Carrie Stuart Parks and Free Books!

Gwen Marcey takes death in stride—until she’s faced with her own mortality.

Before we revisit with today's featured author, I want to announce that the winner of the signed copy of Guide Me Home, by Kim Vogel Sawyer, is:

kimberlyj503@...

Congratulations! I'll email you for your snail-mail address, and we'll get your book right out to you.

I encourage readers to keep commenting and/or subscribe at right (above my list of books) in order to participate in future book give-aways! Subscribers are entered a second time when they comment.

And now let's meet novelist Carrie Stuart Parks, author of the mystery/thriller/suspense novel, When Death Draws Near (HarperCollins Christian/Thomas Nelson, August 2016).

Carrie Stuart Parks is a multiple Christy finalist as well as a Carol and Inspy award-winning author. 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, award-winning watercolors from her studio in the mountains of Idaho.

Mentored by New York Times best-selling author, Frank Peretti, Carrie began writing fiction while battling stage II breast cancer. Now in remission, she continues to encourage other women struggling through the effects of cancer.

You have a truly compelling bio, Carrie! Please tell us three random things we might not know about you.

—Breeder, owner, handler of Champion show Great Pyrenees dogs. AKC judge.

—Married to a former Visual Information Specialist for the FBI in Washington, D.C.

—I live on the same ranch in the mountains of Idaho where I grew up.

Please tell us a bit more about the plot of When Death Draws Near.

Forensic artist Gwen Marcey is between jobs when she accepts temporary work in Pikeville, Kentucky—a small town facing big-city crime. But before Gwen can finish her first drawing of the serial rapist who is on the loose, the latest witness vanishes. Just like all the others.

Gwen suspects a connection between the rapist and the “accidental” deaths that are happening around town, but the local sheriff has little interest in her theories. When her digitally-obsessed teenage daughter joins her, Gwen turns her attention to a second assignment: going undercover in a serpent-handling church. She could get a handsome reward for uncovering illegal activity—a reward she desperately needs, as it seems her breast cancer has returned.

But snakes aren’t the only ones ready to kill. Can Gwen uncover the truth—and convince anyone to believe her—before she becomes a victim herself?

In a thrilling race against time, When Death Draws Near plunges us into cold-case murders, shady politics, and a den of venomous suspects.

What is it about Gwen that will make your readers care about her?

Gwen Marcey is a flawed, but likable character struggling with many of the same issues everyone must deal with—finding a steady paycheck, disease, divorce, raising a teen—as well as facing danger in her career.

If you were the casting director for the film version of your novel, who would play your lead role?

I’d love Sandra Bullock to be Gwen.




Speaking of which, what novel would you like to see brought to film?

Frank Peretti’s Illusion . (After a car wreck tragically claims the life of his wife and magic partner, Mandy, Dane Collins finds himself in a quaint coffee shop transfixed by a magician whose illusions even he, a seasoned professional, cannot explain. Even more mysterious is the performer herself. Nineteen-year-old Mandy has never met him, doesn’t know him, is certainly not in love with him, but is in every respect identical to the young beauty he met and married some forty years earlier. They begin a furtive relationship as mentor and protégée, but as Dane tries to figure out who Mandy really is, and she to understand why she is mysteriously drawn to him, she is being watched by those who not only possess all the answers but who also have the power to decide her fate.)

What is the last novel you read that you would recommend?

I loved Twilight at Blueberry Barrens . Colleen Coble knows how to make you love her characters.

What are you working on now?

My next book, Portrait of Vengeance.

Where else can readers find you online?

www.carrie@stuartparks.com
Facebook: Carrie Stuart Parks, Author










Finally, what question would you like to ask my readers?

Where would you like to see Gwen go next? And what would you like to see happen?

Thanks, Carrie, for telling us about your novel. Readers, Carrie has offered to give a signed copy of her book to the winner of our drawing on Monday, August 29. To enter, leave a comment below in answer to Carrie's question, above. "Please enter me" won't get you entered. The drawing is done by email, so leave your email address, like so: trish[at]trishperry[dot]com. 

Also, I'd love it if you'd connect with me on Facebook. Just click on my name at the right of today's post.

Annoying legal disclaimer: drawings void where prohibited; open only to U.S. residents; the odds of winning depend upon the number of participants. See full disclaimer, as well as my Disclosure of Material Connection HERE.