Friday, January 25, 2008

Keeping you hanging on the cliff...

I've been a fan of suspense novels and movies all my life. As a child, I would watch shows on television and bite my fingernails through the commercials because something disastrous always happened just before Mr. Clean or the Maytag man came on the screen. Was the girl in hiding going to be discovered by the men who had been chasing her? Was the hero going to make it safely into the deep waters after jumping off the cliff or was he going to smash onto the rocks below? I had to know and there was no way I was going to leave my place in front of the television until I knew!

When I read books I'm the same way. I love chapters that end with a cliff hanger, something that pushes me to read the next page because I HAVE to find out what happens next. It doesn't matter if it's midnight and I need to get up early in the morning. I have been known to stay up reading until 4 AM because of the book was just too good to put down and I had to check ONE MORE PAGE.

I think a little of this rubbed off on me. I love writing Love Inspired Suspense books and keeping readers on the edge of their seats. After all, that's what makes a great suspense book, right? How many people watched Lord of the Rings and couldn't wait for the next movie to come out because you had to know what happened next? I did. I drove my family crazy. Well, that's a little exaggeration. We're all LOR fans here. A lot of people were a little upset that they had to wait for the Two Towers to come out and then Return of the King to see if Frodo and Sam actually made it and were able to destroy the ring. But I loved it. I had the release dates marked on the calendar. The build up to going to the movies was almost as suspenseful as seeing the movie itself.

I've received lots of emails from readers who read Cradle of Secrets. I'm always warmed by their responses. One reader told me that she loved the book but needed to know what happened to Ellie and Cash. Was Serena and Cash ever going to be reunited? This one reader said she HAD to know and thought about it all day at work and during dinner, even though her husband said "Honey, it's only a book."

Well, admittedly, I pulled a Lord of the Rings. I can't help it. I love cliffhangers. But I assure you, you will find out what happens to Cash, Serena and Ellie. Her Only Protector will be available August 2008. While that seems like a long way off, it really won't be that long. I'll keep you updated and as soon as I have the book cover, I'll post it here for readers. I'm currently writing the last book in the series. There's no title yet, but you'll be the first to know as soon as I have one.

Until next time, many blessings to you.
Lisa Mondello

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