Days & Hours by Susan Meissner

Readers of suspense fiction will once again be enthralled with the latest entry in the compelling series featuring attorney Rachael Flynn and her continuing cast of intriguing characters.

A newborn is found alive in a trash bin and a young, single mother insists her baby was abducted. While St. Paul police are skeptical, attorney Rachael Flynn’s strange dreams lead her to believe the mother is telling the truth. But who would steal a baby only to leave it for dead?

When the baby disappears again, Rachael agonizes over her decision to allow the baby to be returned to his mother. Did she make a terrible mistake? And where is that missing baby? Who would wish the child harm? Rachael races to see past the deception that threatens to send a young mother to prison and a newborn to a terrible fate.

Publisher: Harvest House Publishers (September 1, 2007)


Author Susan Meissner tells us a little more about this book:

"Days & Hours is the third installment of the Rachael Flynn mystery series. My heroine is a 30-year-old defense attorney-turned- prosecutor who works in the Ramsey County Attorneys office in St. Paul , MN . She lives in a loft apartment across the river in Minneapolis (and she used to travel that bridge that collapsed!!) with her artist husband, Trace. Trace has a circle of highly artistic friends, one in particular named Fig, who help her pick apart crime scenes by sketching possible scenarios. With their help and her gift-like insights into the human condition, Rachael assists St Paul homicide detective, Will Pendleton, solve tough cases.

When I was a guardian ad litem for the state of Minnesota , I was introduced to the world of the single mother who lives in poverty, dependent on the state, and often woefully unprepared for motherhood. I delved into that world in Days & Hours, paying particular attention to the stigma we place on the stuck-on-welfare mom. They are not a one-size fits all demographic. Some cannot find success no matter how hard they try. Some simply don’t try. Most love their children as best they can. Many know it takes more than love to raise a child, but they have no other resources at their disposal. I don’t pretend to offer answers, just raise awareness."

The other titles in this series are Widows & Orphans (2006) and Sticks & Stones (2007). Widows & Orphans is a current finalist for the ACFW Book of the Year.

Here’s what one early reviewer said of Days & Hours: (Kelly Kelpfer, Novel Reviews)

"Days and Hours is tragic, beautiful, awful and realistic. Susan Meissner has done it again. This is the first of her Rachael Flynn series that I've read, and I will be picking up those I've missed. Meissner writes with depth and compassion, honesty, and a poignancy that wraps around the reader, bringing her characters to life in the reader's imagination.

Rachael's life, like so many real women, becomes intertwined with her job. Bad enough. But when the job is gut-wrenching on bad days and difficult on good ones, Rachael is faced with choices beyond what most women are forced to consider. Several moments in the book go beyond "just a good story" into soul-tweaking. . .

Looking for an author who produces great book after great book? Meissner needs to be on your check it out list."

"My first Susan Meissner novel, Days and Hours, won’t be my last. This enthralling mystery kept me up way too late and made me look at single moms in a whole new way. Rachael Flynn is a heroine I won’t soon forget. Highly recommended!” — Colleen Coble

Susan's blog
Susan's website

Off the Record by Elizabeth White

Ambition on a collision course with a secret from the past...

Judge Laurel Kincade, a rising political star, is announcing her candidacy for chief justice of the Alabama Supreme Court. Her aristocratic Old South family, led by her judge grandfather, beam as she takes the podium. Then her eyes light on a reporter in the crowd-and suddenly her past is on a collision course with the present.

Journalist Cole McGaughan, religion reporter for the New York Daily Journal, has received an intriguing call from an old friend. Private investigator Matt Hogan has come across a tip-that Laurel's impeccable reputation might be a façade. Matt suggests that Cole dig up the dirt on the lovely judge in order to snag his dream job as one of the Journal's elite political reporters.

There's just one problem: Cole's history is entangled with Laurel's, and he must decide if the story that could make his career is worth the price he'd have to pay.

A sensational scoop becomes a rollercoaster ride of emotions. Can Laurel and Cole find forgiveness and turn their hidden past into a hopeful future-while keeping their feelings off the record?

BUY IT NOW!

Reviews:

"OFF THE RECORD is a thrilling read that will have readers quickly turning pages and yet hoping the story never ends. Elizabeth White has once again written a "keeper shelf" story. The characters are fresh and multi-dimensional, with flaws that make them seem all the more realistic. The story is fast paced, engaging, and fun. There are a few secondary characters I hope to see again in their own stories. Fans of wonderful stories with a great message that is woven into a delightful story with ease will need to pick up OFF THE RECORD today. I highly recommend OFF THE RECORD to everyone; you are bound to be as eager for more of Ms. White's writing as I am."
Reviewed by Wendy Keel, The Romance Readers Connection Rating 4 1/2

"Off the Record is a love story. It's a story about forgiveness. It's a story about grace. It's a story about God's redemption. It's a very personal story. The thing that grabbed me about Off the Record was not the action. It was all about the characters for me. I didn't care about the politics. I didn't care about the journalism aspects. I didn't care about any private investigators. I cared about the people--the hero and heroine. I loved, loved, loved Cole McGaughan. And I loved their story. And I loved the writing. Loved it. Here's the opening sentence: Laurel Kincade, surrounded by reporters in the rotunda of the Alabama Judicial Building, suddenly understood her great-great grandmother's propensity to shoot Yankee invaders on sight and ask questions later. (11). But I also loved this line, 'Most of the world's ills would be cured if all its bottom-feeding scavengers were fried to a crisp and served with hushpuppies.' (18) Anyway, I really enjoyed this one! ~
Becky's Christian Reviews

"The theme of this book was letting God control your life and you staying out of it. It's these kind of spiritual threads that have been coming at the right time for me, and for our world in general. If any one individual could learn this lesson, Off the Record is a good book to start."
Winter, RodeoSuspense.blogspot.com

"I just have to say that I LOVED this book! Did I say that I LOVED it? This book combines a interest of mine (law and politics) with a wonderful Christian story. It really made me think about the politics in our country."
Janis, Dandelion Momma, http://www.janisrodgers.blogspot.com/

INTERVIEWS:

http://relzreviewz.blogspot.com/2007/08/interview-with-elizabeth-white.html/
http://pammeyerswrites.blogspot.com/
http://www.kellyklepfer.blogspot.com/
http://www.camys-loft.blogspot.com/

ELIZABETH WHITE is the author of Fireworks and Fair Game as well as the critically acclaimed Texas Gatekeepers series from Love Inspired Suspense. She lives in Mobile, Alabama, with her minister husband. Visit her on the web at www.elizabethwhite.net

In His Dreams by Gail Gaymer Martin.

I hate it when I goof.

I somehow missed blogging in early August about IN HIS DREAMS, the 3rd book in the Michigan Island Series released by Steeple Hill Love Inspired. This book is written by the wonderful, gracious, and talented Gail Gaymer Martin. If you haven't read Gail's books, RUN to the nearest bookseller (HURRY! It's only available at most stores during August) and grab this book, as well as her earlier ones if you can find them.

First a word about Gail -
Gail Gaymer Martin is an award-winning novelist for Steeple Hill and Barbour Publishing with over one million books in print and forty fiction novels or novellas. The second book in the Michigan Island Series, With Christmas In His Heart, was recently honored with the 2007 National Readers Choice Award in Inspirational. Her book, Writing The Christian Romance will be released in December from Writers Digest.

And the story -
Escape to beautiful Beaver Island could be the answer to Marsha Sullivan's need for a fresh start. Since her husband's death four years ago, Marsha had lost her way, but on Beaver Island, she had good memories to help guide her. Running into Jeff, her brother-in-law, in this paradise turned out to be a blessing. Not only did they share grief in losing their spouses, but also a warm bond began to form between them. Did God want her to love again? The only thing she knew for sure was that being with Jeff and his daughter felt like family.

Review: Top Pick! (4-1/2 stars) In His Dreams touches on sensitive issues, including the problems of an emotionally handicapped child. But Gail Gaymer Martin outdoes herself with the romance she threads throughout.

Questions and Answers from Gail about IN HIS DREAMS and about writing, in general -

1. Why did you write this story?

Michigan is blessed with the Great Lakes and a multitude of islands. I've enjoyed a number of them and I began to think about the thing that intrigues people about islands. As I thought, I realized islands might make an interesting setting for a series. My first book was set on Harsens Island in Lake St. Clair, was based on a real experience of mine, and I used it to spark a story idea. The second book, With Christmas In His Heart, was set on Mackinac Island, a charming and amazing island that's like stepping back in time. Mackinac has no motorized vehicles, and people who live there walk, ride bikes, horseback, or horse and carriage. This book was inspired by my visit to the historical island which an amazing history. I'd spent a week in a chalet which I used for my heroine Marsha and many of the places mentioned in the book are real. The final book to be released in January 2008 is set on the awesome Les Cheneaux Islands and Drummond Island in northern Michigan. The series was such a joy to write.

2. How do you write? Do your characters come to you first or the plot or the world of the story?


How a story comes to me is not consistent. I might hear a Bible verse in church, notice something in a stained glass window that strikes me. I can get a story idea from song lyrics or an article in the newspaper. I might hear a real life event or situation that brings a story to mind. I might meet someone who has an interesting take on life. Sometimes I visit a place and think that I'd like to set in a story there. Whichever comes first, close behind are the other aspects of what I need. If I have a setting, the plot will be on its tail and then the kind of characters needed to make the story work. My last three book series proposals were based on location. I have completed the Michigan Island series--stories set on four different Michigan Islands as I mentioned. The next book series came to mind while spending time in the Monterey area where my nieces live, and finally, my travels have resulted in a new series idea for Steeple Hill Love Inspired set partially in the U.S. and partially in a foreign country.

3. What do you love about being an author? Is there anything you dislike?

I love writing and creating, and I enjoy meeting readers and receiving their letters.. Sharing my faith in stories that entertain is a blessing for me, and touching people's lives with the message in the story is an honor. I am awed that the Lord has blessed me in this way. What I don't like are the pressures of deadlines when they overlap. Then my life becomes so very stressed, especially when I find myself working on two or three books at one time. Then it's not fun.

4. What genre(s) do you write? Why do you write the stories that you write?


My books all contain romance. I write basically Christian romance, romantic suspense and women's fiction with romance. I was never a reader of romance, but I happened to meet many writers who wrote in that genre, and it just happened. Since I sold my first novel in one year, I believe that's what the Lord meant me to do. I have always read suspense and romantic suspense--older authors such as Mary Stewart and Phyllis Whitney, and I love suspense.

5. What would you want readers to take away from your books?


My takeaway message is always one of faith but varies with each book. If I were to give a blanket statement, I would want readers to know that they are not alone, but God is with them and offers them forgiveness, love, mercy, comfort, and eternal life if they believe in God's son, Jesus Christ, and His sacrificial death for our sins.


Gail, Thanks for sharing with us!! ~ Christine

I'm having an invisible day. . .two days really. I have a lot of business things to take care of and I'm sending emails fast and furious to several people. And not getting replies.

In this world of instant gratification, it's hard to wait. I want to just keep pinging away with emails - CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW? I know it's not my email server because I've sent out a few casual emails to friends, just to check, and they responded. Oops. If they're reading this, now they'll think I was just using them. Maybe they've heard that old adage - Friends aren't to be used and thrown away. . . They can be used over and over again. :)

So I wait. And write while I wait, as if I'm not waiting. Otherwise I'm too distracted to get the story on the page. One of my favorite scriptures is Isaiah 40: 31 - But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

That makes it all worth the wait.

Labels: invisible, unanswered emails, waiting

State of Grace
Book #2 in Mystery and the Minister's Wife
by Traci DePree

Unveiling her deepest secret could save her daughter's life.

Kate Hanlon is at it again. Minister's wife, stained-glass artist, and sometimes sleuth, Kate Hanlon discovers more than she bargained for when she visits a woman whose daughter is battling leukemia. Before she knows it she's on the road uncovering clues that could be the girl's very survival.

Book #2 in Mystery and the Minister's Wife, A State of Grace picks up where Through the Fire left off as Kate and Paul Hanlon learn about life in small town Tennessee. Follow Kate as she comes to know the town and its inhabitants. Admire her persistence, intelligence, and strength of character as she slowly, but surely, begins to unlock the town's secrets.


About the author: Traci DePree is the author of four novels, including the Lake Emily series by WaterBrook Press. She, her husband, and their five children make their home in a small town in rural Minnesota.

About the series: Each novel in the MYSTERY AND THE MINISTER'S WIFE series is a page-turner, a good old-fashioned "whodunit." They're books that bring truth to light, that reveal dreams, and that show that trust in God always trumps fear and anxiety.

Learn more about Traci DePree and her work at www.tracidepree.com or visit her blogs at http://tracidepree.com/blog/rural-life/ and http://tracidepree.com/blog/christian-fiction/

Readers have two options for ordering this book or the series. They can join the series online from the following page: http://shopguideposts.com/product.asp?0=205&1=222&3=368 or they can call the customer service number, which is 1-800-431-2344. There, they can sign up for the series, in which case they will get every book (a new shipment every six weeks), or they can request specific books in the series (i.e. A State of Grace).

Christine here: I love mysteries and can't wait to get caught up on this series! Traci, thanks for sharing this with us.