SUSPENSE SISTERS: JUNE GIVEAWAY

Suspense Sisters: June Giveaway

Living in Big Sky Country

 

I'm seeing a lot of books coming out that take place in Montana. I know in the town I live in, there has been an influx of people moving here from out of state. Some of this is driven by a TV show that shall remain nameless. Every time I turn around another celebrity has bought up a ranch. I think a lot of people visit and want to live in Montana because there is a lot of myth and fantasy connected to what it means to live in Montana. 

Except for a brief time that I lived in Arizona, I have lived in big sky country all my life. Born and raised as they say. While it is true that Montana is a beautiful state with plenty of outdoor opportunities, there are some harsh realities that never seem to make it into many of the books and movies about Montana. First, it's really hard to make a living. Montana ranks close to the bottom for wages keeping up with the cost of living. Most people end up working a couple of jobs. My late husband drove truck, did bobcat work, fixed motorcycles and guns and owned cows. Second, the winters here can be brutal. Even for people who love to ski or do other winter sports, the below zero temps end up keeping them inside. Because Montana is a rural state, there are a lot of people who have to drive long distances for healthcare and often don't have a lot of shopping options for food and clothing. Montana ranks high for suicides. I think the long winters, isolation, addictions and poverty contribute to that. 

I'm not trying to be a Debbie Downer here. I have stayed here for a reason. I just wanted to inject a little reality into all the fantasy and myth that float around living in Montana. Not everyone who moves here can buy a ranch or live in a cabin by a lake. When I wrote my Ruby Taylor mystery series, I wanted to show the real Montana using humor so the books were far from depressing. The main character has a master's degree but works in a feed store. I'm giving away a copy of the second book in the series (USA only) Sassy Cinderella and the Valiant Vigilante which won a Carol Award. You can read the second book without reading the first Romance Rustlers and Thunderbird Thieves. Each of the three books in the series has a humorous mystery that wraps up at the end of each book.  The third book in the series is called Cow Crimes and the Mustang Menace.  

Have you visited Montana? What did you think? If you haven't visited, what attracts you to the state? Maybe you live in a place that has a lot of myth and fantasy connected to it. Share about that. Leave a comment along with your email address. I will do the drawing Monday night (USA only) and notify the winner by Tuesday. 

Sharon Dunn

Sit Down with Author Darlene L. Turner about Scent of Peril

Kristen here. Today, I'm welcoming back my friend Darlene L. Turner to the blog. She's talking about her latest release, Scent of Peril, and giving away one e-book copy. Keep reading to the end to learn how to enter the giveaway.

Darlene, thank you for joining me on the blog today! What sparked the first seed of this story—an image, a question, a character, or a “what if” moment?

When I first thought of writing this National Park Protectors series, I wanted each Hoyt sibling to have a vocation connected to a park, so I brainstormed ideas. I thought of the game warden vocation, so I researched it and discovered they’re called Conservation Officers in Canada. Once I looked into their role, the story blossomed from there.

If you could step into one scene from the book—not the dangerous ones—where would you go and why?

I don’t want to give away any spoilers, but there’s a scene at the end of the book that happens on Thanksgiving Day. The family interaction is special, and I loved writing it into the story!

That sounds like a sweet scene to join. What’s one part of your daily routine that quietly fuels your creativity or keeps you grounded?

Devotions and prayer. Every morning, I start my day in God’s word; then before I start writing, I pray for direction and God’s words, not mine. Oh…and I love writing with a coffee! 😉

I love that routine! What’s one theme in this book that reflects something you’ve personally wrestled with or learned in your own life?

As I wrote the never-ending danger in the relentless wilderness, one truth kept rising to the surface—God is with us in our storms. Wyatt’s struggle to trust, Taylor’s fight to protect, and the K-9’s unwavering loyalty remind us all that faith isn’t about having everything figured out. It’s about holding on when nothing makes sense. This is something we’ve probably all struggled with at one point or another. I know I have!

Same here! That's a powerful message most of us can relate to. What are you working on now?

I’m working on book five in the series. It’s Tanner Hoyt’s story, and he’s a search and rescue pilot.

That sounds like it's going to be another fascinating story. Where can your readers learn more about you?

Readers can find me at https://darlenelturner.com/.

Thank you, Darlene, for sharing your time and story with us! Keep reading to learn more about Darlene and how to enter to win a copy of Scent of Peril. 

Darlene L. Turner is a New York Times and Publishers Weekly bestselling author known for her high-octane stories and riveting twists. Sparked by Nancy Drew, she’s turned her love of solving mysteries into her writing, believing readers will be captured by her plots, inspired by her strong characters, and moved by her inspirational message. Dubbed “the plaid queen” for her love of everything plaid, Darlene resides with her husband Jeff in Ontario, Canada. You can connect with Darlene at www.darlenelturner.com where there’s suspense beyond borders.

Now, here's more about Scent of Peril.

An innocent witness taken…

A K-9 in hot pursuit.

Dispatched with her K-9 partner, Shadow, to locate an abducted boy, Constable Taylor Grant finds herself ambushed in the wilderness along with Wyatt Hoyt, the child’s father. As Taylor and Wyatt relentlessly pursue the kidnappers and follow the little boy’s cryptic clues through treacherous terrain, they face persistent attacks and lethal traps. Each step closer to rescuing young Levi uncovers a deadly conspiracy tied to Wyatt’s past and a weapons-smuggling ring. With time running out, can they outwit a ruthless mastermind to save Levi before it’s too late?

Scent of Peril is available in all these places:

• Amazon com: https://bit.ly/4ap9FKU
• Amazon ca: https://bit.ly/4amQPEe
• Chapters - https://bit.ly/3Z8KK8c
• Barnes & Noble - https://bit.ly/4qPy3Lv
• Christianbook - https://bit.ly/3ZFvO1g
• Harlequin - https://bit.ly/4k9RAnv

For a chance to win an e-book copy of Scent of Peril, leave a comment for Darlene, and be sure to include your email address. 

WHAT'S HOT in Christian Romantic Mystery and Suspense

Marji Laine here. 

This book is intriguing! And it has some of my favorite things: faith, romance, dogs, and suspense! 

Sheltered from the Storm
by Abigail Stone 

---

A missing woman. A burned packing plant. A storm rolling in fast. And a golden retriever who refuses to leave the trail.

Naomi Hart has built her life around protecting the vulnerable, but one past failure still follows her into every crisis. When Lily Conway disappears during a Mercy Harbor storm evacuation, Naomi cannot shake the fear that history is repeating itself.

Jonah Reed knows what it costs to lose someone in a storm. Controlled, guarded, and quietly distant from the faith he once knew, he has survived by never letting anyone close enough to become another person he could fail.

Then Scout, Lily’s golden retriever, finds a clue no one else noticed — a trail leading from the shelter toward a burned packing plant and a dangerous network with connections far beyond Mercy Harbor.

As Naomi and Jonah follow Scout through ash, rain, hidden records, and rising danger, they uncover a truth powerful men are desperate to bury. But the closer they get to Lily, the more the storm closes in — and the more Naomi and Jonah must learn that courage does not mean carrying fear alone.

Sheltered from the Storm is a clean Christian romantic suspense novel with a missing-person investigation, storm danger, a loyal rescue dog, a protective hero, a determined heroine, faith under pressure, and a complete happily-ever-after.

THIS WEEK ON THE SUSPENSE SISTERS

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

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

Wednesday, Suspense Sister Kristen Hogrefe Panrnell interviews author Darlene Turner They’ll be talking about her new release, SCENT OF PERIL

An innocent witness taken… A K-9 in hot pursuit.

Dispatched with her K-9 partner, Shadow, to locate an abducted boy, Constable Taylor Grant finds herself ambushed in the wilderness along with Wyatt Hoyt, the child’s father. As Taylor and Wyatt relentlessly pursue the kidnappers and follow the little boy’s cryptic clues through treacherous terrain, they face persistent attacks and lethal traps. Each step closer to rescuing young Levi uncovers a deadly conspiracy tied to Wyatt’s past and a weapons-smuggling ring. With time running out, can they outwit a ruthless mastermind to save Levi before it’s too late?

From Love Inspired Suspense: Courage. Danger. Faith.

BUY IT HERE 

On Friday, author Sharon Dunn will talk about being born and raised in Montana and how that relates to her Ruby Taylor mysteries. She’s giving away a copy of book two in the series, SASSY CINDERELLA AND THE VALIANT VIGILATNER.

The harrowing adventures of red-headed heroine Ruby Taylor continue in this murder mystery complete with a frozen corpse, midnight intruders, and an unexpected rescue by lab mice. This sassy Cinderella's in for a crash course on university politics, new love, and what exactly it means to be a genuine Christian.

For fans of CBA author Terri Blackstock and general market authors Sue Grafton, Sharyn McCrumb, and Sara Parentsky

BUY IT HERE 

Don’t forget to enter our monthly contest!

THE SUSPENSE SISTERS

WE LOVE BOOKS

REVIEW: The World's Worst Detective Ever series by Christy Barritt

Marji Laine here. 

You know, when I told Nancy Mehl what I was reviewing this week, her reaction was that she loved the series title. I have to confess, the series title was the reason I picked up the first book of this series. 

What a delight. With a title like THE WORST DETECTIVE EVER, I knew the main character couldn't take herself too seriously. And Joey Darling (yes, that's the characters name) delivers! Straight out of Hollywood as the star of the hit detective series, "Relentless," Joey struggles with people constantly believing that she's that main character, Raven Remington, the perfect (always right, always catching the bad guys) detective. 

But between the last filming of "Relentless" and chapter one of the first book, Joey has been almost killed, divorced by her husband, and left penniless after paying off all the man's debts. She moves across the country to where her dad was last seen, getting a job as a hair stylist from an old family friend, and attempting to put the meager pieces of her life back together. And, in hopes that somehow, she'll be able to find her now-missing father. 

She immediately gets off on the wrong foot with the police detective in town, Jackson Sullivan, and finds a friend in her next-door neighbor, surfer/realtor/masseuse Zane Oakley. 

I LOVE the names of these characters! Where did Christy Barritt come up with them???

I also love the way she weaves the stories together. Each book contains a stand-alone mystery, but there are over-arching stories that go for three and four books at a time. And of course, there is the romance and a plethora of characters from her past who come in and out of the stories. 

Then there is the fan group that keeps setting her up to "solve" mysteries as the actress who had played Raven Remington should be doing. The person or people behind her "biggest fans" are twisted and downright dangerous. And they also come in and out of the different books. 

Something else that I love about these is the character's sense of humor. She is often comparing something she witnesses to the plot of an old movie or television show. Or she compares the people she sees to high profile actors or characters. Hubby and I love listening to the books on road trips and often have to pause the playback to belly-laugh over a one-liner or the crazy situations in which she finds herself. 

But don't think these aren't serious mysteries with plenty of danger involved. I haven't been able to figure out all of them, but the clues are there. The mysteries are tight. The murders are real, and the villains are desperate. And despite Joey's excellent acting skills, she's not the detective that Raven Remington is. Let's just leave it at that! 

If you like a little serving of light-heartedness with your mystery, you're going to love these books! And there are thirteen of them to love! The first was released almost 10 years ago, but book thirteen was just released last year. Apparently, I'm not the only one who loves these books! 

Here's the list of the books (along with some side books) in order: 

READY TO FUMBLE, REIGN OF ERROR, SAFETY IN BLUNDERS (Book bundle 1)

JOIN THE FLUB, BLOOPER FREAK, FLAW ABIDING CITIZEN (Book bundle 2)

GAFFE OUT LOUD, JOKE AND DAGGER, WRECK THE HALLS, GLITCH AND FAMOUS (Book Bundle 3)

NOT ON MY BOTCH, ONE HIT BLUNDER, and THE FAUX MUST GO ON. 

In addition, there is RELENTLESS: A RAVEN REMINGTON NOVEL that is set up after BLOOPER FREAK. There is also a crossover books involving Joey, the police chief Cassidy Chambers from Barritt's Lantern Beach series, and Gabby St. Claire Thomas from the Squeaky Clean Series. This one, THE CRIME OF OUR LIVES, isn't really connected to any of the timelines from the actual series they cross, but it is suggested to come after NOT ON MY BOTCH before the last two and most recent Joey Darling books were released. 

Here's a little more about book 1, READY TO FUMBLE: 

I'm not really a private detective. I just play one on TV.

Joey Darling, better known to the world as Raven Remington, detective extraordinaire, is trying to separate herself from her invincible alter ego. She played the spunky character for five years on the hit TV show Relentless, which catapulted her to fame and into the role of Hollywood’s sweetheart.

When her marriage falls apart, her finances dwindle to nothing, and her father disappears, Joey finds herself on the Outer Banks of North Carolina, trying to piece her life back together away from the limelight. A woman finds Raven—er, Joey—and insists on hiring her fictional counterpart to find a missing boyfriend. When someone begins staging crime scenes to match an episode of Relentless, Joey has no choice but to get involved.

Joey’s bumbling sleuthing abilities have her butting heads with Detective Jackson Sullivan and kindling sparks with thrill-seeking neighbor Zane Oakley. Can Joey channel her inner Raven and unearth whodunit before she ends up totally done in? And where is her father anyway? Can she handle fame or is disappearing into obscurity the wiser option?

--

Oftentimes, I am wary of reading mystery and suspense mysteries late into the night because they'll keep me up. That warning HOLDS TRUE for this series... but not for the reason you might think. This is no thriller, but not only will the unexpected humor keep you laughing, it might very well keep your household awake as well. 

Am I gushing? I'm probably gushing. But this series is stellar! Excellent mysteries. Excellent characters. Excellent engagement, dialogue, action, personalities. 

This series is pure excellence! 

Get your copy here! 

When was the last time you read a series that was truly excellent? One book? Maybe, But to keep up that high standard book after book is nothing short of amazing. I'd like to hear about your experiences! Comment below with an excellent book or series and don't forget to leave your email address. One of you just might win an e-copy of READY TO FUMBLE! 

I hope you LOVE it!