Author Spotlight: Jennifer Pierce

Hi friends! Today, our author spotlight is on Jennifer Pierce! Everyone, say hello to Jennifer! Without further ado, let's get to know Jennifer and her book Deadly Connection.

Author Bio:
Jennifer currently lives in Arkansas with her husband and two children. Her debut novel, Hidden Danger, is a 2019 Selah Award winner, and her second novel, Expecting Danger is a 2019 Selah award finalist. Deadly Connection is her third novel. She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and River Valley Writers.


Interesting Tidbit
Interesting tidbit about my writing process. I am a complete pantster. I do virtually no plotting. I start with one scene or a vague idea of the premise of the book and write as I go. When writing my debut novel, Hidden Danger, I didn't even know who the villain was until I was about halfway done writing it.

Deadly Connection Blurb

Private Investigator, Reid Lucas, and his mentor, Joe Lockhart, haven’t spoken in years, but when Joe wants to meet in a small-town diner, Reid’s interest is piqued. Without explanation, Joe calls and tells Reid he has five minutes to get waitress, Quinn Matthews, and her son out of the diner before they’re kidnapped by the group of men about to walk through the diner’s front door.

Quinn Matthews’ life is simple and safe, exactly how she likes it—until Reid Lucas walks into the diner. Now, she and her son are running for their lives, and she has no idea why. But when the father of her son shows up and dies saving them, she realizes they all have one deadly connection: Joe Lockhart. Now, she'll have to trust the mysterious private investigator to not only save their lives but connect her past to her present so they can figure out who is after them. And why.

As the danger escalates, unexpected feelings arise. Reid doesn't believe he's worthy of Quinn's love--or God's. And Quinn is too worried about having her heart broken again and the effect of having a new man in her son's life. Can they let go of their preconceived notions of love and relationships, or are they doomed to just let go of each other?

Purchase Link:
https://amzn.to/3b4IkgK

Connect with Jennifer:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JenniferPierceauthor/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JennPierce82
Website: http://www.jenniferpiercewrites.com&nbsp
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lovereadwriterepeat/


Friends, I sure hope you enjoyed getting to know Jennifer Pierce and Deadly Connection.



Thank you so much for joining us, Jennifer!


If you're an author and you'd like to be showcased here, just let me know. Must be inspirational or clean, can be fiction or nonfiction.
Check out my website, connect with me, and sign up for my newsletter. https://sallyshupe.weebly.com/

Author Spotlight: Lynnette Bonner

Hi friends! Today, our author spotlight is on Lynnette Bonner! Everyone, say hello to Lynnette! Without further ado, let's get to know Lynnette and her book Ice.

Author Bio:
Born and raised in Malawi, Africa. Lynnette Bonner spent the first years of her life reveling in warm equatorial sunshine and the late evening duets of cicadas and hyenas. The year she turned eight she was off to Rift Valley Academy, a boarding school in Kenya where she spent many joy-filled years, and graduated in 1990.

That fall, she traded to a new duet—one of traffic and rain—when she moved to Kirkland, Washington to attend Northwest University. It was there that she met her husband and a few years later they moved to the small town of Pierce, Idaho.

During the time they lived in Idaho, while studying the history of their little town, Lynnette was inspired to begin the Shepherd’s Heart Series with Rocky Mountain Oasis.

Marty and Lynnette have four children, and currently live in Washington where Marty pastors a church.

Here's Lynnette!

Tell us about your book Ice in the Dangerous Deceptions boxed set?
Ice is about a woman who is just getting back on her feet after a very hard year. On her way home from work one night, she witnesses a hit-and-run that puts her life in danger. She has to go into protective custody—and of course the sheriff watching over her is too hunky for his own good. Also, he’s determined not to fall for her because of some dark stuff from his own past. Too bad for him that my stories always have happy endings!

When is your optimal time to read – do you prefer to read in one long block, or do you also read for five minutes here or there when you can?
I have to be careful when I start a book because I’m bad about making myself put it down once I’ve started. So I’m a “long block” reader. I’d rather go without sleep than go without story. :)

Are you faithful to a genre, an author, or simply quality writing?
I like to read all kinds of genres, though I stick mostly with Christian fiction. I don’t like coming away from a story feeling dark, dirty or depressed. Christian fiction generally, no matter the genre, has at least an uplifting message if not a happily ever after ending.

Which factors most influence your selection of a book?
I love romance, I love history, and I love suspense. If you put all three into a story you’ll probably hook me but good. I have to confess that a cover is a huge make or break part of a book for me. If I don’t like the cover I rarely will read the book. Quite snobbish I know, but I figure if an author or publisher can’t take the time to put together a great cover, then the writing is also probably sub-par.

Your fiction pet peeve?
There is a new tendency to write very marred/flawed characters. Give me a hero and heroine that I can look up to! They don’t have to be perfect, obviously, but I don’t want to dislike them so much that I can’t bring myself to cheer for them. This is my biggest pet peeve, but I run into this mostly in secular shows and the rare secular fiction book I might try to pick up.

How do you mark your spot - folded page corner, bookmark, dollar bill, whatever is at hand?
I read eBooks so my iPad marks it for me. I rarely read paperbacks anymore.

Do you have a favorite Bible verse?
Hmm… I think different verses speak to me at different times in my life when I need them. A verse that has been speaking to me recently is from 2 Chronicles 7:13-15. “When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command locusts to devour the land or send a plague among my people, If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, Then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land. Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayers offered in this place.”

Ice Blurb

Camryn Hunt witnessed a murder. Now she’s under the protection of handsome small-town sheriff Holden Parker. The gorgeous island location, and break from her dreary life, might be pleasant if the sheriff wasn’t so demanding. Determined that no harm come to Camryn, Holden secludes her at his home. He only wishes she didn’t intrigue him so thoroughly. Attraction only complicates things. Especially when the murderers arrive at his door. It’s going to take all his wits to save her.

Dangerous Deceptions blurbs:

Lives...and hearts...are on the line in eight brand-new Christian Romantic Suspense novels from the genre’s most explosive authors.

Lethal Outbreak: Lisa Harris & Lynne Gentry
Virus hunter Aiden Ballinger believes the source of the lethal outbreak that decimated a remote Tibetan village came from disturbing the permafrost. Desperate to rebury it before it buries the world, Aiden enlists Rachel Allen, a beautiful epidemiologist. But while Aiden and Rachel pursue the cure—and their feelings for each other—someone is hunting them. Whoever wants them dead will not stop until they are silenced.

Collision Course: Elizabeth Goddard
His cover blown, FBI Special Agent Reg Jacobson finds refuge on the other side of the country, but trouble follows him when he faces off with a woman from his past. Private Investigator Nicole Weatherly, hired to catch a thief, suspects Reg. When the bullets fly, Reg and Nicole must escape secrets from their pasts before their futures collide.

Glimmer in the Darkness: Robin Patchen
When Cassidy learns another child has been kidnapped from her hometown, she's convinced the man who took the girl she’d been babysitting seven years earlier is behind the recent abductions. She alone holds the key to finding him. Though James blames Cassidy for his sister’s death, he’ll help if there’s a chance to save a child’s life. Can Cassidy and James identify the serial killer in time to rescue his latest victim?

Expired Plot: Lisa Phillips
A man after justice. A local crime boss. The woman caught between. Undercover FBI agent Will Briar is working his way to the top of an illegal operation. But when he discovers the identity of the boss, everything changes. Hollis knows nothing is as it seems. Now she must either save her father and doom herself, or take a chance on the man who could be the answer…to everything.

Ice: Lynnette Bonner
Camryn Hunt witnessed a murder. Now she’s under the protection of handsome small-town sheriff Holden Parker. The gorgeous island location, and break from her dreary life, might be pleasant if the sheriff wasn’t so demanding. Determined that no harm come to Camryn, Holden secludes her at his home. He only wishes she didn’t intrigue him so thoroughly. Attraction only complicates things. Especially when the murderers arrive at his door. It’s going to take all his wits to save her.

Never A Traitor: Jan Thompson
The last thing Private Investigator Earl Young expects is to pose as a fake boyfriend to a whistleblower. His driving need to solve problems forces him to work with paranoid Sienna Halstead as she draws him deeper into her corporate world of secrets and subterfuge. The more time they spend together, the more attraction grows. When another whistleblower is murdered, Sienna knows she's next. How far will Earl go to protect her?

Ben in Love: Luana Ehrlich
Is CIA operative Ben Mitchell really in love with the daughter of a Turkish dissident? Titus Ray, his mentor, isn’t buying it; he thinks Ben needs intel on a Muslim cleric. But when Titus follows Ben to northern Virginia, he discovers Ben’s deception is more dangerous than he thought. With their lives on the line, can Titus convince Ben to abandon his plans before it’s too late?

Liar Like Her: D.L. Wood
When disbarred attorney Quinn Bello discovers a body that inexplicably vanishes, no one in her seaside town believes her—no one, that is, except newcomer Ian Wolfe, who for his own mysterious reasons doesn’t hold Quinn’s past against her. Together they search for the truth, but doubts about Quinn’s sanity and innocence increase as the danger escalates. Will they expose the heart of the deception before Quinn becomes the next victim?

Purchase Link:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Dangerous-Deceptions-Christian-Romantic-Collection-ebook/dp/B086WP9LX9/ref=sr_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=dangerous+deceptions&qid=1603849842&sr=8-3 

Connect with Lynnette
Website: https://www.lynnettebonner.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorLynnetteBonner/


Friends, I sure hope you enjoyed getting to know Lynnette Bonner and Ice.

Thank you so much for joining us, lynnette!


If you're an author and you'd like to be showcased here, just let me know. Must be inspirational or clean, can be fiction or nonfiction.
Check out my website, connect with me, and sign up for my newsletter. https://sallyshupe.weebly.com/

Author Spotlight: Lisa Harris

Hi friends! Today, our author spotlight is on Lisa Harris! Everyone, say hello to Lisa! Without further ado, let's get to know Lisa and her book The Escape.

Author Bio:
I’m a wife, mom, teacher, author, dreamer, photographer, world explorer, but most importantly a follower of Christ Jesus. I currently live with my husband near the Indian Ocean in Mozambique where we work as church-planting missionaries. We’ve started the empty nest stage, which means I’m always ready for school breaks and visits! I see my writing as an extension of my ministry which also includes running a non-profit organization. The ECHO Project works in southern Africa promoting Education, Compassion, Health, and Opportunity and is a way for us to “speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves…the poor and helpless, and see that they get justice.” (Proverbs 31:8) When I’m not working l love hanging out with my family at the beach, playing games, cooking different ethnic dishes, and heading into the African bush on safari.


Here's Lisa!

Thanks so much for having me on your blog! My names is Lisa Harris and I write both Romantic Suspense and Medical Thrillers. My family and I have lived in southern Africa for almost two decades, though we are now back in the states and unable to return for now due to Covid travel restrictions. What a crazy year! The blessing of this is being close to family!

I’m excited to share with you my latest release that comes out in just a couple days. THE ESCAPE is book one in a brand-new series based around the US Marshal service! I loved the research of both the Marshals as well as the terrain as my hero and heroine are forced to embark on the cross-country chase of a fugitive.

When I started researching the US Marshals for this story, I’ll admit, I didn’t know very much about this federal law enforcement agency. I was fascinated by what I learned. The US Marshals Service has served our country since 1789, and while they don’t investigate or prosecute crimes, they do put their own lives on the line every day by pursuing dangerous fugitives and getting them off the streets. They are also involved in judicial security, prisoner transportation, and serve as custodians of property seized from illegal activities. I spent hours doing extensive research by listening to podcasts, reading non-fiction books by US Marshals, and, of course, using the internet. I also have an author friend who was able to get me in contact with a Marshal who answered one of my questions.

While the story starts off in the Pacific Northwest where I grew up, then moves quickly from Idaho to Texas in a cross-country chase. I’m always looking for unique settings for my stories, and the California Zephyr fit perfect into my story. The iconic train makes a daily trip between San Francisco and Chicago every day and travels just over 2400 miles as it passes through the Sierra Nevadas, the Rockies and Colorado’s canyons, the plains of Nebraska, and across the mighty Mississippi. There are glass domes for sightseeing, to ensure passengers don’t miss any of the incredible scenery.

I was able to snap a few photos of the train in Colorado last fall which was fun. Adding a legendary steamliner like the California Zephyr to a story takes extra time and research, but it’s worth the effort to create the added layers to adrenaline-fueled fiction!

The Escape Blurb

US Marshals Madison James and Jonas Quinn are thrust into a high-profile case when they are called on to transport two prisoners across the country on a private plane. But when the plane experiences engine trouble en route from the Pacific Northwest to Colorado, the pilots crash-land the aircraft deep in the heart of the sprawling Salmon-Challis National Forest. When Madison and Jonas regain consciousness, they find both pilots and one prisoner dead--and one fugitive on the run. They'll have to negotiate the rugged and remote backcountry through Idaho, Wyoming, and Colorado while tracking a murderer who is desperate to disappear--and will do anything to stop them.

I love hearing from my readers! You can visit my website or join my private Facebook group.

Happy reading!!

Lisa Harris

Purchase Link
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Escape-US-Marshals-Lisa-Harris/dp/080073730X/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=the+escape+lisa+harris&qid=1603851210&sr=8-1

Friends, I sure hope you enjoyed getting to know Lisa Harris and The Escape.



Thank you so much for joining us, Lisa!


If you're an author and you'd like to be showcased here, just let me know. Must be inspirational or clean, can be fiction or nonfiction.
Check out my website, connect with me, and sign up for my newsletter. https://sallyshupe.weebly.com/

Author Spotlight: Pepper Basham

Hi friends! Today, our author spotlight is on Pepper Basham! Everyone, say hello to Pepper! Without further ado, let's get to know Pepper and her book The Red Ribbon.

 

 Author Bio:
I wrote my first story when I was a nine year- old, freckled-faced tomboy in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains (my earlier writings wouldn’t have been considered “books”, more like short stories). Coming from a long line of oral storytellers, weaving a good yarn seemed a typical part of my life. It wasn’t until I finished college, had two children, and a full-time job before I began to study the ‘craft’ of writing (you know when I had plenty of time).

My music-director turned pastor husband took his first senior pastor position eight years ago, moved the 6 of us to Tennessee, where we added our fifth and final kid to the Basham crew. And now hubby is a music minister in Asheville, NC. Yep, we love the Blue Ridge Mountains.

So…now I’m an older, freckled-faced mommy enjoying life, learning to write, and laughing often. My mom says that I must have a small bit of insanity because I don’t realize how stressed I ought to be.

I’m also a speech-language pathologist who spends her time hanging out with kids who have social communication and language difficulties! It’s a challenge and a blessing – and constantly teaches me about the importance of thinking outside the box!

My newest book, The Red Ribbon, releases in October 2020 and takes place in my hometown of Carroll County, Virginia.

My first split-time releases in April 2021 and is titled Hope Between the Pages!

Here's Pepper!

Hope is a beautiful thing.

Vital, really.

At times, it appears as a lifeline cast down into a stormy sea and others as a ray of sunshine through thick, permeating fog. Hope offers perspective and possibilities. Light at the end of the tunnel. A hug in the middle of this world’s tragedies.

I suppose, when I started writing The Red Ribbon, I didn’t realize how important hope would become until I’d done my research and realized how very dark True Crime could be. How evil reared its ugly head in myriad ways and appeared to be winning. How hatred, greed, and selfishness twisted and turned events in heartbreaking directions – like a courthouse massacre or a roadside murder.

So when I started writing The Red Ribbon, I knew that woven into this darker story of Virginia history, I needed to find—or shine—hope, and that’s where Jeremiah Sutphin and Ava Burcham came in.

The Hillsville Courthouse Massacre/Tragedy of 1912 was a single event that began years before because of feuding and easy offense, sparked by an unexpected kiss, and finally exploded in a gunfight inside the courthouse in the little, unknown Blue Ridge Mountain town in Hillsville, Virginia.

I’d been raised in this county. More than two hundred years of my ancestors had grown up in this county, and I’d heard the tales of bootlegging, family feuds, murders, thieving, and all the other things that can pop up in the shadowy parts of a places’ history. This story became prominent only because it made national news, otherwise, it would have likely disappeared into history like so many other similar stories from Appalachia.

Murders happened and were never disclosed or resolved – unless by residual gunfire.

Bootlegging led to feuds. It had for decades before.

But this tragedy caught the public’s interest and resulted in nationwide news coverage and a nationwide manhunt, exposing the world of Appalachia like few things have – and it led people outside of Appalachia to believe that these mountain folks were nothing more than angry, illiterate, hostile, ignorant nobodys.

I guess that’s why I loved the opportunity to show both sides of Appalachia in this book. The hardened, irreverent, and corrupt side and the hopeful, loyal, loving side. Both existed and still do, as in about any population of people around the world, it just looks different.

The Hillsville tragedy shone a light on the darker spots of Appalachia. The way loyalty can move into obsession or stark independence can lead to destructive pride. But I couldn’t leave readers only thinking those things about my home. They needed to see the hope too!

As an Appalachian girl, I love my culture. I love the loyalty of the people to family. I love their unique creativeness and steel-like resilience. I love their appreciation for their homes and land, and their intense acceptance of people (once they know you). That’s where the true crime and the fictional story blend together.

Because hope is real and a driving force to help us make it through the difficulties of life, and thankfully, as a Christian, hope is not some wispy, weak wishful thinking.

It’s a steadfast assurance that on the other side of tragedy, pain, suffering, or heartache, there is purpose, growth, and an ultimate joyful ending.

I hope that’s what readers find at the end of The Red Ribbon- and awareness that, as Christians, hope threads its way through every scene of our lives and we can hold to God’s truth in His love for our futures even in the dark. 

 

 The Red Ribbon Blurb

An Appalachian Feud Blows Up in 1912 Step into True Colors -- a new series of Historical Stories of Romance and American Crime In Carroll County, a corn shucking is the social event of the season, until a mischievous kiss leads to one of the biggest tragedies in Virginia history. Ava Burcham isn’t your typical Blue Ridge Mountain girl. She has a bad habit of courtin’ trouble, and her curiosity has opened a rift in the middle of a feud between politicians and would-be outlaws, the Allen family. Ava’s tenacious desire to find a story worth reporting may land her and her best friend, Jeremiah Sutphin, into more trouble than either of them planned. The end result? The Hillsville Courthouse Massacre of 1912.

 

Purchase Link and to Connect with Pepper:

Amazon - https://www.amazon.com/dp/1643526499
Website - www.pepperdbasham.com
FB – https://www.facebook.com/pepperdbasham/
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/pepperbasham/
Twitter - https://twitter.com/pepperbasham
Pinterest - https://www.pinterest.com/pepperbasham/


Friends, I sure hope you enjoyed getting to know Pepper Basham and The Red Ribbon.


Thank you so much for joining us, Pepper!


If you're an author and you'd like to be showcased here, just let me know. Must be inspirational or clean, can be fiction or nonfiction.
Check out my website, connect with me, and sign up for my newsletter. https://sallyshupe.weebly.com/

Author Spotlight: Rachel Dylan

Hi friends! Today, our author spotlight is on Rachel Dylan! Everyone, say hello to Rachel! Without further ado, let's get to know Rachel and her book Back Lash.

 

Author Bio:
Rachel Dylan is an award-winning and bestselling author of legal thrillers and romantic suspense. Rachel has practiced law for over a decade, including being a litigator at one of the nation's top law firms. Her Atlanta Justice series has won the Holt Medallion, the Maggie Award, and the FHL Reader's Choice Award. Rachel lives in Michigan with her husband and five furkids--two dogs and three cats. Rachel loves to connect with readers. You can find her at https://www.racheldylan.com/.


Fun Facts about BACKLASH:
They say some books write themselves, and Backlash, Book 2 in the Capital Intrigue series, was definitely one of those for me. I had a very clear picture of Layla in my mind from the beginning of End Game (Book 1), and I knew I had to make her story the next book in the Capital Intrigue series.

Layla works at the CIA as a Middle East analyst, but those in charge at the Agency believe she would be a better asset if she was a CIA officer working in the field. Even though she resists, she takes on the challenges because she believes she is serving her country.

Fun fact: Layla got her undergraduate degree in Arab studies, and I got my Master’s degree in Middle Eastern studies. Layla works for the CIA, and I was recruited by the NSA (although I ended up taking a very different path and became a lawyer). I poured a lot of myself into Layla’s character, but I could never take on dangerous field missions like her. I’m much better sitting behind my computer writing about them! I loved being able to write a lead character of Lebanese descent—just like me.


Back Lash Summary

CIA analyst Layla Karam is thrust into a dangerous DEA field operation against a cartel that puts a target on her back. Though Layla never wanted to be a field agent, Langley had other ideas. After one of her team members is murdered because of fallout from the op, Layla is left scrambling to find safety.

At the same time, the CIA opens up an internal investigation against her. Out of options, Layla turns to ex-boyfriend and private investigator Hunter McCoy for help finding out who might want to ruin her career.

Layla and Hunter soon discover a mole inside the DEA has sold out the team's identity to the cartel. She must clear her name with the Agency and protect herself and her teammates from cartel retaliation. With threats on all sides, Layla must put her trust in Hunter--the man who broke her heart--and hope they both come out of it alive.

For those who are content sensitive: this book contains non-graphic scenes and descriptions of physical and sexual assault.

Purchase Links:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Backlash-Capital-Intrigue-Book-2-ebook/dp/B087RRWCZZ/
All your favorite retailers: https://www.racheldylan.com/backlash/
Connect with Rachel:
Website – https://www.racheldylan.com/
Blog - https://www.racheldylan.com/category/blog/
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/RachelDylanAuthor/
Twitter – https://twitter.com/dylan_rachel
Amazon – https://www.amazon.com/Rachel-Dylan/e/B00IQURATK
Bookbub- https://www.bookbub.com/profile/rachel-dylan
Goodreads- https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7913140.Rachel_Dylan
Instagram –https://www.instagram.com/racheldylanauthor/
Pinterest - https://www.pinterest.com/racheldylanauth/


Friends, I sure hope you enjoyed getting to know Rachel Dylan and Back Lash.



Thank you so much for joining us, Rachel!


If you're an author and you'd like to be showcased here, just let me know. Must be inspirational or clean, can be fiction or nonfiction.
Check out my website, connect with me, and sign up for my newsletter. https://sallyshupe.weebly.com/