SUSPENSE SISTERS: FEBRUARY GIVEAWAY

Suspense Sisters: February Giveaway

A Road Trip of Unfortunate Events

For several months, we had anticipated taking our young son to see snow in our favorite mountain town of Beech Mountain, North Carolina, a primary setting in my Crossroads Suspense series. 

Two days before our trip, we learned of a blizzard that was forecasted to impact our destination the following weekend (during the end of our trip). So late Tuesday night, we made the decision to leave the next morning: a whole day early. This way, we could enjoy the mountains and get out before the storm.

Were we packed? Not even close. I canceled plans, packed like crazy, and tried to calm my anxious heart. (I’m a hard-core planner, so revamping is not one of my strengths.) But surely, once on the road, everything would be fine.

The eleven-hour road trip started great. We made such good time that we even dared to hope for an arrival well before midnight. 

Then, we hit construction zones. No biggie, at least we were moving. But with a toddler, the stops added up, and our early arrival dreams faded. Okay, midnight it was!

One hour out, we came to a dead stop, and an officer flagged us over. The entire mountain road was shut down. An eighteen-wheeler had crashed and spewed batteries all over the road. The officer estimated the road would reopen in twenty minutes, so we sat there.

Forty-five minutes later, we hadn’t moved, and it was now after midnight. Another officer suggested detouring on a narrow gravel road. It would dump us out just beyond the closed road.

He wasn’t kidding when he said “winding!” It was so narrow that two cars could barely pass each other, but we made it. On the road again!

By now, snow had started falling. When we reached out Airbnb, we wrapped our snoozing toddler in a blanket and hurried to find our room. 

The door code didn’t work. We tried again. And again.

Not only had our son woken up, but he was now shivering. We hurried back to the car while my husband and I took turns trying to reach the rental company.

Finally, someone answered. At one-thirty in the morning, we opened our apartment door and maybe got to bed around two. The road trip of unfortunate events officially sets the record for our worst travel day ever.

But you know what? Our trip was still amazing. We went tubing, sledding, and even introduced our little guy to skiing. We made snow angels and threw snowballs. We ate Fred’s cinnamon rolls and Brick Oven pizza (both of which my characters experience in my Crossroads Suspense series).

What this trip reminded me is that every day is a new day, and that praise God, His mercies are new every morning (Lamentations 3:23). Yes, we had the most miserable travel day on record, but the next day held blue skies and snowy fun in one of our favorite places. 

In a way, our road trip was like a suspense novel, full of setbacks and plot twists. Leave a comment for a chance to win a Kindle copy of any one book in my Crossroads Suspense series (winner’s choice). Be sure to include your email.

WHATS NEW IN INSPRATIONAL SUSPENSE

Wondering what's hot in inspirational suspense and mystery? Dana R. Lynn has a brand new suspense, Amish Midwife Witness, recently released from Love Inspired Suspense. 

Here's what an early reader had to say about it: Vanessa comes from a loving Christian home. Was it accident or rebellion that she fell for the "bad boy" type guy? Whatever the reason, it had disastrous effects leaving her facing a pregnancy and miscarriage alone. To ashamed to turn to her family, it caused a void to develop between them. She changed her plans from becoming a veterinary to being a nurse midwife. It is her way of helping women. Since she can't trust men, she's accepted that she will never become a mother herself.

Carter loves his job, but at home he carries a heavy load. His sister committed suicide due to bullying. His mother, diagnosed with dementia, blames him for her death. In her mental state, she's always berating him and reminding him that he's worthless and untrustworthy for not protecting his sister. he's determined to change her opinion of him someday. Her words not only hurt, but have convinced him that he isn't worthy of a happily-ever-after. He's resigned himself as unworthy for a soulmate and is content to keep helping to capture the bad guys and justice for victims.

Vanessa's peaceful life is upturned when she over hears a phone conversation between her medical assistant and an unknown male talking about kidnapping a baby from Sterling Ridge Medical Clinic. While extremely shocked, she has the security guard to call 911 and stays with her to make sure she doesn't leave. Lt. Flint was the first to arrive. That phone call led to a sniper killing Mandy and attempting to do the same to Vanessa. Vanessa instantly become the hunted. but who is the hunter?

Can Carter change Vanessa's opinion of men? Dare she begin to trust one? Can helping Vanessa make the voice of his mother's sharp tongue in his mind lessen? When it appears there's a leak somewhere, who do they trust? By going undercover and without legal assistance, will it bring them closer to finding out who is behind the illegal adoption ring? With multiple attempts on both their lives, can they survive to find out?

AMISH MIDWIFE WITNESS is a stupendous, suspense filled story that is impossible to put down once you start reading it. Dana R. Lynn gives us a story of overcoming one's past, intrigue, family, forgiveness, suspense, romance, trust and danger while wrapping it in a wonderful thread of faith. AMISH MIDWIFE WITNESS is a FIVE STAR book that I highly recommend to everyone! AMISH MIDWIFE WITNESS is the first book in the Amish Country Danger series, which has this reader very excited at the prospect of the next book in the series.

You can buy Amish Midwife Witness HERE from Christianbook.com 

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

Mary Ellis, 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 Mary Ellis will tell us what’s hot in inspirational suspense and mystery.

Wednesday, author Kristin Hogrefe Parnell talks about “A Road Trip of Unfortunate Events.” Sometimes our best plans don’t work out. So, what do we do? And what do the storms of life teach us? You’ll enjoy her great post. Be sure to enter for your chance to win any book in her Crossroads Suspense series!

Here’s a little something about the first book in the series, TAKE MY HAND:

Don’t find us. We’ll find you.

Trauma therapist Kaley Colbert needs a vacation from her job, and a ski trip with her church singles’ group seems like the perfect way to unplug. But while in the mountains, she learns that her last client was murdered hours after their meeting, and she wonders if the notes she’s receiving from a possible stalker hold a more sinister warning.

On the trip, ex-boyfriend and entrepreneur Reef Mitchell wants to give their relationship another chance, but Kaley questions if his past and priorities could ever mesh with her life. When her client’s underworld connections catch up with her, she has no choice but trust Reef to help her stay alive, solve her client’s mystery, and bring the killers to justice.

ORDER HERE: 

Friday, we’ll hear from Suspense Sister Sharon Dunn. She’ll be talking about what heritage really means. She’s also giving away copies of her book, MONTANA RANCH CRIME RING.

Exposing a smuggling operation
could uncover dangerous secrets.

As veterinarian Erika Gunderson races to save her horses from a burning barn, she is assaulted—and left for dead inside. Newly hired ranch hand Daniel Fowler comes to the rescue just in time. Little does Erika know that Daniel is an undercover ATF agent, investigating gunrunners operating in the isolated Montana wilderness—and considers her a potential suspect. When they unearth a body on the ranch and Erika’s father mysteriously vanishes, hidden family secrets begin to emerge. With more than just their lives on the line, they’ll need to risk everything to take down the smugglers and expose the truth.

ORDER IT HERE:

Don’t forget to enter our monthly contest!

THE SUSPENSE SISTERS

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SUSPENSE SISTERS: JANUARY GIVEAWAY

Suspense Sisters: January Giveaway

Writing books when life gets in the way.....and a free book! ____Roxanne Rustand

When you start out with dreams of becoming a published author, you have no deadlines. No pressure. 

But when you finally have a publisher, or become truly serious about an Indie career and set up your first book as a pre-order on Amazon or other platforms, everything changes.  Deadlines loom and must be met.  

But still, life happens. 

Computer crashes. Illnesses or deaths in the family.  Other situations that can't be put on the back burner.  Spiders.

I was struggling with a tight deadline, with at least fifty pages left and less than a week to do them, when I saw it: The biggest wolf spider I'd ever seen. These spiders are especially creepy because they are clearly sentient. 

They see me. Freeze. Clearly watch for my next move. Consider their next move. Then they race for cover.  If I move, they change course.

It's all fine if I encounter them outside, but this behemoth was on the workbench in the shop downstairs.  Which meant I would eventually see him again.

I love all animals. Our kids grew up owning every kind of indoor pet — rodents, lizards, fish, cats, dogs, and even snakes.  But their pet tarantula was a bridge too far, as are random and uninvited spiders.

This one raced underneath a crumpled paper towel. I impulsively slammed my hand down. The creature escaped, but a heavy piece of angle iron was lying in wait under that towel, and I broke a bone in my hand. 

Trying to type with my new cast was a disaster, and the clock was ticking toward my book deadline.

Fortunately, speech-to-text programs for Mac computers have been evolving over the years and were fairly good at that point in time. Trying to dictate my story helped me inch toward my final chapter.

And then...I caught a cold, which swiftly turned to severe bronchitis and then laryngitis. However much that speech-to-text program had improved, it could not read my thoughts when I couldn't speak...so I was back to typing with one hand.

I did meet that deadline, but barely, and this experience taught me some lessons:

Appreciate the normal capabilities I (usually) have. 

Be kind to spiders. 

And never again let myself get behind on deadlines!

That book was out several years ago.  But I do have a new book that was released earlier this month!

Leave a comment, and you will be entered in a drawing for a free e-copy of Dangerous December, the book that precedes it in this Northern Pines Suspense series

DANGEROUS SUMMER is a heartwarming, character-driven, small-town romance. This clean, faith-friendly romance has a light touch of suspense.

Sophie is a widowed mom focused on her child. He’s hiding from the world. But with forced proximity and her job at stake, can opposites attract and become an unexpected chance at love?

It's a heartfelt story of second chances, family, and the power of love to heal even the deepest scars.


All my best to you in 2026!

Roxanne Rustand