Tag Archives: suspense fiction

Book Bee’s Bloggers Choice Tour — Every Life Treasured

10 Jun
Book Bee Blogger's Choice JustRead Blog Tour

Welcome to the Book Bee Blogger’s Choice Blog Tour with JustRead Publicity Tours!

Every Life Treasured

I am excited to take part in the Book Bee’s Bloggers Choice Tour today. Bloggers are featuring books that they love and warrant some special attention. Every Life Treasured is a 3-novella collection from Jennifer Q. Hunt, Hannah Hood Lucero, and Aubrey Taylor that celebrates the value of life. 10% of the proceeds from the sale helps to support LoveLine, an organization that helps women reclaim motherhood. Each story is a different genre and a unique perspective from the authors. Give it a look!

A Mother’s Tender Hand by Jennifer Q. Hunt

While others praise her kindness as a social worker, for Alice Vogel it will never be enough. The needs brought on by the Great Depression are as endless as the guilt she can never outrun. Then she meets the Tanner family, who value people—even those the rest of society scorns. With her growing attraction to Seth Tanner and her unexpected admiration for his mother Milly, everything she believes is turned upside down. Will these new friendships that have transformed her life survive the truth of her story?

The Missionary and the Marine by Hannah Hood Lucero

Since her conversion from Islam, Nadia Hamdan has made it her life’s purpose to share the hope she has found in Jesus. As surprising as her new faith is the man she’s fallen in love with–a Marine who spent his career fighting men like her terrorist father. When Nadia vanishes without a trace, Walt nearly loses his own faith. But the aftermath of her captivity will demand a reckoning from them both in what they truly believe about God, life, and unconditional love.

Born for Adversity by Aubrey Taylor

A child grows in Lani’s womb, a constant reminder of the young man she loves and will never have. The handsome François Durant fancies her, and would give her a safe and comfortable life–if only she’ll have ‘it’ taken care of. Instead, Lani seeks solace with her family in Bavaria. There, she will not only face the decision whether to keep the child or give him up for adoption, she will also be challenged to overcome the desire for a man’s love–a challenge made more difficult by the kind young farmer down the road.

10% of all profits will go to the non-profit organization LoveLine which helps women reclaim motherhood.

Excerpts

A Mother’s Tender Hand by Jennifer Q. Hunt

Wednesday, September 19, 1934

Alice Vogel stood before a mill cottage in need of fresh white paint and a new tin roof. It would get neither, she knew, for the inhabitants hadn’t enough to eat. And that was why she was here.

She checked her Manila folder. The Tanner family. Father and Mother, both aged 44. He’d lost an arm in the Great War but had been working in Lindale’s textile mill until an injury last month. Nine children, six still at home. The youngest, Bobby, aged three, was listed as retarded.

She walked up the concrete steps from the street into the front yard. An old tire had been made into a swing that hung from a towering oak, and two gray rockers on the porch gently swayed in the breeze of the autumn day. The sounds of children playing and a rooster crowing came from the backyard. Alice marched up the brick porch steps and rapped on the screen door.

The Missionary And The Marine by Hannah Hood Lucero

12 Months and Three Days Ago

New Orleans, LA

” . . . Happy birthday, dear Walt. Happy birthday to you!” DuWayne Walters beamed at his makeshift family as they concluded the obligatory serenade. His facial muscles strained to maintain the expression when his friends and girlfriend transitioned into an off-key rendition of For He’s a Jolly Good Fellow. They meant well, but the reminder of his involuntary medical retirement from Marine special operations took a sizable chunk out of the enjoyment of being the center of attention.

Iris Jones had one hand resting on her swollen abdomen, fork hovering in her other as if she might stop the cake before it was even cut. Her husband, Barrett Jones, Esquire, draped his arm around her shoulders, restraining her and gently prompting her to lower the fork. They were liked night and day, not just because she was the scrappy street rat while he was from more refined stock.

Walt cleared his throat, pulse ticking up when his girlfriend of three years Nadia Hamdan, slid her hand into his. He automatically met her dark brown eyes which were glinting at him in the candlelit private room of the swanky French Quarter restaurant. Her bright red lips parted, but she didn’t get a word out before Iris spoke loudly across the table.

“You gonna blow that candle out before the whole top of the cake is coated with wax, birthday boy?”

Born for Adversity by Aubrey Reiss Taylor

Lorraine, France

(Formerly Lothringen of the German Reich)

April 1920

My sister grabs my hair as I heave forward into the basin. There is nothing left in my stomach. Monika coughs and waves a hand over her face. “Ugh, could you at least eat something?”

“I’ve tried.”

She tends to the bucket while I splash water on my face and rinse my mouth. I slump to the floor and run a hand over my hair. Monika reappears. “Lani, you have to tell Mama.”

“There is no way.”

“What are you going to do, you can’t hide it forever?” She pinches my side. “You know you can’t do that.”

“No, I know.”

“Once you start to show she’s going to send you away.”

“Would she really do that?”

“Why do you think Käthe went to Switzerland?”

“Because she got married.”

“Not at first.”

“Why did no one ever tell me?”

“Because you weren’t around.” She washes her hands. “Once you came back, it was old news.”

“So, what? We just don’t talk about it? I have a niece or nephew out there no one’s ever told me about?”

“The baby died,” Monika says matter-of-factly, “which for Käthe’s sake is good.”

About The Authors


A lifelong storyteller, Jennifer Q. Hunt has worked as a writer of both fiction and nonfiction, as well as an editor and ghostwriter. She has over twenty-five years of ministry writing experience for churches, pastors, and Christian ministries.

Jennifer writes fiction with faith and purpose. Her Sorrow and Song trilogy shows multi-generations as they wrestle with their place in history and following the Lord through challenging circumstances.

Back in north Georgia after several years away, Jennifer is a happy wife to Christopher and homeschool mother to four elementary-aged children.

For history tidbits, deleted scenes, and more “extras” as well as information about upcoming releases, visit jenniferqhunt.com or follow Jennifer on Facebook at Jennifer Q. Hunt, Author or Instagram @jennifer.q.hunt.author.

Hannah Hood Lucer0 is a wife, mom of three, Army veteran, and self-proclaimed word-slinger. While it is the brackish waters of the Mississippi Sound that flow through her veins, western North Carolina holds her heart. Her love for storytelling is the fruit of a lifetime of cultivation in the vibrant cultures of the Gulf Coast and the Blue Ridge Mountains. She currently resides in South Mississippi with her husband and three children on their ten-acre homestead. They have a dog, thirteen chickens, and at least fifty species of mosquitos, depending on the month of the year. When she isn’t in the garden, at the stove, or homeschooling, she can be found at her computer—just follow the sound of frenetic typing. Her motto is, “Draft, edit, read, repeat.”


In her Gott Mit Uns Series, and her new Separate Ways Series, Aubrey Reiss Taylor unites a fascination for history with a passion for redemption, creating a unique brand of gritty, honest wartime sagas, written from the German perspective. She is the mother of three, and married to her best friend Brian. When she’s not writing or taking care of home and family, she enjoys making music, dancing, reading, and spending time with friends.


Tour Giveaway

(1) winner will receive a $30 gift card (winner’s choice of Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Christianbook, or Baker Book House)!

Book Bee Blogger's Choice blog tour giveaway JustRead

Be sure to check out each stop on the tour for more chances to win. Full tour schedule linked below. Giveaway began at midnight June 8, 2026 and lasts through 11:59 PM EST on June 15, 2026. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Giveaway is subject to the policies found here.

Enter Giveaway


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

JustRead Publicity Tours

Top 10 Tuesday — Book Covers Featuring Handwriting

9 Jun

Happy Tuesday! While you certainly shouldn’t judge a book by its cover 🙂 , we all know that compelling cover design is what attracts a reader. There are so many elements to a great cover design — I commend those who produce these works of art. The title font is one such element, and the sky is the limit to types that can be used. Today TTT bloggers were tasked with showcasing fonts that mimic handwriting. I have chosen some books I have read/reviewed that fit that bill, those that have partial or full titles that look handwritten. There are a lot of different genres; I hope you find a book and a cover to pique your interest.

For more cover art, please visit That Artsy Reader Girl.

Books with Titles That Look Handwritten

An Appearance of Impropriety by Jayna Breigh

A Caffeine Conundrum by Angela Ruth Strong

Della’s Song by Donna Jo Stone

The Easter Sepulcher by Mel Starr

The Girl Upstairs by Jessica R. Patch

Harbor Pointe by Irene Hannon

Headwater Holiday by Hannah Hood Lucero

A Weekend on Allyson Island by Susannah B. Lewis

The Women of Wynton’s by Donna Mumma

The Words We Lost by Nicole Deese

First Line Friday — The Bookshop of 99 Doors

5 Jun

Happy Friday! A few days ago I mentioned that my book club is reading the gothic suspense novel, The Bookshop of 99 Doors by Jaime Jo Wright. I cannot wait to dig in, and the first lines are fabulous, so it is definitely calling me.

Here are the first lines:

A person hopes they can lead a quiet and simple life, one that isn’t shrouded in secrets and suffocated by lies. This is what I had hoped for. It was not to be. — Minnie Tipton, aged 91

The manor’s rumored one-hundredth door may conceal secrets hidden as deep as the estate’s bookshelves extend high . . . but the haunted past has a way of ensnaring curious souls. 

In 1888, Minnie Tipton finds herself beset by the dark superstitions that envelop the Pennsylvania mansion her father bought. Convinced the vengeful spirit of a Civil War captain haunts the house and worried by her father’s rapidly worsening illness, Minnie delves into the home’s fraught past in an effort to bring him peace. Yet the lingering impact of the war and the gruesome tale of murder she uncovers only foster more fear and threaten to unravel Minnie’s own sanity.

In the present day, Triss Bellamy eagerly steps into the role of bookshop manager in the mansion-turned-museum boasting ninety-nine doors. But Triss’s dream job turns into a nightmare when havoc breaks loose with the arrival of her brother’s team of self-proclaimed paranormal investigators. Their determination to find a rumored one-hundredth door–a dangerous portal to the madness long said to plague the mansion–results in calamity, leaving Triss no choice but to hunt down the truth or watch her brother slip forever beyond her reach.

An atmospheric dual-time Gothic suspense masterfully penned by acclaimed author Jaime Jo Wright with themes of a Civil War-era ghost, a possible hidden door, and unexplained mysteries at a historic mansion’s bookshop with a troubled past.

Jaime Jo Wright, multi award-winning author–including the Christy and Daphne du Maurier awards–is a coffee-fueled and cat-fancier extraordinaire. She has entwined her life with the legendary Captain Hook, residing serenely in Wisconsin’s rural woodlands. Her literary vocation involves penning chilling Gothic tales, a baffling change from that of Austenites, with a strong preference to the master of dark, Edgar Allan Poe. Two mischievous urchins adorn their family, who keep their mother on her toes – providing an exhilarating amount chaos.

Visit her at: http://www.jaimewrightbooks.com and listen to her podcast MadLit Musings on your favorite podcast player or at http://www.madlitmusings.com.

Top 10 Tuesday — Never Read Books

2 Jun

My full bookshelves, NetGalley shelf, and Kindle give testimony to my high hopes and TBR failures. 😉 I always have good intentions to read a book as soon as I take possession. Alas, I am an optimist when it comes to my free time and capacity to read all the books. Today TTT bloggers are urged to fess up to the few or many books that they have left unread. I went back to the past few years’ posts of Summer TBR Lists to discover what I really wanted to read and failed miserably to complete. I hope you (and I) discover a book we just can’t not read. Double negative there for fellow English majors.

For more book confessions, please visit That Artsy Reader Girl.

Top Books on Past Summer TBR Lists That Never Were Read

An American Immigrant by Johanna Rojas Vann

The Lies We Believe by Lisa Harris

The Love Script by Toni Shiloh

The Only Woman in The Room by Marie Benedict

Shaped by The Waves by Christina Suzann Nelson

Shelterwood by Lisa Wingate

The Spice King by Elizabeth Camden

The Summer of Yes by Courtney Walsh

June Book Club Pick — The Bookshop of 99 Doors

1 Jun

How can it be June already?! This year is going so fast, and after checking my calendar, this summer looks like it will zoom past before I know it. But I always have time to read a good book. 😉 This month my book club is reading The Bookshop of 99 Doors — a bookshop and great gothic suspense from Jaime Jo Wright — it can’t get much better! Have you read it yet? We’d love to know your thoughts.

The manor’s rumored one-hundredth door may conceal secrets hidden as deep as the estate’s bookshelves extend high . . . but the haunted past has a way of ensnaring curious souls. 

In 1888, Minnie Tipton finds herself beset by the dark superstitions that envelop the Pennsylvania mansion her father bought. Convinced the vengeful spirit of a Civil War captain haunts the house and worried by her father’s rapidly worsening illness, Minnie delves into the home’s fraught past in an effort to bring him peace. Yet the lingering impact of the war and the gruesome tale of murder she uncovers only foster more fear and threaten to unravel Minnie’s own sanity.

In the present day, Triss Bellamy eagerly steps into the role of bookshop manager in the mansion-turned-museum boasting ninety-nine doors. But Triss’s dream job turns into a nightmare when havoc breaks loose with the arrival of her brother’s team of self-proclaimed paranormal investigators. Their determination to find a rumored one-hundredth door–a dangerous portal to the madness long said to plague the mansion–results in calamity, leaving Triss no choice but to hunt down the truth or watch her brother slip forever beyond her reach.

An atmospheric dual-time Gothic suspense masterfully penned by acclaimed author Jaime Jo Wright with themes of a Civil War-era ghost, a possible hidden door, and unexplained mysteries at a historic mansion’s bookshop with a troubled past.

Jaime Jo Wright, multi award-winning author–including the Christy and Daphne du Maurier awards–is a coffee-fueled and cat-fancier extraordinaire. She has entwined her life with the legendary Captain Hook, residing serenely in Wisconsin’s rural woodlands. Her literary vocation involves penning chilling Gothic tales, a baffling change from that of Austenites, with a strong preference to the master of dark, Edgar Allan Poe. Two mischievous urchins adorn their family, who keep their mother on her toes – providing an exhilarating amount chaos.

Visit her at: http://www.jaimewrightbooks.com and listen to her podcast MadLit Musings on your favorite podcast player or at http://www.madlitmusings.com.

Happy Release Day — Secrets Chase Her

19 May

Happy release day, Rachel Dylan! The second book in the Deadly Justice series, Secrets Chase Her, is now available! If you haven’t read Death Follows Her, be sure to get both books. You need to read them in order. And I promise that once you finish book 1, you will want book 2 on hand. Find out all about this thriller/suspense below.

A brutal murder. A deadly secret. A lawyer who won’t back down.

When high-powered attorney Quinn Kelly finds her protégé brutally murdered, she’s plunged into a nightmare—one that points directly to a ruthless serial killer. FBI Agent Samira Haddad takes over the case, but her complicated past with Quinn threatens to cloud the investigation.

Blackmailed by a powerful tech mogul who holds incriminating evidence against her, Quinn is forced to take on his defense to keep him silent. But she refuses to sit on the sidelines while Samira hunts the killer who took her friend’s life. Quinn’s search for answers uncovers a chilling truth: someone close to her is in the crosshairs—and she may be the reason why.

The killer is watching and lying in wait. With trust in short supply, both women must decide how far they’re willing to go for justice—and survival.

Rachel Dylan is an award-winning and bestselling author of legal thrillers and romantic suspense. Rachel has practiced law for almost two decades, including as a litigator at one of the nation’s top law firms. Rachel lives in Michigan with her husband and three furkids—one loveable Labrador and two senior cats. Rachel loves to connect with readers.

Top 10 Tuesday — Things Found in A Southern Garden

12 May

Happy Tuesday! Today’s TTT challenge is May Flowers. Since I’ve read only one book featuring Pilgrims 😉 , I decided to list books with titles that included things you could find in a southern garden, including things that have to be beaten back! I hope you find a book to catch your interest.

For more flowery lists, please visit That Artsy Reader Girl.

Top Books with Titles That Include Things You Could Find in A Southern Garden (whew! what a title!)

Already in The Kudzu by Hannah Hood Lucero

Burying Daisy Doe by Ramona Richards

Dragonfly Ashes by C. C. Warrens

Firefly Diaries by C. C. Warrens

He Should Have Told The Bees by Amanda Cox

Sea Rose Lane by Irene Hannon

Specters in The Glass House by Jaime Jo Wright

Under The Magnolias by T. I. Lowe

Walking in Tall Weeds by Robin W. Pearson

When The Wildflowers Bloom Again by Donna Jo Stone

Top 10 Tuesday — Book Longing

5 May

Happy Tuesday! Today’s TTT topic is authors I wish were still writing. This could include those who have sadly passed away, those who for a variety of reasons are not writing, those who write in different genres now, or (I added this one) those who are writing, but haven’t published anything new in a while. This is a bittersweet post. My list does include two cozy mystery writers who have passed away. And I don’t know if or when any of the others will release in my preferred genre in the future. But . . . that’s what re-reading is for! I hope you find a book to love. And, if you have different info than me, please let me know!

For more bloggers longing for books, please visit That Artsy Reader Girl.

Top Book Longing

Jo Dereske (cozy mystery)

Anne George* (cozy mystery)

Tracy Groot (general fiction/historical fiction)

Rene Gutteridge (contemporary fiction/suspense)

Kathy Herman (suspense)

Joan Hess* (cozy mystery)

Liz Curtis Higgs (still very active, just not in historical fiction)

Lisa Samson ( this author is still writing, but not women’s fiction)

Patricia Sprinkle (cozy mystery)

Catherine West (women’s fiction)

Top 10 Tuesday — The Time of Day!

28 Apr

Happy Tuesday! Today is a Freebie day on TTT — anything our heart desires! Today I am featuring book titles containing times of day, some of which are more poetic than actual positions on a clock. I hope you find one you want to read no matter what time it is!

For more fun lists, please visit That Artsy Reader Girl.

Top Titles Featuring A Time of Day

As Dawn Breaks by Kate Breslin

Cold Light of Day by Elizabeth Goddard

Sunrise Reef by Irene Hannon

The Golden Hour by Beatriz Williams

As The Light Fades by Catherine West

Shadows at Dusk by Elizabeth Goddard

When Twilight Breaks by Sarah Sundin

Night Fall by Nancy Mehl

Midnight on The Scottish Shore by Sarah Sundin

Cold Dead Night by Lisa Phillips

First Line Friday — Secrets Chase Her

24 Apr

Happy Friday! Today I am featuring Secrets Chase Her, the second book in the Deadly Justice series by Rachel Dylan. The first book was super-twisty, with a cliffhanger at the end. I can’t wait to dive into this suspense/thriller! It releases on May 19, but you can pre-order your copy now. hint, hint

Here’s the first line:

Quinn Kelly looked at her smart watch again for the third time in five minutes.

A brutal murder. A deadly secret. A lawyer who won’t back down.

When high-powered attorney Quinn Kelly finds her protégé brutally murdered, she’s plunged into a nightmare—one that points directly to a ruthless serial killer. FBI Agent Samira Haddad takes over the case, but her complicated past with Quinn threatens to cloud the investigation.

Blackmailed by a powerful tech mogul who holds incriminating evidence against her, Quinn is forced to take on his defense to keep him silent. But she refuses to sit on the sidelines while Samira hunts the killer who took her friend’s life. Quinn’s search for answers uncovers a chilling truth: someone close to her is in the crosshairs—and she may be the reason why.

The killer is watching and lying in wait. With trust in short supply, both women must decide how far they’re willing to go for justice—and survival.

Rachel Dylan is an award-winning and bestselling author of legal thrillers and romantic suspense. Rachel has practiced law for almost two decades, including as a litigator at one of the nation’s top law firms. Rachel lives in Michigan with her husband and three furkids—one loveable Labrador and two senior cats. Rachel loves to connect with readers.