A VISIT WITH CARRIE STUART PARKS

 

Join us today for a great interview with Carrie Stuart Parks. I met Carrie many years ago at an American Christian Fiction Writers conference, and we just hit it off. She is a fascinating writer with a great "Day Job" as a forensic artist. Check her website out for more details. She also raises Great Pyrenees! 

Now for our interview. We'll be talking about her book, Survival in the Mountains. Carrie is giving away a print copy so be sure to leave a comment.

Patricia: What sparked the first seed of this story—an image, a question, a character, or a “what if” moment?

Carrie: I think two things came together in my mind—one was the tricky sales claims of various products: “bestselling suntan oil” doesn’t mean it works, “Doctor recommended” could be a doctor of literature, “Over one million bottles sold” could mean there are a million chumps. There are a lot of ‘miracle’ products advertised that claim to cure anything from hangnails to cancer. What if someone wanted to exploit that? Add to that, when I was going through chemo for breast cancer, one of the chemo drugs came from the lowly yew tree. Soooooo, what if a couple of like-minded bad guys decided to exploit a common berry that could, supposedly, keep you looking young?

Patricia: Oh, wow! I love the way your mind works. What’s your favorite scene? And why. 

Carrie: Any scene with Izzy, the Bull Terrier.

Patricia: I can see that. :-) What keeps you at the keyboard, especially on days you would rather do something else?

Carrie: Deadlines.

Patricia: I'm with you there. Is there a part of the book that comes from your own life?

Carrie: I mentioned the chemo drug. Izzy—we’ve had bullies for 37 years. Idaho. Horseback riding. 

Patricia: How long does it usually take you to write a book from thought to finish?

Carrie: It used to take a year. Now more like 4 months.

Patricia: Deadlines usually make us write faster...or at least make writing a priority. What’s your favorite beverage? Coffee, tea or something else?

Carrie: Coffee and wine. 

Patricia: Ah, a girl after my own heart! What are you working on now?

Carrie: Edits for two books—Dead File Whispers and Tracked in the Wilderness

Patricia: Oh, wow, you are busy! Thanks for taking time to visit The Suspense Sisters Blog!

Be sure to check out Carrie's website and social media. She's giving away a copy of Survival in the Mountains to someone who leaves a comment on the blog. (US addresses only) You can ask Carrie a question or comment whether you've read any of Carrie's books. I've read Survival in the Mountains, and it is awesome!

You can connect with Carrie here:

Home Page

Facebook

WHAT'S NEW IN INSPIRATIONAL SUSPENSE

 
Wondering what's HOT in inspirational suspense and mystery? Carrie Stuart Parks has a brand new mystery, Escaping the Wilderness, recently released from Love Inspired Suspense. Here's what Alaskan Amy had to say about the story:

I love Carrie Stuart Parks and her suspense novels and have missed her not having a book published lately. Escaping the Wilderness has made the wait worthwhile.

Escaping the Wilderness starts right off with suspense of Amanda being chased by unknown men for unknown reasons. Local Montana resident Boone gets involved and tries to help her escape and solve the reason for the danger she is in. The trouble is people are getting hurt while they are on the run and they don't know if they can even trust each other.

The book is one long suspense and keeps the listener's interest. I enjoyed the narrator and the change in voices for characters. This is not an audiobook that you can miss a minute or two of and still comprehend what is happening, solid listening is needed.

You can buy Escaping the Wilderness HERE from Christianbook.com

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

Mary Ellis, Suspense Sisters 

WHAT'S HOT IN INSPIRATIONAL SUSPENSE

 BY PATRICIA BRADLEY

 

Wondering what's HOT in Inspirational Suspense this week? Here are two books releasing this week! Click on the title for the Goodreads information!

The Dark Atonement

A translator and a medical researcher team up to find a long-lost scientist with an innovative cancer treatment.

German translator Lena Hoffman thought her grandfather died years ago. But the unexpected arrival of a cryptic postcard seems to indicate otherwise. As Lena delves into her grandfather’s past and uncovers information about him and his cancer research work in East Germany four decades ago, she unwittingly puts her own life in danger.

Dr. Devlin Mills works as a cancer researcher at the National Institutes of Health and lives across the hall from Lena, although they’ve never formally met. But when Lena is nearly run down by a vehicle, Devlin finds himself thrust into the role of protector. As their lives intersect, the pair find themselves in a race to discover the whereabouts of her grandfather—and whoever wants to silence him—before the past catches up with the present.

Fall Out

Samantha Williams’s carefully crafted life is about to be demolished as thoroughly as her art classroom when a careening SUV smashes into the school.

In the dusty farming community of LaCrosse, Washington, art teacher Samantha Williams manages to save her students when an SUV crashes into the school. Her car isn’t so lucky. Oddly, her purse—containing her driver’s license, credit cards, and other identification—is missing from the wreckage, forcing her to rely on the kindness of strangers. Never one to trust easily, Samantha is thrust into a world far different from her simple life of jigsaw puzzles, children’s books, and lectures at the library.

WE LOVE BOOKS!

WHAT'S HOT IN INSPIRATIONAL SUSPENSE

Wondering what's new in inspirational suspense and mystery? Carrie Stuart Parks has a brand new suspense, Woman in Shadow, coming soon from Thomas Nelson.

Here's a little bit about the story: 

Forensic linguist Darby Graham is taking a sanity break! The remote Idaho location she chose seems idyllic---until an earthquake hits, troubles escalate at the ranch, a cabin is set aflame, and a serial arsonist starts sending the press clues after each successive fire. Darby begins utilizing her skills to save the town, but will anyone believe her?

A woman off the grid. Darby Graham thinks she's on a much-needed vacation in remote Idaho to relax. But before she even arrives at the ranch, an earthquake strikes—her first clue that something is amiss. Then when a cabin on the edge of town is engulfed in flames and problems at the ranch escalate, Darby finds herself immersed in a chilling mystery. A town on fire. A serial arsonist sends taunting letters to the press after each fire. As a forensic linguist, this is Darby’s area of expertise . . . but the scars it’s caused her also the reason she’s trying to escape from her life. A growing darkness. As the shadows continue to move in, the pieces of the town around her come into sharper focus. Can she trust the one man who sees her clearly?

You can buy Woman in Shadow HERE

Have a great week of reading, lovers of inspirational suspense and mystery ~ Mary Ellis 

WHAT'S HOT IN INSPIRATIONAL SUSPENSE AND MYSTERY

by Patricia Bradley


Wondering what's new in inspirational suspense and mystery?
Carrie Stuart Parks released Relative Silence on June 14th!  This one sounds amazing!

Here's the back cover copy:

Fifteen years ago Piper Boone’s only child died in a boating accident, and Piper’s almost perfect life came to an end too. After living through a divorce and losing her job, she retreats to Curlew Island and her childhood home—a secluded mansion for the politically powerful Boone family, who are practically American royalty.

But Piper’s desire to become a recluse is shattered when a mass shooter opens fire and kills three women at a café where Piper is having lunch. The crisis puts her family in the spotlight by dredging up rumors of the so-called Curlew Island Curse, which whispers say has taken the lives of several members of the Boone family, including Piper’s father and sister.

Forensic artist Tucker Landry also survives the shooting and is tasked with the job of sketching a portrait of the shooter with Piper. They forge a bond over their shared love of movies and tragic pasts. But when police discover a connection between the shooting and two more murders on Curlew Island, they face a more terrible lineup of suspects than they could have imagined: Piper’s family.

You can find purchase links here.

Stay tuned for more new releases next week!

Interview with Carrie Stuart Parks

Today Suspense Sisters welcomes Carrie Stuart Parks who recently released another best-selling mystery, Portrait of Vengeance. Be sure to leave a comment for Carrie to be entered in a drawing for a signed print copy of Portrait of Vengeance. Sorry...US readers only.

Here's a short summary of her book: An unsolved case. A tempest of memories. The future’s at stake—and time is running out. Gwen Marcey has done a good job keeping the pain of her past boxed up. But as she investigates the case of a missing child in Lapwai, Idaho, details keep surfacing that are eerily similar to her childhood traumas. She doesn’t believe in coincidences. So what’s going on here? No one knows more about the impact of the past than the Nez Perce people of Lapwai. Gwen finds herself an unwelcome visitor to some, making her investigation even more difficult. The questions keep piling up, but answers are slow in coming—and the clock is ticking for a missing little girl. Meanwhile, Gwen’s ex-husband is threatening to take sole custody of their daughter.

As Gwen’s past and present collide, she’s in a desperate race for the truth. Because only truth will ensure she still has a future.

Let's find out more about Carrie:

ME: If you had to describe yourself in one sentence, what would you say? 

CSP: She has a talent to create and a heart to teach.

What do you do when you’re not writing? Any interesting hobbies?

-I raise and show Great Pyrenees  dogs (I’m an AKC judge.) Everything else has to do with my work: art, teaching, speaking, writing.

What was your favorite book as a teen or child?

-The Wizard of Oz.

Tell us three things about yourself that might surprise your readers.

-When I was 19, I was on World Campus Afloat—a college abroad an ocean liner—and went around the world.

-I took an incredibly slow stroll to finally get my Bachelors’ Degree—22 years, 5 colleges, and two husbands. I did finally graduate with honors and a double major. LOTS of credits…

-For a time I was a thespian, acting in such roles as Laura in The Glass Menagerie, the Mute in The Fantasticks, and Gwendolen in The Importance of Being Earnest. I also directed such plays as The Fantasticks and Little Shop of Horror.

What genre did you start out writing? Have you changed course? Why or why not?

Non-fiction how-to drawing and watercolor books. I didn’t think I was creative enough to write fiction. Yes, I changed course!

What has been the toughest criticism given to you as an author? What has been the best compliment?

When I first started, back in 2004, an editor I submitted to simply referred me to a book on editing. Ouch. The best compliment? That after all my efforts to write better, two big-five publishing houses went to auction over my debut novel.

Any other genres you’d like to try? If yes, what and why?

I’ll let you know.  :)

If you could go back in time and do something differently at the start of your career, what would it be?

Trust God more with my life.

What is the most important piece of advice you’d like to give to unpublished authors?

Be flexible.

Okay, readers, leave Carrie a comment for a chance to win a signed print copy of Portrait of Vengeance. US readers only.

Thanks, Carrie, for visiting us at Suspense Sisters.  ~ Mary Ellis