Category Archives: The Writing Life

Questions about DEADLY SILENCE

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So DEADLY SILENCE was released a few days ago. I thought you might enjoy a more in-depth look at how it came to be so I imagined what some questions might be regarding it.

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HOW DID YOU COME UP WITH THE TITLE–DEADLY SILENCE?

First it’s part of my Deadly Communication series so it needed the word Deadly in it. But the more important word is silence. I wanted to explore the idea of silence from several different perspectives. First there’s the silence of being abandoned at the altar without a word of explanation. But Maven is also faced with a different kind of silence as she takes on a new client who is a late-deafened adult. Her client has been thrust into a silent world due to a medical condition. And then there’s the silence from God that threatens due to Maven’s anger and bitterness.

WHAT GENRE IS DEADLY SILENCE?

I’m so glad you asked that! I like to think of my Deadly Communication series as cozy mystery meets suspense. It’s got all the action of suspense but the great characters of a cozy mystery.

WILL THERE BE A FOURTH DEADLY COMMUNICATIONS NOVEL?

At this point I don’t have any plans for a fourth but that doesn’t mean a whole lot. Since I write the stories that come to my head, if another Maven story pops into it, then I’ll write it.

WHAT’S THE TAKE AWAY OF THE SERIES?

My goal was to portray a real woman with real problems. So we saw Maven struggle with depression, the after affects of Bell’s palsy, her weight issues, and then being left at the altar. We also saw her keep going through it all by depending on God.

So that’s the take away–no matter what happens in your life, God will be there to see you through it.

 

YOUR TURN: Do you have a question about Maven and the Deadly Communication series, or one about writing? Leave the question in a comment and I’ll do my best to answer.

 

GOD BLESS & GOOD READING

 

 

 

Even More About DEADLY SILENCE

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Today’s the day! No, I’m not talking about the inauguration, I’m talking about the release of DEADLY SILENCE.

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AMAZON LINK

Here’s the back cover blurb:

FACED WITH ONLY SILENCE.

Her happily-ever-after is shattered when Maven Morris is left at the altar. Without a word of explanation, her fiancé, has disappeared, leaving Maven and the church filled with their family and friends. Maven refuses to give into the darkness of depression. Instead she takes on a new speech therapy client. Layla’s life has been shattered by silence, as well. As a late-deafened adult, Layla needs skills to cope with her now silent world.

TRUST YOUR EYES.

Those are words of advice Maven gives Layla. The words stir up something on the inside of Maven as she realizes there wasn’t a hint that Paul’s feet had turned cold about their upcoming nuptials. And that’s when silence turns deadly.

 

I think you’ll enjoy the latest installment in the Deadly Communication series. If you do, I’d love to hear from you!

GOD BLESS & GOOD READING!

 

More About DEADLY SILENCE

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DEADLY SILENCE, the third in my Deadly CommunicationS series, will release in a few days on January 20. Here’s what people are saying about it:

Jo Huddleston, author of the West Virginia Mountains series of sweet Southern historical romances:

Deadly Silence is a sweet romance wrapped in page-turning suspense. Lillian Duncan paints enough suspicious characters to keep readers guessing who the villain is until the end. Great characterization and setting descriptions in a story sure to please readers who love suspense.

Mary L. Ball- author of Redemption in Big Fork Lake:

A rollercoaster of anticipation from the first page to the last.

Deadly Silence took me on ride filled with tension. Clues were scattered through the chapters that had me blindly believing I knew the end until another twist in the plot made me guess once more, who the villain is.

Lillian Duncan did a fantastic job creating a novel fill with heart fluttering adventure. I cheered with joy and sighed with sadness as I followed the characters on their journey. Weaved in the plot is also a wonderful message about relying on God to be your guide. This is a book you’ll want to read many times.

Bettilu Davies, author of Shepherd’s Song:

Deadly Silence by Lillian Duncan was a good read, logical, suspenseful, and surprising. I enjoyed the book.

 

Thanks to the above writers who took time to read my book and give me an endorsement.

GOD BLESS & GOOD READING!

 

 

 

 

Sabbatical Update…

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It’s been almost a month since I started my official sabbatical from writing so I thought I’d update you about the books I’ve been reading as well as an update on my writing. Let’s start with the books I’ve read.

Fool Me Once by  Harlan Coben–This is a mainstream suspense, I enjoyed it and was pleasantly surprised to find very little bad language or objectionable scenes. I can’t speak to his other books but this one is “safe” to read.

Voices by John Michael Hilman–This was a sequel to Messages. I would call this a supernatural Christian thriller. I enjoyed this one.

Donna’s Detour by Jo Huddleston–I have a full review on this one but if you don’t want to look for it I’ll tell you that this is a sweet and sassy Christian romance set in the fifties. Good for those who enjoy straight romance.

The Bitter Season  by Tami Hoag–I used to love Tami Hoag novels so this came as quite the disappointment. Within the first few pages there were a number of vulgar words including the F word. I read a few more chapters and the vulgarity continued so I quit reading and took it back to the library. The story itself was good but I couldn’t get past the offensive language. I don’t know if she’s changed or I’ve changed but I couldn’t finish the book.

The Devil and Pastor Gus by Roger Bruner–Another book I did a full review on. Scroll down to find it.Great book that was fun to read with lots of subtle and some not so subtle spiritual lessons.

Waking Up by Ted Dekker–This is a non-fiction book by one of my favorite Christian horror writers. It did not disappoint and I’m in the process of reading it for a second time. Don’t be impressed; it’s a short book

Bloom Within My Heart  by Nadine Hapaz–Another non-fiction book that I’m not quite finished with so more on this one later.

Magnolia Moonlight by Mary Ellis–A Christian mystery. I’ll have the full review up soon.

Right now I’m reading ANOTHER DAY ANOTHER DALI by Sandra Orchard. I’ll let you know about this one when I’m finished.

ABOUT ME!

So I’m proud of the progress I’ve made on my reading. I’m definitely enjoy taking time off to read but… I’ve started a few new writing projects but only work on them for a short time each day. Still it feels good to feel good about writing again.

Along with that I got the good news that my publisher accepted another one of my manuscripts to be published. I’m quite excited about this book. It’s completely different from my other books. It’s NOT a mystery, suspense or a thriller. I would call THE PUZZLE HOUSE  simply Christian Fiction. Here’s the blurb thought it might change in the future:

Life isn’t a box of candy—it’s a puzzle!

Rachel Summers was all about Rachel Summers until the day she crashed headlong into a truck. While unconscious she has a very special guest who asks a very special question–Do you want to be healed or be a healer?

Years later Rachel runs The Puzzle House—a place of healing and miracles. Guests come for one reason and one reason only—to be healed. Sometimes they receive their miracle and sometimes they discover there’s more than one kind of healing.

Nia Johnson is a fourteen-year-old African -American girl who is dying. The doctors have told her there is nothing else to be done. No more treatments. No more hope. No more life. No future and she’s angry about that.

Together they work on Nia’s puzzle as Rachel shares what she’s learned about puzzles, life and God.

My Sabbatical–BREAKTIME!

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Everyone needs a break now and then. I’ve spent more than twenty years writing and rewriting. And I still love to write but my heart’s been telling me I need a bit of a break from writing. I’m in the midst of my 3rd round of chemo for my brain tumors.

No, I don’t have cancer but the doctors are using the chemo as a way to make my tumors smaller so they won’t damage any more of my hearing. The chemo isn’t horrible but it’s not wonderful either. So this seemed like a good time to take a break from my writing.

I still have plenty to do, including blog posts and other writing activities, so don’t worry about me getting bored. But my main goal while taking a sabbatical from writing is to READ and READ and READ. And that’s just what I’m doing.

This is my second official week of my sabbatical and I just finished reading my fourth book. Now don’t be too impressed, one was a novella and one was almost finished before the beginning of my sabbatical so I’ve only started and finished two books in the past week.

And lucky you–I’ll be sharing info about the books I’m reading so stay tuned for some book reviews in the coming weeks.

How long will my sabbatical last? I have no idea. I’m depending on God to give me that answer at the right time.

GOD BLESS & GOOD READING!

GAME ON…It’s here!

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Hopefully by the time you read these words, my new book GAME ON will be available at AMAZON or through my publisher’s website, PELICAN BOOK GROUP.

AMAZON LINK

PELICAN BOOK GROUP LINK

So what’s GAME ON about? I’m so glad you asked! Here’s a bit about the book:

Politics is no game when a stalker nears and there’s nowhere to hide.

A run for the senate is just a step on the road to the White House for Congressman Lucas McMann. But his public profile has put him in the middle of a crazed gunman’s twisted game of stalking. If he wants to win the election and reclaim his life, he’ll need the help of the one person who’d rather leave their past behind them.

Private Investigator Nikki Kent knows how to dig up secrets and discover those who exist in the shadows. She should. She’s good at hiding secrets of her own. Can she risk her own discovery for someone so desperate for her help? For the first man who broke her heart?

With new-found faith, she’ll help Lucas search for the answers. But with the truth comes a danger they must face together.

 

OOOH! Game On is filled with enough twists and turns that it should keep any reader turning those pages late into the night. I really had fun writing it and hope readers will have fun reading it. My publisher outdid herself with the book trailer for GAME ON so I hope you’ll check it out at: https://youtu.be/t6MK2UGB1P0.

And don’t forget about the giveaway. To celebrate the release of GAME ON, I’m giving away a virtual basket of goodies. One lucky winner will win a $25 Amazon Gift Card and their choice of an e-copy, Nook, or Kindle copy of my previously published books—sorry not GAME On.  Five other people will be given a $5 Amazon Gift Card. And finally five more winners will get their choice of an e-copy of one of my previously published books.

That’s LOTS of winners!

All you have to do is leave a comment under one of the GAME ON posts, and you’ll be entered. Contest will end on October 1! Be sure to check back to see if you’re a winner!

Thanks.

GOD BLESS & GOOD READING!

Coming soon….GAME ON!

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BOOK TRAILER FUN

What’s a book trailer and what’s so fun about it? No a book trailer is not a mobile home with lots of books in it!  HaHa—that’s supposed to be a joke. Anyway…A book trailer is a mini-commercial about a specific book. Now doesn’t that sound fun?

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My publisher outdid herself with the book trailer for my newest book, GAME ON. Game On will be available on Sept 2, but you can preorder it right this very moment so you don’t forget. But first check it out the book trailer at  https://youtu.be/t6MK2UGB1P0.  Then when you know you MUST read GAME ON, you can click on the AMAZON link or my publisher’s link, Pelican Books.

AMAZON LINK

PELICAN BOOKS LINK

To celebrate the release of GAME ON, I’m giving away a virtual basket of goodies. One lucky winner will win a $25 Amazon Gift Card and their choice of an e-copy, Nook, or Kindle copy of my previously published books—sorry not GAME On (that one you have to buy!).  Five other people will be given a $5 Amazon Gift Card. And finally five more winners will get their choice of an e-copy of one of my previously published books.

That’s LOTS of winners!

All you have to do is leave a comment under any of the GAME ON posts, and you’ll be entered. Contest will end on October 1! Be sure to check back to see if you’re a winner! Thanks.

Thanks!

GOD BLESS & GOOD READING!

BOOK TRAILER FUN

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What’s a book trailer and what’s so fun about it? No a book trailer is not a mobile home with lots of books in it!  Haha—that’s supposed to be a joke. Anyway…A book trailer is a mini-commercial about a specific book. Now doesn’t that sound fun?

My publisher outdid herself with the book trailer for my newest book, GAME ON. Check it out at: https://youtu.be/t6MK2UGB1P0.

Then when you know you MUST read GAME ON, you can click on the AMAZON link. It’s only available for preorder right now. It will be released on September 2!

AMAZON LINK

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Here’s a little more about GAME ON:

Politics is no game when a stalker nears and there’s nowhere to hide.

A run for the senate is just a step on the road to the White House for Congressman Lucas McMann. But his public profile has put him in the middle of a crazed gunman’s twisted game of stalking. If he wants to win the election and reclaim his life, he’ll need the help of the one person who’d rather leave their past behind them.

Private Investigator Nikki Kent knows how to dig up secrets and discover those who exist in the shadows. She should. She’s good at hiding secrets of her own. Can she risk her own discovery for someone so desperate for her help? For the first man who broke her heart?

With new-found faith, she’ll help Lucas search for the answers. But with the truth comes a danger they must face together.

 

And here’s a few of my writer’s friends book trailers for you to check out as well!

Barely Above Water by Gail Pallotta at

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OowxnLKpKEI&feature=youtu.be

 

TO SEE THE SUN by PEGGY BLANN PHIFER at:

https://youtu.be/Uh2avut8FFs

LOVE’S HARVEST by LINDA SHENTON MATCHETT at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZZcKFOPJxA
Aboard Providence by Keely Brooke Keith at:  https://youtu.be/HVXyAGvgCjw
Beast of Stratton by Renee Blare at  https://youtu.be/aENB6DcJxfQ
Surviving Henry: Adventures in Loving a Canine Catastrophe by Erin Taylor Young at https://youtu.be/7TNJwrzZzFk
Mississippi Nights by D.M. Webb at www.authordmwebb.weebly.com

 

Providence: Hannah’s Journey by Barbara M. Britton: Click on  LINK

GOD BLESS & GOOD READING!

One Sentence Plot Game!

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One of the things a writer should be able to do is give what’s called an elevator pitch for their novel. In other words if you had only 30 seconds to describe the plot of your story, what would you say?

A few examples;

A young girl is stuck in a far away land and doesn’t know how to get home. What’s the book?

OR

In a war-ravaged world, a young woman fights to save her childhood home. Whats the book?

OR

A very ordinary boy discovers he’s not ordinary at all on his 11th birthday and life will never be the same. What’s the book?

Now, it’s your turn to play! Give us the story plot in 1 or 2 sentences and see if we can figure it out.

GOD BLESS & GOOD READING!

SPLIT!

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THE STORY BEHIND THE STORY

My new book-SPLIT!-released this week. The book features the Minton family and their bowling center. I love the characters in this book. Yes, I know that I say that with every book I write.

I only say it because it’s true!

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AMAZON LINK

So bowling and a mystery? That’s definitely not the usual setting for a mystery or suspense story. Almost fifteen years ago, I got married. To a bowler! Now if you don’t have a close association with a bowler, you may not know what that means.

For me, it meant I started to bowling.

I am not a natural athlete–at all! And in fact when I started bowling on a league with my husband, my family found it quite amusing. Almost fifteen years later, I’m still not a good bowler. OK, I’m pretty bad! My average is pretty much the same as it was when I started.

But that’s the great thing about bowling. When you bowl on a league, they give you a handicap. Meaning I get extra points because I’m that bad, and that makes me more competitive with the good bowlers.

Originally (actually up until a few weeks ago) the story title was 7/10 Split. As I was making the final revisions, I came to understand that the main character’s (MACY) goal was to keep her family together–not SPLIT up.

By changing the title to SPLIT! I was able to describe the essence of the story in one word as well as use a bowling term! And that’s what I did! Here’s the blurb for the story:

Sometimes life is full of strikes; and sometimes all we get is a split—no matter how well we throw the ball.

After seventeen year-old Macy Minton’s parents died, she’s had only one goal—to keep her family together. Along with the family bowling center, she inherited the responsibility of caring for her two younger siblings.

Now seven years later everything is falling apart, especially her family.

Macy thinks life can’t get any worse, but she’s wrong.

As she struggles to keep the bowling alley from closing forever, one tragedy after another threatens to split her family permanently. Convinced someone is intent on destroying her family, she’s determined to stop them.

But first she has to find out who’s responsible.

So that’s the story behind the story of SPLIT!

UNTIL NEXT TIME…GOD BLESS & GOOD READING!