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Fallout: Suspense by Carrie Stuart Parks

Fallout, the latest novel by Carrie Stuart Parks

Guest Post + Book and Author Info + Author/Blog Tour Giveaway!

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Fallout by Carrie Stuart Parks

FalloutHer carefully crafted life is about to be demolished.

After a difficult childhood, Samantha Williams craves simplicity: jigsaw puzzles, lectures at the library, and the students she adores in her role as an elementary art teacher in the dusty farming community of LaCrosse, Washington.

But when an SUV crashes into the school where she teaches, her entire world is upended. She manages to keep all of the children safe, but her car isn’t so lucky. Oddly, her purse—containing her driver’s license, credit cards, and other identification—is missing from the wreckage.

After authorities discover that the driver in the school accident was shot seconds before the crash, Samantha quickly becomes entangled in increasingly strange events that have her looking over her shoulder.

Samantha has long tried to forget the tragedy of her past, but the twisting maze she discovers between the murdered driver, a deadly secret government project, and an abandoned town can’t be ignored. Those involved are determined to keep these secrets buried, and they’ll use any means necessary to stop Samantha’s search for truth.

To purchase Fallout, click on any of the following links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | ChristianBook | Goodreads

Genre: Suspense
Published by: Thomas Nelson
Publication Date: September 13th 2022
Number of Pages: 336
ISBN: 0785239855 (ISBN13: 9780785239857)


Fallout — Guest Post by Carrie Stuart Parks

The Mystery of Writing

What a lovely topic as I can take it two ways—what about writing a mystery and it’s a mystery why I, or anyone, writes.

I’ll start with writing a mystery. That’s the easy one. My career, since 1981 (when I was born. . .  okay, maybe I was a tad bit older) . . . has been as a forensic artist. I worked for the North Idaho Regional Crime Lab in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho.

The crime lab handled physical evidence for the ten northern counties of Idaho, the Department of Fish and Game, the FBI, and any agency which required our services. I actually helped out even before that time—as early as high school. My dad was the director of the Crime Lab. He’d bring home cases he was working on and talk about them.

From an early age, we knew not to discuss active cases, so mom and I were good sounding boards. As an artist, dad often asked me to look at something with my “artistic eye.” For example, it might be a blood-stain pattern on the carpeting of the trunk of a car. He would ask what I thought could cause the blood to pool in that particular way. Sounds like a morbid conversation, but I was fascinated by the mystery of it.

Eventually the crime lab hired me on an “as needed” basis to prepare the trial charts for the cases going to court. That meant often going to the crime scene for measurements or viewing the crime scene photos. This work inspired me to continue studying forensic art at the FBI Academy and other training. When I finally ventured into writing, mysteries were the logical choice.

Tackling the second way this topic may be addressed—it’s a mystery anyone writes—is more of a challenge.

The easy answer is “because I must,” or “I have something to say.” Yes, that’s true, but the writing journey is amazing, and discouraging, long and difficult.

“Writing is both an art and a craft.”

Writing is both an art and a craft. Crafts, of old, required years of apprenticeship with a master. There is so much to learn! A short list would include: antagonist, beats, characters, description, dialogue, emotion, endings, foreshadowing, genre, hooks, inner and outer journey, openings, pacing—and on it goes.

I was blessed to have a master mentor in Frank Peretti—the dean of Christian Fiction—but most writers are not so fortunate. And not many writers are patient enough to master the skills. With today’s ease of the internet, they self-publish. Well over one and a half million books a year are published on Amazon alone. The competition is astonishing, the chance of success infinitesimal.

The short answer to why it’s a mystery anyone writes might be as simple as it brings you joy. Mostly.

I write because I love writing a good mystery, I love hearing from readers, and I love the fellow writers I’ve been privileged to call friends.


Carrie Stuart Parks — Author of Fallout

FalloutCarrie Stuart Parks is a Christy, multiple Carol, and Inspy Award–winning author.

She was a 2019 finalist in the Daphne du Maurier Award for excellence in mainstream mystery/suspense and has won numerous awards for her fine art as well. An internationally known forensic artist, she travels with her husband, Rick, across the US and Canada teaching courses in forensic art to law-enforcement professionals.

The author/illustrator of numerous books on drawing and painting, Carrie continues to create dramatic watercolors from her studio in the mountains of Idaho.

To learn more about Carrie, click on any of the following links: www.CarrieStuartParks.com, Goodreads, BookBub – @CarrieStuartParks, Instagram – @carriestuarparksFacebook – @CarrieStuartParksAuthor


Visit all the Stops on the Fallout Tour!

09/09 Showcase @ Nesies Place
09/12 Review @ Urban Book Reviews
09/12 Showcase @ BOOK REVIEWS by LINDA MOORE
09/13 Review @ sunny island breezes
09/14 Review @ Book Reviews From an Avid Reader
09/14 Review @ From the TBR Pile
09/15 Review @ Novels Alive
09/16 Review @ Lynchburg Reads
09/17 Review @ Reading Is My SuperpPower
09/18 Review @ Cassidys Bookshelves
09/20 Review @ Splashes of Joy
09/21 Showcase @ Books, Ramblings, and Tea
09/22 Showcase @ Im All About Books
09/23 Review @ Jersey Girl Book Reviews
09/25 Review @ Paws. Read. Repeat
09/26 Review @ tea. and. titles bookstagram
09/26 Showcase @ Silvers Reviews
09/27 Review @ Inkwell Inspirations
09/28 Review @ Wall-to-wall Books
09/28 Showcase @ 411 ON BOOKS, AUTHORS, AND PUBLISHING NEWS
09/29 Review @ read_betweenthecovers
09/30 Review @ Brooke Blogs
10/01 Guest post @ The Mystery of Writing
10/02 Review @ Debjanis Thoughts
10/02 Review @ Guatemala Paula Loves to Read
10/03 Interview @ I Read What You Write
10/04 Review @ Book World Reviews
10/04 Review @ Sharon Beyond The Books
10/05 Review @ mokwip8991
10/05 Review @ The Page Ladies
10/06 Review & Podcast @ Books to the Ceiling
10/06 Review @ A Room Without Books is Empty
10/06 Review @ Celticladys Reviews
10/07 Review @ Books Blog
10/07 Review @ Melissa As Blog


Elena Taylor/Elena Hartwell

All We Buried, available now in print, e-book, and audio.

Silver Falchion Award Finalist, Best Investigator 2020

Foreword INDIE Award Finalist, Best Mystery 2020

 

 

The Foundation of Plot, a Wait, Wait, Don’t Query (Yet!) guidebook.

Header image by Pexels on Pixabay

Elena Hartwell

Author and developmental editor.

This Post Has 3 Comments

  1. Wendy B

    Great guest post! Thanks so much!

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