BOOK REVIEW ~ THE RECONCILIATION ~ Win a signed copy!!

Happy Friday, lovers of suspense and mystery! Mary Ellis here. Recently while on vacation I had the pleasure of reading The Reconciliation by Susan Lantz Simpson. Here is my review:

Each time I start reading an Amish romance/romantic suspense novel, I’m prepared to escape into the lives of those God-fearing, family-oriented, industrious people. I’m hoping for accurate details, a true respect for the Amish culture, and a well paced plot that draws me into their world and keeps me there until the end. With Susan Lantz Simpson’s The Reconciliation, I received all that and more. I learned much about the Amish of southern Maryland through Susan’s richly drawn, multi-dimensional characters. I fell in love with her earnest hero, Atlee, and felt Rebecca’s shame in the pit of my stomach. Although the mystery element was on the light side, not many authors capture the humility of the Amish as well as Susan.

Here's a little about the story: Winter in Southern Maryland’s Amish country brings brisk winds, crisp snow, and evenings spent nestled by a warm fireside. For one prodigal daughter, it may also bring a new beginning . . . On her baptismal day, Rebecca Zook ran from the church, leaving her stunned Amish community behind. She only wanted to see something of Gott’s vast world, but city life didn’t turn out as planned. Tricked into a sham marriage, Becky has come home humbled, wiser . . . and pregnant. Her mamm and daed are welcoming, and helping an overburdened young widow gives Becky a new sense of purpose. But after creating such scandal, Becky feels unworthy of a loving husband—let alone a wunderbaar man like Atlee Stauffer.

Atlee knows Becky’s situation—and understands why his mother advises him to be careful. Still, this once flighty, flirty girl has become a thoughtful, kind young woman. He’s drawn to Becky like a magnet to a nail. One day, he hopes to build a family with her. But first, he must convince her wary, troubled heart to accept forgiveness and love . . .


To purchase this book, click here:


Please leave Susan a comment for a chance to win a signed copy of The Reconciliation. You must leave your email address. Sorry, US only 

Sunshine!

Sorry for this very brief post. I'm on a book deadline and I haven't even started the collection of data for having our taxes done. So this is just a quick "Howdy!" from the Upper Midwest!

I hope you are safe from the flooding and other inclement weather across the country, and that you are seeing blue skies and sunshine today, like we are!  This is the cover of my upcoming release, in June. It makes me think of spring!

Do you have a super easy, family favorite recipe you'd like to share? For these hectic days, here is one I will be making tonight!

Leave a response, and you'll be entered in a drawing for an e-copy of any one of my books listed on Amazon.





Parmesan-Pecan Chicken

1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan (not from a shaker can)
1/2 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans (or walnuts)
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup butter (not margarine)
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

Combine first five (dry) ingredients for crumb mixture.
Flatten the chicken if necessary, so pieces are approximately the same height.
Dip  chicken briefly in milk, roll in crumbs.
Let sit a couple minutes to "set", then quickly dip in milk and coat again in the crumbs.
Let the chicken sit for a couple minutes to again let the coating "set."
Heat butter in skillet, medium heat, (not too high or the chicken will brown but not be done inside.) and saute chicken about 4 min per side.
Serve with wild rice and fresh asparagus.

Roxanne Rustand

WHAT'S HOT IN INSPIRATIONAL SUSPENSE

Good morning, suspense lovers. What new in inspirational suspense? Murder on Music Row: A Nashville Thriller by Stuart Dill releases on April 2nd from Whitaker House.

Intern Judd Nix gets a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity when Simon Stills offers him a temporary position at country music's most prestigious management firm. But when a record company that's secretly negotiating a landmark merger meets an electrifying young star who won't release new music without a renegotiated contract, will this big break cost Judd his life? 384 pages, softcover from Whitaker.

To order Murder on Music Row, click on this link: https://www.christianbook.com/murder-on-music-row-nashville-thriller/stewart-dill/9780692937679/pd/937679?event=Fiction|1000859

THIS WEEK ON THE SUSPENSE SISTERS

We’re planning another great week on the Suspense Sisters. Check out our posts, our interviews, and our awesome giveaways!

THIS WEEK:

On Tuesday Mary Ellis will tell us What’s Hot in Inspirational Suspense and Mystery. 

Wednesday we’ll hear from Suspense Sister Roxanne Rustand.

On Friday Mary will be back to review THE RECONCILIATION by Susan Lantz Simpson.

Winter in Southern Maryland’s Amish country brings brisk winds, crisp snow, and evenings spent nestled by a warm fireside. For one prodigal daughter, it may also bring a new beginning . . .

On her baptismal day, Rebecca Zook ran from the church, leaving her stunned Amish community behind.  She only wanted to see something of Gott’s vast world, but city life didn’t turn out as planned. Tricked into a sham marriage, Becky has come home humbled, wiser . . . and pregnant. Her mamm and daed are welcoming, and helping an overburdened young widow gives Becky a new sense of purpose. But after creating such scandal, Becky feels unworthy of a loving husband—let alone a wunderbaar man like Atlee Stauffer.

 

 Atlee knows Becky’s situation—and understands why his mother advises him to be careful. Still, this once flighty, flirty girl has become a thoughtful, kind young woman. He’s drawn to Becky like a magnet to a nail. One day, he hopes to build a family with her. But first, he must convince her wary, troubled heart to accept forgiveness and love . . .

GET YOUR COPY HERE!

The Suspense Sisters

We love books!

THE LINE BETWEEN BY TOSCA LEE

THE LINE BETWEEN         

Tosca Lee

In this frighteningly believable thriller from New York Times bestselling author Tosca Lee, an extinct disease re-emerges from the melting Alaskan permafrost to cause madness in its victims. For recent apocalyptic cult escapee Wynter Roth, it’s the end she’d always been told was coming.

When Wynter Roth is turned out of New Earth, a self-contained doomsday cult on the American prairie, she emerges into a world poised on the brink of madness as a mysterious outbreak of rapid early onset dementia spreads across the nation.

 As Wynter struggles to start over in a world she’s been taught to regard as evil, she finds herself face-to-face with the apocalypse she’s feared all her life—until the night her sister shows up at her doorstep with a set of medical samples. That night, Wynter learns there’s something far more sinister at play and that these samples are key to understanding the disease.

 Now, as the power grid fails and the nation descends into chaos, Wynter must find a way to get the samples to a lab in Colorado. Uncertain who to trust, she takes up with former military man Chase Miller, who has his own reasons for wanting to get close to the samples in her possession, and to Wynter herself.

Filled with action, conspiracy, romance, and questions of whom—and what—to believe, The Line Between is a high-octane story of survival and love in a world on the brink of madness.

MY REVIEW:

THE LINE BETWEEN is one of Tosca Lee’s best efforts. Anyone familiar with her novels knows how poetic her writing can be. I discovered this several years ago when reading DEMON, which is still one of my all time favorite books. The first chapter of THE LINE BETWEEN showcases this God-given ability. It combines beauty and power in a way that grabs the reader by the throat and holds them captive until the very last word.

As children, Wynter Roth and her sister are taken to a private community their mother believes is akin to heaven on earth. But as Wynter gets older, she begins to see that there are dark and dangerous flaws in this so-called paradise. When she finally escapes, she discovers that the world outside of New Earth is facing extinction due to a plague that destroys the minds of those infected. Were the warnings issued by cult leader, Magnus Theisen, true? Was the only safe place on the planet inside the walls of New Earth?

When Wynter’s sister brings her something stolen from Magnus that could actually save the lives of millions of people, Wynter begins an almost impossible journey. There is one person she can trust who might be able to produce a vaccine that could stop the disease from spreading. But her way is fraught with danger. The world has gone crazy and more than once it looks as though she’ll never reach her destination.

Tosca Lee has written a novel that will truly keep you on the edge of your seat. I found myself yelling out loud more than once. And the research going into this story makes the premise even more frightening. Could this really happen? You will be thinking about this book long after you finish the last chapter.

I highly recommend THE LINE BETWEEN. Certainly the best novel I’ve read this year.  

Nancy Mehl

Leave a comment for your chance to win a Kindle copy of THE LINE BETWEEN. 

You can purchase the book HERE.

Justice Delivered ~ Soon to Be Released!

by Patricia Bradley

Justice Delivered is sixteen days from release! It is my favorite book! (mild disclaimer - every book I've released is my favorite at the time of release.)

This story is dear to my heart because it's about human trafficking. I knew nothing about this horrible crime until a volunteer from Advocates for Freedom came to our church. By the time she finished, I knew I had to write about trafficking. I'm now a volunteer for AFF and on their daily prayer list for missing and exploited children. 

Did you know human trafficking is second only to drug trafficking in earning revenue? Worldwide it's a $150 billion dollar industry. The last figures for the US were in 2007 and were estimated at over a billion dollars here. I can only imagine what it is now. 

Justice Delivered was the book I pitched to my editor for the first Memphis Cold Case Novels but I couldn't write it until the fourth book...it was a hard book to research and write. I wanted to do justice to the victims of human trafficking. And I wanted to offer hope for those who escape from the industry.

Here's the back cover copy:

Carly Smith came by her trust issues honestly. A victim of sex trafficking, she's been at the mercy of merciless men, ignored by law enforcement officers who should have helped her, and seemingly rejected by her family. She can't even trust herself to do the right thing. Though she escaped her captors and is working hard on building a new life, the past continues to haunt her when she discovers that the man she couldn't bring herself to report to police for fear of reliving her captivity is still out there, luring vulnerable girls under the guise of being a modeling agent.

When her own niece is kidnapped, Carly must overcome her fears and come forward with the information she has before it's too late. When that proves to be not enough, she'll have to go after the perpetrators herself.

Carly is one of my favorite characters. She is feisty and independent and brave. I hope you enjoy reading about her. And she meets her match in Logan Donavon. 

Are you familiar with human trafficking? Leave a comment with your contact info and I'll enter you in a drawing for Justice Delivered.

WHAT'S HOT IN INSPIRATIONAL SUSPENSE

Good morning, suspense readers! Mary Ellis here. What's new in inspirational suspense? Samuel Parker has a brand new mystery, Border Son, from Revell. 

It's been years since Edward has seen his wayward son, Tyler. Then one day he receives a cryptic phone call telling him that Tyler needs him in Mexico, another message from a federal agent, and a visit from two mysterious men. Can Ed save his son---and tear down the emotional wall that separates them? 320 pages, softcover from Revell.

To purchase Border Son, click on this link: https://www.christianbook.com/border-son-samuel-parker/9780800729257/pd/729253?event=Fiction|1000859

THIS WEEK ON THE SUSPENSE SISTERS!

We’re planning another great week on the Suspense Sisters. Check out our posts, our interviews, and our awesome giveaways!

THIS WEEK:

On Tuesday Mary Ellis will tell us What’s Hot in Inspirational Suspense and Mystery. 

Wednesday we’ll hear from Suspense Sister Patricia Bradley. Have you pre-ordered her new book, JUSTICE DELIVERED? Here’s a little about this exciting novel.

Carly Smith came by her trust issues honestly. A victim of sex trafficking, she's been at the mercy of merciless men, ignored by law enforcement officers who should have helped her, and seemingly rejected by her family. She can't even trust herself to do the right thing. Though she escaped her captors and is working hard on building a new life, the past continues to haunt her when she discovers that the man she couldn't bring herself to report to police for fear of reliving her captivity is still out there, luring vulnerable girls under the guise of being a modeling agent.

When her own niece is kidnapped, Carly must overcome her fears and come forward with the information she has before it's too late. When that proves to be not enough, she'll have to go after the perpetrators herself.

Award-winning author Patricia Bradley keeps the suspense taut and the stakes high in this fast-paced story that will have readers turning pages long into the night.

YOU CAN PREORDER HERE!

On Friday Suspense Sister Nancy Mehl will review Tosca Lee’s new novel, THE LINE BETWEEN.  

THE LINE BETWEEN

In this frighteningly believable thriller from New York Times bestselling author Tosca Lee, an extinct disease re-emerges from the melting Alaskan permafrost to cause madness in its victims. For recent apocalyptic cult escapee Wynter Roth, it’s the end she’d always been told was coming.

When Wynter Roth is turned out of New Earth, a self-contained doomsday cult on the American prairie, she emerges into a world poised on the brink of madness as a mysterious outbreak of rapid early onset dementia spreads across the nation.

 As Wynter struggles to start over in a world she’s been taught to regard as evil, she finds herself face-to-face with the apocalypse she’s feared all her life—until the night her sister shows up at her doorstep with a set of medical samples. That night, Wynter learns there’s something far more sinister at play and that these samples are key to understanding the disease.

 Now, as the power grid fails and the nation descends into chaos,

Wynter must find a way to get the samples to a lab in Colorado. Uncertain who to trust, she takes up with former military man Chase Miller, who has his own reasons for wanting to get close to the samples in her possession, and to Wynter herself.

 Filled with action, conspiracy, romance, and questions of whom—and what—to believe, The Line Between is a high-octane story of survival and love in a world on the brink of madness.

GET YOUR COPY HERE!

The Suspense Sisters

We love books!

MIND GAMES ON SALE!

MIND GAMES IS ON SALE THROUGH THE MONTH OF MARCH!

Get your copy while it’s only .99! (*.79 on Amazon!)

 

MIND GAMES

Kaely Quinn's talents as an FBI behavior analyst are impossible to ignore, no matter how unorthodox her methods. But when a reporter outs her as the daughter of an infamous serial killer, she's demoted and transferred to St. Louis.

When the same reporter who ruined her career claims to have received an anonymous poem predicting a string of murders, ending with Kaely's, the reporter's ulterior motives bring his claim into question. But when a body is found that fits the poem's predictions, the threat is undeniable, and the FBI sends Special Agent Noah Hunter to St. Louis.

Initially resentful of the assignment, Noah is surprised at how quickly his respect for Kaely grows, despite her oddities. But with a brazen serial killer who breaks all the normal patterns on the loose, Noah and Kaely are tested to their limits to catch the murderer before anyone else--including Kaely herself--is killed.

"Fans of romantic mysteries will want to see more of the gutsy Kaely."--Publishers Weekly

"Nancy Mehl's new romantic suspense is full of heart-pounding plot twists, sizzling attraction, and deep insight into the mind."--Hope by the Book

"Mind Games is a new thriller by Nancy Mehl and the start of a new series that I will definitely continue to read! Mehl has created a brilliant plot line with tons of potential for future developments. . . . Fresh and new, Mind Games is a must-read if you are looking for a new, original series. Nancy Mehl has created a great character in Kaley Quinn." --Fresh Fiction

Leave a comment. Five people will get free Kindle copies of MIND GAMES!