About the Book

Book: Fatal Past

Author: Sarah Hamaker

Genre: Romantic Suspense

Release Date: October 14, 2025

Dr. Eve Davenport has forged a life for herself far from the pain of her past. But when she foils the kidnapping attempt of Ethan Smith, she comes face-to-face with the boy’s father, Jefferson Smith—the high school sweetheart who broke her heart and left her with secrets she’s buried for nearly a decade. Jefferson can’t believe the woman who saved Ethan, his late twin brother’s son, is Eve—the girl he once loved and lost. But as the danger mounts, Jefferson and Eve must confront their tangled history and uncover who is behind the attacks targeting Ethan and Eve.

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About the Author

Multi-award-winning and best-selling author of inspirational romantic suspense, Sarah Hamaker loves writing books “where the hero and heroine fall in love while running for their lives.” She’s an AWSA certified writer and speaker coach, and podcaster of “The Romantic Side of Suspense.” She and her husband are therapeutic foster parents with UMFS. Sarah lives in Virginia with her husband, four children and two cats.

More from Sarah

Life has a funny way of mirroring fiction at times, and that happened to me with Fatal Past—but not when I was writing it! I wanted my hero’s (and heroine’s) son to be school-age but not too old, so I picked second grade, which put him at age 7. This is such a fun age, as they are independent and inquisitive, and you start to really see their personalities develop.

Little did I know when I wrote this last fall that I would be teaching twenty-three second graders as a long-term substitute this current school year! I began in mid-September and will continue through early March while their regular teacher is out on maternity leave. It’s been challenging but rewarding as they expand their knowledge and build on their kindergarten and first-grade foundations.

Your turn—how has something you read resonated with you lately? Has a storyline mirrored something happening in your own life?

Sarah

Interview with Sarah

How long does it take you to write a book?

I’ve been getting this question a lot lately from readers and I think my answer disappoints because the answer is: It depends. If nothing happens out of the ordinary in my personal or work life, then I can write the rough draft of a 35,000-word novella in four to six weeks; a short novel (around 50,000 words) in six to nine weeks; and a trade-length novel (between 80,000 and 95,000 words) in about four to five months. So sometimes, I’m able to knock out the manuscript fairly quickly and other times, life intervenes and slows me down.

What are your favorite books to read?

I read a lot in my genre, Christian romantic suspense, to keep up with my favorite authors and genre trends. I also read nonfiction books that catch my interest. Recent nonfiction titles include The Art Thief and Little Bosses Everywhere. I’ve been slowly making my way through presidential biographies in audio form while commuting to work, and I enjoy historical fiction, usually the World War I or World War II eras.

What would you say is the most difficult part of writing a book?

For me, it’s weaving in the romantic elements at a good pace with the suspense. I always focus on writing the suspense part in the rough draft because if that story isn’t working, then I have more problems in the editing process. I’ll throw in romantic elements, but I don’t concentrate on the romance part until I’m editing the book.

Have you experienced writer’s block, and how do you handle it?

I think every writer experiences some form of writer’s block at some point in their lives. Whenever I’m stuck, I’ll throw in something really strange, like aliens landing (and since I’m not writing sci-fi, that’s not gonna happen in my stories!), to get me writing something. Of course, I’ll delete that later, but that’s how I handle the stuck-ness of writing.

How many books have you written?

Amazon tells me I’ve written 20 books, including four nonfiction titles.

Which is your favorite?

This is another question I often get when doing in-person events like exhibiting at craft fairs. It’s hard for me to pick a top favorite because I love something about all of my books. However, if I have to pick, I usually start with The Dark Guest or Justice Delayed, books one in two of my series. But if really pressed, I generally say it’s my most recent book because that’s the one I remember the most about, LOL.

Blog Stops

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, January 31

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, February 1

Books Less Travelled, February 2

Stories By Gina, February 3 (Author Interview)

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, February 4

Texas Book-aholic, February 5

Simple Harvest Reads, February 6 (Author Interview)

Blogging With Carol, February 7

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, February 7

Artistic Nobody, February 8 (Author Interview)

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, February 9

Cover Lover Book Review, February 10

Bizwings Blog, February 11

Fiction Book Lover, February 12 (Author Interview)

Holly’s Book Corner, February 13

For Him and My Family, February 13

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, the grand prize of a $50 Amazon Gift Card, an ebook copy of Fatal Past, a paperback copy of Truth, the limited collection of four short novels that includes Fatal Past, signed by all four authors, and Fatal Past-themed socks!!

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

https://gleam.io/k1w6L/fatal-past-celebration-tour-giveaway