The cloudless August day dawned with a sky so blue, the air so crisp, it bespoke the change of seasons. Tessa rose before first light, swinging the kettle on its crane over the ashes she’d banked carefully the night before. Breakfast was a blur of bowls and mugs and terse words as her brothers hurried to their tasks at field and ferry. Ma was never so missed as at peep of day. But she’d made peace with Ma’s going just as her brothers would make peace with her going in time. Six days had passed since she’d seen Clay. Would he ride in on the Sabbath like last week? Or would some fort matter keep him rooted? She filled a wash bucket with lye, scrubbed her brothers’ shirts clean, and set out her own Sabbath best. Draping the laundry across a near fence, she pondered what needed doing next. Taking the whetstone she’d gotten from the creek bed, she began sharpening knives, the sound rasping her nerves. Next she gathered the last of the greens from the garden, braiding the onions to hang from the rafters. For supper she’d make fried mush with maple sugar that Zadock had expressed a…

In a Title Challenge, authors are tasked with coming up with words starting with each letter of their title that relater to their book. Today is Melody Carlson’s turn for her festive holiday romance!  C is for Christmas, and plays a big part. H is for heroine and a hurting heart. R is for risk, Krista leaves in late fall. I is for ideals, a better life for all. S is for surprise, nothing feels right. T is for tomorrow, and hoping it’s bright. M is for mom, Krista hopes to do good. A is for angst, doesn’t go as it should. S is for sweetness, her dear little girl. A is for amazed, Emily loves their new world. T is for thanks to friends who help out. W is for woes that make Krista shout. I is for interest from a wonderful guy. N is for night and lights in the sky. T is for troubles, should she run away? E is for Emily, begs Mom to stay. R is for reasons, Krista has many. H is for hope, is there reason for any? I is for impossible, can this be real! L is for laughter, the best way…

Welcome to Fresh Fiction, Natalie! Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and your new book, DEADLY DECEIT?  Hi! I’m an Army wife, married to my GIJOE for 23 years. We have three kids who are all officially adults now and spreading their wings, which this mama-heart still finds hard to handle. We are currently stationed in Honolulu, Hawaii, which is my husband’s home state and the first time in our 25 years in the Army where we’ve lived in the same state as family. Deadly Deceit brings readers back to Walton, Georgia and into the lives of Deputy Ryan Frost and reporter Vivian DeMarco. A year has passed and neither Vivian nor Ryan are sure they are where they’re supposed to be. The untimely death of Vivian’s boss puts her on the trail of a headline worthy story but someone called The Watcher, is determined to stop her. Ryan knows Vivian is as tenacious as they come but he can’t let her risk her life for a headline. Working together, Ryan and Vivian must overcome their pasts if they want to stop The Watcher and give themselves a chance at a future. The only reason journalist Vivian…

Instead of trying to find your perfect match in a dating app, we bring you the “Author-Reader Match” where we introduce you to authors as a reader you may fall in love with. It’s our great pleasure to present Lynette Eason! Writes: Romantic Suspense – Romance Writers of America defines romantic suspense as: “Romance novels in which suspense, mystery, or thriller elements constitute an integral part of the plot.” I write more heavy on the suspense, mystery, or thriller element than the romance, but it’s still there for the romance lover. About: Deadline riddled writer seeks fans of mysteries/whodunits/with a touch of romance. Fans must appreciate strong heroines and heroes who will put their lives on the line to keep them safe—and vice versa. Fans must also appreciate strong conflict, twisting plots, and a strong faith element. What I’m looking for in my ideal reader match: · Loves a happy ending. · Is willing to lose sleep to find that happy ending waiting at the end of the book. · Loves a handsome hero who knows what it means to really love a woman. · Enjoys twists you don’t see coming. · Is willing to put off all housework until…

Footsteps on the porch reminded him that he was not alone. Ruby stepped to his side, her eyes searching his face. “What did the doctor say? Lovinia is going to recover, isn’t she?” Gideon shook his head, not trusting his voice. He swallowed. “He said her heart is weak.” Ruby pressed her fingers to her lips. “It can’t be. He could be wrong.” “I would like to believe that, but I know she is suffering–” His voice broke. She had been ill for years, and he hadn’t noticed. He had been too wrapped up in his own work, believing that her tiredness was a passing thing. “I don’t know how to tell the children.” “You should go to her, first.” Ruby said. “I’ll care for the children, but you need to be with her.” Ruby wiped away a tear that trickled down her cheek, pulling her bottom lip in between her teeth. The corners of her mouth quivered, but she gave him a smile. “Lovinia needs you now. She needs you to be strong. Let her know that you and the children will be all right after she’s gone. She worries about you.” Gideon glanced toward the upstairs window. The…

A friend introduced me to the concept of glamping—glamorous camping. Think muslin curtains and rustic beams separating you from the great outdoors, a queen-sized bed with fluffy pillows, a cooler stocked with champagne and aged cheddar. Sounds relaxing, doesn’t it? That’s not what my heroine Meg Pero faced on a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers survey in 1871 Arizona, in A Distance Too Grand. I have camped a good portion of my life, even dabbled with backpacking in high wilderness at one point. But the life of a survey team was something beyond that. Each team had staff that could log topography, determine flora and fauna, check minerals and geology, photograph the area, and determines weather patterns. Larger teams boasted cooks, a surgeon and one or more hospital stewards, and even a chaplain . Lieutenant George Wheeler, who led an ambitious survey to map lands west of the one-hundredth meridian from 1869 to 1879, also took with him 30 guides plus men to help him manage the camp. A cavalry detachment escorted each survey. On smaller expeditions, like the one my Meg serves on, everyone might have more than one role. Equipment like theodolites, telescopes, and hand-walked odometers had to…

Welcome to Fresh Fiction! Please tell us a little about yourself and your latest novel, UNSCRIPTED. These past several years have been a time of transition for me.  After writing with Janette Oke for going on a decade, she retired.  I decided this was my last-best opportunity to do what I had always dreamed of ‘someday’ – writing for the screen as well as novels.  So I obtained a degree in screenwriting and got to work. UNSCRIPTED is the outcome of these first experiences within the film world. Both of the main characters are trying to prove something about themselves – Danny, that he wasn’t at fault for what landed him in jail and restart his career, and Megan, to show she can do things on her terms and still be successful. Talk a little bit about what their struggles tell readers about them as people.  There is a saying you often hear in the film world:  ‘Hollywood likes to bury their dead while they are still breathing.’  I think Clark Gable was the first to say this, but I’m not sure.  Anyway, what they mean by this is, many people are looking for an excuse to write you off.  To be…

There was blood on the ice. Rick Jordan jolted to a stop, gaze riveted on the crimson spots blemishing the frosty ground, fingers tightening on the disposable cup of coffee he’d just nuked. Could his eyes be playing tricks on him in the waning light of the December afternoon? He leaned closer. No. His 20/20 vision hadn’t failed him. It was blood. After all the gore he’d seen, it wasn’t difficult to make a positive ID. But with all the wildlife on the wooded acreage he called home, could it be from an animal? As he peered at the ruby-­colored stains, the hair on the back of his neck snapped to attention–and since metabolic cues had saved his hide on more Night Stalker missions than he cared to remember, ignoring them would be foolish. The blood was human. Giving the landscape a thorough, methodical sweep, he set down the cup of java he’d picked up at the café during his supply run to town, balancing it on the uneven ground. No movement other than the huge flakes that had begun to sift down from the leaden sky. Apparently the blizzard warning issued this morning had been spot-­on. Missouri would have…

Welcome to the Fall Slow Cooker Recipe Potluck! All week we’ll be joined by awesome authors, talking about their new books, sharing delicious Fall recipes, and book giveaways on each post. Check back tomorrow and every day this week for more fun! And now, Elizabeth Goddard will kick things off. . .  In ALWAYS LOOK TWICE, rancher/deputy Heath McKade grew up in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. He now runs the Emerald M Guest Ranch and offers cabins, fishing, hiking tours, and horseback riding, and a guided wilderness camp tour. He has worked hard to renovate his life after his difficult childhood and now his ranch’s reputation is growing, but Heath still struggles to overcome the past. He’s more than surprised to save a woman from a bear attack, or rather, she saves him–and discovers that woman is none other than his close childhood friend who moved away–Harper Reynolds. But Harper is in trouble, and Heath isn’t sure he’s the best man to protect her. On the other hand, can he truly trust anyone else to protect Harper? Harper has taken a year off from photographing crime scenes–too much blood and death–especially considering what she witnessed as a child. She’s finally on…

The question I get asked more than any other is: How do you come up with ideas? The answer is through interesting news stories that I’ve tucked away. After all, truth is always stranger—or more memorable–than fiction, right? Here’s an example: Years ago, I heard an amazing story about a pastor and a church in Texas. On a Sunday morning, Bishop Aaron Blake challenged his small congregation with a powerful question. “Brothers and sisters,” he said, “there are about 30,000 children in the foster care system in Texas and nearly a half a million in the U.S. Who will stand with me to defend, care, and support abused, abandon, and neglected children in our community?” After a brief moment of silence, one lady rose to her feet. “Pastor,” she said, “I will.” Then another family stood up, and another, and another. Twelve years later, their Texas county has more than enough foster families to meet the need. That story inspired the plot for my novel Stitches in Time. The new and improved Luke Schrock, now a deacon, poses the same question to the Amish church of Stoney Ridge. Schoolteacher Mollie Graber is the first to raise her hand. Weeks later,…