Tag: #NewRelease

Adrift In Open Water

On By Betty OwensIn Betty Thomason Owens4 Comments

My tenth novel–Open Water, Book Two of the HomeFound Suspense series–will be released March 12, 2024. You can preorder it right now.

Preorder Open Water

As much as Lisa Oliver wanted to believe that she could be safe in the small Kentucky village, she knew that wouldn’t be the case when Agent Farrow’s car pulled next to the school where she had been working. They’d found her again? Who was stalking her and why?

Jake Bradley uses his widely popular “Jake on the Road” articles to help him continue to follow leads into Lisa’s past, but he didn’t expect the people whom he spoke with to be attacked and killed. How could he possibly protect this woman who had become so important to him when he so miserably failed at learning about her past and why someone had killed her parents?

So many secrets whirl around in this second chronicle of the Home Found series. Lisa and Jake learn more about her past, and about each other, in this dramatic suspense.

Long Awaited. Yes, many of my readers have wondered, “When can we expect book two?” In fact, I was wondering, too. Confession time: I’m not a fast writer. I’m not really even a consistent writer. If the story is building and I have the entire thing ready to write, I can sit for long hours and type, type, type. I love those times. But there are other times, when I have to work things out, research facts, and rearrange timing for the best flow, etc. It’s time consuming. Distractions come to whisk me away.

What’s the story? If you have read Still Water (Book One), you will be happy to know book two continues the journey for Lisa Oliver and her handsome friend, Jake Bradley.

What’s with the water theme? In Still Water, we learn that Lisa is troubled by recurring nightmares. Not only that, but she has a deeply-rooted fear of water. She’s not sure why. The nightmare is her only clue.

Still Water

No spoilers here (not yet, anyway). If you have not read book one, now is a good time to do that. The Kindle version of Still Water is on sale for only 99 cents – for a limited time. You’ll find more information about the book and a handy buy link here.

You may have found this blog post in your email, if you are following my blog. Thanks so much for following, by the way. Or, maybe you’re on my newsletter list. However you found it, thank you so much for reading. I hope you will buy and enjoy the books. If you do enjoy reading them, please consider leaving a review. Good reviews help writers sell books. 🙂

All right, dear readers, if you made it this far, I’d like to ask you a question. Please leave a comment with your answer to be entered in a drawing for a $5 Amazon Gift Card. Here’s the question: In Open Water, what was Lisa doing when Agent Farrow found her?

Please stay in touch–I would like to invite you to my Facebook author page, Twitter, GoodReads, Pinterest, Instagram, Amazon Author Page

The Visitor in Shelbyville, Kentucky

On By Betty OwensIn Betty Thomason Owens, The Visitor Mysteries, Write Integrity Press

We are just a day away from the release of The Visitor Has a Ball, set in the beautiful Saddlehorse Capital of the World–Shelbyville, Kentucky. Surrounded by rolling hills, beautiful rivers and streams, wide pastures dotted with gorgeous horses, Shelbyville is one of my favorite places to visit. It’s a bustling small town east of my home in Louisville.

Drew Lindner’s character eased into my imagination with a low, Kentucky drawl. He’s handsome, intelligent, good-humored, and strong (I was thinking a young Michael Weatherly, aka Anthony DiNozzo of NCIS fame). He’s polite. Ready to help with whatever needs to be done. So, who in their right mind would ever suspect him of committing a crime?

Who, indeed. You’ll need to read the book to find out for sure. It will be available tomorrow–Friday, July 14–on Kindle, and also in print. See details below.

Click to Order

Samantha Carr is still convicted, after nearly a year, for leaving her newly-widowed mother to live alone nearly an hour away. And now she’s also unsure of the handyman that Mom has hanging around the place.

So when her late father’s office is burgled and a valuable heirloom goes missing, Samantha enlists the help of her world-traveling Aunt Connie to help her set things right.

She didn’t realize what tensions that would cause and the secrets it would expose. Until someone wanted the snooping to stop . . .

Match wits with The Visitor as she unearths an unexpected thief.

The Visitor Has a Ball

On By Betty OwensIn Betty Thomason Owens, The Visitor Mysteries, Write Integrity Press

The latest installment in The Visitor Mysteries releases Friday, July 14. And the author is…me! Here’s a short introduction from my main character, Samantha Carr:

A churning sensation in my stomach threatened to steal my appetite. Nerves—it’s just nerves. That’s what Mom always used to say right before my piano recital in third grade, or ahead of the final game in the softball tournament. Nerves.

Mom had always calmed my nerves. Talked me through troubled waters. Until my dad passed. Suddenly. Mom spiraled down into a deep valley of grief. Now, it was my turn to offer emotional support. How goes it so far? Not well. Not well at all.

So, when I heard my Aunt Connie was planning a fundraising gala in our small town, I had a great idea. Why not invite her to stay at Mom’s? Mom loves her youngest sister. Although, she and most of her siblings initially balked when Aunt Connie took over as head of the family business. I never understood their objections, but perhaps I was too young. “There is a lot of history involved,” Mom said. And closed mouths, at least where the younger generation was concerned.

Read more tomorrow–right here!

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Just Kidding Around

On By Betty OwensIn novella, The Visitor Mysteries

The Visitor Series continues with a heartwarming suspense story that … well, here’s my recent review:

The moment I opened this book, I knew I was in trouble. It reminded me of a favorite short story by O. Henry–The Ransom of Red Chief, with a little “Home Alone” tossed in for good measure. I raised three sons, so maybe that’s the reason I enjoyed the story so much. Dena Netherton has a way with gripping suspense and quirky, mean characters. As a reader, you don’t like them (the bad guys). Don’t like their looks or what they’re doing, but can’t stop reading until justice is served. Netherton tied this one up in an oh, so satisfying way.

Yep. Loved it. Deliciously hateful bad guys dealt with in a satisfying manner. Altogether pleasant summertime read.

–Betty

How do baby goats, ugly graffiti, and a would-be hero add up to a kidnapping? Connie B. Wright intends to find out.

Skye Wright has been running Our Kids for several years and is delighted that her Aund Connie comes to attend the fundraiser that Skye and her volunteers have planned. This will create crucial funding to carry the children’s home for another year, not to mention some much-needed repairs.

The repair list grows when an unknown vandal paints mean comments along one wall. But the minor annoyance turns to deep concern as vandalism becomes accompanied by actual threats.

Why would someone target a children’s shelter?

Match wits with The Visitor as she works to uncover the person behind a series of dangerous crimes.

Buy the Book on Amazon

Book Release – Still Water

On By Betty OwensIn Betty Thomason Owens2 Comments

It’s Release Day for Still Water! The book is out and available. You can have it in moments on Kindle for only 99 cents (sale ends at midnight).

I am so grateful to all who have helped with the writing and publication of this book. When I first began writing Still Water–my very first suspense story–I thought it would be easy. It wasn’t.

Worth it? Yes! Here’s the main lesson I learned: I am still learning.

On this release day, I’d like to pause and thank a few special people who have helped me so much over the past year and a half as I labored over this story.

Gail Johnson
Kristy Robinson Horine
Marji Laine Clubine

My critiquers, who have become wonderful friends, Gail Johnson and Kristy Horine. They point out all my missed punctuation, wrongly-used words, and unanswered questions. I love you both – thank you so much for all those hours of reading and rereading my story!

Marji Laine Clubine, editor-in-chief at Write Integrity Press, went above and beyond this time. I literally could not have finished this book without Marji and her daughter, Brittany Deane. Thank you so much.

I have many wonderful friends who have been there for me along this journey. To name them would take far too long, though I know they love seeing their names in print. Many of them are also multi-published authors, so they know how important it is to encourage others.

Ok, naming a few: My local ACFW peeps, Karen Richardson and Crystal Caudill, and the multi-talented, multi-award-winning, Rhonda Dragomir! My online friends, Jennifer Hallmark, Linda Yezak, and the beautifully encouraging Lynn Mosher. I could literally go on and on at this point.

My family here, there, and everywhere. Beautiful cousins and local friends. Again, too many to list. I’d leave someone out and then I’d never hear the end of it. LOL. Where would I be without their constant prayers and encouragement?

Okay, naming a couple–my best friends and co-conspirators in life–

Cherry Brooks and Debbie Holston pray for me and help me remember to breathe.

Robin Pittman, Jill Kemp, June, Deana, Barb, Evon–oh my! It’s a trap! I want to mention everyone, but it would be like those award shows. You know, when you groan over the long acceptance speeches that make the show extend beyond midnight…

There is one more that I must mention. Nike Chillemi, the Crime Fictionista, and member of our small crit group. She kept me laughing and hoping and writing when I was ready to hang it all up and walk away. She left us for Heaven last year. I miss her almost everyday, because that’s how often we talked via the ACFW crit loop. I am blessed to have known her.

Even though writing can be a solitary journey, most of us don’t do it alone.

Alone. That’s where my main character in Still Water, Lisa Oliver, begins her journey. Orphaned and alone. In the beginning, she finds more questions than answers. What she discovers will follow her throughout this series…

A Father of the fatherless defender of widows, is God in His holy habitation. God sets the solitary in families…

Psalm 68:5-6 NKJV
Still Water, Home Found Suspense, Book 1

And don’t forget! If you’d like to buy an autographed copy of the book, click the button below for more info.

Still Water Autographed Copy