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Multi-published author Rhonda Starnes recently stopped by to share some about her writing life.
When do you find time to write? I’ve recently started dictating my books using an app on my cell phone. It’s been great because I can write while I do other things, like loading the dishwasher or making the bed. And it’s boosted my productivity because I write best when I’m multitasking.
What did you want to be as a child (and did that dream come true)? I wanted to be an author. I loved books! When I grew up and had a family of my own, i became a teacher, which I loved. But now I’m retired, and I get to enjoy the career of my childhood dreams.
What does your family think of your writing romantic suspense? My husband and my daughter are my biggest cheerleaders. And my eight-year-old grandson Logan has recently become a big supporter of my writing. Last year, he saw his mom reading one of my books, and when she told him it was one of the books that I had written, he asked her if he could read it. So they now read my books together (with his mom skimming over some of the killing scenes). He really enjoyed the twin brothers in Uncovering Colorado Secrets. I think it’s his favorite book so far.
What is absolutely essential for you to write? If I’m sitting at my desk instead of dictating the scene, I usually have jazz music playing softly in the background. Snacks would include coffee or tea (depending on time of day) and cheese and crackers or Dove chocolate.
About Rhonda Rhonda Starnes is a former middle school language arts teacher who has dreamed of being a published author since she was in seventh grade. She lives in North Alabama with her husband, who she lovingly refers to as Mountain Man. They enjoy traveling and spending time with their children and grandchildren. Rhonda writes romantic suspense with rugged heroes and feisty heroines.
Uncovering Colorado Secrets With her sister and brother-in-law murdered, it’s up to bodyguard Adeline Scott to keep her twin nephews safe from a killer’s crosshairs. So when an intruder breaks into their home and threatens them, she turns to her security expert boss, Linc Jameson, for help. But will they track down the answers as to what really happened before a killer strikes again?
Love in Tandem by Becca Kinzer — She’s perfectly content leading a quiet life in her small hometown. He’s an adventurer with unquenchable wanderlust. The two couldn’t be any more opposite if they tried. But a tandem bicycle and a 500-mile road trip just might change all that. (Contemporary Romance from Tyndale House)
Playing For Keeps by Deborah Raney — The love story of Art and Maddie continues in Playing for Keeps. But their fledgling marriage faces challenges when expectations collide. When Maddie is offered a chance to take a research trip to Paris, it appears a short separation might help them both figure out what happily-ever-after looks like for them. Yet even the beautiful City of Lights is lonely without the man she loves with all her heart. (Contemporary Romance, Independently Published [ACFW QIP])
Safe Haven Ranch by Louise M Gouge — It should be easy for widow Olivia Ortiz to despise Will Mattson, the man keeping her from buying the ranchland she needs for herself and her daughter, Emily. But when Emily becomes instant friends with Will’s nephew, Jemmy, Olivia and Will find themselves growing closer as well. And as Olivia’s feelings for the handsome cowboy shift, competing for the property could be the start of something more… (Contemporary Romance from Love Inspired [Harlequin])
General Contemporary and Women’s Fiction:
Cookies & Eggnog from Welcombe Bay by Kate Darroch — The prequel to the first novel in the Sweets By the Sea series, “Thanksgiving in Welcombe Bay.” In this Christmas novella we learn that Lily met her former husband Gary on her 18th birthday, and we see how Gary establishes his ascendancy over her. We watch God’s love operating in her life through the actions of her grandparents and her vicar’s wife, and learn why that ultimately leads Lily to a moment of truth when she must seek to reclaim her wavering faith. (General Contemporary, Independently Published [Ad Astra Press, Inc.])
Always Think of Me by Lori Keesey — Tyrus Cal, TC for short, had no plans to leave his party boy life, but when he met Ginny at an outdoor music festival, he fell. Hard. When their budding relationship ends abruptly, TC moves on, assuming he won’t get a second chance with the captivating Ginny. But then he does. Just not in the way he expected. (General Contemporary, Mascot Books)
Why the Mountains Stand by Ashlyn McKayla Ohm — When skating coach Addisyn Miles becomes responsible for Kenzie, a turbulent new student, she’s blindsided by the girl’s troubling link to her own past. But when Kenzie rediscovers a local legend, more is at stake than either of them realized. Now, Addisyn must choose between allowing the secrets to destroy them both…or finally finding the purpose behind their shared pain. (Contemporary, Independently Published [ACFW QIP])
General Historical:
Secrets of the Wildflowers by Sarah Talbert — After a tragic event involving the sacrifice of her brother, Miu escapes the stifling gods and patriarchal norms of ancient Ur, embarking on a transformative quest for freedom, like wildflowers in bloom; she grapples with control issues and learns to trust in Abraham’s personal god, Yahweh, finding a community where she can live as she was created to be. (General Historical, Eternal Threads Publishing)
Historical Romance:
Earning the Mountain Man’s Trust by Misty M Beller — Naomi Wyatt has finally given up on the man who once promised to love her for the rest of his life—then disappeared with no way to contact him. She’s now a single mother with a beautiful baby girl to provide for. When Jonah Coulter asks for her hand in marriage, she knows she would be hard-pressed to find a better husband and father. But when her first love rides onto the ranch property saying he’d been searching for her for months, her heart is shredded once again. Before she has time to catch her breath though, a new threat appears on the horizon. This time she has far more at stake than her heart, and only a Divine hand can turn this disaster for their good. (Historical Romance, Independently Published [ACFW QIP])
The Sleuth of Blackfriars Lane by Michelle Griep — As co-owner of The Blackfriars Lane Enquiry Agency, Kit Forge fearlessly takes on a missing child case, only to find herself and her husband, Chief Inspector Jackson Forge, risking everything to save their own baby from the dangerous criminals involved. (Historical Romance from Barbour Publishing)
A Spring at The Greenbrier by Sandra Merville Hart — Marilla has resigned herself to spinsterhood in order to help care for her sister but more than that obstacle stands in the way of courting the wealthy brother of her sister’s best friend. (Historical Romance from Wild Heart Books)
Dreams for Courage by Shanna Hatfield — When a private investigator’s trail leads her to an aloof rancher, will love give them the courage they need to face his past and dream of a future together? (Historical Romance from Wholesome Hearts Publishing)
Even in Death by Rebecca Hemlock — Private Detective Trix Fredson wants her husband’s murder solved, and the couple responsible live in her old home. Her husband’s best friend, Ted Mcallister pulled some strings to get Trix the job at the detective agency. He promised to help her solve Ron’s murder, which would be difficult. But how can he do that and keep himself from revealing his true feelings for her? That was going to be even harder. (Historical Romance from Bluecap Publishing)
Mystery/Suspense/Thriller:
The Garden Girls by Jessica R Patch — On a remote Outer Banks island, a serial killer collects his prized specimens. And to stop him, an FBI agent must confront his own twisted past. (Contemporary Psychological Suspense Thriller from Love Inspired [Harlequin])
Romantic Suspense:
Lethal Danger by Jerusha Agen — This K-9 team is trained to eliminate threats. This threat could eliminate them. (Romantic Suspense, Independently Published [ACFW QIP])
One Good Time by Luana Ehrlich — CIA covert operative Titus Ray is asked to do the unthinkable and allow a terrorist to enter the country illegally in order to stop an attack on the U. S., but as he tracks the terrorist to his destination, he suffers a devastating loss that threatens to derail the mission. (Romantic Suspense, Independently Published [ACFW QIP])
Grave Consequences by Elle E. Kay — Cate Garrison is working as a wildlife biologist for the Pennsylvania Game Commission and crosses paths with a mysterious park ranger whose dangerous past has caught up with him. (Romantic Suspense, Independently Published [ACFW QIP])
Yukon Wilderness Evidence by Darlene L. Turner — When skeletal remains are uncovered in the Yukon forest, forensic botanist Keeley Ash is called to the crime scene—and ends up abducted. She never expects her ex, paramedic Brett Ryerson, to come to her rescue, or her gathered evidence to be linked to a cold case. And when their son—who Brett never knew existed—is kidnapped, they’ll stop at nothing to save him and outrun the hunters determined to silence Keeley. (Romantic Suspense from Love Inspired [Harlequin])
Speculative Fiction:
Never Forget the Truth by F.D. Adkins — When the forces of darkness masquerade in the light, is your sword sharpened in TRUTH and wielded to fight? (Speculative Fiction, Independently Published [ACFW QIP])
Split-Time:
Braving Strange Waters by Sarah Hanks — Stella Lindy is supposed to be soaking up the sunshine with her bridesmaids on a bachelorette cruise to Hawaii. But when she hits the wrong button on the elevator, the glamorous luxury of the modern ship is replaced with the Missouri River steamboat Arabia filled with strangers—and a mysterious doctor informs her it is 1856. Communicating through an antique mailbox, her friends on the cruise try to guide her back home before the steamboat sinks, but Stella finds herself caught in a tangled web between pro-slavery Border Ruffians and anti-slavery Jayhawkers. Standing up for what’s right in the face of peril and uncertainty might mean never making it home. (General/Split-Time, Independently Published [SonFlower Books])
Young Adult:
Protector by Megan Schaulis — Nanotech, royal romance, and biblical themes combine in this YA dystopian retelling of Esther—perfect for fans of The Selection or The Hunger Games. (Young Adult from WhiteCrown Publishing)
Plus check out these recent additions to Fiction Finder published within the past month:
Deep Trouble by Mary Connealy — When an aimless wanderer and fearless female determined to find a city of gold are forced to work together and set out to find the treasure, trouble is hot on their trail. (Historical (Western) Romance)
An Unlikely Arrangement by Cindy Patterson — Abigail stands to lose all if Garrett Barringer sees past her physical beauty and uncovers the ugliness of her imperfect past. Will Abigail continue on the condemned path she’s fashioned for herself, or trust that God wants a future for her she never believed possible? (Historical Romance)
Phooey Kerflooey by Kristen Joy Wilks — Through a raucous tornado of personal growth, the boys and Phooey work together to save the day. But when the dust (and squirrel poo) settles, can they convince Dad and Mom to let them keep their puppy princess? (Middle-grade Chapter book)
Bestselling author Lenora Worth recently stopped to share about her writing life.
What did you want to be as a child (and did that dream come true)?
I wanted to be a secret agent, but my mama said I might get shot. But in the fourth grade, after we did a writing project, I had found my trade. I started writing even back then and sold my stories on the playground. Milk money!
What does your family think of your writing romantic suspense?
They have always been very supportive, but my husband tells his friends I know how to kill people.
What is one of your favorite ways to connect with readers?
I love getting emails, or FB posts, or old-fashioned mail from my readers. We’re in the process of moving and I’ve been reading old letters from fans I’ve saved through the years. I love to connect with readers on Facebook and Instagram, too. I’m chatty and I love to visit with them.
What are some of the questions you hear when you say you write romantic suspense? Most people are intrigued about the plots and how I come up with them and they like to ask a lot of different questions. I try to tell them how I research and what I’m writing in a current book.
How do you ensure your books are accurate?
I try to find experts, or read as much as possible on the subjects and I’m in a group that is strictly for suspense writers, where a lot of experts also write and they are willing to show us how to make it accurate. And yet, I still get things wrong at times.
What is absolutely essential for you to write? I like having a full day to get things straight and I try to write a chapter in a day if I can.
What has been most frustrating about writing romantic suspense?
Not writing the same plot over and over, coming up with something unexpected and refreshing.
What has been most rewarding about writing romantic suspense?
How the readers try to figure things out and how they really like my books. I love it when I’ve surprised someone. Once I got an email from a man who’d read a book set in Texas. The hero was a Texas Ranger whose daughter had been taken. The reader told me he’d never read a book where a Texas Ranger cried, and made him cry too. That was the best compliment.
What do you wish readers knew about the romantic suspense genre?
That it’s hard, that we try our best to be accurate with police work and criminal jargon, and that we want them to enjoy the book and be surprised by it.
What do readers ask you when they meet you?
What’s my schedule, am I rich (no), when is the next book coming out?
Who’s your favorite romantic suspense writer and why?
I love Alex Kava. She started with Harlequin but now she writes wonderful K-9 suspense with a hero that has my heart. It’s a series with the same hero and he is just great and so are his trained K-9s.
Which of your books is your favorite and why?
A book titled Heart of the Night. It was one of my early suspense stories and I loved the hero. He was Cajun, tormented, and tough and he meets a woman who is just as tough. I still think about Eli Trudeau now and then and I know he is happy at last!
About Lenora A member of the American Christian Fiction Writers Honor Roll, Lenora Worth writes romance and romantic suspense for Love Inspired and sweet romance for Tule Publishing. She also writes for Kensington Books. Three of her books have finaled in the ACFW Carol Awards. She received the Romantic Times Pioneer Award for Inspirational Fiction. Lenora is a NY Times, USA Today, Publishers Weekly, and ECPA bestselling writer and a 2019 RWA RITA® Finalist. With 100-plus books and novellas published and millions of books in print, she enjoys adventures with her retired husband and loves reading, baking, and shopping … especially shoe shopping.
Disappearance In Pinecraft
Her sister has disappeared…. and now her life is on the line.
When Adina Maas arrives in Pinecraft to find her missing sister, she’s blindsided by abductors who attempt to kidnap her. To her surprise, Nathan Kohr, a familiar face from her past, is there to save her. And it’s clear that whatever trouble Adina’s sister is in, Adina is now a target, too. But with Nathan’s help, can they find out who’s after the Maas sisters before Adina is the next to disappear?
Multi-published author Danielle Grandinetti recently stopped by my blog to share some about her writing life and her most recent romantic suspense, Relying on the Enemy.
Why do you like writing romantic suspense? I love writing suspense because facing a life and death problem puts what really matters into perspective. All the fears and obstacles, especially to love, are stripped away to reveal true motivations, feelings, and faith.
Where do you get the inspiration for your plots? I begin each of my historical novels by reading archived local newspapers from when and where the book is set. In Relying on the Enemy, the major snowstorm is a real-life event that caused havoc in the community.
What is one of your favorite ways to connect with readers?
I love this question because I love connecting with readers! There are two ways readers and I connect the most.
I send a weekly newsletter, and ask a question tied to a giveaway each week. Getting to email with readers is such a joy!! You can subscribe here: https://daniellegrandinetti.com/firesidenews/
I have a Reader Group on Facebook. We chat books, play This or That, and I share a Psalm every Sunday. You can join us here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/535168971322710
How do you ensure your books are accurate? This is very important to me, especially as an author of historical romantic suspense. Besides searching old newspapers for what was actually happening around my characters, I also spend a lot of time studying medical treatments of the 1920s-30s. Because suspense always means a main character gets hurt, and I want to make sure they can survive! Many universities have research papers on these topics, and have proved a wealth of information.
For example, Marian’s mother-in-law suffers from what we now call a transient ischemic attack (TIA), which required viewing ischemic stroke through the lens of the 1930s, including the diagnosis and treatment. For example, the angiogram was first developed in 1927, but it would not have been available to someone in Elaine’s position.
Which of your books is your favorite and why? This question is a difficult one, but I’m going to give answering it a try. Each of my books has something I love about it. In Relying on the Enemy, I love the connection to Anne of Green Gables. Not to mention it’s a marriage of convenience, which is my favorite trope.
However, thus far, I think As Silent as the Night is my favorite because it features Italian characters (and Christmas!). I love being able to share this part of my own heritage since I’m a second-generation Italian-American.
There’s a chance Gio and Lucia’s story could be usurped by my May release, Sheltered by the Doctor. In this story Nick—the Italian doctor readers have met in my Harbored in Crow’s Nest series—finally gets his chance at a happily ever after.
About Danielle Danielle Grandinetti is an inspirational romance author fueled by tea and books, and the occasional nature walk. An award-winning author and FHLCW Reader’s Choice finalist, her stories span from the Great Depression to present day. Originally from the Chicagoland area, she now lives along Lake Michigan’s Wisconsin shoreline with her husband and their two young sons.
Wisconsin, 1931—All widowed mother Marian Ward wants is to provide for her girls. However, she faces the dead of winter with no income and dwindling resources. Then she overhears a nefarious conversation, putting her life and that of her children in immediate danger.
Aiming to make amends to the Wards, Gilbert steps in when the threat to Marian escalates. It costs him dearly. Either lose his career or marry her, and be tied to his past until death do them part.
He leaves the decision to Marian, who will do anything to protect her girls, even marry the son of the man who ruined her family. How will their fledgling trust prove strong enough to fulfill their vows as winter tightens its grip and desperation stalks at the door?
On this episode of “The Romantic Side of Suspense,” I’m talking F.D. Adkins, a Christian fiction author and freelance writer. Her hope is to pass along the comfort that comes from having a personal relationship with Jesus while offering her readers a brief escape from life’s struggles through an action-packed story full of suspense, twists, turns, love, and a few laughs. In other words, her passion is sharing her faith through fiction.
Her Christian suspense novels include Truth in the Name, which placed third for first novel in the Selah Awards, and Truth in the Word. She has had freelance articles published in Focus on the Family and Faith on Every Corner magazines.
She has been married to the man of her dreams and her best friend for 25 years. She loves spending time with her family, reading, writing, and always enjoys a good cup of coffee. She also has a soft spot in her heart for all animals, especially dogs. She lives in South Carolina with her husband, Steve, their two children, Landon and Layna, and their dog, Lucy.
“It’s more about my journey and what God is calling me to do,” F.D. said. “I had been a stay-at-home mom, … both of my kids were teenagers, and I was beginning to feel like I was doing th same thing every day. … My first priority was to be there for them, but I kept having this weight on my heart that I wasn’t fulfilling God’s purpose for my life. But I never thought I had any talent and never thought of myself as a writer. I continued to pray about it and one morning I ahd an idea for a Christian fiction novel.”