Where do you turn when your past catches up to you?

Readers will be riveted by Blackstock’s edge-of-your-seat

thriller filled with twists, turns — and a lot of heart

  

It’s difficult enough sometimes to live with the consequences of your own decisions, but what do you do when the ripples caused by your choices begin to endanger the ones you love? In Twisted Innocence (Zondervan/February 3, 2015/     ISBN: 978-0310332367/$15.99) beloved suspense author Terri Blackstock weaves a gripping tale of murder, mistaken identity and human frailty.

In the final installment of the Moonlighters series, Blackstock features Holly Cramer, whom the author admits is her favorite character in the trilogy. The first two books of the series (Truth Stained Lies and Distortion) portray Holly as a party girl whose wild ways came to a crashing halt when she learned she was pregnant. Although tempted to end the pregnancy, Holly chose life — and all of the rocky emotions, financial burdens and practical challenges that came with single motherhood. Now, in Twisted Innocence, some of Holly’s past choices come back to haunt her. Because of her troubled past and Holly’s valiant efforts to change, Blackstock believes readers will identify with Holly.

In Twisted Innocence, Holly begins to try to pick up the pieces of her life and create a more stable environment for her newborn daughter Lily. Everything changes, though, when police show up at her front door, asking about the whereabouts of Creed Kershaw, her baby’s father. Holly has kept his identity a secret from friends and family — she never even told him about his child.

Determined to keep Creed out of their lives and turn him over to police, Holly uses her private-investigating skills to search for him. However, her bravado backfires when he turns the tables and takes her and the baby hostage. As desperate hours tick by, Creed’s gentleness with Lily moves her, and she’s tempted to believe his claims of innocence — but how can she trust a man who has her held at gunpoint?

In the midst of these harrowing circumstances, Holly struggles with her own personal demons; will she ever be able to turn her life around and find peace? “There is nothing we’ve done that can’t be wiped clean by Christ,” Blackstock reminds us. “There’s nothing heavier than the weight of sin in our lives. It’s crushing. What a luxury to know the burden of it can be lifted off our shoulders if we repent and give it to God.”

Dangers old and new threaten Holly and her baby in Twisted Innocence, even as lives are demanded as sacrifices for love. Through a complex web of mistakes and regret, redemption is the one hope Holly has left to hold on to.

Blackstock isn’t afraid to tell stories about the messy turns our lives sometimes take. “I want this book to reach anyone who’s ever made bad choices and feels like God is disgusted with them,” she reveals. “I want them to come away with the realization that God knows what challenges they’ve had throughout their lives and understands what got them to this point. He doesn’t want to dwell on their sins. He wants to wipe their slates clean, because He has big plans for them. It’s never too late to start over.”

Advance Praise

“The exciting and heart-pounding conclusion to Blackstock’s Moonlighters trilogy is quite a thrill ride. The intrigue and danger come to a dramatic culmination as the villain gets backed into a corner.”

            ~ RT Book Reviews 4-star review

Praise for the Moonlighters Series:

“Her characters are flawed, faltering in their faith and ultimately human. They’re the kind of people you wish you had as friends.”

            ~ CBA Retailers + Resources

“Blackstock … hits her stride with the opener of the Moonlighters series. … Blackstock has six million books in print, and her writing is not too heavy handed… A story rich with texture and suspense.”

            ~ Publisher’s Weekly review of Truth Stained Lies

“Crisp prose, an engaging story and brisk pacing make this thriller another home run for Blackstock.”

            ~ Library Journal review of Truth Stained Lies

About the Author

Terri Blackstock is a New York Times best-selling author of titles such as Intervention, Vicious Cycle and Downfall. In her 25-year career as a novelist, she has sold six million copies worldwide. She is the winner of three Carol Awards, a Christian Retailers Choice Award and a Romantic Times Book Reviews Career Achievement Award, among others.

In 1994, Blackstock was writing secular romance novels under two pseudonyms when a spiritual awakening prompted her to switch gears. Her newly awakened faith wove its way into the tapestry of her popular suspense novels, offering hope instead of despair. Her goal is to entertain with page-turning plots, while challenging her readers to think and grow. She hopes to remind them they’re not alone, and their trials have a purpose. She has told her personal testimony on a number of national television programs, including “The 700 Club” and “Home Life,” as well as numerous radio programs across the country.

Blackstock has been married to her husband, Ken, for 23 years.

To keep up with Terri Blackstock, visit www.terriblackstock.com, become a fan on Facebook (tblackstock) or follow her on Twitter (@TerriBlackstock).