SUSPENSE SISTERS: MARCH GIVEAWAY

Suspense Sisters: March Giveaway

Welcome Elizabeth Goddard

 Hi everyone! Today Elizabeth Goddard is visiting and I asked her a few questions that she graciously answered. But first a little bit about Beth, as I usually call her.

Elizabeth Goddard is a muliti-published and award-winning author. We happen to be published by the same publisher--Baker/Revell Books. She also writes for Harlequin's Inspirational line--Love Inspired Suspense. Here's Elizabeth's story in her own words:

A reader once told me that when she feels down, she picks up one of my books. She knows it will take her away from her troubles, at least for a while. That made me smile because I understand the need to ride on the winds of imagination. As a reader, I enjoy a novel that will whisk me away to another time and place.

I’ve often heard this response to my novels, which confirms what my ministry of words is about—telling stories set in unique locations and filled with adventure and suspense. Stories that infuse with a sense of hope and redemption. Stories that leave you with a spiritual nugget to take away.

Isn’t that what Jesus did when He told His parables?

Elizabeth's Story

I’m a seventh-generation Texan and grew up in a small town in East Texas once considered the world’s richest acre because of the oil produced on one acre downtown. There were so many oil pumps in my hometown that every night their gentle hum lulled me to sleep.

For a brief few years I lived in Oregon, the setting from which I draw many of my stories. God placed the desire to write within me from an early age. That, along with the love of reading, of course. My mother kept bookshelves filled with books she loved reading as girl, passing that love down to her daughter. Others influenced my life, as well. My third grade teacher read Mrs. Piggle Wiggle to the class—such a beloved and zany story—I couldn’t wait to share it with my children. Only two years later I tackled two adult novels: 2001 A Space Odyssey (admittedly it took five tries before I made it through) and The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck. I remember spending entire summers doing nothing but reading novels, and sometimes reading the ones I loved more than once!

In addition to reading voraciously, I wrote poetry and numerous stories, even starting my first romance novel at fourteen. My English teachers entered me in UIL creative writing contests, so I’ve been writing off and on for years. But it wasn’t until 2001, when I had three small children at home, that I began to seriously pursue writing a novel for publication. That’s been a few years ago and now my kiddoes (add another one to the mix for a total of four) are mostly all grown,  and I’m still writing and going strong!

I have the Lord to thank for giving me the dream to write novels and for making it come true. My stories have been finalists in contests, but in 2011, my romantic mystery The Camera Never Lies won the prestigious Carol Award in the mystery category. I thank my Lord and Savior for installing this creative gift within me and letting me use it in such a big way. I encourage you to dream big, and follow those dreams He gives you.

Now onto our interview: 

Me: When did you start writing?

Elizabeth: I’ve always been a writer at heart, but I didn’t start pursuing publication until I became a stay-at-home mom. I spent my twenties traveling the country for my job, and I think I had a hard time letting go of a business mindset, and it was then I turned that secret dream of being a writer—a dream God planted in my heart. In 2001, I joined the then-fledgling organization, American Christian Romance Writers—now ACFW (fiction writers versus romance writers). I joined am ACFW critique group which turned out to be such a blessing. All the writers in the group are now multi-published authors. My signed my first contract in 2006 and that means this year I’ve been in publishing for twenty years! 

Me: Why romantic suspense novels?

Elizabeth: I’ve always loved reading them and I think that started with my love of the gothic novels written by Daphne Du Maurier, the Bronte sisters, Phyllis A. Whitney and Victoria Holt. Intrigue and suspense and a bit of romance mixed in. In my opinion, romantic suspense novels have everything you could want! 

Me: What’s the hardest part of writing romantic suspense?

Elizabeth: There are a lot of hard parts of any kind of writing! Balancing writing and life for one, but I think for romantic suspense, the hardest part of me is just starting. Where do I start the story so that the readers will connect immediately with my heroine. Right after I answer these questions, I’m going to dive into my first chapter of a brand-new book. I don’t like to do an information dump but let the reader discover the backstory as they read.  A romantic suspense has to carry a lot of layers—all the suspense and mystery (if there is a mystery), faith elements since I’m a Christian writing for that market, and the romance. I don’t want the romance to be heavier than the suspense and I try to write 50/50 romance and suspense. 

Me: How long does it generally take you to write a novel?

Elizabeth: I guess the bigger question is what do you mean by “write a novel”? Define a novel—the rough draft or a publishable manuscript? Ha ha! I recently took a course on “how to write a novel in 30 days” because I thought---hey, I need to know what their secret is. Turns out, that the writer researched and plotted for six months and then the actual writing took thirty days. For me, I consider all parts of the writing process to include—letting the premise brew, thinking about the characters and on and on, so I’m doing that even while I’m writing on the book that comes before. 

But I get that you’re asking how long it takes me once I sit down and put my mind to it. If I didn’t have interruptions in life, it might take me a month to write the first draft, and then more time to polish and edit, but life. . . right? We have to live it. I write a messy, rough draft over about three months (because I’m not glued to the chair), and then the last month before it’s due, I’m going through and editing and polishing and spend many hours a day on that part, and it’s very intense. I don’t care if I’m given nine months to write a book, this last month or two before it’s due, I’m going to be glued to the chair to make sure the rough draft is polished and is a “publishable” story before I turn it in. Then, of course, it goes through multiple edits via my publisher. How’s that for an answer? Short answer. One to two months for the rough. More months for the polish. 

Me: Oh, wow! Are you a pantser or plotter or somewhere in between?

Elizabeth: I definitely lean more toward pantsing. I usually begin with a strong premise, a few loose turning point possibilities (nothing set in stone), and a sense of where the story is headed, but I also leave room for discovery along the way. I’m always thinking ahead to what would work and coming up with scene ideas and possible twists. Some of the best twists and emotional moments happen while I’m in the middle of writing---and more often, while I’m washing dishes! I give myself a lot of room to change course. 

Me: That's amazing. What would you fear the most if Homeland Security went through your computer?

Elizabeth: Ha ha! What a great question. Honestly my biggest fear would be their complete and utter surprise that someone like me could even write the stories I write, and I’m sure they’d probably just laugh off all my research. 

Me: What’s the most rewarding or frustrating thing about writing?

Elizabeth: The most rewarding part is hearing from readers who connected with a story—especially when they say a book encouraged them, gave them hope, or stayed with them after they finished. I love it when I hear “I loved it” or “It’s unputdownable”—those words really set my heart soaring. The most frustrating part is trying to translate the story in my head onto the page exactly the way I imagine it—I have such great ideas but getting that on the page often feels impossible. 

Me: What are you working on now?

Elizabeth: As mentioned earlier, I’m about to dive into writing a new book—Mercy Ridge book 3, with a tentative title of Where the Fault Lies. I LOVE that title. Doesn’t it just give you goosebumps? I loved writing the Hidden Bay Series, but now I’m already on book 3 of a brand-new series. My stories often feature rugged landscapes, hidden danger, and characters who must face both external threats and personal wounds. I’m always drawn to settings where the beauty is breathtaking—and so is the danger. The Mercy Ridge series is set in the Cascade Mountains—but wait. . ., let’s talk about my current book. Next question . . .

Me: Tell us about your current book.

Elizabeth: My current book is DEADLY CURRENTS, book 3 in my Hidden Bay series, set on the Washington Coast. I love the Hidden Bay series and honestly, after writing Missing in Alaska, I was afraid that readers wouldn’t love the new series as much, but they do and even more, I think. My editor loved it the best in the series. I had so much fun writing it and was afraid I might have stepped out of my lane, but nope—it worked well!  

Deadly Currents follows investigative journalist Cressida Dane as she arrives in Hidden Bay to complete her late father’s manuscript on shipwrecks. While looking into the mystery of the ghost ship Specter’s Bounty, she uncovers secrets that put her in serious danger. County detective Braden Sanders is assigned to protect her, but as they dig deeper, they realize the truth is far more dangerous than either of them expected. It’s a story of buried secrets, rising danger, and romance forged in the middle of danger. I hope you love the surprise ending! Let me know!

Me: Anything you want to add?

Elizabeth: I’m grateful every time a reader picks up one of my books. Writing romantic suspense is more than telling an exciting story for me—it’s about weaving hope, courage, and faith into the middle of danger and uncertainty. Life can feel that way sometimes too, and I love reminding readers that even in the darkest moments, God is still at work.

Please subscribe to my newsletter over at my website (https://elizabethgoddard.com) so you can get the latest news on upcoming releases. 

Okay folks, that wraps up our interview. I hope you've enjoyed it. Leave a comment (with your contact information), and I'll enter you in a drawing for a print copy of Deadly Currents.

Vickie Watts is the winner of the library mug from last month!

Inspiring a New Generation

This week I had the opportunity to do something I've never done before. It was a book-related event, and yet, it wasn't about sales. These people had no money to buy books. In fact, it cost me a little to do this event, but it was so fun and so worth it.

Those people were kids!

I had the wonderful opportunity this past Friday to share my love of storytelling with a local homeschool co-op—kids from kindergarten to 6th grade. I talked about how books get published and how books are written. We talked about what makes a story.

They all had wonderful imaginations. Some of the kids want to be authors when they grow up. Others were less enthused. We wrote a story together about Bob, a human, who worked at McDonald's until someone threw a grenade in the parking lot. So Bob went to work at Burger King. Then he robbed Taco Bell, and because stories have consequences--he went to jail.

There were also stories about an eraser, about another Bob getting attacked by a shark (lots of stories about Bob), a flower getting mowed down and coming back to life as new flowers, fan fiction about Phineas and Ferb, a pencil ... 

I saw the big boys sit up when I talked about giving the character rewards along the way. One young man said appreciation; another said respect. 

And I watched them all sit up and lean forward when I told them this:

"Here’s the most amazing part--stories can be anything you want them to be. Your story can be authentically you. You are the only one who can and will tell your story the way that you can. It’s all up to you and your imagination. Stories can be made of mostly pictures or mostly words. They can be entirely true, like the Bible, or entirely fictional, or anywhere in between.

A story can be anything you want it to be. You can write about the past or the future. You can go anywhere you want. You can ask the hard questions and find the answers through writing."

And I finished with this warning. "Here’s what we never want to do. Never use stories to lie or deceive people. Stories share truth even in a fun, silly way."

In the end, I don't know which children will grow up to be authors and who won't. But I know that if we were to look into the future, they might surprise us. The ones who wanted to write may do just that, or they may be an accountant, and the boys who seemed disinterested—well, one of them may be the next C.S. Lewis.

My point is we never know who we may touch with our stories. Whose lives we may change. Whose future direction we may alter.

What about you? Have you ever tried to mentor someone? Have you shared your love of something with another person? If you haven't, I would encourage you to give it a go. Find someone who wants to learn about something you're good at, and inspire them to be all that they can be.

Giveaway: Comment below to be entered to win a $10 Amazon gift card.

  

WHAT'S NEW IN INSPIRATIONAL SUSPENSE

Wondering what's HOT in inspirational suspense and mystery: Jodie Bailey has a brand new suspense, Tracing Killer Evidence, next in the Dakota K-9 series, recently released from Love Inspired Suspense.

Here's a little bit about the story: A string of unsolved kidnappings. A K-9 team out for justice. Forensic artist Isabella Whitmore narrowly escapes an abduction attempt in the Dakota Badlands, only to find herself targeted by a mysterious assailant. With the help of FBI special agent, Liam Barringer and his K-9, Guthrie, Isabella must uncover the identity of her would-be murderer. Is the culprit the elusive kidnapper turned serial killer who's targeting Isabella because she matches his victim profile? Or has her secret past finally caught up with her? As the attacks escalate, Isabella and Liam must find the truth and stop the danger before it's too late.

You can buy Tracing Killer Evidence by Jodie Bailey HERE 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, we’ll hear from author Gina Holder. She’ll be sharing her desire to use her gift to inspire the next generation of writers. She’ll also be giving away a $10 Amazon gift card. Here’s a little bit about her intriguing novel, THE PUZZLE WITHIN.

FBI agent Arizona Powers, recovering from a nervous breakdown, isn’t ready to call it quits. Hoping to prove herself, she takes on a protection assignment for Bridgette Van Sloan, the spoiled teenage daughter of an ambassador.

Nick Trueheart, a former escape artist, joined DSS as a risk analyst after the tragic death of his wife. Consumed by his obsession to learn the identity of his wife’s killer, Nick lacks the time and patience to handle the unstable field agent.

When Bridgette disappears from an escape room, Nick and Arizona become entangled in a dangerous game and a race against time. The risks are high as they confront their own failures and unravel secrets hidden within to save Bridgette—and themselves—from a sinister plot.

ORDER IT 

Friday. Suspense Sister Patricia Bradley interviews author Elizabeth Goddard (one of my favorite authors!). Among other things, they’ll be talking about her exciting book, DEADLY CURRENTS. Leave a message for your chance to win a print copy!

USA Today Bestselling Author Elizabeth Goddard Presents a Gripping Thrill Ride

Investigative journalist Cressida Dane arrives in Hidden Bay after a worldwide journey to finish her late father's manuscript on shipwrecks. As she tries to discover the story behind the "ghost ship" Specter's Bounty, her only lead is a name her father left behind--Evelyn Monroe. As Cressida uncovers more about the ship, she quickly realizes that her research has placed her in the crosshairs of dangerous forces.

County detective Braden Sanders is in Hidden Bay for one reason--to get his niece lifesaving medical treatment. To do that, he is assigned to protect Cressida from a revenge-driven enemy. Together, Braden and Cressida dig deeper to discern the myth from the facts surrounding the Specter's Bounty.

But more is brewing under the surface than they could ever imagine. Entangled in secrets, they must unravel the past before the current sweeps away their future.

Brace yourself for Elizabeth Goddard's final adrenaline-inducing installment in the Hidden Bay series. This clean romantic suspense combines maritime mystery with protective hero romance that readers of Dani Pettrey and Nancy Mehl will enjoy.


ORDER IT HERE 

Don’t forget to enter our monthly contest!

THE SUSPENSE SISTERS

WE LOVE BOOKS

What Makes a Suspense Story Impossible to Put Down?

 

There’s something about returning home that can stir up memories you thought were long buried.

Sometimes those memories are comforting—family dinners, childhood friendships, familiar places that remind us of where we came from.

But sometimes… the past waits in the shadows and it’s not so nice.

That idea became the heartbeat behind my upcoming release, Unsolved Amish Abduction, releasing March 31.

In this story, Anna Hartzler returns to the Amish community she once fled after receiving an anonymous letter containing a bracelet that belonged to her missing sister. For Anna, the bracelet isn’t just jewelry—it’s a reminder of the worst night of her life.

Ten years ago, two sisters walked into the woods.
Only one came home.

Anna has spent a decade trying to move forward. She built a life. She’s raising her young daughter. She’s tried to convince herself that the past is over.

But the moment she steps back into her hometown, it becomes clear that someone hasn’t forgotten.

Someone has been waiting.

And the only person she can turn to for protection is Jaxson Thomas—the boy she once loved, now a police officer and K-9 handler. Jax never expected Anna to return, and he certainly never expected to find himself protecting the woman who once disappeared from his life.

As the threats escalate and secrets begin to surface, Anna and Jax must confront the truth about what happened that night in the woods… before the same person who stole her sister comes back for her.

One of the things I love about writing suspense is exploring how the past shapes who we become—and how unresolved mysteries can echo through years, even decades. In Unsolved Amish Abduction, the danger isn’t just physical. It’s emotional too. Anna must face the guilt of surviving when her sister didn’t… and the terrifying possibility that the nightmare isn’t over.

Because sometimes the most dangerous place to return… is home.

Buy link: https://amzn.to/49N4dBh

So Let’s Talk Suspense!

One of my favorite parts of being a suspense writer is hearing from readers who love trying to solve the mystery before the characters do.

So, I’m curious…

What kind of suspense hook grabs you the fastest when you pick up a book?

• A cold case from the past
• A missing person mystery
• A secret hidden in a small town
• A second-chance romance in the middle of danger

Or something else entirely?

Tell me in the comments for a chance to win an eBook copy of Unsolved Amish Abduction. Be sure to leave your email address so that I can reach out to you.

I can’t wait to hear your response!

 

Blessings,
Mary