II owner. Now that’s integrity! 

4)    Heroines never give up. Whether she’s stranded on Spider Island, trapped on a sinking ocean liner, or framed for a crime she didn’t commit, heroines don’t sit in corners, feeling sorry for themselves. No one will forget the character played by Kate Winslet in The Titanic. How could anyone hang onto a railing that long? 

5)    Heroines recognize the important things in life. No matter how career-driven a woman is, she must come to terms with what really matters like faith, family, and of course, love. We’re here on earth only for a short time, so a heroine must learn to see the big picture. Who can forget Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz? She suffered ordeal after ordeal before realizing everything she wanted was back home in Kansas. 

Mary Ellis has written twelve novels set in the Amish community and several historical romances. Her latest, What Happened on Beale Street, is second of a new mystery series, Secrets of the South, from Harvest House Publishers. Before "retiring" to write full-time, Mary taught school and worked as a sales rep for Hershey Chocolate.  She can be found at: www.maryellis.net
Please leave a comment for a chance to win a signed copy of What Happened on Beale Street. You must leave an email address to win!

Tuesday, March 29, 2016

Hot new inspy suspense for March!

Monday, March 28, 2016

THIS WEEK ON THE SUSPENSE SISTERS!




It’s another great week on the Suspense Sisters!

From Marji:

This week we’re reviewing SUDDEN RECALL by Lisa Phillips.
Reviewer Sybil Bates McCormack says, “I give this fast-paced read high marks all around.” Read the rest of the review HERE!





On Tuesday, Dana Mentink will share What’s Hot in InspirationalSuspense and Mystery!




 
On Wednesday we’ll hear from Suspense Sister Mary Ellis. She’ll be sharing “Five Characteristics of Memorable Heroines.” She’llalso give away a copy of her great new book, WHAT HAPPENED ON BEALE STREET!






Friday, we’re interviewing Suspense Sister Elizabeth Goddard! She’s giving away a copy of her book, TAILSPIN, book five in her Mountain Cove series!




  


That’s what’s happening this week on the Suspense Sisters! Don’t miss a single day. Sign up through email so you’ll get updates in the exciting world of inspirational suspense and mystery!


The Suspense Sisters! We love books!

Friday, March 25, 2016

INTERVIEW WITH SANDRA ROBBINS By Cynthia Hickey



Sandra Robbins, former teacher and principal, is a best-selling and award winning multi-published author of Christian fiction who lives with her husband in Tennessee. To date she has published ten romantic suspense novels, one cozy mystery, one novella, and eight historical romances. Angel of the Cove, her first book in the historical romance series Smoky Mountain Dreams, was named the 2013 winner in the Single Title Inspirational Category of the Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence. This award is given by the Birmingham Southern Magic Chapter of Romance Writers of America for excellence in writing romance. Also in 2013 her Love Inspired Suspense books Shattered Identity and Fatal Disclosure were both awarded HOLT Medallions in different categories of the Virginia Romance Writers of America contest to honor outstanding literary talent. In addition her books Final Warning (Love Inspired Suspense) and The Columns of Cottonwood (Barbour) have been finalists in the ACFW Carol Awards, and her cozy mystery Pedigreed Bloodlines (Barbour) was a finalist for the Daphne du Maurier Award given by the Kiss of Death Chapter of Romance Writers of America. Her novella Christmas Comes to Bethlehem Maine released in November, 2014, and made the Evangelical Christian Publishing Associations Best-Seller list.

 
Her latest book Fugitive Trackdown in the Bounty Hunters Series released in February, 2015, and will be followed by Fugitive at Large in May, and the third book December.



When did you decide to pursue writing and eventually publication?

I had always dreamed of writing a book, but I was busy teaching school and raising four children. One day about 2003 it occurred to me that time was passing by and if I wanted to write a book, I needed to get busy. I sat down at the computer and began to write. I attended my first ACFW conference two years later and sold my first book soon afterwards.

 

What is your writing process like?  Do you write daily?  Are you a plotter or a pantster? 

I try to write daily during the week. Since I’m a night person, I like to write in the afternoons and after dinner. Sometimes I write late into the night. I think at different times I’m either one or the other. I write a synopsis when I begin a book, but I often find myself going in a different direction as the story develops. That’s always exciting to me because I feel like my characters are leading me into new territory. So, I suppose I would describe myself as eclectic. My ideas come from a wide range of sources.

What is your favorite part of the writing process?  Least favorite?

My favorite part is beginning a new book. I’m always excited and just brimming with ideas. As the words flow, the story begins to speak to me, and I begin to really embrace my characters and their feelings. My least favorite part is wondering how readers are going to receive my work. I try not to read my reviews, but sometimes curiosity overcomes me. It hurts when you see that someone didn’t connect with what you were trying to say. However, my job for seventeen years as a school principal helped me develop a thick skin, and it’s come in handy as a writer.

What is one of the most interesting things you’ve discovered in your research? 

I love doing research, and I get excited when I find something that will make my book even better. A few years ago after visiting Ocracoke Island I wrote a three book series set on the island. One of the stories revolved around the lighthouse that is located there. However, the lighthouse was no longer open to visitors, and I needed to know something about what it looked like inside. I got on youtube and found a video that had been made of a tour for a group right after an intensive renovation had been done on the structure. So I watched the video and felt as if I was right there touching the inside walls and climbing the stairs to the widow’s walk at the top. Another time I found a video on youtube of a group hiking up Gregory’s Bald in the Smoky Mountains. I got to experience it without actually having to do the hike. That’s the kind of research I like.

Please tell us about your latest release. 

My latest release is Igniting the Flame: Firebrand Begins, and it is up for preorder at amazon now. It is a novella that introduces the three books that follow about the exploits of a band of brothers who were covert operatives for the government. Now after ten years they have retired from their dangerous lifestyle and have built a training center where they will teach law enforcement officers, military personnel, and security guards the techniques that they’ve learned. However, during their years of performing missions around the world, they made enemies. Those enemies have now resurfaced and are intent on getting vengeance on each of them and the people they love.

Igniting the Flame releases March 25, Targeted releases in April, Hunted releases in May, and Betrayed releases in June.

Who or what inspired this special story? 

In the last few years media news reports have been filled with exploits of professional operatives who provide services to government agencies. As the American public has become more educated about the individuals who provide added assistance to the military, interest has grown in knowing more about the individuals who choose to live such a life of danger. This series provides a glimpse into the lives of three men who served their country by planning and executing covert missions and how their exploits put themselves and those they loved in danger. 

 

Is there anything else you would like to share?  What will you be working on next? 

I am presently working on a four book contract for Love Inspired Suspense that is titled Smoky Mountain Secrets. In a Killer’s Sights the first book releases in July, and Stalking Season book two releases in December.

Can you tell us something about yourself that few people may know?

I have played the piano since I was six years old, and I received a college degree in music. Through my college piano teacher who studied at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, I can trace my piano teachers back to Beethoven.

What is your most treasured possession?

That is a difficult question. I am an antique lover and have many beautiful pieces that I’ve bought through the years including a large collection of flow blue china and blue and white stoneware. However, a wise elderly antique dealer once gave me some good advice when she said, “Honey, they are just possessions. Nothing more.” I’ve always tried to look at the things I have in that light, and I am thankful that God has let me enjoy them.

If you had to leave your house suddenly, what is one thing you would grab, other than family and pets?

There is one thing that I would grab, and that’s the framed picture of my mother and me taken when I was about three years old. She is seated with me standing beside her with my hand in hers. She’s passed away now, and that picture is very dear to me.

Thank you so much!  Where can readers find out more about you and your books?

Readers can connect with me at my website http://sandrarobbins.net by email at sandra@sandrarobbins.net, Facebook, Twitter
 
 Leave a comment for a chance to win an ebook copy of "Igniting the Flame".
Multi-published and Amazon Best-Selling author Cynthia Hickey had three cozy mysteries and two novellas published through Barbour Publishing. Her first mystery, Fudge-Laced Felonies, won first place in the inspirational category of the Great Expectations contest in 2007. Her third cozy, Chocolate-Covered Crime, received a four-star review from Romantic Times. All three cozies have been re-released as ebooks through the MacGregor Literary Agency, along with a new cozy series, all of which stay in the top 50 of Amazon’s ebooks for their genre. She had several historical romances release in 2013, 2014, 2015 through Harlequin’s Heartsong Presents, and has sold half a million copies of her works. She has taught a Continuing Education class at the 2015 American Christian Fiction Writers conference. She is active on FB, twitter, and Goodreads, and is a contributor to Cozy Mystery Magazine blog and Suspense Sisters blog. She and her husband run the small press, Forget Me Not Romances, which includes some of the CBA’s well-known authors. She lives in Arizona with her husband, one of their seven children, two dogs and one cat. She has seven grandchildren who keep her busy and tell everyone they know that “Nana is a writer”. Visit her website at www.cynthiahickey.com
 

 

Wednesday, March 23, 2016

Writer's Yard Sale


by E.E. Kennedy 

HERE IT IS! TODAY ONLY!
WRITER’S YARD SALE!
Slightly used author’s items available at bargain prices!

Welcome! Did you see my sign? Is it close enough to the road? Good. Well, yes, we do have a lot of stuff here. Let me show you what I’ve got. You can get some great buys. Just take a look around.

 For instance, over here, I have a large, slightly shop-worn ego. No, I don’t have the original box, but it’s still in working order. It took a lot of hits over the past year. I regret that I put it out where it was so vulnerable to the elements. Even in this condition, it’ll give you quite a few more good years. It’s yours, if the price is right.

That table over there? Those are the hats I’ve worn. This publicist’s hat, for instance. I had to wear it a lot this year. It was pretty expensive, let me tell you. I can give you a deal on it. Oh, that eyeshade? That’s my editor’s hat. It’s gotten a lot of use. That pointy hat? No, it’s not Harry Potter’s. It’s my thinking cap. I used that as much as my editor’s shade. It kept slipping over my eyes so I couldn’t see the clock. I missed a lot of deadlines that way. But it works. Boy, does it work!

 Check out this coffee can here. Give me a reasonable price and you can have everything that’s in it: almost a pound of miscellaneous adverbs. They’re perfectly good, just superfluous. I cleaned them out of my most recent story. Too many of those things and the work is done for, you know. They’d work perfectly well for a story that needs them, though.

 That box of grandiose adjectives? Those are free for the taking. They’re really pretty, but  a little too fancy for me. I tend to be a little more plain when it comes to writing. Sure, it’s yours; just put the carton in your trunk.

 Well, I’d like to get something for those used similes. They’re a little worn around the edges, but serviceable. So are those idioms. Colorful, aren’t they? Pretty decorative when you use ‘em right.

 Look at this box of paper over here. I’d say it’s about a ream. Those sheets would be great for scrap paper. No, you don’t need to turn that over…well, yes, it’s a rejection. They all are. Got a fireplace? You could twist them and use them to get the logs burning. The twisting part is very therapeutic, I’ve found. So is the burning part, come to think of it.

 Could you use these empty liquor bottles? They’d make pretty good candle holders. That’s about all they’re good for. I tried looking for plots at the bottom of them, but no luck.

 Oh, that’s the garbage can. It’s where I threw the double negatives, dangling participles and wasted time. I couldn’t even give those to charity in good conscience. You can’t use ‘em.

 That? I’m giving that away, too. No, it’s not a footstool or a door stop. It’s a giant economy size writer’s block. So far, I haven’t had any takers. You want it? Make an offer? No?

 Well, anyway, it was good of you to stop by. I’ll be here ‘til long past midnight.

Tell your friends!

WIN!!!Please make comments below to have a chance to win a Kindle version of Ellen's latest
mystery or your choice of one from the series! (Be sure to add your email address!)


The winner will be announced in a week. 
___________________________________
E.E. Kennedy is the author of the Miss Prentice Cozy Mystery Series.
Her newest release is INCOMPLETE SENTENCE.
You can read sample chapters at her website: www.missprenticecozymystery.com



(Originally published at www.thewordsmithjournalmagazine.co)


Tuesday, March 22, 2016

Hot new inspy suspense for March!

(March 2016)
Sean has always felt like an outsider in his own family. Now he must risk never achieving what he wants most--his father's love.
(March 2016)
When a woman living in a remote lighthouse unwittingly becomes a target of the traffickers, an undercover SEAL's mission suddenly includes protecting her...
(March 2016)
A decade-old abduction case brings Luke and Abby together, but will his secret tear them apart?

Monday, March 21, 2016

THIS WEEK ON THE SUSPENSE SISTERS!



 
FROM OUR REVIEW PAGE:




This week we review GRIME SPREE by Suspense Sister Marji Laine! Reviewer Brittany McEuen says, “I had such a great time reading Grime Spree and am really enjoying the continuing growth of Dani and Jay’s relationship, as well as watching them navigate the dangerous and exciting situations that they find themselves in. I am on tenterhooks waiting for the next story to release!”

Read the rest of Brittany’s review on our REVIEW PAGE! 

On Tuesday, Dana Mentink will share What’s Hot in

Inspirational Suspense and Mystery!


 




On Wednesday and Thursday we’ll hear from Suspense Sister Ellen Kennedy! Find out about her "Writer's Yard Sale!" And make a comment to win an ebook copy of one of her great mysteries!





Friday, Suspense Sister Cynthia Hickey interviews author Sandra Robbins! 



 


That’s what’s happening this week on the Suspense Sisters! Don’t miss a single day. Sign up through email so you’ll get updates in the exciting world of inspirational suspense and mystery! And watch for great giveaways every week! 

(Richard sneaking in here to say that Betti Mace has won a signed copy of Miracle Drug. You could be the next winner).


The Suspense Sisters! We love books!