• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • Bio
  • Bookshelf
    • Audio
    • The Rockland Chronicles
      • The Vintage Wren
      • The Aggie Series
      • The Hartfield Mysteries
      • Sight Unseen Series
        • Sight Unseen Series Archives
      • The Agency Files
      • Christmas Fiction
    • Legacy of the Vines
    • Meddlin’ Madeline
      • Madeline Blog Archive
    • Ballads from the Hearth
      • Ballads from the Hearth Blog Archive
    • Legends of the Vengeance
    • Journey of Dreams
    • Wynnewood
    • Webster’s Bakery
    • The Not-So-Fairy Tales
    • Heart of Warwickshire
  • Start HERE
    • Characters
    • Suggested Reading Order
    • Free Books
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • Podcast
    • Advertising
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • Bonus
  • Speaking
  • New & Coming
Chautona Havig

Chautona Havig

Using story to connect YOU to the Master Storyteller

Do You Have a Smoke Screen Killing Your Confidence?

by Chautona Havig · Leave a Comment

If you're ready for an exciting, engaging, and action-packed novel, Terri Blackstock's Smoke Screen is a great read. Just be ready not to put it down! via @chautonahavig

“I can’t do it.”

Across the room, my Uncle Lon looked up over his glasses and interjected himself into the conversation. “Can’t usually means won’t try.”

The words burned in my twelve-year-old heart because, well, I knew he was right.  I didn’t want to try. Again.

Fail. Again.

After struggling through one of my math workbooks, I’d determined I had no aptitude for arithmetic and should just throw in the towel. Mom’s words weren’t much more helpful. “Since you have to do it, you might as well convince yourself you can.”

“Doesn’t work that way, Mom.”

She eyed me. “It worked when you convinced yourself that you can’t after years of doing it without any trouble.”

Yeah, she kind of had a point.  No, I didn’t like it.  Oh, and yeah.  She was right.

It happens a lot, you know?  Something kicks us while we’re already down, and we get it in our heads that we can’t get up again or something. We can’t push the kicking foot away. It’s ridiculous, but we do it.  We allow circumstances to create a “smoke screen” of doubt that clouds our vision and makes it difficult to know which way to turn and go.

I saw that in a book I read recently. Smoke Screen by Terri Blackstock shows exactly what I’m talking about.

smoke screen

Note: Links may be affiliate links that provide me with a small commission at no extra expense to you.

Do You Have a Smoke Screen Killing Your Confidence?

It’s been at least ten years since I’ve read anything by Terri Blackstock. The last time I didn’t read anything by an author for a decade, when I got a new book by her, I didn’t like it, so I went into this book with a bit of fear and trepidation.

I shouldn’t have worried about reading Smoke Screen. Terri Blackstock is still at the top of her writing game.  She created sympathetic characters who do stupid, stupid things that make you want to shake them, and in the end, you cheer past their weaknesses and exult in their joys and victories.

Blackstock tackles sensitive issues like divorce, custody, alcohol abuse, family drama, and false accusations head-on and with an authenticity that resonates from every page.

I needed to read this book quickly, and usually, I can.  However, this book doesn’t allow you to rush past important passages and exciting moments.  Instead, it holds you in its grip and turns the pages for you, making sure you’ve absorbed every nuance left on the page.

There are many.

Look, I won’t pretend that I didn’t call just about every twist and turn in the book.  I doubt it was my brilliance as a deductive reader.  It’s more like Blackstock’s brilliance in writing.

See, she chose to write the story that needed to be told, and while some of the elements were obvious, how she told them wasn’t.  Instead, she unfolded the story with perfect precision.  Not once did it drag. And, even better, not once did I feel rushed through any element.

Hey, I didn’t even care that it was told in first person.  That’s sayin’ something!

Recommended for lovers of suspense and mystery, as well as those who are fascinated by firefighters.

Smoke Screen 

About the Book

Smoke ScreenBook: Smoke Screen

Author: Terri Blackstock

Genre:  Christian Suspense

Release Date: November 5, 2019

One father was murdered, and another convicted of his death. All because their children fell in love.

Nate Beckett has spent his life fighting wildfires instead of the lies and rumors that drove him from his Colorado home town. His mother begs him to come to Carlisle now that his father has been released from prison, but it isn’t until he’s sidelined by an injury that he’s forced to return and face his past. But that means facing Brenna too.

Fourteen years ago, Nate was in love with the preacher’s daughter. When Pastor Strickland discovered Brenna had defied him to sneak out with Nate, the fight between Strickland and Nate’s drunken dad was loud—and very public. Strickland was found murdered later that night, and everyone accused Roy Beckett. When the church burned down, people assumed it was Nate getting even for his father’s conviction. He let the rumors fly and left Carlisle without looking back.

Now, Brenna is stunned to learn that the man convicted of murdering her father has been pardoned. The events of that night set her life on a bad course, and she’s dealing with a brutal custody battle with her ex and his new wife where he’s using lies and his family’s money to sway the judge. She’s barely hanging on, and she’s turned to alcohol to cope. Shame and fear consume her.

As they deal with the present—including new information about that fateful night and a wildfire that’s threatening their town—their past keeps igniting. Nate is the steady force Brenna has so desperately needed. But she’ll have to learn to trust him again first.

Share
Pin
Tweet
Email
Share
Pin
Tweet
Email

Related

Filed Under: Book Reviews

Previous Post: « Do I Have Strong Opinions on Men’s Ministries?
Next Post: My Dearest Dietrich: Is It My Favorite Book of the Year? »

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You have to agree to the comment policy.

Or, you can subscribe without commenting.

Primary Sidebar

The Because Fiction Podcast

The Because Fiction Podcast
The Because Fiction Podcast
Taking the pulse of Christian fiction

Podcast Subscription Menu

  • Visit Website
  • RSS Feed
Episode 43: A Chat with Allison Pearl
by Chautona Havig

Great Things Happen When You Mix Danger and Donuts

Suspense is a personal favorite genre, so when I heard about Allison Pearl’s series, I knew I wanted to read them and chat with her about them.  I only made it about a quarter of the way into the book before the interview, but that’s mostly because I spent way too much time deliberating over whether I should finish the book, Sprinkled with Sabotage, or set it aside and go read the first two.  

That’s actually a difficult thing about books in a series that stand alone.  You can read them out of order, so the dilemma begins–kind of like whether to read The Narnia series in order of publication or in chronological order.

Nah, everyone knows you need to read in order of publication.  Hmm… maybe that solves my question on Allison Pearl’s books, too.  Hmmm…

From the fun way she named the protagonists to our discussing the idea of a high-speed chase through the West Virginia mountains (I bet she could get those folks up to forty miles-per-hour! Trust me, if you’ve ever driven some of those roads, you’ll know that IS high speed in that area!), we talked about just about everything.  Faith in fiction, what got Allison writing suspense in the first place, locales for books, and… of course, what is coming next!

The Love and Danger in St. Claire series by Allison Pearl is full of danger, tension, and sprinkled with romance for the heart-throbbers among us.

Sprinkled with Sabotage

Synopsis: Lizzy Bennet loves life as a lawyer in the city. And not just because of the miles it puts between her and her ex. However, when she’s attacked on the street just hours after learning her identity was stolen, she tries to call home for help and ends up with the last person she expects: the very same high school boyfriend who broke her heart.

He says he’s there to help, but she’s not so sure, and now, all the endless questions and regrets are clouding her judgment and preventing her from seeing the dangerous saboteur closing in. Small-town auto mechanic, Koby Knightly, is looking forward to seeing a car show in the city. But when an unexpected call from his old girlfriend disconnects suddenly, he rushes to her aid. Throwing his plans out the window, Koby makes it his mission to protect her and discover the identity of the person trying to frame her.

Will he also be able to figure out what went wrong between them back in high school or will a killer get to her first?

Available in print, on Kindle, and also through Kindle Unlimited.  Or, read the first books in the series:

  • Glazed Suspicion
  • Dunked in Trouble

You can learn more about Allison Pearl, her upcoming books, and more on her website.

Find out what else her publisher, Anaiah Press has to offer HERE.

Episode 43: A Chat with Allison Pearl
Episode 43: A Chat with Allison Pearl
January 19, 2021
Chautona Havig
Episode 42: A Chat with J'nell Ciesielski
January 13, 2021
Chautona Havig
Episode 41: A Chat with Jennifer Pierce
January 5, 2021
Chautona Havig
Episode 40: My Favorite Book of 2020
December 8, 2020
Chautona Havig
Episode 39: A Chat with L.K. Simonds
December 1, 2020
Chautona Havig
Episode 38: Dan Smith & Saving Ebenezer
November 24, 2020
Chautona Havig
Episode 37: A Chat with Sara Beth Williams
November 17, 2020
Chautona Havig
Episode 36: A Chat with Jennifer Beckstrand
November 10, 2020
Chautona Havig
Episode 35: What Is This NaNoWriMo Thing All About?
November 3, 2020
Chautona Havig
Episode 34: 5 Cheap & Easy Ways to Feed a Book Habit
October 27, 2020
Chautona Havig
Search Results placeholder

Love Audio Books?

audio book ad

Book 1 Now Available on Preorder!

independence islands series

Join My Birthday Club!

Featured Books

Not a Word

Not a Word
Buy This Book Online
Buy from Amazon Kindle
Buy from Amazon
Buy from Barnes and Noble
Buy from Book Depository
Not a Word
Buy now!

Out of the Blue Bouquet Collection

Out of the Blue Bouquet Collection
Buy This Book Online
Buy from Amazon
Out of the Blue Bouquet Collection
Buy now!

Upcoming Posts

  • The Best Marriage Advice We Got Accidentally (January 26, 2021)

Or just subscribe to the newsletter

Recent Blog Posts

  • Great Things Happen When You Mix Danger and Donuts
  • My First “Top Book” of 2021 Begins HERE!
  • When Your Creativity Fails, Kill a Beloved Character:

Footer

What Am I Working On?

Ghosted at the Altar
Ghosted at the Altar
Phase:Writing
100%
The Bells of New Cheltenham
The Bells of New Cheltenham
Phase:Writing
100%
Get Book Updates

Featured

Oh, Gracious!

Oh, Gracious!

Disclosure:

Disclosure: Links on this website may or may not be affiliate links and as such, I may receive compensation from the retailer indicated for linking to their product. This money keeps me in Coke and chocolate and enables me to write more. It also helps me pay for the many Amazon Gift Cards I give away each month.

Note: I DO NOT link to products that I do not recommend.

Privacy & Cookies. This website uses cookies (not the delicious kinds that make life grand) to do stuff it needs to do. By staying on the site, you agree to this evil substitution of yummy cookies for internet calorie-free substitutes. For more info, click here and read the boring stuff. Cookie Policy
Reposted from @kathleendenly WOW! My publisher has Reposted from @kathleendenly WOW! My publisher has put Waltz in the Wilderness on sale for just $0.99! It's only for a few days, though, so grab your copy now!

https://kathleendenly.com/books/

#ChristFic #bookdeal #onsalenow
Reposted from @karitrumbo Black Hills Song is now Reposted from @karitrumbo Black Hills Song is now available in audio!! 

The amazing J Scott Bennett provided his fantastic voice.

#audio #audiobookstagram #audiobook #sweetromance #sd #rapidcity #victorian #linkinbio
This week's free book... None So Blind! What would This week's free book... None So Blind!
What would you do if you woke up in a strange house, next to a strange man, and didn't know who you were or how you got there?
 Affiliate link is in my bio.

#ChristianFiction
#freekindle
#kindleunlimited
#indieauthor
#authorsofinstagram
This week's free book... None So Blind! What would This week's free book... None So Blind!
What would you do if you woke up in a strange house, next to a strange man, and didn't know who you were or how you got there?
 Affiliate link is in my bio.

#ChristianFiction
#freekindle
#kindleunlimited
#indieauthor
#authorsofinstagram
This week's free book... None So Blind! What would This week's free book... None So Blind!
What would you do if you woke up in a strange house, next to a strange man, and didn't know who you were or how you got there?
 Affiliate link is in my bio.

#ChristianFiction
#freekindle
#kindleunlimited
#indieauthor
#authorsofinstagram
Just two days before Bookers on the Rocks releases Just two days before Bookers on the Rocks releases!  I'm so excited about this book. It's probably one of the best I've written.  There's just something about a man who will step out of his comfort zone and edge his wife out of hers to do what's best for their marriage--so inspiring to write.
It's available for preorder for TWO DOLLARS off the retail price.  https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08GFLZGG6?
Leave a comment if you'd like me to message you a direct link!  Happy to do it. :)
#newrelease
#independenceislands
#christianfiction
#christfic
#audiobook
#kindleunlimited
#preorder
This week's free book... None So Blind! What would This week's free book... None So Blind!
What would you do if you woke up in a strange house, next to a strange man, and didn't know who you were or how you got there?
 Affiliate link is in my bio.

#ChristianFiction
#freekindle
#kindleunlimited
#indieauthor
#authorsofinstagram
  • Home
  • Bookshelf
  • New & Coming
  • Blog
  • News!
  • Disclosure & Policies
  • Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2021 · Chautona Havig · All Rights Reserved · Coding by Gretchen Louise

Don't go before you grab your FREE short story collection!