Hey y’all!

I’m in the mountains at the lake. It’s been a good week, but also a weird week. It’s rained. It’s been cold (for August), and I’ve felt the pull of trying to squeeze in some relaxation while simultaneously managing the beginning of the school year and book revisions. As someone who struggles to relax under the best of circumstances, it’s been a challenge.

Then, MailerLite (my newsletter/blog subscription service) decided to randomly send out messages yesterday when there was no new blog post! Do we know why? No. No we do not. Does MailerLite know why? Maybe? But their answer was, “It was a glitch. We fixed it.”

This is where having an imagination can be a dangerous thing. Because now, I want to know what happened. And I’m not buying the whole “glitch” answer. I have a few different ideas, all of which are based on my (potentially erroneous) idea that the people who work there are all computer nerds.

• Someone spilled their coffee and, in the chaos, accidentally changed some code, and no one knew it until all these blank posts went out.
• Something locked up, and they just unplugged everything and plugged it back in (because that usually fixes it, right?), and they reset something that wasn’t supposed to be reset.
• It was bring the kids to work day, and someone’s little computer genius in training didn’t want to be there. She wanted to be at home reading a book. So to vent her frustration, she messed with the code.
• Someone is made that they didn’t get employee of the month, and this was their payback.
• Gremlins.

None of that is the point of this post, but now you’ve had a glimpse into the weirdness of my brain. I hope you haven’t been too traumatized!

Now, on to the point.

I have a newsletter. Many of you subscribe, but there are still a lot of you who don’t.

I don’t usually share my newsletter publicly because it’s for newsletter subscribers. You subscribe, you get the newsletter and all the goodies that go with it.

But I’m making an exception this time. I want everyone to see what they’re getting when they sign up for my newsletters, and I’m hoping more friends will become newsletter subscribers.

And of course I’m sweetening the pot with a giveaway. A big one. You could win a complete set of signed copies of the Dive Team Investigations series or the Defend and Protect series!

You can get entries by signing up for my newsletter, for following me on social media outlets, and for signing up to receive a notice when I update the blog.

I’d love for you to check it out!

Lynn’s July Newsletter

Assuming our friends at MailerLite were telling the truth when they said they’ve fixed the glitch, once you subscribe you’ll only receive an email when there’s a new newsletter or a new blog post.

And if you get random emails, you can be sure it’s not my fault.

We’ll blame it on the gremlins. Or the glitches. Or the little girls who want to go home and read books. Let’s face it, we all get how they feel!

Grace and peace,

The post So…there’s a giveaway… appeared first on Lynn H. Blackburn.

This fall, I created something special for my readers.

The Dive Team is called out to help with a case that has Dr. Sharon Oliver, their favorite medical examiner, working overtime dodging bullets and grenades while reeling from the surprise appearance of the man she said goodbye to ten years ago, U.S. Secret Service Special Agent Benjamin North. He usually protects the President, but will he be able to keep Sharon safe from the unseen enemy stalking her every move?

The post Unseen Enemy – Free for Newsletter Subscribers appeared first on Lynn H. Blackburn.

Welcome to the Fall Christian Fiction Scavenger Hunt!

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

• The hunt BEGINS on 11/7 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, 11/10 at midnight MST)! So take your time, reading the unique posts along the way; our hope is that you discover new authors/new books and learn new things about them.
• 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 the final stop, back on Lisa’s site. Many authors are offering additional prizes along the way!

Hi! My name is Lynn H. Blackburn and I write romantic suspense with a southern accent.

You can learn more about me and all my books here on my site and on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

The best way to stay up to date is by subscribing to my newsletter or hanging out over at my Facebook reader group, The Deep Divers. My most recent novel is One Final Breath, the third and final (sniff!) book in the Dive Team Investigations series. Here’s what it’s about: 

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 a missionary kid on an Indonesian island 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.

I’m a Carolina girl and I set the Dive Team Investigations series in the fictional city of Carrington, North Carolina.

WHY I CHOSE A FICTIONAL SETTING

Carrington, North Carolina isn’t real, y’all, but I wish it was! 

One of the reasons I chose a fictional setting for my Dive Team Investigations series was that the city in my mind doesn’t exist! But that’s what makes fictional settings so fantastic. They can be whatever you need them to be. I set Carrington in central North Carolina, roughly in the area between Chatham and Randolph counties. In my mind, I simply squeezed those counties to the sides and put Carrington County and the all-so-important to the story Lake Porter right there in the middle. 

The fictional Lake Porter is modeled off several major lakes in that area of North Carolina including Badin and Jordan, but also three of the lakes of the Upstate of South Carolina—Keowee, Hartwell, and Jocassee. I learned to scuba dive in Keowee and Jocassee and definitely had those lakes in mind when I pictured the diving scenes. Jocassee has multiple dive sites and I can envision the team teaching Dr. Sabrina Fleming (from In Too Deep) to dive there. And the point where Leigh lives in Beneath the Surface—and where the opening scene of One Final Breath occurs—is a version of a real area on Lake Keowee. 

If you want to see some of the images I used to inspire the story scenes, I have Pinterest boards for all three books and I’d love for you to visit me there!

Here’s the Stop #21 Skinny:

If you’re interested, you can order One Final Breath on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, ChristianBook.com or at your local bookstore! 

Clue to Write Down: adjectives

Link to Stop #22, the Next Stop on the Loop: Deborah Raney’s site! 

But don’t go just yet!

I’m offering any one of my Dive Team Investigations series books to three entrants.

All you have to do is sign up to get my e-newsletter (top right of my home page) or note that you’re already a subscriber. Additional points to those who join my reader group, The Deep Divers and to those who follow me as an author (@LynnHBlackburn) on Goodreads, Instagram, BookBub, Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter! (USA only)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Grace and peace,

The post Christian Fiction Scavenger Hunt Stop #21 appeared first on Lynn H. Blackburn.

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.

You know what’s true about August? It’s brutal. Every year.

I know it. I try to be ready for it. I never am.

This August will go down in the history of Augusts as a doozy. But if you looked at my calendar, you wouldn’t be able to tell what had happened.

• I went to MurderCon. It was AWESOME.
• Our family went to the lake. It was AWESOME.
• The boys started baseball practice. Their teams and coaches are AWESOME.
• Emma started a new high school. Her teachers and the culture there – AWESOME.
• Our homeschool year began. My boys are doing AWESOME. Our community is AWESOME.
• One Final Breath releases in a few days. Y’all. My 5th book. AWESOME.

Are you sensing a theme here? August was AWESOME! Right? 

Um . . . Yes . . . But . . .

August brought a lot of change to our family and especially to my personal routine, and here’s a fun fact for you: I don’t have a great relationship with change. It takes me longer than your average bear to regain my footing after any sort of upheaval. I get there. But it’s work, and I can’t say I enjoy it. At all.

I’m exhausted – physically, mentally, and creatively. For reasons that don’t show up on a list of highlights, that don’t make it into social media posts, that aren’t shared with the world, August has just been hard. 

But as August bows out and September takes the stage, the thing that I am most overwhelmed by isn’t the chaos and confusion.

It’s the grace.

Y’all. God is so good. In the past week, He has showered me in grace.

Subtle, quiet grace.

The grace of my mother-in-law having Emma spend the night with her. The grace of friends jumping in to help with the boys when I unexpectedly had to pick Emma up early from school this week.

The grace of a friend quietly saying, “The Lord has already gone before you” in some initial moments of confusion. The grace of takeout for dinner. The grace of a friend joining me for a long drive.

The grace of beautiful music and talented artists. The grace of coffee, chocolate, and grocery delivery.

The grace of the postal employee (shout out to Mindy at the Ace Hardware post office on Woodruff Road) whose kindness and willingness to offer a solution to what would otherwise have sucked an hour of my life away, quite literally brought me to tears.

A week ago, I told some friends that while I knew God was in control, the knowledge was all in my head. I knew it. I just couldn’t feel it. And I asked them to pray that the certainty of God’s presence and plan during this season would move from my head to my heart.

He has more than answered that prayer.

He is so, so good.

Let those who fear the LORD say, “His steadfast love endures forever.” Out of my distress I called on the LORD; the LORD answered me and set me free. The LORD is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me?

~ Psalm 118: 4-6 (ESV)

The post When August Angst Gives Way to So Much Grace 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.

An invitation to join us on on Facebook, Thursday, February 7th, from 7PM – 9PM (Eastern).

Click here to go straight to the Facebook Event page. 

If you have questions you’d like for any of us to answer, feel free to leave them in the comments.

Grace and peace,

The post Facebook Romantic Suspense Release Party 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.

It’s time to edit the third book in the Dive Team Investigations series. While this is exciting and wonderful because it means that this book is getting closer and closer to being in the hands of readers, I have to say that, well, editing and I don’t have the best relationship. Please note that I said editing – not to be confused with editors – my editors are amazing and I’m extremely thankful for them!

As I’ve been processing my feelings toward this part of the process, I wrote this prayer and I thought I’d share it with you. I’d be honored if you would pray with me over the next two weeks as I dive into this story and try to make it all it can possibly be.

Dear Heavenly Father,

It’s me. Again.

I’m dreading this. Again.

Dreading opening the file and seeing all the places I got it wrong. All the places my meaning was murky and my words were misunderstood. 

I’m dreading the hours of work ahead. The rewording, rearranging, and rewriting. 

I’m dreading having my mistakes pointed out to me—over and over and over again.

Deep in my core, I want perfection. 

In some ways, I know it’s because that’s what I was created for. A perfect world where every day began—and ended—with no mistakes in it.

But the same sin that ended that perfect place also corrupted my desires. 

Now, my perfectionism is more about control. More about saving face. More about longing to be be impressive. More about the desire to be praised than about the desire to put something into the world that will draw others to praise You. 

Father, pry my fingers from my words. Open my hands and my heart to the beauty that is waiting on the other side of this journey. Open my mind and my will to make changes that will better convey the story that You gave me, the story that You want told. 

Jesus, thank you for dying and rescuing me from my own tiny world where I want to reign and rule. Thank you for living now and interceding on my behalf, even when I regularly try to take the throne away and sit on it myself. As I dive into this story would you, the Word made flesh, fill my mind with the words that will best draw readers closer to You?

Spirit, I long for a fresh breath of Your creative power. I need You to give me the desire to do this work with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength. And when I falter, to remind me that all things are possible through You.

I’m so thankful that You’ve already gone before me into this day, into this story, into the future where readers will someday join me on this journey. You’ve proven yourself faithful—time and time again—as I wrote this story. Why would I doubt that You will be faithful as I finish it? Please help me see this part of the process, not as a painful necessity, but as a glorious opportunity to make every chapter, scene, paragraph, and word, matter for eternity. 

To You, the Author and Finisher, be the glory.

Amen

The post A Prayer for Editing appeared first on Lynn H. Blackburn.