I'm so excited to be part of the blog tour for Beneath the Surface! This is such a great kick-off to the Dive Team Investigations series. Find out a little more about the pick up, enter to win your own copy through the Rafflecopter link, then scroll down for an interview with Lynn H. Blackburn.
Title: Beneath the Surface Series: Dive Team Investigations, Book 1
Author: Lynn H. Blackburn
Publisher: Revell
Release Date: March 6, 2018
Genre: Contemporary Romantic Suspense
Links:
After a harrowing experience with an obsessed patient, oncology nurse practitioner Leigh Weston needed a change. She thought she'd left her troubles behind when she moved home to Carrington, North Carolina, and took a job in the emergency department of the local hospital. But when someone tampers with her brakes, she fears the past has chased her into the present. She reaches out to her high school friend turned homicide investigator, Ryan Parker, for help.
Ryan finds satisfaction in his career, but his favorite way to use his skills is as a volunteer underwater investigator with the Carrington County Sheriff's Office dive team. When the body of a wealthy businessman is discovered in Lake Porter, the investigation uncovers a possible serial killer--one with a terrifying connection to Leigh Weston and deadly implications for them all.
Dive into the depths of fear with an exciting new voice in romantic suspense. Award-winning author Lynn H. Blackburn grabs readers by the throat and doesn't let go until the final heart-pounding page.
PURCHASE HERE: Amazon - ChristianBook - BookDepository - iTunes
ADD TO GOODREADS: Goodreads
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Lynn
H. Blackburn is the author of Hidden Legacy (Love Inspired, June 2017)
and Covert Justice, winner of the 2016 Selah Award for Mystery and
Suspense and the 2016 Carol Award for Short Novel. Blackburn believes in
the power of stories, especially those that remind us that true love
exists, a gift from the Truest Love. She’s passionate about CrossFit,
coffee, and chocolate (don’t make her choose) and experimenting with
recipes that feed both body and soul. She lives in Simpsonville, South
Carolina, with her true love, Brian, and their three children.
(3) Winners will win:
- (1) Print copy of Beneath the Surface by Lynn H. Blackburn
- Surprised Bookish Treat
Click here to enter: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/7425d38e147/?
April 23
Create Explore Read - Author Interview
A Baker's Perspective - A Day with Special Agent ___
April 24
Savings in Seconds - Quote Hightlight
Grace in Our Moments - Guest Post from Author
April 25
Christen Krumm - Guest Post from Author
Among the Reads - Beneath the Surface & the Power of Prayer
April 26
Blooming with Books - Character Profile
Fiction Aficionado - Did you know this about diving investigators?
April 27
Remembrancy - Photo Tour of Carrington
Stories by Gina - Quote Highlight
April 30
The Christian Fiction Girl - Quote Hightlight
Daysong Reflections - Underwater Investigations & Evidence
May 1
Worthy 2 Read - Quote Hightlight
Kat's Corner Books - Beneath the Surface with International Adoption
May 2
All of a Kind Mom - A Character Like Me
Robin's Nest - Quote Hightlight
Edits & Reviews by Leslie - Food Beneath the Surface
May 3
By the Book - Quote Hightlight
Cafinated Reads - Quote Highlight
May 4
Book by Book - Playlist
Pacific Northwest Bookworm - Cookies Beneath the Surface
I loved being part of the blog tour for Beneath the Surface! Thanks to Lynn Blackburn for answering a few questions about her newest book...
I’m thrilled to be
able to answer questions about the writing of Beneath the Surface and my writing experiences!
What was your
inspiration for both the setting of your book and the diving aspect of it?
Lynn: I was born in western North Carolina and lived there in
elementary school and high school. But after I was married and living in South
Carolina, my parents lived in central North Carolina for almost two decades, so
it’s a place I have never lived but have visited often.
There are some beautiful lakes in that area and wonderful
people. I thought it would be fun to create a fictional city that is much like
the city I live in (Greenville, SC) and add a lake and a tourism industry and
then see what happened.
An added bonus to choosing central North Carolina is that
it’s not far from the location of the real dive team that inspired the series.
The Guilford County Sheriff’s Office Dive Team gave a demonstration as part of
the Writers Police Academy in 2014. By the time we walked out of the building I
knew I wanted to write this series.
What is it like
going from writing Love Inspired Suspense to writing a series? What do you like
about each? What is difficult about each?
Lynn: The transition from LIS to a series has been relatively
smooth. As a reader, I prefer series to stand-alones so I was thrilled to be
able to try my hand at writing one.
The biggest challenge in the beginning was—the beginning!
Because LIS books are so much shorter (55K words verses 90K words) you have to
begin with a bang and never stop! In the Dive Team Investigations series, I had
to keep reminding myself that I needed to take the time to ground my readers in
the story world and in the main characters inner worlds before I started
messing with them too much. I’m naturally long-winded so I adjusted quickly!
I think LIS is fantastic and I’m thrilled to write for them.
I’m hoping to sell a third book to them soon. It’s a wonderful way for a writer
to break into the romance/romantic suspense world. You learn to write tight –
you have to tell a compelling story and create realistic and engaging
characters that readers will want to spend time with – and there’s no room for
any extra words. And that’s a skill every writer should have! You also learn
how to handle edits and how to write on a deadline. Also critical skills for
writers. An added bonus is that LIS readers are awesome. I’ve received some of
the kindest letters from readers of my LIS books!
The hardest part about writing the trade-length series for
Revell is also the part I love the most—it’s longer! It takes longer to write
and longer to edit, but I also have more room to develop the main characters
and the secondary characters. There’s room for a more complex plotline and more
romance.
As a reader, I love a complicated plot
that keeps me guessing and a romance that leaves me swooning, and that’s what
I’m trying to create for my readers.
I know Lynette
Eason is your mentor. How has she helped you as an author? And who else has
influenced you as a writer?
Lynn: Yes, Lynette Eason is my mentor and friend. In fact, as I
type these words she’s sitting beside me in a Starbucks that’s in between our
houses. We live about five miles apart and meet at local coffee shops quite
often. We brainstorm and write. I can only imagine what some of our fellow
patrons think about our conversations. “Well, if you kill him this way . . . ”
is guaranteed to raise a few eyebrows!
We met in 2012 and she’s helped me with everything from
brainstorming ideas to untangling convoluted plot threads to talking me off
ledges when I’m convinced I’m a hack and no one will ever want to read my
books. She’s encouraged me to enter contests and introduced me to my agent and
editor. There’s really not much she hasn’t helped me with! I’m eternally
grateful for the way God put her in my life!
As for my influences—I’m an avid reader and I read broadly
growing up. I read just about anything except erotica or horror. Classics,
thrillers, romances, literary works, historicals, YA, epic family sagas, I love
all of it. I don’t think it’s possible to overstate how much a steady diet of
beautifully crafted sentences and stories impacted my writing.
Within my own genre I’d have to say the biggest early
influence was Dee Henderson who, interestingly enough, mentored Lynette. The
O’Malley series remains one of my favorites of all time.
Thank you for having
me today!
Grace and peace,
Lynn
Disclosure: I received a free copy of Beneath the Surface as part of the blog tour. All opinions expressed are mine.
Disclosure: I received a free copy of Beneath the Surface as part of the blog tour. All opinions expressed are mine.