Christian Suspense Fans: Use Authors’ Websites and Never Miss a New Title

For people who enjoy a good heart-pounding tale but prefer an alternative to some of the more grisly offerings from secular publishers, the current Christian publishing scene has a lot to offer. The Inspirational fiction market is huge, and more titles in more genres seem to crowd Christian bookstores’ shelves than ever before. Over the last few years, there has been a definite increase in both the quantity and quality of Christian Suspense titles that publishers have been offering. Still, with such a flood of thrilling titles, how can you be sure you don’t miss anything from your favorite Christian Suspense author? One of the best ways is to keep an eye on your favorite author’s website. In addition to keeping you informed about his or her latest work, these sites often provide readers with insights into the author’s work and a chance to interact with other fans. To get you started, visit one of the websites recommended below.

Ted Dekker
Dekker is one of the true rising stars of the Christian Suspense genre. His latest work, House (with co-author Frank Peretti), is enjoying great success in the Christian market. Dekker’s website is easy to navigate and well-designed. You can find information about Dekker’s novels in the Works section. The site also features Dekker’s personal blog, message boards, and a news and events section. The site offers a newsletter for fans who are interested in subscribing.

Frank Peretti
Frank Peretti remains a huge name in Christian Suspense nearly 20 years after This Present Darkness, his novel of spiritual warfare, burst upon the Christian Suspense scene in 1988. Peretti’s name virtually guarantees bestseller status. Unfortunately, while his website is quite visually appealing, it leaves a lot to be desired. Information about Peretti’s books is centralized in the site’s store, which is nice for people who wish to purchase a book, but requires a lot more pointing and clicking than a simple bibliography page would have. The blog appears to be updated only infrequently. The site does host a fairly active fan forum under the title of “The Meeting Room.” The site offers email updates to interested visitors.

Jerry Jenkins
Jerry B. Jenkins is the co-author of the Left Behind series, a franchise that has sold well over 65 million copies to date. While Jenkins writes Christian Suspense novels, he works in a number of other genres as well. His website is very clean and easy to navigate. Unfortunately, it offers little in the way of excitement for visitors. Information on his works is easy to locate and clearly labeled. The site does not offer any interactive features for fans. I guess if you’ve sold as many books as Jenkins has, you don’t have to worry about generating buzz.

Terri Blackstock.com
Before Blackstock became a household name in the Christian fiction market place, she was a secular novelist. If she was worried about her transition to religious fiction, she was was wasting her time. Her fast-paced novels have been consistent bestsellers. Blackstock’s website is elegant and appealing, but it does require the Flash plug-in for the full functionality. Information on her books is easy to access, but the site is disappointing in its lack of interactive features. There is a section labeled “Share,” but rather than being a community for fans, it was merely a form to email a recommendation to visit the site to your friends. One very nice feature of the site is the presence of writing tips and resources for any budding authors that happen to visit. Blackstock’s site offers an email newsletter, a feature that should be required before an author can even get a domain name.

Using the web is a great way to keep up with your favorite authors releases. I’ve reviewed websites for a few authors that I feel are exemplary. If your favorite Christian Suspense author’s website wasn’t listed, try a simple Google search for his or her name. You will want to be cautious that you are looking at the author’s official website. Information that you gather from anything less is not necessarily reliable.