If you are a fan of a suspenseful read with a touch of romance, then we’re sure you must already be an Irene Hannon fan! But, if you have somehow missed Hannon’s incredible reads so far, then you are in for a real treat. One, you have quite a number of reads to already jump straight into! But two, she’ll be releasing a new book, the first in a new series, this October. This gives you plenty of times to get through Hannon’s back catalog!

Point of Danger is the first book in the Triple Threat series and is guaranteed to be a real page-turner that will have you guessing right until the end. Irene Hannon kindly answered some questions about her latest release as well as what is coming next. Read on for a little insight!

Click here to preorder Point of Danger by Irene Hannon

Q: Can you provide a brief description of Point of Danger?

A: My newest novel features a strong-willed heroine who’s determined to stand up for her principles no matter the danger, and a police detective who has to find her unknown foe fast – or lose the woman who’s stealing his heart. In true Hitchcock style, the tension intensifies throughout the book, leading to an explosive conclusion.

Q: Point of Danger is the first book in your new Triple Threat series. What ties the three books in your series together?

A: The series features three sisters involved in the truth-seeking professions who are plunged into dicey situations that lead to danger – and romance.

Q: The main protagonist, Eve Reilly, is a controversial talk show host. What type of research was required to accurately portray her role?

A: Online research primarily… plus my own experience in listening to talk radio – and being a guest on a number of programs!

Q: You have stated that you prefer to focus on psychological suspense and character development in your books – a style that resonates more with Alfred Hitchcock rather than a James Bond style of narrative. What led to this preference in your writing style?

A: My undergraduate degree is in psychology, so I’ve always been fascinated with the workings of the human mind. That’s why, in all my suspense books, I take readers into the villain’s head. The whole cat-and-mouse game they plan intrigues me. Knowing what the villain is planning, and watching that unfold in spider-spinning-a-web fashion is far more enthralling, suspenseful, and mentally engaging to me than constant car chases, shootings, explosions, etc. The human mind is much scarier than an action sequence!

Q: What do you hope readers can take away from your book?

A: Admiration for the heroine, who’s willing to stand up for what she believes in no matter the cost – and encouragement to do the same; a better appreciation for the tremendous power of love to transform lives; and a healthy dose of hope. I want readers to close the book believing that no matter how bad things get, there’s always the possibility of a happy ending.

Q: When is the next book in your Triple Threat series scheduled to release?

A: Book 2 will release in October 2021 and features Cate, the oldest sister, whose job as a police detective takes her on a dangerous undercover assignment.

Q: Library Journal has referred to you as the “queen of inspirational romantic suspense.” However, you are also known for your contemporary romance books, which is where your writing originated. Can you please provide a brief glimpse into your writing history?

A: As you noted, my first published books were contemporary romances. However… my first attempt at fiction was romantic suspense. And it was really, really bad! Why? Because there was no internet (yes, it was the dark ages!), so research was difficult to do. I also didn’t have any contacts in law enforcement of the military, and to write credible suspense you have to have access to data and experts. Most books in this genre require quite a bit of technical knowledge. So, I put romantic suspense aside for many years. By the time I began writing fiction full time, the internet was around and I had a contact in law enforcement. So, I decided to give romantic suspense another go. It was successful beyond my wildest dreams. Now I alternate between the two genres.

Q: What are you working on next?

A: My next novel will be Book 7 in my Hope Harbor series. It’s called Blackberry Beach and will be out April 2021. I’m so gratified that readers have embraced my little Oregon seaside town and keep asking for more stories!

Click here to preorder Point of Danger by Irene Hannon

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Have you been eagerly anticipating the latest installment in the Hope Harbor series? Well, the wait is over! Driftwood Bay, the fifth book in the series is now on our shelves.

This book tackles some very difficult issues and emotions and will have readers hooked from start to finish – in typical Hannon fashion! Irene Hannon sat down to answer some questions about the inspiration behind this book as well as what she is planning to pen in the near future. Here’s what she had to say…

To order your copy of Driftwood Bay, click here!

Q: This is your fourth book set in the picturesque seaside town of Hope Harbor, Oregon. Why did you choose this location for your books?

A: I love the ocean, and a seaside setting is conducive to romance. I also love the vibe of small towns. So I took the best of both worlds and created Hope Harbor!

Q: You introduce readers to some new characters in Driftwood Bay. Do you have a favorite character?

A: It’s always difficult to pick favorite characters, because they all endear themselves to me in unique ways. As for new characters – all of the main characters in this book are new. Only a few secondary characters reappear from book to book. That’s why the books in this series can be read in any order. Each on is a standalone story. I never carry over plot lines from book to book.

Q: One of your main characters, Jeannette Mason, runs a lavender farm and a tearoom in Hope Harbor. What type of research was required to write about her profession?

A: This part of the story was a joy to write, as I’ve always loved tearooms. Having afternoon tea is such a special treat – so relaxing and elegant. I go as often as I can and am always on the lookout for a new tearoom to try. So I drew on my experience as a customer for tearoom research. I also did extensive online research on lavender-growing in Oregon, and a I visited a local lavender farm in my home state for an up-close-and-personal look at a lavender operation. They also served tea there, by the way, with lavender scones!

Q: In Driftwood Bay, two of your characters are helping a family fleeing persecution in war-torn Syria. What was the inspiration behind this idea?

A: This came straight from the headlines. There have been so many tragic stories about the plight of Christians being persecuted in that part of the world. My heart goes out to them, and I wanted to highlight the tremendous difficulties they face.

Q: Did you learn anything new about the plight of refugees and how others can be of assistance to them?

A: I’m aware of a number of churches that have “adopted” Syrian families who needed refuge, but based on my research I believe larger-scale relief will require higher-level intervention.

Q: Driftwood Bay explores various emotions including grief, healing, and peace. What do you hope readers gain from reading your book?

A: As the series title says – hope. That’s what the books in this series are all about. All of the plot lines – and there are others besides the central romance in each book – feature characters facing challenges. I weave the stories together, showing the interconnectedness that binds us all together. And in the end, I strive to leave readers feeling upbeat and optimistic. I try to show that happy endings are always possible, and I also highlight the tremendous power of love (not just romantic love) to transform lives.

Q: What is next on your writing to-do list?

A: The final book in my Code of Honor series, which features three childhood friends whose bond has been strengthened by time – and danger – will be out in October. Then I’ll return to Hope Harbor in spring 2020.

To order your copy of Driftwood Bay, click here!

The post Irene Hannon On Her Latest Book, ‘Driftwood Bay’ appeared first on Christianbook.com Blog.

Christian Fiction lovers you are in for a treat in 2019! We took a look forward at some of the books that will be released later this year – and we’re pretty sure these reads won’t disappoint. Some of our favorite authors will be making a return to delight their readers, including Colleen Coble, Karen Kingsbury, Dani Pettrey, and Joel C. Rosenberg.

While we couldn’t list all of the fiction we’re looking forward to this year, you can find more to look forward to in our Christian fiction store by clicking here. Or if Christian Living books are more your thing, click here to see what’s coming your way soon! 

Whether you’re a fan of an Amish read or a suspenseful page-turner, you’re sure to find something to add to your bookshelf on this list.

Secrets at Cedar Cabin by Colleen Coble

Releases January 22, 2019

Filled with Colleen Coble’s custom blend of suspense and romance, Secrets at Cedar Cabin sweeps readers off to the evocative landscape of Washington’s coast where nothing is quite as it seems. Readers will be introduced to Bailey Fleming, a women running for her life in the wake of her mother’s murder. Intending to finally get to the truth behind the lies of her past, Bailey only finds more questions when bodies are discovered near her cabin hideout. Not to mention the tell-tale signs of a human trafficking ring nearby. Forming an unlikely partnership with FBI agent Lance Phoenix, Bailey races to understand the mystery surrounding her life. Meanwhile, Lance is determined to rescue his sister who was abducted after running away as a teenager. An unexpected lead brings Lance calling to Bailey’s remote cabin – and he can’t help but be suspicious of her past and strange connections to his sister’s case. Is she really who she claims to be? And can she somehow lead him to his sister?

Forgiving Jar by Wanda E. Brunstetter

Releases February 5, 2019

What would you do if you found out someone has been impersonating you? That’s the question readers will ask themselves after reading Wanda Brunstetter’s upcoming releases, Forgiving Jar. Sara Murray had never met her mother’s parents and was surprised to learn that they were Amish living in Pennsylvania. When she is finally able to make the trip to meet them, she is shocked to learn someone else has been living with them – and pretending to be Sara. When her grandparents are quick to forgive the imposter, Sarah is dismayed. She is tired of the lies and deceit that seem to follow her everywhere. Enter Brad Fuller, a man who visits her grandparents during Christmas. Sara finds herself immediately drawn to the man, but even he seems to pull away from her. Struggling with the situation, Sara finds an old canning jar hidden in the barn, full of encouraging prayers. Can she find a way to forgive the past and move on to build new relationships?

The Sky Above us by Sarah Sundin

Releases February 5, 2019

Lovers of historical and war-time fiction, The Sky Above Us is the read for you. Numbed by grief and harboring shameful secrets, Lt. Adler Paxton ships to England with the US 357th Fighter Group in 1943. Determined to become an ace pilot, Adler battles the German Luftwaffe in treacherous dogfights in the skies over France as the Allies struggle for control of the air before the D-day invasion. Violet Lindstrom wanted to be a missionary, but now she serves in the American Red Cross, where she arranges entertainment and sets up programs for local children. Drawn to the mysterious Adler, she enlists his help with her work and urges him to reconnect with his family after a long estrangement. Despite himself, Adler finds his defenses crumbling when it comes to Violet. But D-day draws near… and secrets can’t stay buried forever.

Of Fire and Lions by Mesu Andrews

Releases March 5, 2019

If you prefer reading more Biblical fiction, we’re sure you’ll be happy to hear that Mesu Andrews will release Of Fire and Lions this March! Readers will be transported to Babylon through the eyes of Belili. As a young Hebrew girl she escaped death as the Babylonians ransacked Jerusalem and took their finest as captives. Belili thought she perfected her survival instincts through the many years she spent amongst the Magoi and the idol worshippers, pretending, along with all the others in King Nebuchadnezzar’s court. Now, as Daniel’s wife and a septuagenarian matriarch, Belili thinks she’s safe and she can live out her days in Babylon without fear–until the night Daniel is escorted to Belshazzar’s palace to interpret mysterious handwriting on a wall. The Persian Army invades, and Bellili’s tightly-wound secrets unfurl with the arrival of the conquering army. What will the reign of Darius mean for Daniel, a man who prays to Yahweh alone?

The Persian Gamble by Joel C. Rosenberg

Releases March 12, 2019

We don’t know about you, but we always eagerly await the next suspenseful read from Joel C. Rosenberg. They always sound like they can be ripped from today’s news headline! In The Persian Gamble we meet former U.S. Secret Service agent Marcus Ryker who finds himself facing an impossible task after being shot out of the air in enemy territory. Not only does he have to somehow elude detection and capture by Russian special forces, but he must convince his own government to grant safe harbor to the one man responsible for the global mayhem – Russian double agent and assassin Oleg Kraskin. While negotiating with the White House, Marcus learns the unstable North Korean regime plans to use the chaos as a smokescreen to sell nuclear weapons to Iran. With the fate of the free world on the line, Marcus makes a deal with the U.S. to go back and work as an international operative and track down the WMDs. Marcus and Oleg worked together before to avert a world war. Can they now find a way to stop world destruction?

Daughters of Northern Shores by Joanne Bischof

Releases March 12, 2019

Aven Norgaard understands courage. Orphaned within an Irish workhouse, then widowed at just nineteen, she voyaged to America where she was wooed and wed by Thor Norgaard, a Deaf man in rural Appalachia. That the Lord saw her along the winding journey and that Aven now carries Thor’s child are blessings beyond measure. Yet while Thor holds her heart, it is Haakon—his younger brother and rival—who haunts her memories. Having fled the Norgaard orchard after trying to take Aven as his own, Haakon sails on the North Atlantic ice trade, where his soul is plagued with regrets that distance cannot heal. When the winds bear him home after four years away, Haakon finds the family on the brink of tragedy. A decades-old feud with the neighboring farm has wrenched them into the fiercest confrontation on Blackbird Mountain since the Civil War. Haakon’s cunning and strength hold the power to seal many fates, including Thor’s—which is already imperiled due to a grave illness brought to him at the first prick of warfare. Now Haakon faces the hardest choice of his life. Daughters of Northern Shores is another great read from Joanne Bischof!

Driftwood Bay by Irene Hannon

Releases April 2, 2019

Irene Hannon returns once again with another dramatic romance – Driftwood Bay will have you absolutely hooked from start to finish! After tragedy robs Jeannette Mason of everyone she loves, she retreats to the tiny Oregon seaside town of Hope Harbor to create a new life. Vowing to avoid emotional attachments, she focuses on running her lavender farm and tea room until a new neighbor with a destructive dog and a forlorn little girl invades her turf. But she needn’t worry. Dr. Logan West is too busy coping with an unexpected family, a radical lifestyle change, and an unruly pup to have any interest in his aloof and disagreeable neighbor. Yet when both Jeanette and Logan find themselves pulled into the life of a tattered Christian family fleeing persecution in war-torn Syria, might they discover that love sometimes calls when it’s least expected?

Two Weeks by Karen Kinsgbury

Releases April 2, 2019

The Baxter family are back! In Two Weeks, we follow Cole Blake, the son of Landon and Ashley Baxter Blake. Cole is months away from going off to college and taking the first steps toward his dream – a career in medicine. But as he starts his final semester of high school, he meets Elise, a mysterious new girl who captures his attention. Elise is set on mending her wild ways and rediscovering the girl she used to be. But not long after the semester starts, she discovers she’s pregnant. Eighteen and alone, she shares her secret with Cole. Undaunted by the news, Cole is determined to support Elise – even if it means skipping college, marrying her, and raising another man’s baby. When Elise decides to place the baby for adoption. But as the due date nears, she becomes focused on one truth – she has two weeks to change her mind about adoption. Elise makes an unexpected decision – one that changes everyone’s plans.

Vow of Justice by Lynette Eason

Releases August 6, 2019

Bestselling and award-winning author Lynette Eason returns to close out her Blue Justice series with Vow of Justice – a story that will have you tearing through the pages to get to the stunning conclusion. FBI Special Agent Lincoln St. John is living his own personal nightmare. When the woman he loves, Allison Radcliffe, is killed, he devotes his life to tracking down the killers and making them pay for their crimes. He expected it to be a challenge. What he never expected was to find Allison very much alive shortly after her “murder.” As his anger and hurt mix with relief, Linc isn’t sure how he’s supposed to feel. One thing he does know for sure: he and Allison will have to work together to stop a killer before she dies a second time – this time for good.

The Killing Tide by Dani Pettrey

Releases August 6, 2019

Now, we’ve got a little ways to wait for the release of this upcoming book from Dani Pettrey – but something tells us it will definitely be worth it! In The Killing Tide, Coast Guard Investigative Service special agent Finn Walker faces his most dangerous crime year after a Coast Guard officer is found dead and another missing. His only clues are what little evidence remains aboard the dead officer’s boat, and the direction the clues point to will test Finn and the Guard to their limits. When investigative reporter – and Finn’s boss’s sister – Gabby Rowley arrives, her unrelenting questions complicate an already volatile situation. Now that she’s back, the tug on Finn’s heart is strong, but with the risks she’s taking for her next big story, he fears she might not live through it. Thrown together by the heinous crime, Finn and Gabby can’t ignore the sparks or judgments flying between them. But will they be able to see past their preconceptions long enough to track down an elusive killer, or will they become his next mark?

For more great Christian fiction reads coming soon, click here!

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Bestselling Christian fiction author, Irene Hannon returns with a new contemporary romance novel, Pelican Point. The upcoming release is the fourth book in the Hope Harbor series, inviting readers back to their favorite town for a story that will pull at their heartstrings.

Irene Hannon sat down to answer a few questions for readers about her latest book and what she has planned next.

Q: Can you please tell us about your newest book, Pelican Point?

A: Pelican Point is the fourth book in the Hope Harbor series – but each book stands alone and can be read as a single-title novel. They’re tied together by the setting, with a few beloved characters appearing in each book – including Charley, the taco-making artist, who’s become the all-time favorite character in the 50+ books I’ve written. If you haven’t read any of the Hope Harbor stories yet, I hope you’ll drop in and meet him! I guarantee you’ll come away uplifted after your visit to this special town, where hearts heal… and love blooms.

Q: Pelican Point is set in a fictional seaside town in Oregon. Why did you choose this setting for your Hope Harbor stories?

A: I love small-town settings, and coastal areas have always held a special appeal for me. The Oregon coast is stunning, so it was a natural choice for Hope Harbor.

Q: What type of research was required to write your book?

A: I did lots of research on lighthouses for this one. Some in person during a research trip to Oregon, which has more than its share of beautiful lighthouses, and a great deal online. I had no idea private citizens could buy lighthouses, for example – or the challenges involved in owning one. I’m not sure I’d be up to the task – and neither is my hero. But who can resist their aura of romance and adventure?

Q: What do you hope readers can learn from Pelican Point?

A: I think the book offers many insights in both the primary and secondary plots. But two of the big ones are the importance of being open to new roads God sets before us that might not have been in our original plans, and the power of love to overcome obstacles and transform lives.

Q: In addition to contemporary romance, you are also well known for your romantic suspense novels. Do you have a favorite genre or do you find one easier to write?

A: I love writing both. Suspense is intense, and I’m always ready to spend a little time in lovely Hope Harbor after completing one of those intense books. That’s why I’ve gone to an April/contemporary romance and October/romantic suspense release schedule. Alternating genres gives me balance and keeps me fresh.

Q: What are you working on next?

A: Next up will be book 2 in my Code of Honor series, which will be out in October. It’s the story of a woman who owns a fair trade shop and a police detective who find themselves plunged into international intrigue – and danger – when people connected with her shop begin dying.

Pelican Point by Irene Hannon releases April 3rd – it is available for preorder by clicking here. 

To explore more books by Irene Hannon, click here!

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