The Romantic Side of Suspense

On this episode of “The Romantic Side of Suspense,” I’m chatting with Sami Abrams, who grew up hating to read. It wasn’t until her 30s that she found authors that captured her attention. Now, most evenings you can find her engrossed in a romantic suspense. In her opinion, a crime and a little romance is the recipe for a great story. She lives in Northern California, but she will always be a Kansas...

On this episode of “The Romantic Side of Suspense,” my guests are Dana Mentink and Terri Reed. Among other things, we chatted about the dangers of exploring Death Valley with GPS and introducing too many characters at once. “You can’t really hand over your brain to any electronic,” Dana said. “I say that as somebody who’s lost all the time—I’m perpetually lost everywhere.” “You don’t want people t...

On this episode of “The Romantic Side of Suspense,” my guest is Shannon Redmon, who remembers the first grown-up book she checked out from the neighborhood bookmobile. A Victoria Holt novel with romance, intrigue, dashing gentlemen and ballroom parties captivated her attention. For her mother, the silence must have been a pleasant break from non-stop teenage chatter, but for Shannon, those stories...

On this episode of “The Romantic Side of Suspense,” I’m talking with Michele Chynoweth and Michele Olson, who each shared how they incorporate faith and suspense into their books. “I write edgy Christian fiction, and The Wise Man is about a Supreme Court justice who is hearing a case … between two women who are fighting over custody of a baby born live out of a failed abortion,” said Michele C. “T...

On this episode of “The Romantic Side of Suspense,” I’m talking with Lisa Phillips, a USA Today and top 10 Publishers Weekly bestselling author of more than 50 books that span Harlequin’s Love Inspired Suspense line, independently published series romantic suspense, and thriller novels. She’s discovered a penchant for high-stakes stories of mayhem and disaster where you can find made-for-each-othe...

On this episode of “The Romantic Side of Suspense,” I’m talking with Jodie Bailey and Laurie Wood. Among other things, we discussed how each develops their characters. “You want the name to match the personality a little bit,” Laurie said. The first name she selected for a character was “too soft. I wanted it to be a little bit more … punchy than that. So I renamed her with a stronger name.” “I’m...

On this episode of “The Romantic Side of Suspense,” I’m talking with Lisa Harris and Jessica R Patch. Among other things, we discussed how they each pick the story’s setting. “I see the setting almost like another character,” Lisa said. “The setting depends on what your book is about. I know a lot of readers love small towns. In a big city, it’s harder to write suspense because [the character can...

On this episode of “The Romantic Side of Suspense,” I’m talking with Danielle Grandinetti, a book blogger at DaniellesWritingSpot.com. Her short stories have appeared in several publications and her writing has won the University of Northwestern Distinguished Faith in Writing Award. Originally from the Chicagoland area, she now lives along Lake Michigan’s Wisconsin shoreline with her husband and t...

On this episode of “The Romantic Side of Suspense,” my guests are Sharon K. Connell and Tanya Stowe. Among other topics, we discussed how these two romantic suspense authors come up with their storylines. “Most of my plots come to me, but I’m sure it’s based on the news and life experience,” Sharon said. “Also from things I hear from other people, reading other books, and it comes of just evolves....

On this episode of “The Romantic Side of Suspense,” I’m talking with Mary Dodge Allen, who has won two Royal Palm Literary Awards from the Florida Writer’s Association. She and her husband live in Florida, where she has served as a volunteer with the police department. Her childhood in Minnesota, land of 10,000 lakes, sparked her lifelong love of the outdoors. She’s been a counselor and social wor...

On this episode of “The Romantic Side of Suspense,” I’m chatting with Patricia Bradley and Lynn Blackburn. Among other topics, we discussed how fiction allows us to sometimes twist the facts to suit our stories. “Some things can be fiction,” Patricia said. “In my very first series, I moved the Tennessee River down close to Memphis.” “With the Secret Service, I have done as much research as I can,...

On this episode of “The Romantic Side of Suspense,” I’m talking with DiAnn Mills, a bestselling author who believes her readers should expect an adventure. She creates action-packed, suspense-filled novels to thrill readers. 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 Reader’s Choice, and C...

On this episode of “The Romantic Side of Suspense,” my guests are Lynette Eason and Susan May Warren. Among other topics, we discussed how each other links the books in their series. “I used to do collections, where I based the books around the same town,” Susan said. “But then I thought … I should think more like a TV show like Dr. Who. There’s a thread that goes through Dr. Who that pushes us th...

On this episode of “The Romantic Side of Suspense,” I’m talking with Carrie Fancett Pagels, Ph. D., the award-winning author of more than 20 Christian fiction books, including ECPA and Amazon bestsellers. Twenty-five years as a psychologist didn’t “cure” her overactive imagination! A self-professed history geek, she resides with her family in the Historic Triangle of Virginia but grew up as a “Yoo...

On this episode of “The Romantic Side of Suspense,” my guest is Kellie VanHorn , an award-winning author of inspirational romance and romantic suspense. She has college degrees in biology and nautical archaeology, but she’s always found her sense of adventure most satisfied by a great story. When not writing, Kellie can be found homeschooling her four children, camping, baking and gardening. She l...

On this episode of “The Romantic Side of Suspense,” I’m talking with Kimberly Woodhouse , the best-selling and award-winning author of more than twenty-five books who loves the joy of story. A lover of history and research, she often gets sucked into the past and then her husband has to lure her out with chocolate. She’s spoken to more than 2 million people at more than 2,500 venues and has taught...

On this episode of “The Romantic Side of Suspense,” my guest is Natalie Walters , the author of Carol Award finalist Living Lies , as well as Deadly Deceit and Silent Shadows . A military wife, she currently resides in Hawaii with her soldier husband and is a proud mom of three adult kiddos. She has been published in Proverbs 31 magazine and has blogged for Guideposts online. She loves connecting...

On this episode of “The Romantic Side of Suspense,” my guest is Traci Hunter Abramson , who was born in Arizona, where she lived until moving to Venezuela for a study-abroad program. After graduating from Brigham Young University, she worked for the Central Intelligence Agency, eventually resigning in order to raise her family. She credits the CIA with giving her a wealth of ideas as well as the s...

On this episode of “The Romantic Side of Suspense,” I’m chatting with Sally Jo Pitts , who writes what she likes to read—faith-based stories of romance and mystery with an unusual twist. She brings a career as a private investigator, high school guidance counselor and teacher of family and consumer sciences to the fiction page. Her real-world experiences fuel her passion to share how faith can bri...

On this episode of “The Romantic Side of Suspense,” I’m chatting with Melanie Jeschke, the author of The Oxford Chronicles , a historical romance series set in the Oxford of C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien, ( Inklings, Intentions, Expectations, Evasions ) and Jillian Dare a retelling of Jane Eyre . An honors’ graduate of UVA with a MA in English Literature from GMU, she is currently an adjunct profe...

On this episode of “The Romantic Side of Suspense,” my guest is Mindy Steele . Raised in Kentucky timber country, Mindy has been writing since she could hold a crayon against the wall. Inspired by her rural surroundings, her books are peppered with humor, and sprinkled with grace, charming all the senses to make you laugh, cry, hold your breath, and root for the happy ever after ending. Mother of...

On this episode of “The Romantic Side of Suspense,” I’m chatting with Andrew Huff , author of the action-packed Shepherd Suspense Series from Kregel Publications. The first book in the series, A Cross to Kill , was a finalist in the Mystery/Thriller categories of both the 2020 Foreword INDIE awards as well as the 2020 ACFW Carol Awards. Huff is an accomplished novelist as well as screenwriter and...

On this episode of “The Romantic Side of Suspense,” I’m talking with Kathy Harris, an author by way of a “divine detour” into the Nashville music business, where she has worked for 30 years as a marketing director. She sold her first Christian nonfiction stories in 2007. Her debut novel, The Road to Mercy , released in 2012 from Abingdon Press. Her second book, Deadly Commitment , the first in The...

On this episode of “The Romantic Side of Suspense,” my guest is Liz Tolsma, the author of several WWII novels, romantic suspense novels, prairie romance novellas, and an Amish romance. She is a popular speaker and an editor and resides next to a Wisconsin farm field with her husband and their youngest daughter. Her son is a U.S. Marine, and her oldest daughter is a college student. Liz enjoys read...

On this episode of “The Romantic Side of Suspense,” I’m chatting with Jerusha Agen, who imagines danger around every corner, but knows God is there too. So naturally, she writes suspense infused with the hope of salvation in Jesus Christ. With a B.A. in English and a background in screenwriting, Jerusha is a speaker, writing instructor, and Fear Warrior who sounds the call to battle against fear i...