A Word from the Author: To steal a line from Donny and Marie, I’m a little bit country, a little bit rock-n-roll. I’m trapped in the city, but prefer the country or the mountains.
I love Jesus, my family, and just about anything sweet.
I believe Jesus died for my sins, rose three days later, and will one day return. He has carried me through some of my darkest hours. Without faith in Him, I would be nowhere.
I have a penchant for chocolate, clothes, and shoes. When I’m not penning romance novels, I enjoy cooking, decorating and shopping.
ABOUT THE BOOK
Businesswoman Celeste Thompson has one goal: to make her restaurant and hotel a success. She doesn't need any distractions, even from handsome contractor Gage Purcell and his two adorable little girls. Besides, single dad Gage is just biding his time before a big job at the mines comes through. But as Celeste's project springs to life, their arguments transform into attraction. Gage isn't looking for romance, especially not with another career-driven woman like his ex-wife. But openhearted Celeste is more than just another work-consumed client. She might just be his happily-ever-after.
My Thoughts:
This is a well written novel with lovable characters, a relatable story, and a great setting. I love to read sweet romances so, of course, I loved everything about it!.
Pepper Basham is an award-winning author who writes romance peppered with grace and humor. She currently resides in the lovely mountains of Asheville, NC where she is the mom of 5 great kids, speech-pathologist to about fifty more, lover of chocolate, jazz, and Jesus, and proud AlleyCat over at a group writing blog, The Writer’s Alley. Her debut historical romance novel, The Thorn Bearer, released in May 2015, and has already garnered its first award with Readers’ Favorites International Awards. Pepper’s second and third books in the series arrive in February 2016. Her first contemporary romance debuts in April.
DiAnn Mills is a bestselling
author who believes her readers
should expect an adventure. She combines unforgettable characters with
unpredictable plots to create action-packed, suspense-filled novels.
Her titles have appeared on the CBA and ECPA bestseller lists; won two
Christy Awards; and been finalists for the RITA, Daphne Du Maurier,
Inspirational Readers’ Choice, and Carol award contests. Library
Journal presented her with a Best Books 2014: Genre Fiction
award in the Christian Fiction category for Firewall.
DiAnn is a founding board member of the American Christian Fiction
Writers; the 2015 president of the Romance Writers of America’s Faith,
Hope, & Love chapter; a member of Advanced Writers and Speakers
Association, and International Thriller Writers. She speaks to various
groups and teaches writing workshops around the country. She and her
husband live in sunny Houston, Texas. DiAnn is very active online and
would love to connect with readers on any of the social media platforms
listed at her website.
ABOUT THE BOOK
Two murders have rocked the city of Houston. Are they the work of a serial killer, or is a copycat trying to get away with murder?
That is the question facing Special Agent Bethany Sanchez, who is eager for her new assignment in violent crimes but anxious about meeting her new partner. Special Agent Thatcher Graves once arrested her brother, and he has a reputation for being a maverick. Plus, their investigative styles couldn’t be more opposite: he operates on instinct, while she goes by the book.
When hot leads soon fizzle out, their differences threaten to leave them deadlocked. But an attempt on their lives turns up the heat and brings them closer together, and a third victim might yield the clue that will help them zero in on a killer. This could be the case of their careers . . . if they can survive long enough to solve it.
If you would like to read the first chapter of Deadlock, go HERE.
Watch the video:
Interview with Diann Mills
How did you become interested in writing?
I
can’t
remember when I wasn’t
in fiction mode. Before I could hold a pencil, I created stories.
After I could hold a pencil, I wrote stories. The power of the
written word intrigued me then as now—the
sound of words, the look of them on the written page, the ways words
are used to entertain, inspire, and encourage others.
What can you tell us about the setting of this novel?
Deadlock,
a
romantic suspense, is set in Houston, Texas. My city. My home.
Familiar landscapes add more authenticity.
Who are the main characters?
Special
Agent Bethany Sanchez steps into the violent crime division of
Houston’s
FBI. She’s
a bit of a perfectionist, and her own worst critic. However, she has
reservations about her new partner, the same man who put her brother
in jail. To make matters worse, he has a reputation of getting the
job done, no nonsense, and a womanizer. Are the rumors true?
Special Agent Thatcher Graves is ready to work with his new partner,
but she’s
hard to get to know. He’s
uncertain if he can trust her, and he has to know she has his back.
Recently he made a decision to become a Christian, but his past
party-image stops him from revealing the changes in his life.
Which of the characters surprised you the most in this story, and how
so?
Bethany
refused to give up on her relationship with her family, even though
they chose her felon brother over her.
How did the writing of this story impact you as a person or as an
author?
Definitely
the family dynamics. We all have family members who don’t
share our beliefs or values. This deepened my awareness of
unconditional love woven with obedience to God’s
principles.
Why is this story important to you?
Three
reasons:
The
complexities of dealing with a depraved mind.
Showing
the cultural differences between Bethany and Thatcher and their
friendship resulting in love.
Creating
an action-packed story about Houston’s
FBI, their dedication and commitment to keeping people safe.
What would you like your readers to take away from this story?
God’s
sovereignty in all situations of life—family,
career, friendships, love, and obeying laws that correspond with
God’s
principles.
Are there some specific lessons you hope readers will learn and apply
to their lives after reading your book?
God
is bigger than our problems - whether that be career, spiritual, or
personal. In Deadlock,
not only did professional problems attack my hero and heroine, but
family dynamics.
When you are not writing, what do you like to do? Do you have any
hobbies?
I
enjoy reading, cooking, gardening, and grandkids! I’m
very much into good health and exercise to keep my body and mind in
the best shape possible.
What can you tell us about Deadlock?
Two
murders have rocked the city of Houston. Are they the work of a
serial killer, or is a copycat trying to get away with murder?
That
is the question facing Special Agent Bethany Sanchez, who is eager
for her new assignment in violent crimes but anxious about meeting
her new partner. Special Agent Thatcher Graves once arrested her
brother, and he has a reputation for being a maverick. Plus, their
investigative styles couldn’t
be more opposite: he operates on instinct, while she goes by the
book.
When
hot leads soon fizzle out, their differences threaten to leave them
deadlocked. But an attempt on their lives turns up the heat and
brings them closer together, and a third victim might yield the clue
that will help them zero in on a killer. This could be the case of
their careers . . . if they can survive long enough to solve it.
Sign
up for my blog on my website! I love to hear from readers!
My Thoughts:
The plot is full of twists and turns and will have you trying to guess who the culprit is right from the first. I found both of the main characters to be relatable and I was rooting for them to fall in love from the very beginning. This is a great story and if you enjoy suspense and "crime" novels then you'll love this one!
I’m Elizabeth, a blessed child of The King. I’m a middle-born daughter, military officer’s wife, homeschooling mama, writer, closet DIYer, and, dare I say it, Downton Abbey addict. May I also mention that I love both my history and my coffee rich.
I am formerly Amish and my heritage is very dear to me and thankful to be so accepted among my still Amish family. I can still speak PA Dutch, too! You can learn more about my Amish family in my first book Seasons: A Real Story of an Amish Girl.
My three book series with Howard Books (a division of Simon & Schuster) is a dream come true. The series is titled The Promise of Sunrise. In this series you will live through World War 2 from an Amish perspective and experience their unique struggles as conscientious objectors during wartime. What happened if one of their members enlisted? What was it like to serve at the Civilian Public Service Camps for years with almost no compensation? How did Amish women and families cope when a son or father was drafted? I look forward to taking you back into the richness of these years of Amish history through fiction.
ABOUT THE BOOK
World War II Marine Joe Garrison returns home from war longing to be a father to his deaf daughter, Daisy, only to find that she is attached to Esther Detweiler, the Amish woman who has raised her since his wife’s death in this touching historical romance.
Orphaned as a child, Esther Detweiler is used to caring for herself and her ailing grandmother. They made the best out of a hard life and poverty without asking for help. They even take in her shunned cousin’s deaf daughter, Daisy, when her mother dies and her father goes off to war. When Esther’s grandmother dies, Daisy is all she has.
When war veteran Joe Garrison returns, all he can think about is recovering from the horrors of war and building a relationship with his seven-year-old daughter. Daisy, however, is unwilling to leave Esther, whom she loves. Joe and Daisy get to know each other again, but Joe struggles with nightmares and fatherhood is proving to be more difficult than he imagined. Esther loves Daisy and despite her Amish ways, Joe finds himself drawn to her as a woman and not just a caregiver.
As their love blossoms, Joe decides to send Daisy away to a school for the deaf which propels their lives into turmoil and a battle for love and family.
Bonnie S. Calhoun is Owner/Director of Christian Fiction Blog Alliance, owner/publisher of Christian Fiction Online Magazine, Northeast Zone Director for American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW), and the ACFW ‘2011 Mentor of the Year.”
She loves to write with body count, blood, or blowing things up. She also has mad skills at coding HTML, and website design. And she lives in a log cabin in the woods with fifteen acres and a pond full of bass, though she'd rather buy fish at the grocery store. Bonnie shares her domain with a husband and two cats, all of whom think she’s waitstaff!
Her latest series is a YA dystopian with Revell titled Stone Braide Chronicles. The first book Thunder published in 2014. The second book Lightning published Oct 2015. There are also two FREE e-book short stories. Tremors is the prequel to Thunder, and Aftershock (short story) comes before Lightning.
ABOUT THE BOOK
After she found her real father, life for Selah should have felt settled. But the horrors have just begun. In her broken world of toxic earth and tribal clashes, Selah must battle the forces of nature alongside those in the Mountain who are calling for her blood. Haunted by the pain of mounting losses, she forges on, seeking her lost family and
uncovering new mysteries. But the ultimate betrayal of her own body may soon make her quest impossible as it becomes apparent that what has made her new could also drive her to a life of madness.
If you would like to read the first chapter of Lightning, go HERE.
My Thoughts:
I had never read any of the Stone Braide Chronicles before receiving this book for review. I did have the other books on my Kindle, so once I finished the previous book I had for review I started this series. I've read the whole series within the last week and now I'm wishing the next one was already out. Seriously, it's that good.
If you haven't read the previous book and e-books in this series then you might want to do that before reading Lightning because this book wouldn't really do well as a stand-alone. You could probably just read Thunder and Lightning and know what's going on but since the e-book shorts are free on Amazon and they really do help with some understanding, I'd recommend reading those as well.
The series is based in a post-apocalyptic America, 150 years after the Time of Sorrows, and is about Selah, a young woman who started out trying to prove herself as just as good as her brothers in order to gain her stepfather's affection. Selah's entire life changed when she hunted and caught a Lander in Thunder. With the beginning of this book, Lightning, it seems like she's settled into a new life in TicCity and everything is going fairly well. Until she can't find the family she had to leave behind, her boyfriend tells her that he doesn't want to be with her, her father won't explain her role as the novarium, and she starts having "lightning" flashes in her mind.
Literally, the only complaint I had with this book was Selah's attitude while in the Mountain. She would go from being a strong, resourceful woman in one scene to being weak and needy in the next. I think that maybe this was to show how stressed and overwhelmed she was because of all that she was having to face but I just don't like it when the strong heroine gets whiny in a story. However, that's just me, and it didn't detract from the story at all.
Overall, I was completely drawn into this series/this book and really enjoyed them and am looking forward to the next one.
