Did you, like me, miss #halfaweenathon? (It’s the halfway point in the year to Halloween, in case you were wondering.) Not to worry. There’s still lots of time to add great thrillers to your #tbr list for May and beyond. Today, I’m sharing a suspense novel I thoroughly enjoyed and one that I’m just getting into. Feel free to watch in video format above. The Survivors by Jane Harper If you’ve read the post, “Suspense Book Recommendations: Jane Harper & R.D. Brady” then you already know I’m a fan of Jane Harper. This Australian best-seller is a master with a pen, creating fictional stories ..read more

Supernatural suspense. Just the name of this sub-genre is enough to send spooky fingers of dread tapping up your spine. Supernatural suspense books, also called, supernatural thriller, paranormal suspense, and paranormal thrillers, along with horror, can be varied in their plots. But key elements tie them together. At the time of this writing, the following five books are in the Top 10 Amazon List for supernatural thrillers: Devoted, by Dean Koontz In the Heart of the Fire, by Dean Koontz Layla, by Colleen Hoover Photographing the Dead, by Dean Koontz The Wife Upstairs, by Rachel Hawkins Not ..read more

What are “edgy Christian thriller” books? What do “religious horror novels” have that’s so different than regular books in the horror genre? Today, we’re going to look at these two interesting sub-genres. We’ll figure out what differentiates edgy Christian thrillers from traditional Christian thrillers. And we’ll dissect the religious horror category and see why and how it different from traditional horror books. Photo by Nikita Khandelwal from Pexels Edgy Thrillers: What Are They? Let’s start by defining edgy fiction. I like the definition that Autumn Christian shares in her ar ..read more

Are you a writer who has dreamed of writing a book for years? An author who’s had, “finally complete the manuscript” on your bucket list for years, but doesn’t have anything to show for it? A poet who wants to finally publish his book of poems, but feels stuck? A problem writers face is The Fairytale Effect. We know that writing is hard work. We know it requires time and effort and energy. But buried way down deep is something much more dangerous to our writing dream: the belief that your publishing journey will have a fairytale ending. This may be a conscious belief or an unconscious one. We ..read more

There are so many great-looking thriller suspense books coming out right now it’s hard to stay focused on things like, well, work. If only we could read books all day and night…wouldn’t that be great? I’ve got some great thriller and mystery book recommendations for you. Before we get into that though, I wanted to share about a book giveaway I’m running until Friday, April 30, 2021. Match, by Amy S. Peele, is the second in a new series and comes out on April 13th. Here’s a short blurb about it: Politics, kidney transplants, and the opioid crisis. What do these all have in common? Best friends ..read more

Thriller books are my passion and they are enjoyed even more with a lovely chill in the air and the sound of rain drumming on the roof, aren’t they? It was 68 degrees here in Vermont yesterday morning, after weeks and week of hot stickiness. I celebrated by taking out all three totes of Halloween and fall decorations, just to look at them and dream of the upcoming season. I did sort them and repair a few while they were littering the garage floor, too. Just to feel productive. When I see on Instagram or Twitter all the captivating-looking new thriller books debuting this autumn, I get all shiv ..read more

Thriller books are my passion and they are enjoyed even more with a lovely chill in the air and the sound of rain drumming on the roof, aren’t they? It was 68 degrees here in Vermont yesterday morning, after weeks and week of hot stickiness. I celebrated by taking out all three totes of Halloween and fall decorations, just to look at them and dream of the upcoming season. I did sort them and repair a few while they were littering the garage floor, too. Just to feel productive. When I see on Instagram or Twitter all the captivating-looking new thriller books debuting this autumn, I get all shiv ..read more

A cold drizzle started as I stood on the corner of Elm Street. “Hello, are you there?” a voice asked me. I repositioned my phone so that it wouldn’t get so wet and told the woman I was.  “Then let’s begin this ghostly tour,” she replied.  Camden, ME, like any other New England town, has its share of ghost stories and supposed hauntings. Exploring the area on a recent family vacation with Red Cloak Tours was a treat. Our kindly guide knew the area like a well-worn recipe, stopping us here and there to admire architecture…and tell us about the creepy paranormal activity that happened ..read more

Photo by fotografierende on Unsplash Always on the lookout for a new thriller-suspense novel? Like to try new-to-you authors? Then sit back and pour a cup of coffee, and let me tell you about two excellent authors I recently discovered. Unexpected. That is perhaps the best description of the enjoyable and intriguing paranormal suspense novel, The Girl in the Mirror, by award-winning author, Steven Ramirez. On its surface, the premise is simple: woman meets ghost, woman solves mystery surrounding ghost, and all live happily ever after. But this isn’t a simple ghost story. There are fun twists ..read more

Photo by Sara Kurfeß on Unsplash Do you ever have “one of those days,” and can’t seem to climb out from under the mountain of work (or laundry) long enough for a Fiction Fix? That’s where suspense stories for busy days come in. I’ve written before about thriller, mystery, and suspense for your ears. But since then, I’ve found even more sources for free, creepy short stories and audio dramas you’re going to love. Before we get to that though, a quick update from the writing studio. Thriller Suspense Writing Update If you’re on my newsletter list, then you know I’ve been struggling as of late to ..read more