Things that go bump in the night... and a new release! Roxanne Rustand

Have you ever experienced something that ought to be in a book?  

If I wrote paranormal or horror fiction instead of clean, small-town romantic suspense, I could have ended up with some good research on a recent family trip! 

The Airbnb we stayed in was lovely, a home that could have been featured in a magazine. We were awed by the layout and decor--a formal dining room with a fireplace, high ceilings, two full bathrooms, three bedrooms, and a gorgeous white, completely updated kitchen.  

The home was supplied with lovely china, glassware, goblets, wine glasses, and serving platters—everything one could ask for if they were serving a meal during a holiday stay. The off-season rate was very reasonable, and it all looked perfect. 

And it was, until...

The lights began brightening and fading out, then brightening and fading out again. They would be fine for a while, then start fluctuating again.  

The microwave abruptly snapped and blew out while not in use.

The air conditioner stopped working. I turned on one of the bathroom lights, which was suspended from the high ceiling, and it sizzled, popped, and blew out.

I'm sure the owners (lovely people) have addressed the electrical situation already. But it wasn't just the electrical system. One of the toilets quit working. And then the grand finale...

The night before we checked out, I cleaned up the kitchen and put a final coffee cup in the cabinet where it belonged, on a higher shelf...and the entire, extra long, heavily loaded shelf of glassware and cups collapsed.

As if on a children's slide at a park, all of its contents sped toward me, the weight of it unstoppable, shattering on the counters, stove, sink, and floor. And...the dinnerware on the shelf below was toast as well. 

If I hadn't been wearing shoes, I would have been marooned in the sea of glass all over the floor.

I don't believe in poltergeists, but this experience does seem like a taste of something out of a horror movie: unwitting travelers end up in a perfect place almost too good to be true, and then things start to happen.  LOL!

Have you ever had a strange experience like this? 

I would love to hear about it! Leave a comment, and you will be in a drawing for a free copy of any ebook in my Northern Pines Suspense series.

On a happier note, I have a new release this week!  DANGEROUS SECRETS is a clean, small-town romantic suspense. 

Do you believe in second chances? Here's a quick peek:

The last thing she'd expected was to see her husband back in town.

He'd wanted to start a family. Jill had wanted to wait...just for a while, while she established her medical practice in this small town. But in the midst of that uncertainty and other, bigger issues, he'd simply walked out. Or...was it really that simple?

Now he's back in town, and an unknown enemy appears whose threats are escalating against them both.

And then one night changes everything...

Click here to read more about it on Amazon. Free on Kindle Unlimited, or just $3.99 to buy.

Wishing you a wonderful summer,

Roxanne Rustand
www.roxannerustand.com

Easter blessings...and a question: what's in a name? Roxanne Rustand

 Easter blessings to you all!

This season is filled with such joy and hope, as we move through the weeks of Lent toward the suffering Jesus endured and his glorious resurrection.

It has even more meaning to me this year. I was adopted at three and have been a lifetime church member. My parents were told by the social worker that I had been baptized and they believed it.  But was I?  There were no documents, and I always wondered. 

So this winter, when our Lutheran church had a weekend of open baptism when anyone could walk forward on the spur of the moment, I did. And now I know. I felt such joy at that moment, and now feel so blessed and reassured!

On a completely different note, after I find and buy books by my favorite authors on Amazon, my gaze always drifts to the rows of book covers below the book's description, called "Products related to this item" and "Based on your recent views." Then farther down to "Books you may like."  

Do you do this, too? Just by looking at a cover, book title, and subtitle, I can sometimes find books I want to explore. 

I know those details have been carefully planned by the authors (at least those who are experienced) to show a great deal about the book--and avoid misleading buyers into a purchase they might regret.  Even the font used on a cover can convey useful information. Is it fun and swirly? Intense?

I was so naive when I first started publishing with Amazon. 

I found photos of lovely flowers or landscape scenes, and asked my cover artist to use them. 

I also came up with what I thought were pretty titles, without a thought about actually conveying what the book was about. And I didn't know how to write book descriptions for Amazon, either.

When I look back at my abysmal sales during those early years, I  actually feel gratitude. No one would have guessed those books were romantic suspense! And if readers bought them expecting to read a nice contemporary romance novel, they would have been deeply disappointed.

It's all about branding, really. A way to convey information about a specific book, a book series, and also about the author.

For example, I write both Christian Romantic Suspense and Clean Romantic suspense, so I use those labels as my book subtitles.  The book titles themselves are meant to convey that the book is a suspense. 

If you look at the wonderful books shown here on the Suspensesisters blog, or do a search on Amazon for a category like "Top 100 Christian Romantic Suspense," you can see how authors do this. Clarity is important, for the best reader experience! 

My brand (my promise to readers) is that in addition to suspense and romance, they will find a warm thread involving family relationships, and a thread of faith--but with a lighter touch in the books labeled "Clean romance." And I always include an animal of some kind that makes a difference to a character in the story.  

I hope including that animal on my book covers visually alludes to deeper emotion and warmth, as opposed to covers promising a gritty or far more intense read. Usually, it's a dog. My new release is just a bit different--with a nosy llama! 

 
Here is a quick link to FINAL TRUTH in case you would like to buy or just take a look.

What are your thoughts about book titles and cover art? Do they help spur your interest in looking at a book's Amazon page, or do you mostly go by author names?

Wishing you all a happy Easter!

Roxanne Rustand

BOOK REVIEW: Hang on Every Word

Even in a small town, things and people aren't always what they seem. 

This fourth, stand-alone book from Julie Cosgrove's Wordplay mysteries once again marries some of the best things together - mysteries and word puzzles. 

I love them both, so this totally works for me. But let me catch you up to speed. 

Wanda Warner is a closet sleuth that is suddenly not so closet anymore. In fact, she's the head of the neighborhood watch for the whole town of Scrub Oak, Texas, and she takes that role seriously. 

In this fourth stand-alone book of the Wordplay Mysteries, Wanda herself is up against it. Somehow, she has foreknowledge of terrible crimes, and a lot of the townspeople are beginning to doubt her integrity. 

Horrors. 

Here are the details from the back of the book: 

It can't be happening again!

Wanda Warner is delighted to design the wordplay puzzles in The Oakmont Gazette. But when the clues to her Hangman puzzle are used to coordinate robberies, some people in tiny Scrub Oak, Texas wonder if she's masterminding the thefts so she can "solve" them in order to bask in more glory.

Then her own nephew, one of the town's cops, hauls her into the police station as her neighbors look on. The totally embarrassed Wanda is determined to crack this treacherous word puzzle crime spree, but can she do it before her fellow citizens hold a lynch party?

My Take

Since I'm already a fan of word games (Can't get enough of Wordle!) these books are right down my alley. But I also really like the way Mrs. Cosgrove has built consistent characters with realistic responses and genuine friendship. 

Take Wanda for instance. She has a cute little dog. She doesn't forget the dog, draws her into the "at home" scenes, and generally pays attention to her dog. Like a normal person. And she struggles with exercise and her eating habits. She's even been known to put her foot in her mouth and regret a harsh word to a friend. 

Never once does the author paint Wanda outside of those lines. She doesn't change her stripes for the sake of a scene. She's consistently kind, sometimes a little impatient, sincere in her faith, and very sharp. I love it when characters are so real. They make an impact, and their stories (or in this case the entire series) are more memorable for it. 

I also like the interplay between Wanda and her nephew and friends. It isn't the same type of interaction with any of them. Another example of real life. I tend to speak differently to my husband than I do to my grown kids, than I do to my neighbor, than I do to my best friend. So does Wanda. The depth of these characters is keeping readers coming back again and again. 

Add to that a twisted little mystery that kept me guessing to the end. With a well-woven story, I can always reflect and see the details that led to the revelation of the culprit, even if I don't catch them upon the first read. While it's always satisfying to beat the sleuth to the punch, I love being able to plainly see what I missed if I fail. Mrs. Cosgrove does a brilliant job of layering the details that will ultimately make a difference.

I really enjoyed this book as I have enjoyed all of the Wordplay Mysteries. While you don't have to read them in order, it is more fun to watch Wanda's progression through them. 

HANG ON EVERY WORD is available on Amazon as an e-book or a paperback. 

Are you more a fan of cozy mysteries or of word puzzles? Which type of word puzzles do you like the best? (I'm a fan of logic problems along with Wordle!) Share your thoughts in the comments and you might win an e-copy of the first book of this series. 

REVIEW: Christy Barritt - How Did I Miss These?

Digging Through the Backlists

I have been delighted to begin the Squeaky Clean Mysteries by Christy Barritt. 

These mysteries feature a crime scene cleaner as the amateur detective and this character is so much fun. Straight-talking and a little coarse, Gabby St. Claire is a character to truly love. She's authentic and genuine, if a little rough around the edge. She has a genuine desire to do the best she can in all she does, so it's easy to like her. 

The first story, HAZARDOUS DUTY, jumps into the action immediately. Gabby is busy cleaning up from what is assumed to be a robbery gone wrong leaving the homeowner with a bullet in his leg and the man's wife dead. While Gabby might imagine some duplicity going on, she doesn't have to spend much time in the crime scene to be certain that something deceptive is going on. 

The action barely gives time to breath through this first book. Add to that the budding of a romantic triangle, some quirky neighbors that add to Gabby's trouble, and her cleaning assistant who is blamed for the crimes that occur, and Gabby's in over her head. 

This is a fun story, and the characters have all sorts of potential. I enjoyed Book 2 as well (SUSPICIOUS MINDS) and I'm now well on my way through Book 3, ORGANIZED GRIME. 

If you, like me, missed this series when it was new, don't miss it now! 

Here's a little more about HAZARDOUS DUTY. 

Buying a gun to kill your wife: $3,000
Hiring Trauma Care to clean afterward: $1,500
Having that same cleaner uncover evidence that frames you: Priceless

On her way to completing a degree in forensic science, Gabby St. Claire drops out of school and starts her own crime scene cleaning business. When a routine cleaning job uncovers a murder weapon the police overlooked, she realizes that the wrong person is in jail. But the owner of the weapon is a powerful foe . . . and willing to do anything to keep Gabby quiet.

With the help of her new neighbor, Riley Thomas, a man whose life and faith fascinate her, Gabby plays the detective to make sure the right person is put behind bars. Can Riley help her before another murder occurs?

***

I'm giving away a copy of my award-winner, BREAKING POINT, to someone who comments, sharing the title of the oldest book on your current reading list. Mine is the one I'm reading by Christy Barritt -  Book 3, ORGANIZED GRIME. What's the oldest one on your list. 

HAPPY THANKSGIVING....and giving away a free book!

What are your plans for tomorrow? A quiet, peaceful day? Heading somewhere for your Thanksgiving celebration? Or getting ready to host some family or friends at your own house?

We always host the big holidays here, so you can imagine what today is like.  Cleaning, advance food prep (pies and more pies!) and planning out tomorrow in fifteen-minute increments for food prep before serving dinner at four in the afternoon.  

Our daughter is an amazing cook, though, so it's such a blessing to be able to share the tasks. But by the time we serve, I just want to find a quiet corner and put my feet up!

Thus, this is a quick post, but I'd like to mention 

FINAL CHANCE, my November release. It's an inspirational romantic suspense.

Here's a quick blurb:

Arson. Attempted murder. And Kris Donaldson is the prime suspect. Why won't anyone believe she's innocent?

After years on the run from an abusive ex, Kris receives an unexpected inheritance, an acreage in the Rockies near a small, quaint mountain town. It's her dream come true--a chance to establish an animal rescue and finally lead a peaceful life. Perhaps there's even a chance of forever-after with the intriguing rancher next door.

But her dreams might just prove fatal. A stalker will stop at nothing to destroy her new life. The threats are mounting. She's being framed for heinous crimes. Her reputation, happiness, and in the end, her life is on the line. As always, she can simply cut her losses and run. But this time, there's too much at stake.

This time, she's going to stay.

* * * * * * * * * 

Leave a message and be entered in a drawing for FINAL REFUGE, the first book in this series!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Roxanne Rustand
USA Today bestselling author

New release: Final REFUGE and a giveaway!

 

I'm so happy to announce my new romantic suspense release,
FINAL REFUGE.  Here's a quick blurb:

Erin hopes she has found peace at last in a remote mountain town...until an intruder breaks in, but takes nothing.  Is this yet another warning from her best friend's killer? 

DON'T TELL. He had taunted her for five long years with anonymous, untraceable warnings on the anniversary of her friend's rape and murder, but then the messages stopped.  She'd heard the leading suspect was dead. Maybe. But if he has found her again will he finally finish what he started so long ago?

And what's with the handsome guy who has moved into the cabin next door? He seems so nice and thoughtful...but is he the very threat she fears?

For more information or to buy, CLICK HERE.

FINAL REFUGE is the first in my five-book Montana Secrets romantic suspense series, which will all be published by mid-spring of 2022.  Final Chance, Final Pursuit, Final Escape, and Final Witness  are all stand-alone novels and can be read in any order. To receive a brief notice when each is released,
CLICK HERE to follow me on Bookbub.

Are you enjoying a beautiful fall where you live? Here is a family favorite recipe, in celebration of the arrival of the autumn colors in our part of the Midwest. My favorite season!  My mom made this recipe often while I was growing up.

ARLINE'S AUTUMN SOUP
1 1/2  pounds lean ground beef, browned and drained
1 large yellow onion chopped and browned lightly with the beef
1 quart water
4 large carrots, sliced
3 celery stalks, sliced
1 cup cubed red potatoes
2 tsp salt (to taste)
1/2 tsp pepper (to taste)
2 tsp browning sauce
1 whole bay leaf
1/4 to 1/2 tsp dried basil (to taste)
28 oz can stewed tomatoes (broken up)

Combine ingredients and bring to a boil, then simmer for 20-30 min. Add seasonings to taste. A splash of soy sauce can add a nice, rich flavor. 

So good with whole-grain, homemade bread and a salad. 

Leave a comment and be entered in a drawing for a free copy of ONE LAST KISS!

Wishing you blessings,

Roxanne Rustand
www.roxannerustand.com