Tag Archives: Hope Welborn

Spotlight on Romantic Suspense — Taken Without A Trace

26 Aug
Taken Without a Trace JustRead Blog Tour

Welcome to the Blog Tour for Taken Without a Trace by Hope Welborn, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

About The Book

Taken Without a Trace

Title: Taken Without a Trace
Author: Hope Welborn
Publisher: Love Inspired Suspense
Release Date: August 25, 2026
Genre: Romantic Suspense

A missing person case…

or a deadly cover-up?

Georgia Special Agent Cash Brenner gets an anonymous tip on a cold case that’s haunted him for years—but following the lead has him walking into a deadly ambush. He’s saved by his ex, private investigator Maya Reid, who is on a mission to find her missing sister. As eerie similarities between their investigations emerge and Cash grapples with memory loss from the attack, they must put their rocky past aside to find answers. With danger lurking at every turn, Cash and Maya need to act quickly to solve the case and locate Maya’s sister—or risk losing everything they hold dear.

From Love Inspired Suspense: Courage. Danger. Faith.

Excerpt

The truck sped up, too close for comfort. Maya increased her speed, but the truck stayed on her tail.

Couldn’t be road rage. She hadn’t cut him off on the freeway. A slice of fear traveled down her spine as the truck became more aggressive. Was it the same person from last night?

The area became more rural and the road curvier the farther from the freeway they went. Farmland and pastures spread out on either side of the road. The truck’s motor revved as it loomed behind her. Maybe she should call for help? She reached for her phone in the holder on her dash, but a sudden jolt shuddered through the car, jerking her hand away.

The truck had hit her bumper. And he was coming back for more.

Maya sped up, but she was no match for the truck. He rammed her again, and she held tight to the steering wheel as her car veered off the shoulder. She corrected and pulled her SUV into the lane again, only to be hit again.

Up ahead, the bridge over Coley Lake came into view. Oh no. If he hit her again, she could go over the side. She pressed her gas pedal down as far as it would go, but the truck kept coming.

Another hit, then a loud pop. Her car swerved wildly to the right. Her tire had blown! Maya struggled to control the vehicle, but it went into a spin. Her hands slipped from the wheel as the SUV hit the guardrail and flipped over it.

Maya shut her eyes as the car plunged over the side.PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | Harlequin | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | ChristianBook | Bookshop | BookBub

Also Available

About The Author

Hope Welborn

Award-winning author Hope Welborn writes spine-tingling suspense, sprinkled with romance, and saturated with faith. By day, she masquerades as a digital content marketing technology specialist, and by night, she stays up too late putting words on the page. Hope is also co-owner and design/technology manager for Spark Flash Fiction and a member of the Suspense Squad. She has two indie published works, and her next novel will release from Love Inspired Suspense in August 2026. She is represented by Tamela Hancock Murray of the Steve Laube Agency.

Connect with Hope by visiting hopewelborn.com to follow her on social media and subscribe to email newsletter updates.

Tour Giveaway

(1) winner will receive a signed paperback copy of Taken Without a Trace, a copy of both Hidden and Trail of Danger (also by Hope Welborn), and a $15 Amazon gift card!

Taken Without a Trace blog tour giveaway JustRead

Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight August 24, 2026 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on August 31, 2026. Winners will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Giveaway is subject to JustRead Publicity Tours Giveaway Policies.

Enter Giveaway

Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!

JustRead Publicity Tours

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First Line Friday — Taken Without A Trace

7 Aug

I am so excited for the upcoming release of Taken Without A Trace, the newest romantic suspense by Hope Welborn. Hope is a fantastic author, and I can’t wait to dig into this book! It releases on August 25, 2026.

For now, here’s the first line:

He was going to die.

A missing person case . . . or a deadly cover-up?

Georgia Special Agent Cash Brenner gets an anonymous tip on a cold case that’s haunted him for years—but following the lead has him walking into a deadly ambush. He’s saved by his ex, private investigator Maya Reid, who is on a mission to find her missing sister. As eerie similarities between their investigations emerge and Cash grapples with memory loss from the attack, they must put their rocky past aside to find answers. With danger lurking at every turn, Cash and Maya need to act quickly to solve the case and locate Maya’s sister—or risk losing everything they hold dear.

Hope Welborn writes spine-tingling suspense, sprinkled with romance, and saturated with faith. Her manuscripts have won the ACFW Genesis Contest and the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference Foundations Awards in romantic suspense.

As a #writerwithadayjob, she spends her lunch hours creating small town characters who face big suspense with faith in a big God. By day, she masquerades as a digital content marketing technology specialist, and by night, she stays up too late putting words on the page.

Hope also serves as editor and web manager for Spark Flash Fiction and is a member of the Suspense Squad.

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Top 10 Tuesday — Cover Love Freebie

4 Aug

Happy Tuesday! Today’s TTT topic is a Cover Freebie. I went with something very simple — main characters on book covers. While I like lots of cover styles, it is always interesting to see how the publishers/authors envision the main characters. I have heard that traditional publishers vary in the input from authors when it comes to cover art, but we know that with an indie author, what you see is what is in their imagination. The books on my list are from recent reads. I hope you find one to love.

Do you like people on book covers?

For more cover love, check out That Artsy Reader Girl.

Top Book Covers Featuring People

Della’s Song by Donna Jo Stone

Last to Fall by Lynn H. Blackburn

Miss Beth Bettencourt by Eva Marie Everson

Mists over The Channel Islands by Sara Sundin

On Living Stone by Heather Kaufman

Secrets Chase Her by Rachel Dylan

Taking A Second Shot by Leslie Kirby DeVooght

Trail of Danger by Hope Welborn

Until April by Janet W. Ferguson

When The Silence Breaks by Elizabeth Goddard

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Top 10 Tuesday — Most Anticipated Books of The Second Half of 2026

30 Jun

Happy Tuesday! Today TTT bloggers are sharing upcoming books that they cannot wait to read. It’s really hard to limit the list to just 10, but here goes.

For more books bloggers can’t wait for, please visit That Artsy Reader Girl.

Books I Can’t Wait to Read (Releasing Second Half of 2026)

The Bachelor Spy by Pepper Basham (July)

Fatal Finale by Nancy Mehl (August)

Library of Forbidden Books by Mario Escobar (September)

The Resurrection of Evania James by Jaime Jo Wright (October)

The Second Chance Trailer Park by Katie Powner (July)

Taken without A Trace by Hope Welborn (August)

Things We Cannot Keep by Amanda Cox (August)

Twelve Days And Twelfth Night by Sarah Sundin (September)

Twilight Tactics by Lynette Eason (August)

When Silence Breaks by Elizabeth Goddard (August)

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Mini-Book Review — Trail of Danger

23 Apr

If you are looking for a quick weekend read full of adventure, suspense, and romance, then consider Trail of Danger by Hope Welborn. Set in the north Georgia mountains along the Appalachian Trail, the two main characters — Huck, a hydrologist with the Army and Jenna, a national parks ranger — fight the elements as they elude very dangerous bad guys! The two were childhood best friends until they weren’t. Past baggage, guilt, and fear of rejection keep the two fighting attraction, but this a romantic suspense novel, so an HEA is in their future. I really liked the two characters and was rooting for them all the way. Their struggles and faith journeys were real and relatable. The north Georgia setting was special to me — most of the action takes place relatively close to my cottage in the woods. But if you are unfamiliar with the area, the author’s descriptions will have you vicariously viewing stunning waterfalls, or tripping over roots and enduring torrential rain 😉 . Actual or armchair hikers are going to love this book! The bad guys are very, very bad and not who you might think they are. Dumping toxic chemicals into pristine waterways is so not cool! The mystery is twisting, but the two characters, are tenacious at discovering just who and what is going on.

I read Trail of Danger on a visit to my cottage in the woods of north Georgia, and felt like I was along for the ride. You will too!

Recommended.

Audience: Adults.

(I borrowed the ebook from Kindle Unlimited. All opinions expressed are mine alone.)

A mysterious toxin leads to a deadly pursuit along the Appalachian Trail

Scott “Huck” Huxton, Jr. has returned to his hometown, a place full of painful reminders of his troubled childhood. An urgent plea from his sister spurs him to find the cause of the puzzling illness plaguing her and her infant son. Utilizing his skills from the Army’s Environmental Command, Huck discovers toxic waste in the Chattahoochee River.

Forest Ranger Jenna Davenport thought she would never see Huck again, after her mistake destroyed his family. But when he asks for help, she can’t turn him down. This could be the second chance she’s hoped for, as long as he doesn’t discover the terrible secret she has carried for over a decade.

Targeted by the criminals behind the contamination, they escape along the Appalachian Trail. But danger follows them, leading them on a perilous journey through the national forest. As Huck and Jenna fight for survival, they must also face their past and the secret that could destroy their future.

Hope Welborn writes spine-tingling suspense, sprinkled with romance, and saturated with faith. Her manuscripts have won the ACFW Genesis Contest and the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference Foundations Awards in romantic suspense.

As a #writerwithadayjob, she spends her lunch hours creating small town characters who face big suspense with faith in a big God. By day, she masquerades as a digital content marketing technology specialist, and by night, she stays up too late putting words on the page.

Hope also serves as editor and web manager for Spark Flash Fiction and is a member of the Suspense Squad.

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First Line Friday — Trail of Danger

17 Apr

Happy Friday! Today I am in one of my happy places, and what better way to relax is with a book set just a few miles (as the crow flies) down the road. Trail of Danger by Hope Welborn is action-packed right from the beginning — I love a fast-paced suspense!

Here’s the first line:

Scott Hutton, Jr. Sloshed through the shallow waters at the edge of the Chattahoochee River and trudged up the bank to dry ground.

A mysterious toxin leads to a deadly pursuit along the Appalachian Trail

Scott “Huck” Huxton, Jr. has returned to his hometown, a place full of painful reminders of his troubled childhood. An urgent plea from his sister spurs him to find the cause of the puzzling illness plaguing her and her infant son. Utilizing his skills from the Army’s Environmental Command, Huck discovers toxic waste in the Chattahoochee River.

Forest Ranger Jenna Davenport thought she would never see Huck again, after her mistake destroyed his family. But when he asks for help, she can’t turn him down. This could be the second chance she’s hoped for, as long as he doesn’t discover the terrible secret she has carried for over a decade.

Targeted by the criminals behind the contamination, they escape along the Appalachian Trail. But danger follows them, leading them on a perilous journey through the national forest. As Huck and Jenna fight for survival, they must also face their past and the secret that could destroy their future.

Hope Welborn writes spine-tingling suspense, sprinkled with romance, and saturated with faith. Her manuscripts have won the ACFW Genesis Contest and the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference Foundations Awards in romantic suspense.

As a #writerwithadayjob, she spends her lunch hours creating small town characters who face big suspense with faith in a big God. By day, she masquerades as a digital content marketing technology specialist, and by night, she stays up too late putting words on the page.

Hope also serves as editor and web manager for Spark Flash Fiction and is a member of the Suspense Squad.

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Top 10 Tuesday — Alter Ego!

14 Apr

Happy Tuesday! Today’s TTT topic is book titles that describe me or my life. Uh, no! LOL! I read a lot of mystery/suspense and those titles can be seriously scary. And besides, I am a huge rule follower — just ask my husband, the man who never saw a rule that couldn’t in some fashion be broken. 😉 So I decided to flip the topic and go with titles that would describe my evil twin aka alter ego. This was a fun post to put together. I hope you enjoy it and find a great book to read.

For more insights into the real bloggers’ lives, please visit That Artsy Reader Girl.

Top Titles That Describe My Alter Ego

If I was one to take on a life of crime, I would want to be thought of as a member of The Queens of Crime. In pursuit of the lofty title I’d travel to Scotland and perpetrate a Highland Heist. Not sure if that would include a few shaggy cows, but who knows what a thief could discover among the heather. I might Ambush a man in a kilt to help me carry all the loot, making sure I hide my identity and not let on An Appearance of Impropriety. I must maintain an air of integrity and not get caught! But if I’m found out and pursued by the coppers, I’ll make sure my crimes are well Hidden by a Canyon of Deceit so I am not forced into Taking A Second Shot to fend them off. A good criminal must be able To Outwit Them All! If I’m not successful, the authorities will say that Death Follows Her and I may be presumed Guilty Until Innocent .

Here’s a tip: the authors of these books are way better at telling tales than I am. Check out their fabulous books!

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Top 10 Tuesday — New-To-Me Authors

27 Jan

Happy Tuesday! Today we are talking about bookish discoveries (new authors, new genres, new bookstores, etc.). My lists consists of new-to-me-authors and the first book (but not the last) I read in 2025. I had a great reading year, and these authors added greatly to the fun. I hope you discover a new author too!

For more bookish discoveries, please visit That Artsy Reader Girl.

Top New-To-Me Authors from 2025

Jayna Breigh — The Hunted Heir

Crystal Caudill — Written in Secret

Leslie Kirby DeVooght — Stealing Magnolias

T. I. Lowe — Indigo Isle

Jamie Ogle — Of Love And Treason

Naomi Stephens — The Burning of Rosemont Abbey

Donna Jo Stone — When Wildflowers Bloom Again

Hope Welborn — Hidden

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First Line Friday — Hidden

26 Dec

Continuing with my Christmas book reading binge, I am featuring Hidden by Hope Welborn, a novella-length romantic suspense. The cover and the first line certainly give me the chills! 😉 Hope will be participating in the Read, White, and Blue Book Festival in Perry, Georgia in February 2026. I can’t wait!

Here’s the first line:

Large, fluffy snowflakes swirled in the wind, adding to the mass of white blanketing the ground.

All she wants is a peaceful Christmas…

Young widow Alison Bailey-Curtis seeks the comfort and familiarity of her family’s North Georgia mountain cabin to escape for the holidays.

But someone is following her and a snowstorm has her trapped.

With an unknown threat tracking her every move, she must rely on the one man she swore never to trust again – Special Agent Noah Chandler.

Noah’s sole mission is to protect Alison without blowing his cover. But as danger closes in, protecting her means resurrecting a web of lies and facing their painful past.

With nowhere to run, Alison and Noah must confront their deepest fears and insecurities, relying on each other for survival.

Can they unravel the truth before the enemy strikes, or will the shattered trust between them be their downfall?

Hope Welborn writes spine-tingling suspense, sprinkled with romance, and saturated with faith. Her manuscripts have won the ACFW Genesis Contest and the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference Foundations Awards in romantic suspense.

As a #writerwithadayjob, she spends her lunch hours creating small town characters who face big suspense with faith in a big God. By day, she masquerades as a digital content marketing technology specialist, and by night, she stays up too late putting words on the page.

Hope also serves as editor and web manager for Spark Flash Fiction and is a member of the Suspense Squad. She is represented by Tamela Hancock Murray of the Steve Laube Agency.

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Mini-Book Review — Hidden

22 Dec

Hidden by Hope Welborn is a romantic suspense novella perfect for Christmas Eve reading. Allison thinks someone is after her, or is she just paranoid? Taking no chances she flees to her family’s north Georgia cabin, but real danger follows her, along with a snowstorm! She is joined by Noah, once-upon-a-time-friend turned betrayer. He says he’s there to help, but can he really be trusted? The twists and turns come fast and furious in this book. And I didn’t see the ending coming! At just a little bit over 100 pages, you can uncover the mystery before you hang up your stocking for Santa. 😉 I like the idea of the Icelandic tradition of giving and reading books on Christmas Eve, and Hidden is a great choice to gift yourself. So snuggle under the covers with some cocoa and find the HEA along with Allison.

Recommended.

Audience: Adults.

(I borrowed this book from Kindle Unlimited. All opinions expressed are mine alone.)

All she wants is a peaceful Christmas…

Young widow Alison Bailey-Curtis seeks the comfort and familiarity of her family’s North Georgia mountain cabin to escape for the holidays.

But someone is following her and a snowstorm has her trapped.

With an unknown threat tracking her every move, she must rely on the one man she swore never to trust again – Special Agent Noah Chandler.

Noah’s sole mission is to protect Alison without blowing his cover. But as danger closes in, protecting her means resurrecting a web of lies and facing their painful past.

With nowhere to run, Alison and Noah must confront their deepest fears and insecurities, relying on each other for survival.

Can they unravel the truth before the enemy strikes, or will the shattered trust between them be their downfall?

Hope Welborn writes spine-tingling suspense, sprinkled with romance, and saturated with faith. Her manuscripts have won the ACFW Genesis Contest and the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference Foundations Awards in romantic suspense.

As a #writerwithadayjob, she spends her lunch hours creating small town characters who face big suspense with faith in a big God. By day, she masquerades as a digital content marketing technology specialist, and by night, she stays up too late putting words on the page.

Hope also serves as editor and web manager for Spark Flash Fiction and is a member of the Suspense Squad. She is represented by Tamela Hancock Murray of the Steve Laube Agency.

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