The series is set in the fabulous state of Oregon. Most of the books take place in Portland where the cover picture was shot at the Tom McCall Waterfront park. If you’ve ever been to Portland you’ll know that the city has two rivers running through it so there are plenty of bridges to cross. If you don’t count the railroad only bridge there are 12 bridges in the city so I thought it would be fitting to feature a bridge on the cover of the book.

So without further explanation here’s the cover and information about Double Exposure, including where you can pre-order it.

The Justice Agency – Book 1 Love Inspired Suspense June 5, 2012 ISBN-10: 0373444958 ISBN-13: 978-0373444953 » Read an Excerpt Pre-Order It Now

A PICTURE WORTH KILLING FOR Photographer Jennie Buchanan unknowingly captures a drug-cartel meeting on film. And now she has become a killer’s next target. Even worse, her only protection from the danger that threatens her life is the man who threatens her heart. Dodging bullets almost seems safer than facing the feelings stirred up by seeing former FBI agent and ex-boyfriend Ethan Justice again. Ethan vows to safeguard Jennie from the deadly men on her trail. And for a second chance at Jennie’s love, he’s willing to risk anything to expose the truth—about the drug smugglers, the past and the future together he still wants.

Read an Excerpt

Chapter One

Someone threatened to kill her last night. Now a man was following her.

Coincidence? Not likely.

Jennie Buchanan’s breath hitched as she boarded Portland’s MAX light-rail train and wound through standing passengers toward the far door. She glanced back.

The guy crept in. Searching the car, he caught sight of her and headed down the narrow aisle.

Her photographer’s eye took in every detail. Short, stocky, wearing a light gray hoodie, twenty-five at the oldest, he looked like one of the many skaters hanging out at Pioneer Square. His eyes told a different story. Dark and narrowed, fixed on her like a hunter sighting prey.

He advanced. Silent. Stalking. One hand never leaving his hoodie pocket.

Had to be a weapon. A gun, maybe, or a knife.

Fear razored through her stomach, and she backed deeper into the car. She tripped on a baby stroller, grabbed the handle and righted herself. The fresh scent rising up from the sweet baby did nothing to calm her fears.

“Sorry,” she said to the mother, her voice trembling. She tried to smile an apology, too, but her mouth wouldn’t cooperate.

She couldn’t endanger the baby so she kept moving, easing in and out of people. She ached to ask them for help. The tall man with a kind face. A young woman, earbuds snugged in her ears and tapping her foot, her face buried in a book like many of the other commuters. Not a good idea. What could she say? How could she make them believe she was in danger when even she didn’t know why?

She searched for an escape route before the train departed, but the doors grated on its hinges and closed with a solid thud. She had no way out. Her heart picked up speed, thudding in her ears, a rapid thump, thump, thump as her brain clouded with indecision.

Please God. Send a police officer. Even a transit cop would be good. Anyone official, really. Just someone in uniform to scare him off.

He continued to move closer. Slower now. Stealthily, like a hunting cat. He flipped up his hood, his face dark and shadowed. Who was he? And what did he have planned?

He came to a stop on the other side of the car. He looked up and the overhead light gave her a clear look at his dark eyes boring into her.

The train jerked on its rails. A high-pitched squeal grated up her nerves. Riders jostled. She lost her footing for a moment. So did he, wobbling then reaching up to clamp stubby fingers around a slick aluminum pole.

She gasped.

His fingers. His hand. Stained bright red, the color running down the underside of his sleeve. Paint. Red paint. The same color used in the art gallery break-in last night where someone had ripped her photos from the wall and spray-painted a message.

OPEN THE SHOW AND YOU DIE! it said.

She hadn’t seen the warning, but the gallery owner had phoned first thing this morning. She’d said the police wanted to talk to her, but Jennie was photographing a six-alarm fire for the newspaper so they agreed to interview her later. Jennie had spent the last two hours waffling between breathing in caustic smoke and wondering if these creeps would kill her if she went through with the show designed to raise money for her charity Photos of Hope.

Would it actually come to that?

She glanced at the guy again. Cold, deadly eyes peered out from the shadow of his hood.

Yeah, when she didn’t cancel the fundraiser, he’d make good on the threat. And she wouldn’t cancel. Of that, he could be sure. Her charity supported impoverished children and many would suffer without the money she raised for medicine and food. The children came first. They always came first.

But he couldn’t possibly know they’d already decided to hold the show as scheduled. Only she, the gallery owner and the police knew, right? So why was he coming after her now?

He shifted, eyes raking her body. Drilling into her face as if he were mining her thoughts. Maybe he did know, and he was here to end her life.

Easy, Jennie. It’s broad daylight. People around. He’s not going to hurt you here.

Right?

Maybe.

She had no idea what he intended. She wanted to bolt through the car to move far away from those piercing eyes.

Stay calm. Two more stops. Just two more stops.

Then what? Get off the train and become an easier target? She needed help. She should call 9-1-1. And what? Tell them a man with red paint on his hands was following her? By the time she convinced them to respond, she’d be dead.

Think, Jennie. Think.

Her phone pealed from her pocket, the shrill ring making her jump. She turned away from her stalker’s cold stare and looked at the screen. Madeline. The gallery owner.

“Thank goodness you called,” Jennie whispered into her phone.

“Someone’s following me. He has red paint on his hand and jacket. I think he’s the guy who broke into the gallery last night.” Her words tumbled over each other.

“Where are you?” Madeline sounded calm as usual.

“On MAX. First car. Two stops away.” Anxiety made it hard to breathe. She paused and sucked in stale air but still felt light-headed.

“Ethan Justice is here. I’ll send him to meet your train.”

“Ethan.” Of course! Ethan! Madeline had hired his PI agency to investigate the break-in and keep them safe.

Thank You, God.

“Stay on the phone,” Madeline continued. “I’ll give it to him and he can talk to you on his way there.”

As the train slowed for the next stop and passengers stirred, Jennie heard Madeline relay details to Ethan. The doors opened, and she stepped aside to let people pass. Her hooded tail stayed put. His eyes never leaving her, the razor-sharp gaze terrifying.

“I’m on my way, Jen.” Ethan’s voice, warm and familiar, rumbling through the phone, sent relief flooding down her veins, the last reaction she expected for the man she’d walked out on ten years ago.

“He’s after me, Ethan,” she whispered.

“I can’t hear you, Jen. Too much background noise.”

“I don’t want anyone to hear me,” she said a bit louder. “It’ll quiet down in here when we start moving again.”

“I’ll wait.”

That was Ethan. Patient and caring. Coming to the rescue of a woman who’d hurt him. Hurt him badly. And yet here he was. On his way to stop the creep whose scowl said he’d kill her without a second thought.

She shivered, a long shudder working over the length of her body. She wrapped her free arm around her stomach and waited for the train to reach cruising speed. When the car settled into a soft, rhythmic hum, she cupped her hand over her mouth and phone.

“There’s a man,” she said. “He followed me from the fire.”

“Are you sure he followed you?” Ethan breathed fast as if running.

“Yes. I was shooting pictures as I walked to keep my mind off the break-in. I caught him in the viewfinder a few times. I was already freaked out from hearing about last night so I wondered if he was tailing me.”

She quickly looked to see if he still stood there. Fierce and threatening, he hadn’t moved.

“I got on the closest MAX car,” she went on. “Ran through it and back outside. Then I boarded the next car. He did the same thing.”

Ethan mumbled something she couldn’t make out. A loud exhale followed. “Madeline said something about paint.”

“Red. On his hand and jacket. I didn’t see it until he got close.”

“What’s he doing now?”

She glanced at him again. “Just watching me. But I’m afraid, Ethan.” Saying it aloud sent another shiver down her body. “I think he might have a gun. He hasn’t taken his hand out of his jacket pocket this whole time.”

“Calm down, Jen. Panicking might make him do something crazy.” He paused and she heard him draw in air. “I’m almost there. You should be able to see me soon. I’m wearing a long-sleeved white shirt and jeans.”

Like she needed to know his attire. Even with this creep threatening her life, she’d instantly recognize someone she’d once loved.

“Madeline said you were in the first car,” he continued. “Wave when you see me.”

“Okay.” She peered out the window, searching for the man she hadn’t seen since their amazing summer vacation from college. Hadn’t seen since the night she’d lied and told him that she just didn’t love him and didn’t want to be in a relationship with him anymore.

She’d never forgotten his face that night. Shocked, surprised, but most of all, hurt. So hurt. She still felt horrible about lying to him. She had a choice and had taken the easy way out. Rejecting him had seemed less painful than waiting for his rejection when he learned about her past. That would end their relationship anyway, so why wait? So much easier to end things before she fell even more in love with him.

Now he was committed to helping her.

In the distance, she saw him running, dodging people on the busy downtown sidewalk. She took in his lean, wide-shouldered build, square jaw and dark hair cut shorter than she remembered. The white shirt set off his dark coloring, making him look dangerous yet very appealing at the same time.

The train began to slow and she waved to let him know she saw him.

He stood tall and strong where her train would disembark. “Where’s the guy standing in relationship to you?”

She checked to make sure he hadn’t moved. “Behind me. A little to my left. Near the other door.”

“Describe him.”

“Hispanic. Short. Stocky. Wearing a light gray hoodie. He has the hood up.”

The train’s automated voice announced their pending stop and they slowed to a crawl.

“I see him,” Ethan said. “When the doors open, I’ll come forward and I want you to run out and get behind me. Okay?”

“Yes.”

“I’m gonna hang up now to keep my hands free.”

She nodded her understanding and slid her phone into her pocket. His hands came to rest at his sides, as he settled into a centered stance, clearly poised and ready for anything. Probably an unconscious habit from years at the FBI.

She was so thankful for his law enforcement training. Despite the years they’d been apart, it was immediately obvious how strong and capable he was. He’d probably been a wonderful agent—just as she’d always known he’d be. She wasn’t surprised when she read in the paper that Ethan and his four siblings followed through on their high school pact. They’d decided to serve in law enforcement to show their appreciation and respect for their adopted dad who was a retired cop.

She was surprised, shocked really, when she read the rest of the article about an intruder murdering their adoptive parents. The local police department couldn’t solve the case so the five of them left their jobs to hunt down the killer and then stayed together to form the Justice Agency.

If someone wanted to hurt her, she could think of no better allies than Ethan and his siblings.

Brakes squealed as the train slowed even more. This was it. Time to escape this creep.

Her palms grew moist. She scrubbed them over her jeans, stained and sooty from the six-alarm fire. She glanced back to check on her tail. He was on the move. Slowly inching toward her.

“C’mon, open, open, open,” she whispered to the doors, but kept her eyes on him.

His hand came out of his pocket. Something slid through his palm and between his fingers. Looked like a knife. A switchblade. Closed. But easily opened with a flick of his fingers. He took a few more steps.

The train jerked to a stop. She lost her balance, wobbled and worked to regain her footing. She braced for the attack she feared was imminent.

His footfalls thumped slowly across the metal floor.

Close now. Too close.

Please, God, please! Let me get to Ethan before this guy hurts me.

The doors whooshed apart, but not before she heard a click. Not any click, but the distinctive snap of his switchblade opening a whisper of a space behind her back.

Q: Let me start with asking you to tell us a little bit about yourself.

A: Well, I grew up on a farm in western Oklahoma where we raised wheat, cattle, and hogs commercially. I’d like to say that my experience in the country was idyllic, but I can only use that description sparingly. At times, I found farm life to be hard, lonely, and occasionally brutal. In some ways farm life had a gothic feel to it, and you’ll sense that in my Volstead Manor Series. Even though these three novels aren’t based on true stories, they do reflect some of the tone of my youth. I hope you find my stories fascinating, moving, and entertaining.

Q: When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

A: When I was a little, I had a cheap portable typewriter, which I used to write my first masterpiece. It was a pretty silly attempt at writing, and I never finished it, but it showed me the desire of my heart—to be a teller of stories. It brings me great joy to create characters and then get them into trouble on the page. Endless hours of fun.

Q: Could you give us the highlights of your professional writing career including how you got your first writing break?

A: One of my first breaks came when a publisher decided to release a book of my one-act plays for church dinner theatre. I really enjoyed that unique writing journey for the stage, and the discipline and experience helped me to write snappier dialogue for my novels. But I’m glad I didn’t stay in that genre for too many years, since I really was meant to write novels.

Q: Would you tell us about your current book release?

A: Another Grave Matter just came out, exclusively for the Kindle, but it will be available for other e-book readers sometime in April. Here’s a brief blurb about the novel.

Volstead Manor has caught on fire, and the last of its murderous secrets flare hot enough to drive Bailey back to her sleuthing. A villain, who remains shrouded in darkness until the end, threatens to destroy Bailey, and once again the mansion ignites with malevolent mischief. While she unearths a family secret from Prohibition that’s hidden deep within the cellar, she becomes entangled in a ticking-clock race to save her own life. Will the foul surprises never end at Volstead Manor, and will Bailey’s desire to marry Max go up in smoke?

Q: Where did you get your inspiration for Another Grave Matter?

A: As I mentioned in an earlier answer, my experiences growing up on the farm contributed to my mindset for this series. Also, I grew up in a creepy 100-year-old house that came with an attic, basement, and cellar. Plenty of nooks and crannies to let my imagine go wild!

Q: What is the main thing you hope readers remember from this story?

A: How the heroine, Bailey, grew more open and giving with each book.

Q: What is your favorite scene/chapter from the book?

A: The ending. I hope everyone thinks it’s satisfying.

Q: What inspires you to write?

A: Seeing injustice in the world and wanting to fix it is one of the big motivators. Also, I hope to glorify God with my work.

Q: How has being a published novelist differed from your expectations of the profession?

A: I thought I’d just be writing books, but I also have to do lots of promotion.

Q: What advice or tips do you have for writers who are just getting started?

A: Read and write until you feel your voice emerging.

Q: Would you share with us what you are working on now?

A: I just started working on another Christmas novel entitled, Christmas at Rose Hill Cottage. I’ll be writing it in the springtime, but I love Christmas so much it should be no problem to put myself into the mood again.

Q: What is something your readers might be surprised to learn about you?

A: A long time ago I rappelled off a cliff alongside the man I was dating. We kissed in mid-air while dangling off that cliff. I ended up marrying that man, and we’ve celebrated our 32nd wedding anniversary!

Q: When you’re not writing what do you like to do?

A: Decorate the house, read good books, and create big family dinners.

Q: Anything else you’d like to tell or share with us?

A: I think writing is incredibly hard. When I start a new book, it seems impossible. It is impossible! But somehow word by word it gets gone. Just like when kids are born, each completed book seems like a miracle.

If you’re looking for information about the Love Inspired Suspense books click HERE to see the recently released books.

If you’re looking for information about the current Love Inspired Suspense Fitzgerald Bay Continuity Series click on this link to see the details.

If you’re looking for information about the previous Love Inspired Suspense Texas Rangers Continuity Series click HERE to see the details.

And if you’re looking for information on the Love Inspired Suspense authors, click HERE for a list of authors and their websites. Or you can read more about some of them HERE.

Q: When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

A. I’ve always known I wanted to write, but it seemed like I never could find the time to do it. I was busy working fulltime, raising a family, working in church, etc. I put it off for way too many years, but I finally listened to God’s voice and began to write toward publication in 2004.

Q: Could you give us the highlights of your professional writing career including how you got your first writing break?

A. When I began to write, one of the first things I did was join ACFW. Through that organization I became a part of a critique group and went to my first ACFW conference in 2005. At that conference I met a writer, Susan Downs, who became an editor for Barbour a few months later. I sent her a proposal for a cozy mystery, and she bought it.

Q: Would you tell us about your current book release?

A: Shattered Identity releases February 7 from Love Inspired Suspense. It is the second book in my Ocracoke Island Series. It is the story of Lisa Wade whose mother supposedly jumped to her death from the widow’s walk of the island lighthouse twenty-five years earlier. When Lisa and Sheriff’s Deputy Scott Michaels find her mother’s journal, they discover clues that someone had a reason to want Lisa’s mother dead. As they inch toward the truth, a killer is waiting in the shadows, determined to keep some secrets buried forever.

Romantic Times Magazine gave the story 4 ½ stars and called it “a thrilling story about seeking peace from past hurts.”

Q: Where did you get your inspiration for Shattered Identity?

A: My son, granddaughter, and I visited Ocracoke Island several years ago, and I was fascinated by the lighthouse on the island. It’s the oldest one still in operation on the east coast. It seemed like the natural place to set a murder mystery.

Q: What is the main thing you hope readers remember from this story?

A: Scott and Lisa both suffer from traumatic memories in their pasts, and it affects their present lives. I want readers to know, as Scott and Lisa learned, that Christ’s grace is sufficient to bring strength to our weaknesses.

Q: What is your favorite scene/chapter from the book?

A: My favorite scene is when Scott tells his sister Betsy about an experience he had one morning when he led a military convoy through hostile territory down a dusty desert road in a faraway land. The story Scott relates is a true one that happened to a friend of mine. He allowed me to use his true-life experience of a reminder of how much God loves us, and the book is dedicated to him and all the men and women who serve our country in the military.

Q: What inspires you to write?

A. I’m inspired to write by the knowledge that Christ loves me so much and has blessed me so abundantly. I hope the words He gives me will be an encouragement to someone who reads my books.

Q: How has being a published novelist differed from your expectations of the profession?

A: I knew nothing about the marketing that is so important in writing a book. With so many books being printed, there’s a lot of work an author must do to entice readers to choose their book. A web presence is very important, not only for readers but for editors and agents who want to know how much an author is willing to do to promote herself. Then there’s social networking which also helps to make contact with potential readers. Even though it’s enjoyable, it does take time away from writing.

Q: What advice or tips do you have for writers who are just getting started?

A: The road to publication can be long. I would encourage new writers to persevere. There are going to be bumps along the path, but don’t give up. Join a professional organization and make friends with other writers. You can learn so much from their experiences.

Q: Would you share with us what you are working on now?

A. Most of my books are romantic suspense, but I’m taking a detour right now into another genre. I am working on a historical romance series titled Smoky Mountain Dreams. It is a three book generational series that takes place in Cades Cove, Tennessee, a remote mountain valley in the Smokies from 1894-1934. The first book Angel of the Cove releases in August. I am just finishing the second book Mountain Homecoming, and I will shortly begin work on the third.

Q: What is something your readers might be surprised to learn about you?

A. I love to play games, and I’ve recently become addicted to Words with Friends.

Q: When you’re not writing what do you like to do?

A. I enjoy reading, going to the movies, attending musical theater productions, and collecting flow blue china.

Q: Anything else you’d like to tell or share with us?

A. I am humbled by the emails and letters I get from readers telling me how my books have impacted their lives. I thank God that He’s allowed me to be used to spread the good news of His love for us.

Q: Let me start with asking you to tell us a little bit about yourself.

Here’s my bio:

Lynette Eason is the author of several romantic suspense novels, including Too Close to Home, Don’t Look Back, and A Killer Among Us. She is a member of American Fiction Christian Writers and Romance Writers of America. She has a master’s degree in education from Converse College. She and her family live in South Carolina. When she’s not teaching online or writing, she’s teaching at writing conferences all over the country.

Q: When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

A. I’ve always loved to write. After I got my first rejection, I was pretty determined to figure out what it took to get published. I figured after I did it, just once, I’d be satisfied and could sit back and gloat that I’d done it. Well, no. God had other plans. He kept giving me stories and I kept writing. I suppose it was at that point that I admitted I was a writer and I was doing exactly what I wanted to do and what God had in mind for me all along. And then I thanked God for it. J

Q: Could you give us the highlights of your professional writing career including how you got your first writing break?

A: Highlights have been hitting the best seller list and winning a few awards. The BIGGEST highlights have been the emails from readers telling me how my book changed their lives for the better. Now that is just crazy amazing that God would use me like that.

Q: Would you tell us about your current book release?

A: Here is the back cover blurb:

As a member of the North Cascades Smokejumpers, Alexia Allen always takes care of the equipment that keeps her safe. So when she nearly dies in a fire due to equipment failure, she knows something is up. Ordered to take time off while the investigation continues, Alexia makes a last-minute decision to recuperate at her mother’s home and attend her high school reunion. Yet trouble seems to be following her, and within hours of arriving home she’s involved with murder, arson–and a handsome detective. But the conflicts ahead are nothing compared to the ghosts of her past. As she strives to remember and forgive her family history, she must also decide if the secret she’s been guarding for the last ten years must finally come to light.

Chock-full of the suspense and romantic tension readers have come to expect from Lynette Eason, When the Smoke Clears is the explosive first book in the Deadly Reunions series

Q: Where did you get your inspiration for WHEN THE SMOKE CLEARS?

A: I was watching a movie about smokejumpers and thought that was a fascinating career. So I did some research and decided to write a story around a character who was a smokejumper.

Q: What is the main thing you hope readers remember from this story?

A: That it’s never too late to come home—to God anyway. He’s always waiting with open arms for his children to come running back to him.

Q: What is your favorite scene/chapter from the book?

A: Probably when she wakes up to find a huge gourmet breakfast has been made and she’s the guest of honor.

Q: What inspires you to write?

A. Deadlines. LOL! Seriously, just the whole creative process. I love puzzles and putting together a book is like putting together a 5000 piece puzzle. First you start with the outline (the edge pieces) and then you fill in the middle. I love the challenge. (I love actual puzzles, too!)

Q: How has being a published novelist differed from your expectations of the profession?

A: I didn’t realize how much marketing the author has to do. That’s been an eye opener.

Q: What advice or tips do you have for writers who are just getting started?

A: Keep writing, keep submitting, keep learning.

Q: Would you share with us what you are working on now?

A. I’m working on Book #3 in the Deadly Reunions series.

Q: What is something your readers might be surprised to learn about you?

A. I wear hearing aids. LOL.

Q: When you’re not writing what do you like to do?

A. I love to travel, read, hang out with my kids and husband, shop, and go teach at writers conferences. J

Q: Anything else you’d like to tell or share with us?

A. If readers are interested, they can find me online at www.lynetteeason.com and I have a Facebook page. Come “like” me!

Q: Let me start with asking you to tell us a little bit about yourself.

A. I’m a mother and writer. I live in the Pacific Northwest but grew up in California. I’ve had a variety of jobs from receptionist to bank teller, pre-school teacher to sales clerk to model, but being a mother and a writer are far more rewarding than anything else I’ve ever done.

Q: When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

A. Somewhere around seventh grade is when I knew I wanted to be a writer but it wasn’t until I was pregnant with my first child that I started to pursue writing as a career.

Q: Could you give us the highlights of your professional writing career including how you got your first writing break?

A. I think the highlight so far was having my second book, A Sheltering Love, nominated for Romance Writers of America’s RITA award. As for my writing break, I was asked by another author if I’d be interested in writing a novella for Barbour Publishing. Of course I said yes and wrote A Perfect Love, part of the Romance on the Rails novella collection. It was published in 2001. Two years later I sold to Love Inspired.

Q: Would you tell us about your current book release?

A. The Secret Heiress is a story of an adopted woman, Caroline Tully, who’s given an opportunity to meet her biological grandfather, only someone doesn’t want her to become part of the family and attempts are made on her life. She hires a bodyguard, Don Cavanaugh, to accompany her to Mississippi. Posing as her fiancé give Don the excuse to stick close to his client. But as danger closes in, he realizes he no only has to protect his client but his own heart as well.

Q: Where did you get your inspiration for The Secret Heiress?

A: From my love of Nancy Drew mysteries and old gothic romances. I wanted to do something a little different so I wrote this book with a very gothic feel, complete with an old plantation house full of secrets, creepy relatives and an old unsolved murder as well as a spunky heroine and heroic hero.

Q: What is the main thing you hope readers remember from this story?

A: That love and honor and hope are obtainable. We only have to chose to look to God as our source of strength and turn away from our pride, our fear or anything else that holds us back.

Q: What is your favorite scene/chapter from the book?

A: I guess my favorite scene is where Don finally realizes he must sacrifice his fear in order to love. I think we all hold on to fear as a way of protecting our hearts but in order to really love we must let go of any fear and take the risk.

Q: What inspires you to write?

A. Reading books by authors I admire and hope to emulate.

Q: How has being a published novelist differed from your expectations of the profession?

A: The business side of publishing is hard and confusing. Writing to deadlines is also more stressful than I thought it’d be. But I find I write better when I’m under pressure.

Q: What advice or tips do you have for writers who are just getting started?

A: Join a writers group, study your favorite authors, and be persistent both in your writing and in submitting.

Q: Would you share with us what you are working on now?

A: I’m working on two projects at the moment. The first project is the fourth Protection Specialists book slated to be released in February 2013, featuring bodyguard Jackie Blain. This book is set in Wyoming on a ranch with a handsome cowboy framed for murder. The second project is the fifth book in the Texas K-9 Unit continuity series slated to be released in May 2013. This books features a drug sniffing Beagle named Sherlock, his handsome handler Parker and a cold case detective Melody who’s determined to unravel the mystery of her nephew’s and her sister’s death.

Q: What is something your readers might be surprised to learn about you?

A. Growing up I was painfully shy. I still tend to be on the reserved side.

Q: When you’re not writing what do you like to do?

A. I like to exercise, spend time with my family and play with my dog.

Q: Anything else you’d like to tell or share with us?

A: I belong to two group blogs. One the Love Inspired Authors at www.loveinspiredauthors.com and the other Craftie Ladies of Romance at http://craftieladiesofromance.blogspot.com/ Stop by some time to see what the Love Inspired Authors are up to.

A. I started writing in 1998 as a way of dealing with the emotional turmoil surrounding a family tragedy. Before then I wanted nothing to do with writing, avoided it, disliked it, was never interested. But through writing I found a freedom I’d never known before. I’ve stuttered my whole life and didn’t enjoy talking, in fact, I usually avoided it. But through writing I found my voice. I could express myself without the blocks and tension and facial gymnastics associated with stuttering.

As for jobs, I still work a full-time job doing homecare physical therapy. I enjoy it because I get to work with patients individually in their own environment. And being an observer of people all my life, this is right up my alley. I do my writing in the early morning hours and treat it as a part-time job. I tell people I get up at 4:30, go to my part-time job, then get ready for my full-time job at 7:00.

Q: Do you write in only one genre and if so which one and why? If not, which ones and why?

A: As of now, yes, only one genre: Suspense. But a change is coming, a new direction in my writing. I can’t say a lot about it right now but will be breaking the news shortly. My book releasing in October, A Thousand Sleepless Nights, will open a new chapter in my writing career. Stay tuned to www.mikedellosso.com or www.facebook.com/mikedellosso for more information coming soon.

Q: How does your faith play into your writing?

A. It guides it, infuses it, envelopes it. I couldn’t and wouldn’t write without it. My faith is an integral part in all I do—it’s who I am—and writing is no different. I pay careful attention to the faith message in all my books. Unfortunately, because of the nature of my stories and the thrills and chills involved I fear the suspense overshadows the message too many times. It’s something I struggle to accept. I know some readers “get it” in regards to the message behind a story and others don’t. I try to work the message seamlessly into the story by revealing it through the lives of the characters rather as some separate strand of the story that I later insert.

Q: How do you choose your settings for your books?

A. Most of my books until now have been set in the northern Maryland/southern Pennsylvania area because that’s where I live and what I’m familiar with. But for Frantic I did something different. My wife spent some years of her childhood in Maine and we’ve vacationed there a few times. I’ve fallen in love with that north country. Absolutely love it. So I thought Maine would be a perfect setting for Frantic and it turns out I was right. It really worked well with the story. It’s such a beautiful state with stark contrasts and geography that was made for storytelling.

Q: Do you base your characters on people you know or are they totally made up?

A: Most of the time they are made up (to a point). All my characters have a little of myself in them. I draw a lot upon my own experiences and emotional blueprint when creating characters. Occasionally, I’ll meet someone who so impacts or inspires me or strikes me as so unusual or unique that I have to base a character on him or her.

A few years back I worked with a boy stricken with cerebral palsy. Despite his numerous challenges and struggles he never once complained, never used a harsh word, never showed anger or even frustration. He was the most kind, loving, gentle person I think I’ve met. He really blessed and impacted me. I had to create a character for him and so William in Frantic was born. William is a boy with cerebral palsy and a special gift, a boy on the run from the very essence of evil.

Q: Would you tell us about your current book release?

A: Frantic is the story of a trio of characters on a harried and dangerous journey to discover what it means to really trust. Marny Toogood has lived under a “curse” his entire life and has therefore avoided much contact with people. That is, until he receives a desperate plea for help from Esther Rose, the over-protective sister of William, a boy with cerebral palsy and a very special gift. All three find themselves on the run from Esther and William’s maniacal and possessive “uncle” and wind up somewhere much more dangerous.

Here’s the back cover copy:

Can a deranged serial killer be stopped before it s too late?

For gas station attendant Marny Toogood it s just another day on the job when an urgent message from a young girl in the backseat of a car draws him into a daring rescue attempt. Now on the run with the girl and her brother, Marny begins to realize he must conquer his own past and surrender all to Christ.

As they face kidnapping, underground cults, and other evils, can Marny trust the simple faith of a child and stand his ground against a power so twisted?

Q: Where did you get your inspiration for Frantic?

A: From the boy I had as a patient. He inspired the character and from there the story grew and evolved. I’m a seat-of-the-pants writer but always stay a couple chapters ahead of myself. I spend a lot of brain time mulling over plot options and trails and character development issues. I like to say I plot on the go.

Q: What is the main thing you hope readers remember from this story?

A: I hope readers are challenged to step out in faith, a simple faith, like that of a child. There’s so much talk about great faith and having enough faith or not enough faith . . . I don’t think it’s so much an issue of the amount of faith one has but rather the object of the faith: Jesus. If we could all just grasp that it’s not about us (that goes back to that betrayal and lies thing, doesn’t it?) and our faith; it’s about him and his power, his love, his grace, his will.

Q: Tell us what you like about the main characters of this book.

A: They’re genuine, real people with struggles and flaws like the rest of us. I work hard to make my characters as real as I can, people just like the folks all of us know and come into contact with every day.

Q: Would you share with us what you are working on now?

A. A couple things. One is an anthology of novellas I’m working on with six other authors called 7 Hours. I’ve teamed with Rene Gutteridge, Veronic Kendig, Robin Parrish, Tom Pawlik, Travis Thrasher, and James Wilson to explore the element of time in a very unique way. I can’t say a lot about it right now because things are being kept under tight wraps but the project was picked up by Tyndale and will release in May. You can find out more and keep up to speed with things by liking the Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/7-Hours/218628601550788.

Also, I’m in the midst of the editing phase of A Thousand Sleepless Nights, a story that is very near to my heart and will point my writing in a new direction.

Q: If money were no object what vacation would you like to take and why?

A. I would love to visit New Zealand or take a tour of Europe and see Rome and Venice, Paris, London, the Irish countryside. No cruises, though. I don’t do well with big boats and lots of water.

Q: What is the silliest thing you have ever done?

A. I’ve done so many silly things. Growing up I was a clown, always trying to make people laugh and usually getting in trouble for it. And at home my kids are constantly rolling their eyes at me and saying “you’re so weird.”

But probably the silliest (and maybe one of the dumbest) things I ever did was dress up like a killer and try to crash my sister’s party. I was in college at the time and she was in high school. She threw a birthday party at our house that lasted until after dark. After the sun had set they were all on the back patio talking and laughing and I got the great idea that I’d dress up and scare them. I put on an old man mask we had, an oversized flannel shirt, baggy jeans, and stood at the end of the yard so I’d be silhouetted by the darkening sky. Sooner or later someone would notice me there and start screaming. Well, the someone who noticed me was our dog and he didn’t take too kindly to some stranger trespassing on his property. He chased me up into a tree.

Q: What is the hardest thing you have ever done?

A. Battle colon cancer. In March of 2008 I was diagnosed with stage III colon cancer and spent nine months going through surgeries and chemo to fight it. It was a challenging time for all of us and changed who I am on some very deep levels. I experienced God in a whole new way and will never forget what he brought me through.

Q: Anything else you’d like to tell or share with us?

A. To keep up with my writing and what exciting changes are coming, please follow my blog at www.mikedellosso.wordpress.com and like my Facebook page at www.facebook.com/mikedellosso. Check out Mike’s bio for a complete list of his books.

This made me think about my life as a published writer. This last year and a half has been a huge year of change for me. I saw the release of three of my babies into the world. High-Stakes Inheritance, Nipped in the Bud, Behind the Badge, and The Christmas Witness. And I contracted Read Between the Tines,  Double Exposure and Dead Wrong, all three releasing in 2012.

For six years, I wrote books and dreamed of the day I’d be published. I imagined what it would feel like. What it would look like. Of course, the reality is nothing like the dream.

No one can begin to tell you how amazing it is to see your first book cover. To see your book available for order online. To have the UPS man arrive and hand you a case of books with your name on them. To see your book on a shelf in the store. To hear someone say they liked your book and can’t wait for another one to release.

But most importantly to me, is the reason that I write—receiving an email from a reader who says the message of the book touched their heart and they are now returning to God after turning from Him.

Nothing can compare to making a difference in a person’s spiritual life. To know that you have done your little part in reaching a lost person for the Lord. That your words could have influenced someone’s life for all eternity. Could there be anything more important or more special?

So tell me, Do you embrace change or do you run from it? And how has Christian fiction enriched your life? Do you have a particular book that spoke to you?