How to Write a Suspense

by Susan May Warren, @SusanMayWarren

Summer is in full swing. Which means one thing: We’re one season closer to football. We love football, and the wait is killing us. But one of the things I love about football is that it’s a great metaphor for nearly everything.

Like writing a suspense novel. A football game has all the elements of a great suspense novel: the players we love, an objective, a playbook on how to win the day, villains, truth tellers (called coaches) on the sidelines and deadline for “game over.”

I could blogged all year about suspense, but I can’t cover all that territory today, so we’re going to touch on the one big element every suspense should have: The Big Event.

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Micro-Tools of Suspense

By Ronie Kendig

Microscopic. Micro-changes. Micro-expressions. They’re little pieces that cumulatively make a big difference. That is true of writing and of suspense as well—we have micro-tools for fine-tuning suspense (a scene or a whole novel). 

Suspense is not merely someone or some city in danger. There is more involved in creating suspense than putting a weapon in a villain’s hand or having the heroine fighting for her life. Outside the plot and your characters, suspense is nuanced throughout a story using many techniques, but we’ll focus on two: word choice & placement, sentence/paragraph length and pacing. 

Don't use words too big for the subject. Don't say 'infinitely' when you mean 'very'; otherwise you'll have no word left when you want to talk about something really infinite. ~C. S. Lewis 

The point? Be intentional with your words. Word choices should: 

1. Reflect the pace – the more general the word, the more benign the impact. Make them matter!
2. Reflect your character – your characters should not all sound alike
3. Reflect the mood – use more intentional words to mirror what your character is feeling of what’s being done to them. Our word choices change when we’re frustrated or angry; so should your character's words. 

Consider word choice placement. In my “Mind Magic” workshop, we talk about “white/negative space,” a marketing/design concept that capitalizes on the negative (white) space of a design, letting the audience’s brain naturally fill in the rest. Also, speed readers are often taught to read the beginning and end of a sentence, and the beginning/end of a paragraph and then let their brains fill in the rest.

Negative Space forms face

By being intentional with word placement, writers can use the white/negative space concept to capitalize on what readers’ brains do naturally—fill in the rest—to create hooks. We’re taught to do this at scene and chapter breaks, but we should also be more intentional with word placement throughout our scenes and chapters. We have stronger words now that we don’t want to bury in the middle of a sentence or paragraph. If you have to, rearrange so the stronger words are more easily detected and a quick (often unconscious) first impression of what’s coming is engaging. 

Another topic in the "Mind Magic" workshop is length, which applies to blogs, articles (ahem), books, speeches, and so on. Ultimately, no matter if it’s a sentence or a paragraph, length determines viability and interest. Think about Twitter, which restricts tweets to 140 characters. Today’s society wants things faster, and we need to keep that in mind when writing scenes. Here are a few tips for brevity in writing:  

1. Monitor Sentence/Paragraph Length – Make it as simple as possible for a reader to move through and enjoy your story. Sentences should be a natural length and there should be a variety of lengths as well. It’s a good idea to break narrative passages into smaller chunks and ensure that each is vital to the story.
2. Fragments Are Our Friends (Sometimes) – it’s okay to cut a sentence short if it fits the character, pacing of a scene or chapter, or the mood (more suspenseful). Fragments are wonderful for creating a jarring presence, which is perfect for action or surprise. 
3. Shorter Sentences Create Movement – Shorter sentences are read faster (obvious, huh?) paragraph and a sentence are great ways to increase the reading speed, giving the reader a sense of faster movement with the characters. 
4. Longer Sentences Allow for Breathing – if you’ve amped up a scene and sliced/diced sentences, then draw it back down after with longer sentences that allow your readers’ breathing to slow. Think of it as the giddy (or nervous) exhale of relief after a roller-coaster ride.

Suspense nuances really ratchet up the tension and your reader's heart rate! Were these tips helpful for you? Do you have a question for Ronie to address about writing suspense? Comment below! 

TWEETABLES

Micro Tools of Suspense by Ronie Kendig (Click to Tweet)

Be intentional with your words~ Ronie Kendig (Click to Tweet)

* * * * * 

Ronie Kendig is an award-winning, bestselling author who grew up an Army brat. After twenty-five years of marriage, she and her hunky hero husband have a full life with their children and a retired military working dog in Northern Virginia. Ronie can be found at:

     www.roniekendig.com

     Facebook (www.facebook.com/rapidfirefiction)
     Twitter (@roniekendig)
     Goodreads (www.goodreads.com/RonieK)
     Instagram (@kendigronie)
     Pinterest (http://www.pinterest.com/roniek/)!

DOWNLOAD Ronie's newest release--the FREE digital prequel novella, THE WARRIOR'S SEAL! 

CONSPIRACY OF SILENCE (Tox Files #1) releases Dec 6th and was given 4.5 stars & named a TOP PICK by RT BookReviews!

"...fast-moving, roller-coaster thriller..." ~Booklist

"Kendig keeps the tensions high and the pace lightning fast, with military action scenes worthy of Vince Flynn." ~Publishers Weekly

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For Thereby Hangs a Tale (Using the Hook in Writing)

by Linore Rose Burkard

Don't you love a television serial where every episode leaves you hanging? Each installment reveals something new while resolving the prior hook you were left dangling from. Then, just when you're taking a sigh of relief—your protagonist is safe! Again! A new hook arises, peril is re-introduced and—the episode ends.

They did it again—they left you hanging.

And you loved it! You can't wait for that next episode to see how your endangered favorite characters are going to get through this one unscathed. You are poised on that closing hook--captured by the writers--just where they want you.

Recognize that this is a formula and make it your template.

When I write YA/Suspense, you better believe I'm putting hooks at the end of each chapter, and sometimes (since my current series has three protagonists) at the end of each scene. Not all hooks are equally compelling, but they will make your reader eager to keep those pages turning.

This isn't ground-breaking technique for writers of suspense. However, if you are NOT using the hook as a regular feature in your novels--no matter the genre--you're leaving money on the table, so to speak. Your stories are probably not page-turners.

The Handy Red Herring

Sometimes a hook is nothing more than a red herring, but these hooks are handy because they allow you to quickly resolve the peril and get back to the real story. It's not a letdown or contrivance, though: It has to seem like a real threat—that just happens to have a real reason for not remaining a threat.

An example is in order: (You're getting a peek into my soon-to-be released novel, RESILIENCE.) A brother and sister pair of survivors have come across an older man on a farmstead who, after briefly assessing them, decides they're safe enough to bring inside and offer water. In a post-apocalyptic world, water is life, so Sarah (the POV character) and Richard, her brother, accompany him with high hopes.  The old man discloses gruffly, 

"We old-timers have a good amount of information you young people have no clue about. We know how to survive!" As we entered the house, he stopped to face us. "That is, if we're left to do it. People keep trying to kill us, though. Don't they, Martha?" 

"They do," said a voice to our left. And there, on her feet in a little side room stood "Martha," the littlest old lady you can imagine. She had on a nightgown and robe, and an old-fashioned sleeping cap, from which white curls stuck out on the sides. She would have been cute, like anyone's grandma--except she glowered in our direction and held a shotgun, pointed right at us. [END SCENE] 

The next page moves to a second protagonist so the reader won't know if Martha takes a shot until the narrative returns to Sarah's POV. But Martha is a red herring. Sarah, who is physically and emotionally fragile, bursts into tears--which melts Martha's maternal heart. The danger ends quickly--but not until the reader reaches that next "episode" in the book. The hook serves to draw them there. 

What Happens Next?

A hook is an upside-down question mark.

An effective hook begs the question: What happens next?
Remember: A hook is an upside down question mark. Leave the reader with a question they must  know the answer to--and you've hooked 'em. 

2nd Example: Andrea is now the POV character. Shortly after her little brother is taken hostage and used for leverage by ruthless marauders (endangering his life), the following occurs:

The alarm wailed at us and we jumped to our feet. "Get those kids inside and downstairs!" Mrs. Martin cried, hurrying ahead of me. I soon passed her, my feet flying. No way was I gonna let my brothers or any of the kids face another hostage situation! I ran to the yard and looked frantically around. The children were nowhere in sight. [END SCENE]

How to Create A Hook
If writing hooks is new for you, here's a tip: When people hear a story they naturally want to hear the end. For a smaller story you've got going (within the greater story of the novel) simply cut off the end--save it for the next chapter. You've just created suspense, even if it's mild suspense. If you can stop the action at  a pivotal point you've created a hook. Your hook doesn't require a life-or-death situation, but the greater the stakes involved, the more the reader will need to see what's next.

Does it Work?

Judge for yourself: I quickly grabbed a few lines from Amazon reviews for PULSE, the book that precedes RESILIENCE in the PULSE EFFEX series.

 "Grips the reader from the first chapter and has you begging for the end."

"A page turner from the very beginning." 

"Never a dull moment when reading (Linore Burkard's) stories!"

"Had trouble putting it down. I kept reading, wanting to know what happened next." 

"Such an exciting story...I absolutely loved this book! I kept reading it and reading and reading. I just couldn't put it down."

"Sizzles with tension."

Action Step
Try and plant a hook at the end of the chapter you're working on.  Keep doing so, and like those television serials we love to watch, your hooks will keep the story from sagging, holding it up even throughout the notoriously difficult middle section. Who knows? You may even discover that thereby hangs your tale!

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SIT! STAY! LOVE!

Dana Mentink is a two time American Christian Fiction Writers Carol Award winner. She is the author of over thirty titles in the suspense and lighthearted romance genres. Her suspense novel, Betrayal in the Badlands, earned a Romantic Times Reviewer’s Choice Award and she has also been honored with a Holt Medallion Award of Merit. She is pleased to write for Harlequin’s Love Inspired Suspense and Harlequin Heartwarming. Besides writing, she busies herself teaching third grade. Mostly, she loves to be home with Papa Bear, Yogi, Boo Boo, a dog with social anxiety problems, a chubby box turtle and a feisty parakeet.

My writing is going to the dogs lately. No kidding. It's strange how life parallels art sometimes. As I worked on Sit, Stay, Love, my first dog-themed book about a pro baseball pitcher and a geriatric pooch named Tippy, my own sweet old doggie was about to take her final walk. Nala was a part of our family for thirteen years and I knew that she was entering her final weeks as I pounded away on my keyboard. I found the scenes I wrote about the fictional Tippy were extra poignant, as I watched my sweet Nala enjoy napping in the sun and eagerly plodding along through her (slow) morning walks.

In addition to Sit, Stay, Love, I was working on a K-9 continuity for Love Inspired Suspense! I delved into the world of bloodhounds, otherwise known as “noses with dogs attached" for that story. So while my fictional dogs flourished, my own darling Nala passed away, just as both books were headed off to the editors. Oh how I cried. I still do. There will never be another dog like my adorable Nala, my writing partner, my devoted friend. For a long time the house felt empty without the jingle of her collar, and I looked for her in the hallway and lying on the grass in every patch of sunlight.

But time has a way of passing, doesn't it? Spring has brought us a wild, wiry little mutt named Junie. We went to the Animal Rescue foundation in search of an older, mid-sized dog and we emerged with a ten-pound puppy who adores her squeaky toys and steals my pencils at every opportunity.

Odd, that a similar wild, wiry little mutt named Jellybean is currently finding his way into my work-in-progress. Junie's a bundle of zany energy, she eats absolutely everything and as I type this, she is knocking all the pillows off the sofa. Will this insanity be a part of Jellybean's character in Paws for Love? Oh you betcha. I wonder what our box turtle will think after she awakens from her three-month hibernation to find out there's a puppy waiting to sniff, poke and pester her? "Doggone it!" I imagine she'll say before she goes to find a nice hole to hide in.

I don't even want to know what the parakeet thinks!

Sit Stay Love

Take one abrasive professional athlete, a quirky out-of-work schoolteacher, and an overweight geriatric dog, and you're ready for a lesson in love...Tippy style.

Pro baseball pitcher Cal Crawford is not a dog guy. When he inherits his deceased mother's elderly dog, Tippy, he's quick to call on a pet-sitting service.

Gina isn't thrilled to be a dog sitter when her aspirations lie in the classroom. Furthermore, she can't abide the unfriendly Cal, a man with all the charm of a wet towel. But with no other prospects and a deep love for all things canine, she takes the job caring for Tippy.

As Gina travels through Cal's world with Tippy in tow, she begins to see Cal in a different light. Gina longs to show Cal the God-given blessings in his life that have nothing to do with baseball or fame. When her longing blooms into attraction, Gina does her best to suppress it. But Cal is falling in love with her too...

Discover the charming story of Tippy, the dog who brought a family together.

TWEETABLES

#Author @DanaMentink's writing goes to the dogs. Read her new release Sit, Stay, Love! (Click to Tweet)

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Pseudonym

by Yvonne Lehman

Dr. Hensley and Diana Savage seriously challenge the stereotypical phrase coined by George Bernard Shaw in 1903, “Those who can, do and those who can't teach." This amazingly creative duo does both—write and teach. The good doctor, more affectionately known as Doc Hensley, chair's the Department of Professional Writing at Taylor University. While Diana Savage, in addition to speaking and providing professional writing, editing and website management assistance through Savage Creative Writing Services, LLC is also director of Northwest Christian Writers Association. 

NOTHING LIKE ANYTHING…

I suppose anyone in the writing profession knows of Dr. Dennis E. Hensley, affectionately called “Doc Hensley,” or simply “Doc.” If they don’t, they should. He has the reputation of being about the best writing teacher there is, and writes with excellence. My first meeting with him was a couple of decades ago when I introduced him at the Blue Ridge Writers Conference as a man who had four university degrees. That was inhibiting, until I quickly discovered he was as nice as he is smart. And now, I want to introduce you to his latest book, Pseudonym, co-authored with Diana Savage, and released by Whitaker House in January 2016.

“Nothing like anything that has come before,” is what Cathy Shouse said about this book in her Indiana Marion Chronicle-Tribune article. “The book, simply entitled Pseudonym,” she wrote, “is being described as a suspense and mainstream drama.”

No experience is lost on writers. They can make a story from any idea, and Doc Hensley’s idea for this book came 20 years ago. His speaking engagement had ended and he was eager to fly home. But being the kind soul he is, he gave up his seat to a woman desperate to get to California to see her husband before he left for his military assignment overseas. While waiting for a later flight, Doc Hensley wasted no time, but did what writers know makes a good story and began to ponder, “What if?”

What if…two people secretly swapped tickets. What if…one of the planes crashed and the person killed aboard that flight had the wrong ID? He wrote that story in a year but publishers did what they often do and said, “Um, not for us.” They all thought it too much too edgy. After all, it contained elements of insurance fraud, divorce, casino gambling, and deception, to mention just a few of the mature, realistic themes of the novel.  

Twenty years later Doc pulled out that manuscript and shared it with Diana Savage, who had worked with him as his web master. She said he’d done a terrific job with the story, but for the situations he’d put his character in, he could use some updated female perspectives. He agreed, and she became his co-author. Doc Hensley believes that together they have become a great team in presenting this tale of real life and the choices people make. 

“Some characters choose wisely, others foolishly, and that, of course, is what creates plot conflict in a novel,” Hensley said. “The fact that early reviews in secular publications and Christian publications have both been extremely positive makes us feel that we hit the right balance of examining strong values without having to lecture or criticize anyone.” 

Pseudonym

What happens when a high school English teacher submits a student's paper to an award winning contest without her knowledge and the essay wins the Golden Quill Award for Writing Excellence? For eighteen-year-old Sheila Gray, the award verified...her dreams of becoming an author weren't all that far-fetched. However, for her suspicious, domineering father it meant trouble and she wasn't surprised when he said, "Writin' won't put food on yer table the way gardening and canning will."

It wasn't until Sheila mentioned the $500 cash award, the $100 savings bond and six-week college writing program scholarship that her father grabbed the envelope from her hand, studied the contents with disbelief and said, "What's the catch?"

Sheila knew there was only one "catch." Who would cook, clean and take care of her father and brothers while she was away? She had once said, "I'd give my life to become a best-selling author." What Sheila couldn't know was that her off-the-cuff remark would cost exactly that—her life.

Thus begins a riveting suspense tale with such true-to-life characterizations, so many twists, turns and continual surprises, the pages almost turn themselves. Add naiveté, an upper classman's diabolic agenda, a whirlwind summer romance and proposal of marriage attached to a deceptive promise, and you have an emotionally charged mystery-suspense impossible to put down. 

“I kept telling myself,” says Gail Welborn of the Seattle Examiner, “just one more page. But I couldn't stop. The true-to-life characterizations, intricate, in-depth and well-developed plot captured me up to and through the rocket-fueled ending. Narrative themes of submission, dominion, and the cost and drive of creativity, complicated by the wily hand of fate, will make readers question if they too might have "a date with destiny.”

“If you're looking for a book that prompts bursts of laughter, ‘Oh no's’ and outright cheers, Pseudonym belongs on your bookshelf, especially the shelf of anyone who harbors dreams of writing! When I reviewed Hensley's Jesus in the 9 to 5 December 2013,” states Welborn, “I saw he not only told a good story, but did so with a quirky dash of humor. Together these authors do that and more with Pseudonym.”

Dr. Hensley and Diana Savage seriously challenge the stereotypical phrase coined by George Bernard Shaw in 1903, “Those who can, do and those who can't teach." This amazingly creative duo does both—write and teach. Doc Hensley chair's the Department of Professional Writing at Taylor University. While Diana Savage, in addition to speaking and providing professional writing, editing and website management assistance through Savage Creative Services LLC is also director of Northwest Christian Writers Association.  

Yvonne Lehman, author of 56 novels and 5 non-fiction books in the Moments series, is former founder and director of the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference for 25 years and now director of Blue Ridge “Autumn in the Mountains” Novelists Retreat held October 16-20, 2016 at Ridgecrest/Lifeway Conference Center at Ridgecrest NC. Yvonnelehman3@gmail.comSavannah GA: The Caretaker’s Son, Lessons in Love, Seeking Mr. Perfect, (released in March, August, & November 2013). Her 50th novel is Hearts that Survive – A Novel of the TITANIC

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Staying in the Game by DiAnn Mills

Staying in the Game 

by DiAnn Mills

Running to be a Suspense Writer

I used to be a chicken. Now I write suspense novels.

In 1996, my husband said to me, “Stop telling me someday you’re going to write a book. Do it now. Quit your job. I give you one year to get anything published.”

So I did. With a great deal of stubborn attitude. I wrote devotions, articles, a short story, and a historical novel. All were published, and I never went back to my old job. In 1998, my first novel was released.

Oh, the excitement of tearing into the box of author copies. The cover ... the book’s name ... my name. A dream come true. The thrill never ends. And it shouldn’t.

That was a lot of books ago. But don’t think it’s been easy. The transition into suspense upped the challenge. Every book is a little tougher to write. The characterization must be deeper. The plot’s twists and turns unexpected. The setting more intense. The dialogue and emotion like a sword fight. But if writing were easy, everyone would have a bestseller.

Put boots on the ground and get the job done.

If you’ll think back to the time when writing began as a dream, the urge and passion to communicate through the written word became so powerful that you didn’t know what to do with it.

It was power.

It was passion.

It was alive.

It was undeniable.

Realization grew deep inside me that this new-found urgency came from outside the realm of my own being. Writing had become a calling and a ministry.

Here's my challenge to you. With the understanding that God has purposed you to write, I imagine He didn’t include a time table when you’d be published. If He did, please forward me that email.

I can also safely say the techniques and tools of the craft weren’t immediately drop-shipped into your brain. If so, I want that email too.

Writing is about hard work and sacrifices. We are in a constant state of learning the craft.

Our commitment to our craft may mean getting up at 4:00 a.m. to write, or giving up our coffee breaks, or bringing lunch from home and writing during the lunch hour, or staying up after everyone else is in bed, or giving up a Saturday afternoon nap. When we sacrifice money for conferences or purchase how-to books, do we ever wonder if it’s worth it? But sacrificing for our craft does not mean ignoring our families or not providing for those we love. If a writer is selfish and neglects his/her responsibilities, the sacrifice is worth nothing. Establish your priorities in a way that honors your God.

This is you!

Coretta Scott Kings said, “I learned that when you are willing to make sacrifices for a great cause, you will never be alone.”

What is holding you back from your goals? Be courageous and shake off those shackles. Now is the time to grasp the future.


DiAnn Mills is a bestselling author who believes her readers should expect an adventure. She combines unforgettable characters with unpredictable plots to create action-packed, suspense-filled novels.

Her titles have appeared on the CBA and ECPA bestseller lists; won two Christy Awards; and been finalists for the RITA, Daphne Du Maurier, Inspirational Readers’ Choice, and Carol award contests. Library Journal presented her with a Best Books 2014: Genre Fiction award in the Christian Fiction category for Firewall.

DiAnn is a founding board member of the American Christian Fiction Writers; the 2015 president of the Romance Writers of America’s Faith, Hope, & Love chapter; a member of Advanced Writers and Speakers Association, and International Thriller Writers. She speaks to various groups and teaches writing workshops around the country. She and her husband live in sunny Houston, Texas.

DiAnn is very active online and would love to connect with readers on any of the social media platforms listed at www.diannmills.com.

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Research Tips for Strengthening the Suspense Threads in Your Novel

by +AneMulligan  @AneMulligan

Sandra Orchard is the award-winning author of Deadly Devotion and Blind Trust with Revell Publishing and of many novels with Love Inspired Suspense. Her stories have garnered several Canadian Christian Writing Awards, a Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice Award, and a Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery/Suspense. She and her husband of 25+ years live in the heart of Niagara, Canada, not far from their three grown children and two adorable grandchildren. Learn more and check out the special bonus features for all her novels on her website or connect on Facebook

RESEARCH TIPS FOR STRENGTHENING THE SUSPENSE THREADS IN YOUR NOVEL

Since books and movies are fraught with inaccuracies when it comes to police and forensics etc, it’s easy to perpetuate those in our own stories. And to be honest, when I ask my go-to detective or my go-to former FBI agent questions, they’ll often say it’s fiction, you can fudge it to work. But…

The more you know about the elements in your story, the more authentic you can make them sound.

If you write in your contemporary novel that she smelled cordite after a gun was fired, every reader who knows anything about guns will know that you haven’t done your research—not the impression you want to make.

So where do you get your information? 

The internet is most writers first stop. You can input just about any question into Google’s search engine and get hundreds of thousands of answers. Some that might even be right.

But don’t let the internet be your only stop.

Other fabulous secondary sources include training manuals and autobiographies. They are great references and provide tons of inspiration for actual scenes you might use in your book.

When I wrote my upcoming release, Identity Withheld, which has a firefighter hero, I read a firefighter’s training manual and watched countless YouTube videos of fires to see how they travelled and to see what firefighters were doing and to hear what was going on. I often Google sounds and listen to them over and over so I can describe them.

Another great thing about the internet is that it makes it easy to connect with primary sources. Professionals in various fields, from police to lawyers to weapons experts, have started websites or yahoo loops to answer writers’ questions. A couple of my favorites are The Graveyard Shift and the Crime Scene Writers’ Loop.

But don’t be afraid to call or email professionals directly. While researching Identity Withheld, I spoke to volunteer firefighters, full-time firefighters, a retired fire chief, a paramedic and a retired fire marshal. Each provided different insights that proved vital to crafting the story. And all were eager to share their knowledge.

If you can visit such professionals in person, all the better!

Seeing and handling and smelling and otherwise experiencing the things you wish to include in your book is invaluable in depicting it in a gripping way. The Writer’s Police Academy was such an opportunity for me.

I did the same Firearms Training Simulator that recruits do and I’ll tell you when I shot a hostage taker in the head and saw his brains splattered on the wall behind him, in the uncomfortably realistic interactive video, I nearly went ballistic on the cop who commended me on my great shot.

But whew, afterward, could I ever accurately write about what goes through your mind and body in moments like those. And I had a far better appreciation for the internal conflicts my characters might deal with as a result.

Locally, you could visit a shooting range or participate in a citizen’s academy.

Be bold.

Thanks to being bold, I was able to meet my heroine’s “colleagues” at the St. Louis FBI headquarters while visiting the city to research the backdrop for my next mystery series with Revell.

The FBI has a unit dedicated to providing assistance to authors and movie producers. There is a formal process for seeking assistance, which you can read about here: http://www.fbi.gov/news/stories/2008/october/a-guide-for-writers-authors-and-producers-1

My contact has been fabulously helpful and arranged for an on-site interview while I was in St. Louis. The Special Agent and media contact I met while there were incredibly generous with their time, and patient in answering my questions and offering insights into how they operate.

It will be another year before that story hits bookshelves, but in the meantime, you can check out how I incorporated my fire investigation and witness security research into Identity Withheld:

WITNESS IN HIDING

After exposing an illegal adoption ring, newly named “Kara Grant” is promised safety in Witness Protection. But someone has found her—and wants her dead. If only she could trust the handsome firefighter who catches her fleeing from a suspicious fire. Jake Steele seems to think she’s guilty of burning her own home. But how can she tell him who she really is and what she’s been through without bringing danger to the widowed father’s door? Yet with the criminals fast closing in, taking such a risk might be her only chance at survival. Because the price she’ll pay for her silence could be her life.

As a special bonus, Deadly Devotion, first book in Sandra's Port Aster Secrets will be offered in free e-format on October 16th for one day only.

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