Tanya Stowe is an author of Christian Fiction with an
unexpected edge. She fills her stories with the unusual… mysteries and exotic adventures,
even a murder or two. No matter where Tanya takes you… on a trip to foreign
lands or a suspenseful journey filled with danger… be prepared for the
extraordinary.
Why do you like writing romantic suspense? Tanya: I love writing action and suspense leads to writing some
awesome action scenes. I love stories where I learn something new or have to
solve the puzzle so writing suspense with action scenes and “who-done-it” is
perfect for me.
What’s the weirdest way someone has died or been killed
in your novels? Tanya: The weirdest death was in the book I just finished called Killer
Harvest. It doesn’t come out until March. The killer is like a terminator
and seems impossible to stop so I had to come up with an unusual way to stop
him. I’m not giving away any secrets as to how it happens though! LOL!
Where do you get the inspiration for your plots? Tanya: My husband and I are full-time RV’ers—we live in our RV and
travel year-round. Everywhere I go I find inspiration whether it’s a beautiful cliff
and peak, a roaring river or a dense swamp-like area on the side of the road.
Then my mind just takes off wondering how people settled the land, how would one
survive if they ended up floating down the river? What was life like without a
GPS? LOL!
What did you want to be as a child (and did that dream
come true? Tanya: I wrote my first book when I was 11 years old so yes, I’ve
always wanted to be a writer and yes, my dream came true. But there was a LOT
of hard work and sacrifice in between!
How do you ensure your books are accurate? Tanya: Lots and lots of research, including travel to the area to
see, smell and just feel the air. It really makes a difference. Plus my publisher
has multiple editors who comb over the story and question everything to make
sure I’m accurate. It’s sometimes painful but I’m always thankful in the end.
Current book: Fatal Memories Border patrol agent Jocelyn Walker has no memory of why a gang is trying to kill her. DEA agent Dylan Murphy guards—and suspects—her.
Like most families, mine is, well, a bit unusual. True, I
have a father and a mother, who have been married for more than fifty years. But
I have had more than forty siblings.
When I was child, I had two sisters and a brother who were
many years older than me—fifteen, thirteen, and eleven years older, to be
exact. So in grade school, I was an only child of sorts, who had older siblings
drop by once in a while.
Soon after my twelfth birthday, my parents decided to fill
our great, big house with more children in a rather unconventional way: as
foster parents. Through the years, my mom and dad showed love to many children
of all ages, whom they treated as part of the family. As for me, I gained numerous
brothers and sisters—both older and younger.
There was Hope, who joined our family as a 16-year-old and
ended up staying for two years. A few years after she left our house, she asked
my father to walk her down the aisle at her wedding, a testimony to the special
relationship she developed with my parents. Sandy, an eight-year-old with
emotional problems, attached herself to me and sometimes would refuse to go to
court-ordered counseling sessions unless I accompanied her.
There were newborn babies, like Mark and Stephen, whose
smiles and coos are some of my happiest memories of those days. Then there were
the twins, a brother and sister who were five months old when they arrived.
They, like many foster children before them, ended up staying with us for more
than two years and then becoming eligible for adoption. By this time, my
parents already had raised four children and were grandparents, but they ended
up adopting Jenny and James.
Much has been said about the importance—and necessity—of foster
parenting, but being a sibling to foster brothers and sisters brought its own
rewards. I reveled in being a big sister to countless children. However, it
wasn’t always laughter and lightness. I had to share “my” things and “my”
parents with other children, many of whom had no concept of family life.
Yes, there were times when I hated having strange kids in my
house playing with my toys and interrupting my schedule. But my parents taught
me that these relatively small sacrifices made a big difference in the lives of
these neglected and abused kids. I had a real chance to make a difference, to
show sisterly love and affection to children whose own families had not shown
much love. With my parents’ encouragement, I could play a small role in helping
to ease their pain and to show them that someone cared about them.
I also knew the love that my parents showered on these
children in no way took away from their love and care for me. I never felt
neglected or overlooked, no matter how packed the house became or how often I had
to sacrifice my wants to their needs.
My parents raised foster children for three decades.
Amazingly, many of those foster children who passed through our house—whether
for a few months or a few years—kept in contact with my parents after they
left. Some send annual Christmas cards, some call my parents regularly, and a
few occasionally even visit—all a testimony to the love and impact my parents
had on their lives.
Today, as I raise four young children of my own, I look forward
to a time when me and my husband might reach out to other children in need of a
temporary haven. I hope one day that I can pass along some of the things learned
by watching my parents foster children and teach them about love and life.
This story originally appeared in Chicken Soup for the Soul: All in the Family.
Reunited in the Rockies by Mindy Obenhaus — For widow Kayla Bradshaw, restoring a historic Colorado hotel means a better life for her and her soon-to-arrive baby. But she needs construction help from Jude Stephens, the love she lost through a misunderstanding. Working with Kayla, the police officer finds himself forgiving her—and longing to rebuild her shattered confidence. But can they trust each other enough to forge a future together? (Contemporary Romance from Love Inspired [Harlequin])
A Man to Trust by Carrie Turansky — After years spent helping manage her family’s Christian bookstore, it’s time for Adrie Chandler to give her own dream of playing her flute with a symphony orchestra a chance. But can she really trust the beloved shop to new manager Ross Peterson? The man is too handsome, too charming….and too much a reminder of another dream Adrie had to let go of – marriage. Yet Ross surprises her by knowing a thing or two about making sacrifices. Suddenly, Adrie is questioning what she really wants. And whether the dreams she once thought unlikely are within reach after all. (Contemporary Romance from Flowing Stream Books)
Fall Flip by Denise Weimer — The tragic death of Shelby Dodson’s husband–her partner in a successful Home Network house flipping business–stole love, status, and career. Now a bungalow redesign thrusts Shelby into the company of a new contractor. Scott Matthews remembers high-and-mighty Shelby from high school, and her prissy, contemporary style goes against his down-to-earth grain. When the house reveals a mystery, will its dark secrets–and their own mistakes–cost them a second chance at love? (Contemporary Romance from Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas)
Listening to Love by Beth Wiseman — Lucas is Amish. Natalie’s Englisch. They are best friends—and friends only. Despite what the gossips say. Besides, they couldn’t be together even if they wanted to be. Lucas would never leave the Amish faith, and Natalie is pursuing a degree in veterinary medicine. But when a terrifying accident happens, Natalie and Lucas are forced to confront their true feelings and decide if they can stay true to themselves and each other. (Contemporary Romance from HarperCollins Christian Publishing)
General Contemporary:
The Christmas Portrait by Phyllis Clark Nichols — A family facing their first holiday season without Mama finds a way to celebrate Christmas. (General Contemporary from Gilead Publishing)
Historical:
Memories of Glass by Melanie Dobson — 1942. As war rips through the heart of Holland, childhood friends Josie van Rees and Eliese Linden partner with a few daring citizens to rescue Eliese’s son and hundreds of other Jewish children who await deportation in a converted theater in Amsterdam. But amid their resistance work, Josie and Eliese’s dangerous secrets could derail their friendship and their entire mission. When the enemy finds these women, only one will escape. Seventy-five years later, Ava Drake begins to suspect that her great-grandfather William Kingston was not the World War II hero he claimed to be. Her work as director of the prestigious Kingston Family Foundation leads her to Landon West’s Ugandan coffee plantation, and Ava and Landon soon discover a connection between their families. As Landon’s great-grandmother shares the broken pieces of her story, Ava must confront the greatest loss in her own life?and powerful members of the Kingston family who will do anything to keep the truth buried. (Historical from Tyndale Publishing)
Historical Romance:
Treasured Christmas Brides by Amanda Cabot, Rebecca Germany, Cathy Marie Hake, Colleen L. Reece, MaryLu Tyndall, and Michelle Ule — Six historical Christmas romances prove life’s most priceless gifts come not in the form of polished gold or silver—but from the vast riches of a loving heart. (Historical Romance from Barbour Publishing)
Thankful for the Cowboy by Mary Connealy — Hero Tom MacKinnon rides up driving a wagon with a second wagon trailing him. He and his sister want to be hired to build windmills. They’ll ask for very little money and, in exchange heroine, Lauren Drummond, newly widowed mother of four nearly grown sons, will help them learn to survive in the Sandhills of Nebraska. What to grow, what to hunt, how to build a sod house. Tom’s windmills will save her ranch. Lauren needs three windmills on this drought year or her growing herd of cattle is going to die of thirst. She agrees to teach him the ways of the Sandhills, and to give him fifteen head of cattle. She’s not ready to think of another man. But Tom changes her mind. His little sister and one of her sons find love together before Tom and Lauren do. (Historical Romance, Independently Published)
The Return of the King’s Ranger by Angela K. Couch — The war is over…for everyone but him. The war for American freedom is over, and the British have gone back to England. Not knowing what has become of his family since he was forced into the Continental Army nine years earlier, Myles Cunningham wants to go home as well. He returns to the Mohawk Valley with the understanding that he is believed to have been shot for deserting—fiction that might be made real if anyone recognizes him as the son of a Tory and a King’s Ranger. Everything is wonderful in the growing community along the Mohawk River, except Nora Reid is still alone. With her brother happily settled and both her younger sisters starting families of their own, Nora feels the weight of her twenty-four years. A long walk leads her to the overgrown rubble of the Cunningham homestead where a bearded stranger begins to awaken feelings she’d lost hope of ever experiencing. With secrets abounding—including whether Myles even cares for her—Nora must determine what she is ready to give up and how far she will go to secure his affections. She begins to break through his defenses, but Myles can’t risk staying. Not if he loves her. (Historical Romance from White Rose Publishing [Pelican])
Christmas Next Door by Susan Page Davis and Vickie McDonough — Visit an Old West Texas town where a mysterious benefactor leaves gifts each Christmas, but also where four pairs of neighbors battle over hearsay, secrets, and mysteries. (Historical Romance from Barbour Publishing)
Under Moonlit Skies by Cynthia Roemer — Esther meets Stewart, her brother-in-law’s ranch hand, when helping her sister recover from childbirth. Any interest she may have in the cowboy is hopeless, since she must return home to Cincinnati and the man her overbearing mother intends her to wed. till reeling from a hurtful relationship, Stew is reluctant to open his heart to Esther. But when he faces a life-threatening injury with Esther tending him, their bond deepens. Heartbroken when she leaves, he sets out after her and inadvertently stumbles across an illegal slave-trade operation, the knowledge of which puts him, as well as Esther and her family, in jeopardy. (Historical Romance from Mantle Rock Publishing)
Mail-Order Misfire by Davalynn Spencer — Preacher Bern Stidham is a peacemaker—when he’s not carrying one on his hip. His little girl wants a helper for her widowed father and a mama for herself, so she writes for a mail-order bride. Without telling him. Recently widowed dressmaker Etta Collier is a half-step ahead of the banker who carries a lustful eye for her as well as the note on her home. When her pastor encourages her to answer an unusual letter from a little girl, hope opens an unexpected door. Running from one man’s lecherous pursuit into the home of another she knows nothing about, Etta may have to risk everything to ease a little girl’s loneliness and find a second chance at love. (Historical Romance, Independently Published)
The Witness Tree by Denise Weimer — Past betrayal has turned John Kliest’s passion to his work as a builder and surveyor in the Moravian town of Salem, North Carolina. Now, to satisfy the elders’ edict and fulfill his mission in Cherokee Territory, he needs a bride. But the one woman qualified to record the Cherokee language longs for a future with his younger brother. Clarissa Vogler’s dream of a life with Daniel Kliest is shattered when she is chosen by lot to marry his older brother and venture into the uncharted frontier. Can she learn to love this stoic man who is now her husband? Her survival hinges on being able to trust him—but they both harbor secrets. (Historical Romance from Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas)
Romantic Suspense:
Don’t Give Up On Me by Jodi Artzberger — When Cragge Automotive Group’s heiress, Amanda Cragge is left for dead, the only man she’s ever loved finds her. As the threats continue, will she accept help from the man who left her eight years ago without explanation? When Ryker Scott returns to Otter Bay, he is brought face to face with his past. He thought he could handle coming back but he might have been wrong. As a trained Army Ranger, he’s going to have to use his skills if he wants to keep the only woman he’s ever loved alive. Will their past become their future or will their futures be destroyed forever? (Romantic Suspense, Independently Published)
Breaking Point by Marji Laine — Ever since her father’s death, Alynne Stone has had a series of strange “accidents.” Police Lieutenant Jason Danvers believes her father was murdered. He tries to connect the attempts on Alynne’s life, but things just don’t add up. Even in a small town, the mere rumor of treasure can change lives, end friendships…maybe even kill? Still dealing with the pain of his own wife’s death, he can’t allow an innocent woman’s life to be snuffed out on his watch. Especially one who shines as bright as Alynne. (Romantic Suspense, Write Integrity Press)
Fatal Strike by DiAnn Mills — FBI Agents Leah Riesel and Jon Colbert team up to track down a killer on the loose in Galveston, targeting law enforcement officials and using a fatal injection of snake venom to take them down. (Romantic Suspense, Tyndale House)
Thriller:
The Gryphon Heist by James R. Hannibal — Talia Inger is a rookie CIA case officer assigned not to the Moscow desk as she had hoped but to the forgotten backwaters of Eastern Europe–a department only known as “Other.” When she is tasked with helping a young, charming Moldovan executive secure his designs for a revolutionary defense technology, she figures she’ll be back in DC within a few days. But that’s before she knows where the designs are stored–and who’s after them. With her shady civilian partner, Adam Tyler, Talia takes a deep dive into a world where only criminal minds and unlikely strategies will keep the Gryphon, a high-altitude data vault, hovering in the mesosphere. Even Tyler is more than he seems, and Talia begins to wonder: Is he helping her? Or using her access to CIA resources to pull off an epic heist for his own dark purposes? (Techno-thriller from Revell – A Division of Baker Publishing Group)
Tanya Eavenson is an international bestselling and award-winning
inspirational romance author. She enjoys spending time with her husband and
their three children. Her favorite pastime is grabbing a cup of coffee, eating
chocolate and reading a good book.
What’s the hardest part of writing romantic suspense? Tanya: I think the hardest part is writing the action scenes. I can see the
scenes playing out in my mind but telling it on paper for the reader to feel the
moment is a challenge, yet very rewarding in the end.
What’s your go-to when you need a pick-me-up to keep
writing? Tanya: Chocolate and coffee! And at times, more chocolate and coffee. 😊
What is one of your favorite ways to connect with
readers? Tanya: One of my favorite ways to connect with readers is at book signings.
There’s something special about meeting people face-to-face, shaking hands, and
receiving hugs. It’s almost like a family reunion and the joys of being
together.
Current book: To Gain a Bodyguard Undercover agent Madi Reynolds has spent years
infiltrating a human-trafficking ring, but when her life is threatened, she is
advised to leave the country with her bodyguard.