About the Book

Book: Forgotten Secret: A Psychological Suspense Thriller

Author: S.F. Baumgartner

Genre: Christian Suspense, Thriller

Release date: January 8, 2024

For two decades, forty-four-year-old magazine writer Clara Khoury has lived with missing pieces of herself—her memory. When the recent discovery of a young woman’s remains triggers her, she’s compelled to investigate. Now, her disturbing past threatens her contented present, someone frames her husband, and their daughter is abducted. If she can’t uncover the truth, she might lose everyone she loves.

Locked within Clara’s shattered mind are the keys to crimes past and present. Can she recover the  forgotten secret before losing her family?

Click here to get your copy!

 

About the Author

S.F. Baumgartner is a Christian suspense thriller author. She graduated from the University of Hawaii and the University of Cincinnati. When not writing, she enjoys spending time with her cats, staying active, and binge-watching crime TV shows. She lives in Ohio with her family 

More from S.F.

Why I Wrote “Forgotten Secret”: The Continuation of a Thrilling Journey

Writing a sequel can be a daunting task, especially after a book like “Living Secrets” leaves readers hanging on the edge of their seats. But when your mind is brimming with ideas and the story just won’t let you go, you have to give in and write the next chapter. That’s precisely what happened with “Forgotten Secret,” the second book in the Mirror Estate series.

After penning “Buried Secrets” and “Living Secrets,” I found myself immersed in a world of untold stories and unresolved mysteries. “Living Secrets” ended with what some called a cliffhanger – a term I might softly contest – but undoubtedly, it set the stage for a compelling follow-up. I knew I had to deliver on that tease, and the journey to “Forgotten Secret” began.

The seed for this story was planted in a bonus scene of the prequel, hinting at a character’s disappearance. I had a rough outline: a disappearance, an aunt’s involvement, and a human trafficking angle. However, the real story was still elusive, waiting for that spark of inspiration to ignite it.

And then, as fate would have it, I stumbled upon something about amnesia. Suddenly, the plot began to take shape, transforming these disjointed ideas into a coherent, thrilling narrative. This serendipitous moment was a reminder of how stories can evolve from the most unexpected sources.

Writing “Forgotten Secret” was an adventure in itself. Scenarios would pop into my mind unbidden, each vying for a place in the story. Some made the cut, while others were set aside, perhaps to be revisited in future works. The suspense thriller genre doesn’t traditionally lend itself to “fun” in the conventional sense – it’s all about tension, suspense, and that edge-of-your-seat feeling. But that’s exactly the kind of excitement I wanted to capture in this book.

I’ve always been intrigued by the unpredictability of the thriller genre. As an author, you’re constantly walking a tightrope between revealing too much and not enough, all while maintaining that relentless pace that keeps readers turning pages. It’s a challenge, but one that I find incredibly rewarding.

In “Forgotten Secret,” I’ve tried to create a roller-coaster of emotions and plot twists. I want readers to experience that heady mix of anticipation, shock, and satisfaction as they journey through the book. My hope is that they find themselves fully immersed in the story, living through each revelation and cliffhanger as intensely as I did while writing them.

Thank you for joining me on this thrilling ride. I hope “Forgotten Secret” keeps you guessing, leaves you breathless, and, above all, lives up to the secrets it promises to unveil.

MY REVIEW 

What an exciting suspenseful and  plenty of plot twists this story offers. I wasn’t quite sure who to trust as Clara tries to regain her memory. Being shot and losing your memory for years puts Clara in a quest to find out the truth.  Her husband is a renowned neurosurgeon who has been by her side since the day she came to the hospital critically injured. 

I followed the story closely and began to try to figure out who was involved with the plot to kill Clara.  Buried in the story is an evil human trafficking scheme that becomes center stage. The tragedy of this topic is that it is very difficult to stop. We lose many children and young  people to this evil scheme every day. 

The story takes on criminals with sinister plots  in their minds. There are several characters in the book who I didn’t suspect were involved in anything but slowly the evidence starts stacking up against them. I like Clara’s husband and how he has protected her all these years. 

The author delivers a story that  not only keeps readers guessing but shows how sometimes we don’t really know people like we think we do. The author seems to bring the puzzle together and draw the story to an end, however we read the  final page and find ourselves with a cliff hanger. I’m excited to read the next in this suspense filled series. 

I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit. The review is my own opinion.

Blog Stops

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, May 15

Texas Book-aholic, May 16

Stories By Gina, May 17 (Author Interview)

Mary Hake, May 17

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, May 18

Locks, Hooks and Books, May 19

Betti Mace, May 20

Lily’s Corner, May 21

Tell Tale Book Reviews, May 22 (Author Interview)

Blogging With Carol, May 23

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, May 24

For Him and My Family, May 25

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, May 26 (Author Interview)

The Lofty Pages, May 26

An Author’s Take, May 27

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, May 28

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, S.F. is giving away the grand prize package of a $50 Amazon gift card and an eBook copy of the book!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://promosimple.com/ps/2b7cb/forgotten-secret-celebration-tour-giveaway