One Final Breath is out in the world and the reception has been amazing!

To celebrate the release of One Final Breath and the conclusion of the Dive Team Investigations series, my publisher, Revell, has put together an absolutely fabulous giveaway.

The Grand Prize

is a Carolina Basket from Southern Supreme and a full set of Dive Team Investigations books. Southern Supreme is located in central North Carolina and I’m 100% sure that it is a favorite of the Dive Team! It’s absolutely a favorite of the author!

The First Prize

is a Coffee Sampler and a full set of Dive Team Investigations books. Let’s face it, Anissa’s not the only one who can’t live without her coffee in the morning.

The Second Prize

is a $10 Starbucks gift card and a full set of Dive Team Investigations books. If your heart is warmed by some pumpkin spice lattes, then you’ll be able to grab one and maybe another to share with a good friend!

To enter, you can click here. You’ll have opportunities to grab more entries by signing up for my newsletter, checking out my author page on Facebook, following me on Twitter, and following me on Goodreads.

I hope you’ll take advantage of this fabulous opportunity and I cannot wait to find out who wins!

Grace and peace,

The post One Final Breath Giveaway appeared first on Lynn H. Blackburn.

It’s Here!

ONE FINAL BREATH

BOOK 3 IN THE DIVE TEAM INVESTIGATIONS SERIES is now available for purchase in paperback, audio, and digital formats!

About One Final Breath:

When investigator Gabriel Chavez had his cover blown by an aggressive reporter, the silver lining was being able to rejoin the dive team. The downside? Dive team captain Anissa Bell–a woman who both fascinates and frustrates him.

Anissa grew up as a missionary kid on the Micronesian island of Yap and always planned to return after college. But she remained stateside, determined to solve the case that haunts her–the murder of her best friend and the disappearance of a three-year-old child.

When Anissa’s fractured past collides with Gabe’s investigation into the tragic shooting death of a teenage boy in Lake Porter, they’ll have to put their complicated history with each other aside in order to uncover the identity of a killer. What they’ll discover is that revenge has no statute of limitations.

Award-winning author Lynn H. Blackburn closes out her nail-biting Dive Team Investigations series with a story that will have you wondering how long you can hold your breath.

Y’all, I love this book. I really do. I love the way Gabe and Anissa overcome so many obstacles and how they rely on their faith in their darkest hours. I love the way their friendship with each other and their friendships with Ryan, Leigh, Adam, and Sabrina have continued to deepen and flourish. I can imagine them hanging out together by Lake Porter for the next forty years, and it makes me happy. 

For those of you who’ve already read Beneath the Surface and In Too Deep, I hope One Final Breath more than exceeds your expectations. And for those of you who are new to the Dive Team Investigations series, I hope One Final Breath leaves you excited to go back and read the previous books in the series. 

Most of all, I hope that as you read One Final Breath you grow closer to Jesus – because He is the BEST!

Note: If the backstory between Gabe and Anissa intrigues you, I’ve written a short story (5K words) that explains, maybe not everything, but a lot! It’s available today to my newsletter subscribers. If you haven’t subscribed, now would be a great time! You can subscribe here!

And tonight, at 9PM (Eastern), we’ll be celebrating the release of One Final Breath, LIVE on Facebook! I’d love for you to join us!

Grace and peace,

The post One Final Breath – Available TODAY! appeared first on Lynn H. Blackburn.

Hey y’all!

I shared this photo on my FB author page and Instagram earlier today and I’m thrilled with how excited y’all are about One Final Breath!

I also did a video (how goofy do I look in this thumbnail?!) with a little bit of  “behind the scenes” information and a few questions for my readers.

I’d love for you to check it out and give me your thoughts!

One Final Breath releases September 3, 2019, and is available for pre-order at your favorite bookseller!

Grace and peace,

The post One Final Breath – Final Edits appeared first on Lynn H. Blackburn.

I first want to say a huge THANK YOU to those of you who have prayed this week as I edit Book 3 in the Dive Team Investigations series.

I have certainly felt your prayers!

My editor, bless her, found a rather significant plot hole. What’s crazy to me about this is that five people have read the book up to this point and none of us noticed! I’m thinking I may need to send her chocolates or something!

Thankfully, after a quick brainstorming session with my friend Lynette Eason (this involved a text where I said, “Can I call you…now?”), the plot hole has been filled. Whew!

Did you know that the editorial process involves a lot of back and forth between the author and editors? The part of the edit I’m working on now is usually the biggest and most daunting, but after this point there will be multiple emails over the next few months as we do everything we can to get Dive Team Investigations Book 3 to be the very best it can be.

So since this week is all about the editing, I’m keeping today’s blog post short and sweet.

I did an interview a few months ago with author Johnnie Alexander and the video is now live at her site, Novelists Unwind. Johnnie was an absolute joy to talk to you! We had such a great conversation! You can hear my southern accent and see how it’s impossible for me to talk without using my hands and also get the scoop on my writing journey, scuba diving, and all sorts of fun topics. I hope you’ll check it out!

Grace and peace,

The post Novelists Unwind Interview appeared first on Lynn H. Blackburn.

In Too Deep is here!

You can purchase In Too Deep in paper, ebook, and audio formats.

In Too Deep is Book 2 in the Dive Team Investigations series. I’m thrilled for you to get to know Adam and Sabrina in a whole new way. You met them in Beneath the Surface, but there is so much more to them than you’ve probably guessed. They are unique and so perfect for each other…I really hope they figure that out!

In Too Deep tackles the very real issue of labor trafficking in the Carolinas. I wish I could tell you I’d made that all up, but unfortunately it is a pervasive tragedy taking place all around us. My prayer is that eyes will be opened and hearts will be stirred to pursue freedom for those trapped in modern day slavery.

I will be chatting live on Facebook at 9PM Eastern and I’d love for you to join me! (Click HERE to be taken to the event page) You can ask questions prior to or during the event and I will try to answer as many as possible. 

It's release day for In Too Deep, Book 2 in the Dive Team Investigations series. #InTooDeep #DiveTeamInvestigations #AdamandSabrina #romanticsuspense
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I hope many of you were able to participate in the Fall Christian Fiction Scavenger Hunt over the weekend! Over 1000 readers made their way through the entire hunt!

If you signed up for my blog posts or newsletter or liked my author page, followed me on Twitter or Instagram, commented on the post – whatever you did, I am truly thankful and I’m so glad you’re here!

I wanted to pop into your inboxes and feeds to let you know that I’ve drawn the winners for the giveaway I held on my site during the scavenger hunt.

The winners are:

• T. Kzoe – First prize! A copy of Beneath the Surface and In Too Deep as well a $20 Amazon gift card.
• Natasha E. – Second prize! A $15 Amazon gift card.
• Karen M. – Third prize! A $10 Amazon gift card!

The winners have been notified by email and prizes will be headed their way this week!

Grace and peace,

The post The Winners Are… appeared first on Lynn H. Blackburn.

March 2018

Wow. What a crazy month!

From time to time (in theory monthly but we’ll see about that) I’m going to be sharing a list of some of the thing I’ve learned in the past month.

This idea came from two of my favorite podcasters/authors, Emily P. Freeman and Anne Bogel (aka Modern Mrs. Darcy). I find it personally fulfilling to pause at the end of the month and record the big and small and weird things I’ve learned.

1. Having the right chair is a game changer. 

When my editor accepted In Too Deep, Book 2 in the Dive Team Investigations series, I celebrated.

By buying a chair.

I know. I know. I really should try not to be so wild.

Since we turned a storage area into an office last summer, I’ve been sitting in a folding chair from a card table set and it has been killing my legs and back.

But y’all. This chair makes me insanely happy. I went to several stores and sat in a lot of chairs. I knew as soon as I sat in it that this chair was going to make my office time much more pleasant.

And it has.

2. Sometimes you need to be willing to say “yes” but say “no” anyway.

I hate to see a need that I could meet and not volunteer for the job.

Of course, I’m also insanely busy and operating at the edge of my abilities. So lately, my default answer has been an emphatic “no.” But I’m learning that sometimes I need to be truly willing to say yes, even if I don’t know how I would manage it, and then wait for God to provide clarity and direction. Because sometimes in the waiting, He shows us more about Himself and His love for us than we ever would have seen if we’d jumped to the “no” without seeking Him first.

3. Sometimes you need to be willing to say “no” but say “yes” anyway. 

Regardless of how much I have going on, there are still things I really want to say “yes” to but I have to be willing to pass on. I have work to do. Books to write. Children to love and teach. A husband who puts up with an awful lot in order for me to do what I do. I need to eat and exercise and do ALL.THE.THINGS and even though it’s hard, I say “no” to a lot of stuff that I would really enjoy.

But sometimes, even though I’m willing to say “no,”  I get to say “yes” anyway. In March, I said “yes” and purchased plane tickets for a quick trip in April with my husband to Catalina Island. I will be doing a lot of writing on the plane, but I’m thrilled not to have to pass on the chance for some kid-free time with my husband.

4. Some advice is hard to follow.

There’s a general rule for writers when it comes to reviews.

“Don’t let the good reviews go to your head. Don’t let the bad reviews go to your heart.”

I haven’t figured out how to do that yet so I’ve decided the best approach to is to avoid the reviews as much as possible.

5. I cannot function without a written planner.

My love for my bullet journal is well-documented, but as much as I love it, sometimes I start thinking it will be okay if I don’t write things down for the next week.

WRONG!

I typically think through the coming week sometime during the weekend before. At least by Sunday night. But I spent Saturday and Sunday in SCUBA class and I was exhausted and crashed early. Then I tried to wing it for the next couple of days and, well, that wasn’t the best idea I’ve ever had. If I had paused on Friday to makes *sure* I remembered what I was committed to the next week it would have saved me from a couple of close calls (and I’m still not 100% sure I haven’t forgotten something). Needless to say, it’s Friday night and I have already planned out next week.

6. I was completely unprepared for #TeamGabe.

Have you read Beneath the Surface yet? Since its release in early March, one of the things that completely caught me off guard has been the love for Homicide Investigator Gabe Chavez. I’ve received emails, Facebook messages, and in-person questions about Gabe. Always the same question.

Does Gabe get his own book?

Answer: Yes. He does. I’m writing it now. And I love that y’all love Gabe!

7. Favorite quote of the month.

“Faith is acting like it is so,

even when it is not so,

so that it might be so,

simply because God said so.”

— Tony Evans

(quoted by Priscilla Shirer in her study, The Armor of God).

What did you learn in March? I’d love for you to share it with us in the comments!

Grace and peace,

The post 7 Things I Learned in March appeared first on Lynn H. Blackburn.

Since the release of Beneath the Surface, I have fielded a ton of questions.

For example . . . “Why doesn’t more of the book take place underwater?”

Well . . . here’s the thing. Some people enjoy lots of details about regulators and buoyancy and diving techniques. But I have to tell you that when I’m reading a book and the author goes into a lot of specifics about something that is very cool but that I don’t know anything about, guess what I do? I SKIM—or even (gasp!) SKIP—THAT PARAGRAPH.

As a writer, I try to avoid writing paragraphs people will skip! If the information proves I did my research but doesn’t do anything to move the story forward, I make every effort to cut it.

Here’s another one  . . . “How do you pronounce (___)?”

• Leigh is pronounced Lee, not Leah.

• The “i” in Anissa is a long “e” sound. As in Lisa. Not a short “i” like Melissa. I realize it’s confusing.

• Oh, and apparently I like the long “e” sound, because we also have Sabrina, another “i” with the long “e” sound.

• No, I did NOT do this on purpose.

But this is the one question I’ve gotten the most.

Do YOU dive?

Until this weekend the answer to that question was no. Not because I didn’t want to. But because this series sold a lot faster than I ever dreamed it would, and instead of getting my SCUBA certification last spring, I was crazy busy writing Beneath the Surface.

This spring, I’m still crazy busy writing the third book in the series (#GabeandAnissa) but I’m carving out time to get my certification in advance of a family vacation this summer to the Florida Keys.

Saturday and Sunday I’ll be in class and then in the pool learning how to dive safely. Then in a couple of weeks I’ll do my open water dive.

I have to tell you this though . . . I am terrified. 

Truly. I’m not worried about the sessions in the pool (much). And I’m not worried about the physics and chemistry in the homework. I have a degree chemical engineering—I understand pressure and volume and density. I get it.

I am worried that I will panic fifty feet underwater. Or that I’ll do something really stupid and be put in a database of people who should never be allowed to dive. (I feel sure this exists!)

The instructor told me in all the years he’s been doing this he can count on one hand how many people have decided diving wasn’t for them after they finish the class.

What if I make him go to two hands? The shame!

Mostly, I’m afraid I will stink at it. I’m not the most coordinated person in the world. And I’m a little worried that they don’t make wetsuits my size. (I’ll take that in a short/chubby?)

So, feel free to pray for me this weekend. And pray for my instructor. He’s gonna need it.

Grace and peace,

P.S. I’ll be documenting this (as much as I can) on social media. Check out my Instagram and Facebook feeds if you want to follow along.

The post Facing a Fear appeared first on Lynn H. Blackburn.

Release Day is here! 

Some of you have already gotten your hands on a copy of Beneath the Surface.

Others are still waiting on preorders to hit their mailbox.

Still others are holding out for summer and sunshine before they dive in.

No matter how or when you’re planning to read Beneath the Surface, I want you to know that I am immeasurably thankful for your kindness and support.

It may look like a paperback (or a digital image!) to you, but that’s a piece of my heart you’re holding. 

The story, the characters, the lessons they learn, the issues they struggle with, and the choices they make—all that came from somewhere deep inside of me and that makes every book very personal.

I am not Leigh Weston. Or Ryan Parker. Or Adam or Sabrina or Gabe or Anissa.

But they are part me. 

As crazy as it may seem, the reality is that no one else could have come up with these characters. If you’d given their names, backgrounds, and occupations to another author, they—and the story they are in—would have been quite different.

My life experiences—the thousands of books I’ve read, the movies I’ve watched, the plays I’ve seen, the conversations I’ve had, the classes I’ve taken, the people who’ve come in and out of my world and left their mark, the sermons I’ve heard, the prayers that have been wrenched from my soul when I’ve been afraid or heartbroken, the places I’ve lived or visited—all emerge in the stories I write but rarely in ways that are recognizable, even to me! 

It’s like those dreams where you know all the people and the places but they’re all mixed up and you wake up wondering how your first grade teacher wound up on a cruise ship with your friend from college and your favorite barista (I hope I’m not the only one this happens to).

Somehow the creative spark takes everything I’ve ever done and every person I’ve ever known and swirls them into something—someone—completely new. 

The characters are new, but in some ways they are like longtime friends. . .  which sometime makes it hard to put them in the awful situations I put them in. But it has to happen, because it’s through their trials that they learn, they change, they grow.

And so do I. 

So yes, that book with my name on it is a piece of my heart. One I share with the world, despite the risk of it being trampled, because I believe God’s called me to write and share. I’ve written and revised and edited and tweaked and promoted. I’ve done all I can do.

Today, it’s out of my hands and into yours. What happens from here is up to Him. 

It gives a whole new meaning to the words “Release Day.”

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer. ~ Psalm 19:14 (ESV)

It's Release Day for #BeneathTheSurface! #romanticsuspense
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If you’ve just discovered the hunt, be sure to start at Stop #1, and collect the clues through all 30 stops, in order, so you can enter to win one of our top 5 grand prizes!

• The hunt BEGINS on 3/1 at noon MST with Stop #1 at LisaTawnBergren.com.
• Hunt through our loop using Chrome or Firefox as your browser (not Explorer).
• There is NO RUSH to complete the hunt – you have all weekend (until Sunday, 3/4 at midnight MST)! So take your time, reading the unique posts along the way. Our hope is that you discover new authors/new books.
• Submit your entry for the grand prizes by collecting the CLUE on each author’s scavenger hunt post and submitting your answer in the Rafflecopter form at Stop #30. Many authors are offering additional prizes along the way!

I am delighted to be hosting the fabulous Mesu Andrews. She was exceptionally kind to me when we met last year at the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference and I can’t wait for you to get to know her and her beautiful writing!

Here’s a brief summary of her latest release, Isaiah’s Daughter . . .

Ishma comes to the prophet Isaiah’s home as a five-year-old orphan, devastated after watching her family destroyed and living as a captive. With tenderness and care, her lively spirit is revived, and the prophet and his wife adopt Ishma, giving her a new name—Zibah, delight of the Lord. As the years pass, Zibah wins Prince Hezekiah’s favor, a boy determined to rebuild the kingdom his father has nearly destroyed. But loving this man awakens Zibah’s painful past and calls into question the very foundation of her father’s prophecies. Can she learn to rely on only Yahweh, who gives life, calms fear, and conquers nations?

Holy Pigeons!

by Mesu Andrews

I love watching a mama bird with babies in her nest. Birds, in general, are beautiful creatures—at a distance. Up close, they creep me out a little, but have you ever noticed the gorgeous, iridescent colors on a pigeon’s feathers? Did you know pigeons and doves are kissin’ cousins?

During the third painful re-write of Isaiah’s Daughter, my editor suggested I give Zibah, the heroine, a “hobby.” What in the world does a six-year-old servant do for fun in 600 B.C. Jerusalem?

I had just read Alice Hoffman’s, The Dovekeepers, and was fascinated by the myriad uses of doves in ancient Israel. What if my traumatized little heroine found peace and solace in the ancient practice of dove-keeping? What if she and her little birds calmed each other?

As the story evolved, many opportunities for spiritual applications arose. This was one of my favorites from the lips of Isaiah’s wife, Aya:

She looked at me with glistening eyes. “Do you know why Master Isaiah calls me a prophetess?” I shook my head but was eager to hear. “It’s not because I proclaimed Yahweh’s words to kings or predicted future events that came to pass. Isaiah calls me prophetess because I speak with Yahweh as a friend—and He answers.”

My mind began to spin with questions, but the most important came out first. “How do you hear Yahweh’s voice?”

“How do you call a palm dove to light on your arm?”

Obedient but confused, I answered her question. “I become peaceful and then sing the dove’s song.” How could my call to the dove answer my interest in how Mistress heard Yahweh?

Her eyes sparkled as she helped me work it out. “If I became peaceful and tried to make dove noises, would your dove light on my arm?”

“Perhaps not.” I thought more about what made my dove come to me. “It’s the trust and familiarity between me and my dove that creates the bond. Only after the second year would the dove light on a platform and take food from my hand. It was the third summer before it actually landed on my arm.”

Mistress nodded. “Talk with Yahweh, Ishma. A bond will form, and He’ll become familiar, Someone you can trust.”

I hope Zibah, Aya, and their little doves have encouraged you today!

Biblical fiction is Mesu Andrews’ favorite genre to read and to write.

Her deep understanding of and love for God’s Word brings the biblical world alive for her readers.

She and her husband, Roy, live in a log cabin snuggled into the beautiful Appalachian Mountains with their dog, Zeke.

HERE’S THE STOP #26 SKINNY:

You can order Mesu’s book on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, CBD, Lifeway, or at your local bookstore!

Clue to Write Down: you

Link to Stop #27, the Next Stop on the Loop: Mesu Andrews’s own site!

But hang on y’all!

Before you head over to Mesu’s site, I’m giving away a prize pack that includes all 3 of my books (Beneath the Surface, Hidden Legacy, and Covert Justice), some Dive Team Investigations goodies and a Starbucks gift card! All you have to do is sign up for my newsletter or note that you already subscribe. You can grab extra entries if you follow me on Twitter or Instagram, or if you like my Facebook Author page or subscribe to my blog. (This giveaway is open to residents of the US only).

Click on the Rafflecopter form below to get started! All the links you need are in the contest entry form! Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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