Introducing Lisa Harris & her new novel Vanishing Point + Giveaway

Many romantic suspense readers have loved the NikkiBoyd series in the past couple of years. Lisa Harris, whom some of you know, is the author of this tremendous series.

The fourth instalment in the series launched a week ago and Lisa was kind enough to respond to a few questions I posed her about the series.

ACW: Vanishing Point is the 4th in Nikki Boyd series. Would you mind briefly summarising each of the novels.

Lisa: VENDETTA is the first book in the series where we are introduced to Nikki Boyd, her work as part of a missing person task force, and a possible romance with a close friend of hers. We also learn the motivation behind her career change—her own sister who went missing ten years ago--but it isn’t long before the connection between the case she’s working and her own missing sister collide.

MISSING, book two in the series, is a brand new missing person case Nikki and her team have to deal with involving a missing couple, but it also continues with a possible romance between Nikki and Tyler as well as Nikki’s continued search for her sister.

Book three, PURSUED, jumps into the action with a plane crash and a missing woman as her romance with Tyler continues to develop.

The last book in the series is really being marketed as a stand alone for a couple reasons. While the first three books are all told in Nikki’s point of view, VANISHING POINT is her sister Sarah’s story and is from the point of view of the investigators that first took on her case before Nikki was even a police officer. While it was really hard to write—the story stretches over ten years—I think it ended up being the perfect conclusion to the series and hopefully will satisfy readers who want to know what happened to Sarah.

ACW: I can’t wait to get my hands on it, Lisa. When you conceived the series, or did you conceive it as a series, how many stories did you have at the beginning?  

Lisa: I pitched it to my publisher as a three book series, though wouldn’t have minded writing more. :-) In the end, I was able to write this last story that really wraps up the series, which I loved being able to do.

ACW: I really like Nikki Boyd, she’s gutsy but vulnerable, is a fighter for the truth and loves the Lord. Was there someone you had in mind when you created Nikki?

Lisa: I’m so glad you like Nikki! She was so much fun to write. I really didn’t have anyone in mind when I created her, but I like writing about women who are like you said, gutsy, but vulnerable. Ordinary people who God can use in ways they never imagined. 

ACW: Your romance is suspenseful. Your stories always have great pace from the first page. For those of us who want to be able to write suspense what’s a tip you have for creating it and then maintaining it?

Lisa: It’s hard, I’ll confess. Part of it I think is writing until it feels right. Maybe that’s vague, but I always seem to know in my gut when something is off, even when I’m not sure what is wrong. And I always listen, which means working to fix what’s wrong—even if it means lots of rewriting. That’s not easy, but worth it. I also try to have every chapter end with a hook. I actually had someone give me a bad review because I do that, but that’s okay. If it’s suspense, there has to be a lot of twists and turns, right? I also love it when I’m writing and a twist comes up that I didn’t see. (My husband thinks that’s a bit crazy) But when I surprise myself, I figure I’ll also surprise my readers!

ACW: Is Vanishing Point the end or are there more Nikki Boyd stories in the pipeline?

Lisa: This is it. Part of me has been sad not writing anymore, because I spend a couple years writing her stories, but I’m on to something new which I’m also excited about.

ACW: As sad as I am that we won’t get to read more Nikki Boyd, I’m excited to hear more of your next project. You’re currently on furlough with your husband, back in your homeland. Besides your kids, family and friends, what's something you were hanging out to do when you got back to the US? And have you done it yet? 

Lisa: One of the best parts of being here has been having all my kids together under one roof with me, even if it was short. We’re all spread out again, but at least we’re on the same continent! So that is a family thing, but that’s really what I’ve been most excited about. :-) Other than that I have to say a few good Mexican meals are a must, and I’ve already enjoyed a couple.

Thank you so much for having me stop by, Ian! I appreciate it!

Thanks, Lisa. Enjoy these next few launch weeks.

We’re excited to be able to give a copy of Vanishing Point away to a lucky reader. Just leave a comment and an email address where you can be contacted. I’ll contact the winning reader early in the week commencing 20 November.

BIO: LISA HARRIS is a Christy Award finalist for Blood Ransom and Vendetta, Christy Award winner for Dangerous Passage, and the winner of the Best Inspirational Suspense Novel for 2011 (Blood Covenant) and 2015 (Vendetta) from Romantic Times. She has over thirty novels and novella collections in print. She and her family have spent over thirteen years working as missionaries in Africa. When she's not working she loves hanging out with her family, cooking different ethnic dishes, photography, and heading into the African bush on safari. For more information about her books and life in Africa visit her website at www.lisaharriswrites.com

Interview with Amy Matayo

By Andrea Grigg

I can’t remember who introduced me to Amy Matayo’s books. God bless whoever it was! It wasn’t long before I was spreading the word about my new fave author and telling everyone who reads contemporary Christian romance they must read Sway. (Don’t think I’ll ever stop saying it.) 

Amy, who is from Arkansas in the USA, has been kind enough to let me interview her. Fan girl moment!

What did you want to be when you were growing up?

Depends on the age. From 5-8, a gymnast. Bless my parents for going along with that dream even though I was hopelessly awkward (still am). From 9-12, a model (because I was delusional and completely disproportionate). From 13-15, a songwriter (wrote a few complete with cheesy rhymes, but at least writing was involved). From 15 on, an author. That one stuck. Though I still haven’t given up on the gymnast thing...

If you could time travel, where would you go and why?

I would go back in (fake) time and be Mrs. Darcy, and he would ardently admire me and love me and we would have a couple of cute little Darcy’s and a nanny.

What does a typical day in the life of Amy Matayo look like?

My days are actually boringly typical and routine, and go something like this: Wake up, wake two kids, make breakfast, set plates in front of kids, shower, dry hair, slap on makeup, take kids to school, come home to write except get distracted by laundry and pets and Facebook, write a little, get coffee, sit back down, stare at computer, get more coffee, head outside with laptop, get distracted by falling leaves, write a little, watch more leaves, go back inside, write a little, give up, pack bag, head to coffee shop where actual writing happens until it’s time to pick up kids again. A writer’s life. It’s super-glamorous.

When and how did you get the writing bug?

It was there all my life, but it hit hard in seventh grade. My English teacher gave us a short-story assignment, and I wrote about a psychopath who kills an entire family. A little different than what I write today. But she loved the story, read it to the class, entered the story into a contest (I didn’t win), and told me I should be a writer. That’s when I really began to think about it. I never stopped.

What was the inspiration for your latest book, The Thirteenth Chance?

My neighbor. He played for the New York Mets and the Detroit Tigers, so I had first-hand access to research.

The Thirteenth Chance and The End of the World aren’t predominately Christian books. Can you tell us about your transition into the general market?

I’ve never really thought about it as a purposeful transition, even though I know others might. For me, my faith is always there, always constant. But the stories I feel an urge to write are always different. Sometimes I want to talk about faith, sometimes abandonment, sometimes adventure, sometimes crazy women with OCD issues. Sometimes the faith message fits the story, and sometimes it seems too much of a stretch to be included. But my sole purpose for writing (other than the fact that it’s necessary for me to do), is to entertain, be as real as I can, and hopefully deliver a good story. I write for me—often about things that indirectly relate to my current circumstances—and my moods change. The book I’m currently writing brings faith back into the equation a bit, but the next book might not. I realize that might make a book hard to market or fit into a specific category, but I’ve always been okay with that. I just want the name “Amy Matayo” to mean you’ll get a good, relatively clean story that will both entertain and maybe kill a few stereotypes. If I had a mission statement, that might be it.

Your first books were written in third person, your last three in first person. Personally, I love it, but what was your reason for the switch?

Initially I switched to challenge myself to a different style, just to see if I could do it. Turned out that I liked that style better. But soon I’m going back to third to challenge myself again. Or maybe first, but from only one point-of-view. I’ve only done that in novella form. I’d like to see if I can manage a full-length.

  

I hear you’re a sucker for an Australian accent. Any comment?

A total sucker. I mean seriously, do you guys hear yourselves when you talk? Best accent ever.

What’s your favorite holiday?

Christmas, hands down.

What kind of music do you listen to?
Any and all. My kids (I have 4) listen to everything, so I do by default. They’ll pass songs along to me. And then I have a couple of close friends who text me songs and introduce me to new artists. Some of my favorites have come from that.

Favorite treat?
Pizza, ice cream, Snickers bars.

Which author(s) inspire you?
My favorite author is Tarryn Fisher, because all her books are different in style and she’s a fantastic writer. I also like Colleen Hoover, Jenny B. Jones, Nicole Deese, Sarah Maas, Liane Moriarty, Stephen King.

What do you do to relax?
Go for walks, sit by the lake, drive, go to movies.

What are you working on now?
I’m rewriting a book that I wrote six years ago, the third book I ever wrote. It’s my daughter’s favorite of mine, and I promised that I would redo it for her. It involves a famous musician and I’m be intentionally vague, but it’s called The Whys Have It. Will be out next summer.

Any plans for a trip Down Under?
Yes. I’m coming to your house. Did I forget to tell you? ;)

Haha. You know you're welcome :) Amy, thanks so much for the fun interview, for the intriguing mission statement, for the love of our accent, and for mentioning our own Liane Moriarty as one of your favourite authors. (She's one of mine too. After you, of course.) 

If you would like to check out Amy's books further, click on the Amazon link here. 

Andrea Grigg lives on the Gold Coast, Queensland, and is a writer of two contemporary Christian romance novels, ‘A Simple Mistake’ and ‘Too Pretty’. Her Christmas novella, 'All is Bright', was released September 27 in a boxset along with five other authors, entitled, 'An Aussie Summer Christmas', and is now available as a single title. You can find her books here.
She would love to connect with you via: 

Facebook

Twitter

Email: andreagrigg@live.com

The Genre Interview with Jeanette O'Hagan

Welcome to the Genre Interview. Brisbane author Jeanette O'Hagan has agreed to answer our questions.


What genres do you write?


Jeanette: I mainly write fantasy fiction and poetry - though I do have an interest in memoir and non-fiction - and my first and only science fiction piece has just been published in the Mixed Blessings: Genre-lly Speaking anthology.

I am currently working on a sequel to my recent release Heart of the Mountain and on a fantasy fiction series Akrad's Legacy which is secondary world, courtly intrigue with fantasy elements.



What market do you write for (Christian or general, clean reads etc)?

Jeanette: My aim is for cross-over fiction - i.e. fiction that appeals to the people outside the church with a subtle faith element.


In which genres do you have books available for sale?


Jeanette: Fantasy fiction, a contemporary inspirational women's fiction anthology, mixed anthologies and poetry.


How many books have you published in each genre?


Jeanette: I have a fantasy fiction novella sized e-book (Heart of the Mountain, published August 2016) and also fantasy short stories, a contemporary inspirational short story and a number of poems available in nine different anthologies published between December 2015 and September 2016.


Are you published traditionally, indie, or hybrid?

Jeanette: I've Indie published the short novella (Heart of the Mountain) and two anthologies - Glimpses of Light (Nola Passmore and I edited GOL & a total of 21 authors contributed) and Let the Sear Roar (Madeleine Calcutt was the editor with a total of 9 authors). These books are published under my imprint By the Light Books.

I've also had stories and poems published in other anthologies by other publishers or groups: Tied in Pink and Like a Girl by Far Horizons, Another Time Another Place by Swinburne Students, Mixed Blessings: Genre-lly Speaking by Breath of Fresh Air Press, two poetry anthologies by Poetica Christi and one by FAWQ.

Did genre influence your decision to choose a particular publishing model?

Jeanette: No, not really - more opportunity.

Are your published works available in print, ebook, or both?

Jeanette: Both - though the short novella is only available as an ebook & the three poetry anthologies are only available in print.

Why do you write what you write? Do you feel called to write?

Jeanette: I write what I love to read. I write to express my feelings and imagination. I write to celebrate my wonder in God's creation and in His love for us, His children. I write out of my love for story.

About 8 years ago, a door slammed shut on a ministry dear to my heart and, while I grieved that loss, God began whispering that He had other dreams and plans for me. Gradually, the door to writing opened as another way to express His call on my life. I learnt about and enrolled into a Masters course on Writing, I went to (what became) the Omega conference and met other Christian writers and discovered other opportunities -- to learn and to write and to be published. I do feel a calling to touch the imagination of readers and to seed a wonder and desire for God's beauty, presence and love.

I think fantasy fiction has great potential to share spirituality and Christian hope in a non-confrontational way.

Many thanks to Jeanete O'Hagan for sharing her thoughts on genre.

Jeanette O’Hagan enjoys writing fiction, poetry, blogging and editing. She is writing her Akrad’s Legacy Series—a Young Adult secondary world fantasy fiction with adventure, courtly intrigue and romantic elements. She recently launched Heart of the Mountain: a short novella. Other short stories and poems are published in a number of anthologies including Glimpses of Light, Another Time Another Place and Like a Girl.

Jeanette has practised medicine, studied communication, history, theology and, more recently, a Master of Arts (Writing). She loves reading, painting, travel, catching up for coffee with friends, pondering the meaning of life and communicating God’s great love. She lives in Brisbane with her husband and children.

You can find her at her Facebook Page or at Goodreads or on Amazon or on her websites  JennysThread.com or Jeanette O'Hagan Writes .

My chat with Multi Award-Winning Author Lisa Harris

By Ian Acheson

It’s my absolute pleasure to share with the ACW community my (virtual) chat with Lisa Harris. Lisa is a friend to a number of us and especially to those who participate in the ICFW community. Lisa is a multi-award winning romantic suspense author and as you’ll see in her bio she has over thirty novels and novella collections in print. Wow! What an achievement, Lisa.

I’ve read a couple of Lisa’s more recent novels and loved them. Her latest, Missing, the second in the Nikki Boyd Files, has recently released and I posed a few questions to Lisa which she was kind enough in her busy schedule to respond to.

Without further ado please give a hearty Down Under welcome to Lisa.

ACW: Perhaps tell us a little about yourself in a few sentences.

Lisa: I’m a wife, mom, follower of Christ, and a writer living in southern Africa. I love travel, photography and especially hanging out with my family (when they’re not scattered over the world!)

ACW: What led you to write Christian fiction?

Lisa: I love to read, but I don’t like all the bad language and steamy scenes. So when I decided to start writing, it made sense for me to write what I love reading.  

ACW: Outline your journey so far.

Lisa: I definitely look at this writing career as a journey. It’s been full of ups and downs, highs and lows, and yes, a lot of rejections. I’m so thankful to have had the chance to start writing for Barbour more than a decade ago. The editors and authors I was blessed to work with taught me so much as a newbie to the business. Since then I’ve found what I love writing most—romantic suspense. I’m currently writing my third suspense series, (first with Zondervan, and now for Revell), plus Love Inspired Suspense is letting me write books set all over the world—I’m writing one set in Italy right now—which I’m loving. So while I continue writing and learning, I’ll do my best to enjoy the journey.

ACW: You have two series running in parallel. Tell us a little about both.

Lisa: The Nikki Boyd Files are set in Tennessee and focus around the life of Nikki Boyd. She works on a missing task force, and her cases are alway person because her own sister went missing just over a decade ago. The series is fast-paced, edge of your seat, with a bit of romance thrown in there (because you can’t have a book without a good romance!)

The other series I’m writing is my Danger Abroad series (I’m not sure if that will be the official series name, but I like the title). These are shorter books published with Love Inspired Suspense and so far will be set in the Sahara, Italy, Amsterdam, and Brazil. The first one will come out early next year.

ACW: Missing, Number 2 in the Nikki Boyd Files, has just released. Tell us what you’d like the reader to take away from it.

Lisa: I’ve had so much fun with this series, I think mainly because I’ve been able to delve deep into Nikki’s life and her character over a span of several books. In this book, Nikki has to deal with not only a missing person, but also a counterfeit drug ring as she faces off with a killer who will stop at nothing to silence anyone who threatens his business.  

ACW: Your missionary work. I'd love for you to share a little about it.

Lisa: About twelve in a half years ago we moved to South Africa with three little kids and a strong calling from God. We now live in Mozambique where we are involved in church planting and discipleship training in an unreached people group. We also run a small non-profit—The ECHO Project—that helps with some of the physical needs of the people around us. It’s been another journey full of ups and downs, but we’re exactly where we believe God wants us to be.

Thanks so much for letting me drop by the blog!!!

Giveaway

I so enjoyed Vendetta, the first instalment of the Nikki Boyd Files that I’d love to share a copy of it with one member of our community. In addition, we’ll throw in a copy of the just released, Missing. Simply comment on the post below leaving an email address that I can notify you if you’ve been successfully selected.

I’d encourage you to follow Lisa’s journey where you can see both her writing adventures and the powerful impact her family is having in Mozambique.

Where you can find Lisa online:

Lisa’s website

Twitter

Facebook

Lisa’s Bio

LISA HARRIS is a Christy Award finalist for Blood Ransom (2010) and Vendetta (2016), Christy Award winner for Dangerous Passage, and the winner of the Best Inspirational Suspense Novel for Blood Covenant (2011) and Vendetta (2016) from Romantic Times. She has over thirty novels and novella collections in print. She and her family have spent over twelve years working as missionaries in Africa. When she's not working she loves hanging out with her family, cooking different ethnic dishes, photography, and heading into the African bush on safari. For more information about her books and life in Africa visit her website at www.lisaharriswrites.com

Disclaimer:

By commenting on today's post you can enter the drawing to win a copy of

Vendetta and Missing. The drawing will take place on Thursday 4 August 2016 and the winner announced on that date in a comment on this post. Please leave an email address [ ] at [ ]dot [ ] where you can be reached.

"Void where prohibited; the odds of winning depend on the number of

entrants. Entering the giveaway is considered a confirmation of eligibility

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