Sunday, March 25, 2012

Review of Journey's Edge

Recently, I read Journey's Edge written by Dora Hiers and published by White Rose. If you like romance or romantic suspense, this book should appeal to you.   

Photo of author Dora Hiers


McKinley Frasier is an accountant who has an angry client on her tail because he didn't like her audit. On the run from the client, McKinley runs into Renner Crossman, a cop turned U.S. Marshall and her former fiancé. McKinley tries to steer clear of Renner to shield herself from past hurt, but when McKinley's daughter's safety is at stake, she is forced to ask for Renner's help.

A woman's face is in the background, and a a little girl in a field of flowers is being watched by a man with a knife behind his back in the foreground.


The book is heavier on romance than suspense (I didn't mind; no complaints here), but for this reason, it may not appeal as much to those who read romantic suspense more for the suspense aspect. Still, the book was fast paced. I stayed up late reading it (always a good sign). Spiritual/inspirational elements flowed organically and didn't feel forced.

Additionally, the characters were extremely likeable. Also, the author utilized deep POV, so I felt immersed in the story. There was at least one twist in the story--I did not see it coming, but that's good. I like not being able to figure everything out ahead of time. 

Bottom line: I enjoyed this book, would recommend it to others, and would read it again. Also, I would read more books by this author after having read Journey's Edge.


In the meantime, if you you think you would like Journey's Edge, you might also want to check out, Journey's End, by Dora Hiers, which comes before Journey's Edge chronologically. 


*Please note that I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my review. However, I was not required to write a positive review. The opinion expressed here is my own. 










*The authors of this blog are Amazon.com affiliates. Sometimes, we will include links in our blog posts. When visitors to this site purchase items from Amazon.com using links in our posts, the authors of this blog earn a percentage of the sales. 

Friday, March 23, 2012

WINNERS!

THE WINNERS OF VANNETTA CHAPMAN'S BOOKS
ARE
NANCEE
AND
JONEY
THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR LEAVING A COMMENT FOR VANNETTA

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Two Book Giveaway With Vannetta Chapman

An Amish woman is standing next to a buggy.




Vannetta Chapman's "A Perfect Square"





There's more to the quaint northern Indiana town of Shipshewana than handcrafted quilts, Amish-made furniture, immaculate farms and close-knit families. When a dead girl is found floating in a local pond, murder is also afoot. And Reuben Fisher is in jail as the suspect! Reuben refuses to divulge any information, even to clear himself of a crime Deborah is certain he didn't commit. So, with her English friend, Callie---fellow sleuth and owner of Daisy's Quilt Shop---Deborah sets out to uncover the truth. But the mystery deepens when an elderly man seeks Callie's help in finding his long-lost daughter, missing since the days of the 1965 Palm Sunday Tornadoes. An old man who has lost his past. A young man who may lose his future. Once again Deborah and Callie find themselves trying to piece together a crazy quilt of lives and events---one that can bring unexpected touches of God's grace and resolve the tragedy that has shaken this quiet Amish community.

photo of author Vannetta Chapman


Interview With Vannetta Chapman



1 Tell us a little about yourself, Vannetta.


I was a full time teacher for 15 years. During that time, I wrote articles for Christian family magazines while I was learning the craft. After several years of queries (and rejections) I was offered representation by the Seymour Agency, who I'm still with. My agent suggested that I try writing an Amish romance. While I was doing that research, and discussing it with my mother, she reminded me that my grandfather on my dad's side was born in Albion, Pennsylvania--that in fact I do have Pennsylvania German roots. That was the personal connection I needed jump into this genre. My first Amish romance came out in 2010. I now write Amish mysteries for Zondervan, Amish romance for Harvest House, and Amish novellas for Abingdon.


2. Tell us about your most recent book.

A Perfect Square is book 2 in my Shipshewana Amish Mystery series. Readers return to this small town in northern Indiana, where an Amish girl has been found floating in a local pond. Reuben Fisher is in jail as the suspect and refuses to divulge any information, even to clear himself of a crime Deborah is certain he didn't commit. So, with her English friend,Callie---fellow sleuth and owner of Daisy's Quilt Shop---Deborah sets out to uncover the truth. The mystery deepens when an elderly man seeks Callie's help in finding his long-lost daughter, missing since the days of the 1965 Palm Sunday Tornadoes. An old man who has lost his past. A young man who may lose his future. Once again Deborah and Callie find themselves trying to piece together a crazy quilt of lives and events---one that can bring unexpected touches of God's grace and resolve the tragedy that has shaken this quiet Amish community.



3. Why did you choose this particular genre?

Actually it wasn't my idea to pair murder mystery with Amish, that was the brain child of Sue Brower at Zondervan. We had sent her an Amish romance (which Abingdon later bought). She said she liked it but didn't need another romance writer, because she has the fabulous Amy Clipston. She wanted me to write something different--Amish murder mysteries. I was all over that--my fav t.v. programs are 24, The Firm, etc. I like suspense in general, so it's a good fit for me.

4. What was your journey to publication like?

It's been 14 years since I started writing. I had finished my graduate degree, which I pursued because I enjoyed my undergrad degree in English so much I didn't want to stop. I had gone back to school as a 34 year old single mom. I wasn't sure what I'd do with the grad degree, but my advisors assured me it would make me more employable. It did in fact help with my teaching profession, and it certainly helped with my writing. But I graduated with my MA in English in 1999, and my first inspirational book (A Simple Amish Christmas) came out in 2010. I wouldn't say that everyone needs a degree to publish a book, but it helped my skills immensely.



5. What is a couple of your favorite books and what are you reading now?

I'm a huge fan of Stephen King. His most recent book, 11-23-63 is a wonderful example of stellar CRAFT in writing and characters that you care about. In inspirational circles, I like Dan Walsh and Shelley Shepard Gray. For mysteries I like Harlan Coben, Nelson DeMille, and Nevada Barr. Right now I'm reading the Bible-in-90-Days with my church, so it's taking up a lot of my reading time.Great book, though!



6. What are you working on now and can you give us a little peek inside it?

I've turned in Book 3 in my Shipshewana Series: Material Witness (releases in August). I wanted to do something different with each book in this series, so with book 3, I accelerated the plot to 4 days. Fun! Murder to resolution in 4 days. Yeah.Tick-tock. I've also completed 2 books in my Pebble Creek Amish romance series for Harvest House. These books are set in Wisconsin, where the communities are more Old Order. Sweet, lovely people who I very much enjoyed meeting and writing about (A Promise for Miriam releases in July).



7. What advice would you give authors who are on their own journey to publication?


Keep writing. Keep improving your craft. Write another book.



8. Do you have any books or websites that have helped you with your writing that you could share with us?


As far as CRAFT books, no. The best craft books in my opinion are to read good,well-written books. I have enjoyed playing with "The Pocket Muse" by Monica Wood. Filled with fun exercises, I'll turn to a page and plop it into the middle of my book! I've also learned a lot from Margie Lawson's courses and credit her with helping me take my writing to the level where it would be attractive to editors. http://www.margielawson.com/



9. Is there anything you’d like to tell us we haven’t covered?

Just thank you! And if you think you don't like Amish fiction, please give my mysteries a try. They ARE different. : )



Please let us know where we can find you on the web.


http://www.vannettachapman.com/

http://vannettachapman.wordpress.com/

www.facebook.com/VannettaChapmanBooks

http://pinterest.com/vannettachapman

How to win a copy of Vannetta's "Falling to Pieces" or "A Perfect Square"

1. Be a follower or sign up as a follower of Sleuths and Suspects
2. Leave a comment and tell us if you know what a cozy mystery is.
3. Leave your email so we can get in touch with the winners.




*The authors of this blog are Amazon.com affiliates. Sometimes, we will include links in our blog posts. When visitors to this site purchase items from Amazon.com using links in our posts, the authors of this blog earn a percentage of the sales.

Saturday, March 10, 2012

Race Against Time

a house is shown on the cover, located near the water's edge


Madison Jacobs is attacked by a serial killer and left for dead until Detective Brody Phillips rescues her in the nick of time. The killer has each victim leave a suicide note. Until Madison survives, the cops thought each murder was a suicide. Together Madison and Brody hurry to find the killer before he strikes again.

Christy Barritt wrote this Love Inspired Suspense that's on sale now.

photo of author Christy Barritt


This is a fast paced page-turner with likeable characters that you'll root for until the very end.

This will be available on April 1 at Amazon.

*The authors of this blog are Amazon.com affiliates. Sometimes, we will include links in our blog posts. When visitors to this site purchase items from Amazon.com using links in our posts, the authors of this blog earn a percentage of the sales.  




Tuesday, March 6, 2012

Free Reads for the Kindle

For at least today, 3/6/2012, the Kindle books shown below are free to U.S. residents. Please check the Amazon Web site for further details.
*The authors of this blog are Amazon.com affiliates. Sometimes, we will include links in our blog posts. When visitors to this site purchase items from Amazon.com using links in our posts, the authors of this blog earn a percentage of the sales. 














Sunday, March 4, 2012

Welcome Additional Blog Coauthor!

Please welcome additional blog coauthor Debbie Malone! :)

Review of Broken Trust

Broken Trust by Sharon Dunn is a romantic suspense novel set in Montana. Special agent Wyatt Greene works for the FBI. Christine Norris, now Sheriff Norris, used to work with Wyatt at the FBI but left the Agency to settle down with her husband Dustin on a farm in Montana. 

When Wyatt is assigned to a kidnapping case involving an extremist group, he must work with Christine to uncover possible leads in the kidnapping case. Because of their past history, Christine and Wyatt are cautious around one another, and Christine chooses not to reveal Dustin's recent death.  

As they work together, Wyatt must prove to Christine that he's not the same man she worked with years prior, help Christine solve the case and find a kidnapped boy, and protect Christine and others who are targeted by the extremist group. 
I liked that the tension was ongoing. There was never a dull moment in this book. I didn't feel the need to skim flowery descriptions because they weren't there. The story kept moving at a fast pace. The story was believable, and I could easily picture the setting. Also, I enjoyed the characters. 

I wish the story would have resolved Dustin's death more. Still, the author leaves readers with a pretty good idea of the outcome. Also, I enjoyed the book so much that I wish it could have been longer. All, in all, it was nice, quick read.  
This book should appeal to women as well as men who enjoy romantic suspense. 


*Please note that I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my review. However, I was not required to write a positive review. The opinion expressed here is my own.  

*The authors of this blog are Amazon.com affiliates. Sometimes, we will include links in our blog posts. When visitors to this site purchase items from Amazon.com using links in our posts, the authors of this blog earn a percentage of the sales.  



Thursday, March 1, 2012

Winner of Book Giveaway

Tom Blubaugh is the winner of the giveaway of a copy of Death in Dahlonega! Congrats, Tom! Debbie Malone will contact you shortly.

To everyone else who participated, thanks for stopping by, and I hope you continue to visit this blog to enjoy reviews, interviews, and future giveaways!