Monday, October 14, 2024

Guest blog post by author Sharon West Dunn

 


A little background first:
   Harlequin Publishing has a Christian imprint: Love Inspired Romance and Love Inspired Suspense Romance. 

 They have done several series of books, usually 8-9 about K-9 teams. Each book is by a different author, and has the same main characters and their dogs throughout the books. There is one continuing mystery that runs throughout the whole series, with each book also having an individual mystery that gets solved.  It has intrigued me from the first ones I read how multiple authors do this. 

Their latest K-0 series is The Mountain Country K-9 Unit Series. I reviewed the 8th book in the series, Search and Detect by Terri Reed. It was the book where everything was resolved, though there is a 2-story series finale coming next month. (That review is here, along with a list of all the books in this series.)

I happen to be Facebook friends with one of the authors who writes for Love Inspired Suspense, and who wrote the 7th book in this series, Tracing a Killer. I asked if she would tell a little about how they do these series, and about her books if she wanted. She graciously agreed. Her book was really good, by the way....and any of hers I have read. Onto what Sharon wrote:

Behind the Scenes: What goes into writing the K-9 series for Love Inspired Suspense
By Sharon Dunn


My newest book, Tracing a Killer, is number seven in a series of books called the Mountain Country K-9 Unit for Love Inspired Suspense. There are eight books and two novellas in the series. Each one is written by a different Love Inspired writer. Each book is complete in itself in that the suspense story and the romance is wrapped up by the end of the book. But there are subplots that carry through the whole series, from a missing dog to the search for a serial killer. In addition, reading the whole series gives a person an opportunity to see the growth in each character. 

Obviously, there’s a lot of co-ordination and communication required to ensure that the story line and the characters remain cohesive. I’ve been asked many times what the behind the scenes picture looks like for putting together such a series with so many moving parts. The first thing that happens is that once the writers are assigned which book they will write, they receive what is called the bible (small b). Unlike the Bible (capital B) this bible is far from perfect, but it does contain the series overview, a list of supporting characters and sometimes descriptions of key locations along with photos. The bible also contains a four or five page summary of each book that ends with a list of the subplots that carry over from story to story and what needs to happen with subplots in that particular book. The plot summaries also outline basic descriptions of hero and heroine and the K-9 along with photos. The bible runs about 70 pages and I usually have to read it two or three times start to finish to get my head around the story. I reread my own summary more times than that and if there is time, I like to read the whole bible once my book is ready to hand in. 

All the authors are put on an email loop so they can communicate with each other as they write. Like I said, this bible usually has flaws. Sometimes what works in summary doesn’t work when you try to flesh out a story from it. Any changes are discussed on the loop and then run by the editor in charge of the series. Each author “owns” the hero and heroine for their particular book so to speak and we want to make sure that even if someone else’s character plays a part in a different book, that the character is consistent in personality and appearance throughout the series. So much of the email loop discussion is about sharing scenes where other people’s characters make an appearance or just letting the other writers know what their character experiences in each book if it will affect the character in another book, like being shot or injured in some way. The books take place about a month apart, so a character who suffered an injury in one book shouldn’t magically be better in the following book. 

 A lot of commiserating, encouraging and prayer support take place on that email loop as well. Personal struggles that are affecting our ability to write are often shared. I think that is one of the reasons I like working on a series like this. Writing is such a solitary activity so getting to work with a team of authors is a nice break from the solitude. 

Books are turned into the editor in order. The editor reads them and gives feedback and usually there is at least one other editor who is reading the series looking for inconsistencies. 

I love working on the K-9 series not only for the connection with other writers but knowing that readers have eight books to get to know characters and be a part of their world as they catch bad guys and fall in love makes me feel good about writing.   

Sharon Dunn is award winning, USA Today bestselling author who has written over 30 books for Love Inspired Suspense as well as humorous mystery series for other publishers. You can learn more about Sharon and her books and sign up for her newsletter at www.sharondunnbooks.net.


Wednesday, October 9, 2024

Alaskan Cyber Hunters #3 by Kimberley Woodhouse


Book description: 

Buckle in for the bone-chilling finale!

The Cyber Solutions team has managed to stay one step ahead of the madman who has killed so many, stopping him before reaching his ultimate goals. From the original 26 Below cyberattack in Fairbanks to the 8 DOWN serial murders in Anchorage and beyond, they matched wits with the killer and won in the end.

But final judgment is coming. And this time, there may be no stopping him.

David "Mac" McPherson has a personal stake in making sure this predator stays down for good. His family died in the Fairbanks attacks. Mac knows that God says "vengeance is mine"--but surely an exception can be made.

Surgeon Tracie Hunter is determined to stay sober and keep saving lives in Fairbanks, Alaska--even if it means being a little obsessive. After all, that same kind of determination is how she kept Mac alive after the monster attacked him. And she won't let Mac run himself into the grave looking for payback; he's come to mean too much to her.

Then someone hacks into the system at Tracie's previous job as a medical examiner and frames her in a murder cover-up. There's no one else skilled enough to create a digital trail this incriminating--the killer is back in action, exploiting cybersecurity weaknesses that will destroy lives. Can Mac stay focused and stop the next attack when his own personal vulnerability is exposed? Or will his need to make someone pay for his pain allow the maniac to pull ahead and win at last?

Kimberley Woodhouse takes readers on another intense thrill ride in this epic close to her cybercrime series based on real-world possibilities.

My review:
 
This is definitely the best series this author has written, though I feel like tossing all of my electronics and joining the Amish after reading this riveting series. 

  8 Down, the previous book was one diabolically clever novel that may have put the author on some kind of watch or no fly list. But this final book in the trilogy also is complete brilliance. 

 There is so much cyber stuff in the book, but she did an excellent job of keeping it in terms the average reader can understand. At least I did. 

 And her bad guy. Yikes, what an evil disturbed human being. He has been in all the books, but played a more active and visible role in this book. Did I mention he was an extremely evil and disturbed person?

All three books had awesome and likable main characters, but I personally liked the ones in this book the best: Mac (David MacPherson) and Tracie. There's something about messed up imperfect people in a book that I identify with and can relate to. Mac was really struggling because of the bad guy killing his wife and daughter a couple of years before this story. He was extremely messed up, had walked away from God, hated the man, and didn't want to live. Tracie battled with alcoholism. 

Woodhouse, as she always does, had some Biblical truths and lessons throughout the book. The big one was forgiveness. Mac and Tracie both had to forgive to move on and be the Christians they needed to be. (I don't get Christians who don't want a lot of Christian content in a Christian novel. Maybe I need this stuff more than they do.)

It seemed like something happened on every page. The author indicated the time and location every time it changed, which made it very helpful.

And then there was the end. And it was an ending worthy of the book, of  the whole series. I took issue with one thing.....I felt the team, and Mac especially, should know something that they were not informed of. But then I read the author's notes at the end of the book, and I was  like "Ah. That makes sense." (Yes, I always read whatever the author writes before and after the actual story.) Hint: It has to do with forgiving.

This whole series was some of Woodhouse's best writing. All three books were awesome - no exaggeration....and this final book in the trilogy made it worth reading the whole series. The guy got the girl, and the good guys got the bad guy. And I loved the camaraderie and support between Mac, Jason, and Scott.  

And the author shows she can rock at historical fiction or suspense.

This was one of my most anticipated reads of the year, and it was well worth the wait.

Special thanks to the author for an advance copy of this novel. I was under no obligation to provide a review and the thoughts contained herein are my own.


About the author: 
Kimberley Woodhouse is an award-winning and bestselling author of more than twenty-five books. A lover of history and research, she often gets sucked into the past and then her husband has to lure her out with chocolate and the promise of eighteen holes on the golf course. She loves music, kayaking, and her family. Her books have been awarded the Carol Award, Holt Medallion, Reader's Choice Award, Selah Award, Spur Award, and others. A popular speaker/teacher, she's shared with over 1,000,000 people at more than twenty-five hundred venues across the country. Married to the love of her life for three decades, she lives and writes in the Poconos where she's traded in her hat of "craziest mom" for "coolest grandma." 

More about her and her books at KimberleyWoodhouse.com 

70 North will release on October 15.

Check out the rest of the series, and definitely read them in order. 

                                                                  Book #1


Book #2





Search and Detect, Mountain Country K-9 Unit #8 by Terri Reed


Book description:

 A bomber with a deadly agenda…

and a K-9 team determined to catch him.

When single mother Zoe Jenkins and her baby are caught in an explosion that destroys her home, she’s saved by FBI special agent Chase Rawlston and his K-9, Dash. But who set the bomb? Fearing that the notorious Rocky Mountain Killer he’s been investigating has the mother and daughter in his sights, Chase takes them under his protection. But can he uncover the killer’s identity before more innocent lives are caught in the crossfire?

My review:
   
I love these K-9 series from Love Inspired Suspense. If you are not familiar with them, each book is written by a different author. There is a plot/mystery running through the whole series, but each book has its own mystery and romance.

 These series intrigue me, because the same team of people appear in each book, so the authors have to know what is going on in the other authors' books. And this is the book where all was revealed. (There is one more book, but it is a Christmas one with two stories and takes place after the big mystery has been solved).

 Reed is one of my favorite Love Inspired Suspense authors, and she did a great job on this book where the series long mystery is finally solved. And it has been a long time coming. The first book, Baby Protection Mission, came out in March. 

This book features the leader of the task force, Chase, and his K-9 companion Dash. I loved the book and the characters - new and old - and the new and old mystery as Chase did his best to protect Zoe and her daughter while also trying to bring the Rocky Mountain Killer to justice. 

A lot happened in this little mass market book, and I didn't want to put it down until I finished it. It was an awesome read, and I loved everything about it. Especially finding the identity of the killer after so many books, and seeing him brought to justice. 

Special thanks to the author for an advance copy of this novel. I was under no obligation to provide a review and the thoughts contained herein are my own.



About the author:

Award winning, multi-published author Terri Reed found solace from a chaotic childhood in the pages of books that took her far away to different realms and realities. When she discovered Christian fiction, she also discovered her own story telling voice. Now she writes books of heart-warming romance and heart-pounding suspense infused with faith. Her romance and romantic suspense novels have appeared on Publisher's Weekly top ten and Nielsen BookScan top hundred lists, and have been featured in USA Today. She's a member of the Honor Roll of Romance Writers of America. Her books have finaled in Romance Writers of America RITA contest, National Readers' Choice Award, Inspirational Reader's Choice Award, and the American Christian Fiction Writers Carol Award. One of her romance novels was adapted into a Hallmark movie for Christmas 2019. Terri resides in the Pacific Northwest with her college-sweetheart husband. When not writing, she enjoys spending time with her family and friends and running the agility course with her Australian shepherd.

Search and Detect releases October 22.

The rest of the series, best read in order:

                                                                 Book #1


Book #2


Book #3


Book #4


Book #5


Book #6


Book #7


Book #9, coming November 26














Tuesday, October 8, 2024

Unexpected Witness by Penny Zeller


Book description:

 If she can identify one person, she could bring down an entire crime network.

Nurse Mila Casey did not expect to witness a murder in the clinic’s parking lot. Nor did she imagine seeking protection from the at-large killer would land her on a secluded ranch owned by handsome, but standoffish, Roarke Brenneman.\

Mila finds herself in the center of ever-growing danger as the police are unable to locate the suspect. When the protection of the ranch is compromised and Mila’s location is discovered, can she, with Roarke’s aid, stay one step ahead of a crazed murderer who intends to silence her forever?

My review:
   
I have come to really enjoy Zeller's prairie/historical novels. She has written a couple of contemporary novels that were also good. This is her first foray into Christian suspense, and I was very curious what it would be like. 

 Three words: She nailed it. The book is the kind to keep you on the edge of your seat, reading as fast as you can. 

She created some great characters that were genuine and likable:
Mila: nurse and innocent bystander who unfortunately witnesses a murder
Roarke: Reluctant protector at first, not extremely happy to bring danger to his mom and to his nephew he is raising, but agreed to his sheriff brother's plan to keep Mila at his ranch.
Brodie: Sheriff determined to keep Mila safe, and taking it personal when crime happens in his county.
Xander: Last, but not least. Orphan nephew of Roarke and Brodie, being raised by his uncle Roarke. Awesome little boy who added a lot to the book.

  The book is filled with drama, suspense, attempted attacks, bad guys,  and of course romance. I was surprised at the identity of a couple of the bad guys......and the book had more than its share of them.

 Zeller has created a great suspense novel that competes well with the books by seasoned Christian suspense authors on the Christian fiction market. Hopefully she writes more in this genre'. Brodie at least needs his own story. 

Special thanks to the author for an advance e-copy of this novel. I was under no obligation to provide a review and the thoughts contained herein are my own.



About the author:

Penny Zeller is known for her heartfelt stories of faith and her passion to impact lives for Christ through fiction. While she has had a love for writing since childhood, she began her adult writing career penning articles for national and regional publications on a wide variety of topics.

Today Penny is a multi-published author of over a dozen books. She is also a homeschool mom and a group fitness instructor. Her desire is to assist and nurture women into a closer relationship with Christ.

When Penny is not dreaming up new characters, she enjoys spending time with her husband and two daughters and camping, hiking, canoeing, reading, running, gardening, and playing volleyball.

Penny is represented by Tamela Hancock Murray of the Steve Laube Agency and loves to hear from her readers at her website, www.pennyzeller.com

Unexpected Witness releases October 22. 


Sunday, October 6, 2024

Sniffing Out Justice, Canine Defense #2 by Carol Post



Book description:

 A witness in peril. A K-9 protector. A fight for survival.

After witnessing her best friend’s murder, Kristina Ashbaugh-Richards and her search and rescue dog, Bella, find themselves targeted by the killer. Kris can identify the criminal — and she’s exactly what he looks for in his victims. Her high school crush, Detective Tony Sanderson, vows to protect Kris and her son, but as they try to outwit a dangerous murderer, no place is safe to hide. With her life at stake, Kris’s only hope of survival is to catch the serial killer before he catches her.

My review:
 
I am not a dog lover, but I love a good K-9 suspense story for some reason. And this is a really good K-9 suspense novel. It is also a serial killer story, so even better. :)

  I am always amazed at how much Love Inspired authors pack into these little books. It comes in at 208 pages, but the author got a lot into those 208 pages. Non stop suspense, romance, really bad weather, and a really, really bad guy. And even a cold case solved. 

  I loved the book. It had great and likable characters, including Gavin, Kris' son. And it is refreshing to read novels occasionally where the couple already knows each other and has had some kind of romantic relationship or attraction.

 The book also had a great lesson. Kris thought she knew what had happened between her father and Tony's father, and had carried a lot of bitterness and anger towards his family.....only to discover she didn't know everything. And I loved how his family helped her after how she had felt towards them.

The book had a great climatic ending to it. Oh you know in these books the main characters aren't going to die, yet a good author can write parts like that so you are still on the edge of your seat hoping for rescue. And it also had a great ending on the romantic aspect of the book. :)

Special thanks to the author for an advance copy of this novel. I was under no obligation to provide a review and the thoughts contained herein are my own.


About the author:

From medical secretary to court reporter to property manager to owner of a special events decorating company, Carol's résumé reads as if she doesn't know what she wants to be when she grows up. But one thing that has remained constant through the years is her love for writing. She started as a child writing poetry for family and friends, then graduated to articles and finally novels.

Carol lives in sunshiny Central Florida and writes fun and fast-paced inspirational romance and romantic suspense. Her books have received a 2016 Royal Palm Literary Award and been nominated for a 2016 RITA® award and a 2014 RT Reviewers’ Choice Best Book Award. She is also a popular speaker, presenting workshops on a variety of craft topics. Besides writing, she enjoys sailing, hiking, camping—almost anything outdoors. Her two grown daughters and grandkids live too far away for her liking, so she now pours all that nurturing into taking care of a fat and sassy black cat and a highly-spoiled dachshund. 

 Check out her website: CarolJpost.com

Sniffing Out Justice will release on October 22.

                                                 Book #1 Searching for Evidence


Book #3 Uncovering the Truth, coming  January 2025






  



Thursday, October 3, 2024

The Christmas Tree Farm by Melody Carlson

 


Book description:

Christmas is the perfect time for old memories, new beginnings, and second chances

When Madison McDowell returns from teaching overseas, she has high hopes of picking up where she left off at her family's Christmas tree farm in Oregon. But between damage from a recent wildfire and the neglect due to her sister Addie's unwillingness to invest, the farm is in sad shape. In fact, Addie is intent on selling the property. And to top it off, Madison's former high school flame, the now-widowed Gavin Thompson, has plans to break her heart again by turning his neighboring property into a dusty, noisy dirt bike track for his daughter.

With the odds stacked against her, Madison decides there's only one thing to do: double down on her dreams. It will require a ton of hard work--and some help from an unlikely ally--to save the farm she so dearly loves. But it may take a Christmas miracle to restore her relationship with her sister.

My review:
  Melody Carlson has been writing a Christmas novella every year for several years. I always look forward to reading her newest one, and this one was a delightful Christmas read. 

 I like stories centered around Christmas tree farms, so that was a bonus for me. The book has it all: reunited lovers, squabbling sisters, absent mother, romance, jealousy, secrets, reminiscing of days gone by, and hope.

 Madison takes on a huge project of getting the Christmas tree farm ready for Christmas, and for future Christmases, while her sister fights her every inch of the way. Madison's hope and determination truly made the book what it was - a great read. Everything else was just things that made it extra great.

I enjoyed the book, and it made me want to visit a Christmas tree farm....but it is only October. :)

If you only read one Christmas story this year, you may want to check this one out. 

Special thanks to the publisher for an advance copy of this novel. I was under no obligation to provide a review and the thoughts contained herein are my own.


About the author: 


Melody Carlson
is the award-winning author of more than 250 books with sales of more than 7.5 million, including many bestselling Christmas novellas, young adult titles, and contemporary romances. She received a Romantic Times Career Achievement Award, her novel All Summer Long has been made into a Hallmark movie, and the movie based on her novel The Happy Camper premiered on UPtv in 2023. She and her husband live in central Oregon. Learn more at MelodyCarlson.com.


Monday, September 23, 2024

Guest blog post by author June Foster

 Thanks to author June Foster for doing a guest blog post telling a little about the book she and her daughter Kelly just wrote, The Other Side of the Fairy House. 


The Other Side of the Fairy House by June Foster and Kelly Cordova.

Thanks for asking me to guest blog today, Mark. You are a great friend and certainly a wise connoisseur of fiction. 😊�I wrote this book with my daughter Kelly Cordova who lives in Texas. Amazingly, we conferred everyday while writing the book. Sometimes twenty or more times. One day, Google restricted my emails to her because they said something on the order that I’d reached my limits. Kelly and I work so well together which is a great blessing. She likes my ideas, and I love hers. Last April Kelly got on a plane to visit me. Then we drove to the location where our book was set to do research. Gatlinburg, Tennessee in the middle of the Smoky Mountains National Park. 

I can’t describe the fun and excitement of that trip, but I’ll try. Discovering the Fairy House. Exploring Gatlinburg, Tennessee in order to dive into writing our book The Other Side of the Fairy House proved more exciting than I’d have imagined. My daughter Kelly flew to Alabama from Texas, and then we traveled by car northeast almost 300 miles to our destination. Amid the charm and beauty of the Smoky National Park, we explored the area where our story was set. We had five whole days to locate and snap photos of the fairy house. Discovering the location wasn’t as easy as we’d hoped. Each time we asked a local about where the place was, we’d get different answers. One lady said she never went there, and tourists were discouraged from trying to locate it. Another said she’d hiked to the fairy house which still stood on the old Voorheis property. But her trek took several miles on a forest trail. The day we decided to explore the area, we donned hiking boots and set out. Kelly had watched a couple of videos on the location which helped immensely. Instead of miles of walking, we found a place where we could access the area after a short walk. The first time we saw the fairy house which is actually a springhouse we caught our breath. But best of all, we imagined our characters in that very spot and the mystical events which would happen. You can discover what the characters saw the day they made the same trip to the fairy house.

Available on Amazon.

                                                                June


Kelly