ARLEEN JENNINGS
stories with purpose
My Debut Novel
Click on the cover below to order your copy of THE PAINTER.
Because this book is about a painter, I thought it would be fun to do a watercolor painting like one described in the story and use it for the cover. As you read THE PAINTER, you’ll see where this one fits into the plot.
THE PAINTER
While painting, Claire jumps at the sound of a loud crash, which causes her to drop a loaded brush of paint onto the watercolor paper. She manages to spill the jar of water too. The painting is ruined, or is it? To her astonishment, three perfectly painted teenage boys fill the paper. But how? Once she realizes others can see the boys too, she’s at a loss. Not knowing what else to do, she turns her attention from how it happened to why.
Weeks later, at Frontier Days, Claire is stunned to meet a woman who recognizes the boys in the painting. Though her account is heartbreaking, the details spur Claire to ask for permission to come see where the boys grew up. While there, she meets Chase, a strong yet broken rancher.
As their friendship deepens, more of Claire’s paintings change and she is determined to find their purpose. An unlikely cast of characters weave their way into her heart and turn this unbelievable tale into a real-life adventure of love, loss, and the need for forgiveness.
WILL CHASE'S PAST CAUSE HIM TO DESTROY ALL THE GOOD THAT CLAIRE UNCOVERS THROUGH HER PAINTINGS?
The Painter is set in Wyoming with cowboys, beautiful scenery, and Claire—a horse-training cowgirl who loves to paint.
This story was fun to write because Claire reminds me of myself when I was younger. I grew up on a farm, love the great outdoors, and have done several paintings over the years. Watercolor is my favorite. I've also set up a booth at arts and crafts fairs to sell my artwork, giving me firsthand experience for this novel.
The mystery, on the other hand, is bigger than me. To make my story authentic, I’ve gleaned from the real-life experiences of others. Their lives add an interesting depth to the unlikely cast of characters weaved into this story.
For those of you who enjoy a good romance, you’ll find it here. The Painter is undergoing final edits and will be published soon. I hope you'll join me on this mystery-filled adventure as Claire searches for answers.
FIND ME ONLINE
THE PHOTOGRAPHER
The Photographer is my second novel. A cold case heats up. The story is filled with mystery, intrigue, and danger.
Continue to scroll to read the Back Cover Blurb.
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COVENANT in STONE
Covenant in Stone is my third novel and it's a P.I. mystery. Come journey with me to find out how the stone, and the man who gave it, comes into play.
About My Novels
My stories are filled with interesting discoveries and life-changing truths. I enjoy writing mysteries with a touch of romance.
The process of taking a thought and turning it into a story is both compelling and captivating. One of my favorite parts about writing is that it can be changed and fixed, which isn't always the case when it comes to my watercolor paintings. Be sure to check out my Gallery page.
I get excited when the characters begin to take on a life of their own, often dictating what direction the story will go. Enjoy!
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Back Cover Blurb
Book 2 of THE PAINTER! Claire and Chase are still picking up the pieces from the fallout at the memorial—and falling deeper in love—when the unexpected happens. Another painting changes.
A simple painting of a childhood home leads to the discovery of a family’s heartbreak. Della Foster has been missing for twenty years. What happened to her? If she’s alive, why hasn’t she come home?
When more paintings change, Claire assumes there should be a connection. But if there is, it’s not obvious.
While Claire pursues these new, albeit vague, leads, Chase finds himself in a world of trouble and hurt. His Uncle Brad runs into legal problems with his former employer. His father, Roger, has a destructive secret that is forced into the open. A secret that could cost them the ranch, or their lives.
Join Clare as she fights for Chase and his family, while her paintings uncover more than she bargained for. Will the missing pieces fall into place? A great deal depends on how willing those involved are to come clean about their pasts.
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Back Cover Blurb
Double Threat is the third and final book of my P.I. Ross Davenport Mystery Series.
When Gwen comes to Buffalo, it’s supposed to be a time for her and Ross to get to know each other better, but she’s not there for more than an hour before Ross receives an anonymous threat.
Then a friend of Gwen’s shows them a packet of information she found in a desk bought at a yard sale. Ross says he’ll check into it next week, but Gwen, unaware of the personal threat, jumps in headlong. The items found belong to a teenager named Sarah, who claims her parents were murdered. Unsure of her whereabouts, Ross and Gwen uncover proof of unethical practices at a pharmaceutical company. The discovery lands them in more danger, as those involved will silence anyone who gets in their way.
In the meantime, the threats against Ross and Gwen spread to his family, putting them all at risk. The first few attempts on their lives fail, but their adversaries refuse to quit, and they will not be safe until their enemies are stopped.
Can Sarah be found without destroying more innocent people? Will they find enough proof to convict her parents’ murderer and stop further corruption? Someone Wants Ross and Gwen Dead. But who?
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Back Cover Blurb
When a young man dies from injuries sustained in a hit-and-run car crash, his mother suspects it wasn’t an accident. Gwen has heard the workplace gossip and also believes there’s more to the story. To help the woman, she agrees to ask Ross Davenport, her private investigator friend from Buffalo, to come to Nashville to look into it.
Ross wonders if Gwen is using the case for personal reasons, but when details that don’t add up point to a person of interest, he’s convinced his services really are needed. It’s a passing reference to Pandora’s Box that leads Ross to uncover a family secret that has been buried for over thirty years. While his search continues, he learns a priceless blue diamond is missing and there’s a second investigation that needs his full attention.
Were events that unfolded coincidental or the result of premeditated actions borne of passion or greed? After questioning numerous people involved with the suspicious activities, the web of details is slowly untangled, and facts come to light that inevitably affect them all.
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Back Cover Blurb
Law student Ross Davenport saved a man’s life. In turn, the man rewarded him with a broken piece of white stone and a covenant promise: “If you ever find yourself in dire need, I will do everything in my power to help you.”
Years later, Ross leaves his father’s law firm to become a private investigator—a move his family cannot understand or accept. He struggles to make a good living, but he enjoys the work and refuses to quit. The offer from a wealthy client to find a suspect who missed his arraignment hearing could be the breakthrough Ross needs.
After making some solid connections, Ross learns the suspect’s no-show in court is about more than the involuntary manslaughter charges. A lucrative and illegal enterprise comes to the forefront of the investigation and several of his witnesses begin to receive death threats. Something must be done before more people die.
Ross is struggling to balance his responsibility for their safety and the need to continue his search for the truth when he comes across information about the piece of stone he was given in law school. Would the man who gave it to him even remember him? Would he honor his word to help him? And if so, at what cost?
IT’S A RARE THING TO PLACE ANY VALUE IN A VERBAL PROMISE,
MUCH LESS IN A BROKEN PIECE OF STONE.
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The Painter
Back Cover Blurb
While painting, Claire jumps at the sound of a loud crash, which causes her to drop a loaded brush of paint onto the watercolor paper. She manages to spill the jar of water too. The painting is ruined, or is it? To her astonishment, three perfectly painted teenage boys fill the paper. But how? Once she realizes others can see the boys too, she’s at a loss. Not knowing what else to do, she turns her attention from how it happened to why.
Weeks later, at Frontier Days, Claire is stunned to meet a woman who recognizes the boys in the painting. Though her account is heartbreaking, the details spur Claire to ask for permission to come see where the boys grew up. While there, she meets Chase, a strong yet broken rancher.
As their friendship deepens, more of Claire’s paintings change and she is determined to find their purpose. An unlikely cast of characters weave their way into her heart and turn this unbelievable tale into a real-life adventure of love, loss, and the need for forgiveness.
WILL CHASE'S PAST CAUSE HIM TO DESTROY ALL THE GOOD THAT CLAIRE UNCOVERS THROUGH HER PAINTINGS?
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Back Cover Blurb
For young Parker Jackson photography was a diversion, an escape from the dysfunctional home of his teenage years. Now that it’s his profession, he enjoys setting his own schedule and choosing his own subject matter. That is until color shows up in some of his black and white photos taken in the Historic District of Philadelphia. Adding to his bewilderment, a caller asks about those specific pictures and somehow already knows about the color. Parker’s confusion quickly turns to curiosity when the man requests his help to solve a cold case.
Intrigue and a substantial payday are enough to set Parker on a search for answers that reaches other states, other lives, and even parts of himself that have been locked away for longer than he cares to admit. Through the mysteriously altered photos he receives snippets of information that are vague at best. The people he meets begin to fill in the blanks and he realizes his search is to find a missing girl who is presumed dead. Delving into uncharted territory, he is led across the path of some very dangerous people who are willing to go to great lengths to protect their interests.
THE CONSEQUENCES HAVE GONE FURTHER THAN THE MISSING,
AND JUSTICE MUST BE SERVED.
This building in its abandon condition, seen above and to the left, below, was my original muse for The Photographer. I thought, "What caused this building to die?"
When I visited Chestnut Street in Philadelphia, PA, last summer, I found the building completely renovated.
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Categories
Creativity should be inspired, not forced. Something we look forward to, not another obligation added to an already demanding schedule.
Mission Statement
It’s of utmost importance that we share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with those around us. This is not always easy, but Pro 11:30 tells us, "The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that wins souls is wise." My desire, with this blog, is to give you tools that will help you live out your salvation and encourage you to find ways to share your faith. Using creative outlets is a great way to open doors of communication, often presenting opportunities to witness.
American Kestrel
berries & bibs
Testimonial
Arleen Jennings was our guest speaker for our Fall Weekend Retreat. Friday evening she laid a foundation with truths from God’s Word and how these truths had worked into and through her life’s experiences, especially in the hard times. Her delivery was very similar to that of Beth Moore’s if you’re familiar with her Bible Studies.
Saturday morning she encouraged us to use our God-given, creative talents as part of God’s design to give us an outlet for the stresses of life as well as our own need to create because we are, after all, children of ‘The Creator.’ There are many reasons God created us to be creative.
Arleen is a gifted speaker with a special anointing of the Lord on her.
Katie ~ Wellsville Full Gospel Women’s Retreat
About My Blog
Some stories will be about creativity and others will be my thoughts about life. Our success driven culture dictates a good deal of our behaviors and this stretches most of us to our physical and emotional limits, leaving little or no time for creative pursuits. Consequently, time, or should I say, the lack thereof, is one of the biggest hindrances people have in becoming creative. This can change.