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!

News. Reviews. Previews.

I had so much fun planning this week. I've got some new blog ideas and am actually considering moving my blog over to Wordpress instead of keeping it here at Blogger. Have any of you done that? I'd love to hear your advice on the matter!

So I've got these new things that I'm so pumped about sharing. But I want to
wait to make it all just right before I do a grand opening! So excited!

Speaking of excited, did you notice the change in the header. I promise the picture that was there before was only a half-dozen years old, but it made me look much younger. So this one is only a few months old. My dinky twinky did a great job on it! (BTW, Dinky Twinkies is code for my twin girls. thus Dinky Twinky would be a single.) Precious Redhead said it made me look mysterious. I would be flattered except that yesterday she said my grin made me look constipated. I think I'll go looking for compliments elsewhere - just sayin'. :)

This weekender will offer:

• Some great blog articles from authors including Staci Stallings, Jody Hedlund, David Walker, and Julie Cantrell.
• Last week's blog review
• ROW80 Update
• Next Week's Blog Expectations

News

I'm getting better at visiting blogs, this week. Of course with my Grace Readers' Weekly, I don't have to rely only on my own blog touring. Some Twitter buddies offer their favorites as well.

Review

Last Monday, I got to share the Best Almost Kiss winner at the Clash of the Titles. I'm enjoying being part of their blog Alliance every other week. On Tuesday, I shared about my boy's rugby team at the University of Texas at Dallas in G is for Grrrrr! Highs and lows and how to live through them was my topic on Wednesday with another ROW80 update. Then I shared all I've learned about writing a Synopsis on Thursday. An interview with author and missionary Zeke Lam rounded out the week with a discussion of his book, Submission. Please visit the links here if you missed one of the articles!

ROW80 Update

Like I said, I'm inspired. I've written about 5k in a new story and am in the process of laying it out. I've taken two of my other stories, along with a serial I wrote using one of the characters, and am in the process of weaving the serial into my second story to connect them in a series. This third one that I'm writing now will complete the set and I'm really excited how things are going with it. 

I got better at blog visiting, started on Pinterest (I'm totally addicted!), began tweeting more regularly, and set up some new surprises for later. Oh and I also played volleyball for an hour and a half! So sore after sitting around for 2 weeks! Now if I could just get off of potatoes again!

Preveiw

I think my plans may change, but for right now, I'm planning to Review a brand new book by debut author Bonnie S. Calhoun on Monday. On Tuesday, I'll be highlighting the letter H. Hmmmmmm. I'll have another ROW80 update on Wednesday, along with an inspirational article about life and writing. On Thursday, I'll be chatting about learning styles and how they affect adults as much as kids. Then Friday will hold an interview with Author Fay Lamb. 

Hope you've had a productive week and will have a delightful weekend. I'm going to watch my Dear Boy beat up on the UT of San Antonio for the Texas State Rugby Championship! (That's the way I've pictured it in my head anyway.)

Have you blogged with both Blogger and Wordpress? Which do you prefer? Do you think I should switch to Wordpress?

F is for ...

Faith-Driven Fiction.

What's that all about?

Fiction with my type of Texas Sassy tends to have a romantic flavor. It also delves into mystery and suspense. But that's not all. My characters go beyond quirky. They're laugh-out-loud, folks that anyone can relate to. Far from perfect, their flaws add both humor and poignancy to my stories.

Part of the poignancy that they draw comes from their journey of faith. My goals for my writing are sort of hard to communicate. I know there are women all over the country who, like me, love a good romance with elements of suspense or mystery intertwined, but they don't like the extra "junk" that often gets passed as romance.

My writing goes beyond clean and I don't mean the squeakiness of it. I'm so encouraged when I read through a crisis of faith. A time when a broken person reaches out to God. I've certainly been there, more than once. I love writing those sections into my stories, allowing my characters to enjoy a personal relationship and reliance on their Savior in various stages. It is my hope that my stories will encourage women like me who don't often read non-fiction, but need the Spirit to show His truth.

So that's Faith-Driven Fiction, and the play on my name - Laine, Lane - makes it more connected to me. I won't always highlight fiction on my blog, but my faith is part of my everyday life, so it's there, and should you ever have a question about it or about me, I hope you'll feel comfortable to ask. I'm not the pushy type.

What does faith mean to you?

Writer Tip - Those Pesky Little Details

My romantic suspense is starting to take a better shape. I really love the way the revision process tightens up my story. By the time I got to the end of the draft, the beginning needed considerable changes. I've made it halfway through chapter five and the beginning is finally matching the ending.

Except for the little details that I added without thinking. Eye color, tablecloths or pictures. Even "walk-on" characters have changed from the beginning to the ending.

• First and worst are all of those minor characters. I think my heroine's best friend had two first names and three last ones. The florist had two, one male and one female. While my hero's parents kept their

Do You Need Protection?

Perhaps you can hire new body guard, Tessa Lancaster. After years of working as a strong arm for her uncle, a leader of the Japanese mafia, she's become an expert in reading people, as well as several forms of martial arts.

Camy Tang has created a great new character for book one of her new series. Tessa is downright scary in the prologue, and though I committed to reading the book, I didn't identify with her at all. That is, until I reached the first page of Chapter One, where she led a game of

A PERFECT Gift!

A new genre for me, the military thriller, opens realms of delight. Ronie Kendig's Firethorn keeps action pouring over each page. The Discarded Heroes series encompasses four books in all. While I'm sure they all share many of the same characters, Firethorn stands alone as its own story.

I admit, I was a little concerned reading book #4 when I hadn't read any of the others. I shouldn't have worried. Ms. Kendig makes sure to cover all of the pertinent information about the characters, giving little bite-sized pieces at just the right times.

Shifting between two main story lines and at least 3 other sub-plots, movements are handled expertly. I never felt confused. Never had to turn back to recheck where I'd been. In fact, the stories weave together flawlessly. The varying points of view give insight to the characters, allowing easy understanding what the different people think, and why they take

Book Release - New Suspense Series!

How did I ever miss the buzz on this new book? It has everything I LOVE:

• Inspiration
• Suspense
• Romance
• NASCAR

Could anything be more perfect?

So glad I heard about it NOW! Cause TODAY'S THE DAY!

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?

ROW80 Update - What Distracts You?

Right now, I'm listening to my very old beagle bark at a squirrel that hopped  across the treetops about twenty minutes ago. My dog, Marcie, has a great sniffer, even at her age, and all the barking is sure giving her plenty of exercise.

I think I heard the squirrel laughing.

Silly things like this happen everyday. If it isn't this dog, it's the other one, an overgrown puppy, coming in to hoist himself up on my lap and lick my face. Or it's my girls laughing or singing in the den. That sound will charm my socks off.

Last night as I was writing, it was the

Great READING!

Usually I read over the weekends. With last weeks suggestions I had plenty of fodder for my reviews, but the time got past me.

No, that's not entirely true.

I've been grazing on amazing insight from Award Winning Author, Susan May Warren. I LOVE her books! Not a book this time, but pages of chats and invaluable notes from her My Book Therapy sessions. I investigated suspense, sifted through characterizations and settings, and even dallied with a little romance.

With sparkling eyes and dimpled cheeks, I told my

Christian Fiction Book Opinions

What to do? What to do?

I love doing book reviews. I’ve learned so much this summer about writing and publishing! It has given me a deep respect for the authors who pour their time, energy, and almost their own blood into the books that I’ve read. But right now, I’m in a quandary.

I try to do my reviews on just released books or those about to be released in order to help the authors as much as possible. At this point though, the only books I have in my e-reader are a little older, so I’m in need of some assistance.

Which of the books below have you read and would you recommend it, OR which of these books are you most interested in learning about? I’ve given a little blurb about each of them from their back covers.

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

Undercover Pursuit by Susan May Warren

Undercover Pursuit by Susan May Warren had me intrigued from the first page. I examined it along with several other books I recently downloaded, just looking through the first few pages for their hooks, the ways that they connected with the reader. Wow, did U.P. ever connect! From the get-go, I had trouble putting it down.