Tag Archives: DEADLY COMMUNICATIONS

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!

 

 

 

 

It’s here… DEADLY INTENT!

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GIVEAWAY!!

Today’s the day! DEADLY INTENT is finally here!

To celebrate the release of Deadly Intent, I’m having a giveaway.  Grand prize is a $25 Amazon gift cards but that’s not all! Five more winners will get a $5 Amazon gift card. How’s that for a celebration? To enter, leave a comment!

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AMAZON LINK

Here’s the back cover blurb:

Everyone belongs somewhere. The key to happiness is recognizing that place when you get there.

Maven Morris can’t seem to find that place. A childless widow, she has no immediate family. Forced into a medical leave, she has no career. At loose ends, she hasn’t a clue what’s next for her.

 Her neighbor, Paul Jordan knows what he wants—to move their friendship to a new level. Maven may not know what’s next, but she does know she has no interest in romance with anyone— not even her handsome neighbor.

When a young boy is abandoned in the city park, he touches her heart. In spite of his obvious special needs, she agrees to provide a temporary foster home for him. She has no idea the impact he will have on her life—or the danger he brings to her doorstep.

Remember, leave a comment if you want to be entered in the drawing for the Amazon gift cards! All you have to do is leave a comment at the end of this post. The contest ends September 26.

PS. Be sure to check back to see if you’re a winner! I’ll contact you if I have an email address, but if I don’t have your email address, you’ll need to check back. Thanks!

UNTIL NEXT TIME…GOD BLESS & GOOD READING!

DEADLY INTENT EXCERPT

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As promised, today I’m giving a sneak preview of DEADLY INTENT, which releases tomorrow. So without further ado, here is chapter 1 of DEADLY INTENT…

 

DEADLY INTENT  CHAPTER 1

 

No, you can’t have him.” She clasped the boy closer, her arms tightening around her son. This wasn’t fair. She had so little. All she wanted was her child. She wouldn’t let him take her son.

The man looked down with what seemed to be compassion in his eyes, though she knew it wasn’t real. “Sorry, it has to be done. The sooner, the better.”His voice was soft, almost kind. “We can’t keep him any longer. He’s just too disruptive. It’s not going to work out.”

Mustering all her courage, she glared at the boy’s father. “No. I won’t let you take him. I’ll make him be good. Please, give me another chance. I’ll make him listen. He’ll be good. I promise.”

He shook his head. “It’s not your fault. Something’s wrong with him. He’s too much to handle.” His arms reached out and grabbed the boy. The child yelled and struggled to stay with his mother. His arms clung to her neck as she clutched him.

In spite of her best efforts, the man pulled her son from her grip. No words came from the boy, only a shrill keening sound—like that of a wounded animal.

She reached up and put her hands on each of his precious cheeks. He stopped screaming as her lips pressed against his for a moment. “Remember, I love you, baby. I love you. I’m so sorry.”  Her heart broke as the boy’s father dragged him across the room. ‚Give him back to me.”

How much more could she bear?

The wordless screaming continued.

The father opened the door.

Heartbroken, she crumpled to the floor, unable to follow them.

The man closed the door without another word.

Too soon, her son’s screams faded. And then all she had was a memory.

 

So…what do you think? Deadly Intent releases tomorrow and so I’ll have announcement than about Amazon gift cards and a giveaway!

UNTIL NEXT TIME…GOD BLESS & GOOD READING!

Maven’s back…

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What do you get when you cross a speech pathologist with a suspense writer? DEADLY COMMUNICATIONS, of course! My Deadly Communications series features Maven Morris, a speech pathologist who can’t seem to stay out of trouble!

In book 2 of the series, DEADLY INTENT, Maven finds herself as a foster mother for an abandoned child who can’t or won’t communicate with anyone.  She has lots of questions…What’s his story…Why would someone abandon him… Why won’t he communicate? Will she find the answers?

One thing we know about Maven is she won’t stop until she does!

Tomorrow, I’ll have an excerpt from DEADLY INTENT.

UNTIL NEXT TIME…GOD BLESS & GOOD READING!

 

 

 

I’m so excited….

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It’s that time again! Book release time–Book 2 in my DEADLY COMMUNICATIONS series will be released later this week, DEADLY INTENT.

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What do you think of the cover? STAY TUNED FOR MORE INFORMATION as the week continues…

UNTIL NEXT TIME..GOD BLESS & GOOD READING!

just for fun!!

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Fridays are usually for my friends but I hate to get in a rut so… today is just for fun. In July, DEADLY COMMUNICATIONS was released. It features a speech pathologist who gets a little too involved with her clients! Anyway…I’ve been writing for 19 years and Deadly Communications was my first effort of blending my real life job with my writing.

Why is that?

Because I know just how boring being a speech pathologist can be. Now don’t get me wrong, I loved my job and I miss it– a lot! But the reality of the job is it can be a bit repetitious to say the least. I’ve listened to more Ss and Rs than you can even imagine.

So it was hard for me to imagine a story with a speech pathologist that could be exciting and interesting to readers. Sure I found it super exciting when I heard a child say “Sally sells seashells by the seashore.” perfectly–but that’s me.

Anyway, one day the story popped into my head. I now have 3 Deadly Communications mysteries written. The second will be released sometime next year.  So this was a long way of getting to my point.

There are jobs that lend themselves to suspense and mystery stories, such as police officers, private investigators, even reporters. But a speech pathologist? The thing is I’m not a police officer, a private investigator or a reporter. But I’m none of those things so when I use those characters I have to go light on the job aspect but I didn’t have to do that with DEADLY COMMUNICATIONS.

I was able to write my therapy scenses with complete confidence that it was realistic.

Let’s have some fun!

I’d love to hear your scenario for your job or someone else’s along with a suspense scenario for it.

Example: A speech pathologist who gets too involved with her clients finds herself  facing a kidnapper without any backup or a gun!

So, what’s your job and the suspense scenario to go with it?

UNTIL NEXT TIME…GOD BLESS & GOOD READING!

This and That…

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So, I hope you’ve noticed a little more action happening here at Tiaras & Tennis Shoes. I hope it’s not too much–I don’t want to be a bother! Anyway…I’ve sort of designated Mondays as Me Monday. I’ll try to save posts about my books and myself for Mondays. Wednesdays have become Writing Tip Wednesday and Fridays are for Friends.  Saturdays or Sundays will be the day for a devotion.

Of course, all this is subject to change at a moment’s notice!

And you certainly won’t be getting every type of post every week–again I don’t want to be a bother!

So today is Monday and that means I get to talk about ME!

DEADLY COMMUNICATIONS has been out for a little more than a week. From what I’ve heard, people are enjoying it.

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AMAZON

 

The good news this week is that I was just offered a contract for the second in the Deadly Communications series! I’ve been holding my breath waiting to see if my publisher liked it. Apparently, they did!

I know a lot of people seem to assume that it’s a given that the next book I submit will be published, but I don’t feel that way at all. And I know of authors who got their first contract and then took years to get another one. So I’m grateful for each contract that comes my way.

Entitlement isn’t something any writer should feel when it comes to getting published. In my opinion author entitlement brings on mediocre books. And I want to write the best story I can every time.

I feel so blessed to be able to create godly stories and even more that people seem to enjoy them.

So that’s about it for me…

UNTIL NEXT TIME…GOD BLESS & GOOD READING!

 

 

WRITING TIP WEDNESDAY–3 STEPS TO PUBLICATION!

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These 3 steps are guaranteed to bring you the brass ring you’ve been reaching for–publication! If you’re a fiction writer, sooner or later you are going to want people to read your stories. There are lots of options out there these days for getting published, thanks to the electronic revolution. But if you’re like me, you want to be published traditionally. Until I was published traditionally, I didn’t feel like a real writer! Don’t yell at me all you indie–pubbed writers. I didn’t say you weren’t real writers. I’m saying I needed to get a traditional publishing contract for me to feel like a real writer.

Anyway…it turns out it’s not all that easy getting a contract by a traditional publishing house. It took me 15 years of writing to get that! But I did and I’m glad I kept trying. Again…don’t yell at me!

Anyway, let’s get to the 3 steps to publication: As I’m sure you know all stories have a beginning, a middle, and end. If you want to get published you need to write the BEST BEGINNINGS, MARVELOUS MIDDLES, and EXPLOSIVE ENDINGS. Succeed with those three easy steps and you’ll have a contract before you know it.

So the perfect formula for  writing a great book, meaning publishable is: BEST BEGINNINGS + MARVELOUS MIDDLES + EXPLOSIVE ENDINGS = Great Story (and a book contract).

OK—maybe they aren’t all that easy. It took me years to learn the writing craft, and I’m still learning! It may take you longer than you wish as well, but if you keep learning, practicing and don’t quit you’ll get there!  Oops–I just added 3 more steps so…let’s try this again.

STEP 1–Learn about the craft of writing.

STEP 2-Practice  writing what you learn.

STEP 3–Learn and practice to write BEST BEGINNINGS.

STEP 4–Learn and practice to write MARVELOUS MIDDLES.

STEP 5–Learn and practice to write EXPLOSIVE ENDINGS.

STEP 6–DON’T QUIT! DON’T QUIT! DON’T QUIT!

 

Steps 1, 2, and 6 are self-explanatory so in the next few weeks we’ll take a closer look at Steps 3,4, and 5. Next week we’ll take a closer look at writing BEST BEGINNINGS. By the way, did I mention DON’T QUIT?

UNTIL NEXT TIME… GOD BLESS & GOOD READING…AND HAPPY WRITING!

PS. If you haven’t entered for a chance to win Deadly Communications, there’s still time. Skip down to the DEADLY COMMUNICATIONS post and leave a comment! Thanks.