Blog Book Tour | feat. #LoveINSPIRED Suspense novelist Sherri Shackelford’s “No Safe Place”

Posted Tuesday, 8 January, 2019 by jorielov , , , 4 Comments

Book Review badge created by Jorie in Canva using Unsplash.com photography (Creative Commons Zero).

Acquired Book By: I started hosting with Prism Book Tours at the end of [2017], having noticed the badge on Tressa’s blog (Wishful Endings) whilst I was visiting as we would partake in the same blog tours and/or book blogosphere memes. I had to put the memes on hold for several months (until I started to resume them (with Top Ten Tuesday) in January 2018). When I enquried about hosting for Prism, I found I liked the niche of authors and stories they were featuring regularly. I am unsure how many books I’ll review for them as most are offered digitally rather than in print but this happily marks one of the blog tours where I could receive a print book for review purposes. Oft-times you’ll find Prism Book Tours alighting on my blog through the series of guest features and spotlights with notes I’ll be hosting on behalf of their authors.

I received a complimentary copy of “No Safe Place” direct from the author Sherri Shackelford in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.

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Why Jorie loves INSPY Romantic Suspense & #LoveInspired:

Last year, in July I had a delightful time participating in my first readathon which not only ENCOURAGED you to read more INSPY novels but it was a bit of a competition as well. It was a lovely concept created by Singing Librarian Books and you can read a bit about why I loved joining the readaathon whilst I also posted a small recap of my adventures. This was building on the fact earlier in [2018] I had encouraged my Mum to start reading the Love Inspired Suspense novels as she needed some down-time from her 12 hour shifts. The stories were portable and just long enough to give her a wicked good read but without the worry of not being able to finish them. In July, you see, it was my turn to sink my teeth into the imprint’s offerings and I started to quickly find #mustread authors! Readathons are brilliant for that – their this concentrated period of time to read select stories of interest to the reader & they give you hours of #bookJOY afterwards!!

We have a shared passion for INSPY stories – short or long in length as we used to belong to the subscription service *Heartsong Presents*. Eventually we’d love to join the subscription service for these lovely novels as the beauty of reading them is having a high octane Suspense driven plot with realistic characters, back-stories & a jarring sense of Contemporary life – all caught inside the folds of an Inspirational (ie. Christian) vein of thought.

I read a wide variety of INSPY Lit, but my favourites are the ones which gently are layered with arcs of faith and the character’s spirituality as I love reading the stories where their faith is shown through their example, life’s choices and the personal growth they undertake through their character’s journey. I had a delightful time in July reading my first batch of #LoveINSPIRED Suspense novels and it is a joy for me to participate on a blog tour which celebrates this wicked sweet line of books my Mum & I love devouring!

It is a true pleasure to be on this blog tour – discovering a #newtomeauthor for this imprint but also, to have the chance to read a Contemporary Suspense whilst reminding myself I need to put more of these in my readerly path this year! Even without the readathon to encourage me forward – which gave me the chance to win some books along the way, I just love reading these kinds of stories! Sharing my love of this imprint & the stories they publish is a wonderful way to ring in the New Year!

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Blog Book Tour | feat. #LoveINSPIRED Suspense novelist Sherri Shackelford’s “No Safe Place”No Safe Place
Subtitle: Love Inspired Suspense : January 2019
by Sherri Shackelford
Source: Author via Prism Book Tours

He lives by the law.

She’s running for her life.

After forensic accountant Beth Greenwood uncovers a money-laundering scheme tying her company to the organization that murdered her mentor, she knows she needs to go into hiding. With ruthless killers in pursuit, she’s forced to rely on homeland security agent Corbin Ross’s protection—even as his investigation suggests Beth is complicit in embezzlement. Can their uneasy alliance develop into something deeper—and keep them alive?

Genres: Contemporary (Modern) Fiction (post 1945), Contemporary Romance, Crime Fiction, Inspirational Fiction & Non-Fiction, INSPY Realistic Fiction, Suspense



Places to find the book:

Borrow from a Public Library

Add to LibraryThing

ISBN: 9781335231888

Published by Love INSPIRED

on 31st December, 2018

Format: Mass Market Paperback

Pages: 218

Published by: Love Inspired (@LoveInspiredBks)
an imprint of Harlequin Books (@HarlequinBooks), a subsidiary of HarperCollins

Formats Available: Paperback* and Ebook

This looks like the first release by Shackelford after the Love Inspired: Historical line was discontinued. I was quite upset they disbanded the imprint’s line as they were amongst the stories I loved reading most. It is my hope the Suspense line can carry-on for quite a long while into the future as I share this love of the stories with my Mum.

Converse via: #Contemporary #INSPY, #LoveINSPIRED #Suspense

#RomSusp and #ChrisFic

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About Sherri Shackelford

Sherri Shackelford

A former naval reservist with a top-secret security clearance, Sherri writes rapid-fire suspense featuring captivating characters and heart-pounding romance. She's authored more than a dozen novels for Harper Collins publishing, including both Historical and Contemporary Suspense.

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a quick note about the size of print:

I have grown used to reading Love Inspired Suspense novels in Large or Larger Print fonts which is why when I realised this was a regular print edition, I wasn’t sure how well I would do with the smallness of the typography. It took me a bit to get into the context of the story as I allowed my eyes to adjust to the smaller print but what really slowed me down was the recovery from my Winter virus. I am just reading at a slower pace right now and as this novel arrived to me within two days of my tour stop, I knew I would just have to remain patient with the progress I was making at my current speed of reading.

A note to readers who are not familiar with the print size(s) of Harlequin novels – it is quite a quirky habit of theirs to offer different levelled out stages of print. Regular, Large, Larger and Super are regularly offered – the Supers are larger editions all the way round. I tend to read the two print sizes between Regular and Super; as their regular print is squished down from a regularly published novel by another publisher. Though in retrospect, their regular print is similar if not the same as most mass market paperbacks.

my review of no safe place:

In my experience, this particular imprint is notorious for grabbing you by the throat straight-off the first page and never quite letting you feel released til you conclude the story! No Safe Place accomplishes this by what it declares in its very first sentence as it points the urgency of her plight and the dangerous line she’s walking in order to survive; if she can survive more likely! I could also relate to the character rather immediately – especially about fathers, retirements and strokes. Blessedly, mine had survived his stroke but evenso, I felt the lingering emotional stress coming through Beth due to how Shackelford was painting the scene.

We immediately are centred in on Beth’s job as a forensic accountant – the kind of job that I would believe for most could place their lives in danger due to the shocking corporate secrets they uncover as they trace what is going on with the company’s books. Beth’s situation is straddling knowing what she found out banked against the reaction she was quite certain she knew would lead to an outcome she wasn’t willing to accept. To complicate things, Corbin was sending her confusing messages as she knew he couldn’t possibly be serious about wanting to get to know her on a personal level. Even my own red flags were waving seeing how he was trying overly hard to win her over for a meet-up outside the office. Although, in truth, I wasn’t sure if this was nefarious – it seemed like he wanted to talk to her outside the office for a specific reason.

Just breathe. Remember to breathe. A personal mantra when I reach that heart-clutch moment in one of these lovelies! There is a singular moment where you know the scene is about to take an about-face from a seemingly ordinary moment of life and turn it it into a bit of a nightmaric emergency! Shackelford doesn’t disappoint – she even found a way to soften the arrival of the scene, cluing into how logical Beth was thinking and how prepared she ought to have been for this kind of a crisis due to her Dad’s career in law enforcement. Of course, your hairs are already standing on end noting the details she doesn’t want to overly empathize but you know their cluing you into what is approaching,.. just as you turn the page,…

Corbin has the difficult role of being dedicated to his job as an enforcer and a protector of justice, but what he lacked was the empathy of believing that sometimes the innocents in life are just as hard to identify as the guilty. He was hardened due to his experiences in his prior career (in the military) and due to his personal losses within his family. He didn’t want to lose the edge he had which made him good at his job but at the same time, he also was missing the ability to see the fear that was still a viable reason for someone to distrust someone else. His world was cut and dry, black and white – there was no grey area for him. Thus, when it came to understanding Beth when their lives were thrust together, he was stepping outside a comfort zone he did not wish to leave behind.

I, personally love when writers place us on trains! There is the ambiance of course of the train itself but there is also the ‘closed door’ issue when it comes to mysteries. You have a limited flight of exit and entry, a semi-controlled environment and a main route of direction. The interesting bit is how each writer chooses to take us on a ‘different kind of train ride’ each time a train is used in lieu of bus, plane, ferry, car or other forms of transit to leave a scene with haste. The curious bit is how Shackelford didn’t let Beth’s attempt to flee feel stilted, awkward or amateur. This was a well-thought out sequence of events – where Beth not only attempted to hide her profile for identification purposes but she also thought quick on her feet when she needed to take a different train. There are elements of observation knitted into the background of the story – from both Beth and Corbin’s perspectives, lending more realism to the overall plotting but also a purposeful intention of keeping this story on the edge of today’s world.

I really loved the moxie Beth had within her to deal with the insanity of what happens when your trying to run for your life! You have to be bold and you have to act in the height of your fears; she digs deep, leans hard on her faith and pulls off the impossible. You’d think some of this newfound bravery would rub off well on Corbin, eh? Only he’s perplexed about the case, questioning her motives (on everything, apparently!) and he can’t stop long enough to process the facts from the fiction.

The taunt action sequences are well timed and paced. They pull you immediately into the scenes as their afflicting more stress onto Beth and Corbin. Each of them has a fierce will to survive but when your against an unknown assailant there is a measure of uncertainty about the outcome(s). I really loved how Beth found clever ways to catch Corbin off-guard – her sheer will to prove herself was something to champion! She was the kind of gutsy girl who believed in herself strong enough to will herself into surviving the odds.

on the inspy suspense styling of sherri shackelford:

Ms Shackelford has a knack for Contemporary drama – she alights you inside her scenes with a certain kind of polish and flair for understanding the ready details you need to see in a scene to know its the modern era. Small nuanced details that place you giving you the pleasure of tucking closer to her lead character and seeing this world through her eyes without having to worry about the timescape or the setting. I even loved how she talked about the tattoos of one of Beth’s co-workers as it shows how observant she is on modern body art practices but also, individuality and the pursuits of artistic expression. I love finding Contemporary authors who are in-tune with this modern era and who can write realistic impressions of the people any of us could meet on the street.

Shackelford peppers her narrative with self-mantras by Beth, wherein we get a bit of an insight into which parables of fortitude and verses of inspiration fortify her against her fears, self-doubts and moments of insecurity. I truly like her instincts for the pulse and tension of a thrilling suspense – as this one bolted you to the pages! The high adrenaline rush of the first chapters which root you into the reasons why Beth is afeared for her life were some of the best I’ve read in a Love Inspired Suspense novel.

I loved her instincts for social inclusions and cultural references that readers will instantly recognise in appreciation. She hugs this close to our known sphere about Cyber security (think CSI: Cyber) and modern practices in law enforcement. There are subtle gestures of relevancy also inclusive to the background where her characters are walking us through their world. Little things that make you smile or make you go ‘hmm’ as their clues to the growing picture of what is evolving into Beth’s life. Corbin was pulled into it through official channels but Beth was a victim of her career.

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Reading ‘No Safe Place’ has encouraged me to pick up more #LoveINSPIRED Suspense this January to continue celebrating #ContemporaryJanuary. I find them dearly #unputdownable, daringly realistic & writ with so much heart that you honestly just want to go on a proper binge! I wish there were more of these lovelies by Ms Shackelford already available to be read! I definitely am going to keep her on my radar & I can’t wait to read more of her Thrillers/Suspense novels!

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I have been listening to Spotify instrumental stations as I move back into reading – I wasn’t able to begin my #NewYearReads until this past weekend, due to the Winter virus I’m recovering from but one thing that helps me feel anchoured into a story is background music. Sometimes I like to pick out stations that befit the genre & other times, I just like the music to be an ‘afterthought’ of sorts, to where my mind hears the music but I’m fully engrossed into the story at hand. For this story in particular I took a break from listening to instrumental selections & listened instead to Christian Contemporary artists.

Artists such as the following: Laura Daigle, TobyMac, King & Country, Rend Collective, Sanctus Real, Hillsong Worship and other artists who were featured on rotation. I am especially impressed with Avril Lavigne’s new “Head Above Water”.

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Do you love reading INSPY Lit? Contemporary

Are you a regular reader of #LoveINSPIRED Suspense novels? If so, which authors & series (or one-offs) do you love the most? I’m always on the look-out for new stories!

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This blog tour is courtesy of: Prism Book Tours

No Safe Place blog tour via Prism Book ToursYou might want to follow the rest of the tour, as like most of the tours I host for Prism, there are bookaways and/or giveaways attached to the tours. Although, I do not host the giveaways myself – you can tuck close to the tour’s route and see what you can discover by clicking the banner – finding the rest of the bloggers participating & ENJOY some #randomJOY!

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I’ll be sharing my review via #Contemporaryjanuary: a readathon for those of us who love reading contemporary narratives!

and this also counted for:

Beat the Backlist banner created by Austine at A Novel Knight and is used with permission.

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{SOURCES: Cover art of “No Safe Place”, the synopsis, the author photo of Sherri Shackelford and her biography as well as the blog tour banner for this tour were all provided by Prism Book Tours and used with permission. Post dividers by Fun Stuff for Your Blog via Pure Imagination. Tweets embedded by codes provided by Twitter. Blog graphics created by Jorie via Canva: Book Review Banner using Unsplash.com (Creative Commons Zero) Photography by Frank McKenna and the Comment Box Banner.}

Copyright © Jorie Loves A Story, 2019.

I am a social reader | I tweet my reading life:

Reading this book contributed to these challenges:

About jorielov

I am self-educated through local libraries and alternative education opportunities. I am a writer by trade and I cured a ten-year writer’s block by the discovery of Nanowrimo in November 2008. The event changed my life by re-establishing my muse and solidifying my path. Five years later whilst exploring the bookish blogosphere I decided to become a book blogger. I am a champion of wordsmiths who evoke a visceral experience in narrative. I write comprehensive book showcases electing to get into the heart of my reading observations. I dance through genres seeking literary enlightenment and enchantment. Starting in Autumn 2013 I became a blog book tour hostess featuring books and authors. I joined The Classics Club in January 2014 to seek out appreciators of the timeless works of literature whose breadth of scope and voice resonate with us all.

"I write my heart out and own my writing after it has spilt out of the pen." - self quote (Jorie of Jorie Loves A Story)

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Posted Tuesday, 8 January, 2019 by jorielov in 21st Century, Bits & Bobbles of Jorie, Blog Tour Host, Contemporary Romance, Crime Fiction, Debut Author, Debut Novel, Indie Author, Inspirational Fiction & Non-Fiction, INSPY Realistic Fiction | Non-Fiction, Modern Day, Prism Book Tours, Romance Fiction, Suspense




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4 responses to “Blog Book Tour | feat. #LoveINSPIRED Suspense novelist Sherri Shackelford’s “No Safe Place”

  1. Confession: Before reading this post, I had no idea what you meant by INSPY. Thank you for linking to the 70 authors challenge to help me understand!! It never occurred to me there could be so much range in genre for inspirational fiction. I haven’t picked up many books which would fall under the genre (supergenre?) of Inspy. I’m excited to follow along on your journey and see which books pique my interest!

    I don’t particularly enjoy suspense novels, myself. I get so anxious! They tend to leave me feeling uncomfortable and often give me nightmares, or at least leave me restless throughout the night. I’m glad that you found so much to love about No Safe Place.

    It’s a shame Love INSPIRED canceled your favorite line! But it sounds like after the positive experience here you’re looking forward to following Suspense more. What are your favorite books from the historical fiction line? I’d love to dig into them some more.

    • Hallo, Hallo Jackie!!

      I apologise for my rather late response – between personal adversities this year and a re-surgence of my chronic migraines, I wasn’t feeling especially chatty throughout the past six months. Thankfully with the start of Summer, I am finding a bit more inspired and have started to resume my visitations in the blogosphere as much as I want to re-engage with my dear readers and visitors. Thereby, although this reply was delayed, I was truly thankful finding such a hearty comment left on behalf of this review! I was keenly happy I could help you discover what #INSPY stands for and how encompassing this branch of literature truly is – as June dissolves into July, you’ll see me exploring more INSPY as the readathon I loved from last Summer is coming back!! Plus, I recently started a new showcase of reviews called #INSPYSundays as I wanted a way to highlight these authors and narratives; not just the ones for review but the ones I’m reading outside that scope. You’ll find a hearty collection of reviews appearing under that featured tag here on Jorie Loves A Story – a mixture of Suspense, Historical, Contemporary, etc. Each week will be different depending on my readerly moods! Laughs.

      Wells, Inspirational Fiction isn’t strictly a genre/super-genre – its the main distinction between ‘mainstream/secular’ fiction and religious/faith-based stories – however, that is open to interpretation inasmuch as it encompasses a wide range of beliefs and religious backgrounds. When I first developed my list of #mustreads for the *70 Authors* I was strictly going by the stories on the blogger’s blog – however, I do regularly seek out all INSPY narratives even if they are not strictly from a traditional POV for Christianity. In fact, the first review (shared the link in this comment) for my #INSPYSundays was focusing on the Jewish oppression and tragic deaths from WWII in Warsaw. Its a dearly gutting and emotional reading. Not all my selections will be that heavy-hearted to read as that one proved I’m at the final edge of how much longer I can read about WWII as I’ve read my fill already.

      Wow, really!? I felt bad reading that you have trouble with novels of Suspense – I’ve been reading Mysteries since I was seven or eight, and I’ve gradually moved into more intense story-lines. However, if you were to pick up a novel from Love Inspired Suspense (most US libraries stock them, either as part of their card catalogue and/or on the free stacks where you can borrow any number of paperbacks but you tell the librarians the number you’ve taken? They don’t have due dates for those kinds of borrows; you can also inter-library loan them) you might happily find yourself surprised to be hugged into the story! They are slightly intense in that there is a level of suspense happening but all the endings have conflict resolution and personally they are now my favourites to read because I trust the authors penning them; they know just how much to include and how much to hold back, yet they give me a thrilling read all the same!!

      Ooh dear… the historicals.. give me a bit of time, I’ll put together a list of authors I’ve enjoyed and send it over to you. I need to dig into which authors published under the line and which ones you could still get a copy of today.

      So thankful you’ve left me such wonderful comments! I appreciate your visit and the time you took to chatter with me about topics we both enjoy conversing over… I hope your blogging and reading year have gone well! I know your appreciating your trip into Valdemar, but I meant outside of the RAL itself, I hope you’ve found some true keepers of the genres you’ve been reading!

    • Hallo, Hallo Tracy!

      Thanks for dropping by — please drop back after you’ve read this one, as I’d love to hear your takeaways! I am always hugged so close to these stories, the authors know *exactly!* how to give me such a thrilling read w/o making me feel I can’t handle the plot!! They take me to the edge and give me such a lovely ending, I feel they know precisely why I love seeking out Suspense and Thriller novels!!

      Do you have a favourite #LoveINSPRIED Suspense author!?

      I’ve previously have enjoyed my readings of Lenora Worth & Laura Scott.
      I’m enjoying the journey of discovering all the different voices and styles.

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