Joanie Bruce is our guest today.

She wrote a book called Alana Candler, Marked for Murder.

Today, she will share the story behind her story.

Alana Candler is on someone’s hit list. But why? A stalker is breathing down her neck at every turn, hiding in the shadows, waiting for her to make a mistake— to freeze long enough for him to make his hit.

When the stalker kidnaps her from a hotel and leaves her to die, Jaydn Holbrook, CEO and owner of the largest company in Tennessee, saves her life and promises to protect her. Jaydn’s high school friendship with Brad, Alana’s brother and the City’s Police Chief, gives him incentive to protect Alana and shelter her from the growing danger.

Alana’s trust in God’s protection intrigues him and compels him to explore her faith further, but when she mentions her aversion to rich, executive-type bosses, Jaydn keeps his position at his company secret—trying not to destroy their fragile bond.

As tensions build, Jaydn and Alana are caught up in a dangerous web of hiding from the pursuer trying to kill them and fighting the attraction they feel for each other. While Brad scrambles to find her stalker and Jaydn struggles to keep her safe, Alana searches her memory to find the motive someone might have for murder.

Learn more and purchase a copy.

What inspired you to write this book?

Me? Write Suspense?

As a child, I always had my nose in a book. In high school and college, I loved working in the school library, and as most teenagers do, I devoured stories about romance and mystery. Finding books without curse words and inappropriate scenes was hard to find.

The first Christian Suspense book I read ignited a tiny flame in my heart. I wanted to write that kind of book—a suspenseful story with Christian values.

My first concern? Could I write a gripping scene to make the reader feel that heart-pounding reaction when characters are thrust into scary situations? I would write one chapter … to see if it was good enough to draw the reader in … about a young woman drowning in a car submerged in the lake.

Finding inspiration for that scene was easy. A terrifying incident happened to me in college that gave me the paralyzing fear I needed to write this scene: During the final exam of a lifeguard swimming course, we had to tread water in a 12’ deep pool for five minutes, dive down to pick up a brick at the bottom, and carry it back to the top. When swimming back to the surface, about two feet from the top, my lungs uncontrollably convulsed, and I almost took a breath under water. Fortunately, I stopped myself and made it to the top of the pool. I never forgot that feeling of terror, and I knew that’s what I wanted to write about for my test-run suspense scene. Would I be able to “scare” my readers?

After the chapter was written, my heart raced and sweat beaded up on my forehead. I had totally scared myself to death while writing that scene. That’s when I knew for certain, I wanted to write a suspense book. That’s when Alana Candler, Marked for Murder was born.

Your story sounds very suspenseful! Thanks for sharing the reason why you wrote it.

Writing simple picture book manuscripts for her children and mysteries for teens was something Joanie enjoyed doing for fun, but her passion for writing exploded when she started working in the Christian suspense genre. As an avid reader, she welcomed the transition from reading to writing and considered it a wonderful new experience to please others with her words.

Joanie has three published Christian suspense novels, two novelettes, and has illustrated a children’s picture book which will be releasing April 20th, 2018. Thankful that God has given her the opportunity to write novels and paint commissioned paintings, she strives to use those abilities to encourage and delight others and to honor God in all her accomplishments.

Joanie and her husband, Ben, live on their Black Angus cattle farm near Madison, Georgia. Writing and painting from her home in the country is an opportunity she loves. She also enjoys making jewelry with polymer clay and taking long walks on the farm.

Follow Joanie on social media:

Website: http://www.joaniebruce.com

Blog Page: http://www.joaniebruce.com/blog/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joaniebruceauthor/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/joaniebruce

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6930120.Joanie_Bruce

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joaniebruce/?hl=en

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/joanielbruce/

Amazon Author Page: https://amzn.to/2K3Mbgk

Joanie is giving away a copy of Alana Candler, Marked for Murder. Follow the directions below to enter. 

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