Catch Us if You CAN: Spring Scavenger Hunt! STOP # 18

 Here are the CAN Hunt’s official guidelines:

WELCOME to the Catch Us if You CAN: Spring Scavenger Hunt! We hope you enjoy meeting Christian Author Network members as you chase down clues for the chance to win our grand prize: $200 in gift cards from CBD, Barnes & Noble, or Amazon, plus 29 free books, one from each participating CAN author!

2^nd & 3^rd Prizes: $50 Amazon, B&N, or CBD gift certificate!

Catch us on this hunt beginning at Noon on Friday, 03/21/14 and ending at Midnight on Thursday, 03/27/14. No need to hurry as you search for clues—you have almost an entire week! If you need help at any time during the hunt, check in here at the CAN Resource Page. 

Enjoy 29 stops, each featuring a different CAN author!

Gather the clues from each post, beginning at STOP # 1 and ending at STOP #29. Follow the directions and fill out the Rafflecopter form. Be ready to provide the complete clue in sentence form, gathered from all 29 stops, within 2 days of email notification, or another winner will be randomly drawn. There is no need to email/submit the clue unless you are notified by 03/29/14.

Sorry, due to international regulations and postage costs, prizes will be awarded to US Residents only. Individual contests within the hunt may vary, so please read rules presented with each giveaway.

Welcome, Hunters! I'm pleased to introduce Linda J. White at this stop. I was blessed to meet Linda at the American Christian Fictions Writers conference a few years ago and immediately enjoyed her sense of humor and friendship. Last year I read her FBI thriller, Seeds of Evidence, and—oh my goodness!—what a storyteller. Great romance, great setting, and an intriguing and gripping plot. On April 1, her new thriller, Words of Conviction, releases, featuring an FBI psycholinguist. Don’t you love that concept? You can visit Linda at her website, on Facebook page,  on Twitter, or on Pinterest. 

Linda, I love the unique premises of your FBI thrillers—tracing genetic codes of seeds in Seeds of Evidence, and now a psycholinguist in Words of Conviction. Where did these great ideas come from?

Janet Grant, my agent, initially told me about a show she’d seen on plant DNA and criminal investigations. That intrigued me, and I researched the subject with horticulturalists and forensic botanists. Eventually, a story grew! Regarding Words of Conviction, one of my best friends was the FBI’s only forensic psycholinguist until she retired. Her ability to detect deception and analyze language fascinated me. It still does! She is a tremendous resource.

Tell us a bit about your research with the FBI Academy.

My husband worked at the Academy making training videos for over 27 years. (My kids and I acted in some of them!) When I got my first idea for an FBI thriller, Larry took me over to the Academy and began introducing me to people. (That was before 9/11, when access was easier.) The agents were so kind—they shared their expertise (nothing secret!), allowed me to observe training classes, and taught me everything from probable cause to prosecutions. I was so impressed with them! From the beginning, I have tried to make the law enforcement techniques in my novels as authentic as possible to honor their work.

I saw on your blog that you had a personal tour of the Library of Congress! What were your favorite things?

That tour was serendipity that came as a result of a contact with two readers at a book signing! Three things really impressed me: One, the high level of education and training of copyright examiners (which these two ladies are). Both have advanced degrees and spent a year learning to discern the validity of copyright applications. Second, the art in the main Library building is simply stunning. Murals, sculptures, marble figures, tile inlays—the beauty of the building reflects a high level of appreciation for words and learning and creativity.  Third, God is at work even in those exalted halls: After meeting me at a book signing, one of the ladies felt God nudging her through a theme in “Seeds of Evidence.” The next week, on the last workday, the very last book copyright she was given to review was … “Seeds of Evidence.” The chances of that are infinitesimally small, unless of course you have a God who is involved in the tiniest details of your life!

Thank you, Linda, and thank you, Readers/Hunters. Ready to continue?

Before you go, write down this STOP # 18 clue: readers

WAIT! Check out these giveaways! 

My debut novel, A Distant Melody is available as a FREE e-book on Kindle and at ChristianBook.com! 


Also, I'm giving away a copy of either my latest novel, On Distant Shores, or my upcoming novel, In Perfect Time, when it comes out in August - winner's choice! Leave a comment about the most interesting job you've had - or that you've heard of (any psycholinguists among us?). Giveaway ends at midnight March 27, 2014, and the winner will be announced here on this blog on March 28 - and the winner will be notified by email. US and Canada only please! Enter here via Rafflecopter:
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