Woven by Words: The Girl Upstairs By Jessica Patch + GIVE AWAY

Welcome to the Blog Tour for The Girl Upstairs by Jessica R. Patch, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours! Oh boy... are you all ready for this book? I'm in the Instagram tour for this as well because I can't give enough shout outs to Jessica's writing so I needed to cover my bases. Check out her guest post below and enter the giveaway!

About the Book

Title: The Girl Upstairs
Author: Jessica R. Patch
Publisher: Harlequin Love Inspired Trade
Release Date: April 28, 2026
Genre: Psychological Thriller

"Jessica R. Patch weaves a dark, twisty tapestry that’s both unsettling and unexpectedly hopeful. Masterful." –New York Times bestselling author Allison Brennan

She bought this house to save her marriage. Unearthing its secrets might just claim her life.

Gwen McDaniel’s life is broken. But she knows the perfect place to fix it. Cold Harbor, Maine, an idyllic small town with views of Acadia National Park, is where she used to vacation with her parents as a child. Here, she and Steven can start over, renovating their cliff-side fixer-upper while patching up their marriage. Soon, everything will be better.

Except from the moment they arrive, Gwen sees and hears things, and it’s more than just the drafts and shadows that are part of any old house. Steven downplays her fears, warning her not to fixate on problems as she has in the past. But Gwen spent years as a homicide detective, and her instincts don’t lie. Something happened here. Proof comes when she rips up the attic’s carpet to discover a chilling message carved into the wood underneath.

As Gwen delves into the history of the house and the Cold Harbor community, she begins to piece the fragments together. And gradually, a terrifying picture emerges: A missing girl. A house of horrors. And a dark, decades-old nightmare that is more haunting than Gwen ever imagined…

Also Available

Guest Post

From Dark Scenes to Daily Life: How I Balance It

So, I’ve just written a scene where someone is buried alive, a killer is circling, and the tension could power a small city. And now… I’m expected to go make dinner or meet a friend for coffee? Yes, that’s the exact kind of writer’s whiplash I live with—and somehow, I survive it.

Here’s my not-so-secret formula. Treat it like a costume change for your soul. Close the document, step away, and remind yourself that the basement, the revenge, and the lingering dread? They live on the page, not in your kitchen that really does need a deep clean. I’ll swap the horror soundtrack in my head for something worshipful or even whimsical—maybe 80s hairbands or Love Shack set on repeat—to reset my mood and to remind me that a tin roof rusted is way scarier than a shiny one. Physical movement helps too. Chopping vegetables with sharp knives, walking the dog down deserted roads, or simply stepping outside to breathe (except in spring because…pollen).

And yes, I do it with a wink. Because the truth is, I spend hours orchestrating human misery for a living. Laughing at the absurdity of shifting from terror to normal life keeps me grounded. Imagining my characters sipping lattes instead of scheming murder? Hilarious.

But here’s the serious part. Even though I dive into darkness on the page, I trust that God equips me for it. When He calls you to something, He gives all the grace, protection, and shielding you need so that the weight of what you explore doesn’t touch you in a destructive way. I can write the horrors, explore the shadows, and still return to light, laughter, and life—because the ultimate safety isn’t in avoiding the dark, it’s in the One who walks with me through it.

About the Author

Jessica R. Patch is a New York Times and Publishers Weekly bestselling author of more than thirty novels. Known for her pulse-pounding plots, emotionally charged characters, and signature twists, Jessica’s stories explore themes of justice, resilience, and the unshakable power of hope.

Whether weaving inspirational stories of danger edged with romance or crafting chilling thrillers that probe the shadows of the human heart, Jessica delivers fiction that thrills while shining light in the darkest places. She makes her home in Northwest Mississippi, where she enjoys life with her family, a good cup of tea, and dreaming up her next edge-of-your-seat story usually over tacos and queso.

You’re invited to join the Patched In community at her website: jessicarpatch.com and receive a FREE short thriller, Nobody Has to Know.

Tour Giveaway

(2) winners will each receive a signed copy of The Other Sister and a $10 Amazon gift card!

Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight April 27, 2026 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on May 4, 2026. Winners will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only for the print copy. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Giveaway is subject to JustRead Publicity Tours Giveaway Policies.

Enter Giveaway

Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!