Lynn H. Blackburn returns to Relz Reviewz with a character spotlight on two of her favourite characters ever – Gabe and Anissa from One Final Breath, her third and final Dive Team Investigations novel. Readers have been intrigued with Gabe and Anissa from the beginning and their patience is finally rewarded as they finally have to come to terms with each other, their history, and attraction. Enjoy this insight into this opposites attract relationship and be sure to enter the giveaway below!

Check out the story, meet the characters, and be sure to add One Final Breath to your TBR and wishlists!

When investigator Gabriel Chavez had his cover blown by an aggressive reporter, the silver lining was being able to rejoin the dive team. The downside? Dive team captain Anissa Bell–a woman who both fascinates and frustrates him.

Anissa grew up as a missionary kid on the Micronesian island of Yap and always planned to return after college. But she remained stateside, determined to solve the case that haunts her–the murder of her best friend and the disappearance of a three-year-old child.

When Anissa’s fractured past collides with Gabe’s investigation into the tragic shooting death of a teenage boy in Lake Porter, they’ll have to put their complicated history with each other aside in order to uncover the identity of a killer. What they’ll discover is that revenge has no statute of limitations.

Award-winning author Lynn H. Blackburn closes out her nail-biting Dive Team Investigations series with a story that will have you wondering how long you can hold your breath.

Anissa Bell

Physical Stats

Height: 5’6″

Hair colour & style: Long brown hair that she often wears in a ponytail or a braid

Eye colour: Hazel

Favorite accessory or clothing style: When she isn’t working, she prefers gym pants, T-shirts, and tennis shoes. At work, she prefers a flowy shirt and slacks.

Resembles…

Camille Leblanc-Bazinet

Can’t live without…

Coffee in the morning and diving as often as possible

Strengths

Fierce advocate for justice; protective of her friends and her dive team members

Vulnerabilities

Anissa’s afraid of close relationships and of people who will turn on her when they find out her secrets. She’s terrified of failure

Passions

Professionally – Cold cases; Personally – Diving and Exercise

What book or movie would they recommend?

Anissa is a David Baldacci fan. Her childhood favorites were Trixie Belden and Nancy Drew, and she also loved The Secret Garden and Emily of New Moon.

Your inspiration for the character

I knew I wanted the Dive Team Captain to be a strong, tough, female cop with a soft side that she rarely shows. We have some acquaintances who are multi-generational missionaries in Yap and it turns out that Yap has some amazing diving. Those things merged into the idea of having Anissa be a missionary kid who grew up in Yap and then stayed in the States after college. It also gave me the opportunity to explore the idea that all of us are called to our work – whether it’s in ministry (the way Anissa grew up) or in the secular workforce (where Anissa finds herself now) and how neither type of work is more or less important in God’s eyes.

Gabe Chavez

Physical Stats

Height: 6’0”

Hair colour & style: Light brown; A little wavy when it grows out but he usually keeps it pretty short, especially on the sides/back.

Eye colour: Hazel

Favorite accessory or clothing style: When not at work, casual in athletic shorts and T-shirts.

Resembles…

William Levy

Can’t live without…

Diving; Chocolate Chip Cookies

Strengths

Loyal to his friends; Brave; Willing to do the dirty work when necessary.

Vulnerabilities 

Gabe’s bad about holding a grudge; He’s also too willing to put himself in danger in order to protect others.

Passions

Diving, diving, and diving

What book or movie would they recommend?

Gabe enjoys the Marvel universe movies. He’s the kind of guy who will go to the midnight openings with friends if he’s not working.

He doesn’t read a lot of fiction but he does read biographies and history.

Your inspiration for the character

Gabe’s the fun guy. He’s the life of the party. But there’s a serious side to him that few people see and I wanted to bring that to life on the page.

Background to the story

I wanted to explore what it would look like for the characters to wrestle with the long-term consequences of a relatively minor mistake that led to a permanent tragedy. We know God forgives, but what does it look like to accept that forgiveness and walk through life in the knowledge that God doesn’t condemn us for what we’ve done? God is never skimpy when He dispenses grace and forgiveness, but I often struggle to receive it and I think that’s true for many of us.

On a lighter note, I wanted to write about the “fun” guy falling in love with the “serious” girl. Their differences are what make them so great together!

Thanks Lynn!

Lynn H. Blackburn is the author of Beneath the Surface, Hidden Legacy, and Covert Justice, winner of the 2016 Selah Award for Mystery and Suspense and the 2016 Carol Award for Short Novel. Blackburn believes in the power of stories, especially those that remind us that true love exists, a gift from the Truest Love. She’s passionate about CrossFit, coffee, and chocolate (don’t make her choose) and experimenting with recipes that feed both body and soul. She lives in Simpsonville, South Carolina, with her true love, Brian, and their three children.

Relz Reviewz Extras
All Things Blackburn @ Relz Reviewz
Visit Lynn’s website and blog
Buy at Amazon: One Final Breath or Koorong

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