Bøger af Brandilyn Collins

Torn from the front lines of medical debate and the author's own experience with Lyme Disease, Over the Edge is riveting fiction, full of twists and turns-and powerful truths about today's medical field.Janessa McNeil's husband, Dr. Brock McNeil, a researcher and professor at Stanford University's Department of Medicine, specializes in tick-borne diseases-especially Lyme. For years he has insisted that Chronic Lyme Disease doesn't exist. Even as patients across the country are getting sicker, the committee Brock chairs is about to announce its latest findings-which will further seal the door shut for Lyme treatment. One embittered man sets out to prove Dr. McNeil wrong by giving him a close-up view of the very disease he denies. The man infects Janessa with Lyme, then states his demand: convince her husband to publicly reverse his stand on Lyme-or their young daughter will be next.But Janessa's marriage is already rocky. She's so sick she can hardly move or think. And her husband denies she has Lyme at all.Welcome to the Lyme wars, Janessa.

When you live a lie for so long, it becomes a part of you. Like clothing first rough and scratchy, it eventually wears down, thins out. Sinks into your skin.Thirty-four-year-old Delanie Miller has fled her dark past and is now settled into a quiet life in small-town Kentucky. She has friends, a faux "family" who lives in her house, and a loving boyfriend who may soon ask her to marry him. Her aching dream of a husband and future children are about to come true. But protecting this life of promise means keeping a low profile and guarding the truth of her past-from everyone. The town's peace is shattered when Delanie's friend, Clara, is murdered, and Delanie finds her body. The police chief quickly zeroes in on Billy King, a simple-minded young man whom Delanie knows would never hurt Clara. Delanie can hunt down evidence and speak out publicly against the chief-only at great risk of her own exposure. But after suffering such injustice in own her past, how can she keep silent now? Delanie must find a way to uncover Clara's murderer yet save the life she's created for herself-the deceit-ridden life that will forever distance her from others and God. With page-turning intensity, Sidetracked hurtles between Delanie's trauma in Redbud and the chaos of her past. Those experiences forced Delanie to reinvent her present-but at what cost to her future?

Bradleyville Series Book 1 "A course-changing event in one's life can happen in minutes. Or it can form slowly, a primitive webbing splaying into fingers of discontent, a minuscule trail hardening into the sinewed spine of resentment. So it was with the mill workers as the heat-soaked days of summer marched on..." City girl Jessie, orphaned at sixteen, struggles to adjust to life with her barely known aunt and uncle in the tiny town of Bradleyville, Kentucky. Eight years later (1968) she plans on leaving-to following in her revered mother's footsteps of serving the homeless. But the peaceful town she's come to love is about to be tragically shattered. Threats of a labor strike rumble through the streets, and Jessie's new love and her uncle are swept into the maelstrom. Caught between the pacifist teachings of her mother and these two men, Jessie desperately tries to deny that Bradleyville is rolling toward violence and destruction.

Amaryllis, Mississippi is a scrappy little town of strong backbone and southern hospitality. A brick-paved Main Street, a park, and a legendary ghost in the local cemetery are all part of its heritage. Everybody knows everybody in Amaryllis, and gossip wafts on the breeze. Its people are friendly, its families tight. On the surface Amaryllis seems much like the bright and lovely flower for which it's named. But the Amaryllis flower is poisonous. In the past three years five unsolved murders have occurred within the town. All the victims were women, and all were killed in similar fashion in their own homes. And just two nights ago-a sixth murder. Clearly a killer lives among the good citizens of Amaryllis. And now three terrified women are sure they know who he is-someone they love. None is aware of the others' suspicions. And each must make the heartrending choice to bring the killer down. But each woman suspects a different man.

They were stuck on this remote island, all of them.Trapped in this show.No way to stop whatever came next.No way at all.Six people arrive on a remote island--contestants in the "reality show of the century," Dream Prize. The winner will be the person who learns the most facts about the others and gains the most viewer votes. Sounds simple. But the three men and three women soon discover nothing is as expected. They are alone on the island. Cameras surround them, filming twenty-four hours a day. And their challenge? Discover which of the Seven Deadly Sins each contestant, including themselves, represents.Turns out each person has a damning secret--one that could ruin his or her life. Those secrets are about to be revealed on live television.And this is only the beginning of the twists in the game.Multilayered in plot and rich with meaning, Vain Empires is a strong choice for book clubs. Discussion questions included.

Dearing Family Series Book 2The wedding for Ben Dearing and Christina Day is planned to be picture perfect, and the boisterous family has gathered for the big event. What could possibly go wrong?Christina's estranged mother, that's what. The alcoholic, abusive mother who wasn't invited. Two days before the ceremony Edna Day crashes the bridal shower and insists she's staying in town for the ceremony. What's Christina to do? After her abusive childhood, standing up to her parent calls for strength she's not sure she possesses. Besides, if she tells her mother to leave, the woman could get madder than she already is-not to mention drunk-and shame the Dearing family in front of the whole town. Edna wastes no time making enemies. Highly opinionated Jess Dearing is set on running her out of Justus. Ben wants her gone, too. Even Lady Penelope, the Dearings' uppity Yorkie, will have nothing to do with her. Meanwhile Mama Ruth is trying to keep the peace. And feed everybody. Blending pathos and humor, Pitchin' a Fit portrays the constantly shifting emotions between an abusive parent and grown child. How does a Christian forgive someone who doesn't seem repentant? What is the balance between forgiveness and maintaining healthy emotional boundaries? God is there to guide everyone through this mess of a weekend. But certain people may have plans of their own.

Meet the Dearings, a crazy, loving, boisterous family in small-town Mississippi. There's mom and dad, three daughters and their families, and the youngest-twenty-five-year-old Ben. Oh, and the family dog, a Yorkie who thinks she's royalty."This one's perfect," Ben says about his new fiancée, Christina, when he brings her home for a family reunion. Ben is just sure everyone will love Christina, and she'll fit right in.He always did tend to wear rose-colored glasses.Christina loves Ben but secretly fears their relationship will never work. They've only known each other ten weeks. She hasn't told him about her horrific past as an only child-the beatings, the neglect, and verbal abuse. Christina doesn't know how to trust or be honest about her feelings. Being thrust into the middle of a tight-knit family like the Dearings is sure to send her over the edge.With poignancy and humor, That Dog Won't Hunt explores the complexities of relationships and the inner strength needed to overcome a difficult childhood. The Dearings are no perfect family, but they know how to love-if only Christina will accept it.

Bradleyville Series Book 2"As a chalk-fingered child, I had worn my craving for Mama's love on my sleeve. But as I grew, that craving became cloaked in excuses and denial until slowly it sank beneath my skin to lie unheeded but vital, like the sinews of my framework. By the time I was a teenager, I thought the gap between Mama and me could not be wider. And than Danny came along ..." A splendidly colored sidewalk. Six-year-old Celia presented the gift to her mother with pride-and received only anger in return. Why couldn't Mama love her? Years later, when once-in-a-lifetime love found Celia, her mother opposed it. The crushing losses that followed drove Celia, guilt-ridden and grieving, from her Bradleyville home. Now thirty-five, she must return to nurse her father after a stroke. But the deepest need for healing lies in the rift between mother and daughter. God can perform such a miracle. But first Celia and Mama must let go of the past-before it destroys them both.

Bradleyville Series Book 3"One thing I have learned. The bonfires of change start with the merest spark. Sometimes we see that flicker. Sometimes we blink in surprise at the flame only after it has marched hot legs upward to fully ignite. Either way, flicker or flame, we'd better do some serious praying. When God's on the move in our lives, He tends to burn up things we'd just as soon keep."After her mama's death, sixteen-year-old Jackie Delham is left to run the household for her daddy and two younger siblings. When Katherine King breezes into town and tries to steal her daddy's heart, Jackie know she must put a stop to it. Katherine can't be trusted. Besides, one romance in the family is enough, and Jackie is about to fall headlong into her own. As love whirls through both generations, the Delhams are buffeted by hope, elation, and loss. Jackie is devastated to learn of old secrets in her parents' relationship. Will those past mistakes cost Jackie her own love? And how will her family ever survive if Katherine jilts her daddy and leaves them in mourning once more?

Book #2 in the Chelsea Adams Series. Chelsea Adams has visions. But they have no place in a courtroom. As a juror for a murder trial, Chelsea must rely only on the evidence. And this circumstantial evidence is strong-Darren Welk killed his wife. Or did he?The trial is a nightmare for Chelsea. The other jurors belittle her Christian faith. As testimony unfolds, truth and secrets blur. Chelsea's visiting niece stumbles into peril surrounding the case, and Chelsea cannot protect her. God sends visions-frightening, vivid. But what do they mean? Even as Chelsea finds out, what can she do? She is helpless, and danger is closing in...Masterfully crafted, Dread Champion is a novel in which appearances can deceive and the unknown can transform the meaning of known facts. One man's guilt or innocence is just a single link in a chain of hidden evil...and God uses the unlikeliest of people to accomplish His purposes.

"If I'd had any idea what those words would mean to me, to my mother and daughter, I'd have fled California without looking back." While driving a rural road, Hannah Shire and her aging mother, who suffers from dementia, stop to help a man at the scene of a car accident. The man whispers mysterious words in Hannah's ear. Soon people want to kill Hannah and her mother for what they "know." Even law enforcement may be involved. The two women must flee for their lives. But how does Hannah hide her confused mother? Carol just wants to listen to her pop music, wear her favorite purple hat, and go home. And if they turn to Hannah's twenty-seven-year-old daughter, Emily, for help, will she fall into danger as well?Pressed on all sides, Hannah must keep all three generations of women in her family alive. Only then does she learn the threat is not just to her loved ones, but the entire country.

"Collins has written another taut, compelling tale of psychological suspense that weaves a twisty plot with threads of faith." --Library Journal, STARRED REVIEW"Collins keeps coming up with fascinating, unique plots ... Fantastic twists will keep readers guessing until the very end. --RT BookReviewsDesperate people make desperate choices.Twenty-nine-year-old Lisa Newberry can barely make it through the day. Suddenly widowed and a survivor of a near-fatal attack, she is wracked with grief and despair. Then she hears of a medical trial for a tiny brain chip that emits electrical pulses to heal severe depression. At rope's end, Lisa offers herself as a candidate.When she receives her letter of acceptance for the trial, Lisa is at first hopeful. But-brain surgery. Can she really go through with that? What if she receives only the placebo?What if something far worse goes wrong?Written in the relentless style for which Brandilyn Collins is known, Double Blind is a psychological thriller with mind-bending twists. Lisa faces choices that drive her to the brink, and one wrong move could cost the lives of many.

If you love reading and discussing fiction, this book is for you.Ever wonder why you respond to a novel in a certain way? You loved it. You hated it. Or somewhere in between. Maybe the story started slowly, then improved. Maybe it hooked you in the beginning, then lagged. Maybe the dialogue didn't sound true to life. Or the characters seemed flat. Or maybe all these aspects were wonderful. Why? What fiction techniques did the author use or fail to use?WHY Did I Love (Hate) That Novel? explores four techniques used in writing page-turning fiction. These concepts are fun and fascinating, and will open your eyes to how a novel is created. They're explained in an easy-to-understand way, with multiple examples. Once you've learned them, you'll enjoy reading all the more. And, if you're in a book club, you'll be better equipped to discuss your opinions.

Book #1 in the Chelsea Adams SeriesThe murder was ugly. The killer was sure no one saw him. Someone did.In a horrifying vision God allows her to see, Chelsea Adams relives the victim's last moments. But who will believe her? Certainly not the police, who must rely on hard evidence. Nor her husband, who barely tolerates Chelsea's newfound Christian faith. Besides, he's about to hire the man who Chelsea knows is the killer to be a vice president in his company.Torn between her certainty and the burden of proof, Chelsea must follow God's leading and trust him for protection. Meanwhile, the murderer is at liberty. And he's not about to take Chelsea's involvement lying down.

This daughter of a rock star has it all-until murder crashes her world. The exciting and suspenseful Rayne Tour series features sixteen-year-old Shaley O'Connor, on tour with her mother's popular band. Shaley lives in a whirlwind of backstage secrets, hotels, and limos. With beauty and fame of her own, Shaley wants for nothing ... except the one thing she can't have. During a concert, sixteen-year-old Shaley O'Connor stumbles upon the body of a friend backstage. Is Tom Hutchens' death connected to her? Frightening messages arrive. Paparazzi stalk Shaley. Her private nightmare is displayed for all to see. Where is God at a time like this? As the clock runs out, Shaley must find Tom's killer-before he strikes again.

The suspenseful and emotion-filled second book in the Rayne series begins where the first book ended...with a dying man whispering four stunning words into Shaley O'Connor's ear. Should she believe him? After two murders on the Rayne concert tour, Shaley is reeling. But she has no time to rest. If the dying man's claim is right, the danger is far from over. Shaley's quest for the truth leads to the mysterious and wrenching past of her mother and father. Could what happened to them so many years ago threaten Shaley's life now?

All words fell away. I pushed myself off the path, noticing for the first time the signs of earlier passagethe matted earth, broken twigs. And I knew. My mouth turned cottony. I licked my lips, took three halting steps. My maddening, visual brain churned out pictures of colorless faces on a cold slabDebbie Lille, victim number one; Wanda Deminger, number three . . . He'd been here. Dragged this one right where I now stumbled. I'd entered a crime scene, and I could not bear to see what lay at the end. . . . This is a story about evil. This is a story about God's power. A string of murders terrorizes citizens in the Redding, California, area. The serial killer is cunning, stealthy. Masked by day, unmasked by night. Forensic artist Annie Kingston discovers the sixth body practically in her own back yard. Is the location a taunt aimed at her? One by one, Annie must draw the unknown victims for identification. Dread mounts. Who will be taken next? Under a crushing oppression, Annie and other Christians are driven to pray for God's intervention as they've never prayed before. With page-turning intensity, Dead of Night dares to pry open the mind of evil. Twisted actions can wreak havoc on earth, but the source of wickedness lies beyond this world. Annie learns where the real battle takes placeand that a Christian's authority through prayer is the ultimate, unyielding weapon.

The noises, faint, fleeting, whispered into her consciousness like wraiths passing in the night. Twelve-year-old Erin Willit opened her eyes to darkness lit only by the dim green nightlight near her closet door and the faint glow of a street lamp through her front window. She felt her forehead wrinkle, the fingers of one hand curl as she tried to discern what had awakened her. Something was not right . . . Annie Kingston moves to Grove Landing for safety and quietand comes face to face with evil. When neighbor Lisa Willet is killed by an intruder in her home, Sheriff's detectives are left with little evidence. Lisa's daughter, Erin, saw the killer, but she's too traumatized to give a description. The detectives grow desperate. Because of her background in art, Annie is asked to question Erin and draw a composite. But Annie knows little about forensic art or the sensitive interview process. A nonbeliever, she finds herself begging God for help. What if her lack of experience leads Erin astray? The detectives could end up searching for a face that doesn't exist. Leaving the real killer free to stalk the neighborhood . . .

When your worst fear comes true.Someone is watching Kaycee Raye. But who will believe her? Everyone knows she's a little crazy. Kaycee's popular syndicated newspaper column pokes fun at her own paranoia and multiple fears. The police in her small town are well aware she makes money writing of her experiences. Worse yet, she has no proof of the threats. Pictures of a dead man mysteriously appear in her home-then vanish before police arrive. Multisensory images flood Kaycee's mind. Where is all this coming from?Maybe she is going over the edge. High action and psychological suspense collide in this story of terror, twists, and desperate faith. The startling questions surrounding Kaycee pile high. Her descent to answers may prove more than she can survive.

';Ever hear the dead knocking?' Novelist Darell Brooke lived for his title as King of Suspenseuntil an auto accident left him unable to concentrate. Two years later, reclusive and bitter, he wants one thing: to plot a new novel and regain his reputation. Kaitlan Sering, his twenty-two-year-old granddaughter, once lived for drugs. After she stole from Darell, he cut her off. Now she's rebuilding her life. But in Kaitlan's town two women have been murdered, and she is about to discover a third. She's even more shocked to realize the culprit is her boyfriend, Craig, the police chief's son. Desperate, Kaitlan flees to her estranged grandfather. For over forty years, Darell Brooke has lived suspense. Surely he'll devise a plan to trap the cunning Craig. But can Darell's muddled mind do it? Andif he trieswith what motivation? For Kaitlan's plight may be the stunning answer to the elusive plot he seeks . . .

In book four of the Kanner Lake Series, a Saturday morning celebration at Java Joint coffee shop for the "Scenes and Beans" bloggers turns into terror when three gunmen burst into the coffee shop, shoot one person, and hold the rest hostage. Their demand: the world's attention. The stakes: the lives of over a dozen Kanner Lake citizens.

Carla stared at the gun and David Thornbyor whatever his name was. Her mind fissured, one side pleading this was some sick joke, the other knowing it was not. Her throat ran dry, air backing up in her lungs. She swallowed. ';Please. You must have the wrong person. There's no reason for someone to want me dead. I don't have any enemies.' ';Then you'd best rethink your friends.' Realtor Carla Radling shows an ';English gentleman' a lakeside estateand finds herself facing a gun. Who has hired this assassin to kill her, and why? Forced on the run, Carla must uncover the scathing secrets of her past. Secrets that could destroy some very powerful people. Perhaps even change the face of a nation Crimson Eve is book three in the Kanner Lake Series. Set in a small lakeshore town in pristine northern Idaho, this series combines suspense and fast-paced action with intriguing, well-crafted characters and many an unexpected twist. Also available: Violet Dawn and Coral Moon in the Kanner Lake Series.

The figure remained still as stone. Leslie couldn't even detect a breath. Spider fingers teased the back of her neck. Leslie's feet rooted to the pavement. She dropped her gaze to the driveway, seeking what? Spatters of blood? Footprints? She saw nothing. Honed through her recent coverage of crime scene evidence, the testimony at last month's trial, the reporter in Leslie spewed warnings: Notice everything, touch nothing. Leslie Williams hurries out to her car on a typical workday morningand discovers a dead body inside. Why was the corpse left for her to find? And what is the meaning of the message pinned to its chest? In Coral Moon, the senseless murder of a beloved Kanner Lake citizen spirals the small Idaho town into a terrifying glimpse of spiritual forces beyond our world. What appears true seems impossible. Or is it?

A young woman with a mysterious past and a deep need to belong. An assassin with unusual methods and great professional pride. One woman's secrets unleash an entire town's pursuit, and the truth proves as elusive as the killer in their midst.

She was washing dishes when her world began to blur. Chelsea Adams hitched in a breath, her skin pebbling. She knew the dreaded sign all too well. God was pushing a vision into her consciousness. Black dots crowded her sight. She dropped a plate, heard it crack against the porcelain sink. Her fingers fumbled for the faucet. The hiss of water ceased. God, I don't want this. Please! After witnessing a shooting at a convenience store, forensic artist Annie Kingston must draw a composite of the suspect. But before she can begin, she hears that Chelsea Adams wants to meet with hernow. Chelsea Adamsthe woman who made national headlines with her visions of murder. And this vision is by far the most chilling. Chelsea and Annie soon find themselves snared in a terrifying battle against time, greed, and a deadly opponent. If they tell the police, will their story be believed? With the web of lies thickening, and lives ultimately at stake, who will know enough to stop the evil?

As I drew, the house felt eerie in its silence. . . . A strange sense stole over me, as though Bland and I were two actors on stage, our movements spotlighted, black emptiness between us. But that darkness grew smaller as the space between us shrank. I did not know if this sense was due to my immersion in Bland's face and mind and world, or to my fear of his threatening presence. Or both . . . The nerves between my shoulder blades began to tingle. Help me, God. Please. For twenty years, a killer has eluded capture for a brutal double murder. Now, forensic artist Annie Kingston has agreed to draw the updated face of Bill Bland for the popular television show American Fugitive. To do so, Annie must immerse herself in Bland's traits and personality. A single habitual expression could alter the way his face has aged. But as she descends into his criminal mind and world, someone is determined to stop her. At any cost. Annie's one hope is to complete the drawing and pray it leads authorities to Blandbefore Bland can get to her. Brandilyn Collins is the bestselling author of Brink of Death, Eyes of Elisha, and other novels. She and her family divide their time between the California Bay Area and Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. Visit her website at www.brandilyncollins.com.