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Blog postWe have exciting things planned for you this week on the Suspense Sisters!
On Tuesday Patricia Bradley will tell us What’s Hot in Inspirational Suspense and Mystery.
Wednesday we’ll hear from Suspense Sister Sharon Dunn. She'll be talking about keepsakes and how they connect us to memories and the people we love. She’ll also be giving away copies of CRIME SCENE COVER UP.
Facing the past
is the only way to catch a killer.
After years o -
Blog postSome of you may remember just after the first of the year (2022) when I wrote about picking up the three young people whose car broke down on a remote road in the mountains. We were so blessed to be able to help them. And it turns out this past week was our turn to be rescued and blessed by another person.
Last week, we had our two youngest grandsons visiting and planned to take them camping. We got the truck and camper ready for the four-hour trip to the mountains. On the way north, -
Blog postLast Saturday, I stopped by the local Christian book store. My original plan was simply to browse, maybe look for the non-fiction book one of the ladies from my Bible study group back in Oklahoma recommend to me. When my eyes landed on Elysium Tide by James R. Hannibal, I froze in my tracks. This was the book I’d been waiting to read then completely forgot about in the craziness that was my wedding and move to Nebraska. Needless to say, I snatched it off the shelf, bought it, and began readin
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Blog postMany of us tend to live life on autopilot. We stumble along, from one day to the next. Not fully living, but existing. We react to things that come our way, instead of being proactive when possible. It’s like going through a car wash. We put the car in neutral and allow ourselves to be pushed and pulled along the path. Then one day we might wonder, “Is this all there is to life?”
And these days, with our devices, social media, and the like, we have an array of “opportunities” to sit i -
Blog postHappy Wednesday, readers of inspirational suspense and mystery. Today I'm reviewing the best book I've found for taking some of the mystery out of Bible study, Know Your Bible. Yes, this isn't an ordinary Suspense Sisters book review. But how many times have you listened to Scripture and wondered when it had been written and by whom. This powerful little book answers plenty of those questions. 95 pages, Barbour Publishing
From the publisher: Know Your Bible is a concise, easy-to-un -
Blog postOur son trying out a new bed as my husband observes. It’s our busy season with the book release and graduation down, but a wedding to go. At the grad party friends asked us how we felt about our son moving out and starting a life of his own.
I didn’t know it, but apparently before the question finished, I started smiling. Our friend called me out on it. I laughed and confessed that with our son moving out, I get my basement back. It’s where he spends most of his time. It’s like a lit -
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Blog postThere is a famous statue (called Pieta) by Michelangelo of Jesus’ mother Mary cradling the body of Jesus after the crucifixion. It is one of a number of medieval and Renaissance pieces of art reflecting the same theme.
However, it is all a sham. As far as we know, it didn’t happen.
After the crucifixion, Jesus’ body was taken by Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus and placed in a tomb (Matthew 27:57-60, Mark 15:42-46, Luke 23:50-54, John 19:38-42). Some “women who had come with -
Blog postWondering what's new in inspirational suspense and mystery? I can't wait for Her Darkest Secret by Jessica R. Patch to release June 28!
When a cold-case serial killer returns, FBI special agent Fiona Kelly has one last chance to stop him before he claims the prize he’s always wanted—her.
The sight of a goose feather at a murder scene modeled after a children’s poem is enough to make FBI special agent Fiona Kelly's blood turn to ice. Almost two decades -
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Blog postWe have exciting things planned for you this week on the Suspense Sisters!
On Tuesday Patricia Bradley will tell us What’s Hot in Inspirational Suspense and Mystery.
Wednesday we’ll hear from Suspense Sister Mary Ellis. She’s sharing a book that’s close to her heart. It’s called KNOW YOUR BIBLE.
A Book to Accompany Every Copy of God’s Word!
Through 66 separate books, 1,189 chapters, and hundreds of thousands of words, the Bible shares -
Blog postIn a romantic suspense novel, there’s no doubt that the hero and heroine are the stars of the show. We fall in love with their struggles, and root for them as they fight the bad guys along the way to their happy ending.
But there are some unsung heroes to their story, and they play an important role in helping the hero and heroine reach their goals.
They are the secondary characters. All stories have them. They can be a friend. A family member. Law enforcement. -
Blog postDo you have friends you've known for many years--ones you might not see for a long time, yet whenever you can get together it's as if no time has passed at all? Or family members you don't get to see often enough?
I started writing in 1993, and inspirational author Lyn Cote started before that. During those early years we used to meet every week to talk about our writing, and share what we'd been learning. She soon moved seven hours away, but we've still been dear friends for thirty ye -
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Blog postMunicipalities have strange rules.
Many municipalities have banned grocery stores from giving out free one-use plastic bags for customers to carry groceries home in.
Municipalities have not banned one-use plastic bags containing produce or prepackaged foods from the same stores.
Instead of giving their customers free one-use plastic bags, the stores now sell their customers thicker, multi-use plastic bags.
Customers, not realizing the banned bags were one-use p -
Blog postWondering what's new in inspirational suspense and mystery? Well, last week Among the Innocent by our very one Mary Alford released! And today Nancy Mehl's Free Fall releases!First today's release:FREE FALL
Someone has been abducting women with long dark hair across Virginia. When the FBI is called in to help, Alex Donovan, a behavioral analyst, is tasked with putting together a profile. She's aided by her friend and colleague Logan Hart, but he has been acting strangely and won't say -
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Blog postWhile I love the writing life, sometimes I have the tendency to overbook myself and before you know it, I’m extremely busy.
Last month was a prime example of this. I had to finish a full manuscript to turn in while working on three partials and preparing for a book release. Yeah, I know. But I’m slowly working my way through these tasks and hopefully I will learn my lesson and not overbook myself in the future.
We’re all busy. Whether you’re a writer with too many deadlines, o -
Blog postWe have exciting things planned for you this week on the Suspense Sisters!
On Tuesday Patricia Bradley will tell us What’s Hot in Inspirational Suspense and Mystery.
Wednesday we’ll hear from Suspense Sister Roxanne Rustand. Her latest release is FINAL WITNESS.
Emma has seen far too many people die--and now she's been framed for her father's murder by the witness protection officers who killed him. They were supposed to protect her. B -
Blog postWhen it comes to novels, particularly romantic suspense or romantic mysteries, the names of the main characters re extremely important. It's funny how it works, but more often than not, a female lead will have a short name or go by a shortened nickname. Gabby instead of Gabrielle, Dani instead of Danielle, Sam instead of Samantha, or Mac instead of MacKenzie.
And then there are the unique names for female sleuths. Names like Lyric, Stella, Addie, Londyn, Bristyl, and Teagan. You -
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Blog postMany years ago, my husband and I attended a high school baseball game, in which our friend’s son was one of the athletes. I don’t remember a whole lot about this particular game and I can’t tell you who won. But I do remember one incident that dealt with one of the parents. There was a mom who wanted her son to do well. When he came up to bat, she got up from her seat, stood behind the bleachers, and appeared to be praying. When her boy struck out, she let out a frustrated cry and stomped her
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Blog postJust a week until book 3 in my Quantico Files series releases! To celebrate, I have a super contest! Click the link and follow the prompts for a chance to win a FREE FALL Launch Box! https://nancymehl.com/giveaway/
Here's a quote from FREE FALL!
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Blog postThe Chosen/YouTube Earlier this week Nancy Farrier shared wedding thoughts, and it got me thinking about weddings. Our son marries next month and now that our daughter graduated from high school, it’s wedding mode.
There’s a wedding I’ve had on my mind since I saw it.
The Chosen, the crowd-funded project where the Gospels are presented in a “binge-able” fashion, showed Jesus and His first public miracle in Cana. It’s been a while since I’ve watched that episode, but so much s -
Blog postWondering what's new in inspirational suspense and mystery? Rachel Fordham has a brand new romantic suspense, Where the Road Bends, releasing today from Baker/Revell Publishing.
Here's a little about the story: Norah's land is all she has left, and she'll do everything she can to save it---even marry a man she hardly knows. Days before the wedding, she discovers a badly injured stranger on her property, but rendering aid introduces complications for them both. Will Norah's act of ki -
Blog postMark 3:21 reports a strange thing in the life of Jesus: “When his family heard about this, they went to take charge of him, for they said, ‘He is out of his mind.’”
When they heard about what?
There are two triggers for the actions of Jesus’ family. (We learn from Mark 3:31 that the family probably consisted of “Jesus’ mother and brothers.”) The immediate trigger is that Jesus “entered a house” (Mark 3:20). What was so remarkable about this? The Greek could contain implication -
Blog postWe have exciting things planned for you this week on the Suspense Sisters!
On Tuesday Patricia Bradley will tell us What’s Hot in Inspirational Suspense and Mystery.
On Wednesday our very own Suspense Sister, Nancy Mehl, will talk about her new book that releases June 14!
Someone has been abducting women with long dark hair across Virginia. When the FBI is called in to help, Alex Donovan, a behavioral analyst, is tasked with putting together a -
Blog postPhoto by Tom The Photographer on Unsplash June is traditionally one of the most popular months for weddings. Summer is here. Kids are out of school. And people want to celebrate something after a long winter and the storms of spring.
Weddings can be elaborate or simple. Either way, the bride takes care with her dress on her special day and the groom also takes care with his appearance as he prepares to meet his bride. Their dress shows off their particular style or per -
Blog postby Patricia Bradley
Hi everyone! Today I'm talking to Sandra Orchard. I've known Sandra for at least eight years, roomed with her once at the Writer's Police Academy where we had a ball! Oh, and she's giving away a copy of one of her previous 24 books!
A little bit about Sandra:
She writes fast-paced, laugh-out-loud whodunits and romantic suspense. Awards for her novels include: a Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice Award, a Daphne DuMaurier Award of Excellence, a Ho -
Blog postIn my many years in publishing (books and magazines), one of the first lessons I learned was the importance of white space.
White space is the space on a page where there is no print (and no illustrations). An environmentalist or an overzealous accountant might say that white space is a waste. Why not fill up the space with print? Wouldn’t that be a more efficient use of paper?
The answer is that white space is vital because it makes the book or magazine more readable. That is -
Blog postSometimes when I am writing, subplots and unexpected themes emerge in addition the the suspense and romance that is expected in a Love Inspired Suspense book. This was the case with my current release Crime Scene Cover-Up. Two of the supporting characters are the moms of the hero and heroine. Mary Ellen and Denise are grandmotherly types.
Mary Ellen, the hero's mom, lives on a ranch with her husband and for reason of safety Denise stays there. The two women become fast friends and bond -
Blog postWondering what's new in inspirational suspense and mystery? Missing Pieces: 4 Puzzling Cozy Mysteries will release tomorrow from Barbour Publishing. Here's a little about the anthology of novellas.
What could go wrong when jigsaw puzzle enthusiasts get together? The impersonator at Cee Cee's party is murdered in Elvis Has Left the Building. When Jane competes, The Puzzle King is poisoned. Tabitha's first B & B event becomes A Puzzling Weekend when the cook is killed. In Puzzle -
Blog postGrowing up, I was the youngest of four kids and there was quite a bit of an age gap between my two brothers and myself. Though my sister was only a few years older, when she started school, I was left to my own devices until I was old enough to start school.
I remember many times I would be so engrossed in playing that I’d lose track of the time. Sometimes I would end up in one of my favorite spots to play and my mother would have to call me back because she’d be worried.
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Blog postWe have exciting things planned for you this week on the Suspense Sisters!
On Tuesday Mary Ellis will tell us What’s Hot in Inspirational Suspense and Mystery. Wednesday we’ll hear from Suspense Sister Sharon Dunn. She'll be talking about her mom and the lost art of canning and making jams and jellies.
And she'll be giving away copies of her book, Crime Scene Coverup! All you have to do to be entered in the drawing is leave a comment!
A -
Blog postby Patricia Bradley
Well, the book is in and I survived. Barely. I don't know if I've ever told this group, but I've never been good in math. Ever. And working on this book was no exception. I thought until late December that I had five months to write the book in. You know, like from January 1 to May 2. That's five months, right?
Like I said, math never was my long suit. It was right after Christmas, like the next day, that I realized that -
Blog postMy husband and I enjoy watching college baseball and softball games around this time of year. A few years ago there was a girls softball game between Alabama and Ole Miss that left an impression on me. These aren’t teams that we normally follow. But we like the sport so much, that we will often watch any game we can find on TV. In this particular game, Alabama was losing until they got a home run and tied the game. The player ran around the bases, as her team cheered. The girls all came out o
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Blog postHappy Wednesday, lovers of inspirational suspense. Mary Ellis here. Today Suspense Sisters is happy to welcome new author, Sara Brunsvold, who is about to release her debut novel, The Extraordinary Deaths of Mrs. Kip. If you had to describe yourself in one sentence, what would you say?
I’m much more entertaining over email.
What do you do when you’re not writing? Any interesting hobbies?
In my non-work time, I prefer to be with my husband and two daughters -
Blog postWe’re entering our super busy season with a graduation and wedding in the works, so I thought I’d share a snippet of what’s going on with our family. My hope is that as you read this update, you see God’s goodness and that He is just as present for you!
Our Daughter: She graduates in June and is enjoying those senior “lasts.” One that really blessed us was she was chosen as one of twenty some students across our county for a scholarship based on academics and character. As I watched h -
Blog postWondering what's new this week in inspirational suspense and mystery? Geri Krotow has a brand new suspense, Stranded in the Mountains, just released from Love Inspired Suspense. This is part of the Mountain Rescue series.
Here's a little about the story: They survived the crash…Now can they escape the wilderness? Part-time treasure hunter Daniel Sturges’s secret assignment was simple—find a wrecked WWII B-17 and recover the artifacts inside. But now he’s stranded with fellow crash s -
Blog postThe Gospel of Mark reports that “Jesus went up on a mountainside and called to him those he wanted…He appointed twelve that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach and to have authority to drive out demons” (Mark 3:13-15). Why did Jesus do this? What were the implications?
In a practical sense, the appointing of the apostles must be looked at in the context of the massive crowds that were following Jesus, seeking healing and deliverance (Mark 1:45, 3:7-12). By -
Blog postWe have exciting things planned for you this week on the Suspense Sisters!
On Tuesday Mary Ellis will tell us What’s Hot in Inspirational Suspense and Mystery.
Wednesday we’ll hear from Suspense Sister Mary Ellis. She’ll be interviewing new author, Sara Brunsvold, whose debut novel, THE EXTRAORDINARY DEATHS OF MRS. KIP, releases in July. Leave a comment for a chance to win a $25.00 Amazon gift card!
Aidyn Kelley is talented, ambitious, and re -
Blog postIts less than 3 weeks until AMONG THE INNOCENT releases! I can’t believe it’s finally almost here.
When I first signed the contract 2 years earlier, it still felt like a dream, but now, my first book with Revell is almost here.
When Leah Miller's entire Amish family was murdered ten years ago, the person believed responsible took his own life.
Since then, Leah left the Amish and joined the police force. Now, after another Amish woman is fou -
Blog postHave you ever thought back over how many times your life has seemingly taken an abrupt, random turn? I don't mean the loss of a loved one, but a life-altering change all the same.A late-night phone call. A piece of mail you didn't expect. A chance meeting. A last-minute change of plans that led you down a very different path?
Mine sure changed a few moments after a longtime boyfriend dumped me. We were at his veterinary school fraternity party, where he abrup -
Blog postWondering wondering new in inspirational suspense and mystery this week? A Healer's Promise recently released by Misty M. Beller from Bethany House. A Healer's Promise is #2 in the Brides of Laurent series.
Here's a little bit about the story: She was called to be a healer, but her skills--and heart--have never been so challenged. Levi Masters's time as a British spy hasn't ended, though his country's war with America has. After overhearing a scout reveal a discovery that coul -
Blog postWe have exciting things planned for you this week on the Suspense Sisters!
On Tuesday Mary Ellis will tell us What’s Hot in Inspirational Suspense and Mystery.
Wednesday we’ll hear from Suspense Sister Roxanne Rustand. She’ll share about her new release, FINAL WITNESS and how she researched the book.
FINAL WITNESS
Emma has seen far too many people die--and now she's been framed for her father's murder by the witness protection office
Titles By Mary Alford
$11.99
Deadly Memories (Love Inspired Suspense)
Jun 1, 2017
by
Mary Alford
$7.99
Other Formats:
Mass Market Paperback
Framed for Murder (Love Inspired Suspense)
Oct 1, 2017
by
Mary Alford
$8.09
Other Formats:
Mass Market Paperback
