Strange Sands Suspense

A Christian Inspirational Series

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Novellas 1-3

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Inspirational suspense. Supernatural destiny. Lowcountry ambiance.

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Mercedes Annalee Ellison plans to escape the legacy of her family. Rumors are that their unusual experiences fueled the imaginations of horror writers in England in the 1800s. Whether those rumors are true, it is a well-documented fact that every generation in the Ellison family encounters things that defy a satisfying explanation.

 Mercedes chooses what she sees as a boring career as an independent architectural historian on her home turf in the Lowcountry of South Carolina. She expects to spend most of her days researching archives of old documents and filling out mind-numbing paperwork to send through miles of red tape. She dates a young man with what she thinks is a dull future as an attorney. There should be no room in her life for the strange sands that slip relentlessly through the hourglass of time in her family.

But the stunning discovery of a journal and a deed in a hidden panel of an old cedar chest forces Mercedes to face an archenemy with a vendetta against the Ellisons from over a hundred and twenty years earlier. And her job plunges her into tales of passion, cold case crimes, unsolved mysteries, and a hunt for long-lost treasure.

The vendetta has come full circle. As a born-again Christian, Mercedes knows in her head that she lives in a spiritual realm. Now, she must decide in her heart whether she will accept her destiny as both a believer and an Ellison when forced to confront the supernatural in a deadly showdown.

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See the exciting new book trailer on YouTube!

Click the photo to hear about my inspiration for this series on YouTube!

Available at your favorite online bookstores or by contacting the author.

The Old Cedar Chest

Strange Sands Suspense 1

 Hilton Head

An antique cedar hope chest.

 A hidden panel.

 A century-spanning vendetta.

Mercedes Annalee Ellison held her Great-Great Grand Aunt's fragile journal and a tattered manila envelope, puzzling about whether these items would change her life. Her intuition screamed that they would, and the way they had come into her possession would make any skeptic pause. She wanted to bolt, to flee what loomed ahead.

Distractions were not welcome in her life right now. She was an architectural historian with three great jobs lined up for the summer—and a problem with her boyfriend.

When she finds herself entangled in a diabolical vendetta against her family over disputed land in England, Mercedes desperately searches for answers about why she is a target for something that happened back in the year 1900. A man murdered her ancestor, Claire Ellison, one night in an eerie storm, and only a miracle will save Mercedes from the same fate. Can she survive and accept her destiny as part of the legendary Ellison family?

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The Hidden Hallway

Strange Sands Suspense 2

Savannah

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An antebellum house.

A hidden hallway.

A tale of passion and revenge.

As an architectural historian, Mercedes Ellison is hired by the Popplewell couple to guide them as they register and rennovate an antebellum house in the beautiful Southern city of Savannah, Georgia. But she knows this is not the boring job she hoped for when she arrives to find the local police there on the first day. As Mercedes investigates the history of the property and neighbors seek her out with a strange Civil War Era tale of passion and revenge, she works to uncover a terrifying darkness and help the Popplewell couple make the house into the inn where they hope to share light - before the Popplewells give up and she loses the job.

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The Freedom Staircase

Strange Sands Suspense 3

Charleston

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An enduring Lowcountry plantation.

A legendary patriot refuge.

A last stand for freedom.

It thrilled Mercedes Ellison to be chosen to work as an architectural historian for Majestic Oaks, a plantation that endured and survived wars on American soil. The stately Georgian mansion features the Freedom Staircase, where legendary patriots stopped for refuge in their roles with the Continental Army in the American Revolution. Her client needs help to keep the plantation he inherited, which is steeped in the history of the Lowcountry of South Carolina, home of the Swamp Fox and four signers of the Declaration of Independence.

There are also some unsolved mysteries on the property. Bringing them to light will help her client, and she finds clues in a secret passage used by the patriots. But then her archenemy dies in jail and his son hunts her down. Can she make a last stand for freedom from the vengeful vendetta that began with the murder of her ancestor on a stormy night in England?

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Now Available! The Strange Sands Novella Collection 1-3
eBook and
Hardcover!

"Inspired Artistry - Embracing the Creative Calling"

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is the first devotional released by Southern Sky Publishing

Creativity is a unique, joyful outreach for Christians!

This insightful devotional is unlike any you've read before! Within these pages, readers explore how the imprint of our Creator makes it natural for Christians to embrace their unique gifts. Through Scripture, true stories, prayer, and study questions, readers will explore how every person born has a meaningful gift to share, contributing joy and beauty in the world. Inspired believers live higher than the corrupting influences that distort Christ's intent for our personal Inspired Artistry.

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The pages of Inspired Artistry contain delightful illustrations and pages for readers to write their own "Inspired Musings." To journal and color, buy the print edition!

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