True or False?

There are a few things in life we would rather not have to deal with. Most of which have to do with the supernatural. If you were to see a ghost, for instance, nine people out of ten would not admit to it. Because what would others think? More importantly, what would they think of you?

Even so, whether ghosts, premonitions, or near death experiences, most people have had some kind of supernatural encounter at some time in their lives. Including those who are the least likely to believe. Such as people in the medical profession. Medical people experience certain "supernatural phenomena" on enough of a regular basis to be forced to give some of them a name. Which is exactly what happened with something they call "The Lazareth Syndrome." 

This is when a person who is pronounced dead, unexplainably comes back to life, again. In the book THE RISING by Lynn Chandler Willis, which I reviewed several weeks ago, the author dealt so ingeniously with a case of the Lazareth Syndrome, that I simply had to invite her back to answer a few questions...

Welcome back, Lynn. I don't mind saying your book has kept me thinking long after I read the last page. Such an intriguing subject! How did you come up with the idea of using it as the main premise for THE RISING? Was there an "ah-ha" moment when it all came together for you?

Well, Lilly, I love playing the "what if" game and with THE RISING, I just kept taking it one step further. What if a troubled detective came face-to-face with a miracle? But what if she could only see it in black & white? What if... 

Yes, you've done a great job of weaving Detective Ellie Saunders's questions and skepticism into the issue. Which makes me wonder if this is a pathway you have been down, yourself, or have you always been a believer in this phenomenon called the Lazareth Syndrome?

I've always believed in the Lazarus Syndrome. Once in awhile you'll hear about it happening but you seldom hear about it being disproved. 

What do you hope readers will take away from the story? 

The power of forgiveness, especially forgiving yourself, and the power of redemption. Just the term 'born again Christian' has so much meaning. 

It certainly does, and you have done a marvelous job bringing those things into question. Which makes me wonder if we will we see other "phenomenon books" from you, or was THE RISING  a one-time deal?

 I've had readers show interest in continuing Ellie's story but I can't say it will happen, and I can't say it won't! I've always been interested in the "unexplained" but my two current projects are strictly mystery/suspense of the natural kind.

What do you find so intriguing about writing crime fiction? The individual mysteries? The characters? The investigative process? 

Probably the characters. I'm so intrigued by human nature and why people do the things they do. Hopefully some of that passion works its way into my characters.

It definitely keeps a reader wondering "who done it" all the way to the end. But just out of curiosity, do you like working on jigsaw puzzles? Do you ever get nightmares? 

Laughing - I don't MIND working puzzles but they aren't something I do often. I don't have the patience. And I don't have common nightmares, but, I do have some irrational fears of things like clowns, dolls, and especially puppets! I can stare down a spider much better than I can a puppet with a creepy smile.

Hazards of the writing profession, when one has to let themselves explore avenues we wouldn't be caught dead looking into in real life, right? I can relate to some of that, myself. Any way you look at it, THE RISING  was a great read, Lynn. So… what can we look forward to seeing from you, next? 

My current WIP is NOBODY'S BABY. It's about a small town newspaper owner/publisher involved in the homicide investigation of her friend. And, WINK OF AN EYE, is a Private Eye novel about a PI running from a double-cross who helps a 12-year old prove the kid's father didn't commit suicide.  

Wow, both of those sound intriguing. I'll look forward to seeing them. As I'm sure others will, too. Meanwhile, thanks for such an entertaining and enlightening story with THE RISING, and I hope it sparks as many questions in "real life" as it does while reading the book. 

Thanks, Lilly. I hope so, too! 

You can find out more about Lynn and her work by visiting: http://lynnchandlerwillis.com

Pastor's Wife Wears Biker Boots…

Now, there's a headline that could draw some attention. And it does! Because who could resist taking a second look at someone with such seemingly opposite…. umm… interests. It definitely caught my attention. Where could this story go?

All over the place! THE PASTOR'S WIFE WEARS BIKER BOOTS by Karla Akins, was delightfully entertaining. With just the right balance of humor and heart-tugs to make it one of those "feel good" books that leaves you with more hope in the human race than you started with. 

I not only enjoyed "riding along" with this crazy group of friends throughout the story, they continued to tag around with me long after I turned the last page. Loved the open honesty and golden heart of the main character, Kirstie Donovan, who actually admitted to being bothered by some of the things most of us would never be brave enough to tell anyone about. Oh, for friends like that!

But, hey-- they're out there. Because this book will have you taking a closer look at your own friends, and maybe seeing them in a different light than before. Which makes THE PASTOR'S WIFE WEARS BIKER BOOTS one of those books that not only entertains, but has "take away value., as well. Which, in my opinion, is one of the best kinds there are. Oh, yes, and it's realistic, too. Because author, Karla Akins, really IS a pastor's wife…

Who actually DOES wear biker boots!

Karla Akins' motorcycle at Deal's Gap
 where she tamed the dragon.

Which is why I couldn't wait to ask her a few questions about that...

Welcome, Karla... I'm so glad you could stop by for a visit!

Thanks for having me, Lilly, I wouldn't have missed it.

Well, I better start with the thing I'm sure everyone is wondering about first:  Are Kirsten's motorcycle adventures anything like your own real-life ones?

Yes they are. I attended motorcycle classes like Kirsten did but with a lot of practice before I took the class and I, too, had a difficult time learning how to master "the swerve." I also took a trip through the Smoky Mountains and rode the dragon (318 curves in 11 miles!). Oh, and I knocked over a coffee kiosk in a Harley Store once. I'm known for my gracefulness (not!).

I had a feeling about that, since the "realism" was all right there. I was also wondering if you are you a member of the Patriot Guard, or have you ever had any personal dealings with them.

I'm an "unofficial" member in that I am a member and can ride with them if called on but I've never had the privilege of riding with them--yet. I live a distance from where most of their rides are, so it's not been something I've gotten to do yet. I completely believe in what they do.

It definitely is something that would take a strong personal commitment, that's for sure. As a mom with three kids in the military, including a daughter deployed to Afghanistan, I can't say how much I appreciate that. 

OK, are you ready for the really big question?

I'm always ready, Lilly. You have to be when you ride motorcycles.

I should say. So, here we go. Umm... have you ever had a Big Foot "experience?"

I wish I had! But no. However, I do believe it's possible that a North American primate species exists. I'm a huge Bigfoot fan and love hearing stories about them. I watch all the Bigfoot documentaries and series on TV. Can't get enough of them. Anything that's a mystery such as that intrigues me.

You and an amazing amount of other people! But it falls into one of those categories most wouldn't talk about, so, it was brave of you to bring it up. By the way, does anyone else in your family share your enthusiasm for motorcycles? 

My husband and oldest son. In fact, I learned to ride so I could hang out more with them. They didn't think I'd do it. It really shocked them when I passed the first motorcycle written test.

I'll bet it got you a whole new brand of respect around your house! And, last but not least, I just have to ask if you have a name for your motorcycle, like Kirstie did for hers.

I do but I don't call it that very often. Right now my motorcycle is silver and I've called it Tin Man. But when it gets painted purple, I'm going to rename it Heaven (or if I ever get my trike!). I really love Kirsten's name for her bike. 

It is a great name, and would be yet another connection between you and your wonderful story. You know, I feel like I've known you forever.

Wouldn't have it any other way, Lilly.

Karla Akins is a pastor's wife who rides her own motorcycle. She is the mother of four boys and one step-daughter, and grandmother of five. She lives in North Manchester with her husband who is the pastor of Christian Fellowship Church, her twin teenage boys with autism, mother-in-law with Alzheimer's and three rambunctious dogs. Karla and her husband have been in ministry together for 30 years. You can find out more about Karla by visiting her website at KarlaAkins.com.

Risings: Fact or Fiction?

A little boy, beaten and left to die in an alley. A cop with a personal life out of control. When their worlds collide, God intervenes. Detective Ellie Saunders's homicide investigation takes a dramatic turn when a young victim "wakes up" in the morgue. The child has no memory prior to his "rising" except walking with his father along a shiny road. Ellie likes dealing with facts. She'd rather leave all the God-talk to her father, a retired minister, and to her partner, Jesse, a former vice cop with an annoying habit of inserting himself into her life. But will the facts she follows puts Ellie's life in mortal danger? And will she finally allow God into her heart forever?

My Review...

This is a book about life after death. Not the kind where one dies and goes to heaven. But the kind when one dies and comes back to life, again. You might say it's a controversial subject because there are so many different opinions about it. But the truth is, it has happened--and been documented--so many times, that medical science has its own name for the phenomenon. It's called, the Lazarus Syndrome. 

In THE RISING, Lynn Chandler-Willis has woven a compelling story about just such an occurrence. And from the very first sentence of, "The kid's not dead." it is a very hard book to put down. Detective Ellie Saunders is a person who deals with facts that can be proven (or otherwise), and is determined to track down not only an explanation, but whoever left the six-year-old in an alley to die in the first place. 

But one cannot brush up against such an incident without having their heart stirred. Even a well-guarded one. Her search for the truth takes the reader along a maze of speculative corridors, all the while asking the questions we would all probably ask if faced with the same situation. And somewhere along the line, one begins to ask themselves these questions, as well. 

Which is all I can say about the plot without giving away spoilers. At any rate, THE RISING is a well-written, suspense-filled mystery that will keep you wondering how it could all possibly end. Just right for a summer vacation when it doesn't matter too much if it keeps you reading into the night. One that will definitely keep you thinking about the subject even after you've turned the last page. Because it's a book that makes you think. 

And those are rare these days. 

Some words from Lynn...

Lynn Chandler-Willis

I’ve worked in the corporate world (hated it!), the television industry (fun job), the newspaper industry (burnt out), and even at a daycare center (stayed sick the entire time). I have two adult kids with great spouses who have blessed me with nine grandkids. They give me a lot of material.

I was born, raised, and continue to live in the heart of North Carolina – within walking distance to the kids and all the grands! I share my home and couch with Sam the cocker spaniel. He reminds me it’s okay to sometimes just sit and watch tv.

I believe in what if? I believe in the power of the kitchen table. Life and death decisions have been made around many. I believe sometimes bad things happen to good people, and sometimes good things happen to bad people.  Wondering why that is will get you nowhere. Accept it and move on. Often things aren’t what they seem. I like peeling back the layers, uncovering the mystery, page by page.

You can find out more about Lynn and her work by visiting: http://lynnchandlerwillis.com

Something to Think About…

A Romantic Suspense for Every Day of the Week.

Thursday's Child chases the whole...

Broken...with bits missing. That's how Niamh, senior prosecutor for the CPS, feels when she wakes in hospital severely injured with no knowledge what’s happened--for the past ten years. A tall man in a firefighters uniform claims he's her husband. While he's everything she's ever dreamed of, she doesn't know him. And if he was so important why can't she remember? Was there something so terrible in her marriage that her mind has suppressed it? 

My Review...

Niamh (pronounced Neeve, it's an Irish thing) has been getting death threats, but being a criminal lawyer, it's all part of her job. They don't have the impact they used to have on her. In fact, nothing does, anymore. For a long time, now, she's simply been throwing herself into work in such a way that there is little room left in a day to think about other things. She's in survival mode. The "I don't care, anymore," "just make it through another day," kind. 

Then--in a moment--her life is over. By the grace of God, she survives a major accident, but all the disaster, turmoil, and memories of the past eight years of her life are gone. Erased. And, blissfully, she can only remember who she was before those horrible times. But is this a blessing or a curse?

The thing I like most about a Clare Revell novel is the subtle yet gripping way she deals with issues we all end up having to face at sometime in our own lives. In Thursday's Child it's what happens when one is suddenly faced by the fact that they don't really like who they've become. Where do you go from there? It's a question we could all ask ourselves. 

Just watching the way Niamh and her family move through this scenario, makes one think a bit about themselves, and what they might do in such a situation. Maybe even shift a bit of perspective to feel better about our own lives because nothing quite so drastic has ever happened to us. 

Yes, that's what I like best about Thursday's Child, and this entire series. Or any other Clare Revell novel, for that matter. They not only give me a story that keeps me turning pages to see what happens, next… they make me think.

And I like that.

A bit of a visit with Clare...

Clare is my English author friend, and in case you haven't noticed, I very much enjoy the food and traditional aspects of each of her books. This time, she caught my interest with the mention of a couple of the more common English dishes that I didn't know anything about. So, hello, Clare, it's wonderful to see you, again.

Thank you, Lilly, it's good to be here.

OK. First up, BEANS ON TOAST. Now, that's an interesting combination. What kind of beans? Is it cold or hot, and is this a common breakfast item in England?

Tinned Baked beans on hot toast. Usually part of a full English breakfast but can be served alone. Very popular over here, and not just for breakfast. They make a quick substantial meal any time.

I'll have to try it. Although when I googled for a picture, someone commented that there was nothing quite so good as English sliced bread, and it was hard to get anywhere else. 

Well, I suppose some things can't be improved upon.

No doubt. Next up: What are cheese and onion pasties? Are they something you buy already made and are quick for dinner?

Pasties can be home made or shop bought. Shortcrust pastry filled with grated cheese and chopped onion and then oven baked. I often serve them for lunch or dinner with chips ( fries) or jacket spuds. 

Mmm. I imagine they'd work well for traveling (I think about that a lot, these days).

Very good for traveling. In fact, the Cornish miners used to take them down into the mines for lunch so often that when they immigrated to other countries, they became famous.

The miners or the pasties?

Both. But probably for different reasons. 

I see. One could definitely get a story out of that bit of information.

Go ahead if you'd like. I'm booked for the next couple of years just writing about people from Headley Cross.

And that's another thing, Clare. I love Headley Cross, and I really enjoyed seeing characters from some of your earlier books pop up in this one. It was a nice touch. Which makes me wonder where it is, exactly.

Headley Cross is about thirty miles southeast of London. It's in Berkshire on the edge of the Chiltern Downs. Weather is typically English. Lots of rain, some really hot days. Snow in winter. Fog in spring and autumn. Cold in winter. It's a small town about seven square miles with a population of 27,000. Readers can find out more by visiting the website I created for it, too.

Well, I definitely enjoyed my visit there, this time. And with you, too, Clare. Thanks so much for coming back, again. Here's wishing you all the best with Thursday's Child, and you can bet I'll be looking forward to Friday's Child, when it comes out in September.

Thank you, Lilly, and thanks for the visit, too.

Clare Revell

Clare Revell lives in a small town in England with her husband, whom she married in 1992, and her three children. Writing from a early childhood and encouraged by her teachers, she graduated from rewriting fairy stories through fanfiction to using her own original characters. Now, she enjoys writing an eclectic mix of romance, crime fiction and children's stories. When she's not writing, reading, sewing or keeping house or doing the many piles of laundry her children manage to make, she goes to Carey Baptist where she is one of three registrars. You can find out more about her at her website.

A Great Escape...

NEVER-ENDING NIGHT was a fascinating mixture of "what if?" and real life, wrapped up in one of literature's most compelling ideas. Compelling but tricky. Because it takes a skilled author to keep that fine line of believability in tact all the way through a time-travel story. In NEVER-ENDING NIGHT, Tanya Stowe has done it beautifully.

It's the historical thread, alone, that usually pulls us along through these stories, since readers are actually experiencing a form of time-travel, themselves, every time they pick one up.  So much so that it has evolved into a genre all its own. There are a lot of dedicated fans out there (me included). So, if you are one of those, you will definitely enjoy this account of a modern-day war correspondent who suddenly comes face-to-face with a wounded Civil War soldier. 

But you are also in for some surprises.

A mystery that keeps you turning pages to see how everything fits together, some startling twists, and a couple of great characters that are deliciously well-defined. All of which makes the present day part of the story as gripping as the "time warp" because they are so wonderfully entwined. That's the reason I rate NEVER-ENDING NIGHT not just another good time-travel book, but a fantastic one. Pure pleasure. And I would recommend it to anybody looking for…

A great escape!

Of course, there were a couple of things I absolutely had to ask Tanya, herself, about all this, since it's one of my favorite subjects. So, here's a few snatches of that conversation:

Tanya, this was a fascinating premise for a time travel piece… how did you come up with the idea? 

Well, Lilly, years ago I was reading a Civil War soldier's account of the Battle of Shiloh. I couldn't imagine how anyone could survive that with their mind in tact. It made me think about all of our veterans and what a soldier from that time might be able to share, or teach them, and the story was born. I just didn't expect my "soldier" to be a woman!

That was an interesting twist, I must say. Time travel seems to have a powerful intrigue for a lot of people. Where would you go if you could actually time-travel, yourself? 

If I had the power to travel through time, and not impact history or my life, I wouldn't be content to visit one era. I would want to see many! The ancient Egyptians, Rome at its peak, the Celts in Ireland and England as the Druids transformed into Christian leaders and doctors of the church. Victorian England with Britain at it's strongest, ready to leap into the 20th century. The rise and fall of power and what drives people and cultures fascinates me. Is it a search for survival and comfort, or is it a quest for the immortal?  

The more I travel to different countries, the more I understand this driving force… the more content I am with my time, and especially my God! The one thing I know for sure is I will continue to write stories about time travel and these complex ideas…God willing!

And I will definitely be reading them, because you certainly have a talent for bringing them to life. Just out of curiosity, what are your personal views on time-travel? Real? Not real?  What would you like it to be? 

When I was younger I really wanted time travel to be real, but now, I don't think mankind can break the time barrier.  God can. He can plunk a person out of his own time and plop him into another just like that. But I believe God would have to have a very good reason for breaking the natural laws He created. 

Maybe if we could visit another time without altering our own life patterns, or those of history, it would be interesting. But time is a such a fragile thing, I don't think we could visit the past or the future without changing the patterns. So, no, I don't think I would like time travel to be possible.

Quite the interesting perspective. Which leads me to wonder what would be so terrible about altering history, if you were one of the "chosen" who got to travel back and forth in it. Yikes, that sounds a bit too controversial, so I better not ask. Let's just say it's an endlessly fascinating subject and leave it at that!

Meanwhile, could I interest you in a glass of iced seaweed tea?

Never heard of it, Lilly, but I'll try anything once.

TANYA STOWE has had an eclectic career, doing market research, arts education and event coordination. She has written for the real estate industry, television, publicity firms and national publications. Tanya has been married to her high school sweetheart for thirty-seven years. They have four children and eighteen grandchildren. Currently, they are living and working in the Middle East where they are beginning a new phase of their life with much adventure! 

You can find out more about her over at: 
www.tanyastowe.com