Intervention by Terri Blackstock

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As a fan of the tv show Intervention, I was immediately drawn to this title by the talented Terri Blackstock. I plan to have a full review up at TitleTrakk.com soon, but suffice it to say this was a suspenseful read! It kept me turning the pages for sure. Bravo, Terri!

ABOUT THE BOOK


Barbara Covington has one more chance to save her daughter from a devastating addiction, by staging an intervention. But when eighteen-year-old Emily disappears on the way to drug treatment—and her interventionist is found dead at the airport—Barbara enters her darkest nightmare of all.

Barbara and her son set out to find Emily before Detective Kent Harlan arrests her for a crime he is sure she committed. Fearing for Emily’s life, Barbara maintains her daughter’s innocence. But does she really know her anymore? Meanwhile, Kent has questions of his own. His gut tells him that this is a case of an addict killing for drugs, but as he gets to know Barbara, he begins to hope he’s wrong about Emily.

The panic level rises as the mysteries intensify: Did Emily’s obsession with drugs lead her to commit murder—or is she another victim of a cold-blooded killer?

If you would like to read the first chapter of Intervention, go HERE

Watch the book Trailer:

The Real Enemy by Kathy Herman

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Upon reading the description of The Real Enemy by Kathy Herman, I was immediately intrigued. A female police chief isn't seen too often in Christian fiction, and I was curious how Herman would handle her character, Brill Jessup. She did a good job of creating a complex, strong female character.

Here's a short summary of the story:

Brill Jessup is the first female police chief in Sophie Trace, Tennessee. She's a pro at solving cases---but personally insecure. Work has become her favorite distraction from trying to forgive her husband Kurt's infidelity. But when seven people go missing, her tireless investigation threatens her family and she's forced to confront the real enemy.

Read the first chapter here.

Guess what? I'm giving away a copy of The Real Enemy! Leave me a comment with your response to this question: "What do you most want to see in an author website?" and I'll draw a winner next week from everyone who responds.

Dark Pursuit by Brandilyn Collins

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Alright, suspense fans. This one's for you. Brandilyn Collins has just released another great "Seatbelt Suspense" title.

I recently interviewed Brandilyn, and one of the questions I asked her was: "What originally sparked the idea for Dark Pursuit and how did it develop?"

Her response:

"For over 30 years I’ve remembered a phrase from John Milton’s Paradise Lost—“hatching vain empires.” After being thrown out of heaven, Satan and his demons are bragging about how they’re going to storm heaven and regain their territory. Beelzebub says they’re just “hatching vain empires.” He has a better idea—go to earth and tempt man away from God. Since that resulting fall in the garden, mankind has been on the dark pursuit of building his own vain empires. I got to thinking—what might that underlying theme look like in a modern-day suspense novel? Who might various characters represent? How might the colors of life and death (green and black) fit into the story?"

Got your interest? :) Read the full interview here.

My friend and fellow writer Darcie Gudger had this to say in her review at TitleTrakk.com:

"Dark Pursuit’s plot moves from fast to fierce. The last few chapters will leave you white-knuckled and breathing hard. It did me, and I live for this genre. Cool relief washed over me when the resolution phase commenced." Read the full review here.

The Big Picture by Jenny B. Jones

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Let me introduce you to The Big Picture by Jenny B. Jones. It's the featured novel this week at the CFBA. There aren't too many books I want to shout about from the rooftops, but the Katie Parker Production series (of which The Big Picture is Book #3) is one of them.

The cool thing I've found about these books is that folks of all ages are enjoying them, even though it's officially a YA series. That's the sign of a good book.

I had the honor of endorsing The Big Picture. It can be found on the first page of the book and reads thus:

"Fresh, relevant, and snappy, The Big Picture deals with tough real-life issues. Jones beautifully balances the serious with witty humor and some of the most memorable characters in fiction today. By the book's end, you'll be clamoring for more Jenny B. Jones. I certainly am!"
--C.J. Darlington, cofounder and book editor; TitleTrakk.com

For those new to the series, here's a rundown of the books:

Book 1: In Between

Katie Parker finds herself in a minivan bound for In Between, Texas, home of her new foster family, Pastor James and Millie Scott. Soon she falls into the wrong crowd and finds herself in serious trouble. Along the way she’s introduced to faith, encounters Mad Maxine (her crazy foster grandma who rides bikes in spike heels), a play gone awry, and a secret that won’t stay under wraps. Will her foster family and the church youth group accept her as she is or steer clear of Katie’s chaos?

Book 2: On The Loose

It’s going to take more than a glass slipper and some fairy dust to fix Katie’s problems. Just as she finally settles into her new life a devastating tornado rips into town. When the winds settle, nothing is ever the same again. Millie is diagnosed with breast cancer, and Katie begins to doubt if God really does care. If something happens to Millie, will she be sent back to the group home? Things spiral even further out of control when Katie juggles a science fair project, a malfunctioning best friend, spring break plans, and holding the attention of her own Prince Charming.

Book 3: The Big Picture

Just as school winds down for the summer, Katie comes home to find the shock of her life on the Scotts’ front porch - her mother. Bobbie Ann Parker, newly released from prison, has come back for her daughter. But how can Katie leave In Between when so much is falling apart? There’s Maxine’s crumbling love life to take care of, a boyfriend to win back, and the town drive-in to save.

EXTRA! EXTRA! I've had the chance to interview Jenny twice for TitleTrakk.com.

Read the first interview.

Read the second interview (done with my sister Tracy).

Amber Morn by Brandilyn Collins

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This week the CFBA (Christian Fiction Blog Alliance) is featuring Brandilyn Collins' latest novel Amber Morn. The fourth and final book in her Kanner Lake series, this one is a little different from the others. Featuring an ensemble cast, a hostage situation, the Scenes and Beans bloggers, and Brandilyn's tradmark Seatbelt Suspense, fans are sure to be satisfied.

Read a fun interview I did with Brandilyn awhile back here.

Read my review of Book #1 in the Kanner Lake series, Violet Dawn here.

Read reviews of Coral Moon here, and Crimson Eve here by my friend and fellow writer Darcie Gudger.

Try Dying by James Scott Bell

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I've been a big fan of James Scott Bell for years now. His latest offering, Try Dying, is the first in a series featuring lawyer Ty Buchanan.

In a recent interview over at Brandilyn Collins' blog Forensics and Faith, Jim said: “I haven’t been happy about some of the trends in contemporary, secular suspense. And I think the audience out there is getting tired of the gratuitous elements. I believe you can write page-turning suspense without that, like some of the great crime novels of the 40s and 50s. I wanted to offer that, because I see the need for it.”

My review of the book can be read here at TitleTrakk.com.

"...a no-nonsense crime novel ... Try Dying is a dynamic start to a new series, filled with colorful characters and elaborate plots."

You can also check out my reviews of Jim's last two novels:

Presumed Guilty
No Legal Grounds

You also might enjoy an interview I conducted with Jim about a year ago here.

Christian Fiction Blog Alliance

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I'd known about the CFBA for quite some time, but now I can happily say I'm an official member. The alliance features a new Christian novel every week, and members talk about it on their blogs. Just take a look at their upcoming December schedule of books:

Wed 7th thru 9th---Deadfall by Robert Liparulo
Wed 14th thru 16th---Try Dying by James Scott Bell
Wed 21st thru 23rd---One Smooth Stone by Marcia Laycock
Wed 28th thru 30th---Auralia’s Colors by Jeffrey Overstreet

I'm looking forward to helping spread the word about all the wonderful books out there in the industry today. Why not join the alliance yourself? Your only obligations are to include their blogroll and links on your site, plus of course, you'll need to feature some books. But you don't have to feature every single one. Members are allowed to pick and choose (Who can resist free books?). And they make it easy for you by providing reviews and blurbs you can use with your post. Click here to visit the alliance website and learn more. Director Bonnie Calhoun is great about answering questions, too!