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Friday, August 14, 2026

THE WRITING LIFE - WHEN THINGS GO WRONG



The writing life can be interesting. When I started writing, manuscripts were sent in the mail. (Yes, I’m that old.) I remember when the idea of sending work over the Internet was something publishers weren’t sure about. The change came slowly. Now, our work is sent back and forth in seconds. The idea of going back to paper is…ridiculous. However, this fast-paced digital life can present problems. Like when a manuscript disappears and there’s no way to retrieve it. So…you have to write it again, making your release date much longer than anyone, including me, my publisher, and my readers, expected. After a long wait, FATAL FINALE, the third and final book in my “The Erin Delaney Mysteries” series, will release on August 18th. This series brings back one of my most popular characters, Kaely Quinn. Here’s a little something about the book:

They'd started back to the house when they heard a male voice behind them. Then a shot rang out.

"Run!" Kaely said.

When bestselling author Erin Delaney's novel gets picked up for a movie deal, she eagerly awaits her friend Kaely Quinn-Hunter's arrival in Tennessee before they head to California to observe the film's production. However, when Kaely does not arrive at the scheduled time and Erin can't reach her by phone, her concern grows.

A cryptic phone call from Kaely's kidnapper confirms Erin's worst fear--she has exactly six days to save her friend's life by solving his twisted clues. The message comes with a warning: Contact the police or FBI, and Kaely dies. But Erin works for the Sanctuary Police Department, and Kaely's husband is with the FBI, putting her in an impossible situation. As Erin races against time, she's forced to crack the kidnapper's chilling puzzle before it's too late.

Nancy Mehl delivers thrills like no one else in the closure of her high-stakes Christian romantic suspense series full of action, investigations, cryptic clues, and dangerous threats. This promises to captivate fans of Criminal Minds, Lynette Eason, Colleen Coble, Irene Hannon, Susan May Warren, and Elizabeth Goddard.



It’s hard to say goodbye to characters, especially Kaely. I hope my readers enjoy this book even though it took a long time to release. If you do, will you please leave reviews on bookseller sites and tell your friends? Thanks, I appreciate it.


And by the way, I email my work to myself every day now. A very successful author told me that no matter what advice she’s received, it’s the only way of saving her work that she trusts. Wise words and very helpful. Thanks, Colleen.


Leave a comment to win a copy of FATAL FINALE. (Digital or paperback. *Paperback copies will only be mailed in the United States.)

22 comments:

  1. I can't wait for this book. Especially knowing what went in behind the scenes. But I don't need a free one, my pre-order is on the way!

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  2. I enjoy reading mysteries and have since my first Nancy Drew Book. Thank you for entering me in your giveaway.

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  3. Love all of these series with Kaely!
    smincer10(at)gmail(dot)com

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  4. Sounds like a great story. Looking forward to reading it. cherierj(at)yahoo(dot)com

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  5. interesting
    bn100candg at hotmail dot com

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  6. I've emailed my manuscript to myself ever since I got an email address after I lost my first manuscript when my computer crashed...

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  7. It sounds like a really interesting book.

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  8. Boy, this sounds exciting! I lost an entire gradebook on a computer once and had to recreate the whole thing by hand. It was a glitch in the computer system, so they said. At that time I didn't have a phone with a camera, so back in the dinosaur years of early 2000's. So, not a whole book, for sure, but I understand the dismay of a lot of lost work. This book is going to be worth the wait. You don't need to send me a free copy, I know that is an expense to the authors now. I'm so proud of you and the incredible person you are.

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  9. Thank you so much for the giveaway! I can imagine how frustrating (and heartbreaking) it can be when your computer crashes and your work, saved files, music, etc are lost. It hasn't happened to me yet but reading this has made me realize I need to copy important digital files to an external drive. Thank you for sharing! BTW - I'm really looking forward to reading this book! wileyluvstabby(at)comcast(dot)net

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  10. Can't trust computers. I will miss Kaely also. Looking forward to when it is out. jenningsask@verizon.net

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  11. I get upset when I lose a long comment or a review I've put a lot of thought into. I can't imagine losing an entire manuscript! Or even part of one. I appreciate all the work authors put in for our reading pleasure. Love this series & would love to win an ebook copy or paperback (whichever is easiest for you) of Fatal Finale! Thank you for the giveaway opportunity!

    dianalflowers at aol dot com

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  12. Fatal Finale is so good—I was blessed to be able to read an ARC through JustRead Publicity Tours. I have enjoyed all of Kaely’s stories and will “miss” her, too.

    On a side note, I always email anything important to myself, too, so I won’t lose it.

    svenable(at)westmont(dot)edu

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  13. I love the idea of emailing your work to yourself. What a fabulous idea. Thank you so much for sharing. Congratulations on your new book. God bless you. dpruss@prodigy.net

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  14. Kaely Quinn has long been one of my FAVORITE characters! I'm so glad you brought her back! Since I am a serial binge-reader, I have been waiting for you to finish this series before starting it. I am happy that it is finished, so I can dive in!

    Heather Mitchell crhbmitchellfam@duck.com

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  15. This sounds like a really good book. Now if I only had the second book in the series to go with the first one.

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  16. You are a new author to me. Your books sound amazing. deborahdumm(AT)yahoo(DOT)com

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  17. Fatal Finale sounds so good!!

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  18. Wow! This book is up my reading alley! Congratulations on your pub day! Yup, everything has its pros and cons — you just have to weigh them out. Thank you. cwkuen(at)yahoo(dot)com

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  19. I also email myself lots of things. Once you loose anything you've been working on, it is essential. Congrats on the new book!

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  20. Fatal Finale sounds very intriguing and I’d love to read this.

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  21. A fantastic book!

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