Hide in Plain Sight by Marta Perry

I know this isn't a new book, but I've had it on my e-reader for months and have been DYING to read it. Well, not dying, but anticipating it in a big way!

And I'm so glad I didn't put it off any longer! This is just the type of book I love. Sweet romance. Strong mystery. Elements of suspense.

Marta Perry weaves together an intriguing cast of characters through the Pennsylvania Dutch vicinity of the Amish. Using that peaceful backdrop, she plops an unwilling leading lady into a nest of impossibles. A grandmother who doesn't listen to her advice, a sister who is almost killed, and a temporary visitor who seems to be planning to stay. Add to that the doomed opening of a bed and breakfast and a rash of burglaries and prowling, and the poor heroine doesn't have a chance!

From the initial pages, the characters gripped me. Andrea Hampton races to her injured sister while trying to explain the concept of family to a demanding boss. Her animosity for the home she's left behind creeps out. Maybe animosity is too strong, but there are definitely squelched feelings of hurt there that she hopes to avoid revisiting. The fact that her sister and grandmother plan to transform the old homestead into an inn goes against her advice, but her sister's injuries means Andrea has to pick up the slack and attempt what she is sure will fail.

Calvin Burke, a tenant who has claimed Grandmother's barn is another well-drawn character. Though he spends his time making furniture and claims he's nothing more than a handyman, Andrea can tell there's more. His secrets are thick and can be felt from first meeting. Something about him draws Andrea, but can she really trust him?

The characters dance along through a twisted plot of romance, betrayal, and questions. (Lots of questions.) Who is lurking in the dark and why? Who hit her sister on a country road and drove off without offering help? What possible reason could someone have to scare her? Though the peaceful life of the plain people surrounds this juicy mystery, there is certainly no down-time through the story and few places to put in a bookmark either!

All that said, I give Hide in Plain Sight five chocolate kisses! And I'm so excited that it is only book one of the Three Sisters' Inn series! You can bet I'll be visiting the others! Hide in Plain Sight is free right now at Amazon for your Kindle. Oh and if you don't have a Kindle (I don't.) you can download Kindle for PC at Amazon for free. I know you have a PC! They even have an app for phones and pads, so by all means add it!

Big Picture Thinking!

I got this cool idea the other day. In the shower. I always think better there. Maybe my brain muscle is attached to my sinuses. I get stuffy and need to clear them out so I can think straight.

Anyway. The radio station in town does a secret sound contest. Sweet hubby wanted so bad to win it the other day. He knew exactly what it was - and he was right! We all got up early, dialing our phones to try to get through. Everyone and their dogs were up dialing, too. So, no, he didn't win. But it did give me a sweet idea.

I thought it would be fun to give a little test today and see how many everyday items you can identify. I'm just going to post a few pics, but see if you can tell what they are in the close up view. Then you can "Read More" and see the actual items. Good luck!

Picture A

Picture B

Picture C

Introducing a New Release - Book Two of The Cambell Creek Mysteries

In this fast-paced follow-up to Wendy L. Young's debut novel, Come the Shadows, the mystery deepens...

Will and Laura Harmon are trying to get on with their lives but are left reeling when a vicious hit-and-run sends Laura to the hospital. With all the recent changes in Campbell Creek Will has a long list of suspects - and few leads.

One thing is clear: Someone wants Laura dead and Will has to stop them in time.


But who from Campbell Creek's shadowy past is behind the

Where Do the YIKES Come From?

Marcie with her latest reads. She even has Erica Vetch's new debut novel, A Bride's Portrait of  
Dodge City, Kansas included in her "to read" stack.

Everyday, people pick up books for entertainment, escape, and inspiration. Finding Christ-honoring books is no longer the challenge that it used to be. Christian Fiction boasts some of the best of today's literature. With a variety of genres from which to choose, readers can immerse themselves in stories of love, history, and contemporary fiction. Along the way, the suspense category of Christian Fiction has
flourished with mysteries, thrillers, and romance.


Mysteries are often defined as "Cozy Mysteries" either because they don't give too much tension, which isn't always the case, or because their typical heroine is a little old British widow. The word cozy in this case refers to the tea cozy that the British use to keep the water in the teapot warm and the furniture protected. A story is considered a mystery when the main character, often highlighted in a series of stories, isn't really in danger. Think Miss Marple. The who-dun-it is a puzzle, a conundrum, with a challenge to the reader to unravel the knots before the detective.



If mysteries are on the mild side of the suspense spectrum, thrillers inhabit the opposite edge. The genre defines itself, although some of the books are simply cached as "Suspense." These are the books that keep readers on the edges of their seats, where the intensity rarely stops and when it does, the reader has a physical reaction of relief. In this type, the main character is always at risk. The cerebral puzzle rarely enters, utilizing instead the wits and power that the hero has to avoid certain destruction. Within the Christian realm, there are many types of thrillers including psychological, medical, and military.



The romantic suspense spans both extremes. There are true cozies and thrillers that include romance, but the romantic suspense lies more in the center of the span. It can include either the elements of a mystery or those of a thriller, but the romance plays a defining part of the novel. A hero and heroine must have personal stories, outside of the plot line, that drive their actions and draw them to each other.

Romance is definitely the heart of the suspense grouping, lying smack dab in the middle of the two extremes. Thrillers are the brawn and mysteries are the brain. The best news for Christian Fiction Readers is that there are ample amounts of all of the different types readily available at Christian Book Distributors, Barnes and Noble, and Amazon.

{For my students, the above is an illustration of a five-paragraph framework using an example format.}

It's not my regular type of posting, but when expository writing is necessary, it's important to know how it works. Picture the whole thing as an hour glass.

In this case, the first paragraph provides an introduction with each sentence progressing down a funnel of broad category to narrow category. Finally, the last sentence is the thesis statement. It mentions three separate sub-topics (examples for this format) which provide the subject for the next three paragraphs, in order.

For this format, the examples of the topic are merely described, but the covers that match the types are pictured beside each and are linked to reviews about each book. The final paragraph concludes the essay, starting with narrow categories, the ones discussed, and ending with broader ones.

Besides grocery lists, what type of writing have you done in the last week?

Totally Stumped!

I just finished Camy Tang's Deadly Intent. Can I just say, "WOW!"

This story is more than a suspense novel. The plot weaves in and out of the characters' lives with a master's touch.

Naomi Grant's terror from

This Carol Award Winner was Totally Twisted!

Mazes were one of my favorite puzzles when I was growing up. I wasn't the type to attempt one direction and then switch to another if the first didn't work. That was failure to me, so I always worked out a plan to try to win the path the first time.

Maybe that's why I never missed the introduction to the TV show in the late 70's "The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries." While the creepy music played in the background, they would all dash into a maze of hedges. Talk about creative ignition!

Hidden Deception by Leann Harris

Leann Harris weaves an intricate mystery in her "Love Inspired Suspense" novel Hidden Deception. While suspense carries the story, this has the flavors of a traditional whodunit and I licked my chops at the challenge.

Set amidst the charm of the older area of Santa Fe, New Mexico, Ms. Harris draws a picture of deceit, personal agendas and hushed connections. The secrets in this book are so thick, they unfold in layers, enticing the reader to expose a little more.

The Mystery of the Mavericks

My friend Dwayne had a comment to a Facebook post several months back. Someone had posted a frustration after a loss to the Lakers, stating that it was the mystique that LA held; that Dallas just choked when they went up against them because of who they were.

Dwayne replied that he was full of malarkey. That Dallas couldn’t beat LA because the Mavs were just a mediocre team and he wished the Texas fans could figure that out and stop making excuses for them.

My mom had a plaque hanging in our home that said, “O Lord, make my words gracious and tender today for tomorrow I may have to eat them!” Remembering that, I refrained from responding to Dwayne’s obviously erroneous assessment of the situation. Besides, he’s one of my closest friend’s hubby. Wouldn’t want him to banish me from his house!

What is it about this team? It was obvious in the first couple of games that no one expected them to go five games, let alone be ahead at the end of five. ABC showed highlight after highlight of the HEAT during every commercial, even when the Mavs were winning.

They are the epitome of underdogs! How are they still in this?

No really, I’m asking. I know they have Dirk (I’m not blind) but Lebron is equally amazing, although annoying. Jason Terry has played well most of the games and I love his attitude. JJ Berea has to be the most fun to watch; does the man know how to slow down? Likewise the HEAT has their hot players, and so did the Lakers, and so did the Thunder. Why are the Mavs still in this?

I’m gonna hazard a guess and hope that some of you will either set me straight or add some of your own thoughts. As we get ready for the game Sunday night, I’m thinking the way the Mavs gel as a team makes all the difference in the world. I get that as much from the losses as from the wins. Seldom have I seen a game where all of them are off or all of them are on. When Kidd is off, Berea is hot. When Terry is injured, Marion is on fire. And as for Dirk, Mr. Amazing, himself; they’ve won on his bad days, too. This team is more than its star; (DUH) and when it works together, it is far more than the sum of its parts!

What am I missing? Help me solve this mystery!

Mystery Writes Itself - Where Does This Take You?

Skeletons of a medieval knight and a female companion were found under the floorboards of a chapel in a castle in Scotland. Further info proves that the knight had several old injuries, doubtless from battles, but the killing blow was struck as the man was lying on the floor, by a sword through his face. There were no details about the cause of death of the woman. Does this just beg to have its story written?  

Now the attached article takes a little of the romance out of the story as I read on, but with just that much information, my mind went wild! 

First thing that caught my mind’s eye was the fact that the knight was found under the floor boards of a chapel.  Nice outta the way place to hide a body that someone didn’t want found.  

I was just starting to deliberate on why he might have been killed when I a second thing caught my mind’s eye: the skeleton of a woman was found beside him. Well, that makes it juicy! I could just see the lord of the manor bursting in the room full of jealous rage as he witnesses his wife in an intimate conversation with another man.

Third interesting thought is the origin of this man; there is some speculation that he was French, so the husband intrudes on this heathen from a foreign land, who not only infiltrates his home, but seduces his wife.

Oh, the places my mind goes!

I could see a political plot to overthrow the lord be squelched by the murder of the man; maybe the Frenchman was a spy, settled into the role by an opposing ruler who wanted to gain the land. Maybe the Frenchman was a messenger from that ruler, bringing a letter from the opposition in hopes of wooing the wife and gaining that power. 

What if the knight wasn’t killed by the lord at all!  Suppose the lord was blamed all along for the disappearance of his wife and the knight, but since no bodies turned up, nothing could be proved.  Maybe the knight’s family took out their vengeance on the lord, because he had been the only one, on the surface, who would benefit from the man’s death.

I don’t think the lord killed the spy-knight at all. I think he was killed by the opposition because he betrayed them.  His great love for the lord’s wife wouldn’t allow him to put her into any danger.  I think she was just in the wrong place at the wrong time and was killed to cover up the original murder.  As for hiding them beneath the foundation of the chapel that the lord was having built, that was just making the most of the opportunity!

Well, that’s the way it all looked in my mind anyway.  Truth be known, the chapel was built much later over a small cemetery – plot killer!                  

Here’s the whole story! http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1279306/Face-mystery-medieval-knight-finally-revealed-modern-day-CSI-skills.html

Have Mysteries Been Murdered?

I'm a closet Perry Mason fan.  I've probably seen all of the episodes a dozen times, and still I squealed with delight when my sweet fella got me Season Five as one of my Mother's Day gifts. 

I don't know what it is about that show - and others like it - that is so . . . so . . . satisfying - yeah, that's the word.  I can be comfortable that, except for the fact that someone dies in every episode, the show is squeaky clean, so I don't have to worry about my kids seeing it.  I can also be sure of a tightly wound mystery with subtle clues (well, not-so-subtle when you've already seen them!) and happy endings.  The characters are as shallow as a snakes belly, but I'm not looking for heavy drama or even a continuous story line.  Just 45 minutes of lightly cerebral, dialogue-driven television that I don't have to watch intently to enjoy.

I view books the same way.  I've enjoyed some wonderful historicals, awesome suspense, and recently a sweet romance, but my favorite novels are basic whodunits with a little light romance on the side.  Maybe it's from growing up on Trixie Belden, Phillis A. Whitney, and Mignon Eberhart? 

And I can find a plethora of those books in the mainstream genre with subject series focusing on flowers, holidays, cooking, travel - you name it.  (My favorite is Denise Swanson's Scumble River Series.)  However, I have a hard time finding traditional mysteries in the Christian realm.  I've found a few, like Mindy Starnes Clarks' Smart Chick and Million Dollar Mysteries, but not many others.  Oh there are other mysteries, but they fit the realm of suspense - a little edgier I guess?

So are traditional mysteries blase?  If so, how come the mainstream market still puts them out by the truckload?  Is it just the Christian market that doesn't appreciate them so much?  Or am I all wet?