Introducing New Suspense Sister Kristen Hogrefe Parnell!

 

It is my honor to introduce you to the newest member of the Suspense Sisters Team.

Meet Kristen Hogrefe Parnell!

Kristen writes suspenseful fiction from a faith perspective for women and young adults. Her own suspense story involved waiting on God into her thirties to meet her husband, and she desires to keep embracing God’s plan for her life when it’s not what she expects. She also teaches English online and has a heart for young people, having served in youth ministry for several years. Whenever possible, she welcomes inspirational speaking opportunities with schools, churches, conferences, and podcasts.

Her faith perspective is a shaping influence in all her books. These include an inspirational women’s romantic suspense series with Mountain Brook Ink, and the first book, Take My Hand, released in 2022. The second, Hold Your Breath, released November 2023. Her young adult fiction includes a dystopian trilogy, The Rogues. The first book, The Revisionary, and the final book in the trilogy, The Reactionary, both received the Selah Award for Speculative Fiction. Learn more on her books here.

So, let’s jump right in and get to know Kristen better!

How did you get your start writing fiction and what genre do you predominantly write in?

 

I started writing fiction in middle school as part of a chapter book project with my brothers and friends. Although the others tired of the project, I discovered how much I love writing. An English degree later, I self-published my first young adult trilogy after college and then partnered with a publisher on my second trilogy. My young adult stories are published under my maiden name, Kristen Hogrefe, and I now primarily write Christian romantic suspense.

 

What has being published taught you?

 

Publishing has taught me that no experience is ever wasted and that perseverance and discipline are essential prerequisites for being a writer. It has also revealed that even with the highs and lows that come with the writing industry, sharing stories is a passion God has given me. I believe He will use those stories for His glory and for my readers’ good in ways I may never know this side of eternity.

What do you do when you're not writing? Any interesting hobbies? 

  

When I’m not writing, I’m seeing the world through my almost eighteen-month-old’s eyes. My little boy is one of my greatest joys and blessings from God. I teach online, which has allowed me to be home and savor time with him. My husband and I also enjoy travel, and our son loves the beach, just like his parents.

 

What have you researched that makes you think the FBI might be interested in you?

 

For my work-in-progress, my online search queries definitely might raise eyebrows. The villain demands a prisoner swap between a child and a felon, so I have searched for whether or not such a swap has happened. While prisoner exchanges do occur internationally, they aren’t something that takes place stateside. As a result, I’ve also been researching prison breaks. So yes, my search history looks questionable at the moment.

 

Would you tell us about your current book release (Hold Your Breath)?

 

My latest release is Hold Your Breath, book two in my Crossroads Suspense series. While each book can stand alone, the characters in the series are interconnected through a young professional group at Crossroads Christian Church. They share in each other’s faith journeys, adventures—and danger.

 

Would you share with us what you are working on now?

 

My latest project—the one responsible for my questionable online search history—is book three in the series and scheduled to release April 2025.

 

What is the most valuable piece of advice you’d like to give to unpublished authors?

My advice for unpublished authors is not to rush. Take time to hone your craft, join a writing group, and attend conferences to meet and learn from other authors and industry professionals. Never give up on your dream, but realize good things often take time.

About Hold Your Breath (Crossroads Suspense Book 2)

The end justifies the means—or does it?

Serial dater and travel blogger Jayna Scott lands a dream assignment in Bimini, Bahamas at Mario Delgado’s resort. But after she falls hard and fast for her host, she discovers his terrible secret. Her flight instinct sends her to the mountains of North Carolina on a trip with a Tampa church group, but Mario pursues her, determined to prove his actions were justified.

Private investigator Liam Bracken helps his best friend plan a surprise engagement in Beech Mountain to the woman he once liked. Now, the mysterious Jayna, the new addition to their group, tugs at his heart, but his instincts warn him she’s running from something. When Jayna emerges at the epicenter of his agency’s high-profile drug investigation, Liam prays he can save her—and guard his heart at the same time.

Leave a comment for your chance to win an e-copy of Hold Your Breath. Be sure to include your email address in the comment.