Latest Books Facing the Enemy with DiAnn Mills

The Big Thrill Sits Down to Discuss FACING THE ENEMY with DiAnn Mills

For the past five years, FBI Special Agent Risa Jacobs has worked in the violent crimes against children division of the Houston FBI. She’s never had reason to believe there’s a target on her back . . . until now.

When the long-awaited reunion between Risa and her brother, Trenton, ends in tragedy, Risa is riddled with guilt, unable to cope with the responsibility she feels over his death. On leave from the FBI, Risa returns to her former career as an English teacher at a local college, only to see her past and present collide when one of her students, Carson Mercury, turns in an assignment that reads like an eyewitness account of her brother’s murder, with details never revealed publicly.

Alarmed by Carson’s inside knowledge of Trenton’s death, Risa reaches out to her former partner at the FBI. Special Agent Gage Patterson has been working a string of baby kidnappings, but he agrees to help look into Carson’s background. Risa and Gage soon discover their cases might be connected as a string of high-value thefts have occurred at properties where security systems were installed by Carson’s stepfather and children have gone missing. There’s a far more sinister plot at play than they ever imagined, and innocent lives are in danger.

DiAnn Mills

Award winning author DiAnn Mills recently spent time with The Big Thrill discussing her latest romantic suspense, FACING THE ENEMY.

A novel is such a major undertaking; there’s the writing of it, of course, then you’re spending months and months revising, polishing, and then promoting it. How did you know this was the book you wanted to spend the next couple of years on?

The characters and the plot. The topic of forgiveness for the person who hit the heroine’s brother stayed with me too. Who had hit the heroine’s brother when she was the intended target. Why?

Can you pinpoint a moment or incident that sparked the idea for this book?

I had already determined my next book would be about a female FBI agent who lost her brother. But I didn’t know my son would be killed in a pedestrian accident. The son was adopted, and both instances including my love for suspense wove into the story.

When you first created your protagonist for this book, did you see an empty space in crime lit that you wanted to fill? What can you share about the inspiration for that character?

Yes, I wanted to show a character who was consumed by guilt when she escaped death and resolved to find out the killer no matter what it took.

Were there any particular books, movies, or songs that were knocking around in your head while you were writing this one?

The BBC series titled Vera and Father Brown.

In addition to a great read, what do you hope readers will take away from this story?

The horror of unsolved murders.
Forgiveness is always about the one doing the forgiving.
The spiritual aspect of the power of love.

What can you share about what you’re working on next?

A standalone novel about a private negotiator who is caught up in a murder and suicide that she can’t walk away from.

DiAnn Mills is a bestselling author who believes her readers should expect an adventure. She weaves memorable characters with unpredictable plots to create action-packed, suspense-filled novels. DiAnn believes every breath of life is someone’s story, so why not capture those moments and create a thrilling adventure?

Her titles have appeared on the CBA and ECPA bestseller lists; won two Christy Awards, Golden Scroll, Inspirational Readers’ Choice, and Carol award contests. DiAnn is a founding board member of the American Christian Fiction Writers, an active member of the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers, Advanced Writers and Speakers Association, Mystery Writers of America, the Jerry Jenkins Writers Guild, and International Thriller Writers. DiAnn continues her passion of helping other writers be successful. She speaks to various groups and teaches writing workshops around the country.

DiAnn has been termed a coffee snob and roasts her own coffee beans. She’s an avid reader, loves to cook, and believes her grandchildren are the smartest kids in the universe. She and her husband live in sunny Houston, Texas.

DiAnn is very active online and would love to connect with readers on: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Goodreads, BookBub, YouTube, LinkedIn or her website: diannmills.com.

FACING THE ENEMY with DiAnn Mills