Downfall -- A Unique and Unexpected Mystery

The Author of the second book in the CORNERED collection, Lynn H Blackburn joins us today.

Lynn H. Blackburn loves writing romantic suspense because her childhood fantasy was to become a spy, but her grown-up reality is that she’s a huge chicken and would have been caught on her first mission. She prefers to live vicariously through her characters and loves putting them into all kinds of terrifying situations while she’s sitting at home safe and sound in her pajamas!

Unknown Threat, the first book in her Defend and Protect series, was a 2021 Christy Award finalist, and her previous titles have won the Carol Award, the Selah Award, and the Faith, Hope, and Love Reader’s Choice Award.

She is a frequent conference speaker and has taught writers all over the country. Lynn lives in South Carolina with her true love and their three children.

What inspired you to write Downfall?

The hero and heroine of Downfall, Donovan Bledsoe and Cassie Quinn - introduced themselves to me in the pages of Never Fall Again, the first book in the Gossamer Falls series. I loved Cassie’s relationship with her cousins, and I knew she had a story that would be worth telling.

How do you develop your characters, and are any of them inspired by real people?

I take an organic approach to developing characters. I start with the basics—age, occupation, basic appearance—and then I start writing. I get to know them the same way I would get to know a person. It starts slow with the basics, maybe a few hints about their deeper desires and dreams, and wait for them to tell me who they are. It’s a scary approach, but it’s the only way I can do it.

What was the most challenging part of writing this book, and how did you overcome it?

The most challenging part was meeting my word count! The original version was too long, and I had to cut a lot of words! In fact, I sent it to my editor with a note that I’d cut all I could, and she’d need to help me see where it could be tightened up.

Do you have a favorite scene or moment in the book? If so, why is it significant to you?

Oooh…I love the scene where her family comes into “enemy territory” to help Cassie. It’s the kind of thing that we all hope our family would do - to come to our rescue no matter what, and I love seeing the Quinns rally around Cassie.

What do you hope readers take away from your book?

Mostly, I hope they enjoy the experience and that, for a few hours, they’re able to dive into a place where things go wrong, but eventually, they work out. My stories are always a hint of the future we have in Christ, where all the wrong things will be made right. Real life is hard, and we all need the hope of a beautiful future. My hope is that readers get a taste of that. 

Now for the page-turning story:

In Downfall by Lynn H. Blackburn, disillusioned chef Cassie Quinn is picking up the pieces in her hometown of Gossamer Falls. When an opportunity to fill in as chef at an exclusive mountain resort comes her way, she can’t refuse. But when someone in the cutthroat kitchen staff takes things too far, Cassie will need the help of Detective Donovan Bledsoe to find out who is behind the threats if she’s ever going to find true peace—or true love.

Here is my review:

I LOVED this book! That’s it. Need I say more? Okay. Maybe. I absolutely loved Downfall too. This collection is awesome! Donovan and Cassie were so cute. And the mystery was easy to follow and once again kept me guessing who the culprit was. The sweet second-chance romance literally brought tears to my eyes. Donovan and Cassie are PERFECT together! Lynn H. Blackburn did an amazing job with this one. I will certainly be reading more books by her. This is a MUST READ!

Downfall is available for preorder in the CORNERED collection. Coming November 19.