WANTED: DEAD OR ALIVE

Had her brand-new husband been involved in something shady? Before Caroline Hampton could confront him, he was killed in a car crash...or so it was claimed. Unsettling incidents--escalating in dange--warned her he could be very much alive. And so Caroline fled for the safety of her sisters' Amish country inn. But someone who suspected her--handsome police chief Zachary Burkhalter--was waiting for Caroline. Waiting for her to slip up. And watching her every move. Daring her to trust him with all of the truth.

Marta can't resist the lure of a new story idea.

"Characters appear in my mind and start talking to each other. That's when I know I'm in trouble. I can't stop following them until I know their story... their joys, their secret fears, most of all the things that keep them from loving each other."

This fascination has led the author to write numerous short stories and novels. But with Steeple Hill’s Love Inspired books, she feels she'd found her perfect niche.

"I'm so thankful to have the opportunity to tell love stories that include the characters' spiritual lives. Their relationship with God is a strong thread running through the story. Without that relationship, they won't find the happiness they seek or the love God has for them."

When she's not writing, Marta and her husband enjoy traveling, spending time with friends, and keeping up with their far-flung family.

"Thank goodness for e-mail," she says. "With a son and daughter in Georgia and North Carolina, and a daughter, son-in-law, and grandson in San Francisco, we'd never keep up otherwise!"

Her new baby grandson is the current light of her life. "I don't think I realized the depth of love I'd feel at the sight of this new little person. It's absolutely amazing!"

You can reach Marta by writing to her c/o Steeple Hill Books, 300 East 42nd Street, Sixth Floor, New York, NY 10017, or via e-mail at mpjohn@sunlink.net. Or visit her on the web at http://www.home.sunlink.net/~mpjohn/. She'll be delighted to hear from you.