Sandra Orchard, author of Critical Condition, is here!

Sandra Orchard hails from Niagara Canada, but we first got to know each other in my home state, when we roomed together at the 2010 Writer’s Police Academy. 

We’re the smiling ones on either end of the pic, and in true cop form, we’ve smudged out the rest of the faces to protect their identities.
 

She likes to tell people that she’s been following in my footsteps ever since. She has three books out with Love Inspired Suspense and will debut with Revell Publishing in June 2013. And this month, we share the LIS shelf space.

Critical Condition is the third book in Sandra’s series, Undercover Cops: Fighting for justice puts their lives—and hearts—on the line. Deep Cover, the first book in the series won the 2012 Canadian Christian Writing Award and earned Sandra a spot on Family Fiction magazines top ten books of year in their Reader’s Choice Awards.

EVERYONE’S AT RISK

There's a murderer in the hospital, and nurse Tara Peterson is determined to prove it. With mysterious deaths in the cancer ward, anyone could be next. But no one wants to believe her…except undercover agent Zach Davis. The murderer wants Tara's suspicions silenced, permanently. To protect Tara, Zach lets her in on his secret, and unwittingly into his heart. Tara and her three-year-old daughter are like the family he lost years before. Zach will risk everything to keep them safe, no matter the cost.

What reviewers are saying about Critical Condition:

“4 ½ Stars. "Well-developed characters and fast-paced action will keep readers fully engaged in this wonderful tribute to spouses struggling with a loved one’s illness.” ~ Romantic Times

“5 stars. I can say that I am loving this series and hope it doesn't end with this book.” ~ Goodreads reader

Connect with Sandra Online:

Visit her website ~ www.SandraOrchard.com

Visit her personal blog ~ http://www.SandraOrchard.blogspot.com

Like her Facebook Page ~ www.Facebook.com/SandraOrchard

Join her at Goodreads ~ bit.ly/Goodreads_SandraO

Tease from Critical Condition:

“What I’m about to tell you is for your ears alone. Understand?”

A flicker of confusion crossed her face, but she nodded. 

Zach glanced around to make sure no one was listening in. “My name is Zach Davis.”

Her gaze dropped to his hospital badge—Zach Reynolds—and she scooted closer to her daughter.

“I’m a cop, working undercover to investigate the deaths you reported.”

“You are?” she said excitedly. “Why didn’t Detective Gray tell me?”

“The fewer people who know, the less likely my cover will be compromised. You are the only one at the hospital who knows why I’m really here.”

“I won’t tell anyone…I promise. In fact, I can help you.”

“I’d appreciate that.” Tara’s inside knowledge could prove invaluable to closing this case quickly.

“Cop,” Tara’s daughter Suzie parroted. With the purple crayon clutched in her chubby fist, she drew a circle on her paper, jabbed dots in the middle, and scratched two lines from the bottom. “Dak, cop,” she repeated gleefully.  

Zach’s heart sank. This assignment had just gotten a whole lot more complicated.

Interview wiht Ginny Aiken - FOR SUCH A TIME AS THIS - FREE BOOK!

Ginny, welcome to Infinite Suspense. So glad you could visit today. Like many of your fans, I love your books. Love the humor, love the fun, love the suspense in them! LOL. But anyway, why don’t you tell us a little about yourself?

I am an alien—as my kids gleefully will tell anyone—a legal alien, since I was five and my parents fled Castro’s Cuba. I grew up in Venezuela, where I continued the ballet training I began at the age of three in Havana. As a total bookworm…well, while I wasn’t on pointe, practicing hours on end, I devoured books, and then wrote my first one at fifteen. Burned it when I got ‘smart’ at sixteen! I went to boarding school in Switzerland after high school, and received two university-level degrees while there. Came back to the US, went to college, married my college sweetheart, and had four wonderful sons. When I was pregnant with number three, however, I started writing again. Geoffrey being the…ahem...challenging child he was, I put the stories away while I was Mommy and freelance newspaper reporter, covering local government and the school board. But the writing bug wouldn’t let go, and when son number four turned eighteen months, I sold my first novel. I haven’t recovered from that bug yet, even after surviving four sons, various moves for my husband’s work, and twenty years in the publishing world. We currently live in Northwestern Indiana, and have an empty nest.

Tell us a little about your new release. Is it the first in a series or a stand alone?

For Such a Time as This is the launch title of my new Women of Hope series for FaithWords. This series is a group of ‘books of the heart’, and one of my favorite writing projects so far. Each plot is lifted from Scripture, with each heroine facing the same kind of challenges faced by the women back then, the only difference being the external details and the setting of the tales. For Such a Time as This is the story of Queen Esther, tweaked a bit to fit into the American West in the 1800s.

How did you get the inspiration for this book?

A reviewer of one of my earlier historicals made a perceptive comment years ago. She wrote that my book reflected the reality that Scripture remains relevant through all time since the problems people face are, when stripped down to the basics, the same—people are always the same. I began to ‘what if’ and The Women of Hope Series was born.

What kind of research did you do for this book?

This one was a little more difficult, since I wanted to reflect issues related to a Scriptural character. Not only did I have to do the usual mountain of historical research (which I love! Can’t wait to dive into all those obscure details every time I begin a new historical project) but this time, I also had to read a lot of commentaries on the original Bible story. Trust me, there’s been a TON written about Queen Esther, and so I absorbed all that material, let it marinate, as my agent calls it, and then put together a story that reflects many of the circumstances the Queen faced, and puts forth the themes in her tale.

What do you hope your readers will get out of the story?

I love Scripture, and turn to it all the time, especially when I face tough times in my life. I know the Lord will reveal Himself to me there, and the answers to my questions are already there. I hope my readers see how eternal the truths we see in the Bible really are. How we can trust it for our lives by seeing the examples presented there, the good examples as well as the bad.

Anything else about writing, yourself, or your books you’d like to add? Where can people find you?

I love to interact with my readers, especially on facebook! I’m also available by email at ginnyaiken@gmail.com, and I have a new website which will be launching in a few days. As soon as everything is finalized (should have been a couple of weeks ago, but due to a case of stolen identity and checking account fraud, everything related to our business accounts as well as personal ones have had to be put on hold, awaiting the end of the investigation) I will be making the big announcement on my facebook page. Hope to see y’all there! And you can let me know how you liked For Such a Time as This ;-)

All right everyone, here you have it. I read this book in one sitting! It’s fabulous. You will be transported straight into the past and into the lives of characters you’ll want to keep reading about. I’ll be giving away a copy to one lucky reader. Leave a comment or ask Ginny a question and you’ll be entered to win. Thanks so much for stopping by!

ACFW September New Releases

ACFW New Releases: September 2012

Posted on August 31, 2012 by ACFW

More in-depth descriptions of these books can be found on the ACFW Fiction Finder website.

Love Reunited by Renee Andrews — A soldier returns home to find the love of his life is single again, but he also learns that she’s blind…and that his confession of love may have cost her a marriage and her sight. (Contemporary Romance from Love Inspired).

Avenir Eclectia, Volume 1 by Grace Bridges, Pauline Creeden, Kat Heckenbach, Keven Newsome, H.A. Titus, Fred Warren and more — A human colony in the constellation of the Whale struggles to survive on an aging orbital station peopled with bureaucrats, wizards, beggars and cyborgs, and a violently unstable planet overrun with giant bugs and telepathic sea creatures. (Speculative Fiction from Splashdown Books).

Christmas Roses by Amanda Cabot — Can an itinerant carpenter searching for his father and a young widow who seeks only her daughter’s well-being find happiness in a small Wyoming mining town in the fall of 1882? (Historical Romance from Revell).

To Write a Wrong by Robin Caroll — In Angola State Penitentiary, a man is serving time for a crime he didn’t commit. Riley Baxter is an eager reporter desperate for a story to make a name for herself. When she stumbles upon the daughter of the incarcerated man, Riley sees a little too much of herself in the teen, and vows to help prove her father’s innocence. At the same time, Hayden Simpson has his hands full with keeping his little sister in line, worrying about his job as Police Commissioner, and dealing with his past emotional baggage. The last thing he needs is someone blowing the lid off his emotional bucket. (Romantic Suspense from B & H Publishing).

Material Witness (A Shipshewana Amish Mystery) by Vanetta Chapman — Masked identities, antique quilts with hidden messages, an Amish boy whose handicap makes him stronger, one brave dog, and a possible hidden treasure. This time it’s nonstop action, danger, and a dash of romance. (Cozy Mystery from Zondervan).

A Mom’s New Start by Margaret Daley — Single mom, Maggie Sommerfield, is having trouble with her son and turns to Cody Weston, a counselor, but although he brings comfort and support to her, he has a few secrets of his own. (Contemporary Romance from Love Inspired).

A Cascade Christmas by Mary Davis, Mildred Colvin, Debby Lee, and Gina Welborn — While Artisan Sela Fox runs her gift shop, she creates rare and beautiful guitars from redwood burl just as her husband had until his death. When land developer Evan Black shows up on her doorstep, using his humor and good looks to try and persuade her to sell the small slice of heaven she owns, she refuses to give up the only reminder she has left of her husband. But Evan is even more stubborn than the lovely Sela, and he has plans of his own. When he shares his talent for classical guitar using one of Sela’s creations, he’d not intended to woo her, but she responds to his serenade. (Romance Novella from Barbour).

Mother of Pearl by Kellie Coates Gilbert — The football coach went too far with her daughter . . . now this mother will risk everything she holds dear to bring him to justice. (General Contemporary from Abingdon Press).

The Road to Mercy by Kathy Harris — Josh Harrison, a contemporary Christian singer, and his wife Bethany face a difficult decision that also tests their faith. A rupture in Beth’s carotid artery leaves her on the brink of death even as she’s pregnant with their first child. While Dr. Ben Abrams urges her to terminate the pregnancy to save her own life, she and Josh step out on faith and decide to carry the baby to full term. During the next few months, Josh struggles with his faith, Beth hides a secret that may destroy their marriage. She also discovers a decades-old connection to Dr. Abrams that could change his life forever. (General Contemporary from Abingdon Press).

Seeking Unseen by Kat Heckenbach — It may be Angel’s wish…but it’s Melinda’s journey. Angel’s foster brother Zack needs help, but on the way she runs into her old friend Melinda, who demands to go along for the return to Toch Island. Melinda is more of an outsider than ever. A secret world surrounds her where even the bugs have magic. So when ex-con Doran Ashe offers her powers of her own, Melinda follows him despite – or maybe because of – everyone’s warnings. (Speculative Contemporary Fantasy from Splashdown Books).

Healing Love by Laura V. Hilton — What happens when an Amish midwife falls in love with an Englisch vet? (Contemporary Romance from Whitaker House).

Survive the Night by Vicki Hinze — Veteran and now Private Investigator Della Jackson is mourning the loss of her child and subsequent breakup of her marriage and now a stalker is determined to kill her, but she teams up with Paul Mason, the head of Florida Vet Net, to reclaim her life and discovers redemption and forgiveness and finally love. (Romantic Suspense from Love Inspired).

Trinity: Military War Dog by Ronie Kendig — With his military war dog, a former Green Beret embarks on the greatest mission of his life-but will it also be his last? (Romantic Suspense from Barbour).

Cedar Creek Seasons by Eileen Key, Becky Melby, Rachael Phillips, and Cynthia Ruchti — Romantic in every season of the calendar, charming, touristy Cedarburg, Wisconsin, with its last standing original Wisconsin covered bridge, works its magic on everyone. . .From a driven young twenty-something to a recently retired woman, each finds love when she least expects it. (Romance Novella from Barbour).

Sandwich, with a Side of Romance by Krista Phillips — She moved to Sandwich, Illinois, in search of a new life, but ended up in a giant pickle. (General Contemporary from Abingdon Press).

Stealing Hearts by Amber Stockton — Grace Baxton struggles to forgive a thief who took precious family heirlooms, yet threatens to steal her heart. (Contemporary Romance from Barbour).

With Every Letter by Sarah Sundin — World War II flight nurse Lt. Mellie Blake begins an anonymous correspondence with Army engineer Lt. Tom MacGilliver – when they’re both transferred to North Africa, will their future be held hostage by the past, or will they reveal their identities? (Historical Romance from Revell).

The Reunion by Dan Walsh — The Reunion is an emotionally charged story about a forgotten war hero who discovers that the love he lost can be restored. (General Contemporary from Revell).

The Shadow on the Quilt by Stephanie Grace Whitson — Juliana Sutton’s life looks perfect-from the outside. Until her husband’s untimely death reveals a devastating truth. (Contemporary Romance from Barbour).