I was doing a bible study and the author quoted John Piper. His words have been sticking with me the whole week so I thought I’d share them with you.

He said, and I’m not quoting because I’m not sure this is verbatim. But the gist is: If you have something. HAVE. All that that thing is or does belongs to you. For example: If you HAVE a cold, you have all the cold is and brings like a runny nose, fever, sneezing etc…  If you HAVE a doctor then you have all of that doctor’s knowledge, wisdom and skill to help you. Let me take it a little further. If you HAVE a whole house, then you HAVE  all that the house is and gives such as shelter, safety, a place to entertain and find comfort. You have access to all the rooms.  

Piper than goes on to say if you HAVE Jesus, then you HAVE all of who He is, what He can do, all that comes with Him. Because you HAVE Him.

That really hit different. If you’ve accepted the truth that Jesus is who He is says He is and you believe, then you HAVE Jesus. Not a little of Jesus. Not just some good words He proclaimed. You HAVE all of Him.

You have His grace and mercy.

You have eternal life.

You have a new identity in Him.

You have access to His healing–physically, emotionally, mentally, spiritually.

You have the same resurrection power that raised Him from the dead living in You.

You HAVE it all.

But do you know what ALL is? The only way to know that for yourself is to be in that word, learning who you HAVE.  That would be like HAVING a whole house but never bothering to go into some of the rooms when you have full access to them all.

Why would you not do that?

It would be like being handed a present and turning it down, never opening it. Why would you do that? You wouldn’t.

So why, friend, do we go day after day not knowing all that we HAVE in Jesus? I encourage you today to look at the palm of your hand and remind yourself you HAVE Jesus and He’s far bigger than what might fit in the palm of your hand.

Even better, He has you in the palm of His. IF…you HAVE Him. And if not, let’s talk. I’d love to hear what you’re thinking.  

QUESTION:What’s one thing you carried in your palm as a child for someone to see? Me–lightning bugs! 

Until next time,

Go in hope!

Jess

The post The Power of HAVING Jesus: A Deeper Look appeared first on Jessica R. Patch.

I have so much to share. Wowza. I’ll get right to it. 

The Girl Upstairs is on sale through CHIRP books for $3.99 October 1st-October 31st. 

BUY MY AUDIOBOOK $3.99 

And it’s also on sale in Kindle for $1.99. If you buy it at that cost, the audiobook is usually cheaper too on Audible through Amazon. I THINK this runs through October 6th. 

BUY MY $1.99 Kindle Book 

Do you need another fun read for Spooktober? Or in general?

The Other Sister is NOW in Kindle Unlimited–for a limited time.  If you have KU, it’s a great time to snatch it up.

READ IN KINDLE UNLIMITED 

I think that’s all for now.

I hope you have all the fun, reading!

Stay Twisted,

Jess

The post Prime Deals on The Girl Upstairs and The Other Sister has a New Home… ;) appeared first on Jessica R. Patch.

This book is set in a small idyllic town on the cliffs of Maine. It’s gorgeous and then October rolls around and the town is obsessed with Halloween. And the house the couple have purchased to fix up…has a dark history. Awful, nightmarish things have happened over the generations on Halloween in this house. In this town.

And Gwen McDaniel wants to unmask them and find the truth, but being in the house…it’s giving her anxiety and dread. She’s seeing things and hearing things she shouldn’t be. Is the house holding those dark memories and bringing them to life as she literally digs into the house? Is something else more sinister at play?

You can find out! 

The Girl Upstairs is available in all formats from any place where books are sold. 

READ AN EXCERPT

Here is what Colleen Coble has to say:

And here are a few things readers have to say about it (all from Goodreads):

5 STARS

“Wow. What a book. This is probably the first Christian fiction thriller I’ve read that isn’t cheesy and is genuinely well done! Finally!!!!!” Laura

“What a phenomenal book! It will scare you, send your mind spinning, and break your heart. A complex storyline with complex characters that kept me throughly engrossed throughout the book and completely swept me away. My mind was blown away trying to piece together the puzzle to what really happened. Twists that I never saw coming and left my mouth open in surprise.” ~ Misty

Oh!!!! My!!!! Word!!!!!!!! This book had soooo many twists to it! I was guessing and recalculating those guesses throughout the whole book!!! Seriously! Even up to the epilogue!!! Talk about my jaw hanging open A LOT while reading this one! ~Julie 

If you are just now discovering this author with this book, allow me to make the introduction! Jessica R. Patch, the queen of dark and twisty strikes again with a stellar 5 stars! ~Alicia

PURCHASE MY COPY FROM MY FAVORITE RETAILER

Happy Spooktober, My Pretties.

Stay twisted,

Jess 

The post Spooktober Thrills: Discover The Girl Upstairs appeared first on Jessica R. Patch.

I’ve had a quite a few new subscribers around here this past week and I want to say thank you so much! 

My monthly Patch of Hope will now be home here, but hey, you can peruse the side bar and check out any and all my past posts. I’ve been blogging for some time. I started when blogs were hot, hot, hot and met many writer friends. I blogged devotionals and writerly things, when I was offered representation and when I received my first contract with Harlequin. 

I don’t know if blogs are dead or coming back or never left. Maybe I left due to being so darn busy. A good busy as contracts began and haven’t ended. I just wanted to say thank you for subscribing and occasionally if books go on a sale and I need to quickly let you know, I’ll post it here. 

In the comments tell me: Is there anything you’d like to see me regular blog about? I’m open to it.

The post Thank You for Subscribing: What’s Next for My Blog appeared first on Jessica R. Patch.

When I was growing up, I watched my mother have a hand in nearly every type of ministry or committee or group at church. Often times I was voluntold to help out too. We made floats for parades, Christmas plays–we did all and I played a part in the show too. She brought people home to disciple and teach them the Bible. I can go on and on. 

I went to Bible college and then we made went on to head ministries and groups at our church where we were heavily involved in everything and I said yes to things I didn’t actually feel led to say yes to, but felt some pressure and also this thing called GUILT.

I should help everywhere and anywhere because it’s the right thing to do and no one else will step up. Meanwhile I was heading the Women’s Ministry where everything gets dumped whether or not it should be women’s ministry. I was the only one teaching a women’s bible study. I taught Wednesday nights for first grade girls and we pastored the young adults. To say I was worn out was an understatement not to mention my month in the nursery or a few times when someone called in or didn’t show.

By the time I hit my early forties maybe late 30s, I finally realized I didn’t have to say YES to everything that was asked of me. I didn’t have to feel guilty for saying no or not volunteering for everything. 

Friend, that was freeing. It freed me up to do what I know God led me to, confirmed and gave me strength for. And it also forced those who sat and soaked in pews doing absolutely nothing the conviction to do something. 

God will lead you and it won’t always be what you think. You don’t want to be in preschool but God says “Yep.” And so you do and you find that you actually love it. But it wasn’t on your radar.

That happened to me at the church we’ve attended for about 5 years. I wasn’t sure where I fit. What I did at our former church, there was no opportunity for me to do that–and I didn’t feel like I was supposed to. So I did nothing–for a short time. 

Then I started feeling that familiar itch to teach. But where? I wasn’t needed And yet it was growing. One Sunday, a young woman came up to me and said, “I’m going to be going to the new church plant and I felt led to ask you if you’d like to teach the Youth SS girls class.”

I didn’t have to pray about it because God had already been planting it and confirming it in my heart so I said, “YES!” on the spot. The ONE ministry I’d never worked in was YOUTH. For over 25 years at our former church–I never worked in the Youth. Never thought I would at our present church either. And yet… I’ve been doing it now for three years I think? I can’t remember. Maybe more. 

But I’ve also said “NO.” to a few things when asked. And you know what? I don’t feel bad or guilty for it. I’m doing exactly what he’s asked me to. Now does that mean I can’t bring a casserole or bake a dish for a new mom? No. Of course not. 

And you shouldn’t either. 

Be active in your local body. Be active outside the walls of the church–even more! 

But don’t feel guilty for saying no to things when you’re actively doing other things to serve in your church. 

No is a sentence all by itself. You don’t need an explanation behind it. It stands on its own.

“Serve willingly, as if you were serving the Lord and not merely people…” Ephesians 6:7

Willingly. Not out of guilt of self-guilt. 

The post Serve with Purpose: When to Say No in Ministry appeared first on Jessica R. Patch.

And speaking of audiobooks… Lisa Larsen did an incredible job narrating this story. She didn’t just read it—she inhabited it. The tension, the unease, the slow unraveling? It’s all there in a way that might make you double-check the locks.

As if that wasn’t enough, The Girl Upstairs is also a Kobo Best Book of the Month Pick, which is just… wild and humbling and makes me want to pace my house like one of my own characters.

Can’t Find It? Let’s Fix That.

If you walk into your local bookstore and don’t see it on the shelf, don’t panic. Ask them to order it for you. Bookstores want to know what readers are looking for—and requests like that genuinely help books find their place in the world.

Book Clubs… This Is Where It Gets Fun

If you’re in a book club—or have ever thought about starting one just so you can overanalyze fictional characters’ questionable life choices—this one’s for you.

I put together a full Book Club Extras page with everything you need to dive deeper into the story:

• Fun behind-the-scenes facts
• Free sample chapters
• Discussion questions (with spoilers—proceed with caution)
• Want to Zoom with me? I do that for FREE! Email me at jessica@jessicarpatch.com
• A link to my story board with all the vibes + my cast of characters

https://jessicarpatch.com/book-clubs/the-girl-upstairs-book-club/

Want to Celebrate With Me?

If you’ve ever wondered what actually helps an author on release, here’s the real list:

• Leave a review (even a short one—it matters more than you think)
• Tell a friend who loves twisty, unsettling stories
• Post about it—your aesthetic stack, your “I don’t trust anyone in this book” moment
• Request it at your library
• Recommend it to your book club
• Or just… keep reading

This book has lived in the shadows of my mind for a long time—quiet, persistent, waiting. And now it’s out in the world, finding its way into your hands.

Are you brave enough to go upstairs? 

Tell me, how do you celebrate fun things? 

If you want to buy the book, visit The Girl Upstairs BUY NOW page and choose your favorite retailer!

The post She Was Upstairs. Now She’s Here! appeared first on Jessica R. Patch.

Is this cover not stunning, eerie, and thrillerish? I love it. I hope all of you will too.

The Girl Upstairs is my 2nd thriller that steers away from police investigations. You may have read my Strange Crimes Series about a specialized unit with the FBI hunting down sadistic serial killers. 

The Other Sister veered away from that kind of story. It’s a mystery to be solved for sure but by an average person not an official investigator. It’s first person POV and hits main stream topics without profanity and spice.

This book and my next two contracted thrillers will be more in step with The Other Sister. Dark subject matter. Meaning if you pick it up and think it won’t be that dark, I assure you it will. So if dark topics aren’t your jam, better to forego the story and pick up a Love Inspired Suspense by me. I have a slew of them. Just click the tab at the top of the page to peruse the books.

So what can you expect from my upcoming thrillers? 

• A total thrill ride.
• Signature twists, some you might suspect (it’s hard to fool avid thriller readers), but some you won’t see coming! 
•  A mystery to be solved whether a murder, other crime, cold case or something else sinister.
• First Person POV
• Strong heroines–who are usually shaky in their faith and cross morally gray lines (until they can stand on solid ground, learn their lesson so to speak.
• DARK subject matter. I don’t shy away from violence, sexual crimes, or even child abuse but I’ll never be gratuitous. I’ll never write an assault scene or abuse scene. But these things actually happen and I’m not afraid to tackle it because I feel led to write these kinds of stories. As a Christ-follower, I’ve been given this task. There is actually a large audience for books with darker tones and themes. You may not like them but that doesn’t mean I shouldn’t write them. It means you shouldn’t read them but grace to the authors who are writing about it.
• Biblical truths and principles explored through showing and not telling. Symbolism that contrasts light and dark. Good and evil. Actions that reveal wrong and right. Just because I don’t provide a litany of scripture to back up every scene or choice or sentence doesn’t mean truth isn’t prevailing. Think Narnia. The book of Esther where God isn’t mentioned once but it was clear He was providentially moving and truths like “such a time as this” is now on stickers and wall hangings. Mordecai didn’t preach a sermon to her. But his simple but profound statement revealed that she was not there by chance and her choices mattered. Then we read that an applied it to our own lives. So it’s there 100% in every book and can be seen by bible literate Christ-followers and for those who are not, they are not preached at. They don’t read books for that and I’m not going to do it. But I do view the world biblically and therefore it will reflect in honest and hopeful endings.
• I don’t write happily ever afters. I write hopeful endings. I don’t want to leave the protagonist still living in darkness and hopelessness. I want them to live in light. But living in light is not always happily ever after. Rarely is it that. So I don’t do that.
• I never use profanity in my books. I don’t write sex scenes. That doesn’t mean characters don’t use profanity or have sex. They do. It doesn’t mean some characters won’t be lewd to some degree. People are lewd. 
• Sometimes I’ll write in the killer’s POV and murderers are sick and depraved so they won’t be talking about daisies and sunshine or the weather unless those things are hindering them from a kill. They’ll be thinking and talking like killers.
• There is no romance in this book or my next two. I’m not opposed to it, but these stories haven’t called for it.

In a nutshell, I guess they could be called clean thrillers. Mainstream thrillers. Even though they are written from a Christian’s world viewpoint. I am a Christian and I’m not ashamed of that. 

Who is My Perfect Readership?

• People who enjoy dark twisty mainstream thrillers but prefer no sex or strong language. 
• People who love mysteries, true crime, creepy crime documentaries. You enjoy shows like Dexter, Criminal Minds Evolution, You…and some horror shows/movies.
• People who love to be unsettled, disturbed, and creeped out without going too far (that’s subjective of course).
• People who are Christians and enjoy books that reveal truths and principles but don’t need a salvific message, as you’re already a Christ-follower. 
• Any other religious readers who just wants a fun thrill ride without being preached to about another religion–or no religious affiliation. I’m not trying to make anyone follow Jesus just because I do. 
• People who love a good twist! 

Will I go back to books like Strange Crimes?

Yes! I have a whole series written that needs revised and is very much like SCU. And my editor and I are already talking about the next set of books after this 3-book contract is up in 2028. It may veer procedural, it may not! But we’re cooking up some fun ideas already. 

Are my future thrillers for you?

I don’t know. But it’s okay if they’re not. If you love twisty romantic suspense with strong faith threads, then read my Love Inspired Suspense. It’ll hit all the notes for you! And it’s happily ever afters!

But for now, here’s a little about The Girl Upstairs:

She bought this house to save her marriage. Unearthing its secrets might just claim her life.

Gwen McDaniel’s life is broken. But she knows the perfect place to fix it. Cold Harbor, Maine is where she used to vacation with her parents as a child, an idyllic small town with views of Acadia National Park. Here, she and Steven can start over, renovating their cliff-side fixer-upper while patching up their marriage. Soon, everything will be better.

Except from the moment they arrive, Gwen sees and hears things, and it’s more than just the drafts and shadows that are part of any old house. Steven downplays her fears, warning her not to fixate on problems as she has in the past. But Gwen spent years as a homicide detective, and her instincts don’t lie. Something happened here. Proof comes when she rips up the attic’s old carpet to discover a chilling message carved into the wood.

As Gwen delves into the history of the house and Cold Harbor community, she begins to piece the fragments together. And gradually, a terrifying picture emerges: A missing girl. A house of horrors. And a dark, decades-old nightmare that is more haunting than Gwen ever imagined…

If this looks like your jam, it would be so very helpful to this author if you preorder it from your favorite online retailer! Audio is not up just yet but it will be!

What do you think of the cover? 

Warmly, 

Jess 

The post Exploring Dark Thrills: The Girl Upstairs Unveiled appeared first on Jessica R. Patch.

I don’t glorify evil in my real life or in my novels. But it sets the backdrop to the light to come. I never said I write happily-ever-afters in my thrillers. I don’t. I said I write hope-filled endings and I will always deliver on that.

For me, I feel led to explore the wicked heart. To SHOW someone living wrong and how that sin spills over into their life and others and hurts them. Then I SHOW them come to know the truth–to see the light and change their ways. Once my character is on the right path, the story is over. I don’t write about them living a faith-filled life with a few hiccups. That doesn’t interest me as a reader and it doesn’t interest me as a writer. Once the conflict is over, so is the story. 

In The Other Sister, I demonstrate not through a voice of truth telling Charlotte–you are living a destructive life and you are not finding joy in what you do have. You can’t see that you are loved because you’re too occupied with all the things you think you need to satisfy your deep, empty places. You’re broken, Charlotte, and only Jesus can save you, heal you, restore you and show you unconditional love. Only Jesus can satisfy the longing of your heart and make you whole. Lean on Jesus, Charlotte. Here’s how (and quote the Romans Road). This is all true and everything Charlotte needs. 

But I’d rather SHOW the brokenness. I’d rather use other characters to reveal parts of her heart–corruption, lies, justification of sin, wickedness and even depravity. 

I’d rather use a character as a type of Christ (as we see many before Jesus comes in the Bible) to test her, to challenge her, to point to faith being a choice and not some symbol worn in a cross necklace. To push her to make the right but hard choices and then to reveal that after all she’s done, he is not ashamed to dine with her. He is not afraid to be seen with her. That he would even after all she’s done, desire to be a part of her life. 

Recently, a reviewer wrote this about an early copy of The Other Sister: 

“This was by far the darkest book I’ve ever read. It’s the combination of a horror and an awful family full of secrets. To be honest, I hated it. From a demon child to a stalker to the very nasty, dreadful mess. I only continued reading to know what happened in the end. The only good thing I can say about this book is that it’s unpredictable. But there were also certain things that didn’t seem wrapped up to me. One character just vanished at one point for no real reason. All the characters were difficult to keep up with and the amount of evil things that the Christian author piled into this book is honestly concerning. I’ve read books about fighting and death and evil, but this one to me hardly classifies as a Christian novel. God was mentioned 8 times in this horrible novel. With the content, He should have been mentioned a hundred times. I most certainly will not be reading this book again. And I may never read another book by this author. I probably should give this book one star, but I know how difficult it is to write a book so I added another just for her effort.”

While I never speak to negative reviews, because once the book is in the world, it’s not my business and reviews sites are fair platforms to say how bad a book or good a book is without any repercussion from the author, I’m going to speak to this one because it appears she is an author/aspiring author? too and that makes it fair game for a colleague to speak of another colleagues words–we swim in the same pond. 

This book does classify as a Christian book because it’s a redemption story. It is full of Jeremiah 17:9, 1 John 2:15, Philippians 4:11-13, Romans 1:28, Romans 1:16, Revelation 3:20, Luke 9:26 . It shows biblical worldview. It shows a desperately abused, empty woman who desires to be loved wholly and completely. She’s the woman at the well. She’s Mary Magdalene. She’s the woman with the issue of blood. She’s me. She’s you. Desperate women do desperate acts–women who know the Lord and women who don’t. 

And along the way darkness bumps up against her in the form of liars, schemers and manipulators. In the form of depraved individuals. Darkness will bump up against us–it’s a matter of when not if. I hope this reviewer never experiences some of the depraved individuals I have or maybe that you have. I hope sin never spills into her safe space. I hope she never feels so alone and lost that she messes up in ways that are so disappointing and disheartening the shame is overwhelming and unimaginable. 

I have. Maybe you have too. That’s why I write what I do. I’ve experienced and seen enough in my almost 50 years that I know mentioning God 8 times is not enough. Mentioning God ONCE isn’t enough. Because just mentioning his name doesn’t do anything. But to say he needs mentioned more times to combat the darkness says he doesn’t have enough power to be mentioned once to do it. And my God only needs one word. He is an all consuming fire whether he’s spoken of once or 8 times or 800. 

Showing him throughout a whole story in the character of Christian Patrick is far more powerful. Revealing biblical truth through storytelling is as mighty as telling someone God loves them–dare I say even more powerful because we’ve connected as a reader, lived in Charlotte’s skin and seen through her eyes the actions of others that we need saving too. We need to take responsibility for our sin not try to outrun consequences. Sin does find us out. It is crouching at our door. It will master us if we do not master it. And it is a fight to the death–the death of our innate wickedness (flesh vs. spirit). No one is good. No one is innocent, not even 2 year olds or they wouldn’t lie to us when we ask for the truth. Did you eat that cookie? No. And yet the crumbs are on their cheeks. No one taught them to lie. It’s inherent.

And from a woman who also read The Other Sister: “I just finished The Other Sister! Wow! Great read! I LOVED it!! I would say it was your best, yet, but all of your books are great, and I love the redemption in them!! When I read where Charlotte thinks, “I never realized before that I was loved. I couldn’t see it for focusing on everything I didn’t have.” That is me, I have been focusing on all of the bad that has happened, and God doesn’t intend me to stay there, but to learn and grow from it to help others. I know you write fiction, but you also include God’s Truth among the people and pages! Thank you for using your talent to share the love of Christ to the lost and to those of us who are His, but need a little kick in the behind at times!!”

She saw what was shown. The Holy Spirit applied it personally to her own life. And she received the takeaway–as intended by the heart of the author who bathed this book in prayer. Even the wicked, vile demon child aspect–which I would call a born sociopath and exists. Did I add some horror element to it, well yeah I love the horror genre so duh.

Here’s what God revealed to me in prayer time this morning. 

It’s not the quantity of light. It only takes one little match to illuminate a dark cave. You don’t need a torch or a bonfire. We don’t leave the overhead light on for our children to sleep at night. We buy a small tiny bulb and call it a nightlight. It’s just enough to illuminate the way to the door, to combat total darkness and fear. One. Little. Light. We sing, this LITTLE light of mine… I’m gonna let it shine.

You can mention God 900 times. It’s no different than striking one small match. Because God is light is light is light is light. 

He is bringing hope with one flickering flame as much as He’s bringing hope with a mention on every page. He IS seen through the acts of people and in types of Christs–no different than CS Lewis in Narnia or in the story of Esther where we so clearly see him at work without a single mention of his name. Haman was as much of a narcissist sociopath as some of the characters in The Other Sister. 

I’m okay with being misunderstood. That’s part of the cost for writing the types of thrillers I write and I’m okay with that. I’m not okay with my faith being questioned by another “Christian”.

But I’m going to keep shining light in dark places. The real world and in fiction. 

The post This Book Needs More Mention of God! Actually… appeared first on Jessica R. Patch.

I thought I’d let you know that my publisher Harlequin/Harper Collins is giving away 30 finished paperback copies of The Garden Girls on Goodreads. Hurry over and enter as it will only last through March 15th! 

On a remote Outer Banks island, a serial killer collects his prized specimens. And to stop him, an FBI agent must confront his own twisted past.
 
FBI agent Tiberius Granger has seen his share of darkness. But a new case sets him on edge. It’s not just the macabre way both victims—found posed in front of lighthouses—are tattooed with flowers that match their names. There’s also the unsettling connection to the woman Ty once loved and to the shadowy cult they both risked everything to escape.  
Bexley Hemmingway’s sister has gone missing, and she’ll do anything to find her—including teaming up with Ty. That may prove a mistake, and not just because Ty doesn’t know he’s the father of her teenaged son. It seems the killer is taunting Ty, drawing everyone close to him into deeper danger.
As the slashing winds and rain of a deadly hurricane approach the coast of North Carolina, the search leads Ty and Bex to an island that hides a grisly secret. But in his quest for the truth, Ty has ignored the fact that this time, he’s not just the hunter. Every move has been orchestrated by a killer into a perfect storm of terror, and they will need all their skills to survive…

It’s also available on NetGalley if you use Netgalley to read advanced reader copies of books. You do have to have a free account and be approved by the publisher. I have nothing to do with approval/denial.

Enter the Goodreads Giveaway 

The post Goodreads Giveaway for The Garden Girls! appeared first on Jessica R. Patch.

I’m so excited to let you know that Yuletide Cold Case Cover-Up is part of Harper Collins’ new Seasons Readings promo. What does that mean? 

It means the book is on SALE for $1.99 from October 1-November 1. So grab it at this amazing sale price and please share the love with friends and family. If you already own a copy, it makes a great gift. Just send it to someone who hasn’t read it! If you don’t like to read books set around the holidays, just pop it on that TBR pile and get to reading in the holiday season months.

Back Cover Copy:

When her sister’s remains are found just before Christmas, cold case agent Poppy Holliday is determined to solve the years-old murder—even if it turns the killer’s sights on her. But her investigation with her straitlaced partner, Rhett Wallace, is stirring up the town’s old memories—and bitter grudges. And this killer will do anything to keep secrets buried…

Link to choose your favorite retailer.

Do you like reading books set around holidays?

The post Season’s Readings From Harper Collins Means $1.99 SALE! appeared first on Jessica R. Patch.