Can you believe we're heading into the last few months of the year already?
Me either, but let me tell you it's been an amazing ride so far. 😊
When I started putting this week's guest information up, I wondered...
"I've known Jodie for years! Why hasn't she been here before?!
"Je ne sais pas," as the French would say. "I don't know," in English, but I'm sure glad she's here now.
Welcome, Jodie! Please tell us a little about yourself...
I am a New York Times, USA Today and Publishers Weekly Best-selling author who writes “soul-stirring suspense” filled with love, faith and intrigue. My novel, Crossfire, was an RT Reviewers' Choice Award winner that was commended for addressing "the stigma associated with mental health services and the military."
Besides (and above) all that, I am -first and foremost- a mom and Army wife who believes dark chocolate cures all ills. I live in North Carolina with my husband and a lab-husky mix. 😊
Tracing Killer Evidence was such a blessing to write, because it was part of a continuity with other Love Inspired authors. It's always fun to work together, to get to know one another's characters, and to work them into my own story. It's a challenge to look back at prior books in the series and forward to the books after mine in order to wave in the right threads and make sure that we don't wind up with inconsistencies or plot holes. (And yay for the editors at LIS, who are rock stars at keeping everything together and making sure it all flows!)
Love it! Now tell us about your book, Tracing Killer Evidence and why you wrote it...
This book is about forgiveness, which is something I think we all struggle with. I wanted to look at how God calls us to forgive and to show it at work in a very broken relationship. I always learn so much when I'm writing a "God story," and He is definitely still working on me on that one!
Isn't HE always working on all of us on that?! LOL! Can you give us a sneak peek into the book and where we can find it?
Sure... Here is the blurb...
A string of unsolved kidnappings…A K-9 team out for justice…
Forensic artist Isabella Whitmore narrowly escapes an abduction attempt in the Dakota Badlands, only to find herself targeted by a mysterious assailant. With the help of FBI special agent Liam Barringer and his K-9, Guthrie, Isabella must uncover the identity of her would-be murderer. Is the culprit the elusive kidnapper turned serial killer who’s targeting Isabella because she matches his victim profile? Or has her secret past finally caught up with her? As the attacks escalate, Isabella and Liam must find the truth and stop the danger before it’s too late.
And an excerpt...
A dark sedan had slammed on its brakes in front of them. It had no license plate and no bumper stickers or identifying marks. Other than the make and model, there was nothing distinct about it.
The car didn’t move as Liam backed farther away then slammed on the brakes again a safe distance up the highway.
Isabella slammed against the headrest. She swallowed hard and gulped air, begging God for mercy for her swirling stomach and her spinning head. Begging Him for safety from this relentless assault.
After long moments where the only sound in the vehicle was the three of them breathing, the sedan suddenly gunned the engine and roared away with tires spinning. When it had gone about a tenth of a mile, the headlights and taillights vanished.
“He shut them off.” Liam smacked the steering wheel, then eased the SUV to the side of the road.
“You’re not going to follow him?” Her motion sickness forgotten in her ire, Isabella disentangled her hand from Guthrie’s collar as she threw her right hand toward the fleeing vehicle. “He’s going to get away. We can catch him. We can—”
“And do what?” Liam snapped. “I have no backup. Say he slams on the brakes and opens fire. Say he has an accomplice and lures us into a trap before help gets here. As much as I want to put an end to this, I’m not going to charge into the unknown when I have you in the vehicle with me. You’ve been through enough, and we’ve had too many close calls. This guy is escalating, and I don’t like it. Clearly, he’s fixated on you, and this is more dangerous than we thought.”
Everything in her deflated as a chill wrapped around her. Her body, her mind, her heart…they all went numb.
Liam called Cheyenne and repeated their location and everything that had happened.
Ahead of them, in the opposite lane, several emergency vehicles appeared, lights flashing in the distance, racing closer.
She no longer cared. She no longer felt anything. All she wanted to do was sleep.
The same overwhelming emptiness had engulfed her on the night before her planned wedding, when she’d closed the door behind her father and brother and sank against it, sliding to the floor. That night, they’d demanded she convert her “FBI fiance’” into a patsy for their criminal organization. Refusal meant death for Liam. They couldn’t risk her being married to a federal agent if he wasn’t working for them as well.
So to protect Liam, she’d left him behind. Where she should have been overwhelmed by anger and grief at her family’s vile demand, she’d felt nothing. The gulf that had opened in her heart was too expansive, and it seemed to swallow her whole.
It was the same now.
It had taken years for her to heal the last time, and part of her still felt like it lived in that abyss. The last thing she’d ever wanted was to feel so dead again, but she was overwhelmed and broken.
She’d lost herself, and the idea that this emptiness could be permanent terrified her more than any killer ever could.
You can find Tracing Killer Evidence at Amazon , at Harlequin.com, and of course your local book retailer that carries Love Inspired titles.
Wonderful, Jodie! Thank you for joining us today. We certainly wish you the BEST of luck and God's blessings for continued success with your writing and life in general.
Hope you enjoyed Jodie's spotlight friends and that you'll come by weekly to find more great authors and their books. Check out her other titles HERE and find out more about her by visiting her Website.
Until next time, take care and keep reading.
PamT
PS: One of Jodie's backlisted titles is a Keuka Roots' Autumn Reads book!
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