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

New Genre Delights

Photo courtesy of super trooper/
FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Contest season is very much upon us and the majority of my fiction reading for the next six months will be consumed by judging entries in various competitions both local and abroad.

One of the reasons I especially love judging is I get “forced” to read stories that I wouldn’t normally read. I typically judge speculative fiction but this is such a catch-all for all sorts of different flavours, two of which: space opera and superhero, Adam Collings covered in Monday’s post. Accordingly, I’m presented with a variety of stories that I wouldn’t typically read.

Read in your genre

This is the old chestnut we’re all familiar with. And for obvious reasons it makes a lot of sense to do so and for many years I found myself only reading in the genres of speculative and thriller/suspense because that’s what I write. However, my flavour of speculative was narrow (supernatural angels and demons) and so I limited myself to such novels.

Certainly there are some flavours of speculative I struggle with, for example, horror and will choose not to read it. But I’ve had the privilege of reading some real beauties. For example, Patrick Carr’s writing is excellent and Billy Coffey has such a unique Southern voice plus a tremendous insight into small town spiritual good and evil.

Sample other delights

Over the past few years both through judging and developing friendships in the industry I’ve spent much of my non-judging half-year reading outside the speculative genre.

History has now become a keen interest. Having not studied a lot of it through my schooling years I’ve always felt a gap in my knowledge with all things historical. Strangely though, like many of us, I grew up devouring 18^th and 19^th century classical literature.

Novels with an historical bent have grabbed my interest. Biblical fiction in particular has become a favourite because of what I learn. Similarly, stories set in WWI and/or WWII have appealed because of what I can learn about the period. I so enjoyed Irma Joubert’s “Girl From the Train” (not to be confused with Paula Hawkins similarly titled recent blockbuster).

Rachel McMillan’s Sherlock Holmes-inspired "Herringford and Watts Mysteries" series has taken me back to the early 1900s in Toronto, Canada. Rachel has such a sophisticated witty voice creating two marvellous lady dectectives while giving the reader a spin around some of the sights of Toronto.

Naturally, I can’t not read some of the various flavours of romance recommended by many on this blog. From contemporary beauties supplied by the likes of our own Kara Isaac and Andrea Grigg to romantic suspense by Lisa Harris and Ronie Kendig to Melissa Tagg’s rom-com there’s a feast of great reading to be had.

What’s a genre or new flavour (sub-genre?) that you’ve recently enjoyed and an example of an author that you never expected to read?

Happy reading, dear friends.

Ian Acheson is an author and strategy consultant based in Northern Sydney. Ian's first novel of speculative fiction, Angelguard, is available in the US, UK, Canada and Australia. Angelguard was recognised with the 2014 Selah Award for Speculative Fiction.You can find more about Angelguard at Ian's website, on his author Facebook page and Twitter

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

on behalf of the enterer in accord with these rules and any pertaining

local/federal/international laws."

Review: Proof of Life by Kimberly Rae Jordan

Review by Kathy Smail

Amazon Description

PROOF OF LIFE is book four of the Christian romance series, BLACKTHORPE SECURITY by Kimberly Rae Jordan. Follow the lives of the men and women working for BlackThorpe Security as they face the challenges of life, faith and love.

Ever since leaving the military, Alexander Thorpe has devoted his life to BlackThorpe Security, the company he founded with his best friend, Marcus Black. When his past unexpectedly comes knocking, Alex struggles to shift his priorities and open his life-and heart-to someone he didn't even know existed.

Rebecca Mackenzie thought she had a very valid reason for keeping her son from his father, but when her secret is revealed, she must face the past she ran away from fifteen years ago.

Will Alex be able to surrender his need for control and take on the challenging role of fatherhood? Or will his regret and guilt drive away the two people he needs most in his life? Rebecca wants to hate the man who broke her heart, but she instead finds herself drawn to him. Will she be able to open her heart to Alex once again or will fear keep it safely locked away?

As Alex and Rebecca struggle to deal with their unresolved past and the feelings that have once again risen between then, the search for Alana continues, leaving those involved grasping at straws.

Review

I’ve only recently discovered Kimberley Rae Jordon through the ‘BlackThorpe Security’ Series which is a spin off from ‘The McKinleys’ series. The author’s website says that each book can be read individually and I had felt this was the case with the first three books in this series.

In Proof of Life however there was a particular conclusion relating to Alana that I felt might not have had the same impact if I hadn’t read Book 3 first.

Having said that, I really enjoyed it. Alex had been a bit of an enigma in the first three books so his story deserved the depth the author gave it.

I’m an avid reader of romance books within the para-military genre and although this book seemed to have less focus on the security side of the story, there was significant time given to the emotions that both Alex and Rebecca experienced as they wrestled with their faith position in their life circumstances. There was one element in BlackThorpe’s security reach that seemed a little unrealistic if true to life was desired, but I don’t mind a bit of theatre. I thought that this book had a general emotional depth that wasn’t there in the first three.

I’m looking forward to Book 5 which will be out in June 2016. There will also be a 6th book according to the author’s website.

Kimberly Rae Jordon is clearly a prolific author with at least 20 books as outlined on her website. Proof of Life is published by Three Strand Press in March 7, 2016 and I read the e-book version.

Note: I don’t read blurbs so I can enjoy the story unfolding in the way that the author intended.

Kathy Smail is a Social Media, Marketing, Business & HR Consultant who loves words and is working on a novel, when she isn’t reading! She can be found chatting at…

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KathySmailSocialMarketingBusiness/
Twitter: @KathySmail
Website: www.kjs.com.au

Book Review: Unspoken by Dee Henderson

By Iola Goulton

I’ve read almost all of Dee Henderson’s books. I loved her Uncommon Heroes series, and I loved the early books in the O’Malley series (I also loved the last one, but the three in the middle? Not so much). She also wrote two very good stand-alone novels, then didn’t publish anything for several years.

So when Full Disclosure came out last year, I was keen to read it—until I saw the reviews. I did eventually buy and read Full Disclosure, and found I agreed with all the critical reviews: I couldn’t relate to the heroine, felt the hero deserved better, and was particularly annoyed by the heroine’s profitable hobby (those of you who have read Full Disclosure will know what I mean, and I’m not going to spoil it for the rest of you). Suffice to say, I finished reading Full Disclosure, wrote my review, and donated my copy to the church library where I can forget it ever existed.

So you will understand why I was apprehensive about Henderson’s new book, Unspoken. The blurb didn’t make it clear if this was related to Full Disclosure or not (and I see being related to Full Disclosure as a bad thing). I was also a little apprehensive based on the blurb:

Charlotte Graham is at the center of the most famous kidnapping in Chicago history.

The task force of FBI and local cops found her two abductors, killed them, rescued her, but it took four very long years. The fact she was found less than three miles from her home, had been there the entire time, haunts them. She's changed her identity, found a profession she loves, and rebuilt her life.

She's never said a word--to the cops, to her doctors, to family--about those four years.

A family legacy has brought her back to Chicago where a reporter is writing a book about the kidnapping. The cops who worked the case are cooperating with him. Her options are limited: Hope the reporter doesn't find the full truth, or break her silence about what happened. And her silence is what has protected her family for years.

Bryce Bishop doesn't know her past, he only knows she has coins to sell from her grandfather's estate--and that the FBI director for the Chicago office made the introduction. The more he gets to know Charlotte, the more interested he becomes, an interest encouraged by those closest to her. But nothing else is working in his favor--she's decided she is single for life, she struggles with her faith, and she's willing to forego a huge inheritance to keep her privacy. She's not giving him much of an opening to work with.

Charlotte wants to trust him. She needs to tell him what happened. Because a crime cops thought was solved, has only opened another chapter...

First, it seems to me that Henderson has already done the kidnapped twin plot in Danger in the Shadows (the O’Malley prequel). Second, the blurb was released at the same time as the revolting Castro kidnapping came to light, and it seemed pretty obvious what would have happened to the fictional Charlotte Graham, and that wasn’t something I want to read about. It seems almost voyeuristic. Abhorrent as this is, it also seemed that if this wasn’t what happened in Unspoken, it wouldn’t be true to life.

There is a lesson here about relating to readers. We have expectations about what a particular author is going to write, and we like it best if those expectations are met. Don’t set it in the same city (Chicago) as your previous books, with characters with the same occupations (FBI agent) as your previous characters. Please. If the novel is different, make it really different (like Brandilyn Collins did with That Dog Won't Hunt, which clearly isn’t her trademark ‘Seatbelt Suspense’ novel).

It’s also a lesson about keeping it real. We live in a fallen world, and while I read fiction (especially romance) as entertainment, I want (need?) fiction to take place in a world I recognise. Especially when it’s contemporary fiction (I give historical fiction more leeway), and especially when it’s dealing with crime. A world in which bad things don’t happen isn’t real. I need fiction to feel real, but to still have the hope of Jesus shining through. After all, that’s why I read Christian fiction.

Rant over. You wanted a book review. What did I actually think of Unspoken, and would I recommend it?

Yes.

I’ll explain.

Unspoken wasn’t perfect. It is a sequel to Full Disclosure, and Paul Falcon and Ann Silver do feature, but Ann has mellowed in marriage and is a lot more of a relatable character. I found it odd that we had a romantic suspense novel that didn’t have a single scene from the heroine’s viewpoint. The book was written almost entirely from the male point of view: Bryce Bishop, Paul Falcon and John Key (Charlotte’s bodyguard, not the Prime Minister of New Zealand). It’s possible the book was too long and that there was too much information about antique coins (Bryce is a coin dealer; Charlotte has a collection to sell).

Henderson is still obsessed with writing about uber-rich characters. She might be making the point that no amount of money will fill the God-shaped hole inside us, but the pattern is starting to come across as unrealistic fantasy, in much the same was as Karen Kingsbury’s most recent novels. And I’m not entirely convinced by Charlotte’s about-face at the end. It felt a little as though Henderson had written herself into a corner and didn’t actually have an answer to her central question.

So what did I like about Unspoken?

I liked Charlotte’s central conflict, which takes the “why does God allow bad things to happen” question one step further. Charlotte’s view is that God is too willing to forgive—she doesn’t want anything to do with a God who would give a second chance to the men who hurt her. It’s an intriguing premise. I’m not convinced it was answered satisfactorily, but it’s an excellent question.

I liked the fact that Unspoken didn’t go into any detail about what actually happened during those four missing years, but instead trusted the reader to fill in the blanks.

I liked the writing. There was a poignancy, an almost-unbearable sadness about some of it, and even though we were never inside Charlotte’s head, I could understand her in a way I never understood Full Disclosure’s Ann Silver. Her background meant it made sense that she was insular, reluctant to trust others and had no intention of ever marrying. What would be character faults in anyone else were an understandable by-product of Charlotte's personal history.

And I loved Bryce Bishop. I have no idea why this man is still single at forty (except that this is a novel). He’s patient, loving and unselfish—everything a romantic hero should be (his only fault is that he is too perfect). So while I still don’t like Full Disclosure, I very much enjoyed Unspoken and would recommend it.

Thanks to Bethany House and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review.

I am a freelance editor specialising in Christian fiction, and you can find out more about my services at my website, or follow me on Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest. I love reading, and read and review around 150 Christian books each year on my blog.

What inspires you? (plus an ebook giveaway)

By Lisa Harris

As a writer, I’m always looking for inspiration. That nugget of a story that simmers in the back of my mind until finally, it’s ready to be put down on paper. I love discovering new characters and new plots. For me, it’s invigorating and simply put, fun.

As a young girl, I used to imagine myself writing in some secluded cabin in the middle of the woods. Soft music played in the background, snow drifted past my window, before dusting the ground with a layer of white powder. With a fire roaring in the background, I sat in front of my typewriter—yes, this was a long time ago—producing bestseller after bestseller. 

Right. Somehow that never happened. 

When I started writing, my kids were young, so reality for me was scrambling to find a few moments to write while the kids took a nap, or while Dora the Explorer sang in the background. I’d quickly peal the peanut butter and jelly sandwich from the keyboard and brush off the cheerios from my chair and write. Finding inspiration wasn’t exactly on the menu. I had to learn to sit down and write, inspired or not. 

But no matter who we are, I think it’s safe to say that we all long to feel inspired. Whether it’s writing a book or a poem, creating a stunning dish in the kitchen, listening to music, taking a class that challenges us, or simply being inspired to be a better person, we all need inspiration.  

I’ve also found that in the busy world we live in, I need to be intentional in finding that inspiration. Which means intentionally stopping to be quiet, listening for God’s voice, taking a quiet walk in a garden, or making sure I don’t miss the colors of the sunset. 

Here are a few things that inspired me: 

Friends and family

My children

The African bush

Music

Books

Gardens

Laughter

Sunsets

Stars

What about you? What inspires you?

~~~ 

Lisa latest book is a romantic suspense from Revell.

When two Jane Does are killed on the outskirts of Atlanta, Georgia, detective and behavioral specialist Avery North discovers they share something in common--a tattoo of a magnolia on their shoulders. Suspecting a serial killer, Avery joins forces with medical examiner Jackson Bryant to solve the crimes and prevent another murder. But it doesn't take long for them to realize that there is much more to the case than meets the eye. As they venture deep into a sinister world of human trafficking, Avery and Jackson are taken to the very edge of their abilities--and their hearts. 

Dangerous Passage exposes a fully-realized and frightening world where every layer peeled back reveals more challenges ahead. Romantic suspense fans will be hooked from the start by Lisa Harris's first installment of the new Southern Crimes series.

ebook giveaway for Australian and New Zealand readers:
Lisa has kindly offered to give away an ebook copy of Dangerous Passage to an Australian or New Zealand reader who leaves a comment on this post. The winner will be announced in the post comments on Tuesday, 3rd December.

LISA HARRIS is a Christy Award finalist and the winner of the Best Inspirational Suspense Novel for 2011 from Romantic Times. She has over twenty novels and novella collections in print. She and her family have spent almost ten years living as missionaries in Africa where she homeschools, leads a women’s group, and runs a non-profit organization that works alongside their church-planting ministry. The ECHO Project works in southern Africa promoting Education, Compassion, Health, and Opportunity and is a way for her to “speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves…the poor and helpless, and see that they get justice.” (Proverbs 31:8)

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 or her blog at http://myblogintheheartofafrica.blogspot.com. For more information about The ECHO Project, please visit www.theECHOproject.org.